Work Text:
Rayla snuck around the winding maze. She couldn’t let anyone see her as she neared her target. This one was the last. If she captured this one, she would have completed her mission. Rayla had been doing this every year for two years, now, but every time she had failed. This time was different, though. She had studied every aspect of her mission. She knew where her targets were located and she knew what the easiest path to get them was. She was sure she could not mess up. She turned around the corner and saw a boy, with his back toward her, between her and her target.
“What are you doin’ here?!” Rayla demanded.
The boy who had picked up the easter egg jumped, slightly startled. He quickly turned around. The boy seemed to be a year younger than Rayla, about nine years old. The boy had long black pants on and a dark red shirt. He wore a dark blue jacket and a bright red scarf, both of which seemed a bit too big for him. The boy seemed to carry a book that was attached to a strap slung around his shoulder.
“Um, I was just collecting the easter egg,” the boy said nervously.
“Well, that egg is mine! I need that egg to win the competition,” Rayla stated. They were both inside a hedge maze in the town’s park. There were chocolate easter eggs hidden around for kids to find and whoever was the first to find five eggs and hand them in won a prize.
“There is a competition?” the boy asked, confused.
“Well, yeah. The Dragon Prince Easter Egg Hunt happens every year at this place,” Rayla wondered how the boy didn’t know about the competition. “So that is why I need you to give me the egg, now,” Rayla said.
“Oh, okay,” the boy said nervously handing over the egg to Rayla.
Rayla looked at him surprised. She had thought she would have to fight for the egg. The previous years the other kids would guard the eggs with their life. They would work as a team with their friends to win the competition, whereas she always had to try to win alone. This boy, however, had just handed the egg to her.
After seeing his emerald-green eyes, she realized she had never seen this boy, before.
“What’s ya name?” Rayla asked.
“Huh?” the boy was confused at this sudden change of character.
“You do have a name, don’t you?” Rayla asked with a cheeky grin.
“Yes, yes. Uh, my name is Callum,” the boy said the last word so quietly, it was almost a whisper.
“What did you say? Clam? Clem? Or was it Camel?” Rayla questioned.
The boy chuckled, “No, it’s Callum.”
“Oh. My name is Rayla. I haven’t seen you around, before,” Rayla said inquisitively.
“Yeah, I am new here and I don’t really know anyone. Dad and I moved to Silvergrove for a ‘fresh start’, as my Dad calls it,” Callum explained frowning as he did so.
Rayla came beside Callum and they both sat down.
“We left Katolis, where we were before after Mom died of cancer,” Callum said tearing up.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rayla looked at Callum with compassion. “At least you have your dad, right?”
“Well, my actual dad died before I was born. Harrow is my stepdad. Although, I am glad I have him. He is a great dad, even though he is not my real dad,” Callum clarified.
“Oh,” Rayla realized that they were more alike than she thought. “My mum and dad died in a car crash when I was young.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that.”
They both sat in silence for a bit.
“Ya know what, here,” Rayla gave the basket of easter eggs she had collected to Callum.
“What? But I thought you wanted to win the competition?” Callum asked.
“I’ll win next year, but since you are new here, you can win this year,” Rayla said.
“Oh, okay,” Callum looked down at the basket. “What do I do to win?”
“You must hand them to the Easter Elders,” Rayla pulled him to the maze’s exit and pointed to a group of adults sitting in plastic chairs under the shade of a tree. “I haven’t heard them call out a winner, so we still have time.”
“I must give them the chocolate eggs? Why can’t we just eat them?” Callum asked puzzled.
“You’ll get them back, dummy. They just need to see that you found five eggs,” Rayla explained.
“Oh, okay,” Callum raced to the Elders and Rayla saw the Elders look at him, surprised. They had expected someone who had entered the competition before, to win.
Rayla saw one of the Elders lean over and pull a loudspeaker out of his bag.
“To all Dragon Prince Easter Egg Hunt participants: We have our winner, Callum Prince!” Rayla heard the loudspeaker say.
Rayla saw Callum collect the prize and run back over to her.
“What did you get?” Rayla asked Callum when he got close enough.
“You don’t know?” Callum thought she would know since she had been to one of these events before.
“No, they change the prize every year, so I never know what to expect,” Rayla explained.
“I got a huge chocolate bunny!” Callum exclaimed.
Rayla looked into the basket, which Callum had presented. The golden-wrapped chocolate bunny was so big that it filled the entire basket and shoved the eggs that they had found, to the side.
“Since the bunny is so big and you helped me win, maybe we could share the prize?” Callum asked shyly.
Rayla looked at him and blinked.
“You would do that?” Rayla asked.
“Of course. I always share with my friends,” Callum said smiling.
Rayla grinned at the statement and agreed.
They began walking toward where all the parents were while starting to eat their chocolate eggs.
“So your last name is Prince?” Rayla asked her new friend.
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing, I just think it is a cool last name,” Rala said simply and popped a whole chocolate egg into her mouth.
“Oh, thanks. What’s your last name?” Callum asked.
“Bfhrhws,” Rayla said, with her mouth full of chocolate.
“What?”
Rayla quickly swallowed the chocolate, “Burrows. Rayla Burrows,” Rayla stated proudly.
“Wow. That is also a cool name.” Callum looked around for his father, “Where is Dad? I remember he said that he was going to meet an ‘Ethari’ here,” Callum told Rayla.
“Really! Ethari is one of my caretakers,” Rayla said excitedly. “Come with me, I know where he will be.”
Callum tried to keep up with Rayla as she ran ahead.
“Ethari!” Rayla shouted to her caretaker when she came to her destination. She also noticed that Ethari was talking to another adult.
“Rayla! Did you have fun? I heard over the loudspeaker that someone else won. I’m so sorry. I know how much you wanted the prize, but you must remember: winning isn’t everything,” Ethari said to Rayla, expecting her to be disappointed.
“I know. That is why I gave my Easter Eggs to Callum,” Rayla said pointing to the boy who had now caught up with Rayla.
Ethari looked at Rayla extremely surprised. He then turned to the boy that Rayla pointed to.
“Dad!” Callum called the adult that Ethari was previously talking to.
“Callum!” Harrow exclaimed as Callum ran into his arms. “I heard that you won the Easter Egg Hunt.”
“Yes, but only because Rayla helped me,” Callum explained.
“I heard,” Harrow said glancing at Rayla.
“But we are sharing the prize with each other,” Callum told his father.
“That is very kind of you, Callum. Thank you, as well Rayla,” Harrow said with a smile.
“You kids can go and play, while Harrow and I finish up,” Ethari told the kids. “We will call you when we are ready to go.”
“Okay,” Callum said as they both ran off.
“Well, I can see that our children have already met,” Ethari told Harrow.
“Yes and they seem to be getting on pretty well,” Harrow said while watching the kids roll down a hill.
“Would you mind if I invite you and Callum over to dinner, after this?” Ethari asked.
“Not at all,” Harrow responded, “I’m sure Callum will like it. We can go now if you want?”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Ethari said.
“Rayla!” Ethari shouted.
“Callum!” Harrow called.
“Guess what, Callum? We are going to have dinner at Rayla’s place,” Harow said when they both arrived.
“Yay!” Both the kids exclaimed at the same time.