Authors Notes

Hello and thankyou! For taking an interest in the story, Ive been thinking it would be an interesting crossover for a while. If you take a peek at my profile you might think this is my first fan fiction. On the contrary, I used to write many fanfictions in my pre-teens under a different pen-name on a different web site. I apologize about the wompy picture. I doodled it on the back of a document in pen, took a picture of it on my iphone, e-mailed it to my computer, and slapped color onto it on photoshop. As for the title, i just didn't want to over-complicate things. It is my most sincere hopes you, the reader, find the story fresh and entertaining. If it is, i would love to hear your thoughts so feel free to review. Much much love 3

PROLOGUE

It was mid-day with the sun poised high amongst a cloudless sky. It was a strange and angry, unfamiliar sun, with a radiance that pierced the eyes of its unusual guest. The grass swayed as it parted, bending limply to the will of a hollow youth shambling through the unremarkable land. He had been passing through these sparse grasses and shrubs for days, emerged from a labyrinth of a cave close to the coast days before that, and traveled from many other places besides. Where he was going? He hadn't a clue. He was a stranger to this place, as he was to every place he had visited before. Never staying for too long, there were not many that would have met him and called him friend.

He was contempt with traveling alone, even preferred it now. But it hadn't always been that way. His journeying years originally began in service of a merchant trade ship. He didn't miss scrubbing decks or cleaning piss pots. Nor did he miss the fiery sting of the foreman's hand whip. But he did take a moment to remember his ocean. The spray of salty air, the blackness of its watery depths, and its violent swells; he had known it all his years. He even thought about sitting on deck with the captain's boy. Oddny would share a fine bottle of wine borrowed from his father's cabin; always bragging about a rich lass he had waiting for him on the mainland. The young traveler frowned recalling in his memory the older boy. It's better not to get involved with others. He reminded himself.

Now feeling a bit light-headed, he wanted to stop, to rest against a rock and close his eyes. But he knew that if he did, he might not ever wake up again. He considered turning back, he recalled there being a dark lake with little silvery fish somewhere in the catacombs of the cave, he was quite comfortable resting there a few days or so ago. Or was that last week? Either way he doubted he could make it. He stopped only to stoop down and pick up a stick lying in the grass. Even that proved to be exhausting but he decided it would be good for walking, and so he pressed on.

The day went on in that fashion. The loner proceeded to wander and furrow his brow; his troubled memories his only company. It was dark, and even though he was still on his feet the boy could feel himself fade in and out of a sleep like unconsciousness from time to time. He didn't mind wandering with his eyes closed, it was already dark out and he welcomed the cool salty night air against his sun burnt face. It was while he was blindly walking about, the stick he had already grown accustomed to bearing weight on, gave out. He fell quite unceremoniously to the ground.

He remained there. He didn't know for how long. Perhaps he even fell asleep for a little while; exhausted as he was. He dreamed of the cured meats and sweet breads he ate while serving a nobleman who lived in a cozy manor by the docks. There was a girl in the kitchens with dirty yellow hair that would smile at him and sneak him and extra roll of bread when he passed through. It made him hungry just to think about it. It wasn't a bad place; he tended to the stables and helped around the kitchens most times. To think about it felt like a life time ago. He almost forgot what he was like before he let his shaggy black hair grow out into a tangled nest, before his cheeks were sallow from hunger, and in those times he still had his hammer, his shield, and his fur pelts. He could almost feel the warm coarse hair of the old goat fur he used to sleep under on cold nights in the stables. He missed the pelt; it had been soft when old Runa gave it to him. Remembering it, he combed his fingers through the grass comparing it to the memory.

Actually, the two were surprisingly alike. He rolled, grass brushing against his cheek; the dirt was cool and smelled nice with rich earthy notes. He opened his eyes now aroused from his dreaming. Was the grass always this green? He wasn't sure if he could quite make out the shade but he was sure these grasses were a great deal more verdent than the dry sparce patches he had formerly been traveling past. He pushed himself up. Full of hope, he strained his eyes to peer out into the darkness. It might be early dawn but he could just make out the forms of thin trees; he could see the shadow of a rocky mountain.

It took a few hours before he found a spring to wash in, close to the jutting mountain of stone. He was foraging for food near the base when a burst of orange and red flashed illuminating the depths of a cave hidden up in the rock. The boy got low and took cover, peering through tall reeds as he heard voices. Predominantly all he could hear was a joyful shrill of laughter, as it got closer he decided it was a young female.

As they approached he could hear her speaking enthusiastically, "…yes! His face was as red as a tomato! He was stomping about the courtyard demanding to know whom among us had done it! Jester might have been laughing at the spectacle, but I hadn't a clue. So, I said ' Gunther, what on earth are you going on about?' And he insisted that it had to be one of us, demanding that we take care of it before training tomorrow or Sir Theodore would hear of it. To which he then turned around and stomped off and no one has seen him since. As if it isn't enough that he's just about as delightful as a pair of studded knickers. Now im afraid hes beginning to make about as much sense."

A mature male voice began to chuckle, the conversation becoming clearer as the couple approached the mouth of the cave. "Well believe it or not, I have a story about that," the male voice began, "remember how last week I couldn't get one decent nap in the castle grounds without being disturbed by a flashing light in my eyes?"

"Yes I remember you mentioning it… but...I thought that had stopped?"

"Well it started up again! And wouldn't you believe it, I woke up yesterday and saw your boy, Gunther-"

The girl's voice quickly rose with a note of annoyance, "Excuse me! My boy!?"

" Joking! Only joking! What I meant to say was, Gunther; on his way to training, in that damned-"

" Oh, C'mon, no cursing, please." The girl interrupted again.

"I can and will do so if I wish! But for the sake of finishing the story, and if it will keep you from so rudely interrupting again, I will try to refrain from using any profanities. Now, if i may continue- He was sneaking about in that impeccable armor of his, grinning like a half-wit while standing in the sun flashing light in my eyes. Only this time I wasn't really sleeping, and I saw him right before he ran off! That little weevil must have a death wish, no one pulls a prank on me for a full fortnight; much less disturb my naps and gets away with it! So last afternoon I snuck hot tar in his oil can right before he goes to polish his armor and-"

"Oh no!"

"Oh no? Oh no!? Oh, I'm never going to properly finish my story!"

"Well, you don't have to! I cant believe this! So it was YOU then? Maggots! This is terrible! We have to hurry back before training this morning or he'll put the blame on me to Sir Theodore!"

"Hey now, you said no cursing! Wait a minute - I don't see why you are so worried? I was the one who pulled the prank after all; just tell them it was me. Anyway, I thought you would find it quite funny!"

"No! Don't you understand? You are my friend, my guest, so that kind of makes me responsible for you and all your micheif! Oh man; and I really thought it might have been Jester! That means Gunther's armor is still a mess even now as we speak. We have to clean it! Please, we have to get back before-!"

"Alright, alright! I don't know why you short-lives are always in such a hurry. I'll give you a ride back and we will get there with time to spare. We can always come back and do some cave exploring another time, I suppose. Come on, let's go."

Peeking above the grasses the boy caught a glimpse of movements coming out into the open by the mouth of the cave. There were the darkened figures of a gargantuan reptilian figure and slender girl with a mass of red hair algow in the twilight clambering up its side. They took off, a black shadow soaring into the waking dawn. The boy could hear the beating of great leathery wings against the air. For the first time in years the boy welcomed lively feelings of nostalgia, adrenalin, and anticipation as they washed over him; looking upon the great beast shrink into the distance. How strange, to see such a familiar sight in a place like this.

A shiver crept up the boys back as he decided there was no time for rest. This was a sign from the gods, meant only for him and he would not hesitate to follow after his chance for redemption.