Dragon's Tears

The sun rose over the tree line, and its rays flashed in Serenica’s face. The sound of the birds chirping over a new day reached her ears, and she groaned. Her eyes scrunched closed, and she put her arm over her face, reluctant to wake up for this new day. Eventually, she forced herself to open her eyes and looked up at the sun rising in the sky above. Pink, orange, and yellow hues greeted her as she began to smile at the serenity the world had offered her.

“Rise and Shine ladies. We need to get moving! Estme awaits!” Edward yelled.

Serenica rolled over to her side to get to her feet. However, intense pain filled her body as she placed pressure on her hand to lift her body off the ground. Her eyes widened and she bit down on her tongue to stifle the scream she was about to release. She glanced over and noticed that the stitches that her sister had sewn in her shoulder had nearly burst from the way she had moved her arm.

“You need to be careful, Serene! You are injured, and if you rip the stitches out, I may be unable to put them back. I didn’t bring an entire roll with me, you know?” Adrianna lectured as she helped her sister sit up and checked the stitches she had placed the night before.

“I’m sorry, I forgot I was even injured,” Serenica stuttered, turning red from embarrassment.

Adrianna looked at her sister’s shoulder and gave her a small smile. “You didn’t break the stitches, and it seems to be closing well. Just be careful with them as we continue this trip.”

Serenica nodded in agreement and slowly got to her feet. She looked around the woods, which were coated by a dense fog. The smell of game cooking over a fire hit her nose, and she looked toward the source.

Good morning, girls, come get some breakfast!” Edward yelled to them as he was tending to a pot he had over the fire.

The girls walked closer to him, wiped the dew off a spot next to him, and sat down. They gave him a huge smile and a thank-you as he handed them some bread and fruit he had packed for their excursion

“Here have some tea,” he offered

He dumped some brown liquid into a small cup and handed the girls a cup. He then took a cup for himself and took a small sip of it.

“Edward, what is this?” Serenica asked after she took her sip. The sweetness of the liquid melted down her throat and instantly piqued her curiosity.

“It’s just some dandelion root we picked up in our travels; it makes a great tea,” he answered with a smile.

“You’ve never had Dandelion tea before?”

Both girls shook their head.

“I’m surprised, especially if your parents roamed a lot, this is one of the easiest things to find and brew,” he countered.

Serenica paled and opened her mouth to reply, however, she couldn’t think of anything to say in reply.

“They didn’t have anything like this in Ashbourne,” Adrianna replied nonchalantly. Suddenly, she threw her hand over her mouth and looked at Serenica in a panic.

Shooting her sister, a stern look Serenica turned back to Edward. “What she meant to say was when we were visiting Ashbourne, the rest of the time we mainly drank water on the road.

“I see,” Edward replied unconvinced.

“Good morning, girls. I have found you both some clothes to wear. Consider this a thank you for your help last night.” Ralph said as he handed both girls a pile of folded clothing. “These should last you until you get home, of course, which should be no later than nightfall.” He informed them with a wide smile.

“Thank you so much, Ralph, and you as well, Edward.” Adrianna looked at the men and grinned. “Thank you both so much for everything you have done for us, and I am unsure how we would have survived the night without you two.”

“Nonsense, you two are resourceful; you would have been fine,” Edward said with a chuckle. “Now finish your breakfast and go change. We will be leaving within the hour.” Edward stood up, adjusted his glasses, and then worked on packing the dishes and ingredients that they had used to cook their breakfast.

The girls gulped down their breakfast and wiped their plates with the bucket of water in the camp. Then they walked deeper into the woods with the clothes that Ralph had given them.

Serenica slipped off her tattered green dress and slid on the brown leather pants he had given her. They were a little big, but she tightened the rope around her waist, and they fit well enough. She grinned as she and Adrianna slid the tunic over her head and found it fit perfectly. Next, carefully she slid on the boots that she had worn the night before and thanked Vigidias for having met up with the traders. Once she was dressed, she ripped off a strip of her old dress that Adrianna used to tie her hair in a tight ponytail.

Once Adrianna had changed, the girls left the woods and walked back to the clearing where Edward and Ralph waited. They smiled widely at the men and began to look around for anything that may have been missed.

Ralph took the bucket of water and tossed it over the fire. A giant puff of smoke accompanied the sizzling sounds of the flame extinguishing, and he covered it with dirt. “We don’t need to start any fires. Is everyone ready to get walking?” He asked with a cheeky smile.

Serenica chuckled and looked at the group. “Well, Estme isn’t going to walk to us. So the sooner we leave, the sooner we get there.”