"Do you have enough supplies?" Vivian asked as Iris packed her backpack. "More food stuffs? Clothes?"
"Dagur said we need to avoid modern clothes," Iris said with a sad look at her favorite pair of jeans. "That's why he insisted we spend extra time making clothes. Mom. I'm scared."
"You don't have to go with him honey," Vivian said. "You and Enigma can stay here and wait."
"That's not what I'm scared about," Iris said. She took a deep breath. "What if, Dagur doesn't love me once we go through and actually go to his world? If that's what actually happens?"
"Things have already changed," Vivian said quietly. "Do you think he will abandon Jager?" Iris shook her head. "I've seen how he looks at you. He won't abandon you. If he does, you let Enigma eat him and come back with her and Jager."
"Thanks Mom." She took a deep breath. "If this is real, I'm going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too," Vivian choked.
It had already been a month since Enigma and Jager brought back the Berserker shield. Neither of them could believe it. A cave that lead to Dagur's world? At both their urging the dragons went to the cave and came back with a roughly cut board that had paint on it. Enigma even brought a strange looking shark Iris didn't recognize bug Dagur did. It was enough to convince Dagur it was a way home.
Iris could see how torn he was. She didn't blame him. There was a possible way back to his world, where he belonged. If it was her she'd want to go home too but her heart didn't want him to go. Finally, after five days of learning about the cave, he asked her.
"Come with me. I need you with me."
Could she leave her parents? Leave everything she knew? She would be going to a world where she barely spoke the language with a completely different lifestyle. The living style wasn't too different than what she was used to but still. Could she leave?
She didn't want to leave Dagur, that much she knew. However she was her parents' only child. How could she leave them? She had to talk to them.
To her surprise it was her father who urged her to go. He told her that her mother left her family behind to be with him. It didn't surprise him that she would be leaving them to be with the man she loved. He joked that the only difference was her mom didn't have a dragon.
His words touched her deeply. She told Dagur she would go with him even though she was terrified and that her dad expected it someday. He hugged her so hard she thought her back would break but she realized his body was shaking. For the first time Dagur was crying.
"I was so scared you wouldn't come with me," he said heavily. "And I had promised you so many times to stay with you only to go back on my word."
"You haven't gone back on your word," she said. "You're still with me, aren't you?" His arms tightened even more. "Now, we have my parents' blessing."
After he let her go he had gone straight to Jon without her. He swore to the older man that he would protect her and take care of her no matter what. Jon had listened to him, nodding. Without warning, he pulled back and socked Dagur right in the face. He told him that was an advance payment for everything he'd probably do to her. Dagur proudly carried the black eye around as they got prepared to leave.
They agreed to leave once they had everything prepared, which meant they had to buy or make clothes that would fit in with his world. Neither wanted anyone from his world learning about her world and trying to figure out how to get here. Iris also took the time to cram study Norse with both Vivian and Dagur helping her.
Finally they were ready, as ready as they'd ever be. Backpacks were replaced with simple leather packs, her jeans replaced with leather trousers, and her shirt replaced with a rough linen shirt. Even her undergarments were different. She hadn't been happy about that but Dagur insisted.
"You two have everything?" Jon asked yet again. They tied their packs to the back of the dragons' saddles and Iris checked Enigma's saddle again. "Didn't forget anything?"
"We got everything we can take," Iris said. "Thank you for the knife again Dad. It means a lot."
"Don't cut your fingers off with it." He had given her one of the large butcher knives they had, the one she cut herself with when Dagur first arrived. "You have your bow?"
"Plus more homemade arrows," Iris said.
"Dagur you have your hatchets?"
"Like I'd forget them," Dagur scoffed. "They were gifts from my lovely Iris. She'd murder me if I forgot them."
"Keep them safe," Vivian told the dragons as she scratched their chins. "Bring them home if things get too dangerous."
Enigma crooned, bumping Vivian with her nose. Jager licked her hand. The smile she gave both of them was enough to make Iris' heart break. She knew her mom was going to miss these two.
"Be safe," Iris said as she hugged both of them. "Stay healthy."
"You do the same," Vivian said. "Come home any time. We'll be waiting for you two no matter how much time passes."
"Keep her safe," Jon told Dagur.
"I will sir," Dagur promised again.
Before she lost her nerve, Iris mounted Enigma. Once Dagur was mounted both dragons bounded forward to take off. She looked back as they soared higher into the sky. Her mom was holding onto her dad as he waved. She waved back before turning to face forward. The tears on her face were just from the wind.
They flew in silence for a few hours. They ate lunch while flying to avoid delays. Both dragons used drafts and up currents to give their wings a break as they flew. It was about mid afternoon when they began to descend. A small mountain dominated the horizon. Instead of landing in the forest however, they aimed for the higher reaches of the mountain.
Snow still covered the mountain at this height. Iris leaned forward to hide in Enigma's mane as the dragon trotted across the snow. Next to her Dagur sneezed, leaning into Jager's mane as well to keep warm. Soon a small cave came into view.
"That must be it," Iris said.
"Yeah," Dagur said.
For a few minutes all four of them sat there after the dragons landed, just staring at the cave. It gave a strange glow. It was as if someone was projecting a kaleidoscope from inside the cave.
"Let's go," Dagur said suddenly. Iris nodded and urged Enigma to follow after Jager.
The dragons entered the cave. Inside it was narrow and dark. Without hesitating the two dragon trotted down what seemed like a tunnel. It went on for quite a distance before suddenly dropping. Iris screamed when Jager and Dagur disappeared and screamed again as Enigma dove into a giant pit.
She snapped opened her wings and flew in the now vast cave. Strange things glowed in various colors in the dark, floating in mid air so they weren't fungus or plants. Iris closed her eyes and buried her face into Enigma's mane to keep from panicking at the vast and endless darkness. Suddenly she could smell salt and hear water.
"Iris look," Dagur shouted.
Slowly she sat up and opened her eyes. Enigma and Jager walked out side by side onto a rocky beach. Clouds slowly drifted by in a bright blue sky as the ocean waves crashed against grey rocks. She looked around in awe.
"This is my world. My home." He looked over at her with a grin. "Our home."
Her heart jumped at his words. Our home. Somehow it made her feel better than she felt earlier. Things were going to work out. They always did.
