Dragonspeaker: A Dragonslayer Sequel (Reupload)

Chapter 2: Rowan

ROWAN

Rowan could hardly believe it.

Wren was alive, and so was Leaf, even after storming off from the mountain dragon palace. The dragonmancers had finally gotten their crimes exposed. She and Grove were finally out of jail. Rowan thought that it was a pretty great day in of itself, and the mild weather certainly was helping her mood.

She was sitting next to Grove, eating on one of the blueberries that Cranberry had gathered earlier that morning. Cranberry had been getting most of the food for them, as both Rowan and Grove were still feeling weak after being thrown into jail, and Thyme preferred to keep watch for any dragons. Grove was leaning on her shoulder, partially asleep. Thyme had been sitting nearby them, still not touching his own fruit.

Rowan glanced at Grove, gently nudging him awake. "Hey Grove? You awake enough to eat?"

He groaned, opening a single eye to look at her. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Not really," Rowan replied, handing him a small chunk of her own blueberry. "Come on, eat up. Cranberry didn't get these for nothing."

Grove grumbled underneath his breath, but didn't argue - he took a few bites out of the blueberry, though he still dozed off on Rowan's shoulder. Cranberry soon plopped down next to Rowan, practically flying out of the tangled undergrowth. Rowan lightly chuckled as she dropped a few blueberries on her lap.

Cranberry giggled awkwardly. "Sorry, Rowan."

"Aw, it's alright," She responded, handing the fruit back to Cranberry. "You managed to get us all breakfast on your own, don't apologise."

Blushing slightly at Rowan's praise, she grinned. "I guess." She turned to Thyme, tilting her head. "Thyme? You okay?"

Surprised, he looked back at her. "You're back already? Huh." Now taking a few bites of his food, he shrugged. "I...just keeping watch for any dragons, I guess."

I doubt we'll have as much of a reason to worry, but...I can see why he's being cautious over it. After their journey to the mountain dragon palace, Thyme had been more jumpy whenever they stopped briefly in any sort of clearing. While Rowan found it irritating, she couldn't blame him. He probably doesn't want a repeat of Mushroom...but Mushroom actually deserved it. He was a piece of shit.

Grove lightly tapped Rowan's hand. "More," He mumbled.

She whipped her head around to face him, chuckling. "Now you're demanding more? You're lucky that you're doing such a good job of being adorable while doing it." She handed him the rest of the blueberry, already full.

Cranberry snorted. "Is he still tired?"

"Yes, I am," He snapped, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know how you manage to be so energetic this early."

Glancing up at the sky, Cranberry rolled her eyes. "It's almost noon! I don't know how you can still be tired after half of the day's gone!"

Rowan smirked. "You usually wake up at dawn, Cran. I'm still tired myself."

Giggling, she nodded. "True! I am still used to waking up that early. We- I always had to be up that early back in my troupe. Sleeping in was pretty taboo, if you know what I mean."

Grove lifted his head to stare at her. "You mean to say it wasn't allowed, or...?"

"What? No, no! Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words," She replied, her cheeks flushing. "It definitely wasn't encouraged, to say the least. I did it once and I got chewed out so badly for it! Never did that again."