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Screams, smoke, fire, blood. So much blood. He stood frozen in time watching it all. Watching as his kin were slaughtered, hearing the pitiful moans of the wounded, the fierce and desperate roars of the dragons. Then in an instant, in the time it took to blink, all sound stopped, and he was surrounded by corpses lying on the ground, both man and dragon alike. A scream tore from his throat.
"No!" Balinor woke with a start, springing up unto his feet and swinging wildly with a closed fist. He was met with nothing but air and barely avoided losing his balance and falling flat on his face. Gasping for breath, he stumbled a few steps till he found his footing and flipped through his mind trying to remember where and why he was here at the mouth of some sort of cave. His ears registered the sound of rushing water and his head swiveled to its source. He spotted a creek a few yards off to his right nearly overflowing because of the melting snow. The sun shone brightly down on the earth slowly warming the frigid air and heralding a new day.
Or midday the dragon lord thought squinting upwards to see the sun directly overhead. He remembered now, though it was a bit of a blur, the last hours of darkness in which he and his new companion made their way here. After he and Tom had reached their agreement Balinor remembered blundering in the moon light, somehow managing to step in every hollow and trip over every branch in his way and resentful that his fellow traveler looked almost graceful making his way along with no difficulty whatsoever. They walked until the sky started to gray with the new dawn, by that time the dragon lord was dead on his feet blindly trusting Tom to know the way. He had entered a haze as the days of sleeplessness and threat of imminent death finally took its toll, so after the third time of him nearly walking into a tree Tom shepherded him to a small cave, unceremoniously hauled him to the closest dry corner where the dragon lord promptly passed out.
Balinor looked around in confusion "Hello!" he waited with his ear cocked but all that he heard in reply was the twittering of the birds. "Tom!" His dark eyes flitted around looking for his missing companion. did he leave? the dragon lord wondered. After a few moments of silence, he sighed in relief, ridiculously grateful that the other man apparently decided to part ways after all. He turned to go back to the cave nearly running straight into the man who stood directly behind him.
"Will you stop doing that!" Balinor yelled, his hand reflexively going to his chest with a start.
"If I did then I would not have the fun of seeing you jump in fright." Tom teased with a devilish grin.
"Yes, Gaius told me all about your idea of fun." Balinor grumbled sourly.
"Oh? And what did Gaius say?"
The dragon lord purposely ignored the question, instead shooting off one of his own. "And where did you disappear to?"
Tom's lips twitched in amusement but allowed the change in subject. "Laying a false trail for Uther's patrols to follow should they come this way. Your pack is in the cave, I would suggest fetching it and you can eat as we go." He stepped past the dragon lord ready to set off.
Balinor fumed clenching his teeth so hard he felt his jaw click. Who does this man think he is ordering me about?
The other man paused and turned around with a questioning look as if to ask why the dragon lord was just standing there.
"I'll move when I bloody well feel like moving." He all but growled in response to the unspoken question.
Tom huffed in exasperation "Alright, that is it. What could I have possibly done now to offend your sensibilities? Are you afraid that what I was really doing while you slept was slaughtering children… abusing women, or perhaps drowning a few barn cats? What?" He threw his hands up. He peered at him waiting for a response but all Balinor could do was gape like a fish. He snorted harshly through his nose and dragged his fingers repeatedly through his hair tugging the strands painfully. 'I am acting like a mad-man' He closed his eyes and forcibly took a few deep breathes and let them out slowly until he no longer felt like wringing the other mans neck.
"I… I am sorry." Balinor murmured softly.
"Beg your pardon?" Tom asked purposefully turning his head in a show of hearing him better.
"I said. I. Am. Sorry." Balinor enunciated slowly through clenched tooth.
Tom opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it. He eyed the dragon lord with a pondering frown appearing to search for an answer to a particularly puzzling question. "Just tell me what it is about me that seems to irritate you so much?"
"Where do I begin?" Balinor answered sarcastically.
"See? That." the dark-haired man wagged his finger towards the dragon lord "That was uncalled for. It was a simple question that warranted a simple answer. I realize that you were not pleased with the events that allowed you to escape Camelot…"
"Arson…"
"But…" Tom raised his hands in a pacifying gesture, interrupting the dragon lord before he could continue. "But you have disliked me since the moment we met till now. I cannot seem to say or do the simplest things without you becoming livid and making things more difficult than it needs to be." He raised his hands again silencing Balinor's angry sputter. "Just tell me what it is that angers you and I will do my best to stop." He finished placatingly.
"Is that right? You have not exactly been innocent in this." Balinor scoffed.
"I do not claim to be, though, I think all I need do is breathe too loudly and you would gladly knock me over the head; but if it means us getting to the border any faster with less arguments I will hold my breath the whole way there."
Balinor pursed his lips, struggling with the idea of receiving the olive branch that the other man was extending.
"It is not what you have done or said… well… not entirely." He muttered and sighed tiredly digging his fingers into his burning eyes. "I am a dragon lord."
"Yes, I gathered that" Tom crossed his arms expectantly, prompting Balinor to continue.
"That is not just a title… it is hard to explain, but… it is…"
"It is?" The dark-haired man patiently waved him on.
Balinor just looked helplessly at his new companion thinking back at all the times he had tried to confide in someone about his connection to the dragons. It was more than just the power to command them, it went deeper and was far more complicated. Only another dragon lord could possibly understand it. "Dragons and dragon lords share certain… traits… uh, instincts" Balinor said carefully.
"Instincts?" Tom's head perked up curiously. "What kind of instincts?"
"The kind that lets me know when something or someone is a threat."
"A threat. I take it that your instincts are telling you that I am a threat?" It was said more as a statement than a question if his tone of voice was anything to go by. "I am not sure why? I have done nothing but help you."
Balinor huffed in irritation. "I realize that. It is not something that I can help. When dragons come across other predators…"
"Predators?" Tom interrupted, his voice raised in incredulity.
"Will you let me finish?"
Tom waved a hand in compliance.
"When dragons come across other predators" Balinor continued pointedly "they cannot help but defend their territory."
"And I am encroaching on your territory?" Tom looked doubtful.
"As I said, dragon lords share certain traits with the dragons. I did not expect you to understand. Nobody understands when I try to explain it to them, it sounds too…" Balinor paused searching for the right word "animalistic." He looked at Tom expectantly waiting for his reaction, he had learned from experience not to go too deep on the subject for each time he had truly tried to explain to anybody, all it achieved was to make people uncomfortable and cause them to look at him differently, sometimes even their behavior towards him would change. One memory in particular stood out amongst them. Ariana, a young pretty girl that he had been sweet on, and absolutely convinced that he would marry. He was foolish and younger than he is now, flattered by the attention and awe shining in her eyes. Then came along a young man, a noble with his nose stuck so far up in the air Balinor wondered how he kept from drowning when it rained. The noble set his sights on Ariana and the young hot-tempered dragon lord saw red, he did not even remember his fist meeting cartilage when he broke the mans nose. Ariana was of course upset at the behavior especially considering the blood that soaked into her new gown and refused to speak with Balinor. When Balinor tried to explain the reasons for his temper and his feelings of possessiveness of her, instead of understanding and perhaps being flattered that he felt so deeply in love, became frightened, like he was some kind of beast. He forcefully pulled his thoughts away from such painful memories.
Tom stood with pursed lips and a thoughtful brow. "So, this?" He flicked his finger from himself to the dragon lord "Is not personal, you would do this with any other man?"
"No."
"No?" Tom awkwardly shifted his feet as he opened his mouth, closed it, his face twisting into a frown. Balinor looked at him oddly for his movements before it slowly dawned on him; a grin tugged at his lips, 'so he can be taken off guard' he felt giddy with the idea that his oh, so knowledgeable companion was completely baffled. He would have gladly stood there all day watching the man puzzle over everything, but they were still in Camelot and Uther's men were still out there searching. Tom was right, they did not have time to waste. "Dragon's do not challenge anything that they do not sense as their equal or as a threat to their position, because of that I would not feel such anger towards someone that was not powerful."
"And you think me… powerful?" Tom asked slowly with a glimmer alighting his eyes.
"Or dangerous." Balinor amended sternly, not liking the sudden change in the mans demeanor, 'he looks almost flattered.'
"Powerful" Tom mouthed to himself with a slow smile.
'Yes, he is flattered.' Balinor rolled his eyes. "Do not let it go to your head." He roughly shoved passed his preening companion, heading towards the cave to gather his belongings.
"I have never been described as powerful before." Tom chattered happily following on the dragon lord's heels, he suddenly groaned and snapped his fingers "I wish my brother could have been present for this."
Balinor did a double take at that for that was the first bit of personal information he had learned from the man. "Brother?"
Tom pulled up short like a deer caught in the sights of a hunter's bow. "Never mind. You have everything?" he asked hopefully.
Balinor eyed him knowingly before kneeling to dig around in his bag for the food that Gaius had promised. He chuckled when he kept meeting rolls of bandages. 'Mother hen' he thought affectionately of the physician. Along with the bandages he found the water skin, a smaller skin that he discovered was filled with wine, 'save that for later' a jar of honey, needle and thread, the letter for Hunith and there, a bundle of cloth filled with bread, cheese, nuts and an apple. 'Thank you, Gaius!' As he grabbed for the bundle his fingers bumped against something that felt smooth like glass, he pulled out a small cylindrical vial containing a purplish liquid. Curiously he unstopped the cork and gave the opening a little sniff. He only just held back tears for the thoughtfulness of his dear friend. Lavender oil. Balinor did not know why he even attempted to hide his struggle with sleep from the physician. Leave it to Gaius to know anyway, and to pack him something that would help with that. He closed his eyes in regret. Right now, he would give anything to be back in the physician's chambers, the fragrant smell of herbs lingering in the air, lounging by a warm fire as Gaius puttered around concocting his tinctures and medicines; but those days are gone, he thought mournfully. Tom shifting behind him pulled him back from his depressed thoughts. 'Not now.' he abruptly grabbed a hunk of bread, shoved his belongings back into the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He stood and faced Tom with a determined set to his shoulders.
"Ready?" The dark-haired man asked with perceptive eyes.
Balinor nodded seriously and they walked side by side out of the cave.
Tom kept true to his word, he did everything he could to keep from offending and or irritating the dragon lord. In other words, he kept his mouth shut. Balinor was immensely grateful for this, but it made him realize just how much his own irritation was uncalled for. Tom kept silent, only speaking when necessary to warn him to watch his step for there was a dip in the ground. "Careful of the brambles" "we need to head in a more easterly direction to avoid Uther's patrols." Tom was the perfect travel companion, considerate, cautious; but even so, Balinor still had to work on controlling his temper. He had never been so irritated with himself for his own feelings, for at any other time and any other place he would have really liked the man. Tom was doing everything he could to stay on Balinor's good side and yet just being in the dark-haired man's presence caused the dragon lord's hackles to rise.
They travelled the rest of the day in complete silence, making good progress despite the roundabout route they had to take to avoid the patrols. When they finally bedded down that night without starting a fire in fear of being spotted, Balinor finally realized that Tom had no supplies and no blanket. He fingered his own warm cloak, debating within himself whether he could stand the idea of offering to share body heat for the night and if they did if he could restrain himself from strangling the other man in his sleep. He looked up, opening his mouth, reluctantly on the verge of suggesting the idea when he caught his companions eye. Tom was smirking in a way that implied he knew exactly what the dragon lord was thinking and thought it incredibly funny. Balinor glared but his innate sense of decency could not allow him to leave a man to freeze to death no matter how much the man annoyed him. "Well?" he asked snappishly, unwilling to put into words the offer of sharing a bed, even if the bed was the cold hard ground.
Tom's amused smirk turned into a genuine smile. "No thank you." He answered politely "I do not feel the cold as much as some do… but thank you for the offer." The man honestly looked touched so Balinor graciously nodded, and promptly rolled over. The last thing he heard before sleep over-took him was the sound of Tom's low chuckle.
'I should have used the lavender oil' Balinor groaned as he once again woke with a racing heart. His sleep was restless, and his dreams had been random and confusing. He felt feverish as he roughly shoved the cloak off his sweat soaked body and he shivered in the cold air. His eyes burned, as he blinked up with fuzzy eyes at the sky and the few stars winking out of existence with the coming dawn. Oh, good he thought dully, sounds like rain. Thunder clapped from the distance as the faint outline of clouds slowly rolled in from the north; a gust of cold air rushed through their campsite ruffling his hair and warning Balinor to tug his cloak back over himself, but other than that, he did not move. He did not want to move. He felt the peculiar sensation of floating where he lay and found it oddly pleasant. But all good things must come to an end when he felt a soft touch to his shoulder. He lazily rolled his head over to see Tom towering above him with a look of concern. "Are you, all right?"
Balinor slowly blinked "Oh, I'm perfect." He croaked out sarcastically.
Tom pursed his lips. "We better head out, there is a possibility of avoiding the storm if we move quickly enough.
"Not likely." He snorted in reply
Tom sighed and sympathetically patted him on the shoulder. "Come. If things go well, we should only have another day's journey before we reach the border." He stood and walked a few feet away giving the dragon lord some space.
"Since when do things go well for me." Balinor muttered to himself. By the way Tom glanced over indicated that he had heard the dragon lord's bitter words.
Balinor heaved himself up and wobbled slightly on his feet; but once he relieved himself, munched on the apple Gaius had packed for him and taken a few swigs of water (and of wine) he felt more himself and was ready to set off.
The day started out like the last, in silence. Normally this would not bother him too much but after a string of restless nights and his emotions threatening to bubble to the surface at every turn he suddenly loathed the quiet. It gave no distraction to his chaotic thoughts and memories when he forcefully tried to shove them away; but that is the thing about unpleasant thoughts, the harder you try not to think about something the harder it seems to force its way in, so as they traveled, images flashed through his mind with perfect clarity as if he were seeing them right before his eyes all over again. Uther's cold expression, the once familiar face of his thought to be friend becoming emotionless, and uncaring as if he were chiseled from stone. Kilgarrah's thrashing and the sound of his frantic roars when the great beast realized he had been captured. The feel of the cold and empty cell as he was flung into the dungeons to await his inevitable death.
Balinor desperately gulped in air as he felt a paralyzing sensation spreading in his chest. 'Breath son' the memory of his father's deep gravelly voice seemed to whisper in his ears. 'Just breath' His eyes prickled with unshed tears and he nodded as if his father stood before him. He took slow measured breaths as he had been taught when he was a small boy and suffered from nightmares. It helped to ease the tightness in his chest and to give him a distraction from his memories. For the next hour he just concentrated on breathing in and out, in and out. He spotted Tom shooting him odd looks over his shoulder but otherwise the man did not speak. The breathing helped but it could not last forever, memories started to force their way back into his mind, attempting to drown him in despair and he renewed his efforts even more to control himself and to keep…
"Are you trying to breath fire?"
His breathing and his thoughts stuttered to a halt and he blinked at Tom who had stopped walking to turn around and stare at Balinor with a raised eyebrow. 'I wonder if he learned that from Gaius?' He shook his head, coming back to himself "Wha?"
"Are you trying to breath fire?" Tom waited a moment but when Balinor continued to stare blankly at the question "I only ask because you had mentioned that you share traits with the dragons and I was wondering if breathing fire was one of them?" he explained
"What? No! Why would you even ask that?" Balinor exclaimed.
Tom looked doubtfully at the dragon lord then purposefully took deep breaths mimicking what Balinor had been doing. The dragon lords face burned to the tips of ears. "No! I am not trying to breath fire." He ground out rushing ahead to hide his embarrassment. His feet stomped heavily on the ground and he curled his hands into fists. "Stupid, arrogant…" he muttered.
"Beg your pardon?" Tom asked serenely
"Clotpole!" Balinor spun around to scream in the other man's face.
"Clotpole?" Tom asked slowly, completely unfazed by the dragon lord's rage "What does that even mean?"
"It mean's you, that's what it means." Balinor thrust a shaking finger at the infuriating man.
"Ah." Tom nodded in understanding. "That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." He said, pompously walking passed the very cross individual.
Balinor literally growled and only just kept from lunging at him as he walked away. "I thought you said you would do your best to stop irritating me!"
Tom stopped walking, placed his hands on his hips looking contemplatively into the air. "Yes, I thought of that, but than I realized that according to your explanation" he turned around to look at Balinor "irritating you is rather inevitable. Just my mere presence is enough to make you angry. We still have a long way to go so I thought I might as well pass the time by having some fun." He gave a toothy grin, turned around and left a fuming dragon in his wake.
Balinor spent the next few hours angrily muttering under his breath, his face as dark as the storm clouds rolling in. His mood was not helped by the feel of light raindrops landing on his forehead but thankfully it did not amount to much; the day just stayed overcast and misty making it unpleasant but not unbearable.
Despite Tom's proclamation of having some fun at the dragon lord's expense he stayed strangely silent. Balinor had the sudden notion that his companion had intended to do that all along, but if so, why even bother to provoke him? The man was odd. He reminded Balinor of a crystal that Gaius possessed, with its many facets and colors that were constantly changing depending on the way you looked at it, eventually causing your eyes to blur and your head to ache if you stared at it too long. Yes, the man certainly gives me a headache, he thought wryly. His temper eventually cooled enough to notice his growling stomach, so he slung his bag around in front of him to dig around for food as he walked. He grabbed some bread and cheese and preoccupied himself with shoving them in his mouth.
Tom spied what he was doing "Do you normally eat like that?" He asked, his nose wrinkling.
"I'm starving." The dragon lord defended with his cheeks bulging. He swallowed. "I have not eaten since this morning and it is long past midday."
Tom shrugged and turned his attention back to the path ahead. Balinor's conscience stirred at his own oversight and he fumbled in his bag for more food. "Here, you must be hungry as well. I have not even seen you eat." He said in apology.
Tom looked distastefully down at the smooshed bread and the warm cheese that was offered but he apparently had enough good manners to smile and accept what was offered. "Thank you." He nodded graciously and then delicately nibbled at the food to the dragon lord's amusement.
"What family are you from?" Balinor asked with a laugh.
"Family?" Tom glanced over as they walked side by side.
"You are obviously a noble, though, why a noble would risk placing his neck on the chopping block to save fugitives from Camelot I cannot even guess."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. I am no noble." Tom answered innocently.
Balinor snorted. "Uh huh. Despite what you might think, I am not a fool. I have been around enough royalty and nobility to be able to spot one when I see one."
"Oh?" Tom stopped to turn to the dragon lord "Please, enlighten me as to what supposedly gives me away?" He crossed his arms with a challenging glint in his eye.
The dragon lord mulled the question over biting his tongue on the obvious answers. He could have chosen any number of things, most of them uncomplimentary, to point out, but his mood had lightened with a full belly and he did not want to ruin it by needlessly insulting the man and starting an argument. Instead he settled with something that seemed fairly obvious. "You are too clean." He answered simply.
"I…" Tom's lips parted slightly as he blinked in astonishment. He shook his head "I do not know what to make of that."
Balinor shrugged. "You asked."
"I am too clean?" Tom wished to verify as if he had not heard clearly the first time.
Balinor nodded "Look at you." He gestured towards him "We escaped Camelot under cover of darkness, wandered around in damp tunnels, traveled for two days with little rest and only the stars over our heads at night and yet you manage it all with nary a spot or blemish, nor a single tear or snag in your clothing. Only a noble would be so meticulous about their appearance whilst running for their life." He mocked with a smug twist to the lips.
Tom appeared taken aback, he looked down at himself, self-consciously fingering his own pristine tunic and then looking at the rough appearance of the dragon lord. The contrast between the two was startling. Balinor's young face was drawn and stubbled, marred with smears of dirt, and with clothes no better as they hung ragged and dusty on his exhausted frame down to his mud-covered boots. His hair lay limply on his shoulders, tangled with dead leaves from his time sleeping on the ground. Tom's shorter black hair on the other hand was clean and carefully swept back to rest neatly at the nape of his neck. He looked fresh, well rested and was clean shaven, clean period. His clothes were immaculate, and his high black boots were polished and gleaming in the dull light.
"Oh." Tom muttered lowly and his forehead puckered as he looked down at himself. He had a troubled look in his eyes that strangely made Balinor feel bad for calling him clean. "You look as if I told you someone died." He laughed uncomfortably.
"What?" Tom looked up "No, no. I just… you are absolutely right." He sighed forlornly and shook his head at himself. "I did not see, I know better than that." He nodded firmly with a determined expression. "Too clean. What would make me look less like a noble?" He asked suddenly looking straight at Balinor for guidance. The dragon lord stood speechless for a moment before stuttering out a few ideas completely unprepared for the attentiveness given to every word he spoke. Tom stood still, nodding seriously at each suggestion, alternately comparing his own appearance with that of Balinor's.
"I am too what?" Tom burst out.
"It is not that big a deal considering winter is barely past. Even the hardiest woodsman or farmer become pale after being stuck indoors." Balinor raised his palms up defensively.
"You did not say I look pale, you said I looked too pale. Abnormally so." Tom said with narrowed eyes.
"I said you look like you have not worked a day in your life." He shrugged unrepentantly "You asked what would make you look more common, well, commoners work out of doors in the sun, they do not spend their days being pampered and coddled in the shade."
"I have never been coddled in my life! And as for shade…" Tom stepped forward with a raised finger.
"Alright!" Balinor interrupted with a roll of his eyes "Sorry! You did ask." He took an exasperated step back. "I did not realize being too pale was such a sore spot with you."
"Oh please" Tom crossed his arms "how sensitive do you think I am? Do you think I have not had my complexion pointed out to me before?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
Balinor scrunched up his eyes "then what…"
"I draw the line at coddled." Tom haughtily lifted his chin. "I have worked hard for everything I have ever achieved."
Balinor bit back a grin "fair enough… and yet, I noticed you said nothing against being pampered." He snickered at the scowl he received. "Besides, I think we have wasted enough time on this. You are the one that told me we had no time to lose."
"It is no waste of time." Tom replied and than suddenly he became liquid, or at least that is how Balinor would describe it. Liquid light. From the top of Tom's head down to his feet Balinor watched right before his disbelieving eyes as his new friend undulated and pulsed with bright white intermixed with shades of green to than suddenly flicker and become himself again. It happened in a span of a few seconds but Balinor recognized seeing something like it before, back in Gaius's chambers
"Well, how do I look? Do I look like a noble now?"
Balinor gaped, Tom's new appearance was nothing drastic, but it was enough to leave him in awe for not a single incantation had crossed the man's lips. His wardrobe had changed from such refinement to simple peasant clothing. The green of his shirt was now faded and well worn, his breeches had patches on the knees to give the impression of being repaired again and again, his boots were lackluster and dirty, but what really impressed Balinor was not the clothing but the actual physical appearance. Tom was no longer pale, he had a faded tan that would not look out of place on a farmer after a long winter and his face was no longer clean shaven. Oh, it was not a scruffy beard but there was a shadow along the jaw line that implied days of travel without a chance to shave. Tom waited patiently as he was gawked at with wide eyes. "Well, what do you think?"
Balinor nodded wordlessly but then pointed. Tom followed the direction upwards till he realized the dragon lord was indicating his head. "Right, the hair." He critically examined Balinor or at least his hair with a frown, he shrugged and stuck both hands on his own scalp and rubbed furiously, mussing up his perfectly combed locks. Tufts of hair soon stuck up in disarray with hints of curls falling around his ears. "Well, how do I look?" he flung his hands out wide and slowly turned in a circle to show off every angle. "No one could mistake me for a noble now." He proudly declared, slightly puffing out his chest with a pleased smile.
Balinor could not pass that up. "Mmmm…" He let his face scrunch up and gave a noncommittal bob to the head.
Tom's happy expression fell "What do you mean by 'Mmmmm…'? He mimed irritably. "What is wrong now?"
"Oh nothing." Balinor blinked innocently "You are just missing a little something to make it truly believable that you are a peasant."
"What?" He looked bewildered down at himself.
An impish grin slid onto Balinors face as he knelt and scooped up a handful of damp earth and stepped up to the newly created peasant "You are too clean" and then he deliberately palmed his hand on Toms clean face slowly dragging it down from his cheek to his chin, neck and unto his shirt, and then rubbing it in for good measure. He stepped back with a scrutinizing gaze and a thoughtful smile, like a sculptor stepping back to admire his own creation. "Perfect." He laughed out right at the withering look he received as Tom lightly spat bits of dirt off his lips.
"This could be a problem." Tom spoke as if he were commenting on the weather.
"You think?" Balinor sarcastically asked, as the two men peered from their lofty position on the hill top down into the small valley that led directly to the border between Camelot and Esscetir. It was not the distance that was the problem but the band of knights patrolling just below them and blocking the two fugitive's way. "Did you have a plan for this?" Balinor groused as he looked over at the orchestrator of their escape who currently lay on his stomach next to him with his chin resting on his folded arms, eyes thoughtfully tracking the knights below.
"Just a little hiccup in the grand scheme of things." He airily replied
"Hiccup? They are blocking our way, and if we try to sneak passed we may very well get caught and taken back to the city to be burned at the pyre!" Balinor hissed in disbelief at the seeming indifference of the other man.
"There is more than one way passed the border, we will just have cross somewhere else." Tom cautiously eased back a few feet on his hands and knees before he stood up out of sight of anyone below that may happen to glance up in their direction.
"This is the fastest way into Esscetir" Balinor protested, not moving an inch.
His companion cocked an eyebrow at him and pointedly glanced back in the direction of the knights. "Not anymore." He responded dryly "If you wish, we can wait and see if they move on, but they look as if they are going to be there awhile and, in the meantime, we could be risking more of Uther's men coming to reinforce the border and making it impossible to pass at all." He stood patiently, apparently waiting for Balinor to decide.
The dragon lord nervously chewed his lower lip, looking down at the men below, trying to distinguish whether they were making camp or possibly just resting for a spell before continuing along their way. 'They could just be stopping to eat or relieve themselves' he anxiously grasped at straws 'but what if Tom is right and Uther is just going to send more patrols. Does my old friend hate me that much that he would create a wall of men in order to catch me?' "Do you know another way across?" Balinor hesitantly asked.
"Of course." Tom answered confidently.
The dragon lord looked over with a look which Tom instantly interpreted. "This was always a possibility." He waved his hand towards the knights.
"You knew that Uther would send men here?" Balinor angrily asked.
"I knew it was a possibility, it is what I would do if I were in his place, so I had to at least consider that Uther would have the same thought."
"Then why did we come here at all?" the dragon lord huffed.
"Because, as you said, this is the fastest route to Esscetir. I had hoped that the confusion we left behind in Camelot would distract Uther long enough for us to make it across the border before he thought to send his patrols out this far, but, obviously that was not the case." Tom explained.
Balinor bristled at what his tone of voice implied, that the dragon lord was the reason that they were not fast enough to reach the border in time. But to look at his companions face you would not see any accusation for his expression was completely neutral, another give away that Tom was a noble, only a noble would be devious enough to accuse someone without actually appearing to do so.
"How much farther must we travel before we can cross?" Balinor bit out with a glare.
"Another day's journey, possibly two depending on how quickly we travel and if we run into any of Uther's men." Tom crossed his arms as he spoke.
"Make it one, the sooner we part ways the better." Balinor stood to his feet and stomped past the dark-haired man, growling at the amused smirk on his lips. He heard Tom clear his throat from behind "Um, you might want to go that way." Balinor angrily spun around to see him pointing in the opposite direction that the dragon lord had been going, and just barely kept himself from screaming when he resentfully did an about face and went towards the path the man was indicating. Tom stood back, wisely pursing his lips in a clear struggle of holding back his laughter, which only served to enrage the dragon lord further and encouraged him to push ahead to get as far away from the infuriating man as possible.
It was only a few more hours when the sky finally cleared enough to allow the sun to once more shine down on them, slowly warming the frigid air, but Balinor hardly noticed for he was too busy stomping and muttering curses under his breath; he took great pleasure coming up with creative slurs and imaginings about Tom, including an interesting one about him being trampled by a horse when his thoughts took an unpleasant turn. As it often does, a single thought leads to another, and then another, until you are nowhere near where you started; in this case it was the thought of the horse that led the way back to the patrols, then to Camelot, all the way back to Uther, and from Uther to his betrayal and capture of the Great Dragon and then to the slaughter of all the dragon lords. Balinor did not even realize when his footsteps faltered or felt it when his knees met the ground. His head was spinning with the same tormented thoughts, over and over, leaving nothing but an all-consuming pain, guilt and loneliness that threatened to crush him into dust. 'They are gone, all gone, I am alone, it is my fault, all my fault, my fault' The memories he had been struggling to block suddenly came to the forefront of his mind and he screamed, screamed until someones hand firmly clasped over his mouth muffling the sound and causing a mournful keening to ring from his throat. He did not know how long he sat on his haunches, his head bowed, slowly rocking back and forth as he sobbed until his throat ached, his eyes burned, and his head pounded, and he did not care to know, he did not care about anything but his own grief. Finally, though, after hours that seemed more like days the tears started to slow, though they did not stop, he felt hollowed out and his body begged for rest as he started to droop even further to the ground till his forehead rested on it. He smelt the moist earth and felt the dampness beneath him and he just breathed. Eventually, cool fingers gently untangled Balinor's two hands from his scalp, that the dragon lord had buried there. He startled slightly not having sensed the presence that had been near him, and looked up to see Tom, quietly unfurling Balinors fingers to carefully brush off small clumps of hair that the dragon lord had ripped out in his grief. His ministrations were somehow soothing as he numbly watched strands of his own hair being brushed off by slender fingers to lazily drift to the ground. When his hands were clean the fingers disappeared from his sight and he felt a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, drawing Balinor's gaze upward into now familiar green eyes.
"Are you finished?" Tom asked softly
The dragon lord blinked owlishly at his companion's kind expression. The question was asked in an even and matter of fact way that implied genuine curiosity, he searched for a hint of judgement or disgust in the other man's eyes, but they only showed sympathy and for that moment, Balinor forgot all about what he hated about Tom and just felt grateful. He closed his eyes tiredly and took a hiccupping breath, trying to gather all the pieces of himself that had spectacularly fallen apart back together again. He finally met the other man's patient gaze and nodded; he received another squeeze to the shoulder and a nod in return before Tom helpfully offered his hand which Balinor took to lever himself up. His legs felt shaky, and he tottered slightly as he took a few steps but after a few seconds he felt steadier, or, at least he must have looked steadier for Tom to finally release his hold; he gave the dragon lord one last side glance before walking ahead. Balinor appreciated his discretion and the opportunity it gave to wipe away the tears in a modicum of privacy. The two men continued on their way as if nothing had happened, both had too much pride to talk about the emotions that led to such a display of grief, so the only sounds between them was the sniffs coming from the dragon lord. His head felt stuffed and throbbed painfully with his runny nose as he intermittently wiped away stray tears. Every now again he would spot Tom looking at him sideways, Balinor suspected to see if he was going to fall apart again.
"So, tell me more."
Balinor jumped slightly at the sudden break in the awkward silence. "What?" he croaked.
"Tell me more about the dragons and the traits you share with them." Tom glanced over "I get the feeling you were holding back some details when you were explaining it to me.
"I told you, people do not react well when I explain." Balinor shrugged.
"Yes, well, the people you explained it to were friends? Family?" He looked over for confirmation.
Balinor nodded slowly "Yes, I suppose."
"That is your problem then." Tom pointed out like he had just solved a difficult riddle.
"I do not follow."
The dark-haired man huffed lightly and shook his head. "You cared what they thought."
"So?" The dragon lords eyes scrunched up.
"Sooo, do you care what I think?" Tom looked over expectantly.
Balinor snorted. "No."
"There you have it then." He looked smug, bouncing a little in his step "You do not care what I think so it does not matter if I react well or not, and to that end, when we cross the border we will never see each other again." Tom waggled his eyebrows at him in victory.
Balinor chuckled lightly, feeling his spirits lift "So, because we are not friends there would be no consequences to what ever I reveal to you?"
"Exactly." Tom wagged a finger in his direction "It is the beauty of confiding in strangers, you do not have to deal with pesky reactions and expectations like with people that have known you for years, because more than likely, you do not care and will never see them again." He waved his hand away from him pointing off into the distance.
Balinor snickered at Tom's playful antics, likening him again to that everchanging stone in Gaius' chambers; here was just another side to the kaleidoscope that was Tom. 'At least this side is not so irritating' he smiled. "All right then, where should I start?"
"From the beginning."
Balinors eyebrows raised to his hairline and he considered for a moment on his past experience with explaining his connection to the dragons, it had been filled with emotion and the deep desire to confide and be understood by someone he loved and thought loved him in return, 'Ariana'; but Tom was right, there is something very freeing about the idea of pouring your heart out to someone that you would never see again, so he decided to take him at his word. "What do you know of dragon lords?"
"Oh, well I know before Uther's edict against magic, dragon lords were ranked amongst the nobility, despite leading a more nomadic life and preferring the company of large flying reptiles." Tom said with a cheeky grin.
Balinor just rolled his eyes. "Do you know the history of the dragon lord's, where they came from?"
"My word, you really are going to start from the beginning." Tom grinned when he received a dry look and then looked up in the air in thought "Lets see. There was a war, roughly one thousand or so years ago?" he looked to Balinor who nodded his head in confirmation, Tom then continued "Between the dragons and men. Casualties, carnage on both sides, with dragons admittedly creating the most of it, but the men were clever and targeted the dragons nesting grounds wiping out most of their young."
"Yes" Balinor nodded "until Brennus the son of a chief of one of the warring tribes brokered peace with the Alpha dragon when he spared the life of his hatchling. As part of the terms of the treaty Brennus became the first dragon lord as well as his sons. Every dragon lord born from each of the great families are the direct descendants of Brennus."
"Fascinating, but that does not exactly answer my question concerning how you share traits with the dragons." Tom pointed out.
"The reason for the war was because dragons and people were so drastically different from each other that it led to misunderstandings, fear and prejudice. The dragon lord was created to ensure peace between the two species by bridging the gap, speaking their language, understanding their nature and acting as an envoy with other clans..." Balinor waved his hand in a so on and so forth gesture.
"Being able to control the beasts?" Tom sounded skeptical.
"That was just a way to ensure the dragons that were displeased with the treaty could not retaliate. Even the Great Dragon acknowledged that most of the fatalities in the war were caused by themselves, there is no arguing with their sheer brute strength and gifts of foresight and magic." Balinor said obviously.
"I am still unsure what the history lesson has to do with you supposedly sharing their instincts, which causes you to automatically perceive me as a threat." Tom said doubtfully.
Balinor sighed. "Dragon's are creatures of the old religion, nearly as old as magic itself, they were the ones that bound the dragons with men, using very powerful and ancient magic, but when they did, not even they were aware of what the consequences would be, honestly I believe they were only thinking about ending the war, beyond that?" He shrugged.
"So, these consequences you speak of resulted in the dragon lords taking on the qualities of the dragons?"
Balinor nodded "And the dragons also took on some of the qualities of the dragon lords."
Tom's head perked up in interest "Really? Such as?"
"For instance, before the binding, dragons could not speak our tongue and we could not even attempt to learn theirs."
"Then how did they even come to an understanding if they could not communicate?" Toms eyebrows furrowed.
"I did not say they could not communicate, I just said they could not speak each other's language."
"Then how… ah. Magic." Tom rolled his eyes at his own oversight.
"Magic." Balinor inclined his head.
"So, the binding was more of an exchange then?"
"Essentially, though, I think the dragon lords were the ones most affected."
"So… you cannot breathe fire?" Tom asked for confirmation.
"No!" the dragon lord threw up his hands in exasperation.
"Can you grow claws? fangs? Sprout wings and fly?" Tom listed each one only for Balinor to shake his head in the negative each time with a roll of the eyes.
"Interesting." Tom murmured eyeing him with a speculative look which made Balinor fidget slightly.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing" Tom innocently shook his head "it's just… I do not understand what is supposedly so shocking?"
"What do you mean?" Balinor curiously tilted his head.
"What you just explained to me, granted, is a little bizarre but nothing horrifying. You implied that this information would be unsettling so if you don't transform into a dragon, and I have already seen you do not hunt down animals and consume them raw, what exactly was supposed to be the unsettling part?"
The dragon lord gaped a little "You do not find it unsettling that my connection to the dragons is so deep that I have the instincts of a beast?"
"Meh…" Tom crinkled his nose and shrugged "I have met those who have no such connection with the dragons and yet still behave like beasts, you hardly compare. Honestly, I am rather disappointed, I thought it would be something more exciting."
Balinor snapped his mouth shut completely stunned, he found it disturbing that he was apparently getting complete acceptance, verging on indifference from a man he barely knew when his experience in the past with someone he loved had turned out so disastrous. His rising spirits instantly sunk down to his boots.
"Have I upset you?" Tom looked curiously at the dragon lord's sudden muteness. Balinor just shook his head without making eye contact, his thoughts once more troubled. Tom continued to stare at him with furrowed eyebrows until they suddenly cleared "I take it the last time you told this story it did not go so well?"
"No." Balinor clipped out.
"Was it family?
"No."
"A friend?" Tom pushed further
"Shut up." Balinor gritted out.
"Ah." Tom got a knowing look in his eye "A woman."
"Shut up!" Balinor pushed forward with a growl. And to think, he was just starting to like him! The dragon lord thought resentfully, leaving his companion far behind him.