Winter Solstice
His father was there.
Standing at his mother's grave site. He held a flame above his hand, staring at the headstone, his other hand behind his back. His head turned only slightly at the crunching of the snow on Alec's approach. Silently Alec stood near him. He wouldn't stand next to him, but he would stand near him, a flame in his hand as well.
They stood there, near each other, but not really together.
After a while Raven turned his head a little, "You look like the grave, boy."
Alec looked back at him and shrugged.
"Where's your wife and child?"
"Dead," Alec said hollowly. "Murdered."
His father looked at him, surprised. "Dead..." he said softly. "What could kill a dragon?"
Alec shrugged, "They aren't invincible."
"Apparently not." He looked thoughtfully at his youngest. "Perhaps... perhaps you should come with me."
This got a surprised look from Alec. "Go with you, where?"
"Just come with me. Help me with the things I do."
"What do you do?" Alec asked. This was one thing that he never learned from his father since the man came back into his life.
Raven gave him a sly smile, "I look for things of power. Perhaps, if you come with me, I'll even tell you why."
Involuntarily, Alec took a step back. "I can't. I have responsibilities. I can't just leave them."
"Sure you can. What's left for you... really?"
"I can't... I need to go." He turned on heel, and started walking quickly.
"I'll be in the city for a couple of days. If you change your mind, at the Broken horn Inn," Raven called after him.
Alec gave no sign of hearing his father. He vanished as he left the cemetery, reappearing at the Inn. There he marched inside, grabbed a couple of bottles of liquor and locked himself in his office.
Standing at his mother's grave site. He held a flame above his hand, staring at the headstone, his other hand behind his back. His head turned only slightly at the crunching of the snow on Alec's approach. Silently Alec stood near him. He wouldn't stand next to him, but he would stand near him, a flame in his hand as well.
They stood there, near each other, but not really together.
After a while Raven turned his head a little, "You look like the grave, boy."
Alec looked back at him and shrugged.
"Where's your wife and child?"
"Dead," Alec said hollowly. "Murdered."
His father looked at him, surprised. "Dead..." he said softly. "What could kill a dragon?"
Alec shrugged, "They aren't invincible."
"Apparently not." He looked thoughtfully at his youngest. "Perhaps... perhaps you should come with me."
This got a surprised look from Alec. "Go with you, where?"
"Just come with me. Help me with the things I do."
"What do you do?" Alec asked. This was one thing that he never learned from his father since the man came back into his life.
Raven gave him a sly smile, "I look for things of power. Perhaps, if you come with me, I'll even tell you why."
Involuntarily, Alec took a step back. "I can't. I have responsibilities. I can't just leave them."
"Sure you can. What's left for you... really?"
"I can't... I need to go." He turned on heel, and started walking quickly.
"I'll be in the city for a couple of days. If you change your mind, at the Broken horn Inn," Raven called after him.
Alec gave no sign of hearing his father. He vanished as he left the cemetery, reappearing at the Inn. There he marched inside, grabbed a couple of bottles of liquor and locked himself in his office.