Chapter Sixteen: Dawning of the Light.
Though the wedding didn’t go late, I hardly slept last night, replaying the kisses between Ashlyn and I over in my head. Even though I’m used to getting up early, I groan when Olen wakes me. His excitement is palpable while my eyes don’t want to open. Flint licks me, tail wagging as he jumps around, excited because Olen is.
Olen lights a candle and asks me to help him build a fire. I quickly dress and follow him into the living room. Olen and I get the fire going, while Flint sits and watches. It’s dark outside, but soon it will be dawn, when it will be time to exchange gifts. But first we have to go to the ceremony to celebrate the Dawning of the Light.
Ashlyn enters the living room. Her hair is tied back in a messy bun and she looks gorgeous in a pair of black tights and a long green Christmas shirt that reads ‘Jesus is the reason for the season.’
Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a shy smile.
I make my way over to her, stopping close. “Hey,” I say, voice low.
“Hey.”
I want to take her hand, to kiss her again.
Poplyn pops in between us, stomping on my foot as he walks past. I close my eyes, biting back the pain. He has some strength for such a little guy.
“Poplyn,” Ashlyn warns, but he ignores her, going to sit on the back of the lounge.
“Sorry about that.”
Poplyn can be as upset as much as he likes if it means Ashlyn Sorrows loves me.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask her.
She pulls her sleeves over her hands. “I may have found it hard to fall asleep.”
I can’t help but smile. “Thinking about the wedding last night?”
Her eyes flick to my lips before meeting mine. “I may have been thinking about a certain moment under a certain tree.”
My grin widens. I lean even closer. “Me too.”
She places a hand on my chest. “We’ll have time for that when we get home.”
I get that she doesn’t want to kiss in front of Poplyn and Olen, but disappointment still floods through me. I take her hand from my chest, placing a kiss on her palm before entwining our fingers. A pretty blush brightens her cheeks. I lead her over to the lounge.
Flint wanders over to rub his leg against Ashlyn and she pats his head.
He starts barking as Poplyn leaps to his feet. “Lady! Pieman!”
Ashlyn and I stand as Olen jumps up and runs over to open the door. Lyndaria and Hemlin walk in arm in arm, both smiling widely, happiness radiating from them.
As Ashlyn and Lyndaria greet each other, Hemlin slips me the pouch with the dragon egg. It’s a relief to have it back. I place it on the side table closest to the fire and stand in front of it.
We get into our coats and woollen caps. Olen brings the sleigh around, with Poplyn and Flint. Thistle has to stay hidden in the barn. Even though she was at the wedding last night, Ashlyn doesn’t want anyone to see Thistle and realise she is also here.
I feel a bit uneasy leaving the dragon egg, but it’s too cold to take it, and the ceremony is too important to miss. I pray it will be safe.
We make our way to the village square where the Dawning of the Light ceremony is held. We stand on the outskirts of the square, Ashlyn keeping herself tucked behind Lyndaria and Hemlin. I stand beside her, my shoulder pressed into hers. It’s cold and I can’t help but jiggle to try and get some warmth, my breath coming out in a cloud in front of me.
The pastor stands on a box at the front of the crowd. He lights a candle and begins shouting to the crowded square.
“And the Light came into the world, dispelling the darkness. The Redeemer of mankind. Making the way so we can spend eternity with the Light, in His glory, in the after. The greatest gift, the ultimate sacrifice.” He lifts the candle high and people clap and whoop.
“Man could not defeat darkness,” he continues, “in fact, he revelled in it, until the Light shone the way. Darkness seemed to win for a moment, the Light sacrificing his flame so that all who believe may be saved. It all appeared to be over, until the Light was rekindled and Darkness was defeated. Follow the Light, for He is the only Way, the only Truth, the only way to Life.”
The villagers begin to sing a hymn as the first rays of light appear in the sky.
A joyful shout rings out and the people start dancing. Hemlin takes Lyndaria’s arm and they spin in circles, so I take Ashlyn’s. Her laugh fills the air and warms me inside.
The pastor hops down from the box. Soon people are breaking away, heading back to their homes.
We head back to Lyndaria’s. She makes a hot spiced drink that warms us up and then we gather around the fire. Hemlin reads from the Holy Scriptures and then Lyndaria says a prayer of thanksgiving.
It’s time to exchange gifts. Olen, being the youngest, is given his first. Flint sniffs at the wrapping. He loves the chocolate Ashlyn gives him and the wooden puzzle game from me. Lyndaria and Hemlin give him a set of new clothes and boots, a book, a wooden puzzle different from mine and a new pocketknife, which he seems the most happy with.
Poplyn is next and immediately eats the caramel candies and the candied apples that Ashlyn and I give him. He leaps up and dances around when Hemlin gives him two sweet pies.
Lyndaria likes the letter writing set I give her, and Hemlin is excited to taste the spiced nettle tea.
They both love the jewelled dagger and matching knife Ashlyn gives them, as well as the gold-plated tea set Ashlyn purchased for their wedding gift.
Lyndaria and Hemlin give Ashlyn a copy of their wedding portrait, and another painting of them with Olen and Flint.
Ashlyn looks like she is going to cry and hugs Lyndaria for a long time. “Thank you.”
When I open my box from them, I’m surprised that they have given me a dagger. It’s the size of my forearm. The hilt is made of feathers carved with gold and the blade has a soft glow, much like the flowers from the wedding. It’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship but do they really expect that I’ll need to use it? Or is for decoration?
Ashlyn gasps. “Aunt Lynda!”
“Any man that is to be with my niece must be able to protect her. No Earth weapons will be as sufficient as that.”
Ashlyn frowns. “He won’t need to use that on anything on Earth.”
Ashlyn is upset that Lyndaria gave it to me, which makes me want to refuse it, but that might make everything worse.
“I pray not,” Lyndaria says.
“Here,” Olen says, holding out two gifts to me and Ashlyn. I put the lid back on the dagger box and slip it behind me, hoping Ashlyn’s mood isn’t ruined for when I give her my gift.
Olen has whittled a little version of Flint for me, which I appreciate, telling him how talented he is. And he has whittled a fox for Ashlyn. Ashlyn smiles and thanks him but I can tell she still isn’t happy.
Poplyn doesn’t give anyone a gift but Ashlyn. It’s a necklace with a snowflake pendant.
“Thank you, Poplyn. It is very pretty.” She turns so her back is to me and I clip the necklace on for her, brushing my fingers along her neck and resisting the urge to kiss it.
And now it’s time for me to give Ashlyn her gift.
I reach over and take the pouch off the side table. My stomach tightens. I know she is going to love this, but still the tiniest seed of doubt creeps in.
I hand her the pouch, hoping this will brighten her mood. “Be careful with it.”
A mix of curiosity and confusion crosses her face.
Placing the pouch in her lap, she pulls it open with care.
She gasps, placing two hands on either side of the egg. She looks up at me, mouth gaping. “Is this…”
“A dragon egg. Yes.”
“But how? I mean, border control will never allow me to take this home.”
“I spoke to border control. They are allowing you to keep it. It’s a teacup dragon so it will be easy to hide on Earth.”
“I can’t believe they are letting me have this.” Ashlyn leaps forward and hugs me. “Thank you.”
And right there in that moment, everything I went through to get the dragon is worth it. I close my eyes, enjoying her arms around me.
Ashlyn settles back, gazing at the egg with astonishment. She runs a hand over it. She exclaims as the egg starts to rock and crack. A little dragon head pops out.
It cracks open completely, revealing an adorable little dragon with light blue iridescent scales, with white accents that looks like ice.
I lean close to Ashlyn, looking down at the dragon. It opens its mouth first at Ashlyn and then at me.
I pull out the dragon care manual to see what we are supposed to do.
The dragon snuggles into Ashlyn. “It’s so warm!”
“What will you name him?” Olen asks. He has moved to Ashlyn’s other side, pushing Flint back who is trying to smell it.
“Frost.” She looks at me, pure joy shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Sam, for getting this for me. I never thought I’d be able to have a dragon of my own.”
“You’re welcome.”
I want to lean in and kiss her but resist, knowing Ashlyn wouldn’t want me to do it in front of everyone.
The baby dragon falls asleep.
“The manual says it can sleep up to twenty-four hours after hatching to recoup after the hatching process. Whoever it set its eyes on first is who it imprinted on, which was you. It will love you and always want to be with you.”
Ashlyn closes her eyes, hugging the dragon close.
Now that the gifts have been exchanged, Lyndaria and Hemlin set out brunch and we feast.
Soon it is time for us to go home. We grab our bags and head out to the sleigh. Lyndaria and Hemlin walk us out.
Olen places our bags in the box at the back of the sleigh. While Hemlin shakes my hand, Lyndaria hugs Ashlyn. Hemlin hugs Ashlyn next, and I shake Lyndaria’s hand. It seems hugs with her are reserved for weddings.
“Thank you so much for coming,” Lyndaria says. Her eyes flick to me. “Both of you. I am so glad you were able to be at the wedding.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Ashlyn says. Lyndaria found her some material to make a sling like you would for a baby and has the dragon tied around her chest.
Thistle says her goodbyes to each of them.
“Travel safe,” Lyndaria says.
We climb into the sleigh and set off.
(Stay tuned for chapter seventeen!)
© Rochelle L. Sharpe, 2026.