A Kind of Magic

Three

Leodhais stared, frowning, into the tenebrosity filling the corridor for a long while after the dragon shifter, entering his chamber a few doors away, disappeared from his sight, swift and silent like a shadow, as if the magnificent broadsword he was carrying at his side weighed nothing. 

He and Gilderoy had just spent a pleasant enough evening with Peregrine when he filled their heads with useful knowledge, advice, and instructions about their imminent journey and the other world, but there was something... dangerous looming darkly within the man. Leodhais was sure that the dragon would abandon them anywhere should he think that he was doing it for the greater good, whatever that may be in his mind. The elf had never met dragon shifters before, they were a wild folk living in the most remote province of the kingdom which he had always avoided, let alone the Highland Dragons, the homeless fratricides obsessed by their gruesome legends, who wandered eternally across both the known worlds... 

"Come on, Leodhais, we need to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." Gilderoy pulled at the hem of the elf's silky tunic embroidered with silver, disturbing his train of thought. "You heard him; he wants us in the stables before daybreak, and we are not accustomed to getting up so early."

Leodhais sighed, mussing his friend's thick, bronze brown hair quite unconsciously, out of the years' long habit. Despite knowing that the dwarf was wiser, or at least more practically minded than himself, he was used to treating him like a younger brother. 

"I just don't like His Darkness," he muttered, making Gilderoy laugh at hearing the nickname he had given to their companion as he followed him into their chamber and shut the door, the swift movement causing a sudden draft which sent the flames of the multitude of candles burning around the room aflutter.

"Then it's lucky that Alaric didn't ask you to court him," Gilderoy replied, still laughing. 

"Silly dwarf," Leodhais said, letting himself fall on his bed, the pillow he had thrown at his friend barely missing its target. "It's easy for you to laugh; this quest will be nothing but a pleasant summer adventure for you. But for me... I have to please and woo her Royal Highness, Princess... Who knows what she's called? Galadriel? Arwen? Eowyn? If she takes from her father, she's bound to be a red-headed beauty..."

The pillow he had thrown at the dwarf came flying back, landing in the elf's dreamy face.

"You speak as if you didn't like the idea! You are all excited about having Alaric's permission to court his only daughter; just imagine what it will mean for you in the future... You, becoming the first elven king to rule Silmarea! As for her name, I expect her to carry a much simpler, human name, like... hmm... Mary, Catherine, Jane, I don't know. But I suppose Alaric will change that to his liking before she's crowned."

"True, name is not important. A rose would smell just as sweetly if it was called pickled herring, like that human playwright wisely said. Goodness, if I had known that the knowledge about the other world might ever come useful, I would have paid more attention to our tutors... You know, I believe that some humans are not that bad, and she, being Alaric's half human daughter, might just do," Leodhais said philosophically, ignoring the first part of Gilderoy's discourse. 

"And now let us rest, Your Future Majesty. The bags have already been packed for us following Peregrine's instructions, I see," Gilderoy said, unbuttoning his chestnut leather jacket while he inspected two ash brown leather satchels stuffed with human clothes, and saddlebags brimming with food set on the floor between their canopy beds. "I don't know Peregrine well enough yet, but from the little I learned about his character tonight, he'll push us to our limits on this journey."

Soft snores were the only reply he received from his friend who had fallen asleep even before he removed his posh elven clothes. So, sighing and shaking his head, feeling mildly worried about their physical condition being greatly inferior to the dragon shifter's, Gilderoy removed his green leather pants and vest, piling the garments neatly on top of his jacket which he had already spread over the back of a chair. Then he made his way around the chamber to blow out the candles, the long white shirt he was clad in reflecting the silver hues of the moonlight spilling inside through the diamond lattice windows making him look like a baby ghost. Finally, he climbed into his own bed and, after letting the deep blue velvet curtains drop around him, drifted off to sleep, forbidding himself to think any further. They'll just have to wait and see how this adventure goes...

Peregrine was the first one in the stables the following morning, his black satchel and saddlebags full of clothes and provisions hiding his sword wrapped in a black blanket well from view as he tied it to his black horse's side.

Unlike him, his faithful Shadow looked excited to set upon this journey... He smiled, running his fingers through the horse's shiny, soft mane redolent of the many travels they had embarked upon together, before he readjusted the bags into a more comfortable position around the animal's strong, muscular body. It would be a long and tiring journey to the standing stones but once there, the animals could rest-- he and his companions would leave their horses at The Gate Inn, like all wise travellers bound for the other world did. The World Beyond The Stones had changed greatly in the last few centuries, and no one ventured on the other side on horseback anymore; it would make them look too conspicuous and suspicious. 

He looked towards the royal stables' massive door standing ajar impatiently-- the world outside was already bathed in the shy light of the new day. Didn't he tell the elf and the dwarf to meet him at daybreak?!

Suddenly distracted by a loud commotion somewhere behind him, Peregrine looked around just in time to observe Leodhais and Gilderoy rushing into the stables surrounded by a group of the king's servants fussing around them, carrying far too many bags.

The way they half ran into the stables made his smile return-- apparently, he had managed to instil some respect for himself into their minds last night. He didn't care to become the leader of this little quest, but it was important that they would listen to him as he was the only one with any practical experience with the world of humans.

"That's far too much luggage for the horses!" he thundered in an attempt to strengthen his authority. "And those clothes are highly impractical for the long journey," he added, pointing one long forefinger at the elf who was still clad in white and silver. 

Leodhais, just coming to a stop by his white horse, sighed deeply and loudly enough for everyone present to hear his frustration with the dragon shifter, but pulled a stretch of black fabric, as silky and shiny as his bright clothes from one of the saddlebags before a servant could attach it to the white steed's saddle. He shook it out ceremoniously, making it assume the shape of a long travelling cloak, then wrapped it over his shoulders and tied it around his neck, the midnight black hue making his silvery blond hair look even brighter. 

Peregrine frowned unconsciously; it was unfair that all the elves were so good-looking.

"And now I look just as shabby and weatherworn as yourself, dragon, are you happy? As you can see, the bags fit just nicely on our horses, so come on, let us go, it's getting late," the elf announced once he mounted his horse and checked whether his bags and a long bow made of some unusual silvery wood were well attached to his saddle. 

He led his white horse toward the now wide open stables' door, followed closely by the green-clad dwarf riding a sturdy, brown pony, leaving Peregrine no other choice than to mount Shadow and ride towards the sunrise in their wake.