The Rogue Dragon

Though the villagers felt the immense shake of the crash they disregarded it instantly only grateful that the dragon hadn’t crashed in their village. The dragon had most likely landed in the Forest of Shadows outside the village to rest. It was uninhabited so there would be no concern that any lives would be lost as long as they didn’t do or say anything to encourage an attack.

But among the trees, picking himself up from the leaf covered ground was the Cobalt Dragon himself.

I have broken it, I have finally broken free, was the only thought running through his mind. He shook his vibrant blue and black streaked head to dispel the dizziness and the Magicae constantly attempting to cloud his brain. He began to shake out his enormous scaly wings to become free of the dirt. Lord Cobalt grunted in annoyance as he untangled himself from the roots of the trees he had pulled up from the crash, using his immense strength to pull himself free. Once he was able to walk again Lord Cobalt sensed a small pond near his location. He inhaled that familiar empowering scent of water just up ahead. He walked what would have been a few miles for a human in only mere steps for a being such as himself, finally stopping at a large meadow. The oasis would have been filled with all kinds of birds singing merry tunes drinking in the sun but were instantly scared away by the large indestructible creature above them. Lord Cobalt sighed with contentment as if finding the water was greeting an old and beloved friend. He bent down his long neck and began to drink the water heartily, feeling his own Magicae course through his powerful body.

A sudden bliss came over him and he paused to lay down on the soft grass to rest for a moment and enjoy what he could of his temporary freedom. Just as his eyes began to flutter closed, a sudden gasp caused his eyes to fly back open. Lord Cobalt’s head whipped back and forth to locate the source of the small noise. Then he shifted his gaze downward, to find a small girl standing before his great body. The first thing he noticed was that her clothes were completely soaked. Her dark hair was plastered to her little head from the water and her tan skin shown in the summer sun. She was clutching a small green frog trying to wriggle itself free from her gentle yet unyielding grip.

Lord Cobalt did not know much about humans but he judged that this child could not have been more than five years old. The girl was unafraid but full of curiosity. Not many had come this close to a dragon but this girl’s heart clearly sought after adventure and was completely devoid of fear. Her wide young eyes looked into the deep intimidating blue and Lord Cobalt cocked his head, unable to resist his own curiosity. As he observed the child’s eyes, he noticed they contained a unique quality to them. Not only were they a bright electric blue, they seemed to be flecked with a rainbow of colors, like two blue prisms. There were shards of green, orange, purple, pink, gold and silver. The realization of exactly who was standing before him hit Lord Cobalt as hard as the crash. It must’ve been fate that brought the two together.

He put one leg in front of the other and bowed deeply to the young girl and said in his deep serious voice,

“You have been blessed, child. As it has been foretold, I am your servant.”

The girl furrowed her brow in confusion but did not say a word as she cautiously approached the great creature. The frog finally escaped her grip, leaped speedily back to the pond and hopped in with a plop. The loss of her creature went unnoticed as she stopped at one of his legs and rested a hand on his scaly hardened skin. She examined the varying black and blue shades painted onto his skin that seemed to shimmer in the sun’s rays beautifully.

“Wren!”

A shout went up from among the trees just outside of the meadow and the unusual pair jolted out of their stupor both their heads jerking in the direction of the call. Lord Cobalt heard a larger figure crashing through the trees no doubt looking for the small girl. He turned back to her to speak quickly and quietly before taking to the skies.

“Listen to me carefully, child. Don't tell anyone about our meeting. You will put yourself in great danger if you do. Stay hidden, survive at all costs and never let them know who you truly are. We will meet again.”

He looked at her innocent face one last time to commit her to memory so that one day when he was completely free he could find her again. With one powerful wave of his batlike wings, he lifted himself into the air and glided further into the wilderness, leaving the astonished yet determined girl alone with thoughts and questions overwhelming her like a thick mist.

I gasp as I am startled awake by the strange dream. I bolt up and feel my skin slick with sweat. Trembling, I look out the window to see the sky streaked with pink just before sunrise.

What's unusual is that I can remember the dream perfectly. Normally I'll have to concentrate on what I dreamed about but this time I have no trouble. But it not only felt like a dream, it was almost a memory mixed with fantasy, something stored inside of me that I forgot was there. Something lost.

Wow, for the first time in months I've gone to bed with a full stomach and even my dreams are shocked with the change.

I pull off my moth-eaten sheets and get up to silently dress in my plain yet functional clothes with brown leggings, my brothers old leather boots, a worn gray tunic and an old leather belt tied at my waist. I wash my face and tie up my hair in a neat bun and to top off my everyday look I throw my navy blue cloak over my shoulders. Before I leave the house I take a small parcel of food for Xander and my leather bag to check on the snares. Not that we really need the food for once but no use in letting good game go to waste. I sneak down the stairs paying careful attention to avoid the creaky planks and make my way out the door. I notice a slight hop in my step as I go to the back of the house toward the cellar. As I make my way back down to the musty mildewed space I have a sudden fear that the boy has left but instantly push the idea aside. He was in no condition last night to stand let alone walk to wherever he needed to go. Which I still don’t know where but I am hoping to find out today.

I see it before I enter the room and my heart leaps in my chest.

The cot is empty.

I my brain instantly jumps to conclusions.

That little thief! Well, granted I’m a thief but still! He took my food and medicinal supplies and left without any explanation as to why he’s here in the first place! He better not come within ten miles of this village or I’ll teach him a lesson he’ll never—

“Oh good morning.”

I whirl around the corner of the stairway and I find Xander standing so close we’re face to face.

The amount of adrenaline coursing through me in such a short time causes me to punch him in the nose.

Hard.

“Ow!” He exclaims holding his bruised nose trying to contain the reflex tears and blood flowing freely but I’m still angry.

“Don’t do that! Ugh great.”

I walk over to the cot and take the roll of bandages I had left the night before. I tear off a piece of the cotton and hand it to Xander to stem the flow.

“Don’t ever sneak up on me!”

“Yeah, I get that now, thank you.”

His voice sounds like a clogged horn as he pinches the bridge of his nose and wipes his face. Then I realize…

“How are you even walking right now?”

He scoffs through the cotton in his nose.

“Don’t flatter yourself. You didn’t punch me that hard.”

I roll my eyes at the evasive retort.

“You're lucky I pulled that punch when I did then.

I MEAN, how are you up? Your bruises were bad enough you wouldn’t have been able to sit up and your ribs definitely couldn’t have healed overnight!”

I even notice that his shoulders are broader and that he’s filled out his white shirt better. Now that definitely couldn’t have happened with a little strawberries and water.

He shrugs easily.

“I have a high pain tolerance.”

I glare at the lie but drop the subject for now.

“We’ll since you are feeling so chipper you can feed yourself. I brought breakfast.”

I walk back to the cot and set down my bundle of bread and fruit.

“Cole will be by in a little bit to check on your injuries. I’m going on an errand and when I get back I want an explanation about all this. And it had better be a more honest answer than “I have a high pain tolerance.”

Though I meant to show how much I want him to explain, a dark shadow crosses his face. And I wonder if he’ll have the idea to run away before I get back. I let my words hang in the air and leave Xander and walk back up the cellar steps. As I shut the doors, I slide a thick and long stick across the two handles.

I agreed to take care of this boy but that doesn’t mean I have to trust him.

Cole will be at the cellar any minute. I told Wayne and Kade I would check in the snares this morning so they wouldn’t be baffled by my absence. Even though we have enough money and supplies to buy our breakfast every little bit helps and I’m not about to let a perfectly good rabbit go to waste.

Taking it upon myself to check in the snares also allows the boys to sleep in. It is the last day of the week after all, which means it’s more of a time to relax after long days of work. I was very happy to find two rabbits were caught this morning and I hum to myself as I walk with my game back full of food back to the cellar. The instant I see the stick pulled out from in between the door handles I know something is wrong. How did Xander get out?

I cautiously open the doors and step down the stairs. The sounds of Kades merry chattering follows me up the steps and I run down to see what is going on.

I find Cole, Xander, Kade AND Wayne sitting or standing in a semi circle and all seem to be talking about the nice weather we are having.

“WHAT are you two doing here?!”

I roar.

All four of the boys jolt and Cole nearly loses his seat. Wayne is the first to compose himself and scowls at me.

“I should ask YOU the same thing. Why didn’t you tell us you were hiding and feeding a potentially insane stranger in our cellar?”

“Now wait a moment!”

Xander interjects but I cut him off by holding up a hand.

“Believe me, I'm not thrilled about the arrangement either.”

“Excuse me!”

Xander jumps in again but we continue to ignore him. Thankfully Cole comes to my defense.

“I asked her not to tell you. Especially after finding the Dragon Queen we didn’t want to raise the alarm by more people.”

Kade cuts across Cole to jump off his barrel and rush over to me to yell excitedly.

“Cole said you saw a REAL DRAGON! Can I see it? When can I see it?”

“Whoa! YOU are not seeing any dragons if I can help it. How did you find out?”

Kade’s disappointment at not being able to see Queen Amber is instantly replaced by a look if mischief.

“I heard you get up early this morning and open the pantry. I thought you were going to check in the snares but when I looked out the window I saw you go down the cellar. I told Wayne and we wanted to see what you were up to.”

Kade motions for me to bend down and does his best to whisper something in my ear though it’s still clearly audible.

“Wayne doesn’t like Xander much but I think he’s nice. He gave me a lava rock.”

I chuckle at his excellent judge of character but the realization hits me.

“A lava rock? Where did he get it?”

“That’s what we were just about to find out.”

Wayne says, turning to glare at Xander, wanting to get straight to the point and for once I agree. I want to get the entire story before Xander decides to leave and I find I am actually grateful Wayne is here. His large stature and less than cheery demeanor might encourage Xander to keep his answers honest.

Xander fidgets under me and my brother’s questioning gazes.

“I suppose, you deserve an explanation. I do want to thank you for helping me. I am in your debt.”

I set down my game bag, pull up my own barrel, sit down and cross my arms expectantly.

Xander rubs his hands anxiously but begins.

“I should start with where I’m from. I grew up in Sole, near Mount Kalor.”

I maintain a neutral expression but I’m surprised to hear Xander’s from Sole. Sole is considered one of the most prosperous villages because the volcanic earth is extremely rich in nutrients which means it’s the best place for farming. Most of the vendors who travel to Quintus grow their crops in Sole. It also means that the people who live in Sole are considered a higher class, only a step down from the Spellbinders and Dragons. I look at Wayne out of the corner of my eye and see his brow furrow at this new piece of information and I guess he and I have the same thought. Did Xander come from a rich family? If so, why was he collected if his family could pay the debt?

“I was taken from my family on the Night of the Amber Moon. They put me in the cage with all the other kids but they never said where we were going. We rode for about the entire night and half the day and found they were bringing us to Mount Kalor. When we stopped there were hundreds of wagon cages with thousands of kids all waiting to enter the mountain. The conditions were less than ideal. Many of the children hadn’t eaten in days. We were promised food once we got inside but they didn’t mention how little we would receive. To our surprise we met the Court of Dragons and the Spellbinders inside.”

I nod knowingly. Everyone knew the Spellbinders and Dragons lived in Mount Kalor which is considered their unbreachable fortress.

“They sorted us into groups using paint to mark our foreheads with red, blue and black. I was sorted into red then the reds and blues went down one hallway in the mountain and the blacks in another. And as far as I know the blacks were never seen again.”

I raise an eyebrow puzzled and Kade asks.

“Why? Where did they go?”

Xander looks sadly into Kades innocent face and shrugs.

“No one knows where the Spellbinders took them and I don’t think I want to know.”

Several questions are waiting on the tip of my tongue but I wait until I have more information.

“Then they gathered all the reds and blues and had a meeting. The head Spellbinder spoke finally stating why we were brought to Mount Kalor. We were to be schooled in the ways of the Spellbinders so that we would be able to eventually serve our villages. The Court of Dragons commanded if we were obedient and did well in our studies we would be returned to them in time. Those who did otherwise would be dealt with accordingly. So we had no choice but to train. The Spellbinders became more like taskmasters. Those who excelled were treated well and those who fell short were punished. We received very little to eat but the kids who were favored were given more than enough.

But one day it all changed for me.”

Xander pauses and clears his throat, extremely hesitant to continue.

“I umm, showed potential. I successfully manipulated the Magicae and was instantly made a star pupil.”

My eyes narrow and I hear Kade gasp, a loud gulp from Cole and a growl from Wayne.

“What do you mean?” Wayne asks roughly.

Xander’s shoulders hunch slightly from our suspicious gazes and runs a hand through his thick tattered hair.

“I found that I uh, can control fire.”

He mumbles. Before I can ask how he snaps his fingers. A small flame erupts from his fingertips and all four of us spring off our barrels. Kade is the only one who seems delighted by this new and dangerous development. Wayne and I shout for Xander to put the flame out and Cole loses his footing and nearly falls on his backside again.

Xander calmly quenches the fire and I see his mouth twitch at our reactions. My face grows hot with anger.

“You think this is funny? You're a Spellbinder?!”

Xanders amusement quickly turns to panic.

“No, just listen! I’m not a Spellbinder and I’m not going to hurt you!”

“Then why are you here?”

I shout and I see a flash of his own anger in his gold eyes appearing alive with flames themselves.

“We’ll if you sit down and let me finish then you’ll find out!”

His voice has risen too and it’s enough to make the protests stop and the four of us sit back down.

Xander sighs tiredly.

“Now, if you could leave all questions at the end of my explanation that would be much appreciated.”

Both me and Wayne cross our arms and scowl at the boy, Kade looks slightly shamefaced for his reaction and Cole pushes his spectacles further up his nose uncomfortably.

Xander nods approvingly at our silence.

“Good then. As I was saying, one day what I was learning finally broke through and the Spellbinders instantly proclaimed me the most talented and powerful student. Even though I had special treatment they had me work twice as hard to learn their ways of manipulating the Magicae. They would um… beat me if I didn’t make the progress they were wanting from me. But I decided that though they might be able to tear down my body I would not let them take my mind. I decided that I would escape. I didn’t know when or how, I just knew I needed to get away. I would sneak away every night and explore the mountain to find a way out. I found out many things and I was almost caught several times. I heard the Spellbinders talk about a prophecy. It was foretold that five guardians would emerge from all across the Valley. Young and old, male and female, rich and poor. They would have the ability to manipulate the Magicae and would eventually overthrow the tyrannical rulers. They would protect and watch over the Valley and its people and become a force for good not evil. The reason why they take children is because they want to kill or manipulate anyone who has the potential of becoming a Guardian from the prophecy. And they suspected because I had been their most powerful student that I was a Guardian.”

Xander hesitates again but this time he gives me a look I can’t explain. He seems to be almost afraid? I mean he should be if I don’t get my questions answered and fast but I suspect there is something else behind it. I wonder if somehow I play a part in his story.

“One night I decided to follow the head Spellbinder into a secret cavern I had never been to before. I waited until he left and then I took a chance and entered. To my horror I found all five dragons mercifully curled up in their leathery wings and sound asleep with their legs in chains.”

I hear another dramatic gasp from Kade and a look of shock and wonder from Cole. I can see the question written plainly in his face.

How is Xander even alive to tell us this?

But my question is why were the dragons chained? They are the rulers of the Valley so who could have possibly restricted their power?

Xander seems to take our reactions in stride and a grin breaks out across his lips. His description of the situation becomes more theatrical I suspect for Kades sake.

“But before I could go back where I had come they caught my scent and their eyes opened lazily. Lady Amethyst was the first to spot me and then…”

He makes a long suspenseful pause and I find Kade clutching the hem of his shirt fearfully.

“…she began to talk to me.”

“What the ashes is that supposed to mean?”

Cole asks no longer able to contain his curiosity. Xander shrugs easily.

“She started to talk to me and let me say it was the strangest conversation I have ever had. I sat there like all of you completely dumbfounded. I wondered why she had not made me their next meal already but I was frozen with terror and I couldn’t move or speak. Not that I could do much talking. Lady Amethyst will talk until your ears are long gone and your body has turned to dust. I was so confused I forgot I was trying to escape. She commented on the atrocities of my wardrobe, but that she found my eyes intriguing and complemented the beautiful golden shade of my hair if I quote her correctly.”

I can’t argue with that, I think.

I almost jolt with the sudden thought and nearly tell my brain to shut up aloud.

“Luckily Lord Bronze and Lord Emerald woke up from the racket she was making and saved me from Lady Amethyst’s clutches. But then they proceeded to ask me my name, where I’m from, how old I was, etc and seemed to be more interested in me and the outside world instead of what I was doing there. It was Lord Cobalt who got to the seriousness of the situation. All business that one, he seemed the most intimidating of the lot of them. He actually kind of reminds me of…”

He glances at me again but his smile instantly disappears. He looks as if he shouldn’t have said anything or gave something away and I frown suspiciously. He trails off leaving his sentence unfinished but continues to explain.

“Anyway, I asked Lord Cobalt rather awkwardly why they had not eaten me yet or turned me to ashes. He seemed almost sad that I feared their power but explained what the Spellbinders were really up to. He said that the Spellbinders were using their Magicae to control their minds. The made the dragons do what they wanted such as burning down villages and stealing riches all to make the creatures seem like tyrannical rulers but in reality they were pulling the strings. All the money from the Night of the Amber Moon which was claimed to fulfill the dragon’s greed made the Spellbinders rich and the people poorer and poorer every year. They spread stories of the Dragons' hatred and anger to keep the people fearful and compliant. But what they didn’t want us to know is that the Spellbinders are the tyrants not the dragons.”

His last sentence seems to hang in the air like smoke and he waits for us to process what it means.

This Cole rubs his hands together, Kade looks confused more than ever and Wayne and I furrow our brows in concentration.

What this boy is saying quite literally goes against everything we have ever known about the Court of Dragons and the Spellbinders.

The Spellbinders were supposed to bridge the gap and be an advocate for our people whereas the Dragons were oppressing us and thought of humans as inferior to their majestic selves. But if what Xander says is true what happens now?

“How many people know about this?”

I wonder and Xander shrugs.

“The Spellbinders, Dragons and the five of us. Other than that the Spellbinders have been very thorough keeping this secret.”

“So… how did you escape then?”

Cole asks on the edge of his barrel for Xander to finish his thrilling tale.

“Well Lord Cobalt and I devised a plan. He had been able to break through the Spellbinders hold over his mind a few times and he was confident that he would be able to stop them from controlling Queen Amber and catching me. He also had done a fair share of prowling around at night and was able to find a small tunnel that would lead to outside the mountain. Seven days before the Night of the Amber Moon I would sneak into the Court dungeon and release Queen Amber. I would lead her out of Mount Kalor and she had already agreed to give me a ride here. Once we were free we would continue to look for the remaining Guardians and eventually take the fight back to Mount Kalor and overthrow the Spellbinders. I was able to get away and free Queen Amber. We made our way out of the tunnel but I don’t know exactly what happened once the Spellbinders found out we had escaped. There was a fair amount of screaming that echoed through the tunnel so Lord Cobalt did an excellent job of causing enough trouble to let us get away. It took us three days of riding and both of us had not seen the sun once in several years. We enjoyed it but we were both weak from being beaten and in my case malnourished as well. Both of us needed time to heal but we kept pushing ourselves. Queen Amber gave everything she had to get us here but it cost her. That’s when we crash landed on Cole’s backyard. And here we are. That’s my adventurous tale. Thank you for your patience. I will now take questions.”

Kade is the first to raise his hand as if was in a classroom.

“Is Queen Amber nice? What was it like flying on a dragon? Why were you…”

I want to chuckle at the overwhelmed look in Xanders face at all of Kade's questions and I take pity on him.

“Kade let him answer the first two questions before he forgets all 25.”

Kade nods and tries to wait patiently.

Xander chuckles to my little brother’s enthusiasm.

“No, that's alright. Yes, Queen Amber is nice. She can be a little stuck up sometimes but overall she’s a good friend. As for flying on a dragon it was amazing. You get to see the world in a whole different light. Especially after… “

He swallows at the sadness that comes over him.

Kade looks regretful for asking the question.

“After being holed up for so long it was beautiful to see so much green, so much life I had almost forgotten.”

He tried to cover up his sorrow by asking if anyone has any other questions.

“I do. Why did Lord Cobalt send you here? To get as far away from Mount Kalor as possible? Or did he already have an idea of who the next Guardian would be?”

A sudden shock seems to take over his body, he avoids my gaze and rubs his hands together nervously again.

“I suppose it’s best for me to tell you. But Lord Cobalt gave me instructions on how to um… find you.”

I raise an eyebrow confused at what he means. How to find me?

“He said that your family would be willing to help me because he had already been in contact with one of you.”

I look at Wayne questioningly and he shrugs just as confused as I am.

“Why would he be in contact with us?”

Xander sighs as if he doesn't know how to put what he’s about to say so he starts out slowly.

“He said that he had met you years ago and that you, Wren, were the first known Guardian to them. He said look for the girl with the blue prism eyes and she would be the Guardian of Water.”

I sit on my barrel stunned and unable to move. A thick silence settles over the cellar stronger than the old musty smell. Kade and Cole glance at me with wonder and excitement. Wayne just bursts out laughing.

“Wait what? Your saying Wren is one of these great Guardians or Protectors of the Valley? You're joking right?”

Wayne voices my thoughts exactly but I try to resist the urge to laugh. Xander looks offended at our disbelief.

“I’m not joking in the slightest. That is what Lord Cobalt told me and now that I’ve found you I hoped you would be more understanding.”

“Understanding?”

I shoot to my feet, unable to contain my sudden anger any longer.

“You would have me believe that, me poorer than dirt, stealing and searching for scraps, someone who can barely make ends meet for my own family, can overthrow the most powerful sorcerers in the Valley? I thought you were crazy before but now I think you have gone completely mad.”

Xander runs a hand through his hair with frustration.

“Look I didn’t expect you to believe me about being a Guardian but I thought you might have wanted to help me overthrow the Spellbinders at least.”

This time I laugh in his face.

“Am I happy about getting taxed each year? No, but do I want to bring down a fire breathing dragon on this village for making trouble where there is no need? Absolutely not.”

Now Xander’s patients has vanished and his anger has reached boiling point. He stands to match my height. Though I am slightly shorter than him he glares down into my face but I hold my ground.

““They don't need an excuse to do what they want. It won't matter how submissive we are to their commands, they can and will take everything we love and there isn't a thing we can do.

Unless we CHOOSE to do something about it. To be honest I expected someone like you to pick the path that satisfies your own self interests but I didn’t think you would be so selfish to not even acknowledge your destiny when you know it's true.”

I feel my hackles rise at his accusations. I match his threatening whisper so the others can barely hear.

“What, like you did? Someone of your status could never understand the meaning of the word selflessness.”

His glare is immediately replaced with a jolt of surprise at my implication.

“You really thought I wouldn’t notice your vocabulary and etiquette especially now that I know where you're from? “Someone” like me can put the two and two together. I have known nothing but pain and sacrifice for the people I value in my life. Whereas judging by the way your parents gave you away in order to not pay their debt each year, selfishness is the only thing you've ever known. While you've been living fat and happy I've been fighting to keep my little brother from being taken. You think just because you were in the Spellbinders grueling school you know the harshness of life? You have no idea what selflessness is.”

“Alright that's enough, both of you.”

Wayne says as he gets to his feet prepared to break us both up from our whispered argument. I know I've said too much but I don't plan on taking back any of it.

A scowl at the boy but I can practically feel the fire flare in his golden eyes. Before he can respond I turn my heel back toward the stairs. I throw new instructions over my shoulder.

“You will be staying here until the day after the Night of the Amber Moon. Then you and your dragon are going to get your fiery backsides out of my village and never come back.”

I march up the stone steps feelling all eyes on my back and shove the cellar door open not caring about the group of boy’s thoughts of me. I don't want to go back to the house for fear that my father will ask me what's wrong so I stomp my way over to Mr Parrish’s corral to see Bard and clear my head. To my surprise I listen to Kade’s small feet pounding up the steps to catch up with me.

“Winn! Wait for me!”

I sigh and turn back to face Kade.

“What?”

I ask a little harshly. His sweet face falls and I instantly melt.

“I just wanted to come with you.”

I sigh as I regret my harsh tone.

“Sorry. It's just that I have a lot of questions to process right now.”

He nods with understanding and we both walk for a while in silence.

Once we reach the corral Bard canters up to me hopefully and I dig an apple out of my pocket. Kade hops up on the fence and rubs Bard’s face affectionately. Then he asks,

“Why don’t you believe you're a Guardian?”

I stare into Bard’s eyes and run a hand through my long dark hair thoughtfully.

“It's just… I don't think it's possible for a person like me to be some great Guardian. I am struggling just to protect you as it is. How am I supposed to protect the entire Arcanian Valley?”

Kade listens and waits patiently for me to voice my thoughts. I forget how old he is at times, already eight years old when I remember him being so small and so fragile. In many ways I still think he is that small. He reminds me that he possesses a level of maturity that I need to learn from.

“No I mean why don’t you BELIEVE?”

I pause wondering what he means.

“I'm not following.”

He swallows and really takes the time to make his point.

“You always say you think. Everything you do is with your head, you figure out how to get more money, how much something is worth that you don't have time to feel or listen. What did you feel when Xander said you were a Guardian?”

I bite my lip really considering Kade’s question.

“I felt… scared.”

I think it's probably the first time I’ve uttered that word aloud. Because I consider fear a sign of weakness I make a goal to not let Kade, Wayne or Cole see my fear. Kade nods and looks almost relieved that I have finally said what I vowed I would never say.

“So you were speaking out of fear. What if you chose to believe you were a Guardian?”

I almost laugh but I don't want to hurt Kade and stop where he’s going with this.

“I don't think I have a choice. I don't have special abilities, I'm not good at anything other than stealing and cheating people. What kind of Guardian is that?”

He waves my protests aside but continues to make his point with patience.

“I think the Magicae part will come later. I mean, Xander didn't know he was a Guardian until he practiced with the Spellbinders so all you might need is practice. But I believe you do have a choice. You can choose to be here all your life stealing from others to make enough money, or you can choose to make things different, maybe even stop the Spellbinders from taking our money each year. The way I see it you do have a choice.”

As much as his words make sense I still have a hard time believing that I have a choice in all this.

“But say I do decide that I am some great Guardian, what will happen to you? If I do decide to make trouble if the Spellbinders find where I'm from they might decide to hurt you and Quintus. I won't be here to protect you.”

Kade hopes down from the wood fence and faces me square on.

“You heard what Xander said. The Spellbinders will kill anyone who has the potential of becoming a Guardian so I don't know if I'm the one that should be protected. You are more important.”

I feel tears spring to my eyes from his resigned, courageous statement. I kneel down to match his height.

“You're important to me.”

I envelope him in a great hug but stubbornly resist the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks.

“Whatever this Guardian business is, protecting my family comes before protecting the Valley.”

I let go of him and brush his fringe away from his face.

“Listen, for now we are just going to get past the Night of the Amber Moon then will figure all this out later. Deal?”

He grins cheerfully.

“Deal!”

“Good man.”

I give him a kiss on the cheek.

“And thank you.”

“Don't mention it.”

He says with pretend casualness and I chuckle. We walk back toward the house, both of us walking a little lighter than when we were heading toward the corral.

“What are we having for supper?”

Kade wonders excitedly and I shrug.

“I don't know yet. I think it's Wayne’s turn.”

From the corner of my eye I see a disappointed look cross Kade’s face.

“Why? Do you not like it when Wayne cooks?”

“It's not that I don't like it, it's just that he either makes it really burned or really raw and we have to wait forever for him to make it again.”

“Hmm, so you don't like it when he cooks.”

I retort cheekily and Kade’s little shoulders slump with defeat.

“Yeah.”

I put an arm around him affectionately and grin.

“That's ok I never really cared for Wayne’s cooking either. “