365 Days of Drabbles: Day One Hundred-Twenty Six and Twenty Seven
For avanti_90 "Someone gets turned into someone else's shadow."
* * *
She bowed to her father-in-law. "I've returned from the cave of the dragon mother, your Highness."
He nodded, tenting his fat fingers. "What did it have to say?"
"Quite a bit, mostly about cows. But she also told me the Strix River was struck by blood magic. Anyone who drank from it at that time is at risk."
"Blood sorcery? How interesting."
Well, interesting wasn't the way she'd have put it, but she wasn't a king, and only very recently a princess. "Anyway, where's my husband? I need to speak to him."
"Not here."
"Where then?" Then she caught sight of the king's shadow, projected against the wall from the fireplace. It was not shaped like the fat king at all, but held the slim, strong form of her handsome prince.
And it was raising its hands, as if in warning, or terror.
"He went off hunting," the king said mildly. "I expect he'll be gone for quite some time."
"I see." She smiled fixedly. "I should return to my rooms, your Highness. I confess I'm very tired."
"Sleep well then." He waved her off, and she fled as quickly as she dared.
How do you rescue shadows? she wondered.
* * *
She bowed to her father-in-law. "I've returned from the cave of the dragon mother, your Highness."
He nodded, tenting his fat fingers. "What did it have to say?"
"Quite a bit, mostly about cows. But she also told me the Strix River was struck by blood magic. Anyone who drank from it at that time is at risk."
"Blood sorcery? How interesting."
Well, interesting wasn't the way she'd have put it, but she wasn't a king, and only very recently a princess. "Anyway, where's my husband? I need to speak to him."
"Not here."
"Where then?" Then she caught sight of the king's shadow, projected against the wall from the fireplace. It was not shaped like the fat king at all, but held the slim, strong form of her handsome prince.
And it was raising its hands, as if in warning, or terror.
"He went off hunting," the king said mildly. "I expect he'll be gone for quite some time."
"I see." She smiled fixedly. "I should return to my rooms, your Highness. I confess I'm very tired."
"Sleep well then." He waved her off, and she fled as quickly as she dared.
How do you rescue shadows? she wondered.