dragon archives 02 - pursued by a dragon by linda k hopkins Page A

again, and watched in horror as he opened his mouth and breathed out a stream of flames that added to her prison. She turned in terror and saw Aaron watching her, a cruel smile on his face. He stood with his arms at his sides, and throwing his head back, breathed out his own stream of flame. Above them the dragon looked down and met Aaron’s flames with his own, creating a massive wall that reached high into the sky. She saw Favian walk around to Aaron, and heard the words my brother , his fiery laugh joining with Aaron’s as they both stared at her. She shrank back, away from the heat, and collapsed onto the cold ground, shivering. She rolled herself tightly into a small ball and covered her head with her hands, crying for mercy, but instead all she heard was the sound of cruel laughter and the stamping of feet, pounding the ground. The stamping grew louder, a hammering that finally penetrated through the dreadful images that had taken hold of her mind, and she realized that she was lying on the cold stone floor of her bedroom while a fist pounded on the door.
    “Cathryn,” she heard Margaret call out. “Cathryn, are you all right?”
    It was just a dream, she thought to herself. She pushed herself up to her knees before slowly rising to her feet. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and she scrubbed them with her hands. She heard Margaret calling again.
    “Coming,” she said, her voice a broken whisper. “Coming,” she said again. She pulled her wrap over her shoulders and opened the door. At the sight of her, Margaret grabbed her hands in relief.
    “Are you all right, my dear? We heard you cry out, and I’ve been pounding on the door for nigh on five minutes.”
    “Yes,” said Cathryn wearily, “just a bad dream.” She saw Margaret look down the passage and nod her head, and she leaned forward to see who was there, drawing back in embarrassment when she saw Favian and Owain standing in the passage, their faces etched with concern. Turning her around, Margaret led Cathryn to the bed.
    “Do you want to talk about it?” Margaret asked gently.
    “Not really,” said Cathryn. “I was dreaming about dragons … and fire.”
    “Ah,” said the older woman. “I heard you call for Favian.”
    “He did not help,” replied Cathryn, dully. Margaret watched her for a moment.
    “You are exhausted. Lie back down, and I will send for some mulled wine with some lemon balm. It will soothe your mind and perhaps allow you a few hours of rest.”
    Cathryn did as she was bid, and a few minutes later a servant appeared with a wooden cup in her hand. Cathryn drank down the contents as Margaret watched, then lay back on the pillows.
    “Try and get some rest, my dear.”
    Cathryn watched as Margaret exited the room, and listened to her footsteps as they echoed down the hall. Owain and Favian must still be waiting, she realized, because she heard the murmurings of voices from that direction. The sounds were soothing and she closed her eyes, finally surrendering to a dreamless sleep, just as the sun started to appear on the horizon.
     

Chapter 18 
    The sun was high in the sky when Cathryn finally awoke. The few hours of sleep had restored some of her calm, and she allowed herself a few moments of blissful idleness before sitting up in her bed. Someone had been in while she slept and stoked up the fire, and she felt the warmth blazing through the room.
    All was quiet when she made her way downstairs a short while later. A quick glance in the parlor and dining rooms showed that no-one was present, and her footsteps echoed through the empty hall as she crossed the room looking for signs of life. As she retraced her footsteps and headed back into the passage, the sound of low voices reached her, and she paused to look out into the courtyard. In the far corner stood Favian and Owain, conversing with Aaron. As she watched she saw Favian lift his head, and then turn quickly in her direction. She pulled back into the shadows, but he