The Return of the Dragons

Part 47 Safe Arms - Zephyr POV

It is dark. It is dark but I feel warm and safe. I feel like I am being embraced in a huge hug and I just want to stay here forever.

My eyes flutter open but somehow, I feel the same as I did. It is as long f I woke up, but the dream didn't go away. Then maybe it wasn't a dream.

I feel arms gently wrapped around me and strong yet gentle hands holding my own. I feel the familiar tickle of whiskers and I suddenly find myself thinking of my bed at home where I feel those same whiskers with every goodnight kiss.

I look around me at this dark and dank place I am in. It appears that I am in the nasty hold of some nasty ship sailed by some nasty people who have decided to put me in a nasty cage. Buy not everything is nasty in here.

"I love you sweet Zephyr." A voice whispers in my ear. That voice sends chills down my spine and warms my heart at the same time. It all flashes back on me! We had found each other but I guess I must have fallen asleep. I certainly am tired

"Daddy?" I ask in a small voice hoping it was real.

"Yes sweetie I'm here." He replies securing me in his hold by the small of my waist. "I'm here sweetheart, I'm not leaving you, I promise!"

"I know Daddy. I know you'd never leave me. I love you Daddy!" I say holding his hand next to my cheek. Tears are streaming from my eyes. "I missed you so much!"

"Then why?" He asks as tears form in his eyes, "Why did you leave? I was so worried about you! In fact I thought you were..."

"You thought I was what Daddy?" I ask earnestly. My heart is pounding as I anticipate what he was about to say. Tears are streaming down his cheeks and into his beard. His eyes are shut tight squeezing out more of the tears that framed his eyes. I feel a tear drip onto my cheek. "You thought I was dead?"

He nods and hugs me tighter. "It nearly killed me." He struggles to say.

I just realized. What had I meant to accomplish? I defeated my own purpose. I had intended to make my daddy happy but instead I frightened him to death. That was not what I meant to do at all but I guess I didn't think about that part of it. I was just so focused on bringing the dragons back that I wasn't thinking.

"But I love you." He says. "No matter what." And he gives me a kiss on the cheek.

I hear footsteps. I hear the steely jingle of keys in the hands of our guard. The portly man who brought me to my prison appears in front of us. He looks down on us with a scowl. My daddy hugs me tighter and glares back at him. The key rattles in the hole as the tumblers move under it and the door screeches open. The guard steps forward, his hand menacing as to grab my arm. He grabs a hold of me and I squirm in resistance.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" My daddy shouts as he throws a punch at my captor. I hear the scurry of feet and a group of men rush in on my daddy and pin him to the wall.

"Zephyr!" He cries.

"Daddy!" I call. But there is nothing either of us can do and we are being torn apart.