Page 48 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones (Tales from the Tavern #2)
Forty-Eight
The villagers scattered as the sky darkened and the dragon swooped lower, its massive black wings stretching so wide they brushed the treetops on one side. Everyone in their party aside from Erindil backed away as the beast landed, its tree-trunk legs trembling the ground beneath their feet.
“What a beauty.” Erindil slipped off the back of Glen and rubbed his hands together with barely contained glee at the sight of the ebony, scaled dragon.
Sass’s attention was no longer riveted to the long-necked creature huffing steam from flared nostrils. It was on the figures sliding off the dragon’s back.
“Mum?” Sass squinted at the dwarf who descended first and was busy brushing off her moss-green travel gown. The woman’s dark braids wound intricately around her head, making her appear taller than she was, although she didn’t need to be tall to command attention. Everyone gaped at her.
The female dwarf looked up, the wrinkles on her brow smoothing when she spotted Sass. “There you are, Sarsaparilla!”
Despite running from her home, despite fleeing the Ice Lands, despite every reason she’d ever had for staying away, Sass ran to her mum and straight into her arms.
“Now, now.” Her mum patted her hair as she held her. “No need to fuss. We’re here now.”
At that, Sass pulled back and saw that her father was dismounting from the dragon’s back, landing in a crouch and straightening with a grunt. His gray fur cloak swung around his legs and matched some of the gray streaks in his black beard.
“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden on a dragon and never for so long,” he said under his breath as he knuckled the small of his back.
Sass forgot all her reasons for running from home as new questions flooded her brain. “How are you here? And where did you get a dragon?”
Her father stroked his wiry black whiskers as he gave her a quick once-over. “That’s not important, Sarsaparilla. Are you hurt? You didn’t wear that amulet, did you?”
“I’m fine.” Sass cocked her head. “But how do you know about the amulet?”
Her father’s expression darkened.
“He knows because of me,” Thrain said, stepping forward and giving both Thornshields a bow.
“I used the rookery at Castle Greyhelm to sent a raven to the Ice Lands. It was the only way to ensure they knew what Florin had done, but I also knew you wouldn’t want me to alert your family, so I didn’t tell you. Sorry, Sass.”
Sass gawked at her friend. If it were possible to feel even worse for doubting him, she did.
Val tapped a finger on her chin as she eyed Thrain. “That’s why you wanted the tour of the castle and lingered so long looking at the ravens.”
“Thought you just liked birds,” Korl said, more to himself than anyone else.
Thrain gave the guards an apologetic grin. “It was a backup plan of sorts and a bit of insurance in case Florin tried to spread untruths.”
“A backup plan I didn’t need,” Sass said to Thrain in a low voice.
Thrain appraised Sass. “No. Turns out you didn’t. How was I to know you’d have the entire village behind you? Also, I didn’t know your parents would come here themselves or commandeer a dragon to do so.”
Sass’s father cleared his throat, cutting a brief look at his wife. “Lady Thornshield insisted.”
Sass’s mum had inherited the crown through her mother, which meant they had the only unbroken line of female leaders who had ruled under the mountains. Sass swallowed hard, knowing what her rejection of the match meant.
“How could we not come after not knowing where you were for so long?” Her mum brushed a loose strand of hair from Sass’s face then shot a look at her husband. “We’ve both been worried sick.”
Sass’s skin crawled, hot shame making her drop her gaze. “I’m sorry I left without telling you, but I couldn’t marry Florin. She wasn’t right for me, and neither was ruling under the mountains. It was never the life I wanted.”
Her father made a rough sound in the back of his throat. “If I’d known that the Trollbanes would resort to treachery to seize power, we never would have agreed to the match.”
Sass’s mum sketched a shrewd gaze over Sass and her friends. “Where is Florin?”
Sass drew herself up to her full height, which almost matched her mum’s. “She left. She decided not to take retribution, after all.”
“Because Sass was brilliant,” Val said from behind her. “She convinced Florin to leave.”
Sass’s mum slid a smile to Val then back to her daughter. “Maybe you were meant to be a diplomat. ”
Sass grimaced. “That was enough politics for me for a lifetime.” She drew in a breath. “I was never meant to be a ruler or stay in the Ice Lands. It wasn’t my destiny. Not like it was yours.”
Her mum took her face in both of her soft brown hands. “I always knew you were destined for something more. You never took to my mining wisdom.”
“You’d be surprised,” Lira muttered from where she was tucked next to Korl.
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t hard to let you go,” her mum continued with an amiable glance over Sass’s shoulder. “Although it looks like you found a brave crew.”
Sass turned to her friends and smiled. “They may not be dwarves, but they’ve become like family.”
Her father narrowed his eyes at the group but nodded. “It takes courage to meet a band of dwarf warriors armed with only…” He tilted his head at Pip.
“A rolling pin,” Pip offered with a flickering smile.
“And are those tiny daggers?” Sass’s father asked Fenni.
“Cheese knives, your dwarfliness,” Fenni said with a courtly bow.
Sass stepped forward before the cheesemonger could explain the unique cheese-slicing benefits of each one. She made cursory introductions of every last villager, saving Lira and Val for last.
“This is Lira, who saw something in me even I didn’t, and made me her partner in the tavern.” Sass then reached for Val’s hand and pulled her close. “And this is Val.”
She wasn’t sure what to add since she and Val hadn’t decided what they were. Even Sass knew that a couple of kisses didn’t mean everything had changed. “My very close friend.”
“Very, very close,” Val added, with a tentative glance to Sass.
Bubbly happiness made it impossible for Sass not to grin and nod, squeezing Val’s hand and enjoying the tingles racing up her arm when Val squeezed back.
Sass’s mum watched the pair with a content smile, while her father clasped his hands behind his back. “You all would make fine dwarves.”
Sass smiled, knowing that this was the highest compliment her father—or any dwarf—could bestow.
“I take it this means you aren’t returning home,” her mum said with a heavy sigh, “even if marriage to Florin is off the table?”
Sass shook her head. “Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but finding a place that welcomed me for who I am and didn’t care about my lineage made it worth it.”
Her mum’s eyes shone as she nodded. “All we have ever wanted is for you to be happy, Sarsaparilla. Even if it didn’t always seem that way. Sometimes parents become blinded to what we think you could be, and we forget to see you as you truly are.”
“A dwarf should never be so enchanted by the gold that might be in the rock that they forget to be grateful for the gold in their bucket,” Sass told her mum.
Lady Thornshield threw back her head and let out a belly laugh that shook her entire body. Finally, she swiped at her eyes. “So you have been listening to me.”
Sass blinked away tears. “Your dwarf wisdom has been a faithful companion all this time. Every time I got stuck, I remembered something you’d told me.”
Her mum elbowed her husband in the ribs. “I told you she was listening.”
Sass’s father rubbed his side. “You’re as clever and capable as we always knew you could be, and you don’t need us to tell you how to live your life.”
Sass knew how hard it was for her father to say this. “That doesn’t mean I don’t need you at all.”
A grin flickered on his face. “You are always welcome at home, even if only for a visit. As are all your friends.” He swept his arms wide and turned to the group.
“Lady Thornshield and I would be honored to host you at our palace under the mountains.” His gaze lingered on Erindil.
“And we would be delighted to host you for another visit, Erindil.”
The elf and his battle ostrich dipped into a low bow, as the rest of the group—and Sass—gawped. Erindil knew her parents?
“Anytime,” her mum added, giving Val a special wink.
“Now we need to get this dragon back to the Ice Lands,” her father said as he patted the creature’s side. “Dragons don’t do well in the south, and they technically aren’t allowed in the Ageless Lands.”
Before Sass could ask him again how he’d sourced a willing dragon, he was pulling her into a brusque hug and climbing back onto the dragon.
Her mum lingered a bit longer over her hugs and goodbyes, waving at everyone and blowing kisses before joining her husband on the gilded saddle perched behind the dragon’s long neck.
As the dragon slowly beat its massive wings and lifted off the ground, Sass tipped her head back to watch her parents fly away.
“I guess we’re stuck with you good and proper now,” Val said.
Sass smiled at her. “Aye, you are.”