Jason pulled his wing back as Puck gave him a sideways look,pulling both his wings firmly to his back and glancing away as faint pink bubbled the edges of his freckle scales before being pounded out by dark night purple. Other bright and vibrant colors danced gracefully over his underwings though that he couldn't stop.

He skipped a part of the story. "But, apparently," Puck continued, glancing at the three teenagers listening in rapt fascination, "Leanansidhe has a new following. A new little mortal cult ready to throw themselves at her feet." He smothered a laugh. "Pickings must be pretty slim nowadays."

"Hey," said the girl, narrowing her eyes at him. "Whats that supposed to mean?"

'Mortals.If these people follow her and are mortal then they might...be hybrids? Maybe...or some types of creatures are naturally mortal.' He thought to himself, Shade fluttering about Jason's head a bit and then settling in his hair as Fatespeaker sat on Puck's foot,seeming to like that spot very much.

Puck definitely didn't mind. He didn't really notice, to be honest.
"WE CANNOT GO TO THIS LEANANSIDHE NOW," Ironhorse boomed, making the teens jump and the ceiling rattle. He couldnt speak quietly if his life depended on it. "OUR MISSION IS URGENT. WE MUST GET TO CALIFORNIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."


"Well, were not going anywhere now, not with ol Deathbreath guarding the only way out."


"Come with us."

Warren had spoken and was staring at them intently. The eager look in his eyes made Puck uncomfortable, as did his sudden change in mood. "Come with us to Leanansidhes," he urged. "She could help. You want to go to California? She can get you there, easy--"

Jason felt a little hurt at Pucks remark of the dragon having 'death breath'. Sure,fire ice,lava and all that stuff is deadly but not always used for harm. He'd made two little dragons out of ice for pete's sake,and they were adorable!
"Why would she help us if she's looking for us?"

"Come here a second, would you? 'Scuse us a sec, people." Surprisingly strong for her size, she dragged him into a far corner. Huddled against the wall, they whispered furiously to each other, casting suspicious glances at Ironhorse over their shoulders.

"What are we going to do?" Puck wondered. "Should we wait until the dragon leaves to find our way back through the Briars? Or should we find out what Leanansidhe wants?"

Jason rubbed the back of his neck a bit,the bindings looser now and drooping slightly to show some of the lacing cracks. "Not sure....what's the chance that what Leanansidhe wants isn't bad,and what are the chances that the dragon will leave soon?"

"I DO NOT TRUST THIS LEANANSIDHE. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS."

He shrugged. "Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with the toaster oven," he said, earning a hard glare from Ironhorse. "Leanansidhe has always been unpredictable, and she has enough power to make that dragon look like a cranky Gila monster. But...I always say the enemy you know is better than the enemy you cant see."

"Well then does that mean we go back? Because we know the dragon,sorta. But you probably know Leanansidhe a lot better than me obviously." He tapped a foot the the ground,causing Shade to pat one of his horns as if telling him to relax and just think. So he stopped and took a few breaths,making sure to stay calm and letting his shoulders relax and his tail stop twitching.

"If Leanansidhe is looking for us, I think we should meet her on our own terms. Otherwise, Id just worry about what shes sending after us. Besides..." Puck rolled his eyes. "I think we have another problem."