The Dragon Witch

Prologue

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

When my great-grandfather was growing up, it was an empty place: a place that children made up stories about, listing countless monsters that must live there beneath the skeletal shadows of long-dead trees. And in my grandmother's time the monsters were said to be the trees themselves – if you got too close they'd reach out and grab you, pulling you in until you became a gruesome new addition to their branches. I even still have a few memories from when I was very young of tales my parents told to warn my sister and I to stay away, telling us of ancient spirits that hid there, longing to walk among the living again and ready to trick us into exchanging our soul for theirs. I remember peering cautiously out into the thick fog that would creep across the town on cold winter mornings before dashing towards the safety of the glowing light emanating from my mother's forge, constantly checking behind me for spirits that could have strayed into our town on a day like this.

But one memory I'll never forget is the week the dragons came. It started with a small black cloud moving in the distance. The whole town was watching it, wondering what kind of sorcery could create such a thing. As it got closer the second day and we saw the way it moved the panic increased: we were rushed home quickly by anxious parents and made to stay indoors. The third day we could see what it was: a flock of massive, winged lizards such as we had only heard of in stories told by travellers from far away. They were every colour of the rainbow, and their wings glinted brightly in the sunlight. We children hid, as adults rushed around having hushed meetings and telling us "Everything's fine". Then Monday came and the beasts it had spread were called dragons were huddled in a crowd over the valley when the town awoke. School was cancelled, my mother didn't light her forge, and we all watched anxiously as they gathered tightly. Without warning they roared flame as one. The flames were many-coloured too, although never the colour of the dragon from which they came. People screamed and cowered as the dragons settled calmly at the Valley's edges and watched the rainbow fire burn. Throughout that day and the next the forest burned, slowly reducing until you could see no more dark shapes within the flames. On Wednesday the dragons gathered again over the valley, and with another roar the flames were gone. They settled down in the space they had created, and the town simply waited. The next day was spent sitting inside – not allowed to leave, or to make too much noise, or to raise a fuss. On Friday my Father ventured out to buy food. Nothing bad happened – the dragons seemed to be staying in the valley, unbothered by the people above. On Saturday my Mother ventured to re-light her forge, and the dragons did nothing. They resolved to have a town meeting on Sunday, to see what was to be done.

The meeting began as usual. Children in the next room to talk and be noisy, as the older ones supervised, and the adults talked. We were playing a game of tag when we heard the big door open, and there was a sudden silence from the hall. Even we went quiet, aside from hushed scrambling to get closest to the door, to hear what was happening. A strange woman's voice spoke out.

"I am very sorry to have startled you. Both by entering late, and with my sudden arrival."

The silence remained.

"I have come with my friends and rid your Valley of its long death."

More silence. Then I heard the Mayor speak.

"Do you mean to say these creatures are your friends, or that you have come with others?"

"I mean both. My friends, these 'creatures' as you call them, are more intelligent than is told in stories. These dragons are my friends, and they are the others with whom I arrived."

This peculiar statement was followed with more silence, until I heard my friend's mother speak up.

"So are you saying you've come here to... live? To stay?"

"If I can prevail upon your hospitality. We have been turned out of our old home, where dragons were hunted out of fear bred from ignorance. Allow me to show you that my friends mean you no harm, but will help your town, and indeed have already done so by turning your Valley from a place of Death to one of Life."

Small towns have a reputation for being superstitious, and suspicious of outsiders, but I had never known Onyx to be anything less than welcoming and we lived up to this now, at least in our leader's response. It may have been how appealing it was to not need to fear the Valley, although it would be several months before any but the bravest were confident enough to venture down the hill.

"All we have seen the dragons – your friends – do so far is destroy a forest that has been the source of horror stories to keep children safe for 3 generations at least," said my Father's voice. "If you can guarantee that the destruction they are capable of will be reserved for dangers such as this, I would be glad to see that valley put to better use."

"It is the sworn duty of my friends to never harm the living unless they have no other choice."

"I move to propose a trail period of 3 months, after which if we are finding your presence harmful you will leave without complaint. Does that sound fair?"

The strange woman said nothing, but we listeners assumed she nodded as the Mayor said "Excellent! I hope you will be a wonderful addition to this town. Although I would beg for warning before you do anything akin to the destruction of that Forest again, it is quite an alarming sight."

"I agree, and I apologise for my impoliteness in failing to speak with you."

Another voice piped up, someone in the crowd I didn't know by sound.

"I have one more question: what is your name?"

"I am Libelle. But I am known as the Dragon Witch."