Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 48

Marcie met with Aldren several times over the next couple of weeks.

The secrecy was exciting in the heat of the moment. She bathed afterwards.

She had been running some errands, however her mind kept on wondering to Dara. He was flying over the treetops and his joy as the wind fluttered over his scales and caught his wings was infectious.

"What are you smiling at?" Miss Maiden asked,

"Nothing" Marcie said happily, Dara tucked in his wings and angled his head down, speeding towards the trees like an arrow before snapping his wings out again and swooping to a halt, so close to the trees that his back talons caught the leaves of an evergreen, he cried out in exhilaration.

"There it is again" Miss maiden said smiling, "What has caused this surge of joy I wonder?"

"Nothing" Marcie said, as Dara startled a flock of birds resting in a tall tree.

"It has nothing to do with your outsider does it?" Miss maiden asked,

"No" Marcie said truthfully,

"Then what is it? You have not been yourself lately" she said, folding apiece of fabric and pulling a stray thread from her line of perfect stitching.

"I know Junca has been drinking again-" Marcie stiffened at her fathers name "-but that does not explain your mood darling"

Marcie shrugged, she did not want to think about her father, he had not been back to the house since that day and she was thankful, she did not know what she would do if she saw him again. Dara was a good distraction. And Aldren, but in a very different way.

Miss Maiden was watching her, when she did not respond she sighed, put down the piece she was working on and walked around the counter till she stood in front of Marcie, She looked up at her quite seriously, then said,

"Have you lost your flower to one of the outsiders?"

Marcie started, Dara disappeared from her mind in an instant, she stared at Miss Maiden, suddenly afraid.

But she saw no judgement In her eyes, only concern.

After a moment she looked down at the ground and nodded.

She heard Miss Maiden take a deep breath and prepared herself for the blow to come.

"Oh Marcie" she said, and Marcie looked up to see tears in her eyes.

Her mother figure reached out and touched her cheek,

"Which one?" she asked quietly,

"Aldren"Marcie said equally as quietly, then she realised that Miss Maiden may not know his name, "The tall clean shaven one" she elaborated,

Miss Maiden nodded,

"Are you taking precautions?" she asked,

"Yes, Dafne has some Chemske Leaf at her home, she told me she gives it to Kena to stop her from having children"

"Good...good"Miss Maiden said, letting her hand fall, then she forced a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Well, off you go darling, those shirts wont get to Farmer Percy by themselves"

Marcie nodded, grateful for an excuse to leave, she picked up the bundle of shirts and turned to leave when Dara grabbed her attention.

She saw through his eyes, in all the wonderful colours that only he saw the world in, the different spots of colour that showed all the small creatures in the treetops beneath him, and followed his gaze to some particular spots of colour, larger than the rest, moving steadily. He sent her the image of tearing teeth and snarls and she realised they were wolves, a large party of wolves, she thanked him for showing them to her (Wolves could mean trouble for the village) but he directed her gaze to another large collection of colours.