"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission." I say vaguely with a shrug of my shoulders, a playful smile tugs on my lips as I slip off my own hood. I pull the satchel back to myself. My hands quickly and carefully take the item out of the satchel and place it on the table in front of us.

There on the table, next to the empty satchel, rests a pearlescent dragon egg.

His gaze meets mine, his stunned features darkened under his hood. A hint of a smirk plays on his lips as he crosses his arms, he saw right through me. "This could go very poorly for you." He muses, "Especially if anyone were to even catch whiff of what you managed to obtain from the castle."

"I would not have shown you, if I did not trust you, Alaire." I point out, my gaze leaving his and back down to the egg. I lower myself to my knees and use the table edge for support as I admire the egg up close. It was beautiful, delicate, and now irrevocably free. Once it hatched, it would never have to face war or be forced to live within the walls of stone or chains - it would be free. Free to roam, free to play, free to hunt, just .. free. My left fingers curiously reach out for it and gently caress the scales of the egg, it was similar to touching stone and as equally hard to the touch.

"Wren." His voice brings me out of my thoughts and I smile up at him. Bright and big. His hood was no longer on, his hazel eyes wander to my smile and something silent spreads across his features. His words are lost to him, he clears his throat and scratches the back of his neck. "You need to hide the egg. We don't know how old this egg is nor how long it would take to hatch."

I clear my throat, my smile dropping slightly. "You're right." The guild is relentless and are no strangers to envy. There have been too many counts of sabotage within our own ranks to be able to relax. I stand and carefully place the egg back safely into my satchel and secure it around myself. "I cannot keep it here, but I think I know of someone I can trust to watch it for me."

"Who?" Alaire asks, his voice more confused than curious.

I grab his arm and pull him with me towards the door, his movements open and ready. "Follow me."

It was well past evening when we emerge silently from the back exit of the guild. We wouldn't always have to sneak out, but tonight it was absolutely necessary. With the egg's absence within the castle well known by now, the predicament of running into guards became a higher risk.

My hand still wrapped around his arm, I pull him forward into the empty alleyways we're both familiar with. Every step taken with calculation to remain as silent as possible and in the shadows as often as we could. The streets were empty, but the night smelled of petrichor, cheap wine, and echoed of drunken laughter. The moon gleamed high above us now, it shimmered inside the water along the ground from the rain we just had. I glance around a corner, nobody in sight despite the extra scouts of patrol out. My gaze shifts back and forth, we had to get across in order to reach where we needed to go. It was just further up the path and around the corner. I could smell the herbs from here.

My body tenses at sudden scuff of boots, it sounds like they're closing in from both sides.

"Wren, where are w-"

I slam my hand against his mouth, pushing him and myself deeper into the shadows. I meet his gaze, my finger over my mouth as he grabs my wrist and snags it away from his lips. Annoyance washes over his face before he tenses and twirls us around. My back hits the hard brick wall and he towers slightly over me, cascading us in complete darkness with his cloak.

"Ya hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Ah, must'a been tha wind. Coulda sworn I hearda voice."

"Ya needa get your ears checked, mate."

"Mind ya buisness, Hugh."

"I'da been able to mind my buisness if we weren't called inta work tonight. Who oughta thought some crazy bloke coulda stolen that dragon egg."

"Dragon egg? I heard that'a bloke stole from tha larda and took tha prince's prized goose."

We pressed against the wall a bit more, our chests rising and falling in unison. A smirk played across Alaire's lips as he silently watched in the direction of the voices, and only then did I realize just how close we were. His forearm rested right next to my head against the wall while his other lightly held my waist. My face grew warm, my hands unsure of where to go as they were stuck at my sides.

The voices began to disappear, Alaire's body began to relax before he glanced at me. His nose just barely hitting mine, wide deep hazel-green eyes meet mine before shifting from my lips back to my eyes. It seems Alaire just realized himself how close we were in proximity to each other. Neither of us move, unsure of how to go about dispersing. He was indeed handsome with a hint of mystery about him, a strong jawline, beautiful forest eyes, gorgeous dark curly brown locks.. wait. what?!

I notice the tip of Alaire's ears go pink before he suddenly pushes himself away and hides his face. I turn to hide myself as well, resting my forehead against the wall for a moment. Never had I had thoughts like that about someone, nonetheless Alaire - the man who hasn't always been the kindest to me. I put my hand on the wall to center myself with a deep breathe, my other hand squeezing the straps of my satchel to remind myself of where we need to go.

"We should keep moving." I whisper loud enough for him to hear. He hums in response, we circle out of the shadows once more and run across the street into the hidden corridor of the other alleyway.

We stop before a rustic wooden door that appeared as if it could collapse at any given moment. Alaire remains silent behind me. My hand grips the knife from my back belt loop and instinctively stabs between the wooden panels. Upon releasing my grip, the knife steadies and twists itself without hesitation. The smell of magic wafts through the air, a faint purple glow protrudes from the door and it disappears in a puff of smoke.

I glance behind me towards Alaire, who is rather stoic until his eyes meet mine. The urge to want to talk about what happened in the alleyway almost leaves my mouth, but I softly shake my head to rid of the thoughts. I can't distract myself now when we're this close.

So I smile, "It's always good to have friends in higher places. She'll be able to help keep this egg safe until the time is ready. It'll be the dawn of a new age. This dragon will be our new beginning."

I reach my hand out for him to take. He eyes it before gingerly taking it and we enter the witch's den together.