Black as Blood (Part Two)

Jaydon's Oath

                Jaydon never did come back to help eat the lamb stew. After he had meticulously licked every finger on his hands, he had realized that what he didn’t want some lamb stew. He wanted fresh deer. So, being the thoughtful dragon he was, he asked his Rider if he wanted any.

               No thanks, this stew is good. Are you sure you don’t want any?

              Yes. I need to stretch my wings. And with that he turned into his dragon form, wings outstretched. Then a soft boom and he was gone.

              In the castle Ralem shrugged at Arianna, “He’s not coming in. He says he needs to stretch his wings. Sorry.”

             “It’s okay,” Arianna smiled, “I bet he needs to, being human for so long. Say, you ready for your next dance lesson after lunch?”

             “Yeah, after I change that is,” he said, just realizing how grubby and bloody his shirt was.

              The meal was amazing. If there was one thing Ralem loved, it was lamb stew. But it seemed like many of the royals did not even know of the meal before today and picked at it before realizing that some ‘peasant’ food was actually good. Ralem ate bowl after bowl after bowl, for once not caring about what the royal’s thought. It was so good. Finally he sat back in his chair, “Ah, that was so good,” he said for the fifteenth time. He felt like a cow that had just been let loose into a cornfield. “So. Good.” He repeated, patting his stomach and reflecting on its contents.

                Arianna smiled even though she kept her bowl largely untouched, “I’m glad you liked it, Ralem. You ready to dance?”

                 “Ready to roll is more like it,” Ralem huffed, “I feel like I ate the whole lamb.”

                Ryan smirked, “You did eat a whole lamb. A small one, but a whole one nonetheless.” He whistled admiringly, “I would be afraid to witness you when you’re really hungry.”

                 Ralem wiped his mouth and got to his feet. “I don’t think anyone would. I’m a man. I need to eat.”

                  Thistle snorted to his Rider, “Or even worse, when his dragon gets hungry.”

                  Ralem actually laughed, “I’ve seen that and that’s enough to scare your boots off. Once I was scared he was going to eat me.”

                  Ralem hadn’t even noticed the cook traipse by and jumped when she announced, “One time that dratted dragon came to my kitchen, ate half my food, and licked my arm! Licked all the pastries I had on it too. I was rolling dough. Lucky he’s so young, he only got away with just a paddling or two. But you keep an eye on him, you hear? Next time I’ll have my wooden roller ready!” she glared at Ralem. He gulped and said a hasty, “yes ma’am.” She waddled away, her apron shaking.

                    After she was gone Ryan and Thistle burst out laughing.

                    “What’s so funny?” Ralem demanded, turning slightly red. To his left, Arianna was looking the slightest bit impatient to start her dancing class.

                    “It’s just that-” Ryan started.

                 “We had dared him to do it.” Thistle ended. Ralem glared at them both. Thistle shrugged his wings, his mouth cracked into the widest smile, “We didn’t actually think he would do it. We suspect that cook’s half werewolf. But he did. We watched the whole thing from the window. We had dared him to get the cook’s precious tarts, I think this was when you were out fencing with that guy, and he actually went in.”