Dragon Boy

Chapter 2: Leaves and Discovery

   I ran through the woods, with four newborn hatchlings clinging to my neck, chest and arms. Heralth, their (our) mother had sensed something, and told me to take her young and flee.

  I hopped across the brook, but Nobbus, who had hatched less than ten minutes ago, lost his grip and fell into the water. I scooped him up as he wimpered in my arms. A wet and cold hatchling separated from his mother.

  I watched my feet carefully, avoiding mud and puddles, and aimed for leaves and patches of moss so as not to leave footprints for anyone who could be chasing us. I had no idea what was happening, but it was definitely not something good.

  Finally, I became exhausted. I slumped to the ground and pulled myself under the cover of some low-hanging bushes and branches. The hatchlings looked at me with sad, confused eyes. In response, I lowered my head and tugged them in closer to my body. They curled up, and I fell asleep with their warm bodies pressed into my side.

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    The next morning, I awoke with sun shining on the dew beside me and birds chirping in the trees above me. For a moment, I forgot what had happened the day before, and why I was where I was. For a moment, I just felt like I had long ago, before the storm, before I had to leave.  But then, everything changed, like in a nightmare, because- wait. Don't thing about that. Think about where you are now and- where am I now?

    The realization hit me like a rock in the stomach. I wasn't relaxing in the woods. I was hiding. Crounching in a small grove with four little hatchlings. Four little hatchlings. Oh, yes! I remembered the hatching, how each dragon had emerged from their egg in their own individual way. And how Heralth had told us to flee because - Heralth.

    I stood up and roughly shook the hatchlings awake. Echinda immediatly bounced up, and pawed at Emphira's head. In a matter of seconds, they were both standing at attention and looking at me expectantly like soldiers in an army, ready to go. I had to choke down a laugh.

    Tignitt rolled around in the grass and yawned widely before propping his head on his claws, bleary eyed. Nobbus didn't move at all. I nudged him awkwardly, and he opened one eye halfway to see me giving  him my sternest mother-immitation look. He grumbled in a dragoney way, and harumphed up into a standing position. Echinda prodded Tignitt until he stood as well.

   Dragons are so intelligent, and I kept being surprised by the silmilarities to humans in their actions and personalities. It was really remarkable. 

    Now I had a line of hatchlings staring at me, waiting for instruction, and I was impatient to get back to the cave and reunite with Heralth. But I was tired and didn't think I could carry four mini dragons, and they were new to the world, so having them walk alongside me would be too distracting as everything would be new to them as well. Plus, dragons grow fast, but they live to be very old. Already, the hatchlings were up to my knees. Soon, I doubted I would even be able to call them hatchlings. Dragons would be a more appropriate name.

  Well. I sent into their minds. Here's what we have to do. We have to go back to the cave, and talk to Heralth. We have to know what happened, and who did it. And, depending on the answers to those questions, we might have to leave the cave and find a new one. But, most importantly, we have to make sure everything is okay with Heralth. They looked at me blankly. Heralth, I insisted. Your mother. Their expressions didn't waver. And then I realized. Telepathy takes practice. These hatchlings didn't know how yet. I couldn't communicate with them through their minds, and I didn't know the dragon language. These babies had been watching me watch them, like a staring contest, the whole time I'd tried to enter their thoughts. I felt like a fool.