Remy

  "Louise! For real! Don't fidget like that!", I scolded quietly on Renan's back. I kept Louise hidden under a white sheet so that no one would see her. It was already getting dark, but I didn't want to risk anything. Behind us flew Narcisse. It was supposed to look like a normal flight, where I accompanied my dragons to their caves. There couldn’t be any suspicions. That was Narcisse's idea. I didn't want to take him with me. To 'accompany' one dragon was enough, in my opinion. But the stubborn dragon insisted. In a cw, Narcisse held more supplies for Lou. Among them were soap and fresh clothes. In that respect, it was perhaps a good thing that he came along. Renan was reluctant to carry things when he was already carrying a rider. Now even two. "Louise! Really!" The girl didn't stop fidgeting. And as soon as we were high up in the air, she pushed the bnket aside and spread her arms.

  "But!", replied Lou's sister. "I'm so excited! I've only seen the caves once! And flying is fun! Wheeeee!"

  'Only from afar? That's enough', Renan muttered in my head. 'We don't want too many wizards and witches in our mountains. You humans will only cause us trouble!'

  ?Wheeee!“, cried Louise.

  'Wheeeee', Renan mimicked her, annoyed.

  'Wheeeee!!!', Narcisse agreed cheerfully.

  "Louise! Really!", I grumbled. No WHEEEEE.

  Renan snorted loudly. 'You magical are truly a nuisance. Wheeeee', he growled. 'At least you're easy to care for. I would get crazy with Louise. Only Lou is easier to care for than you!'

  I rolled my eyes and took the right not to answer. Renan pointed at the Wise Men whose retionship with the dragons was getting worse and worse. They demanded too much of the proud creatures. Their backs, their wealth... The white dragons grew more and more unpleased the Wise. Originally, I wanted to use this to my advantage, but for the time being, my priorities had changed.

  Lou's sister didn't stop fidgeting and was hard to hide. "Louise!", I scolded the wriggling girl again.

  "No one sees me up here! And your colleagues aren't out and about! Wheeee! That's funny!"

  That girl! Renan wasn't the only one who would suffer because of her. Somewhat roughly, I shoved her back under the covers.

  It wasn't until we were definitely out of sight that I allowed her to peek out from under the sheet. I held her tightly so she wouldn't fall. But Louise didn't necessarily make things easier for me. As soon as she was freed from the sheet, which was now stuck between us like a white protective barrier, she threw her arms in the air again.

  "I'm flying!", she shouted.

  "Louise! Hold on tight!"

  "But you're holding me!", she answered, ughing.

  Renan growled. 'Don't worry. I fly gently. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to throw her off.'

  Louise couldn't hear the dragon, but she didn't listen to me either. She visibly enjoyed flying. I would’ve let her have her fun if it wasn't terribly dangerous. "Louise! You could fall. What do I say to Lou then?"

  "Fine, fine", she grumbled, finally holding on. "Killjoy!"

  Soon after, we ended up in front of Harper's parents' cave. I helped Louise off Renan's back. She immediately rushed over to her brother to hug him. Narcisse took human form, Harper growled, I got the opportunity to make a mockery of myself, and then I climbed back onto Renan's back. My visit was very short.

  "I'll fetch Basil", said Narcisse. 'Fly ahead.'

  "Thank you. Are you picking up Louise ter? Or...."

  'No!', Renan grumbled immediately. 'No, no, no! Let Narcisse fly her home. Maybe she'll want to NEVER FLY AGAIN!'

  'Hahaha. Very funny!', Narcisse hissed. 'I would love to fly her home.'

  We had met up with Louise at the river and that's where Narcisse would take her again. "Take a detour. Don't fly over the city", I told him. "And, thank you. I'll see you ter."

  Then I flew off with Renan. We wanted to meet with the Elders of the Dragons, as they were concerned about the behavior of the Wise. And they wanted to talk to me about Lou. In addition, the Wise Men wanted to talk to me. I didn't want to do that. At least they weren't looking for Lou anymore. He was officially presumed dead.

  It was time to take him with me.

  Lou

  "Lou!" Louise kissed his cheeks, his forehead, his hair. His sister cried as she hugged him. "Lou! Are you okay? Really?"

  "Of course he's fine", Lou heard Harper say. "Why shouldn't he be doing well with us?"

  "Louise? Didn't anyone see you?", asked Ross. The whole family was in the cave. They sat at a distance in human form further back in the cave. There was a flickering campfire, which provided light. But it was still too dark for Lou's eyes. He saw only the bright glow of the fire, Harper's outline, and his sister's outline. Everything else was bck. And the fire made him uncomfortable.

  "Of course not", Louise snorted. "We met by the river. And Renan flew very high up. It was pretty cold but fun!"

  "By the river?", asked Lou quietly. His sister's warmth felt good. She smelled like flowers.

  "Yes. Officially, I'm going for an evening walk. I can't stay long!", she answered. "Are you really okay?" She sounded worried. Lou buried his face in her hair. He heard Harper hiss angrily. It didn't bother him. Louise smells like magic. Harper doesn't like that. Or is he jealous? No... Why should he be?

  Harper looked at the supplies Narcisse had brought. "Soap and fragrant oil!", he announced cheerfully. "You're going to be spoiled!" Confused, Lou let go of his sister. "Why? I already have so much." The clothes he wore, bread, some fruit, a few nuts, freshwater, and also a cloth with which he could protect himself from the sun. And all the soft pillows and bnkets. That was enough. Lou never had so much.

  "Of course. Only the best for sweet Lou!" Sally chirped happily. The other dragons ughed softly. Harper, on the other hand, now pced an arm gently over Lou's shoulders. "Why? Really? Vivi, you need all of that."

  "Definitely", Louise agreed.

  Lou disagreed. But he stayed silent about it. Instead, he leaned into the warmth of the dragon. "You? Louise?"

  "Yes?"

  "Harper gave me something", he said quietly. "A sparklestone."

  "Oh? Sparklestone? What's that?" His sister sounded amused.

  "A stone that sparkles. What else?" Harper murmured, wrapping Lou in one of the bnkets.

  "Oh?" Louise sounded as if she could guess what it was. Lou nodded, then groped for the beautiful stone. The bnket prevented him from doing so, so he pushed it aside a bit. Harper snorted, and grumbled that Lou might be too cold. But Lou wanted to find the stone. When he did so, he presented it to his sister. "My Sparklestone."

  Louise sucked in a sharp breath. "Indeed."

  "Indeed, yes! A sparklestone. Pretty, isn't it!", said Harper. He sat very close to Lou. His chin now rested on Lou's left shoulder. The dragon's hot breath tickled.

  "That's a diamond!" Louise sounded shocked. "It's worth a fortune."

  "It sparkles in the sunlight." Lou had held the diamond up to the light and marveled at the sparkle. He liked the stone very much.

  "That's a very beautiful stone", Louise murmured. "Do you like sparkling things?"

  "I don't know?" Did Lou like sparkling? He liked his sparklestone. He was especially fond of it because Harper had given it to him.

  "Oh! If you like sparkly stuff, we can get you a lot sparkling!", commented Connie. She hurried to them, sat down next to Louise, and in front of Lou, (Lou felt her warmth), and ughed.

  "It's a pretty sparklestone!", she announced.

  "Hm." Lou nodded and stroked the stone.

  "Harper? Can we talk briefly? Alone?" Louise addressed the dragon. Harper nodded, squeezed Lou's shoulder, and then stood up to follow Louise to the front of the cave. Lou grimaced.

  "I'm sure they'll be back soon", Connie assured him quickly. "So! Sparkly stuff?"

  "Hm."

  "Jewelry perhaps? We're telling Remy to buy you some!"

  "What?" Immediately, Lou shook his head. "Jewelry is only for the rich. Rich girls and women." His father had once told Lou this very seriously when Lou also wanted a bracelet like Louise had received. It was braided from scraps of yarn. She got it after seeing some girls with pretty beaded bracelets and wanted one as well. But their parents couldn't afford the bracelets.

  "How silly. I'm sure jewelry looks great on you. The ribbon looks very pretty on you too!"

  "Ribbons are for girls, too", Lou murmured, touching the soft ribbon in his hair.

  Connie, on the other hand, smirked. "And? You wear it anyway. Ribbons aren't just for girls either. That's nonsense too!"

  "Hm."

  When Louise and Harper returned, the dragon sulked. He sat close to Lou and refused to talk to Louise. Did they argue? Louise told Lou about her life in the temple. She also had some chats with Harper's family. But most of all she talked with Lou.

  Far too soon, Narcisse brought Lou's sister back. Harper remained unusually silent, but Lou didn't dare to ask him about it until the other dragons were fast asleep. "Harper?"

  "Yes?" The dragon held Lou in his arms. Lou leaned against him. But today Harper was tense and therefore not as comfortable and soft as usual.

  "Are you angry?"

  "What? Why?"

  "Because... Was Louise mean to you?" Lou couldn't imagine that, because Louise was the dearest person on earth, but something had happened.

  "No."

  "Did she say anything you didn't like?"

  "Yes." Harper sighed. "But... Oh... It doesn't matter."

  "It does. What's going on?" The dragon's bad mood frightened Lou. He trembled a little. Harper quickly noticed this and stroked his arms gently as he struggled for words.

  "Well... I... I like..."

  "Yes?" Like? I don't like Louise? Lou actually wouldn't be surprised. Harper didn't like witches or wizards.

  "I... I... She said..." Harper snorted all the more angrily. Nervously, Lou reached for one of the dragon's warm hands. Harper sighed and leaned his head against Lou’s. Then he took a deep breath. "I... She said... Well... I... Oh, fuck it!" Then, suddenly, his lips met Lou’s.

  sasi