A Court of Shadows and Fire

Part 6

They stood for several seconds, unsure of what had just happened. Fleetfoot wagged his tail in impatience. Yes, Red-Kitten had comfortable arms and all, but he wanted his mother. His real mother, specifically.

"Calm down," Red-Kitten murmured, but he was already walking towards Celaena. "So who are you, anyway?" he asked.

"Queen Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of Terrasen." She said it proudly and left a little room in her voice to make it a challenge as she accepted Fleetfoot from Red-Kitten.

Red-Kitten and Beast exchanged glances. "I've never heard of it," Beast said, shaking his head.

"That's because it's in a different dimension," Celaena said nonchalantly. Though, Fleetfoot knew that she was enjoying this talk because she stood with her back and head straight, but her arms were more relaxed. That might have been because she was holding him, but when he flicked his eyes towards her, he saw her lips curled into a small smile and dismissed the thought.

"A different what?" Red-Kitten, Beast, and Huntress all looked at her as if she were insane.

She sighed and leaned her weight onto one leg as if she were already bored of the conversation, but her chest was humming against his coat. "A different... planet? World?"

Red-Kitten and Beast exchanged a glance and laughed nervously. "That's impossible." Beast looked at the ground.

Huntress studied them curiously. An idea must have hit her for she looked directly at Celaena and demanded, "What's it like?"

Fleetfoot whined and nudged her with his head. She looked down at him and said, "My dog is hurt. I should be going now."

Huntress looked at Beast expectantly, silently urging him to say something. He tilted his head at her. Her expression turned angry and then resigned as she looked at Celaena with... hope. Slight hope. Fleetfoot wondered what for. He liked Huntress, and he was also quite fond of Red-Kitten now.

But he missed Father more. He nudged Celaena's chest again.

They were enveloped in light. Then the world turned dark again and it took several seconds for Fleetfoot's vision to come back to him in the dimly lit dungeon. Old-One, Uncle, Scowling One, and Father surrounded the two of them, clamoring for Mother's attention.

He whined loudly until Father noticed him.

"Hey, boy," he said, reaching out his hand to rub his head. "Are you hurt?... Fleetfoot's leg is broken! We need to get to him to a healer!" Father's voice broke with the last word, but the dog didn't notice because the group was already moving.