ON HOLD (EDITING) Rise of the Dragons: Beginning

Chapter 8

I sat back on my heels as Eridor jabbed at my bag away. I snatched it away. “Be careful! That’s my favourite bag. Tour teeth are sharp you know.” I looked up at Eridor and saw interest as well as amusement in his face. “What?” I asked, confused.

 Do you have something else in that bag? I can smell it.

 “Yeah actually, I do. I brought a rabbit for you but I guess you won’t need it.” I started to close the bag but Eridor nudged the bag with this front foot, stopping me.

 Just because I caught something doesn’t mean that I’m not still hungry. I only ate one deer.

“Ok, ok you can have it. Just let me take it out at least.” I looked pointedly at his scaled foot which was still resting on my bag. He lifted it up, taking it away. I grabbed the grabbed, lifting it out of my bag. Unwrapping it quickly, I held it out on the palms of my hands. I felt Eridors hot breath on my hands and the soft scaping if his teeth as he took the meat from my hands. I watched him throw up his head as he swallowed it whole.

 Closing my now almost empty bag I picked up the squirrel before standing up. Eridor walked over to me and lay down with his neck positioned towards me. I looked up at him surprised. Young one, when I was hunting I got some pinecones stuck behind my biggest scales, just on the side of my neck. Can you take them out for me?

 “Sure.” Putting down the squirrel, I moved closer to him and inspected his neck, trying to find where he was talking about.  Seeing brown spots sticking out against the emerald beauty of Eridors scales, I dug my fingers behind his scales and pulled out a pinecone. Throwing it away, I quickly pulled out the rest until I could see no more. I stepped back, rubbing my hands on my pants. “Done.”

 Eridor stood up a rumbling sound coming from within his throat. Thank you.

I turned around as I heard Narukl enter the clearing. He was carrying a pile of wood in his arms. I picked up the squirrel and walked over to him. Without looking at me Narukl knelt arranging the firewood. I looked down at him surprised. He was still angry at me.

 Then another thought occurred to me. I ran it over in my mind and decided that he couldn’t get madder at me. “Narukl,’ I inquired. He looked up at me, his face blank. “Who was that man you were trying to get out from the prison?” Concern and discomfort crossed his face before settling into anger.

 He surged up to his feet so he stood an inch from my face his own a storm of rage and for a second I was afraid of him. “That’s none of your business!” He screamed into my face before turning and striding angrily into the woods. His hands were clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles were white.

 I stared after him amazed and startled as he disappeared into the tree line. You shouldn’t have asked him. Eridors amused but slightly concerned voice cut into my thoughts.

 I turned towards him. “But it’s important. I know it is. Think about it Eridor. I dreamt of finding your egg and I dreamt of Narukl trying to free the other man. It has to be important.”  

 When Eridor didn’t answer, I knelt next to the half arranged firewood and finished setting it up. Absentmindedly, I coaxed up a flame, putting to squirrel over it. I sat down with my arms wrapped around my knees as I waited for it to cook.

 My mind flew everyway. I thought of Ranne, Eridor, the other man, Narukl. Finally, Eridors voice interrupted my thoughts.

 If you don’t take that squirrel off its going to burn.

 As my mind registered what Eridor had said, I pushed onto my knees and hastily took the squirrel of the fire, juggling it on my hands so I wouldn’t burn them. I set the cooked squirrel down on the grass and pulled out some of the firewood so that the fire couldn’t be seen from far away.

 Then I stood up and walked towards Eridor sighing. I leaned against his curled up body and said, “I’ve got to go now, before Kayla and Uncle Hertay realise I’m gone.

 I’ll miss you young one.

 “Me too.” I leaned into him strongly before I picked my backpack up off the ground and walked towards my house.