The Princess and the Dragon

Chapter 8: The Voluntary Prisoner

©Avalon Lee, 2014. All Rights Reserved.

Rokevir

~~~

"No way!"

"Rokevir . . ."

I stared at the little two-leg in disbelief. She gazed back defiantly, still cradling her injured arm. I sighed heavily, exhaling smoke.

"Magpie, they'll kill you," I stated bluntly.

"Not if I am a valuable prisoner," she retorted.

"Valuable how?" queried Qara, suspicion in her tone.

Rowan didn't answer the question. "Just trust me on this. I'm not asking for your trust, Qara. Not yet. But Rokevir--"

I felt my heart sink when she said my name. Her strange eyes were boring into me. Pleading, determined, sad. All at once.

"Please. Trust me. Let me come with you," she implored, her mental voice a whisper.

I tore my gaze away. "You would be safer at your stone-hold."

A small paw turned my head so that I had no choice but to face her. Rowan's expression was as unyielding as stone. "I'd rather be a prisoner of dragons than of men."

I knew now that there would be no changing her mind. With a begrudging grumble, I gave in. "Alright . . ."

Rowan's demeanor changed instantly. Her face lit up with her familiar smile as she made a happy noise aloud. I marveled at how unfazed she was at having to soon face an entire Clan of dragons. The worry of how my Clanmates would react to the strange little two-leg still refused to leave my mind.

I was aware of someone-an extremely annoying someone-watching me. "What?" I growled at Qara, hiding my words from Rowan.

The scarlet female gave me a smug look. "You're like her tame-slave. You just can't say no to her."

Her words struck a blow to my pride. "I AM NOT!" I roared in rage, recalling the stories of how two-legs kept docile animals for entertainment and so-called companionship. The idea was utterly demeaning.

It was then that I realized that I had forgotten Rowan's presence entirely. The two-leg in question had stumbled back, eyes wide and stance fearful.

"I, er--"

My hackles rose at hearing Qara's laughter. I gave her a warning hiss, which she blatantly ignored.

I returned my gaze to Rowan, and the brows above my eyes shot straight up at seeing that she was laughing with Qara. Seeming to find my reaction amusing, the two-leg female giggled even more, her previous fear nonexistant.

"Alright, knock it off. Are we going back to the Clan or not?" I snapped impatiently, feeling heat flood my face in humiliation.

"Y-Yes . . . we are," Rowan answered between her receding chuckles.

"But how? Useless here can't exactly fly, and I am not carrying her again," interjected Qara, having recovered from her bout of mirth. Rowan looked down, all semblance of confidence gone from her.

"Then I will."

It was a long moment before I realized that the words were my own.

Rowan raised her head, eyes filled with initial excitement, then hesitation. A thousand emotions flickered through her mind, too many for me to process all at once.