Serene woke on a crisp spring morning, jumped out of bed and ran to the window, where she stood gazing out. The sun was just rising over the far hills, and the garden was sprinkled liberally with dew-drops. The sprites had been busy, she thought absently, her eyes searching the garden, as she did every morning, to see if anything had changed drastically overnight. Nothing had; the three huge trees still stood peacefully, swaying slightly in the wind; the creeping roses by the wall were in bloom; Moss Lake stood silent and still, a deep, almost black colour in the dawn light. A slight breeze blew, but nothing moved yet.
Today was the day of the spring festival, and she couldn't wait. Serene dragged herself away from the window and quickly pulled on her togs, then wrapped a towel around herself and hurried to the kitchen. Her best friend, and housemate Lily was just setting her breakfast out on the table.
"Oh great, you're up. I'm so excited, today we're gonna officially be not children anymore! And we get our very own bond! It's gonna be great! What do you want?? I want a big cat, panther or lion or.. I don't mind really! Or an eagle or a..."
Serene laughed at Lily. "Calm down aye, we'll get there soon enough, now eat some of this great food you're cooked. Then we're to meet for the swim."
"Brrr that's gonna be so cold! And what if there're things in the lake that will get me! I dislike deep water, stop laughing! Just 'cause you like the water."
Serene stopped laughing but couldn't suppress her grin. Lily hated water, she liked wide spaces where she could run and see, Serene was pretty sure her bond would be a gryphon or an eagle or something of the like. Besides, she didn't like to get her wings wet, said it took forever to dry them and was exceptionally uncomfortable. Serene however, loved the water (Lily said it was because she didn't have wings to get wet). She couldn't get enough of it. She spent most of her summer in or around Moss Lake, and most of the winter near it, kayaking or something that wasn't so cold. She didn't know what bond she would get, but she hoped it was something that liked water.
The two girls dug into breakfast with Lily babbling on the whole time, not even stopping while they cleaned up, gathered the things they would take on their quest, and made their way down towards the lake, where all the local teens their age were gathering, for the beginning of the coming of age ceremony.
Every child, as part of the rite of growing up took part in this ceremony, starting with the dip in Moss Lake, then the ceremonial drink and Searching, and then each teen would either join with their bond, who appeared, or they would go on a quest, to search out their bond. The quests were not hard, the teen would just follow their nose, head out alone for a few days to contemplate and be alone, and after a couple of days would find their bond. It was rare not to find one, though there was sometimes a person who never did. They were linked to their bond for the rest of their life, and could communicate with each other.
Serene listened to Lily babble all the way to the Lake.. Serene herself wanted to bond very badly, but she was also scared that she wouldn't. Everybody bonded, but she was still scared. Her mum had died when she was little, and then her dad had disappeared one day about a year after, and Serene had never gotten over that. Lily's parents had taken her in, and the two had lived like sisters, though being best friends. They had moved into their house a few months ago, and lived independently, this was their last step towards becoming independent and proper adults of their society.
Lily obviously couldn't wait, but Serene's steps slowed as they neared the other people.
Lily looked back and then came and put her arm around Serene. "C'mon hon, I'm here, soon you'll have someone that'll never desert you and you can be properly happy again." Serene grimaced, Lily knew her well.
"Still scared though.. what if by some freak chance I don't find a bond? I'll be alone here forever!"
Lily hugged her. "Unlikely! You're a lovely person and there's no reason that some creature wouldn't want to bond you. Come on, you'll see." And she grabbed Serene's hand and dragged her down to the people.
After a couple of minutes standing around, Sheera, the elf queen was standing before them, and dead silence fell across the glade. Sheera rarely came out into the town from her treetop home. Her voice was soft and musical, and put them all at ease quickly, though most still stared in awe.
"Wellcome all, this is your day of growth! Swim in the warm waters that flow from the Emerald Spring, then gather here and drink. There you shall see your future!" She gestured to the edge of the lake, where two middle aged male elves were standing to guide them. Quietly but quickly they all shed to their bathing clothes, and entered the water. Once in the cold, a splashing competition began, and everyone was laughing and gasping by the time they got out. Sheera smiled, and they all gathered sitting in a half circle sitting in front of the elf queen. She was holding a wide carved wooden bowl, which she filled from the spring beside her.
"Never fear if you do not know what you are to do. If you do not find your bond here this morn, you will set off on a quest, you will go into the wilderness wherever you want, but in a different direction to any other. Follow your heart, and you will know when you are ready."
With that, she took a deep drink from the bowl, and passed it to the first in the circle beside her, a young human male. He took a drink and passed it on. It came to Serene, and she stared at the surface for a moment. 7 others had drank before her, but the bowl seemed as full as ever. For a moment a pair of glistening eyes stared at her, then a ripple passed across the surface. She started, then glanced around, questioning. No one seemed to move. She jumped up, almost dropping the bowl and backed away. Not even the wind stirred the trees. She almost panicked, but then a voice in her head told her to drink. She sat down and took a deep drink and passed it on to the next person.
Everything was moving again, normal. The elf queen smiled at her. She looked around, everyone seemed cheerful and laughing, there was a shimmering in the air in the circle between them and a beautiful pale blue horse stepped out. A woodland girl stood up and walked quietly up to it and touched it on the forehead, for a moment they stood there in a bubble of happiness, then they disappeared. Everything was flowing around her, she couldn't get a grip on reality, she closed her eyes, and was suddenly staring into those draconic eyes again. She was floating into blackness, but then the elf queen was in front of her. "This is interesting, water child. If you find your bond here, then you will have to go on a quest. Both a bond and a quest.." She stared a moment, then seemed to realise who she was, and proceeded to look regal and aloof again, but then laughed.
Serene tried to talk, but her mouth wouldn't move. She tried to run but couldn't do that either, just seemed to spin around in blackness.
"Calm your mind, young human. You will bond today... but you must see it here. Use your heart and look."
The voice drifted in and out of her head like a wisp of smoke and she tried to grasp it, but it drifted away.
NO!
She spun lazily around, tried to right herself but didn't even know which way was up.
I don't want to be alone! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Suddenly there was a flash of light, a sprinkling before her, gold and green and blue, rainbow. She lunged for it with all of her being, then everything went black.
She awoke sometime later, the blackness was still there, but now a form shimmered in front of her.
A.. dragon?..
It was, and it shimmered closer, then away again, as if afraid to come too close. I won't hurt you! The dragon shimmered close again, and her fingers brushed across it's wing...
Blackness came again
When she opened her eyes she was sitting in the circle. Lily beside her asked if she were ok, and Serene nodded. The air in front of them shimmered, but she couldn't watch, though she willed the dragon to come out of it. She closed her eyes and waited.
There was no sound, and the moment seemed to go on forever, even though it only took a breath. When she opened her eyes, she found she was staring into another pair of eyes, deep green draconic eyes. It took her a few moments to realise there was a body attached to the eyes, the first moment of contact had been so powerful...
'I am Keisha' The dragon told her, in a quiet voice, a little scared, a little vulnerable, but a little hopeful too.
Serene reached out and touched her dragon's nose. "I am Serene."
"Don't worry, we'll never be alone again, we will always have each other."
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