The Changeling

7

The wisp of a smile for what never could be died on Cetlali's lips and she stumbled as Ezren dragged her away. The promise made as children and a long silent agreement left unrealized hung in the air. Her understanding bled out into the lines of her face, crumpling it in despair. She turned the agonized look to an impassive Ezren. Once more, she looked back at Zeger with her heart thrumming in her throat. In an instant of rabid despair, she tore her arm out of Ezren's grasp with a snarl. He barked an order she ignored, and she bolted back towards Zeger as fast as she could.

His face was a picture of gleeful disbelief.

She fell against him in her efforts to wrap her arms around him, hugging him tight. He wheezed with a delighted laugh.

"Thank you for trying to save me from the dragon, my prince." She whispered the words in his ear and kissed his cheek. A large hand grabbed at her arm and yanked her back again.

She let him go, not putting up a fight as she

smiled her sweetest at Zeger. He nodded back at her with watery eyes and a broken but genuine, lopsided smile.

The words were from a game they played as children. Zeger and Cetlali both vacillated between roles. Each wanted to play the Paladin or the Prince, the kidnapped, and the dragon so often they formed a weekly rotation. She wasn't sure when they did such a thing for the last time. Long ago, before it faded from their repertoire and playing in the same old ways eventually became passe. But in the end, it was ever the same between them, always trying to rescue each other from the dragon in their lives.

"Get a hold of yourself, girl," a hard voice rasped at Cetlali's side.

Bitterly torn from her goodbye stare with Zeger, her gaze jerked up. Lovou dragged her towards her horse without mercy. Ezren had already gotten saddled and began riding out of the yard without even sparing her a glance.

She yanked her arm away from the rough grasp. Lovou allowed it with a bitter grumble, stalking at her side until she reached her horse.

"Don't call me girl. You don't have to escort me.

I will not flee—UGH!"

He interrupted her salty words by shoving something into her chest, she grappled with it, cursing. She yelped as a grip went around her waist, before he lifted her up and placed her on Mudcake's saddle a bit more roughly than necessary. Her mouth flapped shut, helpless as she gripped the swell with her free hand for stability. He stalked over to Harbinger, climbing right on with Cetlali glaring at him the entire time. She was quick to notice who he was riding next to — other than Xocthl of course.

Her face cracked into a wide smile. The gleeful relief was palpable in her tone as she grasped at the items held to her chest. "Loraeta!

Merl!"

Loraeta grinned, looking pleased as they trotted towards her. Merlo blushed bright red,

earning him a curious look from Xocthl that strayed towards disbelief.

Loraeta spoke first. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Vae Cetlali."

Cetlali opened her mouth to reply but Lovou's growl cut their moment short.

"Enough with your chattering. We're losing light." He thundered away on his steed, scaring Cetlali's mare into a trot.

"Dawn only broke a few hours ago!" She groused after him, off ahead, to join Ezren, and ignoring her again.

Xocthl trotted past her with an exaggerated bow from atop her chestnut courser, "Vae Cetlali."

Cetlali mumbled something like, "Piss off,"