We Only Have One Shot

Chapter 2 - The Eggs;)

Anilyse POV

"Enough!" I cried out, unable to bear anymore of this cruelty. "Stop, stop this instant! Do you understand the danger you bring everyone here?" My plaintive voice fell on deaf ears. The stone faced men hardly looked at me!

My anger came in slow, simmering waves. The heat washed over my face and I burned at the injustice of it all. Finally, my mind turned to an angry red. "STOP IT!" I screamed, my voice cracking and hoarse, from the force I used.

One of the men finally turned towards me, but snorted upon seeing my face. "Woman go back to your husband's bed. You have no place here." He dismissed me flippantly.

"I have no husband!" I declared righteously. "And I do have a place here! To oppose you vile beings who call yourselves human! To oppose someone who would torture a helpless creature!"

For that is what the men were doing. They had found dragon eggs in the forest while they hunted, and brought them here into the village. One of the eggs had already hatched, and the weak hatchling was half dead. Welts splashed across it's back, the scales soft and oozing with blood. Only several hours old, the hatchling had no time for its' scales to harden and claws to sharpen. The hatchling was completely defenseless.

"You have no clue as to the horror that will befall you! These hatchlings have parents, parents who will come and destroy you on their rage." Now the villagers around me stirred uneasily, giving each other uncertain looks. But the men only snorted and waved off my warnings. "Woman, many men have killed Dragons before! If those puny men can do that, we can do more." They laughed and nodded to each other.

Shaking my head sorrowfully, I stepped up until face to face with the man who had spoken. "Us humans become intolerable with rage and sorrow for our children who have been killed," I spoke softly, but everyone could hear "and we group together and hunt down the creatures who killed them. So why a the dragons any different? No," I shook my head "they would become even more frightful. They would thirst for your blood, and hunger for your bones."

At that, the towns people blanched, and walked away from the scene, giving the men harsh glances. Whispers soon filled the air, whispers about the men. That infuriated them. They whirled about shouting "You really believe that foolish woman! Do you really believe her?" No one answered, their gazes at the floor, refusing to look up. "Well fine, she can have the stupid eggs" He growled at me, shoving them into my hands.

"Let us see what the dragons will do to you when they find their precious children, all bloody and bruised, with a human woman." Giving me scornful glances, they all swaggered away with what dignity they had left, one kicking the hatchling to my feet.

"Oh!" I gasped with horror, " you poor baby. Come now, let me patch you up. Standing, I struggled to carry all three large eggs in one hand, and the hatchling in the other. Giving the fact that the hatchling was struggling with all his might, didn't help either. But, somehow I did it, cradling all four in my arms.

Getting a good look at all of them, I shook my head, grimacing. Gathering my wits about me, I started the long trek back to the inn at where my brother and I were staying.

~~

I had managed the long trek back, and was relieved to see that my brother wasn't in. Placing the three eggs on soft quilts near the fire, I turned my attention to the hatchling. He was worse than I had originally thought, and had exhausted him self with struggling against me.

"Ewww.." I grimaced at the sticky blood now coating my hands. Ignoring it for the time being, I patched up the hatchling as best I could. My medical knowledge was mediocre at best, but that was on humans, not dragons.