Sir Danny hillith of kattegatt's Arc

Chapter 1 of 10

Sir Danny Hillith crossed the courtyard with his pack slung over one shoulder, thinking about the dragon mistress and how he would finally say the right words this time. The strap snapped. Everything spilled across the stone—spare clothes, wrapped bread, a dagger still in its sheath. And there, catching the morning light, lay the letter he wrote three years ago. The scroll sat between two hedges of the maze, its golden dragon seal facing up. Danny dropped to his knees and grabbed for it, but his hand froze. A servant was crossing from the kitchen entrance. She hadn't seen it yet, but her path would take her right past the letter. He could snatch it up and no one would know. But his fingers wouldn't move. The woman stopped, bent down, and picked up the scroll. She turned it over, studying the seal. Danny's throat closed. She looked at him, then back at the letter, her expression unreadable. He waited for her to ask who it was for, to recognize the dragon seal that matched the statues watching over the maze. Instead, she held it out to him without a word. He took the letter and shoved it inside his coat, not the pack this time. The woman gathered his other belongings and handed them over, still silent. When she walked away, Danny stayed kneeling on the stones, the scroll pressed against his chest. It was no longer hidden. Someone else had touched it, seen it, held it in her hands before the dragon mistress ever could. The plan of keeping it secret until the perfect moment was gone.