The Tale of Five Heirs

Chapter Twelve, in which we meet the Dragon Tribes

Ronnith had never ridden on the back of a dragon before, but he couldn't believe what he had been missing. "Whooooohooooo!" he yelled as Obtennaflach's dragon beat its enormous wings and carried them higher above the mountains.

They had been flying for hours, as the dragon circled around snow-covered peaks and skirted the edges of other storms. They all sat in a line along the dragon's back. At the front, Obtennaflach and Gerrathorach jabbered away in the guttural language of the Dragon Tribes. Ronnith thought they sounded like his cat. In front of him sat Skeena. "Yay!" Ronnith shouted.

Skeena winced. "Could you be any louder?" she muttered.

A mountain taller than any Ronnith had ever seen loomed in front of them. They flew straight towards its sheer rock face, and Ronnith craned his neck to look up but he couldn't see the top.

Obtennaflach guided the dragon to fly around the mountain. Just as they approached the opposite side of the mountain, the dragon dove straight down in a vertical plummet. Ronnith slammed into Skeena's back.

Skeena groaned, sandwiched between Ronnith behind her and Gerrathorach in front of her.

Ronnith saw the ground rushing up towards him more quickly than he wanted it to. "Um, Obtennaflach," he called. "Are we going to stop falling?"

"Are you sure this is safe?" said Skeena.

"I'm not," said Tamara.

The ground was even closer. Ronnith squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he jolted backwards as the dragon changed direction again. Now they were flying just above the trees, approaching a little village in a clearing at the base of the mountain.

The dragon landed in the center of the village. "Never again," groaned Skeena, sliding off the dragon's back.

Ronnith and everyone else followed her. They were surrounded by long halls made of wood, decorated with large animal bones, helmets, and artwork. Most of it was dented and scorched.

"It must have been stolen on dragon raids," said Tamara.

In front of them, closest to the mountain, was the largest hall. It had an entire suit of armor lashed to a beam above the door. Just then, a man flung the door open and strode towards them.

"That is Ruralach the chieftain, my father," said Obtennaflach.

Ruralach had long blonde hair and a matching beard. His cloak was made of buffalo leather, his tunic from a leopard's pelt. He was weeping. "My sons!" he called. "You have returned. I shall declare a holiday!" He swept them both into a hug.

Other Dragon Tribes villagers emerged from the other building and stood around Obtennaflach's dragon, watching them, cheering, and talking to each other.

"Your hair is especially lustrous today, Father," said Gerrathorach. "It is as soft as the summer wind."

The dragon chieftain started crying harder. "I am so glad to hear you say that!" he gasped between sobs. "You have finally become a true man of the Dragon Tribes!"

"It is all thanks to these southern weaklings!" Obtennaflach called out to the crowd. "They have returned Gerrathorach to us and fixed his personality!"

"That is true?" said Ruralach, turning and blinking at Ronnith and his friends. "In that case, we will give them special dragon initiation!"

"Special dragon initiation?" said Kelvin in a strangled voice. "Isn't normal dragon initiation enough?"

Ruralach threw back his head and laughed. "Don't be silly!" he said. "You are our honored guests. We wouldn't dream of subjecting you to regular dragon initiation."

"In regular dragon initiation, our prisoners read a poem to my father about why they would be a good fit for the Dragon Tribes," said Obtennaflach.

"And how they see themselves growing within the Dragon Tribes community," said Gerrathorach.

"And what they will bring to our unique community dynamic," said Ruralach. "And if I don't like it—well, we have to feed the dragons somehow."

Kelvin gulped.

"But you are guests," said Ruralach. "Instead, you will all say the Dragon Tribes mission statement, and then we will have a feast in your honor."

The crowd cheered.

That evening, Tamara, Skeena, Kelvin, Yago, and Ronnith stood in a line facing the chieftain's throne. All the members of the tribe sat at the long tables behind them. The chieftain walked to his throne and took a seat. The herald, a woman wearing a ballgown made of bear fur, walked to stand next to him. She pulled out a scroll.

"Ruralach, son of Lanturach, Chieftain of the Twisted Fangs, foremost among the Dragon Tribes, he of the silky hair and winning smile, wishes to formally welcome you to his hall," she said. Ronnith looked at his friends. Tamara was staring at the woman with no expression on her face. Skeena was holding back a smirk, but Yago wasn't trying to hide his. Kelvin's gaze shifted between the various weapons on Ruralach's person.

"Repeat after me," said the herald. "A member of the Dragon Tribes is a genteel barbarian."

"A member of the Dragon Tribes is a genteel barbarian," Ronnith and his friends repeated.

"The Dragon Tribes will pillage, burn, kill, circle ominously on their dragons, and otherwise be gratuitously evil," said the herald.

"The Dragon Tribes will pillage, burn, kill, circle ominously on their dragons, and otherwise be gratuitously evil," they repeated. Ronnith wondered what 'gratuitously' meant.

"The Dragon Tribes are also committed to practicing fashion, cheerfulness, and good taste," said the herald. "Surly behavior will not be tolerated."

"The Dragon Tribes are also committed to appraciting fashion, cheerfulness, and good taste. Surly behavior will not be tolerated," Ronnith and his friends repeated.

"In short," said the herald, "we are brutal marauders with style."

"In short, we are brutal marauders with style," they repeated. Skeena snorted a little at the end.

"Welcome to the Dragon Tribes, my friends," said Ruralach. "Now, bring out the food. Dig in, everybody!"

***********************************************************************************************

Little Ronnith chapter for you!

What do you think of the Dragon Tribes?? (I admit I'm proud of this part!) Do you think they have Princess Phoebe?

Please vote and comment!

May you get the Covid vaccine real soon.

--Q. B.