The Dragon Bearer {ON HIATUS}

Chapter 3 - Meetings and Swordsmen

The sun had long since risen by the time Eleri woke again. In fact, it was only the sound of a dragon's snort and birds twittering outside that pulled her from the curtains of slumber.

She rolled over, stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Was there still cake from yesterday, or had her brother eaten it all?

But something made her stop. The smell of... smoke... and soap... Her eyes flew open. She was in a small, round room, sitting on a mattress in a tangle of blankets beside a fire no longer even warm. Nobody sat at the table, nor did anybody stand by the sink. She was alone.

Then everything came flooding back so suddenly she felt like she'd been hit in the chest. Alfhild... Serendipia... the dragons... So it really hadn't been some mad dream.

"I have to get home," Eleri murmured. "I don't care about saving these people – they're just characters in my sketchbook who've somehow turned into hallucinations. As soon as I find Alfhild, I need to find a way to get home."

She stood and turned to pick up her jeans and t-shirt. They weren't in the crumpled heap she'd left them in on the floor. A quick scan of the room and she still couldn't find them. Cursing under her breath, she headed outside to find Alfhild standing in the middle of the field, wielding a bucket and hurling red chunks of something at Lleu.

"Alfhild," Eleri called. "I need my clothes from yesterday."

The older girl turned and grinned. "Oh, yeah! Yeah, I washed them this morning. They're up on the clothesline just over there. They'll still be a bit damp even though they've been out for..." she squinted up at the sun "... three hours. You'll have to borrow a shirt and some trousers, maybe a pair of boots if they fit."

"Oh, no," Eleri said, her cheeks flushing. "You don't have to. Really, you've done too much for me."

"Well you can't exactly wander around in my nightdress, can you?" Alfhild laughed. "And you'll want to make a good first impression on my... err... acquaintance... when we go to see him."

"Oh?" Eleri said as the pair walked back inside. "Who's that?"

Alfhild rummaged in her drawers, searching for clothes. "He's. Um. He's a swordsman. Not quite a knight, he prefers to work alone, but he's really good at what he does. He sort of guards the village; sends anyone suspicious away. If they don't accept his orders, then he challenges them. More often than not there's a bit of blood, but they sharp find out what happens when you disobey him. Ah – here we are. Try these on."

Alfhild tossed Eleri a bundle of clothing. While the shirt was a bit on the large side, they fit well enough, and they even managed to find an old pair of boots that Alfhild hadn't yet thrown away. Eleri combed back her hair with her fingers and tied it up in its usual braid.

Alfhild gave a satisfied nod. "You ready to go then?"

She locked the door behind them and set off up the track. Eleri's legs still ached from yesterday, and they started to burn again after only a few minutes. Alfhild, however, seemed to think they were out for a lovely Sunday stroll, and kept up a quick pace with her arms swinging and her cheeks flushing pink from the wind. She looked completely at ease, motoring ahead of Eleri.

Eleri puffed behind her, running along like a gawky elephant. She really did hope she wouldn't have to do this every day she was stuck here.

This time, instead of carrying on towards the Square like she had done yesterday when she'd first arrived, they turned off onto a wide road. There weren't any stones here. Instead the ground was covered in hard-packed dirt and lush grass, suggesting the road was hardly used. Trees grew on the side closest to the town, and their branches waved like arms, the leaves sounding remarkably like whispers in the quiet country air. The colours in this area of town were more more vibrant, the greens slightly more acidic, the blues just a touch more vivid.