A/N: This is the second half of chapter 3. We're really sorry that we couldn't get the whole chapter together at once but we
didn't want to keep you all waiting that long. So this will be short but it doesn't really fit in with chapter 4... sorry that the
ending was so awkward for the last chapter. Enjoy.
Ragnal's brown eyes darted around the room, searching. His two companions sat on either side of him drinking out of sparkling glasses. The man to his left asked while pushing aside his ebony curls, "Looking for him?" He nodded, but didn't make eye contact with him.
"I'm gonna get another drink. Dermid, Ragnal, do you want anything?"
"No thanks," Dermid replied. Ragnal shook his head. Teron made his way through the throng of people toward the refreshments table. He got another glass full of glittering liquid, and took a small drink of it. A sudden movement on the other side of the room made him glance over. Is that Raoul? If it is, I have to introduce him to Ragnal, he thought with a grin. He briskly walked to where he thought he had spotted the tall legend. But when he got there, there was no Sir Raoul and he didn't know what it was that he had seen. For a moment, he stood with his drink in his hands when he suddenly heard a noise.
It was a strange noise he had never heard before. He looked down and saw an amazing-looking, green and scaly creature at his feet. It whistled and his necklace glowed with light. He knelt down to get a better look at the creature when it suddenly ran off. He was too curious to let it get away from him so he quickly followed behind the creature. It led him to a more secluded corner of the ballroom where there was a purple, velvet couch placed against the wall. On it, sat a woman with an abundance of brown curls and large, grey-blue eyes. He recognized her from their previous meeting that day as Daine, the Wildmage. The creature climbed up onto her lap and began making soft chirping noises. Suddenly, she looked up at the Carthakian man. He smiled at her quizzical glance.
"I don't think we were properly introduced," Teron said as he held out his hand to her. "I am Teron. I arrived with Kaddar earlier today. I believe you were our guide around the palace."
"Yes. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Oh yes, very much. Do you mind if I sit down?" It seemed as if she hesitated for a moment, but she acquiesced, "Oh, of course!"
"What sort of an immortal is that?" he asked gesturing at Kitten.
"She's a dragon. The only one in the mortal realms. Her ma helped me when pirates raided us quite a few years back. She left Kitten to me. Her real name is Skysong."
"Can I hold her?"
"If she lets you. She usually enjoys being adored." She handed over the young dragon to the man sitting next to her. He
put his drink down on the small table next to the couch and let the dragon sit in his lap.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alanna was falling asleep on her feet. As she looked around, she suspected she wasn't the only one. Jon was making a long-winded speech to signal the closing of the banquet. As she hid a yawn, she thought, So tired...
BOOM!!!!!
Alanna jumped about a mile into the air. When she landed, she had her sword drawn. The room erupted into a loud murmur of confusion. She looked over in the direction of laughter and a piercing voice, to see her former squire, a Carthakian, and Yuki. The two men were doubled over with laughter, and Yuki was chastising them with a red face. Neal and the Carthakian man were covered in smoke, and their hair was sticking out at odd angles.
Jon, in haste to cover up the situation, curtly said to everyone, "Goodnight," and stepped down and walked away.