Chapter 3

They made it back to the ranch in ten minutes, but it took another six to get past the suitors who had camped out, waiting for Elizabeth’s return.

“Get out of the way Damnit!”  Elizabeth yelled at the suitors who decided to try and stop her.  “Get out of the way or I’ll personally put a poisoned dagger through your gut then light you on fire and leave you for the dragons!”  

“I’m sorry, I can’t let him through,” said Tom Highwind, her most popular suitor.

“Scram Tom,” she said, “he has a meeting with my father.”

“I have heard of no such meeting,” Tom replied, full of himself, “if he wants through, he’ll have to fight me.”

“I really regret that I don’t have time to answer such a challenge,” Bier answered, “but I am on urgent business and will have to take a rain check.  How does tomorrow at noon sound?”  Before Tom could answer Bier had jumped over him and disappeared inside.  

“Wait here with Greywing,” Elizabeth said to Bier when they were in the main sitting room, “I’ll be right out with my parents soon.”

“Okay.” Bier replied, but she was already gone.  “She’s an odd one,” he said to himself, “I wonder if she’s the one Lady Arian meant when she said I’d be protecting someone here…”

“MOM, DAD!”  Elizabeth yelled as she pounded on the door to their sparring room, “GET OUT HERE NOW!  THERE’S SOMEONE WAITING TO TALK TO Y’ALL IN THE LOBBY, AND WE NEED HEALING!”

Her dad opened the door, “ten minutes.  We need to change into something more presentable.  As do you.”

“She’ll be dead in ten minutes.”  Elizabeth stated flatly, “we would have been here a while ago if that damn Tom hadn’t tried to stall us.  If she dies it’s his fault and I don’t care what you say, Tom will pay for it!”

“Very well,” her dad gave in, “Cariad, make sure Tom isn’t anywhere nearby, for his own sake.”

“Why?” Cariad asked, “I don’t like him either.”

“You two are hopeless,” he said.  But he was grinning.

“Come on!” Elizabeth whined, “you’d be hurrying if it were Stardust’s life in peril!”

“What does Stardust have to do with this?”

“You’ll know if she lives.”  

“Fine, I’m hurrying.  Go make yourself presentable, you have egg in your hair and you look like you just ran three miles at an abnormally fast pace.”

“That’s because if I didn’t make it here soon, she would die.”  Elizabeth said, “now MOVE YOUR BUTT!”

Cariad had already made it into the room and met them at the door.  “Cante, go on in and help our little patient, Elizabeth, you go get yourself cleaned up.  I promise she’ll be fine.”

“Tom’s in there, isn’t he,” she knew her mother wouldn’t have said anything if he weren’t in there.  “That asshole!  I told him to leave us alone!”  She stormed past her mother to see Tom harassing Bier and Greywing.  “TOM, YOU ASSHOLE!” she stormed as lightning formed around her hands, “I TOLD YOU TO LOEAVE US ALONE!”

“I don’t trust this guy,” Tom replied, “it is my belief that he is trying to steal you from me.  And he smells like spoiled eggs and dragon.”

“No lightning in the house, Elizabeth,” Rubicante said, “and Tom, you are going to have to leave.  You should know that suitors aren’t allowed this far into the house unless granted permission, which you obviously don’t have.”

Tom looked dejected, “okay, but your new friend is going down tomorrow!”

“Bier,” Elizabeth said before Tom was out of earshot, “do me a favor?”

“Hm?” Bier responded, looking up from where he was helping with Greywing.

“Turn him into dragon fodder tomorrow.”