Sleeping Dragon in a coat of gold or a coat of red, a lion still has claws

She was roused easily enough, having tried her best to have a restful sleep - but her eagerness to see Thuringwethil, and to be once more united with an equal, kept her mind whirling through the night. To think that the woman was right here, ready and willing to take them in --- it was not common for Sere to feel such joy, but she felt it now. They would reunite and things would return to normal. Or so Seregryn thought.

The woman was led to them swiftly, and while Seregryn recognized the gray woman from before, she did not heed her; instead, her gaze met the heda briefly as Thuringwethil perused them. As soon as her attention drifted away, Seregryn's joy and enthusiasm fizzled; she felt doubt, and then - realizing it was Gavriel who was holding the spotlight - a keen indignation, swelling beneath her breast. Mentally she found herself demanding, look at me! The girl made a small noise, glancing at Gavriel, and wondered what made him so special. She was the Fos Goufa here -- she was the future.