Disclaimer: I only own Florina, her Dragon, and her parents

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He scowled at the missive. "It's always more with them. And I am never paid a coin in return. Now Ajihad needs more weapons. I know that not many people are fleeing to the Varden." He sighed and hid the missive. Emily always had company over. He knew that it would be disastrous if it fell into the wrong hands. Emily knew that he helped the Varden. They had perfected a system. He would make twice as many weapons as they ordered and then would meet in Dras-Leona where a so called merchant would buy half of his stock. Though, it was never with actual coin. It was with clothes and such for his family.

"Papa! Papa!" He looked up and smiled and then knelt to catch his daughter in his arms.

"Florina, what are you doing here? Why are you not with your mother attending to your lessons?"

"She had to go meet someone. I had nowhere to go. But I remembered to knock the wood, just like you taught me."

"That is good. But you have friends, why not go play with them?"

"They don't want me around, Papa. They say my eyes scare them." Fear clenched in Caleb's stomach. Florina was not his daughter, but the daughter of the black king and she had his eyes. He knew that the other men and women of the city knew that Emily could not have a child and that Florina was adopted. They always asked about her birth father. He always evaded their questions, as did Emily. Not even the Varden knew that he was raising the daughter of their enemy.

"Well then, let's go for a swim then."

"Yes!" The little girl laughed. The sound made him forget the order he had just gotten. He knew that when she came of age, he would have to teach her and tell her about the Varden and his role in it. But that did not matter at that moment. All that mattered was the time he spent with her. Though he did not sire her, he was her father and every moment they spent together was precious.

She watched from the window as Florina and Caleb went to the cove together. She loved to see her husband happy, even if it was through a different woman. The girl's mother had left her daughter on the birthing bed immediately after birth, leaving the child unnamed. Emily had named the child and then sent Caleb for goat's milk, the only a newborn could stomach in place of its mother's milk. That had been five years ago. She turned back to her guests. They were ambassadors of the Lord of Kuasta. They wanted to know if her husband worked with the Varden.

"I've told you before, he does not. Do you think that he would not tell me if he did? Or are you that deep in the king's pocket that you ignore the rules and laws you were brought up with?"

"We mean no offense, Emily." The taller of the two said. "It is only that someone is supplying the rebels with weapons. The reports are that they are Kuasta make."

"There are many smiths here."

"Your husband trades in Dras-Leona."

"So do others." She replied. She would keep her husband's secret even if it meant her death. "You you quite done. I have dinner to put on the table before my family returns from their venture together."

"We apologize, Madam." The shorter said. She looked at him. He had refrained from speaking before. He was gray haired, but had smooth skin. "We will not trouble you again." She gave a curt nod and turned away.

She giggled as the water washed over her and she learned to swim with her father by her side. Caleb smiled at the child's delight. He was glad that Emily had agreed to keep her. "I'm going to let you go." He did. She floundered a moment and then was able to keep her head above the water.

"I'm doing it, Papa!" She didn't wait for him to answer and dove beneath the waves. He joined her. They did this for about an hour before he noticed something gold at the bottom of the shallows. He sent Florina onto the beach and then dove to retrieve it. When he came up, he dropped it in the sand, which covered the golden color. He picked it up, took Florina by the hand, and they walked home. He hid the stone in his forge and forgot about it until Florina was in bed. He and Emily examined the stone.

"Is that what I think it is, Caleb?"

"Aye."

"But where did it come from?"

"The Riders, so I guess, tried to save the eggs, remember. This one must have dropped somewhere in the ocean and the current brought it here. I doubt it was mere coincidence I found it while I was out with Florina today."

"Keep it hidden for now. If it should react to her presence when she gets older, then we will let her touch it and see if it hatches. For now, keep it in here. No one would think of looking for a dragon egg in a smithy." Caleb nodded and placed the stone on a high shelf, covering it with a cloth.

She looked at the clouds as she lay on her back in the forest near her home. She was ten years old today, but that made no difference to the others of the city. To them, she was too different to accept even though she had been raised by Caleb and Emily. She knew it was because of her eyes. They were dark, darker than those of her parents. She wondered why but did not want to ask. She sighed and got up. She was supposed to be gathering herbs for her mother, not looking at the sky in a daydream. It was almost noon by the time she entered the kitchen with the needed herbs. Her mother didn't say anything and just kept working on what she was doing. Florina knew she was angry with her. She had stayed out too long and nearly ruined whatever concoction her mother was making. Florina went and sat near the stove, not looking at her mother. The injustice of it angered her. Her mother had no idea how she, Florina, was treated by the other children.

She didn't notice the feeling of power rushing through her. All she could focus on was how her mother was acting towards her. Her father was not this closed to her, so why was she? She glared at the chair in front of her mother, not wanting to look at the woman at the table. The force inside her got stronger. "Reisa!" She bellowed and the chair flew into the air. It stayed there until Florina fainted on the ground. Emily rushed to her and breathed a deep sigh of relief when she found the girl still breathing.

"About time." She muttered under her breath and picked up the girl and carried her to her room. Emily sat next to her daughter's bedside the rest of the day, all through the night, and the morning of the next day before Florina finally woke. She looked at her mother, the question in her eyes. "You used magic, my child. I have been trying to coax it out of you for months. I saw it in you when you were born but waited until the time was right. I am sorry if you felt that I was ignoring you."

"What did I do?"

"Lifted the chair. Stay here, I'll be right back." Florina sat up and looked at her hands, thinking and wondering.

"Magic? But how did I use magic? That is impossible. If I have magic, why was I not told and taught about it before?" Just then, her mother returned with a bowl of stew.

"Here, eat up. You held that chair up for almost an hour." Emily then began to explain the finer points of using magic, making sure her daughter understood them. When she was able to walk on her own again, a routine was soon established. She would work with her mother in the mornings on learning the ancient language and how to use magic and its limitations. In the afternoon, she was free to do whatever she wanted. This continued for another year and then her afternoons were taken up in the forge where her father taught her his craft and trade. Having no sons, she would inherit the forge if she wanted it. Before long, she was learning to block her mind and attack with it in turn. By her fifteenth birthday, she was traveling with her father to Dras-Leona with their weapons and other items to sell. It was during these trips that he taught her to use a sword. This did not come easy to her and she ended the sessions with more bruises than she gave. But she didn't cry about it. In these times, with war ready to break, she needed all she could get.

She is almost ready. Maybe on her birthday. I am sure I can get the man to hide the stone in easy reach of her. But how to do it? He needs to know that I am ready to hatch. The dragon stretched its consciousness until it found the man's who had found her in the ocean. She wasn't surprised when she found it blocked with an iron wall. She tried getting through to no avail. She felt her Rider pass. She squeaked.

Caleb looked up at the shelf. He knew the squeak had come from the egg he had hidden. He didn't put it to coincidence that Florina had just walked by when it had. "How many more, Florina?"

"Not many, Papa." The seventeen year old answered. "Maybe about ten more. If we work all day tomorrow, we should get them done in two days. Just in time for our trip into Dras-Leona."

"I am not going, this trip."

"What do you mean?"

"Florina, listen to me. I am getting too old to be going over the mountains and back. Now, don't argue with me. You can do this. You can fight well enough that you can protect yourself. Remember the great welt you gave me last trip. I am sure that you will not be troubled. The slavers fear people of this place anyhow. Imagine the fright you would give them if you used magic in front of them. You'll be fine."

"Alright, Papa. If you say so." She returned to work and he looked at the egg and knew where exactly to hide it. He knew she would find it on her way back from the city. But he knew he had to tell her the signal and the phrase.

"Florina,"

"Yes, Papa?"

"Come here, there is something I must tell you. You know of the Varden, right?" She nodded. She remembered hearing talk of them in town. "They are the reason we make so many swords weapons. Half of them go to The Varden through whomever they send for them. See, it would be odd if someone walked away with half of our stock so there are several who come. There will be a phrase they say so you will know them. They have seen you with me enough, that they will trust you. But the phrase is still needed. The phrase they will say is, 'The path is always changing.' To which you reply 'the wanderers always find a way.' Do you understand?"

"Yes, Papa."

"That's my girl."

She watched the people as they scurried about, buying this and that. She still had a few weapons left that were left for the Varden. The last runner had yet to come to her and she knew she had to close the booth soon. "The path is always changing." A rough voice said. She straightened.

"The wanderers always find a way. What can I do for you, Sir?"

"I would like to buy the last of your weapons." He placed the small bag on the counter. She didn't say anything and accepted the payment. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. "He was wise to send you." He whispered. "The Empire knows he sells to the warders. It is no longer safe for him to enter Dras-Leona. Tell him that. The payment is for the weapons, for you and him. You will be paid from now on, but you must be the one to come. We will be changing the phrases in a couple of days. Word will get to you before your next trip to the city. Do you understand?" She gave a curt nod and then:

"Thank you for your business, Sir. I hope to see you again." She began to close her trunks and pack them onto the cart behind her. When she turned around, the man had disappeared into the crowd. She continued packing. She had been in town two days this trip because they had not come all in one day as they usually did. The message worried her though. It only meant one thing. There was a spy within The Varden. She sighed and placed the last chest on the wagon and then went to the head of it. She climbed into the driver's seat and flicked the reins. The horses began walking. No one stopped her. They never did. They were from Kuasta and Kuasta was full of strange things. The seventeen year old sighed. The next day was her birthday. When she returned, she knew that the town would hold the celebration and she would pass into womanhood according to the traditions of Kuasta. But it would take her a day to reach and get around the north side of the lake and then another two to cross the mountain. That is how isolated they were that is took three days o be able to sell their goods in the market.

Now, she told herself and began to attempt to break out of her golden prison. She squeaked when she only bumped her head. She tried again, managing to make a little progress. She felt her egg be found and picked up by her destined Rider. She pushed against the shell harder. She heard her Rider gasp in wonder as the cracks appeared. She pushed where the cracks converged and she was met by bright light.

Florina stared in wonder as the dragon emerged from its shell. "That's the stone Papa found when he taught me to swim. Did he know what it was? Was this the source of the squeak I heard in the forge last week?" She stared at the dragon in wonder as it started to crawl about. The dragon was no longer than her forearm and the wings were twice the size of its body. Its fangs and claws looked like ivory and were curved to a point. A line of spikes ran down the length of its body. It walked toward her and then toward the fire. She reached out to pull it away. As she touched it, an icy blast of energy ran up her arm, burning like molten lead in her veins. She fell to the side as an iron clang filled her ears. She lay there for what seemed like hours before she was able to move. She felt a tendril of thought reach out to her. She let it in and found wondering about her and, more subtly, hunger. She chuckled to herself and reached for her pack where she still had some jerky left. Once the dragon had eaten, Florina lay on her bedroll, holding the dragon close, and covered them both. She knew the last Rider to come from Kuasta had been a century ago, before The Fall. Now, another had been chosen. And it was her.

I hope you liked it and please review. Thanks for reading.

Review Question (please answer): should I pair Murtagh and Florina?