The Fall of Dragon Haven - A Dragonkeeper Fanfiction

Honest Work

The following morning, Anh and Hei Lei walked back to Lord Cao's house. The streets were just as busy in the early morning as they had been in the evening, only instead of pandering for food, the town was pandering with goods. Jade this and jade that, carvings of wood and weaves of silks were dealt with between the hands of traders and travellers.

When he arrived at Lord Cao's, he was introduced to a weather-beaten man. "This is Pi Que." Lord Cao said. "Yu Anh here will be of assistance to you today."

Anh nodded. "What news of the Chu men?" He asked. Pi Que frowned, and Lord Cao stifled a cough. That's when Anh realised that he and Hei Lei were the only guests. The others were nowhere to be found. He closed his eyes and fought back the urge to swear out loud.

Hei Lei swore for him instead. Those jackasses!

Lord Cao confirmed their suspicions. "The two elder Keepers met with the travellers already before taking off north earlier this morning. Lao Longzi thought perhaps you were too young to involve yourself on the mission."

Too young? Hei Lei growled. I'm only a 100 years younger than Danzi!

Anh sighed, defeatedly. Of course Lao Longzi didn't trust them to come along.

Lord Cao reprimanded him. "There's no need for disappointment, Yu Anh. Any job asked of a Dragon Keeper is of great importance to the those who need it."

Anh stood up straight. If he was going to be stuck in Tinkling Village, then he was going to do a damn fine job of any asked of him! "What can we do you for, then?"

"Mr Pi here runs the apple orchard outside the eastern gates." Pi Que next to him nodded. "You will help him pick apples."

Anh blinked. "Oh," he said. He recalled last night about the fruit picking but thought that was a job he and the others would do together – like he thought they would be checking on the Chu together.

What an insult. Hei Lei grumbled.

Anh cleared his throat. "So, the apples...?"

Pi Que looked Anh and Hei Lei up and down, taking in both their youth and energy. He said then, stroking his chin. "The apples you'll be picking are pretty high up. Normally I'd need a ladder to reach them. But my son fell off the ladders the other week and is now paralysed."

Anh nodded. Despite his disappointment, he couldn't help but feel sorry Pi Que and his son. Lord Cao was right; any job asked of a Dragon Keeper was of great importance to those who needed it.

"We'll help you," he said. "Just show us where the orchard is, and we'll get to work."

Pi Que nodded and led Anh and Hei Lei through the busy streets, now even more excitable with a great, black dragon sauntering through, to a barn by the eastern wall. Anh could make out the apple trees over the wall – they were the tallest he'd ever seen.

Hei Lei jumped onto the wall then into the orchard himself. I smell rabbit. He said.

Don't take too long. Anh said.

"Be careful," the Pi Que warned Anh as he gathered baskets from the barn and placed them onto a bench. "The apples at the top are the ripest and sweetest, but they're also the most difficult to reach."

As Pi Que spoke on, Anh felt a light tickle on the back of his neck. The girl from last night - the one who had listened to him sing - was near.

Not wanting to look absent from Pi Que, Anh brought a hand to his mouth and pretended to clear his throat. As he did so, he looked off behind him and saw the girl close behind him, holding a bundle of fabric. Anh felt a flush of heat over his cheeks looking at her. Now that he could see her in daylight, he could make out that she was no taller than he was, with full lips, dark eyes and unkempt hair that she kept in a lazy braid to one side. Her cheeks were round and looked especially chubby as she smiled at him. From a crowd of a dozen women, he'd have never picked her out as outstanding, yet her knowing smile as she approached them floored him.