Chapter 9

Parties were supposed to be pleasant and joyous events, but for Tristan it was difficult and spurred on a confused mess of emotions. He found himself questioning his recent choices and regretting the fact that he had allowed his acquaintance with Poppy to go this far.

Poppy led Tristan and Celesta through the crowded party room, introducing them to people and dinosaurs as they went. They moved in such a whirl that both Tristan and Celesta felt a little dizzy and there was no way they could remember everyone's names. Before long they found Tiana and as Tristan expected, she and Poppy hit it off well.

Tristan stood with his arms crossed looking bored while Poppy opened Tiana's gift and the girls ogled over the perfume, chatting girl talk and giggling.

Sekani, whom Tiana seemed to have momentarily forgotten, finally snorted and stepped forward in an effort to get their attention. He thrust the now tattered bouquet of flowers in front of Poppy's nose. A few of the flowers were completely missing from the stems due to an earlier encounter with a Dimetrodon that'd seen the bright red flowers as a tasty snack. Sekani's head had been turned at the moment and by the time he'd heard the telltale munching noises, it was too late. Already three of the blossoms were gone and the Dimetrodon merely stood there grinning with bits of flower petals stuck to its teeth.

"For me?" Poppy said in delight. She didn't seem at all perturbed by the bouquet's less than perfect appearance. She immediately connected with Sekani and the dinosaur couldn't help but like her back. He tried his best to speak to her, using the few words he knew how to say in the human tongue. Poppy was delighted and rewarded him with one of her winning hugs. Sekani beamed. Even though he wasn't a particularly friendly dinosaur, he liked Poppy instantly.

However, when he spied Kale trying to sidle his way toward Celesta, he sent a nasty growl in the boy's direction.

Kale quickly scooted away, suddenly giving all his attention to watching the band of musicians.

Sekani grunted in satisfaction.

Kale, after a throwing a glance over his shoulder every now and then only to find the ever watchful carnivore's eye trained on him, finally decided to go find some other way to occupy himself.

As for Tristan, he managed to slip away from the main hubbub of the party, taking refuge in a corner near a large indoor plant. No one seemed to notice him there, much to his relief. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, silently observing the party. People and dinosaurs both were dancing to the lively music played by the musicians. Across the large room there were tables laden with food and drinks. When the Harpers decided to have a party, they certainly went all out.

It wasn't long before Tristan's thoughts drifted back to the skybax egg back at home. He knew that it was safe and warm, but a feeling of guilt tugged at his conscience. He really had no idea when it would hatch and it would be horrible if it happened during a time when he was away. During the times when he'd been working in the restaurant or gone for walks through the city's beautiful streets, Celesta had filled in for him, keeping a close eye on the egg. Tonight was the first time he'd left it entirely alone since Celesta had come with him. She'd been concerned about it too, but they'd both agreed that just for a few hours that evening it would be fine. They'd calculated that even if it for some reason began to hatch while they were gone, they would be back before it would be finished. Celesta had tried to get him to tell the rest of the family, but he'd still made up excuses for putting it off for the time being. Tristan chewed on his lower lip, growing more and more anxious the longer he thought about it. A worried frown creased his brow. He wondered how soon he could leave the party without coming across as rude to the hosts.

Just as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Poppy found him again. "Hey, there you are. I was wondering where you'd disappeared to. Oh, goodness, you look awful worried. Is something wrong?"

Tristan shook his head. "No. I guess I'm a little tired, that's all."

"Tired this early? If I didn't know you better I'd think you were a sleepy country bumpkin unaccustomed to the late night city life." Poppy teased. "Look, I've got someone else here I'd like you to meet." Poppy grabbed his hand and tugged him over to a girl who momentarily had her head turned as if she were searching the crowd for someone.

"I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. I'm so lucky that she got to come to the party because she's been so busy here lately and I rarely get to see her anymore." Poppy bubbled.

Tristan sucked in his breath sharply when the girl turned her head and faced him. No way. It couldn't be.

But it was.

"Tristan, meet Fira." Poppy said cheerfully, having no idea that the two young people were already well acquainted. They had trained together back at Canyon City.

Fira looked just as startled as Tristan.

Poppy switched her gaze back and forth between the two, confused at how shocked both of them seemed to be.

Many words swirled through Tristan's mind, but he couldn't seem to catch them and form even a simple sentence.

It was Fira who spoke first. "Wow. So you're a friend of Poppy's?" Her tone held a slight chill.

Tristan shrugged, still tongue tied.

Fira was not wearing her Rider uniform. She wore a pretty dark green dress which brought out her amber eyes. Her wavy brown hair which she usually kept knotted up, now hung down loose, falling just past her shoulders.

Tristan suddenly realized that he was still staring at Fira. Quickly, he averted his gaze, hoping he hadn't looked ridiculous. "So…uh…" He searched for something to say conversationally that wouldn't sound awkward or just downright stupid. "Do you…uh…" So far he wasn't getting anywhere. "I mean…well…" He started chewing on his lower lip again. What could he say when he didn't know how much Fira knew? And what if she said something to Poppy, indicating that they went through training together? That would be awful. Then he would have to explain a whole lot of things to the girl and she probably wouldn't be very happy with the outcome.

"We could dance." Fira said simply.

"Dance?" Tristan said. "You mean, you want to dance? Uh…right now?"

Fira nodded. "Yes. With you."

Tristan glanced at Poppy. The girl stood there grinning and only shrugged in response. He turned back to Fira. "Well…let's dance then."

Fortunately for Tristan, dancing came naturally to him. His mother, who'd always been a more sophisticated type, had made sure that all her children had grown up taking dancing lessons, starting at a very young age. Tiana, however, was the only one who continued to pursue it.

For some reason though, despite all the dance training he'd received, Tristan found himself fumbling at first and missing a few steps. For a moment they danced silently. It was not a fast song so there was plenty of time to think. The problem was that Tristan couldn't seem to be able to think.

"Well, you look nice enough tonight." Fira finally said. Although she was dancing with him, her demeanor remained cold.

Tristan wondered what that was supposed to mean. Nice enough? He shrugged and concentrated on the dance steps. Then it dawned on him that the proper thing to do was probably to compliment her on her appearance. He'd learned from his sisters that all girls like to be complimented on their looks so he decided to start there. "Your dress looks good." He finally said, but the short sentence sounded awkward once it was out.

"I mean…" he paused, searching for a way to fix the blunt statement. "I mean, your dress and your hair go together good."

He winced. That didn't sound right either, so he tried again. "Your dancing has improved since our trek through the Forbidden Mountains."

"Thank you." Fira said, tersely. "I've practiced just a little."

Tristan decided not to ask her with whom.

"Tristan…I had no idea I would…see you here. And…and I'm still upset with you." Fira suddenly burst out.

"Uh…and yet you asked to dance with me." Tristan replied.

"So that we can talk."

"Fira, I'm sorry about what happened that night—you know—back at Canyon City."

"I know. Mathias started the fight. You were just defending yourself. But…it was hard to see you go…in such a way."

Tristan wasn't sure what to say in reply to that.

"And…" Fira looked away a moment, seeming to gather her emotions. Her amber eyes were sparking dangerously. "You just ran off after I let you know that I cared about you a lot. You just—you just—left. I felt so…so…rejected." She missed a step in the dance and stumbled.

Tristan instinctively caught her, keeping her from falling.

Fira frowned and pressed her lips together.

"I was really messed up that night." Tristan admitted.

"Yes. You were." Fira agreed. "And it was stupid of me to open up like that at that particular moment. I was just…afraid—I guess—afraid that if I didn't say something then, I would…lose you." The girl huffed in frustration. "And then I lost you anyway."

Tristan decided it would be better to just let the girl talk, seeing as he still didn't know what to say.

Fira's expression softened for a moment. "I was so angry with you and then I received your letter. I can't imagine what you're going through, but you ran away instead of asking any of your friends for help. I know you and Mathias can't seem to get along and somehow always end up nearly half killing each other, but Tadd, Elora, and I would've been there for you."

"I just needed to get home." Tristan said. "It's been confusing to me. Everything. Please try to understand."

"I am trying." Fira said, softening her tone just a little. "I really am trying. I just thought I knew you well and now I'm not so sure."

Tristan wasn't sure he even knew himself that well anymore. Life had become a strange blur since he'd left Canyon City.

"I am surprised to see you here and to that you are acquainted with my friend, Poppy. Have you always known her?" Fira pressed.

"No. I just met her when I returned." Tristan replied, glad for the change of subject. "She sort of ran into me in the streets one day and she seems to keep popping up here and there ever since. Then she invited me and my sisters to her birthday celebration. I wasn't planning on coming but, well, I didn't want to disappoint her."

"Hmm." Fira looked over her shoulder to see the other girl momentarily occupied with chatting with someone else. She turned back to Tristan. "So, what do you keep yourself busy at now that you're in Sauropolis?"

"Well, I…I work at the Sauropolis Star restaurant."

Fira raised an eyebrow, but didn't look surprised. "I've heard that it's a fine place. Elegant dining and renowned cuisine. You must be learning a lot about the art of cooking then."

Tristan felt himself relaxing and as a result a small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Cooking? Naw. I'm just as bad as I was back in the Forbidden Mountains. I mostly just work in the back of the restaurant, scouring pots and pans and doing janitor duties—probably the lowest job in the whole place, to be honest."

The familiar folk tune was drawing to a close and Tristan felt relieved. For some reason it felt like the longest and hardest dance he'd ever done before—even harder than the dance performance he took part in when his mother forced him to take lessons back when he was little.

Fira finished out the last steps before answering. "Well, I've stayed busy with flight assignments now that I'm an Apprentice Rider. One place I visited recently was my grandparent's Hatchery."

"Oh." Was all Tristan said as he retreated from the dance floor. He was starting to feel nervous again seeing as how the girl somehow managed to bring the conversation back onto dangerous grounds again.

Poppy was waiting for them. She greeted them with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, holding her hands clasped together beneath her chin. "You two did so awesome and…well…looked wonderful together! I wish I could dance that good."

"You could if you tried more often." Fira replied in a teasing manner as she reached her friend.

"True." Poppy returned. "I almost think I like watching better though." She shifted her attention to Tristan who was stepping back, clearly intending to melt into the crowd again.

"You're not going already, are you?" Poppy called to him.

Tristan paused and smiled guiltily. "Who, me? Naw. I'm just off to get something to drink."

Poppy looked back at Fira and gave her a bright smile. "Isn't he nice? And the day I met him, he was bringing an orphaned egg to the Sauropolis Saurian Nursery."

Tristan froze in his tracks. He didn't know if it would be better or worse to stay and hear what the outcome of the girls' conversation would be. He stole a glance behind him to see Fira sending him a bewildered look. The room suddenly felt way too crowded and he found himself scanning the room, searching for an exit.

Poppy momentarily seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. She spotted Tiana and Celesta across the room and pointed them out to Fira. "Come on. I see Tristan's sisters over there. You've got to meet them. Celesta is the sweetest thing you'll ever meet and Tiana is fun and hilarious. Oh, and their deinonychus friend is amazing. He's learning how to speak our language."

Fira allowed the girl to pull her along, but she stole a glance over her shoulder, watching Tristan as he grabbed a glass of fruit juice from the refreshments table and headed for the door which led to the back deck.