Lumani+-+A+Heart+Still+Captured

Lumani glanced up into the sky, wondering if that strange white dragon still watched her from afar. She giggled and waved up at the clouds sweetly as she made her way up to the elven embassy.

Luthais wandered into her room hours later to find her painting a picture of a giant ice castle with a white dragon looking down over the wall. He raised an eyebrow, "Lum? That's an 'interesting' painting today..."  "Big brother!" she looked up at him with a beaming smile, "Yes! Well... I never said thank you for my gifts, so I'm making him one!"  "Gifts?" he watched as she filled in a tiny elven girl sitting on one of the clouds near the castle waving up at the dragon... she was small without a lot of detail in the painting, but the clothing... the hair... he was sure it was supposed to be Lumani. The white dragon... the ice castle... the 'gifts'... he finally put it together, "Lumani... you remember that the evil dragon kidnapped you, right? Tried to force you to marry him? Tried to kill me and the two women trying to rescue you? ...Any of that ringing a bell?"

"Oh yes!" Lumani nodded emphatically, still working on her painting, "I remember! I think he was just misunderstood... I hear it was all very 'romantic'." She giggled.  "R-romantic?!" He burst out with a genuine laugh, "Who put such incredulous thoughts in your head?" He ruffled her silvery white hair. "Romantic..." he shook his head, "There is nothing romantic about an evil dragon, Lum... Don't you worry your pretty little head about romance... You're just a baby, fifteen. When you get to be about 50... mother and father will approve of some nice suitors who will teach you about romance." He kissed her gently on the forehead, still chuckling, "This human city is having an effect on you. I think Fiona has had plenty of time to get her things in order here... we need to get her home. Pack your things, Lumani. We leave tomorrow."

"Wh-what?! No...No. NO! I'm not ready! We can't leave yet!!! Miss Samira is going to be having her baby! I need to take her congratulations mommy day presents. She seems to like sparkly things... so I'm going to get her something pretty And I just met Solli! I'm supposed to talk to her brother in the temple! Please, big brother! Not yet!" She raced away from her painting to clutch her arms around his waist as though holding him there would stop everything.

"Lumani..." his voice was patient and he stroked her hair gently, "I know you've met some nice people, but you knew we weren't going to stay here for long... Mother and Father are probably very worried. We snuck you out and we've been gone for months. I'm sure they're hunting me as we speak and I'll pay for it when we get there... We need to get going. Besides, Samira and her family don't need you running around their bakery with a new baby."

Lumani gasped, "I wont bother the baby! I'll help! I will! I promise!"  He patted her shoulder, "Perhaps we'll come back to visit... I'm sure Fiona will want that." He pushed her gently over to her closet, "Now start packing... I'm going out to speak with Fiona... and no more crazy thoughts about evil dragons." He rolled up the freshly painted canvas, "I'll keep this safe so I have a portrait of who I'm hunting. Thank you." He kissed her forehead as she stared at him, stunned.  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"That's not for you!" She grabbed the canvas, pulling it out of his surprised hands, "Mother's going to be mad and they'll never let me leave for a long long long time! I'm not going and you can't make me!" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">She leapt out of the window with him racing over to see her cradled by the air that gently carried her to the ground, leaving her to run off through the gate of the city. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Luthais let out a long sigh and headed out of the embassy...

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The little bell chimed as he walked through the door of the Sokolov Bakery. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He nodded and smiled charmingly at Argent who was wiping the counter, "Forgive my interruption, my lady. I was unaware that Lady Samira and her husband had hired someone new... might I say that your unflawed beauty could start wars." He kissed the back of her hand gently, "My name is Luthais Anndrasdan. I'm looking for my sisters... Fiona and Lumani. Either would be beneficial, but more prominently the short one having a moment of rebellion. She's taken a liking to this place and comes here more often than I do... Have you seen a little elven girl about so high," he held his hand to his chest, "with hair the same color as mine and bright blue eyes? ...or does Lady Samira happen to be available?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Lumani stormed through the city streets as traitorous tears burned her eyes. She didn't want to go home... not now... not yet. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Doesn't he like it here? // <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> She hadn't even seen Fiona since their meeting in the bakery... it was like she had vanished from the city. Where was the sister that had brought them there to begin with? ...And she was just meeting new people and learning new things here... And she was so looking forward to seeing the pink-haired mage become a mother. Samira had talked so warmly about it despite all the chaos going on around them in Hyoden's ice castle.

//Hyoden... yes, of course... the dragon's name was Hyoden.// She smiled and the anger that had been driving her strides swiftly through the city softened and she passed through the city's gates... heading up the rocky cliff overlooking the sandy beach along the ocean below.

She stood along the edge of the cliffs staring out, the wind blowing through her long silvery white hair. //How dare he try to take a painting that was not his... he wanted to kill that white dragon... 'hunt' him... Evil... if Hyoden was so evil, wouldn't he have tried to kill me? Eat me as a snack?// ...but he hadn't hurt her, not even a scratch... he almost seemed to... protect her? Lumani's head spun as she looked out over the sea. It had seemed a little scary and forceful at first... but... he really never did try to hurt her... he just wanted to play fake wedding with her... didn't he? Maybe he was just young like she was and that's how dragons played. The wind rolled over her like it loved her and then playfully stole one of the silvery ribbons out of her hair, whisking it off to the clouds above.

Lumani laughed, her hand going up to her hair to feel the void of the ribbon. She shook her head. She could get it back if she tried she was sure... but the air was playful today and she liked when it seemed to come alive around her with it's own personality out of her control. She glanced at the rolled up canvas in her hand wavering in the wind and she smiled as she extended her hand out and let it go into the wind, "If you're still watching me... this is for you, Hyoden... it will be our secret. Thank you for playing with me and not hurting me. If you're not evil... and I don't think you are... maybe we can play again... but stay far away from my brother." She stared up into the sky as the canvas flew farther and farther away and she added a whisper, "I will never tell him your name."