The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 8: A Dragon's Magic

Akaysha slowly stalked through the forest undergrowth, using the shadows provided by the full moon to keep her hidden. Every step was carefully waited and considered, avoiding as much noise-making objects as possible. Her tail was held slightly off the ground, and her wings were slightly spread. Every movement she made seemed to be fluid and with the wind. To anyone looking she would appear completely one with the trees.

She flicked out her tongue, tasting the air. The horse-that-wasn't-a-horse that she had been hunting was about a hundred feet in front of her, grazing in a clearing with a beam of white moonlight illuminating the area. For a moment the dragoness stopped, suddenly distracted, thinking about what Ragin had called the animal. Deer?

She had only learnt to form words with her mind a week ago, something that Ragin was oddly happy about, and was still trying to understand everything that was being told to her. Usually she just went by what Ragin was picturing in his mind when he spoke. It was easier that way. The horned-two-leg was harder. He didn't allow her into his mind, and she was often forced to consult Ragin as to what he meant. Words, they were difficult things.

Turning her attention back to her prey she began to move forward again, approaching down-wind so the deer didn't catch her scent. She was about as big as a deer now, though her wings still felt a little too big and her neck a little too long. Ragin said she was a bit over a month old. She didn't really understand what that meant , but he seemed happy with it, so she was as well. It felt like they had been around the horned-two-leg's house for a long time though. She was glad. It was better than their previous house. More room, though they didn't allow her inside anymore. Apparently her claws ruined the wooden floor.

She snorted silently to herself before continuing to move forward. She reached out her mind and gently touched the deer's conscious, carefully so as not to disturb the animal. It hadn't seen her yet, but the closer she got the more likely it would. She was hungry, and didn't want it to escape. Ragin had stopped hunting for her a while ago, and told her that she needed to learn to do so herself. It had annoyed her at first, running through the forest was a good way of getting her scales dirty, but after her first successful hunt she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Since then she insisted that she find her own food, much to the relief of the two-legs.

The only reason she wasn't flying now was that it was too difficult to get in amongst the trees when chasing prey. The deer would be difficult to take down, so she needed to go for its legs. If she approached from the sky it would escape her far more easily than if she approached from the ground. The only problem was that it was faster than her on four legs, so she would have to take it by surprise.

In the back of her head was a constant presence, one that she recognised to be her rider. He was sleeping at the moment, though why he would do such a thing on a night like this was beyond her, but that didn't stop their connection. He hadn't put the mind-hiding-metal-ring back on for a long time, for which she was glad. When she couldn't feel his thoughts she got worried, and scared. Everything was so quiet without him, even if she didn't know that much about him at all.

There were hidden apartments to his mind, ones that even while he slept were inaccessible. The only time she had broken through was that night she found his memory of himself as a child and the burning building and the strange pointy-eared-two-leg they called an elf. It was a memory she still remembered vividly, as it was the only hint as to her rider's past.

She blinked, lightly shaking her head. Her thoughts were distracting her, again. She needed to focus on the hunt. As she got closer she realised that the deer was far larger than normal. Larger than her certainly. It had two massive great horns on its head that reminded her of the branches of a bush. She suddenly found it quiet humorous, imagining leaves sprouting from the deer's head.