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Tristan shot to his feet and placed himself between her and the darkness. His body shimmered as if on the verge of transforming, but there was no way the cavern could accommodate his dragon’s size. He’d be crushed!
“Calm down, Tristan,” she urged. “It’s probably nothing. A harmless animal or something.”
“Nay,” he argued, his accent suddenly thick. “’Tis something else. Show yourself, beast, or I will drag you out by your throat.”
June squinted into the darkness. At length, a shadow began to move, drawing closer, closer. Her heart pounded. Then something stepped into the light….
A…child?
He looked to be between seven and eight years old.
“Boy?” boomed Tristan, his body relaxing a touch. “What are you doing out here?”
Smudged with dirt and raked with shivers, the poor thing recoiled at Tristan’s intimidating voice and looked as if he was about to rabbit. He reminded June of so many of the youths she’d counseled back on Earth. To Tristan, she whispered, “Is it normal for young boys to inhabit caves on your planet?”
“No,” he murmured back.
“Could this be that missing boy?”
“Might be.”
Staying seated, she made her voice soft and friendly. “Hi. I’m June. What’s your name?”
The boy didn’t reply, he just eyed June as if deciding what to make of her. She kept her smile easy and her body relaxed. “We got caught in the storm and took shelter in your cave. Is it okay that were here?”
At length the boy nodded.
“Thank you. Do you have a name?”
“Thaddeus,” he replied, glancing warily at Tristan, who naturally appeared more threatening in this moment. She got the impression that one wrong move on their part and Thaddeus would disappear farther down the cave.
June repeated the boy’s name softly. “I like your name. It’s a strong name. Tristan, why don’t you check and see if the storm is slowing down?”
“It’s not,” he replied, not even looking.
Way to read the room. “Then come sit down by me, okay?”
He glanced down at her and she gave him a look.Trust me. After a moment, Tristan obeyed her directive and reclaimed his spot against the cavern wall.
“Thaddeus, would you like to use my blanket? I was cold before, but I’m fine now.” She held it out to him, waiting to see if he’d take it. After contemplating her for several seconds, he timidly approached and accepted the offering, wrapping it around himself and returning to the darkness. That was an important first step, one of many. He’d offered a little trust. Now she just had to build on that.
Once again, Tristan gazed down at her with confusion. He seemed out of his element, unsure what he was meant to do. She tried to behave as though everything was normal.
Keeping her voice low, she told him, “He looks a little freaked, don’t you think?”
“Aye. If I can get near enough, I think I can grab him.”
She blinked up at him and then shook her head. “I might have a better way. Just sit here and stay calm—and don’tgrabanybody. Heightened emotion will only work against you. Do you know how deep this cave goes?”
“No.”
After a minute, June called out, “Thaddeus, are you still there?”
There was no reply, but Tristan leaned over and whispered, “I hear him, just over there.”
“Thaddeus, did you know Tristan here is the king? Have you ever met a king before?”
Still no reply. “And guess what? I’m an alien from another planet. I’m from a place called Earth. I got trapped on this ship, you see, all by myself and was barreling into space with no idea how to work the controls. I was out of food and water and I was so hungry. I thought I was going to die, but King Tristan came to my rescue and saved me.” She threaded her fingers through his. “He’s a really good king. He let me come visit his castle and everything. Have you ever been to the castle, Thaddeus?”
