Pinecone

He had been planning this heist for months. His little sister Snowdrop, and his childhood friend Yarrow. It had been Snowdrop’s idea. It had been no surprise that when their world came crashing down around them it had been Snowdrop who stood tall, and made the next decisions. Including this heist. They needed money. Well they didn’t need money exactly. They would’ve been fine on their own. They had a few coins left, a few things to trade that had survived the fire, and there most useful objects were almost always on them. They were survivors. That’s what Snowdrop said. And despite her age, she knew she would make a good Phillies leader someday. If that’s what she wanted. Though it wouldn’t be much of a village with two surviving houses, and three people. A ex-soldier/thief, a healer, and a ex-storyteller. They made quite a little group. He could hear paper rustling behind him, and wondered if she was sketching the winter palaces, or taking notes of their great adventure. He remembered the last tall-tale he had been told. It had been just for days after their village had burned to the ground, and everyone else had been eaten. Just four days. He came to them talking of how dragon had language, and were just like them. Yarrow on a very un-Yarrow like fashion told him off, and to get out. There had also been theories like ‘dragons are from space’, or ‘dragon come from deep underneath the ocean’. To name a few. Humans hated not knowing everything, didn’t they. Snowdrop did anyhow. She had written everything the man said down. She probably believed him. There was a sort optimism about her doing that. Believing in magic. Believing that dragons were just a conversation away from peace. Believing that things could get better so easily. That wasn’t why Yarrow didn’t believe him though. If dragons were so smart how come they couldn’t figure out that humans weren’t just animals?

“If dragons are like humans why do they have castles made of ice the size of dragons?”

“Beavers also build their own homes.” She made a face at me, but I had a point. Snowdrop didn’t have dark hair, and eyes like the two of us. Her hair was so light blonde that is was the color of snow. Her eyes ice blue. Snowdrop pulled out a grappling hook tied to a rope dyed black as the night sky above us.

“Ready to be proven wrong?” She says smiling. Within minutes we up and over what seemed to be the ledge of a window. We jump down nimbly into a table made of ice. Years of running, and hiding from dragons had made us rather athletic. Yarrow starts to slip, and Snowdrop catches him. They both look at each other. Those two idiots better get together at some point. Snowdrop keeps glancing at him, and Yarrow has this look on his face. He better not hurt her though. If he ever turned abusive or something, and she’d throw him off the nearest ice cliff, and then light his body on fire. Just to be safe. She may be my younger sister, but she’s never needed my protection. I scanned the room. The shadows were to the left. A ice slab for a nest to the right. The only exit was across the room. A doorway with no door. Snowdrop pointed at something down below. I took in a sharp breath. She didn’t look scarred though, but that wasn’t a good gage on whether, or not there was a sleeping dragon beneath us or not. She might think it was cool. I risk looking down. It’s dark purple, and not moving. I realize it’s a large pillow.

“Last I checked beavers can’t sew.”

“Yes, yes you’re right about everything. They still might attack us for stealing, and trespassing though.” Snowdrop had insisted we didn’t steal from the royal treasury. One, because we didn’t want to accidentally steal something with cultural significance, and two to quote her ‘no dragonslayer 2.0’. Which none of us were planning on doing anyway. What were we doing to do poke them to death. Suddenly Snowdrop jumped. Yarrow as always fallowed her lead. “What- Why- You have a rope!” I hiss.

“Come on it’s ok.” Snowdrop says. I leap after them. At random we had to the room to our right.

“There’s nothing in here, but a desk.” I announce. It’s weirdly bright in here. Not just lite by the three full moons outside. Is there a candle or chandelier above us. I wouldn’t think that would be safe in a palace of ice. Not that I look at it the architecture does seemed carved with great care. Snowdrop is staring at the ceiling jaw hung open. She try’s to tap my shoulder without taking her gaze away, and ends up poking me in the face. “What?” I demand finally looking up too. There’s a flouting globe looking thing. It just flouts there, casting light into the room. Fewer places to hide then.

“Amazing! Is it magic?” Snowdrop whispers.

“Come look at this.” Snowdrop had already handed Yarrow the rope with the grappling hook. I can barely see him on the ice surface waving his arms around like he trying to wave down a sledge. We climbed up after him. “Look it’s twice my size.” He then proceeds to struggle to get an ink quill out of pot of ink. He struggles to lift it then falls into a sitting position. Dropping it onto the table and spattering ink. It smells vaguely of the see. Snowdrop looks a the large sheet of paper next to it. Coping down the unfamiliar language. I scan the desk. A large bag of gold coins. I push it over. At the sound of clinking medal both their head turn. Snowdrop helps me lift one out.

“Is this a good idea?” Yarrow asks. “I feel kind of bad. Knowing dragons aren’t like fish, beavers, sharks, or whatever.”

“Fish?” Snowdrop asks.

“Fish like shiny things.” He says.

“I like shiny things.” Snowdrop says looking at her reflection in the coin like a mirror. There large. The size of a shield. Light enough still for me to carry in the bag.

“We only need on.” I say, and they both nod. Maybe we’re all starting to regret this. I think Snowdrop just for an excuse to see the place, and have an adventure. I know she also did it for stability though. Sure we can hunt, and trade. But this coin could mean we won’t have to worry about anything in our lifetimes. Yarrow climbs down out this open window into the cold. Despite I think furs I don’t want to be out there in the cold anymore than we have too. I’m about to leave when something catches Snowdrops eye. In a glass case like picture frame is a silver and blue gemstone neckless. She looks dazzled.

“Oh.” She opens the case.

“Snowdrop.” I call to her. She touches it.

“I think it’s magic.” She says sounding dazed.

“Leave it.”

“Can you believe it? Real magic. Like in the stories I tell.”

“Come on.” I say. She reluctantly moved away from it. I have to start to go down first for her to fallow. When I look up half way down, and she’s still not there I start to climb up after her.

“What are you doing?” Yarrow calls nervously.

“She went back for the neckless.”

“That doesn’t sound like her.”

“It’s magic.”

“And you left her alone with it!?” I should have made her go before me. Or rather, I probably would’ve ended up having to let her have her way, and just take the neckless. I poke my head up, and immediately back down. Two white dragons are talking to each other. At least that’s what I assume the roarings about. I peek out again. One of them is wearing the blue diamond neckless. Where’s Snowdrop? I look around, but it’s not like there’s anywhere she could hide. She’s not in there claws. Oh no! Is the penalty for the every immediate execution? Did they eat her? I look around one more time, before sliding down. I land in fresh powder.

“She’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” He grabs the rope likes he’s going to go up after her.

“I mean she’s not there, but two dragons are. We’ll have to come back for her.” I say. There’s no sense in all of us being caught. When they’re guards down we’ll look for her again. In the nights that pass we sneak out while they’re asleep. We still don’t dare come inside. We make a map of the floor plan of the place. We know that there’s four dragons that live there. One never takes off the neckless. We start to wait until we know the house is empty to explore it. After the fourteenth time with no prevail we start to realize the truth that she’s already dead. All for some dragon treasure.