Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 27

Fiddles, lutes and drums sounded in the night, the music reaching into the forest and chasing the last of the birds from their perches. The lanterns formed a cocoon of light that protected the village from the unknown of the night, the crescent moon loomed above in the starry cloudless sky.

Tables were set up by the lake filled with food and with enough seats to fit every man, woman and child. Everyone was taking their places. 

Eyes turned to stare at her as she hurried to join her father who was eyeing up a bottle of wine. Her arrival caused his attention to drift and he blinked at her dress then smiled, the bottle seemingly forgotten. Merrick was staring at her, beaming, and, separated from her family, Kena watched her with a look of such intensity Marcie was surprised sparks didn't fly from her eyes, she flushed and sat down. 

Kena was, as usual, seated next to one of the village boys, Perick gazed at her, as if he could not quite believe his luck. 

Glancing at her again, Marcie saw that this year Kena was wrapped in  a pale blue dress with dark blue seams, for a moment she thought it was her old dress, but it was too low at the neck, obscenely low, and the arms were long and ended in flared points that covered Kena's delicate fingers.

At that moment Leader Roor stood at the head of the table and raised his glass in the air, a hush fell.

"Goddess" he called, "Bless this food, this food of a warm season soon to pass, and let its passing not stay for a time but bring us back the warm months at its end" he drank his wine and the village joined him, Marcie touched her glass to her lips and threw the brew back, Junca stared longingly at his empty glass, but Marcie quietly replaced it with a water skin.

Once everyone had toasted, the feast began. People got up and carved off huge slabs of meat for themselves from the spitted pigs and the hanging poultry and helped themselves to Luce's famous stewed soup.

Luce sat near with her husband and her children who took turns sitting on Marcie's lap and stealing the food off her plate. She was feeling good, the wine helped, she even laughed with her father when one of the children hung onto his shirt and climbed onto his shoulders and demanded he 'go for walk'.

Marcie showed Dara everything that was happening and he revelled in the atmosphere, the colours and the lights, his spirits lifting.

As the food began to lose its heat, the villagers began to drift away from the table to the main square and the band began to play again. Couples danced rhythmically and children tried to copy them. Marcie was dragged from her seat by Susanne and danced with each of the children, lifting them up and dancing with them in her arms or joining hands with them and spinning round in a circle, she could not keep the smile from her lips.

Luce watched happily from the sidelines before her husband and Junca insisted she go to bed to conserve her strength. Not long after she had gone to bed the children were all called in, they trooped off, sleepy but unhappy to be missing the fun, a few tried to hide but Marcie joined Merrick in chasing them down and carrying them screaming back to their homes.

When they were certain they had them all, the band picked up their tempo, the drum increasing in volume until the very ground appeared to tremble with its beat. Then the real dance began.

They moved almost as one with the music, spinning and whirling, the women's dresses causing explosions of colour.

Forgotten dances usually consisted of everyone dancing on their own around each other and then partnering up, married couples with each other, and prospective couples as well as prospective bed partners.

Wine continued to be drunk and Marcie found herself passing the limit that she had unconsciously installed when her father first started drinking, she was feeling far too happy and nothing could bring her down.

Dara became fainter as the wine did what wine is aught to do, until Marcie could not feel him anymore. She felt a pang of dread at the loss but soon forgot about it.

She spun, her arm raised over her head and her eyes closed enjoying the feeling of freedom the drink gave her, when her hand was caught in another and she was tugged backward into someone's chest, she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder.

Merrick grinned at her, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes bright, she smiled and spun away from him, he kept a hold of her hand and then dragged her back, she let him spin her around and she laughed.

They danced as they had not danced since they were children.

The sky began to brighten before Marcie felt tired enough to take a break, she broke away from Merrick and swayed away from the main square, he caught up to her after a couple steps and led her to the herb shed behind his house, where the music could barely be heard.

She put her back to the wood and Merrick placed his hand on the side of her neck, leaned in and kissed her hard on the lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back fiercely.

Maybe it was the drink, or maybe it was her excitement and happiness that had built over the course of the evening but she really wanted him at this moment. Needed him.

His hands were moving and she just kept kissing him, not caring, just doing. Her hands went to his shirt and she began undoing the buttons as his own hands yanked her bodice down and started kissing and tugging at her breasts. She let her head fall back with a sigh.

A giggle and a laugh that was not her own or Merrick's broke through the lust induced haze and when that giggle became a gasp she and Merrick started at the sound.

She had her leg wrapped around his and his hands were still busy, their clothes were in various states of disarray, and this was what Kena and Perick saw when they stumbled into the yard.

A few moments of shocked silence followed then Kena's face hardened,she spun around and stalked off, Perick gave the two one last surprised look then hurried after her.

The moment interrupted, Marcie pulled away from Merrick and re-adjusted her dress, he let her go, but his hands clenched by his side.

This wouldn't happen again, she wouldn't let it. Merrick looked as though he was trying to find something to say but instead he just closed his mouth and left.

Just like that, he turned and walked back to the main square.