A Pair to End The War

A Tour

I saw Holly chuckle and shake her head as we walked down the hallway. I leaned forward and raised an eyebrow, "What's so funny?"

"You weren't lying,"

"About what?"

"You are kind,"

"What do you mean? It's common courtesy to thank someone opening a door for you,"

Holly placed her arms behind her back and swayed gleefully as she walked, "Well there's that, but there was also the fact that you didn't give up the location of the mountain, and you weren't rude to the queen,"

I shook my head, "No, I would've given the location without a second thought, but what use is sending a dragon there is nothing there to see? I trust that you destroyed that forge," I said with an unbridled rage behind a kind smile.

Holly rubbed behind her ear, stuttering, "Well, yes, we did,"

"Why did you stutter?"

"Well, when we couldn't find what we came for we left. Many of the forges were left, and the dwarfs were left,"

"That's fine, you were following orders, but can I ask: why were you at the forge in the first place?"

Holly let out a short chuckle and twiddled her fingers behind her back, "Well I suppose it's time I told you," She swallowed and kicked the ground playfully, stalling for time. After a moment of silence Holly knew I wasn't going to give up, "Alright. In my kingdom I'm a head general, when I got word that there were rumors of one of our decorated generals in the forge I knew we needed to check it out. So, I assembled a small team and we went to check it out, when we got there they immediately acted hostile before we did anything, and as of the treaty between Volcanic dwarfs and the elven kingdoms, that is cause for us to... let ourselves in. So, I called for back-up and a couple days later we stormed the forge."

I chuckled, "Well if only you were a couple days earlier, would've saved me and my troop a lot of heart ache." Holly turned and started walking down a large corridor, it wasn't any different from the other hallways, except for the fact that it sounded like there was a lot of fighting going on at the end of it.

"I apologize, if I had known for a fact that there was someone or a group of people, then I would've stormed the forge sooner,"

I looked over at her with appreciation, "No, it's fine, it wasn't your fault, the fact that you were there soon enough to save me from that dwarf is enough,"

Holly looked down at the ground and blushed, "Yes, I'm glad that I was there. If I wasn't I don't think you would've been able to free Hjan; now look at you! You've bonded with Hjan!" Holly was so excited, it was kind of cute. She looked up at me, "I'm so happy that I was able to help in your relationship with Hjan, and that she was freed because of you!" Holly stepped onto a platform and I stepped with her. The platform suddenly started to shake and started lowering into a room.

Holly held out her hand for a handshake, I looked down at it and up at her, her ears were drooped and red. I shook her hand with a slight chuckle, "Ya, if it wasn't for you Hjan would still be a slave,"

"I apologize on behalf of everyone for attacking you,"

"That's something they'll have to say, not you, but know that I don't hold grudges; life's to short for that. Even with Oswald, I got my two piece on him and he got what was coming for him, from both Hjan and I."

Holly's grip tightened, and she quickly wrapped her arms around me, "I've never met a human like you!"

I hugged her back weakly, my face burning red and my palms getting clammy, "Um, thanks, you're pretty good for an elf too,"

Holly's arms rubbed my back and she sighed, she liked the hug; as did I, but for her, but it felt like she needed that hug, like she hadn't been hugged in a long time.

Holly quickly pushed away from me when she heard someone clear their throat. I looked to the side and saw an elf and two dwarfs standing there, all of them glaring at me. There were glaring at me as if they'd just caught us aggressively making out. "Well, well, well, it seems we have an intruder on our turf," One of the dwarf remarked with a snarky snap.

I waved at them all, "Hello, I'm Logan," I said pushing aside their rude comment.

"Holly what is he doing here? He's a prisoner,"

I turned to Holly, "Prison? That room was awfully nice for a prison cell,"

Holly scratched her chin, "Well since Archion declared you under his care and none of us can harm you maliciously the queen granted you a room with your bonded,"

The elf snapped at Holly, "Don't call him one of us! Humans are scum!"

I rolled my eyes. Holly stepped towards the elf with a deadly glare in her eye, "Don't forget who outranks you squire!"

The elf shrank away and mumbled under his breath, "Yes ma'am,"

Holly growled and pulled a lever. The platform started moving up, "We'll come back here tonight, when everyone else is going to bed," Holly glared at everyone else until they left and we raised into the tunnel above the platform, "I'm sorry Logan, they all have their minds set about you, but those comments were uncalled for,"

I shrugged, "It's fine, I've heard it all before, it doesn't bother me anymore,"

"Well it bothers me!" Holly said with a huff.

I chuckled and politely told her, "I appreciate it, but you don't need to get offended for me,"

The platform stopped and I was met face to face with Oswald, who seemed to be walking just fine; the healers must've healed him quickly.

He saw me with Holly and growled, "What is he doing out of his cell?"

I shrugged and stepped forward, "I was bored, and Holly offered to show me around,"

He stared at Holly, "Is that true? Did you let this scum roam amongst this castle? This sacred castle?"

Holly stuck her nose in the air and remarked, "Yes I did, he's just as much a rider as you and Archion!"

Oswald glared at me and walked over to me, "You ARE NOT A RIDER!" He punched me in the gut but quickly recoiled in pain, because he punched nothing but scales.

I glared him eye to eye, "Oswald, I have no grudge against you. You killed me, and I took my justice, Hjan took hers too. Do not make me retaliate,"

He clenched his hand in pain, "My dragon will stand for me!"

"Did he stand for you when you were getting attacked by Hjan?"

"Yes! He stopped her from killing me!"

I tilted my head with a deadly glare still in my eye, "Yes, but he didn't stop me from hurting you. He even threatened to kill you,"

Oswald went pale and his skin crawled along his bones, "How did you know?"

I pat his shoulder with a smile and walked past him without a word.

Holly followed behind me, angry at Oswald. She came to my side and apologized, "Logan I'm so sorry Oswald is so racist towards you,"

"It's fine, he's just one of those people. Besides he's just mad he can't kill me because his own dragon won't let him, that's punishment enough,"

Holly watched my eyes and walk, trying to understand me, but she couldn't figure it out, "How do you not let it get to you?"

"I do, I say I don't mind but I do, I just don't care you know?"

Holly looked at me in confusion, "No I don't, how does it get to you, but you don't care? Obviously, you care about it,"

"That's the best way to describe it, sorry," I smirked kindly at her.

Holly's eyes went wide and she looked away, "Um, I'll show you around the castle,"