Chapter 26
TARIAN
W hen Tarian next returned, he found Rocky guarding the front of the cave while Kenna was sleeping near the fire, having made a pillow from his jacket.
He held up a finger to the dog for silence and then came in quietly, cooking the fish as before, for her.
He didn’t want to wake her, but he also didn’t want her starve, so he was torn, until she decided herself, blinking her eyes open before he had to make a decision, and at finding him there, she gave a soft smile.
A smile of recognition?
Or a smile just for him?
He memorized it for safekeeping regardless, as she pushed herself to sitting. “Breakfast in bed. My favorite.”
“Is it?” he asked her, handing the hot rock over for her to pluck her dinner off of.
“Not really—because then you just have to make your bed again. Crumbs.”
“Ahh,” he said, and watched her eat happily. “I’m glad you were able to rest.”
She gave a quick nod, then asked, “Do you? Need to? Or was almost dying last night enough?”
He chuckled darkly. “I need less rest than most humans. Which doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, from time to time.” He stretched himself out, until he felt the log he’d been cleaving firewood off of at his back.
“What else do dragons do? That’s different, I mean, of course.”
“On my home Realm, we were more common. We engaged in politics and sport. Commerce and adventure.” His voice drifted off, remembering all the times he’d done stupid things with his brother, and then later, when his father had wanted him to be more solemn, and learn to rule the place.
“We don’t fly as often as you think. Most places aren’t built for us, so it’s easier just to stay in human form, unless you’re traveling. ”
“That’s a shame,” she said, licking her fingers and lying back down. “If I had wings, I’d never hide them.”
That made him laugh. “I’m sure.”
They had a long moment in safe, companionable silence, and Tarian was wondering whether or not he should break it, when she did first. “Tell me about her?”
His mouth opened, and he inhaled. “I’m . . . not sure that’s wise.”
“Why not?”
“Because if this is to continue...I think I need to start forgetting her.”
“To continue,” Kenna muttered, and he wasn’t sure if she was mocking him. She pressed her head up on her hand and glared at him. “I’ve lost people before, Tarian. Forgetting them is not the answer.”
“True,” he said. “And, the truth is, I could not forget her. Not even if I tried. Or stared into Forgetting Fire.” He gathered his thoughts, before he continued.
“She was beautiful—like you. Her hair was blonde, with gray streaks coming in. She was heavier than you. Her tongue was sharp, and she was smart, she could hold her own at court, with politics and with humor, and,” he said, glancing over at the girl, “her breasts were far more pendulous than yours.”
“Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait,” Kenna said, sitting up. “You think I am a reincarnation of an older white lady?”
“Her skin would tan during the summer,” he said, defending Seris.
The younger girl’s expression was incredulous. “I don’t believe you.”
“Well, it’s true?—”
“No,” she said, swatting his words out of the air. “It’s a saying. Just—give me a second to process.” He watched her put her fingertips to her temples and rub, before returning to their conversation. “Out of all the crazy things you’ve said since I met you, I think that takes the cake.”
“She was also a very good baker.”
Kenna’s eyebrows rose up like they were trying to meet her hairline. “No. Just—please, remember her, definitely, get that healing, but—” she said, and then laughed, making a show of looking at her own skin. “Really?”
Tarian grunted, crossing his arms. “Magic doesn’t always make sense.
” It was hard to watch Kenna laughing, especially when he knew he wasn’t in on the joke.
“Here are some sayings from my Realm, though, since you keep using so many from yours. ‘Magic makes fools of us all’ and ‘Magic doesn’t care what you think is fair.’”
“Well, that sounds about right,” she said, still snickering. “But nope. Nope. Still not over the fact that I was apparently a white grandma.”
“Grandmother? No. We were incapable of having children together, unfortunately. We definitely tried.”
Kenna winced at that. “I’m sorry. Now I feel like an asshole.”
“Don’t,” he said, shaking his head. “This was destined to be awkward, even under the best of circumstances, which this is not.” He heaved another sigh.
“I did have dreams. Of how this was going to go. They were worthwhile, because they kept me living—but I have released them back into the night, where they belonged.”
Another awkward silence passed between them, during which she began drawing a circle in the sand beside herself, with one delicate finger.
“How did they go?” she eventually asked.
“Much more simply,” he said, and she snorted. “You recognized me at once, threw yourself into my arms, and we went to live somewhere, happy and content, for the rest of our very, very long lives.”
“Ah,” she said, slowly nodding, before her eyes flashed up. “So were you disappointed, when you found me? Seeing as I was brown, and young, and snarky?”
He got the feeling that there was much more to her question than whatever was on the surface, and so he tried to answer with that in mind. “Seris was snarky, as you call it, too—but as for the rest—how could anyone find you disappointing?”