“I might not mind,” Tiff volunteered.
Leonie cleared her throat. “Ah, Ragvald? We do have this game, or something like it. But it’s only played by adults.”
Ragvald looked down at the bottle, forehead creasing. “Why?”
“Uh, well, you know.” Beth’s flush deepened. “Because it involves, um…”
“Kissing,” Spencer finished for her, flatly.
“What?” Ragvald looked almost as horrified as the kids. “Surely you jest. No one could want random chance to determine such an intimate act.”
“That’s kind of the whole point of the game,” Leonie said. She’d also gone rather pink around the ears. “Generally, you only play if you secretly have romantic feelings for someone else present. It’s a chance to kiss your crush without risk of rejection.”
“Outlanders,” Ragvald muttered. “You will all doanythingrather than admit your own emotions. It is a miracle you ever manage to reproduce at all.”
There was no sour tang of deceit to the wyrm’s words; only honest bafflement. Shan relaxed a little.
“It seems we have an unfortunate cultural misunderstanding,” he said. “Your version of this game is different, Ragvald?”
“Yes, for we wyrms are not insane,” Ragvald replied. “We each take it in turn to spin the bottle, like so. Whoever it stops on, you must challenge.”
Archie cautiously returned to his cushion. “So there’s no kissing?”
“Not in my experience, no.” Ragvald frowned. “Though now that I come to think of it, one of my cousinswasunusuallyfond of challenging a certain comely warrior to lead her through an unlit root cellar. It always did seem to take them an inordinately long time to emerge.”
“Exactly what kind of challenges are we talking about here?” Spencer asked. “I can’t do anything that risks damaging my glasses.”
“Do not fear, young hatchling. The challenges do not have to be physical, though that is an option.” Ragvald flicked the bottle, setting it spinning. “Tradition dictates that you may select the type of challenge you will face. You may pick a test of daring, where you must perform a difficult feat of the challenger’s choice. Or you may choose a challenge of truth, and answer a single question honestly.”
“Hang on,” Tiff said. “Is it just me, or does this ancient wyrm tradition sound weirdly familiar?”
“Truth or Dare!” Finley exclaimed. “That’s what it is. Just a version of Truth or Dare.”
“Oh, thank God.” Ignatius sagged in relief, though only for a moment. “No, wait. On second thought, that’s not any better.”
“It’s alotbetter,” Archie said fervently.
Rufus nodded agreement.
Spencer frowned. “It doesn’t make sense for the person who spins the bottle to be the one who challenges whoever it points at. For fairness, it should be the other way round.”
Ragvald shrugged. “I do not know how you play this game in your land, young warrior, but in this circle, you must accept my rules. Surely you would not ask me to go against the ways of my honored ancestors.”
Archie’s face lit up. “Ragvald, can we dare each other to doanything?”
“No,” Leonie said firmly, before Ragvald could respond. “I respect your traditions, Ragvald, but we still need to set some boundaries. Nothing dangerous. Nothing that involvestouching another person without their consent. And no daring anyone to take off items of clothing. That includes glasses. And gloves.”
Thank you, Leonie.Shan relaxed even more. He was still somewhat suspicious that the kids had arranged this with Ragvald, but if they had, Leonie had neatly neutered their plan.
“We should also have a way to veto a question or dare after it is set,” he suggested, just to be safe. “We don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable. It’s just a game, after all.”
“Nothing asjusta game, friend Shan,” Ragvald rumbled. “And growth is rarely comfortable. But you make a valid point. We set challenges in good faith, intending only to help our shield-siblings overcome their fears. Still, sometimes one may accidentally go too far. Thus, there is always a way out. Though there is a price for taking it.”
He flicked his wrist, reaching into his hoard again. A small copper bowl filled with fine black powder appeared in his palm.
“If you refuse a challenge, you must mark your face with soot.” Ragvald set the bowl in the middle of the circle, where they would all be able to reach it. “The challenger also marks their own face, as a penalty for setting too difficult a test. Anyone who reaches three marks is banished from the game, and also from the warmth of fire and fellowship, as is only proper. So think hard before both refusing a challenge, and setting one.”
“That seems fair enough.” Leonie said. “Is everyone happy to play?”
