Aidan awoke slightly before dawn. He yawned and rolled over to look at his wife. He found her looking back, a sleepy smile on her face. “Good morning,” she said.

“Morning,” he replied with another yawn. They got up and got ready for the coming day’s journey. Aidan got dressed, choosing an outfit in his usual dark blue and finishing by draping his sun medallion, with its red stone that matched the one in his torc, around his neck. He ran his fingers along the chain in a nervous habit, making sure the links were solid. Ever since they day a fanatical preacher had torn the medallion off, leaving him unprotected in broad daylight, he’d been somewhat nervous about the medallion. It kept him safe from the harmful effects of sunlight, but it was also a point of vulnerability.

He looked at Flame Song, now dressed in a practical outfit of muted greens. She gave her reflection a glance in the mirror. Aidan came up behind her, though the mirror still showed her alone in the room. “You’re looking wonderful as ever today,” he said.

“Thanks.” She turned around and smiled at him. “Your torc is crooked though,” she added, reaching out and adjusting it so the stone rested in the center. Since he didn’t show up in mirrors he had to rely on Flame to make sure he looked decent.

“The kids should be up by now,” said Aidan. “Let’s go get them and hit the road.”

They tidied up and left the room, headed downstairs for the nursery. When they swung open the door they were greeted by the sound of young voices at play. A shrieking little brown-haired girl dashed by with a giant white-furred kitten in hot pursuit. “Firedart!” said Flame, recognizing the cat as their three-year-old son.

He skidded to a halt. “Hiya mom!”

“Where is your brother?” asked Flame.

“He’s no fun, he’s over there.” Firedart raised one paw and pointed across the big room to his twin.

A second young feline, this one marked by orange and yellow wings, was sitting near one corner talking with a girl of about twelve or thirteen who was the oldest child in the room. The pair recognized Hope, their friend Brianna’s little girl. They scanned the room, looking for their oldest child, six-year-old Littlespark. She was helping a group of younger children build a block city. Without need for consultation, the pair split, Flame going to where Phoenixflare was talking to Hope while Aidan went to retrieve Littlespark.

“Hey, Fuzz-ball,” Aidan called out to her, “time for us to go.”

“Aw,” said Littlespark, getting to her feet. All three children were shapeshifters, and Littlespark, as she usually did when among other children, had taken human form. She was cute as a button with fair skin dusted with freckles, intensely green eyes, and shoulder-length white hair that was just starting to turn orange.

“Come on,” said Aidan. “Once we’re on the road I’ll start giving you flying lessons, how’s that?”

“Cool!” replied Littlespark. “Let’s go!”

They got the children herded out of the nursery and headed out of the tower. They had already said their goodbyes the day before, so now they were ready to depart. The caravan had camped at the tower’s base that night and would shortly be leaving, headed first east and then north to Balfordshire. From there they would catch a ship to Snowcap Village and make the rest of the trip to their home on foot.

The caravan was ready to go when they went out the front gates of Queen Tara’s tower. Horses and oxen were hitched up, drivers were climbing into place and everyone was finishing the last preparations. Aidan and Flame found the wagon driver who’d agreed to let them hitch a ride and were about to go when a liveried servant hurried out of the tower.

“Mr. Rhiannon!”

Aidan turned around. “What?”

“A letter for you. It came last night.” The servant jogged over to Aidan, holding a square of white paper. Aidan took it and thanked the man. He walked back to the wagon, looking at the letter with puzzlement. It was addressed to him all right, with a return address in Aerievale, of all places. Who did he know in Aerievale? As the wagon set off with a creak he walked beside it and opened the letter. Flame was sitting in the back of the wagon with the three kids by her side.

Dear Aidan,
I don’t know if this’ll get to you, but I heard a rumor that you’re part of the Clan of the Lost Dragon, so I’m sending it to the Queen’s tower and hoping it’s true. If it is, you’ve sure gone up in the world! I always knew you’d amount to something. If you can spare a minute from saving the world, would you come and see me?

Your old friend,
Thomas.

“What is it?” asked Flame.

“A letter from Thomas,” he answered. “I didn’t even know he was still alive! He says he heard I was in the Clan and he wants to see me.”

“Are you going to go? You’re within a day or two of Aerievale right now, you know.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m thinking of it. Would you be able to manage the children without me?”

“Of course!” said Flame. “Though I’ll miss you.”

“Are you going away Daddy?” asked Littlespark.

“I think so, love,” was his response.

“You promised me a flying lesson!”

Aidan grinned. “Well so I did! I’ll give you one then, before I leave.” He looked around the terrain that was slowly going past. The caravan moved at a leisurely pace. The main benefit of traveling with it was safety, not speed. Up ahead an outcropping of rocks rose above the rolling hills. “There,” said Aidan, pointing. “Once we get closer we’ll go to those rocks so we can start from a high point.” He would need a little extra altitude to get airborne with his daughter. She was only six, but tall for her age, and the extra weight would make a big difference.

“Yippee!”

He kept pace with the wagon easily as it rolled slowly forward. It took almost half an hour before the wagon was at last abreast of the rock outcropping. “Come on, fuzz-ball, let’s go,” said Aidan. He boosted Littlespark down out of the wagon and they ran to the stones. Littlespark climbed up first, with Aidan following to give her a boost when needed. Soon they were standing twenty feet or so above the ground. The wind ruffled Aidan’s black hair, and sent Littlespark’s orange and white locks whipping around her face. A kind of blurring came over the little girl, and when it cleared instead of a human child, a half cat, half aerian girl stood there. She looked similar to her human form, with white hair starting to turn orange in streaks. She was covered in a fine coat of white fur with fire-orange stripes starting to show faintly. Her features were distinctly feline, but her green eyes were unchanged. From her back a pair of white-feathered wings sprouted. Aidan put his arms around her from behind, getting a good grip, and said, “I’m going to take off from here and get us some real altitude. Then I’ll let go. You just spread your wings and glide. It’s easy. Ready?”