Phoenix grinned and stared at the dragon. "He's so cute," Phoenix said, looking back up at Lithwen. He spun around when he heard footsteps pounding down the stairs. "Adar?" he said, worried.

"Yes, my son?"

"What are you doing down here?" Phoenix asked. "I thought you were going to mope in the throne room until I finished." He was still a bit angry at him for earlier.

"A massive ork attack. Lithwen, could you change a large dragon to be good?" "Yes, why?" " I order you to change a large dragon from bad to good, so it can protect the palace."

"He means please change a large dragon," Phoenix muttered, looking hopefully at Lithwen and trying not to show his fear.

"Ok." Lithwen then held out the dragon charm and chanted, "Dragon, oh dragon. Stars and night collide, the death and dark has died, from out of the shadows will come a true light." The charm she held turned purple as a bright light started to appear on the now purple stone, it danced and shot forward leaving the stone empty, and white once more. Then a thundering noise was heard as the ground shook. "Its outside." Lithwen whispered as the King ran, leaving Lithwen and Phoenix alone once more.

"Whoa," Phoenix breathed, his eyes wide. "That was awesome." He looked around wildly, almost expecting a large dragon to poke it's face around a wall.

Lithwen sighed with relief. "Hey Phoenix. Do you know if my mother is still here?" Hope shone in her grey eyes.

Phoenix stopped and rubbed his head. "Um. . . Adar doesn't really let me look around the dungeons." Not wanting her to look crestfallen, though, he quickly added, "Maybe we could look around?" "Really?! No lie?" Then the tall elleth thought for a moment "Well of course you wouldn't lie to me." Then Lithwen looked up at him. "Would you be kind enough to at least unlock the door so I can help you look?"

"Well yeah," Phoenix said, grabbing the keys from his pocket and unlocking her door. He swung it open and smiled at her. "We should start at the end and work our way down."

"Alright." Lithwen smiled back. Phoenix walked to the end cell and looked in, too close for the dwarf in there. The dwarf grabbed his tunic and pulled him into the bars. Phoenix let out a yelp when his arm hit it, and tried to pry himself free.

Lithwen's dragon then growled at the stubborn creature and the dwarf let go. "Well, that's not my Naneth." Lithwen joked. Phoenix laughed and nodded, holding his arm. "I figured as much. You can check the next one."

They were down to the last three cells, hops was fading like a flame being put out. "Ok." Lithwen nodded in agreement."Hey Phoenix, could you check the last one? I'll check the other three." Lithwen asked. She was now doubting her mother was here. Lithwen started walking, somberly. They where all empty so far. She got to the third one when she heard a weak voice cry out. "Help me, whoever you are. I rarely get food and water!" Lithwen looked closer. She saw a face she had not seen in a very long time. "Mother." Lithwen whispered. "Lithwen? Is that you?" "Yes!" Lithwen cried. "Phoenix! Over here! I found her!" She cried. Phoenix stumbled over to Lithwen. "Y-you found her?" He said, grinning.

"Yes." Lithwen sobbed. Then her head snapped up. The green dragon beside her flew closer to the cell. "Phoenix. Promise me you'll do anything I say." He nodded his head. Lithwen sighed. " Lock me up with my mother."

"What?" Phoenix asked incredulously. "Why? I'm not doing it until you explain," he said, folding his arms.

"If your father comes back I should be locked up, for your sake. I don't want to be alone either. My Naneth and I haven't seen each other in eight hundred years." In her head she added, I can also escape through the secret entrance in her cell too. I can free my mother even if that means staying here forever.

Phoenix frowned. "I know! As protest, I shall join you." Then he unlocked the cell door, pushed Lithwen in, and stepped in before slamming the door shut after him before the guard could stop him. He taunted the guard by jingling the keys in his face through the bars with his good arm, just out far enough that the maddened guard couldn't reach them.

"Lithwen. Whom is this ellon?" "Oh! Phoenix, the weirdo that thought being in a cell was fun. Just kidding. He's a really good friend. He saved me from being kidnapped." "Did you really?" Gailwen asked the red headed ellon.

Phoenix pocketed the keys and turned, shrugging. "I guess so. Did I? Oh yeah," he said, winking. "It was great fun. We had a grand old time." He looked around the cell, his eyebrows raised. "Nice place you got here." He coughed, then smiled. "Sure." Lithwen muttered.

Phoenix coughed again, doubling over. When he finished, he looked at Lithwen. "What now?" he asked.

"Well, there's a secret tunnel we can go through." pointing to a slab sticking out a little ways from the original wall.

"Why can't we just go through the main entrance?" Phoenix asked. "Nobody would expect that. And we could stop by my room to get disguises." "Good idea, why didn't I think of that? We should do it." Lithwen agreed.

Phoenix nodded and opened the door again, passing the now confused guard. His arm was going numb, but he ignored it and led Lithwen and her mother down a secret passageway to his room.

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I know this is a shorter chapter, but I hope you still like it!