A Guest Unwanted

[saerwen]

Bijan sipped the tea, surprised to find that it was actually quite good. It struck him as odd that she hadn't served it very hot. Perhaps it was upon Damion's instructions that she had done such a thing. Or perhaps she had learned to do that for his son a long time ago. Either way, he knew that it wasn't simply because she knew that any kind of warmth could bring harm to an ice dragon. Damion must have been the one to instruct her to do so.

He studied Miriel carefully as she told him the answer to his question. Out of all the shocks that Bijan had received, this news was the most unusual. He would have thought that Damion had already prejudiced his wife against his father and his clan. After all, Damion had always been the odd one out. No one had understood him, and no one did even today. He acted in ways that no ordinary ice dragon should have. But, Damion still held the station of strongest ice dragon out of any that were born into the clan, aside from his own ancestry.

Bijan simply nodded his head and looked down at the slightly warm liquid in his cup before speaking, "I see." He remained quiet for a moment as he considered how best to continue. Finally, he spoke. His voice was sad, with a twinge of harsh anger added to the grief.

"It is to be expected I suppose. You probably didn't even know his family was still alive when you married him, did you?" Bijan paused for a moment to let her reply, but then continued on. "Damion and I have never really gotten along. His view of life is so much different from mine, we just can't ever seem to find any common ground to stand on. Especially, it seems," Bijan looked straight into Miriel's eyes as he spoke, his voice becoming colder, "in regards to women." After breaking his unforgiving stare from Miriel Bijan sighed and moved on.

"But, I am not going to pour out a sob story to you about what happened in the past. What I am concerned about is my son. I don't suppose that Damion explained to you how dragon clans are organized, and how he fits into the scheme, so allow me to explain. The clan is headed by the strongest dragon. Every year, a contest is held amongst all of the clan, males only. Think of it as a tournament where the each of us compete to win the prize. Whoever wins is the new leader of the clan. If it is the same dragon as before, then they simply remain as leader. However, in recent years, this tradition has been slightly put off. Dragons would become so competitive, they would kill each other in order to claim their prize as leader, and often, the leader was too ruthless to be a good leader. So a new rule was instated. My father, when he becmae leader, made this rule. The continuation of leadership would be hereditary, and the contest for the place of leader would be held only amongst the siblings of this one line. I competed with mine brothers and I won, so I became the leader. Damion, as my eldest, was forced to compete, against his wishes. In the end, he won. But soon after, he left. The entire clan recognizes him as the rightful heir, and if Damion doesn't return, then when I die, which may be some time yet, the rule of the line will be broken and the competitions for leadership will begin all over again."

Bijan paused for a moment to let his words sink in before he started again, a little more gently this time, "My purpose in coming here was to persuade Damion to return to the clan and set things straight. It is his right to rule, but he has not taken it. When I just now asked him for the reason, he cited yourself and your daughters. In my mind, I don't see why he couldn't take them with him, but I cannot convince him." Another dejected sigh came from his lips. He looked at Miriel, a determined warrior's face now etched across his features, "I don't intend on leaving here until Damion consents. Even if he should ask me to leave from this house, I will remain close by until he lets up. All I ask of you is to do your part in looking out for him and urge him to make the right choice. It seems he listens to you more than to me."

When Damion looked at Tryss, he almost appeared shocked. How could that girl look so much like her mother? It was so strange. No, it was really impossible. Such a resemblance was unnerving. There were moments when the girls could look like him, and then there were others when they looked exactly like their mother. Tryss mimicked her mother's questioning gaze so well.

When he finally recovered, he smiled at his daughter, "I am sure that he would, although, I would be frightened to do such a thing."

"Why?" Adelahn asked with wonder. Her father was always the best at snowball fights because he could make his own snow. Why would he be afraid to have a snowball fight? It didn't occur to her that as Damion's father, Bijan might be better at it.

Damion chuckled, "Because your grandfather is as good as I am, and he wouldn't take it easy on you like I do."

Adelahn missed the complete dis to her skills as a snowball fighter, and moved on, "Did he ever have snowball fights with you when you were young, daddy?"

Damion's eyes got very cloudy at this question. Even though he forced a smile to his face, if his children had gazed into his eyes, which were downcast, they would be able to tell that he was greatly disturbed by such thoughts. "In a way I suppose. But it was more like a training session than a game." Damion said no more. He was too deep in his memories to say much more.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel listened intently to what was being said. Although Bijan paused she didn't answer, she was thinking. She had been aware of Damion's father being alive, but not much else. Questions of his mother and siblings began to crowd her mind. What were they like? Where they like Damion? Surely Damion had to get his thinking from somewhere. Did he have any sisters? The more she thought about it the more she was astounded by him leaving. She had never really thought about that side of Damion before. There had to be some deep scarring within Damion that had to do with his father or family for him to abandon his entire life, everything for a life of solitude. From the moment Miriel had met him, he seemed satisfied to be on his own, but always searching for someone who he could identify with, who could understand. She had never noticed it until now, and she smiled slightly, glad that she had been the one he had chosen.

The story of how leaders were chosen were amusing to Miriel. Only dragons would come up with something so brutal and barbaric to choose a leader. It was a decision of brute strength, sure some tact was required, but character was not always shown through fighting. As Bijan soon revealed became apparent. Pride surged in her heart when she learned that Damion had won, but it also confused her slightly. If he hadn't wanted to rule, why did he win? Was it to prove something to his father? The problem that his father was raising was valid. She could see why he was so worried about the situation. Why hadn't Damion ever explained it like this to her?

Looking at Bijan she searched his face after he finished talking and giving her his plea. "Thank you for making me more aware of the situation. I can assure you that I will help as much as I can." Her own face set in a slightly stubborn way, proving that she was as serious about this as he was. "I will also assure you that Damion, and I will only do what we think is best for this family. I expect you to understand since you are trying to do the same. Hopefully we can come to a pleasing agreement." Miriel did not let the slightly uncomfortable feeling that was in her heart show. Bijan was serious about staying until Damion agreed, that was for sure. That could cause a problem. IT would become a battle of stubbornness. What effect would this have on the family? If Bijan was always as Kosher as he was at the moment, it wouldn't be to bad, but if what she had over heard in the kitchen was more in his character, she didn't know how much she could take on her own. "Also, although it may seem that Damion listens to me more than you, because I am his wife, I would never use this against him to try and manipulate him to do something he does not agree with. I hope you did not expect me to do so."
Standing up she smiled, softening her face a bit. "Now if you excuse me I am going to join my family outside unless you have something else to say. You can join us outside if you wish. I'm sure my children would be excited to spend time with you. They have been awaiting this moment for weeks."

Tryss listened to the conversation, remaining silent in order to sip on her tea. Finally she piped up. "I still want to play with him!" Although first she wanted to pelt him with snow, she secondly was getting excited about the game itself. Glancing over to Adelahn with eyes sparkling she leaned forward. "Maybe we can show him some of the tricks we have!" One of Tryss's favorite little games that they had just begun was more of a training game in itself. What they would do is Adelahn would try to pelt Tryss with Ice balls or snow balls, or something of that sort and hit her. Tryss had to deflect them by either dodging or blasting it with fire. If any snow or ice hit her, she would lose points, and for every one she deflected she would gain a point. Due to the danger of any of her fire hitting Adelahn, the game had been built so Adelahn would always be attacking and Tryss would be deflecting. Tryss always enjoyed refining her skills and agility. Sometimes, when bored, she would try and make the flames turn into shapes, like her mother had showed her. So far she was able to do such a feat, but that only made her more stubborn to conquer the inability.

[saerwen]

Bijan watched as Miriel took everything in. So Damion really hadn't told her anything. What on earth could that boy have been thinking? Damion wasn't doing things at all the way that Bijan had thought that he would. Damion was the kind of person to prepare everyone for the worst possible outcome, thus explaining the reasons behind it along the way. But it appeared that Damion had kept his wife rather ignorant of the whole situation. Bijan wondered if there was a reason for this, or if it was just Damion's own lack of thought. Either way, it would make this girl extremely easy to manipulate.

As she spoke, Bijan's inner heart hardened to ice, but his face remained calm. While Damion might have kept her ignorant, he certainly hadn't kept her from the world. She was quite firm and quite opinionated. Very ill for a woman to be so, in Bijan's opinion. Women were better to be seen and not heard, and their idealistic views were better left inside their heads alone. Heaven forbid that they be passed from mother to daughter.

Bijan had to bite back his temper, and it was hard. He didn't say anything for a moment before looking darkly at Miriel, his eyes cold and harsh, "I expect you to do what is necessary to ensure your husband's health and well-being."

When Miriel invited Bijan to come outside and meet the children, the idea irked him. Bijan had never really been a fan of children. In his opinion, it was the woman's job to take care of the children. Men were only the protectors, not the playmates. To spend his days playing and doting on his children, that was a waste. The only purpose in playing any kind of game was to train them. It appeared though, that Damion didn't share that philosophy. He spent more of his time with those two girls no doubt than even with his own beloved.

"Thank you for the invitation. However, I would like to look around the mountains if you don't mind. The landscape around your home is beautiful. I should like to fly through it before coming back to settle in." He flashed Miriel an extremely dazzling smile, one very similar to Damion's own, but it lacked sincerity, "Unlike you and my son, I am not so accustomed to keeping my human form." Whether Miriel got it or not, this was a direct attack on her. Bijan considered the human form to be a disgrace, since humans were obviously a lower life form than dragons. To change your form into such a mean creature was simply disreputable, let alone to keep hold of it for days on end.

Without much more ceremony, Bijan walked towards the door, able to head the voice of his son and the children outside on the back porch. He shook his head in shame before walking out the front door. He needed time to think, to plan. How was he going to win this game? Was there any hope, now that Damion was settled down? He even had children! What a terrifying thought! Damion's children were hybrids. It was beyond disgraceful, it was demeaning. But there was really no way to change that. The only thing that could change was Damion and Miriel. Perhaps if Bijan could break their relationship apart, perhaps Damion would leave and come home. Bijan had only told Miriel a half truth. Yes, he wanted Damion to come home, and Damion was the rightful leader of the Clan. However, Bijan wasn't so concerned with the battles for leader starting up again as he was about his own pride. If the rest of his clan discovered that his son had mated with a fire elemental, and a phoenix at that, there would be hellfire gossip spraying all over his name. And Bijan himself could hardly cope with the idea. It was completely unacceptable. He would do anything he had to in order to break this marriage apart. Even if that meant killing Miriel. It wasn't beyond his ability.

Adelahn shook her head in hearty agreement with Tryss, "Yes, I do too! I bet Tryss and I could beat him if we team up together!"

Damion smiled at his girls, the mist in his eyes almost cleared away by their eagerness to play. "I dare say that you would be a formidable team against him. Maybe your mother could help you." Damion then paused for a moment before grinning, "Although, she might be more of a hazard to the cause than a help, since she is so bad at it." Damion would always tease Miriel about snowball fights. It wasn't that she was bad at it, in fact she had gotten pretty good at playing against Damion. But no matter how good she got she was always more likely to melt the snow and all of the liquid around her than to actually deflect or dodge a shot. But man could she throw. Sometimes Damion ate his teasing words, literally, with a snowball to the face. Even so, Damion still liked to tease Miriel.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel listened to Bijan again, but there was a change within the man, a coldness rose suddenly. The coldness seemed to seep into Miriel as she two grew stern, though a forced smile came to her lips. "Don't Worry, Bijan, I would do nothing less." She did not like how he seemed to hint that she would think about depriving or hurting Damion in any way possible. The nerve! How dare he insult her by saying that she did not have the skill or knowledge to know how to take care of her husband.

When he declined seeing the children, Miriel was relieved. At the change in his character Miriel wished she had never invited him. Due to being slightly riled at Bijan she couldn't help but let a snarky remark pass her lips. "Yes, attaining the discipline of remaining human can be hard for one of your generation to grasp. Anytime you feel the need to shift the mountain is at your disposal." She ended the comment with a smile and rose. She walked passed him, heading towards the back porch. Bijan was already at the front door, and Miriel was not going to detain him any longer. A flame flashed in her heart, and something about it gave her a sort of pleasure she had not felt in a long time.

Tryss nodded at Adelahn's statement. Looking at her father she smiled even brighter and laughed, "Oh father, She wouldn't like that if she heard you say that!" Then, having finished her tea quickly in the potential of playing, she leaped off the swing, sat the cup down and shifted forms, running out to the snow.She couldn't help but shift. Even though she would need hands for form a snowball, neither her mother nor Bijan were present. IT felt good to be in her true form once more, to be on all fours, with no feeling of confinement or restraint. Her white scales shone in the sun and she jumped around in the snow, it was to deep for her to walk, being still a small dragon. "Come on Adelahn!!"

[saerwen]

Damion chuckled and looked at Tryss with a mischievous gaze, "Then let's not tell her what I said. I don't want to get in trouble with mommy after all. She can be scary when she is mad sometimes." All of this was said in good humor, though Damion knew that part of that statement was actually true. Miriel was a terrible thing to behold when she was really mad. The mark over his own heart proved that. But he also knew that Miriel hadn't been in that kind of rage since that time, which was about nine years ago. Miriel didn't get angry often, and when she did, it was usually more of an aggravation than anything raging within her.

Adelahn slid off the swing to join Tryss. Her blonde curls faded away as she switched forms, now coated with marvelous crystal like feathers and a sapphire blue beak, she hopped around in the snow over to her sister. "Let's play our new game, Tryss. We can both practice that way!" she squeaked in her little bird voice. It wasn't mature enough to actually sound right yet. She fluttered a little bit away from her sister, half hopping half flying before turning around and starting to formulate a large snowball.

Damion just sat on the swing and surveyed his girls. He was so relaxed, he had almost forgot that his father was even there. Maybe this wouldn't be such an awful visit after all. If Bijan would just leave after a few days, Damion couldn't be more relieved.

[»Míríel«]

Tryss smiled at her dad and shook her head. She couldn't imagine her mom mad. To be honest Miriel very rarely raised her voice to them. If she was angry she would get quieter, which could be considered as worse than a yell. Still Tryss didn't want to see either of her parent's angry, it would be strange to see them as so. They seemed so above that emotion, so beyond anger. That was why it was upsetting to hear Damion get upset. IT almost lowered him a bit in her eyes, though she wasn't aware of it. Her parents were living examples of why violence wasn't necessary or conflict for that matter. IF her parents could avoid it, especially for so long, there was hope that she could as well.

Tryss grinned at Adelahn and got a fireball ready in her stomach. As soon as Adelahn threw the snowball at her Tryss would be ready. So the game began between them. Tryss could be seen hopping about in the snow shooting snowballs and dodging them. There were many times she was hit, though she did manage to dodge or destroy a great deal of snowballs. Tryss was determined to get better at the game until she didn't get hit at all. Though, this seemed impossible at the moment.

Miriel wandered out to the swing and tried to erase all annoyance on her face. Settling down besides Damion she rested a head on his shoulder and watched their children. She would save the discussion for later, when they were both alone in their room. Perhaps she wouldn't even bring it up. Either way, she pushed the thoughts of the future aside to enjoy the present.

THE END

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