ȼhɨℓď ๏ƒ ƒɨя€ (ώąţţ¥ ąώąяď$ 2012) OLD VERSION

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My dragon was a constant word wandering within my mind. I carried the sword towards where I had left my bow and arrows. The egg's temperature rose with my anger. I collected my things and began to the creek where I had seen the doe. I needed to clean the sword; Emera's blood still lingered on the blade.

The running of the water was cooling to my ravenous rage. The egg grew cooler as I calmed. Kneeling down I set my stuff aside with the egg in my lap I began to clean the sword. Once it was clean and free of blood it once again gleamed in the sun, it no longer held the evidence of the murder it took part in. I turned the sword over in my hands and my rage began to rise again. Red tinged my vision. I had never been a violent person. Bringing up my left hand I drew the sword across my palm, an inner force guided me.

Scarlet blood dripped from my hand on to the egg in my lap; as it touched the surface it began to sizzle off. Looking down at my hand still in a red trance I moved my hand towards the eggs surface. I touched the scaled exterior and a burning exhilarating pain began to radiate up my arm, I gasped. Looking at my left arm is looked as if fire was crawling underneath my skin, throwing out tendrils.

Orange lines of fire traced up my forearm like veins. There had to be a pattern, it was too intricate not too. The lines climbed my arm intertwining into an image; soon enough the throbbing was gone. The only reminders of the pain were angry pink lines criss crossing up my arm.

Regarding my arm closely I realized the image was a dragon breathing fire. The fire encased my hand the far reaching tips dancing on my fingers, its head and neck wrapped around my wrist; and its body and tail was wound around my forearm until the tip of its tail touched my elbow. I ran my fingers over the thin raised lines that were rapidly healing into a scar. A mark: a mark tying me to my dragon. I grasped the egg in both hands and brought it to my chest.

"I love you and I will protect you, I will care for you." I whispered letting my cheek graze the egg's surface. It was warm like a fellow person's warmth; I kissed its surface gently.

I placed the egg back in my apron and began towards where I had left Lady. Today was fruitful but not in the ways I expected. I had to go home with some type of spoils. But those spoils would not include the treasure in my apron. He was mine and would never leave the safety of my arms; and if anyone tried I would rip their hearts from their chest and watch them die. No one would take him from me. I was not sure why I felt exceptionally protective of this egg, this dragon; but inside it felt right. It felt right to love him unconditionally.

A sudden noise stopped me in my tracks. Finding a girl in the Red Wood with a Glamoric steel sword and a dragon's egg would be highly suspicious. I pushed myself against the nearest tree and peered around its large trunk. It was a small convoy of royal soldiers on horseback.

"I cannot believe you lost the sword. It has been in your family for centuries!" a man chastised the rider next to him. The speaker was not dressed like the others; he wore the fine clothing of a nobleman. By the distasteful look on his face he did not share my love of the Red Wood.

"I know Robert I know. I did not lose it. When I went back it was not there; it was taken. There were foot prints all over the place."

"Damn," I cursed under my breath. I should have been more careful.

"A sword cannot grow legs Tristan, and those foot prints could have been anyone's. Someone was bound to run into the beast. Besides the average citizen would not know the true value of the sword. They will end up taking it to a blacksmith for and appraisal and they would recognize the steel instantly and return it; no harm done." Said another man left to the one who was in the middle.