Frostfire

A Lesson in Dragon Riding

As I've said in the description, this is horrible and unedited and written five years ago, so please understand. It is also discontinued, but you can read what's here even if it's not much. Check out Into the Void, a shared project on a shared account @StarCatching. It's one of the best and longest things I've written so far, approaching fifty thousand words! The length of a novel! *Holds the cookie above your head and wiggles it tauntingly.* I'll take a bite... If you don't check it out... I'll push you Into the Void... Haha! I'm so punny!

A whoosh of cold air blew in as soon as I opened the door. I closed my eyes to let the whirls of snow settle and opened them to a strange sight. There was a creature sitting in front of me, the same creature as in my dream. Its long, curving horns poked out from its midnight black skull. Immediately, I felt a connection. I reached one shaking hand forward to slide it across the soft scales of the dragon that was sitting in front if me. They weren't slimy, as I imagined a snake's to be, but smooth and cold, supple atop the dragon's bones.
I could imagine this elegant creature in flight. Strong wings, gliding through the air, when a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"You look like you forgot I was here!"

He laughed, almost to himself, as he rendered the possibilities completely unlikely. Until he saw my flat look.

"Really? Really?? You were so intrigued with my pet dragon that you forgot me???"

He mocked hurt and loneliness, staring at me. At the word 'pet,' Peril looked up from his contented grooming and gave his owner a ruffled, indignant look.

"Ah, well," was all Red said to that. "You and he have bonded quite nicely. You can keep him."

I squealed delightedly like a child at Christmas time. A dragon! My dragon!! He must have seen my joyous expression, because he laughed aloud as another creature, huge and looming this time, but of the same shape as Peril, landed on the ground beside us. I looked on in wonder as Red mounted the enormous black dragon, ad motioned for me to do the same behind him.

"Peril is too small to ride," he explained patiently. "C'mon! fury will make your first ride a wild one!"

He gestured to the dragon, who was snorting and pawing the ground. It reminded me of those wicked black mares that were always so hard to tame, back when we raised animals.
My eyes must have boggled right out of my head. How would I hold on?! With no saddle... Or whatever was used to ride a dragon. Did dragons live up to their names? Because if so, Fury... Well actually, I guess Peril wasn't much better. As I stood there, hanging back a little, debating with myself, he sensed my hesitation and lashed out quickly, snatching my hand. Before I could react, he had yanked me onto Fury, and I found myself high in the air immediately, wind whipping through my dark hair.
It wasn't the heights that made my furrow my brow in worry, it was the boy sitting in front if me and the dragon that I was straining to hold onto right now. I mean, I hadn't really known him for long, how could I be sure that he wasn't planning on flying me out to some abandoned place and leaving me there! You never know...
We were flying over an ocean. Fury swooped down close to the shimmering waters and tipped his wing, bringing up a salty spray that felt good this morning, quite refreshing, considering that Red had woken me up so early, and I was still groggy. Ok, maybe this ride wasn't that bad after all.
A jolting bump. I'd spoken too soon. We'd reached solid ground.