The water in the pool stirred again and the image of the younglings vanished. Erif stuck his sword into the sand and turned to face the open sea. He slowly took in a deep breath and let it out.
“I cannot force my will,” said Zul, “but I will show him another way.”
“The dragon has too strong a hold on him now.”
“He will listen in time.”
“Why do you make him go through all this before you speak to him?”
Zul put a hand on Erif’s shoulder.
“I have tried to speak to him. Like all mankind, he refuses to listen until misery overwhelms him. It is sad, and I wish it were not true, but it is so.”
Erif looked at the ground.
“Raef is still becoming ready to listen to me. He is still too lost in his own delusions. It will take some time to get through to him.”
“Are you certain it’s not too late?” asked Erif.
“I know the future, remember?”
✧
Raef stared at the ceiling while lying on his bed. It was night, but clouds blocked the moonlight from coming in his window. Raef pulled the dragon hair out to look at it. It had been two moon cycles since he first brought Domik to see Rail. Since then he had done all his ritual washings every sunrise and had meditated after every mid sun meal. He was apprenticing with the herbalists in the afternoons, which he liked far better than cleaning with the sacrists. Keeper Dimmel was very pleased with his work in the Keep as well. In spite of all of this, Raef had talked Domik into seeing Rail again. And not just once, but many times. They had even gone this sunset before last meal.
Raef sighed. He didn’t know what to do. He remembered his father’s words from when he had ten seasons and had been caught with a dragon hair stuck to his shirt, “younglings get curious about the dragon.” Though he was an apprentice, Raef was still just a youngling. An older youngling, but still a youngling. He was certain other younglings did the same, visit the dragon that is. Even Rail said so.
An idea came to him. Maybe it was okay for a youngling to go play with the dragon. It was just curiosity, after all. Maybe it was only bad for older people to see the dragon. That was it! He could play with the dragon until he had thirteen seasons, when he was a greenling. He would have too many seasons after that, of course, but for now it would be okay. Especially if he only saw the dragon now and then, not all the time. Yes, that would be acceptable.
Raef held up the dragon hair and for a moment the clouds parted just enough for the moonlight to shine through, making the long strand sparkle and shine.