After one more quick hug, Arabella raced back to where Finn and Freya should be. However, as soon as she entered the room, she stopped and tried not to panic.
Finn and Freya were nowhere to be found.
~~~
In most any other situation, Finn would be laughing at himself being stuck in a hedge just below the nursery window.
However, the present was no laughing matter.
Freya had jumped from his arms to the window, glanced at him, and launched into the air.
At that moment, his heart had leapt from his chest.
But then he'd seen her flap her small wings a few times before crashing into a hedge. The second he'd seen her emerge and acting as if everything were normal, there'd been no other alternative but for Finn to do the same and jump out the window.
As he struggled to free himself from the blasted thing, Freya was already on the ground going in circles, chasing her tail.
Finally dislodging himself from the hedge, he walked slowly to Freya, debating what to do. Because if her dragon were in charge, she might think it was a game and he could be chasing her forever.
His beast spoke up. I still say we should shift. Even a wee dragon without any sense will listen to a much bigger one. And I am one of the biggest ones on Lochguard.
He ignored his dragon's ego to focus on what was more important. It could also scare her. Ara and I haven't had time to shift into our dragon forms and introduce you to the bairns yet.
And who's fault is that?
Finn mentally sighed. I promise to listen to you more once this is sorted. For now, work with me, aye?
His dragon grunted. Then shift.
Arabella's voice drifted from the window above. "Finn? What's going on?"
Freya looked up at her mother before dashing toward the back of the garden.
Finn answered, "Trust me," before shucking his clothes and imagining his nose elongating into a snout, his fingers turning into talons, and wings growing from his back. Within seconds, he stood in his golden dragon form.
His dragon spoke up. Let me take charge and try first.
Moving to the back of their mind, Finn did as asked.
His beast walked slowly toward Freya, who was now trying to catch a bug in her jaw. If there weren't any danger to his only daughter, Finn would think the scene adorable.
His dragon grunted and Freya paused with her mouth open. After another grunt, the little dragon met his eyes.
He roared gently and motioned toward the house.
Freya dashed into the waist-high grass at the very back of the garden.
His dragon spoke inside their mind. I think she wants to play. Let's try it.
Trusting his beast, Finn said nothing.
Freya popped her head up and then ducked down with a squeal. She may not be able to do the same in her human form for quite a while, but baby dragons could walk from birth. It was yet another reason why it was best that they usually didn't shift until they were older. Otherwise, parents would go mad a lot sooner.
His dragon silently stood still. Finn wanted to shout for his dragon to get on with it, but resisted. His other half had never let him down before.
After what seemed like hours, his dragon darted down their head and gently took hold of the back of Freya's neck. As he lifted the wee one, she remained frozen. Finn asked, How did you know to do that?
Instinct. Dragons aren't the only ones to use this method to fetch their young.