“Alright, The Golden Claw is right up ahead,” Sarre announced, pointing to a large, two-story inn made of logs and large chunks of glossy gray stones that glimmered lightly from the warm colored light from lanterns that were hung around the property. The inn was surrounded by a carefully cared for garden with decorative trees and flowers lining the pathway in they turned onto. At its large, two-door entrance stood a woman who could have been Shea’s twin except for her hair was a deep blue-black, cut short and she looked to be a bit older than Shea. When they pulled up, the woman clapped her hands out of delight and let out a small shriek of excitement.

“Shea! It seems like it’s been forever!”

Shea jumped down from the wagon as the other woman came running up to her and grasped her in a huge hug, “Marion, I was only gone a couple days. You knew I would be returning.”

Marion let go of her and sighed, “I know, I know. It’s just you left here so suddenly and when the King’s Guard came tromping through telling everyone to evacuate, I feared the worst!”

“You worry too much cousin. Besides, there is someone who I want you to meet,” Shea spoke lightly as she gestured over to Jason who plopped down out of the wagon with Quil right behind him.

Marion stared for a moment before a large smile crept over her face. Jason looked over just in time to have Marion practically swallow him up in a very, very tight hug and exclaimed, “You have a hatchling! You finally have a hatchling! And fire hatchling at that! You have no idea how happy Joyce will be!”

Marion, clearly the family Quil had warned Jason about, was hugging or more so trying to squeeze the life out of him for Jason to do more than grunt out, “…Quil?!”

“Marion, I think you should introduce yourself first,” Quil said with amusement dancing across his features.

“Oh, of course! Sorry!” she stammered as she released Jason and he caught his breath, “I’m so sorry! It’s just our whole family has been waiting for this day for so long! Your mother is so stubborn and-oh I’m getting carried away again. Sorry! Anyways I’m your mother’s cousin, but we’re actually more like sisters and Cousin Marion has always sounded too weird to me, so you can call me Auntie or Aunt Mary,” she rattled off like a chipmunk who had eaten twenty pecan tarts with room for more.

When Marion had finally paused, Jason doubted that she actually ever really stopped, introduced himself, leaving off his last name since he wasn’t sure where that fit in anymore, something he’d ask Quil, “Uh, ok, I’m Jason.”

“Oh! Shea I even love his name! Now you must be tired, I know my daughter Joyce was for quite a while after I gave her my fire but you have to meet her before you go to bed. And I have to get your bedroom ready anyways, so that will be perfect! Come on!”

“Wait, your daughter is-,” Jason began but Marion grabbed and practically dragged Jason into the inn, completely unaware of her own strength. Shea followed behind amused at the scene that was typical of her cousin while the other three covered up their supplies and took the wagon and horse to the stables.