Peter

  They had been living with the taurs for almost three years now.

  Time had flown by aer hadn't gotten any older. Not a single day! He e. Definitely. He had always been afraid of getting older while his little sister stayed young. He was afraid of leaving her alone one day. But that might never happen.

  Some of the elves and the other two humans had joined one of the vilges, but not all. The taurs had offered to stay with them. For Peter and his little sister, this seemed to be the best solution to avoid being found by the Queen's soldiers should they cross the border.

  The taurs had helped them build their ows. They now lived in their ow vilge right o the taurs and lived with them along the river. Together with them stayed Gisele and Lavinia with Maleen, Ilse with her daughter, Thilo, Sofia, Emil, and Elias, as they wao stay close to their cousin and Liam with Pepe. And of course Leopold with his parents, the twons, and Finn and Marko.

  Right now, Peter was looking for his sister. Hanno, Flora, and Leopold had cooked diogether. Julia wao go to the river, but it was getting te. Summer was ing to an end and the wind was getting colder. Julia was now een years old, but she had hardly ged ihree years. This surprised Peter siches and wizards usually stopped aging at twenty-five. The queen had stopped getting older at thirty. That wasn't unusual. It was the test time at which the aging process could stop. But between the age of sixteen and een? He had never heard of it.

  He found Juli by the river. Together with Fiete and Josef. The twons y he shore irue form and slept. Julia was also asleep. She snuggled up to Josef, who spread one of his wings over her. Fiete held his wing over the two in his sleep. It looked fortable, even if he could only see his sister's head. The twons were huge.

  First, he went to Fiete. Standiween two sleeping dragons could be dangerous if they moved in their sleep. Unlike Juli, Peter didn't want to dare. Fiete snorted softly in his sleep. Peter saw the dragon as his best friend. Fiete was affeate and had a sense of humor. Peter appreciated that. And he especially appreciated the love and care that the dragon showed for his little sister. Fiete loved Julia aer was happy about it. He didn't have to worry about Julia. Not when twons were always close to her. And to him.

  He stroked the white dragon's big snout. Fiete's head was taller thaer. He felt like an ant. Fiete opened his eyes and raised his head. He snorted kindly aly nudged Peter with his nose.

  "M sunshine!" Peter grinned. "The food is ready. And it smells so good that it's sure to attract a few of our taur friends. So swing your hips to our tent!"

  Fiete rolled his eyes and took human form. "Are you waking up the children? Or should I?"

  "Wake up the children, honey." Peter wi him, which made the dragon ugh. "It's not just mi's yours! I'll quickly throw myself into something pretty for you!"

  "Idiot!" Fiete shook his head.

  "Oh! How mean! You like my sense of humor!"

  "That's true. But I leave waking up our brood to you, darling! Have fun with the bad-tempered bck dragon." And Fiete left Peter aloh the teenagers. Peter sighed. Josef was often very indignant when he was woken up. He would have preferred it if Fiete had taken over.

  Julia

  The sun. Storm. Harpies fly over the castle. Red vampire eyes. Blood. An army of different races. The castle is in fmes. Dragons.

  In her sleep, she heard an angry humming and rumbling.

  "Oh, e on Josef! Dinner is ready!" That eter's voice. Julia opened her eyes and yawned. Instead of leaning against Josef, she now y on the soft grass. Josef's wing was still spread over her.

  "Josef! I'm not the dinner! ... Hey! Let me down!"

  Tired, she climbed out from uhe warm wing of her dragon friend and saw how Josef had lifted her brother with sharp teeth on his jacket. Peter g to Josef's mouth scoldingly.

  "Evil dragon!" Peter crossed his arms. Theiced Julia. "Dearest sister? Tell your dragon to let me down!"

  "Where is Fiete?", she asked instead, notig the absence of the other dragon.

  "He left me to my fate! Josef! Your teeth crumble my jacket! I like this jacket! Don’t you dare to tear it apart!"

  Josef just snorted a. Julia followed him ughing. "So, there's dinner?"

  "Yes..." Peter dangled disgruntled in the air. Just before they arrived at the tents, Josef let him down and turned into a human being. Josefine had grown. She was now slightly taller than Julia and grinned broadly.

  "Cheeky brat!", Peter grumbled and marched to their tent.

  "That was funny." The dragon girl yawned. "But I would have preferred to tinue sleeping."

  "Me too." But Julia's stomach disagreed and started to make he two girls ughed.

  "I dreamed of the desert. I hope to see it someday!" Josefine sighed. "Did you dream something?"

  "No. But I had a vision."

  "Oh? A good or a bad one?"

  "Bad. There will be war again."

  "Oh." Josefine grimaced.

  "I agree with you." They ehe tent, which was now their home. They shared the big tent with Leopold, his parents, Marko, Finn, and of course Peter and Fiete. The tent was one of the rgest. It sisted of a rge room that served as a dining room and living room, and several small rooms adjat to it. The tent was divided inte panels of fabric. Cooking was usually done behind the tent. The small rooms served as bedrooms. One of these rooms was shared by Leopold's parents, the room o it by Fiete aer then came Leopold's and Marko's room, and finally the shared bedroom of Finn, Josefine, and Julia. There was another, very small room, which they used as a pantry sinone of the teenagers wao use the room.

  One might wonder why the teenagers and the young adults were so divided. The reason was simple. Leo's parents thought it was the wisest decision that the couples did not share a room. They had sidered making the pantry Julia's room, but the room was very small, and Josefine and Julia had insisted on sharing a room. And they gdly accepted Finn with them, because he did not want the small room either. Julia didn't mind sharing a room with Finn as well. Marko, oher hand, did not like it. He wao share the room with Finn, but the two were not allowed to.

  Finn was een. Ihree years, he had ged. He didn't look quite so childlike anymore and had grown. He was now slightly taller than Julia. The taurs liked to call him araordinarily pretty boy. Leopold and Marko had also ged. Both had grown quite a bit. Now, Marko was taller than Leo aer. And more muscur. o him, Finn seemed very small ae, although he was her.

  "Josefine!" Peter held out his jacket to her pintively as the two ehe tent. "Do you see that? Holes!"

  "Oops?" Josefine grinned mischievously, showing her pointed, sharp teeth.

  Peter's jacket was now adorned with a series of holes that the dragon's teeth had torn into the fabric. "You will sew that!", he grumbled.

  "Sure. But I 't sew very well!" Josefine wi him. Her uncle, who was standing behier, ughed.

  "I'm happy to do that!" said Finn immediately. He was now the tailor of the vilge. The taurs liked to provide him with fabrid homemade leather, as they loved his creations. Peter also beed from this. Finn had already sewn several garments for him. Julia helped him. Marko, Leopold, and his parents, oher hand, supported the taurs irade with the refugee vilges. Peter painted ahe three sell his paintings in the vilges. And the dragons? Well, most feared the two, even if the taurs were not hostile to them, and had weled them for the most part. There were only a few problems. Julia was happy about it.