Flashes. Flickers. Faces of people so distorted that you could not recognize who they were if you tried. Screams echoed from all around as the smoke spread. Heat, the unbearable heat of the flames as the monstrous roar of a dragon resounded through the air.
Balinor woke with a gasp, abruptly lifting his head from its awkward position lying on the table. He winced slightly rubbing at his sore neck; his harsh breathing was too loud, and his heart pounded almost painfully in his chest. The echoes of the Great Dragons cry still seemed to ring in his ears as Balinor's eyes slowly adjusted and darted around the room searching for danger.
It was dark, the fire all but died out leaving only the embers to cast a warm glow about the room. Gaius sat near the hearth with his chin tucked close to his chest snoring softly, a book threatening to slip through his lax fingers.
The young man heard a rustle of cloth and his stomach flipped, he shot to his feet grabbing the first thing that came to his hand. Footsteps sounded softly on the wooden floor and Balinor spun around lifting what he held high into the air and lunging at the shadowed form that stood there. An involuntary cry tore from his lips as he flew straight through the figure dissipating it with a flicker of light, the dragon lord landed with a loud thud.
The room was suddenly bathed in a soft glow to reveal Gaius with a bewildered expression fumbling slightly with a flint and steel over a lit candle.
"Balinor?"
Balinor, breathing fast, squinted into the direction of the voice with watering eyes.
"What are you doing?" Gaius croaked, blinking rapidly, clearly trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.
The dragon lord's head swiveled around in alarm searching for the man he was sure was there. "I-I…" He gasped, lifting himself from his sprawled position to his feet. "There was someone…" He trailed off uneasily when he turned a full circle and saw no one else in the room but the physician who was now staring at him.
The young man's whole body trembled as he turned his back to his old friend and took a shaky breath. "It was nothing… just a dream." He finished hoarsely.
"A nightmare is more like." A voice drawled lazily.
Balinor inhaled sharply, spinning around to the source of the voice. A dark-haired man stood inconspicuously in the corner of the room with his arms crossed, casually leaning against one of Gaius's many book cases.
"What…how?" the dragon lord gaped for a moment before stiffening and stepping towards the intruder only to be blocked by the shorter figure of the physician.
"Balinor, wait!" Gaius pressed a firm hand to the younger man's chest. "I know him. He is the man I spoke of, that is to lead you out of Camelot." Only when his young friend eased back a step did Gaius turn towards the man in the corner. "Thank you for coming. I know it cannot have been easy to get here."
The man shrugged noncommittely "Is this the dragon lord?" he nodded towards said man.
"Yes" Gaius glanced over to his friend. "This is Balinor."
"Pity."
Gaius paused with furrowed eyebrows. "Sorry?"
The strange man sighed softly "I have heard many tales of the great deeds and the nobility of the dragon lords…" He said letting his green eyes wander over Balinor's frame with a bored expression before landing pointedly at the dragon lords fisted hand. "How… disappointing." He finished with a frown.
Balinor followed the other man's gaze down to his own white knuckled grip; and practically flung the item in his hand down onto the table with a clatter. Heat rushed to his face as he realized that what he had grabbed in his haste to defend himself was Gaius's magnifying glass.
The dragon lord pointedly ignored the object and raised his chin in as dignified a manner as he could, grinding his teeth at the amused smirk that slid onto the stranger's lips. "And you are?" Balinor asked through clenched teeth.
The man raised an eyebrow "I think Gaius already covered that." He said waving his hand at the physician.
"I meant, what is your name?" The dragon lord ground out, he took a breath and continued more calmly extending his hand in a friendly manner "Your name is?"
"None of your business."
Balinor huffed out a disbelieving laugh, pulling his hand back as if it had been burned. "What? You will not tell me?"
"No…" the other man pursed his lips thoughtfully "I think not. I have learnt that things tend to get complicated when people learn who I am."
Balinor looked over with an incredulous look to the physician who could only raise his eyebrows in a way that said 'I told you he was strange'
"And what am I to call you? Am I to put my life into your hands without even a name to call you by?" The dragon lord exclaimed.
"Call me whatever you like." The dark-haired man shrugged.
"And if I were to call you an ass?"
"Balinor!" the physician cried in shock.
The stranger nodded slowly in thought before replying "Then I would say that you are sorely lacking in creativity."
"Ass it is then." Balinor decided simply.
The stranger's lips twitched but Gaius did not find it so amusing. "Balinor! You forget yourself. May I remind you that this man has come at great personal risk to sneak you out of Camelot! He deserves our thanks" the physician rebuked with a glare.
The younger man was properly chastised but refused to apologize to the arrogant stranger that just materialized out of nowhere. The dark-haired man observed him with shrewd eyes, contradicting his lazy demeaner and Balinor just glared in return. His jaw clenched when he noticed that the other man seemed entirely too amused watching Gaius chastise the dragon lord like some naughty child.
The physician seemed to be waiting, staring pointedly at him and Balinor did not know whether Gaius expected an apology to be forth coming or for the dragon lord to get down on his knees and lick the strangers boots 'but he better get used to disappointment' he thought sourly.
Now Balinor could admit to himself that he was being slightly petty. He has always had difficulty controlling his temper when he felt that he was being slighted in some way, particularly when he was younger. One of the draw backs of being a dragon lord, having the power to command such powerful beasts, and occasionally sharing their sometimes-volatile nature. Balinor was no stranger to letting his pride and ego get the best of him, but even so, the dragon lord acknowledged that Gaius was right. This stranger deserved his gratitude. So why did the mere thought of apologizing cause him to grit his teeth?
"Don't you have some name I can call you?" Balinor finely asked after the awkward silence that arose from the physician's short speech.
"Some have called me silver tongue." The stranger replied helpfully.
Balinor scoffed "I am not following you around Camelot calling you silver tongue" his dark eyes rolled up to the ceiling in thought before he finally looked back to the odd man "Tom…I'll call you Tom."
"Tom." The stranger shaped his mouth around the name with obvious distaste. "You do lack creativity." He said with a creased forehead.
"There is nothing wrong with that name." Balinor sputtered "I happen to know a very good and honorable man with that name."
"Yes, yes" the other man nodded dismissively "I'm sure he is a very good and honorable Beggar."
"Blacksmith." Balinor all but snarled.
"Enough! You two." The physician interrupted. "Honestly, your sounding like a couple of bickering children. Don't you think we have more pressing concerns to attend to." The older man flitted his eyes back and forth between the two younger men.
Balinor bit back a retort and kept silent whilst the stranger…Tom… nodded in agreement.
Suddenly alarm bells echoed through the air causing all but one man to flinch.
"The warning bells…" Gaius breathed with wide eyes.
"What do you think has happened? Do you think Uther has somehow discovered I am here? Balinor whispered urgently.
"No, that would be because of me." Gaius and Balinor both looked over at the self-satisfied voice. "Right on schedule." Tom straightened from his slouched posture to reveal himself to be a tall man as his long stride took him to the door which he opened to a crack and cautiously peaked through. Shouting could be heard as well as the sound of running feet. Tom turned with a mischievous grin. "Time to go."
"What have you done?" asked Gaius with a frown.
"What I had to." The dark-haired man replied "I have no love for Uther, but I will say he is a veritable genius when it comes to hunting down his prey. His men are crawling all over the city, and he has search parties spread out in every direction past the city walls. The citizens of Camelot have taken to accusing each other of hiding the last dragon lord in fear of reprisals from Uther should Balinor escape. The only way to get Balinor" he wagged a finger towards the dragon lord "past the city walls and past prying eyes is to turn their eyes to something a bit more distracting."
"Such as?" Gaius asked dryly but was smoothly ignored as Tom expectantly looked over at the dragon lord.
"Are you ready?"
Balinor stared uncertainly at the physician. "Gaius?"
Gaius looked pensive for a moment before striding over to his cot and returning with a large bundle of coarse fabric and a worn leather satchel. "Here." Gaius said passing the fabric to the dragon lord. "It is not elegant, but it is warm."
Balinor took the fabric, unraveling it to reveal a large cloak. The cloak had obviously seen better days with its frayed edges, but it was clean and thick. He swung the cloak around to settle neatly onto his shoulders and fastened it securely at his neck.
The physician then handed Balinor the leather satchel. "In here" the older man tapped the satchel "Is enough food and water to last you the journey, and a few other things that I thought may be useful to you."
Balinor took it with a grateful smile, slinging its strap over his head and across-body with the bag behind him to make it easier to move freely.
"I have also written a letter for Hunith, it's in the bag. If you could give that to her? I know how she worries when she does not hear from me."
Balinor nodded placing a reassuring hand onto the older man's shoulder. "I will. Thank you, Gaius."
Gaius gave a sad smile, lightly patting Balinor's hand. "Just... take care." The physician murmured softly before pulling the younger man into his arms. They stood there for a few moments, both fearful of what may happen once the dragon lord walked out the door.
"Stay safe." Gaius said thickly into his friend's shoulder. "I don't want to have to explain to Hunith how you got your foolish self-killed."
Balinor chocked out a laugh and pulled away to look at the physician with watery eyes. "I will."
They clasped hands, both realizing that they may never see each other again. Balinor slowly backed away to stand next to Tom.
Gaius met the eyes of the man that would spirit the dragon lord out of Camelot and hopefully out of danger. "Keep him safe." Gaius pleaded softly.
Tom held the physician's eyes and dipped his head in acknowledgement. Balinor was surprised to see that his new acquaintance no longer appeared quite so self-assured, but now held a more solemn expression as he regarded the physician.
The dark-haired man finally turned to him "We best go now."
Balinor nodded silently, stealing one last glance at his old friend before following Tom out the door. He barely had time to orient himself before the other man was moving at a fast pace down the poorly lit corridor. The dragon lord hastened to keep up with the other man's long strides, when Balinor suddenly heard several agitated voices rushing up from behind. Quickly he ducked into an alcove pressing himself as far into the shadows as he could manage, barely hiding in time before a few servants hustled by, he breathed a sigh of relief, startling when Tom suddenly appeared in his vision.
"What are you doing?" the man whispered harshly "Are you trying to be caught?"
"Me?" Balinor hissed disbelievingly "I'm the one hiding whilst you walk about for all of king and country to see."
Tom rolled his eyes "Exactly, because right now everyone is more concerned with seeing what all the commotion is about." He said pointing his finger into the air with raised eyebrows, indicating the warning bell that was still clanging through the air. "Right now, it would be less conspicuous to be running in the same direction as everyone else than to be found skulking around hiding in the shadows."
Balinor pressed his lips together, conceding the point, but that did not stop him from cautiously poking his head out to look down the corridors before joining the other man. Tom waved his hands in a 'lets get on with it' gesture before they both jogged in the same way as the servants. They moved quickly through the halls, out-pacing a few anxious people running in the same direction. They never slowed except when a cluster of people blocked the way. Balinor froze when he realized it was a couple of Uther's knights reassuring a handful of restless servants.
One of the knights glanced up, looking in their direction while simultaneously trying to sooth a maid that was wringing her hands; the knight paused mid-sentence as he locked curious eyes with the dragon lords.
Balinor's heart leapt to his throat, praying that the man did not recognize him in the dull light of the torches. He saw the man turn slightly towards his fellow knight as if to point him out and the dragon lord felt the strong urge to run. He was pulled, quite literally from his muddled thoughts by a firm hold on his wrist.
"Come! We must hurry. Mary is staying with her mother in the lower town, we must see if her and the children are alright!"
Balinor could only blink at the sudden transformation of Tom as he took on the appearance of a severely distraught man.
"Hurry!" the dark-haired man tugged urgently, pulling the dragon lord towards the group of people. Now they had the attention of everyone, as the people upon hearing the desperate cry scurried out of the way of the two men.
Balinor gasped as they shot through the corridor without being prevented. He looked wildly behind him to see the knights trying to calm the now panicked servants.
What has happened? Balinor wondered nonplussed. He was interrupted from his thoughts by his new acquaintance.
"Can you act any less guilty?" Tom asked through clenched teeth.
"My apologies. I'm not exactly in the habit of running for my life!" Balinor hissed in a whisper.
"Clearly." Tom finally released the dragon lord's wrist as they continued without any trouble. "Just follow me and do as I do."
Balinor just glared at the back of the other man's head. Tom either did not see it or blatantly ignored it as he weaved through and around the people now clogging the corridor. Balinor lost sight of him when he nearly trod on a young servant boy who had fallen in his haste to get through the press; the dragon lord made to help the boy up, but the young servant barely glanced in his direction as he scrambled back to his feet and shoved past two women wearing night gowns that were barring the way.
Balinor stood on his toes, being jostled by people scurrying by, as his eyes scanned the congested hallway for Tom. He shouldered past a few people who seemed more interested in chattering animatedly back and forth then moving out of the way, when a hand snaked through the crowd and grabbed his wrist. Balinor did not even startle this time as he was tugged forcefully through the throng and down an adjoining corridor.
The stream of people dwindled to a trickle as Tom lead him through the new passageway and down a flight of stairs. "Um, shouldn't we be going the opposite direction?" Balinor dashed ahead to keep pace with the dark-haired man.
"Nope." Tom said with a pop of the lips.
"We are trying to leave the castle" Balinor accused.
"I am aware of that."
Balinor roughly grabbed the strange man's arm, skidding them both to a halt. "This leads deeper into the castle, not away."
Tom sighed in exasperation looking squarely into the dragon lords face with a forced smile. "This will lead us away. Just… trust me. This way" Tom nodded his head to indicate the direction "will take us down to the tunnels which will lead us out of Camelot."
"Tunnels? There are no tunnels this way" Balinor said with a dubious frown.
Tom rolled his eyes impatiently as he turned on his heel and continued down the corridor. The dragon lord rushed to catch up. "The tunnels were built in secret for the royal family as an escape route in case of a siege. Of course, you know nothing of them." The dark-haired man finished scathingly.
"And how do you know of them? Balinor huffed.
"I make a point to know everything about a place I go into. Particularly how to get out." Tom finished plainly.
The two men continued in silence; the dragon lord lost track of the many turns, doorways and stairwells they took, but could see that they always led deeper into the castle.
The way grew darker when the number of torches dwindled. Tom finally pulled one from its sconce to light their way as they reached a staircase that curved downward. When they reached the bottom Balinor froze, sucking in a sharp breath. There, in front of them sitting on a couple of rickety stools were two of Camelot's finest face down on a small table. They had obviously been placed there as sentries, but the dragon lord could not tell if the two men were alive or dead. The one had his head turned towards the wall and the other that he could see clearly, had his helmet on which sat askew on his head; the man's arm dangled off the table with an empty goblet laying directly underneath it on the floor.
Balinor started towards them but was held back. "What are you doing?" Tom looked at him with wide eyes, sounding absolutely appalled.
"They could be dead!" Balinor whispered urgently, returning the look "We need to check on them."
He made to move towards the guards again, but Tom grabbed him. The dragon lord tore his arm from the other man's grip "Will you stop doing that!" he nearly shouted, rubbing his now aching wrist.
"I will when you stop acting like an idiot! If they were dead, there would be nothing you could do about it anyway." The dark-haired man hissed.
Balinor glared defiantly at the other man before walking over to the two guards. He touched the closest mans hand to find that it was still warm; he then leant down and pressed his ear to the middle of the man's shoulder blades. A heart beat sounded in his ear as the guard's body rose and fell steadily with each soft breath.
Balinor blinked and glanced up at the other lifeless guard who shifted and mumbled softly.
"They are asleep." Balinor marveled aloud.
"Yes." Tom responded dryly
Balinor narrowed his eyes accusingly at the dark-haired man. "You knew they were asleep"
"Oh, of course I did. How do you think they got that way?" Tom flung his hand in the direction of the two guards.
"Why did you not just say so!"
"I did not think that I needed to. Why do you think that I came so late? I needed time to ensure that our way would be clear. I thought that you would have enough sense to pass by the same men that would run you through as soon as look at you!" Tom reasoned heatedly.
Balinor ignored him looking curiously back over to the two men. "How did you even do it?"
"The wine." Tom explained simply.
The dragon lord peered down into the flagon that sat nearly empty on the table. He dipped his finger into the liquid and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together feeling a subtle, grainy texture.
Balinor opened his mouth about to ask when he was abruptly cut off.
"As I said. I make a point to know everything about a place I go into – and the best way to get out." Tom walked past him. He made it a few feet before realizing that he was not being followed, he turned his head to look at the dragon lord with raised eyebrows. "Are you coming?"
Balinor looked blankly at him for a moment before joining the other man. They left the comfort of the torch-light and continued to another staircase that went deeper than what they had previously come across. The stairwell was narrower and winding, the walls roughly hewn, different from the expertly polished stones in the upper parts of the castle. The light from the one torch that they held had an eerie effect in the enclosed space making the shadows to writhe and flicker across the walls. The two men's footsteps echoed noisily as they moved recklessly down the narrow steps; after an indeterminable amount of time they finally reached the bottom of the long stairway to land on a mixture of packed earth and stone.
Tom raised the torch high for a moment barely illuminating a few feet down the black tunnel. There was something sinister about heading towards such endless darkness as they continued slower, more cautious of their footing. The air was damp and unpleasantly cold, causing Balinor to huddle deeper into his thick cloak. A warm mist rose in front of him with every exhale he took, and the dragon lord suddenly wondered at the composure of his new acquaintance. The man was only dressed in a simple green tunic, black breeches and high black leather boots. All in good quality, yes, but hardly made for weather like this. Winter had barely past and it was not uncommon for there to still be light snow flurries; the nights were intolerably cold leaving glittering frost behind in its wake, and here Tom did not so much as shiver.
'Who is this man?'
Balinor could not shake his feeling of unease as he blindly followed this stranger. He finally understood what Gaius meant when he had tried to describe the dark-haired man. 'There is something unsettling about him' The dragon lord nodded now at the description and could not agree more. It was not anything definitive. Nothing specific that Balinor could pin down. 'The man is secretive', but everyone is entitled to their secrets. 'The man is obviously conceited' but with the way the stranger so expertly maneuvered them through the castle, somehow drugged the guards, and is now leading them through these tunnels (that Balinor had not even been aware existed) the dragon lord admitted that the man had a right to be conceited. 'The man is obviously a sorcerer' It was that thought that gave Balinor pause. He considered what happened in Gaius' chambers. That dark figure that disappeared in a flash of light. It was not a dream, and if it was not a dream then it was a kind of sorcery that the dragon lord had never seen before.
'Who is this man?'
He shook his head roughly as if to dispel the thoughts circling around in his head. 'There will be time to think of these things after we escape Camelot'
The tunnel seemed to go on forever before Balinor spied a pale glow just ahead. The way narrowed down somewhat causing the two men to duck their heads a bit, when they came to an opening with an iron grate already swung open on its rusty hinges.
Balinor looked at the open grate than to his companion.
"You do that too?" The dragon lord rolled his eyes when he just received a smug grin and wiggled eyebrows in reply.
The grate may have been open, but the path was not exactly clear as the they pushed through a variety of undergrowth blocking the way.
"I thought you said you cleared the way?" Balinor asked sarcastically. Tom just shot him a withering look before roughly shoving through the last of the foliage.
They entered into a clearing bathed in moonlight. The night was clear, with a multitude of stars sprinkled across the sky. Balinor sighed in relief at finally being out in the open. Dragon lords do not do well in enclosed spaces. He looked back at where they had come from to see that the entrance to the tunnel was ingeniously built where the natural layout of the land easily obscured it. Balinor was impressed. It would undoubtedly be overlooked if you did not know it was there.
Tom walked over to a small snow drift and ground the lit end of their torch into it. The fire extinguished with an angry hiss and a wisp of smoke. "Come. There is still a way to go before we can rest easy, we are not far beyond the city walls."
Balinor nodded and followed the man. They did not walk long before the dragon lord finally realized that he could still faintly hear the warning bells of Camelot. Curious, the young man strayed away from his companion and walked towards the sound. He ducked his head under some branches of a tree and gingerly crawled up a steep hill, careful to keep his head down and out of sight. When he finally reached the crest of the hill and looked towards Camelot, his eyes widened in alarm. The city's lower town glowed red like a furnace. Fire. With the purge Balinor was starting to loathe the element. He could not discern what or how much was in flames, but the blood drained from his face hearing the faint panicked shouts coming from within the city walls.
The dragon lord barely recognized someone settling down next to him. "What did you do?" He rasped feebly.
"What I had to."
It was said so simply that Balinor tore his gaze away from the city to land on the dark-haired man. 'The man is a monster' Balinor added to his mental list when a shiver went up the dragon lord's spine seeing his companion poised, looking over the city with so little emotion and such calculating eyes. Like a predator looking over its prey. Balinor got a sinking feeling when it finally dawned on him. Predator.
'Of course. How could I have been so stupid!' He furiously berated himself. The dragon lord cautiously studied the other man. His companion was not very large. Tall but slim; someone that the dragon lord would normally believe he could take on in a fight; but if his instincts were correct, the man that sat next to him would by far be a very capable and dangerous adversary.
Balinor inched slowly away, trying hard to steady his breathing with the sudden rush of adrenaline.
Tom sensing the motion of the dragon lord, turned in time to see his companion's face turn ashen. He locked questioning eyes with Balinor. "What is it?"
"I think it best that we part ways now." the dragon lord said in a steely tone, now up on his feet.
"I beg your pardon?" Tom's forehead wrinkled.
"It is safer, is it not? To part now and go our separate ways. I think you for going to such lengths in guiding me out of the city." The dragon lord finished civilly.
Tom cocked his head curiously with scrunched eyebrows. "I assured Gaius I would escort you to safety... I do not plan on breaking my word. You will have to suffer my company a little bit longer."
"I appreciate that, but I am sure if Gaius were here he would understand and release you from your oath." Balinor finished decisively.
Tom, in his confusion stepped towards the dragon lord only for the dragon lord to take a step back.
A look of realization dawned on the dark-haired man's face. "Your frightened of me." He breathed out a disbelieving laugh.
"I am not frightened." Balinor crisply replied.
Tom stepped forward again and the dragon lord held still but could not keep himself from stiffening.
"if not frightened, then at least distrustful. What is it? What have I done to bring on such feelings?" The dark-haired man tilted his head inquisitively.
"What have you done?" Balinor could not help but gape.
"What about that?" He all but shouted, pointing an accusing finger towards the city.
Tom side-eyed the dragon lord for a moment before peering at the city with a pondering frown; after a few moments of inspection he suddenly rolled his eyes. "Oh, that?" he waved his hand dismissively. "I did-"
"What you had to" Balinor cut in angrily. "Yes. I have heard you say that already. Does taking lives mean so little to you?"
"Taking li…" Tom murmured looking puzzled. His eyes suddenly cleared with understanding. "Just to be clear. You think that I meant to take lives by starting that fire?"
"What do you think fire does? It burns!" Balinor spat out.
"Yes…" Tom drawled out slowly. "It burns straw."
Balinor frowned in angry confusion. "What?"
"Straw, wood, stubble, horse dung… shall I continue?" The dark-haired man recounted flippantly. At the dragon lord's continued angry look Tom sighed noisily. "I set the stables alight. No lives were taken… not even a horse." He explained patiently. "Though…" Tom continued with a devilish smirk "it is a shame I will not be there to see Uther's proud knights running around the city trying to catch their runaway steeds."
Balinor's angry stare dropped into confusion as he glanced back over to the city and the orange glow emanating from within. He could still hear the warning bells and the faint shouts of people. "It does not seem as minor as you claim."
"Believe me, it looks worse than it is. I am very good at what I do." The other man responded proudly.
Balinor just scowled. "Are you so sure? Can you know for certain that no one was caught in the blaze?"
Tom narrowed his eyes "I am sure that when I started the fire I did it where it could not possibly have harmed anyone. I will not be held responsible beyond that. If someone decided to act a fool by recklessly running into the flames? Well, then that is their problem." He finished in an irritated voice.
"And what of the damage? You surely cannot tell be that the fire would not spread?" Balinor pointed out.
Tom flung up his hands "What do you want from me? Can I not receive a little gratitude for all that I have done to get you here? Yes. The fire probably spread to a few other buildings, but hardly far enough to cause much damage."
"Enough to do damage to someone's home. Their trade…"
"As opposed to your life?" Tom cut in smoothly. "I suppose if you really wish it, you could go back now and show your regret for the hardship they are suffering because of you." The dark-haired man turned, making as if to walk away. "Oh…" he paused with raised finger as if remembering something important "and while you're at it you could just walk straight into the flames and save Uther the trouble of having you burned himself." Tom said mockingly.
There was an angry tension between them as Balinor just glowered at the other man in silence.
"The age of the dragon lord is over my friend" Tom finally continued. "People no longer look to them as defenders… as…" he waved his hand in the air as if seeking for words "as the embodiment of the old ways. Of what is right, or good." He finally settled with.
"The only thing you will achieve with your naive idea of nobility is your death." He ended definitively.
"Do not speak as if you know me - know my people…"
Balinor heatedly spat.
"I know that your people are dead." Tom interrupted. It was not said unkindly, just matter of fact; but it worked in silencing the dragon lord. Balinor's eyes burned furiously and his throat ached with the sudden onslaught of emotion. He turned his head away desperately trying to compose himself.
Tom sighed softly and tried to catch the dragon lord's eyes. "The continuance of their legacy now rests on your shoulders." He said gently "I gave my word to Gaius that I would ensure your safety, and, if you knew anything about me you would know that I detest failing at a task I have been given. Just… let me help in keeping your people's legacy alive by escorting you passed Camelot's border into another kingdom. Any kingdom. Once we do that, we can part ways and you will never have to see me again." Tom finished persuasively.
Balinor finally met the other man's gaze. Tom stood patiently with a calm expression and an opened hand slightly extended towards the dragon lord. Balinor distantly recognized that the other man was behaving in the way you would when dealing with a skittish animal; but even realizing this he could not muster up the energy to be offended. He studied the dark-haired man with wary eyes and finally nodded his acceptance.
Tom's posture instantly relaxed. "Good." He nodded "Which direction?"
"North"
"Towards Esscetir." Tom inclined his head in approval. "Even Uther is not mad enough to pursue you into a rival kingdom." He courteously waved his arm out towards that direction with a dip of the head "After you."
Balinor took a few steps and stopped, looking over at the other man. He was not too sure he wanted this stranger behind him. The dragon lord narrowed his eyes when the dark-haired man just grinned mischievously, like he knew exactly what he was thinking. "Together then?" Tom said playfully.
"Together."
Not used to this formatting so had to edit a few mistakes that were driving me nuts. Hopefully I didn't miss anything and it turned out alright. Please review! it gives me an idea if anyone is even interested and whether I should continue.