The sunlight streaking through the curtains forced Richard to wake up. It was the first deep sleep he had in days despite him sleeping in a chair. The quick fly over the Gallant Kingdom turned out to be far more than he could have imagined. From saving Harold from falling, commanded by the lord to take his children to safety and that run in with the witch. So much happened that it was a relief to find an inn. It was tiny and smelled of mold but it was better than nothing as they all collapsed from exhaustion.

The Gallant children (Jessica and Harold) were still fast asleep huddled together on the only bed in the room. Richard's armour was bundled rather clumsily in the corner with his sword laid across the floor still bloody from the fight at gallant castle. It was all in dire need of some love from a blacksmith but he used up the last of his money to get this room so it would have to wait.

As he got up from his chair he stretched his arms, legs and was about to do his wings and tail too until he remembered that he was in a small room and would probably push the kids off the bed. Sighing with disappointment he tucked his wings back and kept his tail close to his legs as he crept his way out of the room. Making his way down the corridor towards the bathroom so that he freshen himself up.

The mirror greeted him with his dirty face and a couple of scuffs in his scales. He grabbed a bucket of water and washed his face with a sponge making sure to get all the dirt off. For whatever reason his mind flashed back to when his mother washed him down after his muddy adventures in the woods as a kid.

"Oh Richard," she would say, "You're going to bring all that into the house. Stay there you naughty scamp"

Angry as she was she still smiled and Richard never thought against her even when she scrubbed really hard behind his ears. Of course he needn't worry about that now for both good and bad reasons.

"Indeed. One less thing to mess up on"

Richard stopped. That drunken voice. Why now? Of all times?

"I didn't bring up my son to cut corners like that. You do things how I want and that's final!"

Dropping the sponge Richard cupped his hands in the bucket and splashed his face a couple of times. The voice had gone. He gripped onto the sides of the bucket, his arms shaking. He closed his eyes trying to calm himself down. He can't get to him here. He had to remind himself that. He was safe. Alke assured him of that.

He opened his eyes to look at his reflection. What greeted him however was his human self. The small, fragile, weak, scared and pathetic human that he once was

"That's all you are. No matter how much you run and change your appearance you will always be the runt of a pigs litter"

Richard screamed and punched the mirror in anger sending meant cracks through the reflective surface. Looking back at it Richard saw himself as a dragon again but more importantly the voice was gone.

He wiped away a small tear. Why can't his past just leave him be? Why can't he just forget about all that and only remember his life now? No. That was a lie. He didn't want that. He didn't want to forget his mother. She's too precious to forget.

"You shouldn't bottle things up". Richard snapped around and saw Jessica at the doorway. "Nothing good comes from it"

Richard sighed "If I told you my story you wouldn't believe it"

"Try me"

"Seriously. You wouldn't. You'd think me mad". Jessica raised an eyebrow clearly not believing him.

"In any case you're gonna have to pay for that" Jessica said pointing at the mirror. Richard looked at it as a shard fell to the ground.

"About that," Richard began, "You wouldn't by any chance have any change on you?" Jessica shook her head. Richard sighed again. He really didn't need this now.

---

This is an hard hitting YCH that I got from  BigGoodWolf

Richard belongs to me