Willowwisp

Courtier Tales: Willowwisp


It was supposed to be your day off, but a special rush order came in and everyone else was busy. So it got handed to you. But you were getting paid extra for it. Not to mention you were going to get a half day off to replace the half day you were missing. All and all it could be worse. Actually you were getting pretty decently compensated. And best of all this job was pretty close to town. The package was for a dragon named Willowwisp. From what you gather Willowwisp is a frequent client. And also one who would do rush orders time to time. That made this a really important job. And offending this client would be a really really bad idea. The fact that you had only a handful of jobs under your belt made both you and most likely Draca a bit nervous about you doing this job. But Draca at least had acted confident about your ability to do this job. However you were advised that Willowwisp was a bit of a different dragon then what you were used to. Whatever that meant. Still you had the package which was actually a few different sized packages which made some strange sounds as you moved.

You trotted on making good time. The town was lit up like it was some sort of holiday. Maybe it was a dragon holiday or some village festival. Regardless you don't know exactly what is going on. And you kept on moving tormented by the smells of spiced cider and ales and various food stands. It was enough to make your stomach rumble even though you had already eaten. And more then enough to make your mouth water. However you resist the temptation that seems to present itself in every corner. Finally you break away from the seemingly endless line of temptation and you felt a mixture of regret and relief. You understand why you feel the relief but the feelings of regret confuse you a little bit. You redouble your efforts. The sooner you get this job done the sooner you get back to your day off. And soon enough you arrive at the meeting site however there is no dragon waiting for you. That was not what you expected. You look around in the slowly darkening sky. You swallow. Your deadline is approaching fast and you are there but if you don't deliver the package by the deadline there is no excuse. You look around again and still nothing. Then you hear the sound of hoof beats. You track them and frantically dive to the left as you see that there is a Qiriq charging right at you. The Qirq keeps on going but is soon circling around forming a wide loop and charges at you again. You dive again this time to the right as the left side might not be so safe twice. You are getting to your feet much faster this time as sure enough the Qiriq is circling again. And a strange sound is heard over the sound of the pounding hooves... it sounds almost like crackling and partly like the jangling of metals... similar but not quite like bracelets but much louder. The Qiriq now is almost upon you and just as you manage to dodge again the beast stops and rears screaming something similar to a war cry into the sky. Your heart is racing like a track stars. And only the fact that you know the beast can outrun you while half asleep keeps you from making a break for it. It is much faster then you. But your single edge is your agility. And then the strange sound gets louder and above that the sound of wings is heard. And against your better judgement you look up and see what appears to be a mixture of ghostly fire in the sky. And the dragon descends. This you pray is Willowwisp. Otherwise you are really sunk.

To your shock the Qiriq advanced to the dragon making soft huffing sounds. And actually seems happy to see the dragon. The pair advances on you and the dragon clears her throat. "Sorry I ran into a problem that took more time then I thought. I hope I have not kept you waiting for long. I am Willowwisp." The dragon inclines her regal head and you take note that this dragon wears accessories. Not like the war gear that Draca sometimes boasts. But something similar to jewelry. You note the brightly colored gloves and bracelets that must have made the sounds you heard. You also note that there is jewelry on her tail as well. However the dragon seems friendly and to each their own. No one told you that dragons could only be wearing war gear. So you hand over the packages and you are not too surprised to see that it is more apparel. You accept your payment. And you know your share is going to be larger this time. As seems the tradition with dragons there is a little something extra in it. You are startled to see what appears to be a fancy silver lantern. It is a work of art. You stare at Willowwisp wondering if she made a mistake with the extra item. However you are now sure how to ask without being rude.

Willowwisp saves you the trouble. "I came upon that while I was hunting. It was pretty rough and I fixed it up but to a dragon of fire it is nothing but a pretty paperweight. To a human however it is much more useful. I hope you enjoy it." You nod and thank Willowwisp. You can see yourself using it. You note that the lantern is designed for candles and you happen to know where you can find some nice beeswax candles at a low price. This will work perfectly to hold the candle. Soon after that you both part ways. You now have to deliver the payment back to Draca and get your extra share of it. And then you are free. Best of all now you can buy some of those spiced nuts and cider. You smile as you head back to town. Your spirit light as the sun continues to paint the world in warm colors as day ends.