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“Why are you wearing that foul perfume I told you I do not like?”

He’d only been able to tolerate it when it had been to ease her.

She gave him a smile when she heard his voice. “Because if your big nose does not like it, then neither will Glov’s.”

He opened his mouth to tell her to remove it but then closed it. Then he grinned widely. “That was very wise. He may not be able to smell through it.”

“I have placed some on my wrists that I can remove when he is no longer here and then on the wall near the bed that I can wash later.”

He turned his head towards the bed.

“Why did you do that?”

“In case he stuck his ugly, fat, green head in here.”

She laughed, and he would’ve returned it if he didn’t have more pressing issues.

“You have been requested to speak with Glov about the lightning you produced, but he cannot know where it came from or that it was nearby.”

“I do not wish to lie,” she answered thoughtfully.

“I know, but you must do so. He will become suspicious if you do not speak with him, and he may give the Elders a reason to come here.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “I understand.”

She nodded, following next to him as he led her to the main room.

When he stood next to Glov, he gestured his hand in Amalia’s direction.

“There, speak to her.”

Glov took a single step forward and lowered his head so that he was closer to her. Rurik’s scales puffed at him being so close until the green Dragon sneezed and reared his head back.

“You smell awful.” He scratched at his snout. “It is offensive to my senses, remove it.”

“I will not return here to speak with you if I do so.”

Glov sharply turned his head to Rurik who gave him a shrug. “If I put up with it in my lair, so will you.”

“Fine, I will not need to speak with you long anyway.” He turned back to her, but a safe distance away to keep the worst of the perfume from his nostrils. “I saw a light shooting towards the sky today, I want to know if you saw it as well.”

“I saw a light today,” she answered, and Rurik wanted nothing more than to claw his face off.I told her to lie!“Then again, I see many lights each day. Could you clarify?”

“I saw lightning.”

“Yes, I also saw lightning.” She placed her hands behind her back as she rolled on the balls of her feet. “The storm was rather heavy.”

“No, I mean I saw strange, blue lightning shooting towards the sky.”

She gave a face of puzzlement. “Like how it shoots down and hits the lands?”

Rurik began to frown in confusion just as Glov began to do so in vexation.

“Yes, but upwards, like it came from the land.”

“That would be strange to see,” she said with a thoughtful pout. “What do you think it was?”

It took Rurik a lot longer than it should have to realise what she was doing, but he eventually grinned.She is far cleverer than I imagined.