Chronicles of Carnezia (Book 1): Dragons of Dracona

Chapter 33: Haggling

Chapter 33: Haggling

            It was night time still and I could only feel and hear the sweeps of Hydra’s wings on the thick, cold air but when I tried to see them there was no sign of even the wing roots. It was so dark and the only hint that there was a second dragon flying with us was the shimmer of Frain’s back spikes twinkling under the crescent moon’s light. Although there was the faintest shred of moon, it did nothing to help with seeing where we were heading.

            By the time we had started to descend, it was very late and I was yawning and shivering where I rode. Hydra landed with a bit of a thud and I was jolted forward and hit my head on the back of Doran’s. He helped me down and then the rushing flapping of Frain above battered into my ears as he growled. Hydra hissed at him, sounding like a rattlesnake and he dropped onto the grass with his wings held up.

            ‘Damn flying at night,’ he cursed. I tried not to laugh but there was something about the way he was trying to feel his way around and then trod on Hydra’s forepaw that was rather comical.

            Doran went over to him and calmed him down (something I wouldn’t really have known how to do until now). ‘Shush. You’re growling is going to wake up a few houses. Hydra...’

            The slither of her tongue sounded as she hissed again in her irritable state. ‘Sorry.’ Then she grumbled lowly and Frain curled up into a ball and sat down.

            ‘Now can you two restrain yourselves from killing each other for the next couple of days?’ Doran asked, now trying to settle Hydra down as though she were a cat that had been backed up into a corner. ‘Stay here while Carly and I start searching.’

            ‘And what if you get into trouble?’ Hydra asked, now lying down as well.

            They continued talking for a few minutes and I took the chance to talk to Frain; we hadn’t spoken properly since the lake. ‘What did she say to you?’ I asked as I patted the side of his head.

            He tilted his head down as my hand roamed over his scales. ‘I wouldn’t know how to say it in your tongue,’ he confessed. ‘Best I keep out of the reach of her wings and tail.’

            ‘She doesn’t have any reason to attack you,’ I said the obvious.

            Pulling his head up, he blinked once as he looked at me. ‘Hydra doesn’t like company all that much,’ he told me and then attempted telling me something else but he ran out of words.

            ‘Carly!’ Doran shouted and I had to squint in the dark to see where he was shouting from.

            ‘Coming! I won’t be long and don’t fly in the day or you might be seen,’ I warned my friend before running off after Doran.

*****

            It was strange to think about it but we were really sneaking into the city of Safi; first we had to circle around to low city walls to try and find where the road entered. Once we had found it, we had to get the attention of one of the guards stood inside the portcullis. He treated us with caution at first but Doran had already come up with a plan back at the lake on how we could get in. We did seem suspicious, I thought; two travellers without any bags or horses, on the road at this time of night.

            ‘Our horses were stolen as we headed up from Fordem,’ Doran told the armed man on the other side of the iron bars.

            The guard still didn’t order for the portcullis to be raised (there were a few others stood near a small square building). ‘And what is your business here?’ he asked, sounding like he had asked that many times before.