They trudged through the falling rain and flooded streets, Peregrine and Fiona leading the group to the Bed and Breakfast the dragon shifter knew.

The place wasn't big, but luckily, just as he had predicted, it wasn't full and they were given two rooms situated next to each other-- one for Fiona, her mother, Freddie and Gollum, the other for the three men.

"The breakfast is served from seven to ten," the receptionist informed them as she passed them the keys. "And should you feel peckish tonight," the middle-aged woman added, smiling at Freddie, "make mummy take you into the breakfast room any time. There's always warm tea and hot chocolate, and some bread and biscuits. Tonight we have a cake, too. Just help yourselves, the weather is too bad to go to eat out."

"Thank you," Fiona told the woman, surprised by her friendliness. People she normally met in London weren't so kind. They were all busy and stressed and hardly ever smiled... and she had been one of them until these three men appeared in her life three days ago.

She didn't realise she was staring at Peregrine until he raised his eyebrows at her in a silent enquiry when she didn't move after the others had walked towards the staircase, which led to the upper floors.

"Nothing," she muttered, her breath catching when his hand closed around hers as if he couldn't prevent it, and she let him lead her upstairs.

"Good night, Bella," he murmured upon reaching the top.

They stopped a few steps away from the two rooms whose open doors, expecting their last visitors, spilt light and noise of unpacking into the dimly lit corridor.

"Goodnight, Peregrine," she whispered in reply, closing her eyes and tilting her face up, tempting him, when she felt his hand closing tighter around hers instead of letting go.

Goodness, he wished to kiss her, finally, to feel those plump, inviting lips mould into his, giving way, parting for him... A low growl of frustration escaped him when he reminded himself that he couldn't do it.

She heard it, one corner of those rosy, shiny lips tugged up in reply, but she didn't move, that face, so kissable, was still revolved towards his, for him to do whatever he pleased...

He pushed her against the wall as he planted his hands on her waist firmly, feeling her breath hitch and her heart starting to race when he pressed his body flush against her, unable to stop himself. She was unresistable, she was playing with fire, did she have any idea of what she was doing to him? And yet, she wasn't a woman who would be happy with the little he could give her. She would want a promise of a future which he wished with all his heart he could give her... But that was impossible.

He was half expecting her to come to her senses finally, push him away, and run into her room... She didn't. With a deep sigh, he pushed himself away from her and kissed her on her forehead, then dashed into his room, damp cloak billowing in swirls around his legs like black smoke in the rain, without another word.

"You took your time, dragon," Leodhais said.

The elf scowled at Peregrine as he entered their room, shut the door, and leaned against it for support. Bella was making him feel... weak, and soft, and vulnerable. But she was also making him feel so many other sensations no other woman before her did... A vague, content smile played on his lips as he raised his head to confront the annoying elf.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" he challenged, walking towards the last free bed, situated closest to the door.

"There are many things we need to discuss, we have hardly ever spoken since we found Alaric's daughter," Leodhais replied, coming to stand at the foot of the bed where Peregrine sat, tall, straight-shouldered and serious.

There was something the elf wanted to tell him, something personal, something he wasn't going to like, Peregrine guessed even as Gilderoy materialised at his friend's side, the dwarf's curly brown head reaching the elf's armpit as he pulled at his sleeve.

"This is not the right moment, Leodhais. There are other, more pressing matters really; we should first deliver Fiona and her family to Alaric before..." Gilderoy reasoned, but Peregrine didn't let him finish.

"Let him talk, Gilderoy," he said, narrowing his eyes at the elf even as he took the ring he didn't need any longer from around his neck at threw it to him.

Leodhais let the ring fall on Peregrine's bed without trying to catch it.

"You can give it back to Alaric as well as I can. You might even see him before me," Leodhais said.

The words were followed by a sigh from Gilderoy, who, apparently giving up, left his friend's side and vanished into the background.

"What do you mean, elf?" Peregrine asked, feeling intrigued for the first time since Leodhais had spoken.

"I've been thinking a lot..." Leodhais said, frowning in a warning at the dragon who arched his eyebrows in a sign of deep surprise, teasing him. "I want to ask you for your sister's hand in marriage. If you agree, I won't be coming back to Lundenwic. I'll stay with her in The Gate; she needs help and protection."

Peregrine couldn't help himself; he laughed. The elf was clueless. His sister was a dragon shifter. She wasn't a Higlander, but that didn't make her any less of a monster. That was how dragons were looked upon by other inhabitants of Silmarea, especially those who were not half-breeds or shapeshifters. Those like the pure elves. Peregrine doubted that Leodhais had ever seen a dragon, he doubted that his sister's ability, and need to shapeshift every once in a while wouldn't come to stand between her and the posh, spoilt elf eventually... It wasn't easy for dragons to find love.

He sighed as he replied, "It is not my decision to make. Annwyn would never allow me to decide about her future, and I would never want to do it. She is a strong woman, she will always listen to her own heart and mind, and no one else. I won't stop you from trying to win her love, but you need to remember a couple things, elf. First and foremost, your loyalty and debt to Alaric. The man had brought you up as his own son, his heir, the smallest thing you can do for him in return is to tell him in person that you won't be marrying his daughter as he wished. And the second, but just as important," Peregrine added, letting his voice drop into deep seriousness as his eyes poured into Leodhais'. "You have only just met Annwyn. She is not like you, have you forgotten that she's a half dragon? What will you do when you see her shift for the first time? Run for the hills?"

Peregrine paused, watching the elf's mouth open, then close soundlessly, forbidding himself to shake his head or express any other form of judgement. The elf was trying. Hard. It wasn't his fault that he was spoilt and inexperienced. He just needed some time to grow.

"Don't go breaking her heart until you are sure that you really love her," he added simply, moving slightly on the bed to look at Gilderoy who sat on his own bed behind Leodhais.

The dwarf's relieved sigh let him know that he handled the situation better than Gilderoy had anticipated, the dwarf was most likely expecting Peregrine to tear his best friend to pieces in a heated argument. And he might have done just that, before this quest. This journey changed him too, just like his companions.

Leodhais shuffled off to his bed without saying anything more, and Peregrine laid down and let his mind stroll to Alexandra's words in this first free moment he got to think since she had pronounced them on the train. The name of the only man her daughter had ever loved was Lagon... Black. Peregrine was certain that he was no other than Ancalagon The Black, the Highlander who had killed his parents, the one he had sworn to kill. And as he had not heard about his death, he was sure that Lagon was still alive somewhere and he would end him, or die trying, the moment they met... But now, the Highlander had acquired more meaning and depth. He was someone who was loved once by the woman he... was in love with now. He was the father of the boy he was growing to love as his own so...

"So what's with you and Fiona?" Gilderoy's voice disturbed his reverie.

Peregrine shook his head to disperse his thoughts, then sat up, looking towards the dwarf who was purposely not looking at him as he unpacked his luggage.

"What do you mean, dwarf?" he asked of Gilderoy's back.

"Well, you both seem very... intense around each other. Come on, Peregrine, you can't tell me that you don't like her and I can tell you that she's just as attracted to you..."

Peregrine huffed. "It hardly matters, Gilderoy. I can't afford these feelings. She's Alaric's daughter, a princess whose father would never give her to a Highlander, even if he could permit himself to settle down and start a family. And you forget that she already loved a Highlander, and he broke her heart when he left. This... attraction between us, whatever you want to call it, will lead to nothing."

"But I've been watching you, and she doesn't seem to mind, I swear Peregrine, she seems to be in lov..."

"No, Gilderoy, stop, please. Even if she is willing to risk her heart again, I won't take the responsibility. I'll stay around her and the boy as a guard and a trainer until I'll have to leave for their safety..."

"But maybe you won't have to leave," Leodhais interfered, his voice reaching them from his bed situated across the room, by the window. "You might just find a way to stay with her; why not? Your parents fell in love and married and had you and lived together..."

Peregrine's eyes strolled towards the panes of glass behind the elf's head; it was still raining outside. This close to the portal it meant that it was raining on the other side too-- the swamp around the stones in Silmarea will be so much more treacherous and dangerous to cross tomorrow... He forced himself to focus on the elf, who was still looking at him, waiting for an answer.

"Until they died. That's not what I'd want for a woman I loved. I wouldn't want my child to grow up like I did..." He sighed in frustration; he already told them too much. "Worry about your own lives, you two, don't think about me," he said, standing up, pulling Freddie's book out of his bag and heading for the door. "Go to sleep; it won't be an easy journey tomorrow."

Frowning, the large book under his arm, Peregrine stormed out of the room and let the door shut behind him even as a thunder rattled the panes of glass set in the window. He would read in the dining room until the two fell asleep, he resolved, descending the stairs silent like the falling dusk.