Based on characters from Fablehaven© by Brandon Mull. The original characters and plot details are my property. No copyright infringement intended.
"You didn't get a guide to help you with your magic?" Bracken asked,
"No I don't think it was a guide, but I remember that there was someone in my dreams helping me," Leander said thoughtfully. "I have to find her." He had a faraway look on his face.
"Dreams? Who?" Kendra asked.
"The girl reminded me to invoke my avatar. She needs my help but I don't even have a clue where to find her," he said again the puzzled look took over his face.
"A girl in your dreams knew about your avatar. But she wasn't your guide? How did she find you to help you if she is lost?" Bracken was skeptical. Dragon's weren't supposed to be psychic. Maybe he just had a vivid dream brought on by the spell.
"She's connected to that cabin somehow. That's why I stayed there," he said hesitantly.
Leander stared into space remembering, his eyes narrowing as he thought back to his experience… a memory he shared with Raxtus.
"She was in my dreams in the swamp, I think, and she asked me to find her. Then I wandered around but I was so sleepy. It was when I got close to the cabin that I heard her again. I remembered that I needed to do something. Then I invoked my avatar but it was different from before – more powerful. I changed and look as you see me now."
Fortunately, he saw Kendra blush, and he remembered to leave out the part of being naked when he invoked his new form and of Kendra finding him that way. Leander felt a strange excitement having a secret that only the two of them shared. He blushed slightly at the feeling. He could sense the heat in his cheeks.
"You couldn't remember any of this earlier," She quickly returned to her normal color when he didn't say anything about how she found him but she noticed his flush of color as he glanced at her. "I wonder if the wards in this room are letting him have his true memories," Kendra asked looking to Bracken for answers.
"Maybe so, I'm not sure," he answered distractedly not even looking at her. He was obviously thinking very hard about what Leander had said. "I think you are right that she wasn't your guide. She wouldn't be lost and asking for help if she was assigned as a guide to help you discover your dragon magic." Bracken was confused, was it real or just a dream.
"Ok! So we need to find someone who is connected with the cabin that might have insight to dragon abilities and who also disappeared mysteriously," Bracken said, thinking out loud.
"She could be a ghost or a spirit," Seth added.
Bracken considered that possibility. It made more sense to him than a psychic link to an adult dragon.
"I didn't feel anything evil in the cabin while we were there," Kendra said shaking her head.
"Ghosts don't have to be evil Kendra," Seth said somewhat indignantly.
She shrugged. "I guess we need to ask Grandma Ruth since she has access to the sanctuary history," Kendra suggested. "But we need to come up with Leander's explanation too. Who is he and why is he here."
"I didn't think it would be hard to come up with a reasonable justification," Bracken added looking at Seth.
Leander looked expectantly at Seth too.
"Seth you are great at stories. Come up with one that Bracken can't shoot down," Kendra scoffed at her brother.
"I'm thinking," he said obviously thinking. He narrowed his eyes and twisted his mouth as he thought. "You could disappear and go out the front gate with us and then we could get Grandma to add your name to the registry as Leander. Then you can come back in. Raxtus can already get in and out can't he?" Seth rambled on. "Wait… can you? You have only come in through the Fairy Queen's shrine. Does it matter if it is your legal name or not?" he asked.
"Well, let's ask Grandma to add Raxtus to the register just in case he leaves and can't get back in," Kendra interrupted him as she thought of something that would actually get her grandmother to add Raxtus' name to the register. "It's a legitimate reason; it shows our concern and fears, especially mine since I've been so freaked out. They won't know what happened to me if all of the sudden I'm not worried about Raxtus anymore, since he's still wandering around lost. Then we can ask her to add Bracken's new friend Leander. Just keep it simple. That way Raxtus/Leander can come in and no one will question him. It won't matter if it needs to be his legal name they will both be there," she concluded.
"Reasonable," Bracken agreed and scribbled on some paper.
"You can stay here with me," Seth volunteered smiling at Leander. "Until you are legit anyway. I've got that extra bed and you can disappear when someone comes up. They always knock."
"I have an explanation for you being here!" Bracken suddenly became animated. "I have been thinking about hiring a tracker to find Raxtus. Leander could be that tracker. I've asked him to search for Raxtus. That way he can roam around the sanctuary looking for his clues too." He looked excited by his solution.
"I'll let the fairies back into the garden and tell them that Raxtus was here but left again," he said deciding on a plan of action. He stopped scribbling on the paper and tore off the sheet.
"Thanks, I knew I could count on my friends to help me out," Leander smiled, feeling very lucky.
Kendra gave him a warm hug and Seth punched his shoulder. Bracken just smiled and nodded.
Bracken needed to go and lay the ground work for Leander's alias and Kendra needed to talk her Grandmother to get Raxtus and Leander on the register. They left Seth and Leander in Seth's room.
"Ask Seth how the bathroom works," she suggested to Leander, as she left the room. She laughed to herself wondering how that would go.
Kendra and Bracken headed down to the front door. They passed Grandma Ruth entering the kitchen to make supper and Bracken waved goodbye.
"I'll be right back to help you," Kendra called to her grandmother, noticing that she was alone in the kitchen. She needed to talk to her anyway; it was good that she was alone right now.
Kendra walked with Bracken to the back edge of the garden to say their goodbyes.
"I'll be back when I have everything set up, it shouldn't take too long. Here take this note to put Leander in the register. Ruth may be suspicious if you just give her the name. Act as if you don't know him. Okay?" Bracken said handing her a torn corner of paper. "While I'm gone I'll do a little research of my own, to see if I can help Leander find his dream girl.
"I'm going to have to tell mother about him. Since he was her ward I have a feeling she already knows but don't say anything to him. He doesn't need to know yet," he said looking back at the house.
Kendra sighed and nodded – more secrets.
"I don't want you to go so don't be gone long. I miss you so much," Kendra said. She pouted then smiled at him and pulled him into a hug.
"I'll see you soon. I'm putting this as my highest priority now so I'll be around more. You're my dream girl," Bracken smiled and bent over to kiss her.
Kendra blushed and felt the butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't get over the way he made her feel when he said things like that, and especially when he kissed her. She rose on her toes as his face rose above her trying to keep her lips on his as he moved away.
"Soon," he said laughing. He kissed her forehead quickly as he turned toward the forest.
"Bye," she said softly watching him walk away. She knew he was headed for the Fairy Queen's shrine. He and the fairy's were the only ones who could use it as a doorway to and from the sanctuary now. Raxtus couldn't use it any longer.
She walked slowly back through the garden to the house wondering how all of this was going to work out. With Bracken involved, it had a better chance of getting resolved.
Suddenly dozens of curious fairies surrounded her. Their greetings were overpowering, the noise though beautiful was deafening.
"Hi Kendra, how was Raxtus?
Where did he go?"
"Raxtus is here?"
"Hi!..."
"Hello, hello…"
"Hi!"
"Where's Raxtus?"
"Kendra!"
"One at a time," she yelled over the din, covering her ears.
The sudden silence was remarkable.
Kendra dropped her hands and turned slowly looking at all the fairies swarming her. Some pouted and looked hurt, some looked angry and some still looked only curious but they were all silent.
"You," she said softly, pointing at one of the fairies that looked curious instead of hurt or angry. "Ask what you want."
"Hi Kendra, where did Raxtus go?" she asked. She puffed out her chest, thrilled that she was the one chosen. Her ego soared as she flaunted her celebrity by flying closer to Kendra and the angry fairies began to pout.
"Hello," she said to the fairy then she turned and addressed the other fairies. "Hello, all of you. Welcome back to the garden. I want to thank you for following Bracken's orders to leave Raxtus alone and thanks so very much for passing on the word to Bracken to come and check on him."
All of the fairies were smiling now that she had praised them for doing a good job.
"Raxtus went invisible shortly after landing in the garden and I have no idea where he went."
Another fairy flew in close, her smiling face bright and curious.
"Yes?" Kendra asked.
"When will he be back?" she asked and a dozen fairies giggled.
"We know that he is ok, the spell did him no lasting damage but he is missing – again," she said dodging the question.
All of the fairies sighed disappointed. Kendra thought it sounded like sad little wind chimes and breathy little reed pipes.
"I need to go in now. Thanks again for your help. He is still missing so keep looking," she said and headed to the house faster this time.
The fairies dispersed and went back to their various pursuits.
She couldn't tell her grandmother about Raxtus appearing and disappearing and get his name on the register. She was sure the fairies wouldn't say anything since they thought he was still missing. Once the register had his name written in it, they could handle any other problem. Even if they found out, he had appeared for a few moments before disappearing again it would be just a tiny hurdle to jump.