The Dragon's Mate

1

Hounds baying at the moon indicate they're gaining on me. My already shallow breathing catches at the sound. I've run my hardest, which has taken my breath away but they still make up ground.

I haven't done what she accuses me of but there's no trial, there's no benefit of the doubt, there is just immediate belief in my guilt. I could be dead now if I hadn't run from the Castle.

Weaving through the trees slows me down. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be slowing down my pursuers. The forest should break soon and although I'll be out in the open, I'll also be able to pick up some speed, hopefully I can. It's getting harder and harder to keep running.

A sudden darkness overhead makes it impossible to see, any light shining through the top of the trees has gone. A flapping sound, like a bird, a very big bird, sounds above me. When I look up, I see what's blocking what little light is left of the day. No bird I know of has a wing span so large or for that matter, has points on their wings like a bat. The long body doesn't appear to have feathers and the colour I can barely make out in the dark looks purple or a dark shade at least.

I stumble over a tree root which brings me back to my situation, my surroundings and what lies ahead. A snorting sound from above diverts my attention to the creature overhead again. A brief glance tells me it's something I've never seen before, something only heard about in legends. A Dragon.

Shrugging it off for now, I head for a break in the trees. The sound of my hunters doesn't seem as close now but it could be my imagination or the creature above drowning out the noise. Like a blanket has been thrown over the forest.

Finally I come to the end of the forest and find myself in an open field. Aware of how easily I can be spotted now, I pick up the pace despite the burn in my lungs. This is life or death, if they catch me, who knows what the mistress of Drakon will do to me?

Above me the flying creature drops down lower and skims just above my head. Its size and splendour stop me in my tracks, awestruck. Before I can even take in anymore of the creature, it lands on four legs with a soft thud and a gentle snort.

Stupefied, mystified, all I can do is gasp. I'm rooted to the spot by fear and fascination. It gestures with its head towards its back and my fear subsides. Does it want to help me? Every instinct tells me to run again but my curiosity holds me to the spot. It gestures again with a brief snort and what looks to be a wink. I decide I must be imagining it as I walk towards it. In one swift motion, it scoops me up with a paw and plonks me on its back.

2

Scales is the best word to describe its hide. Purple, softer than they looked, scales. It has pointy ridges running across its head, down its back and tail. I wonder how I'm not impaled by one of these points before I notice they seemed to be absent where I'm sitting on its back. Maybe they don't grow here, maybe it retracted them.

"This can't be real," I say to the dragon, to no-one.

Swift and light, it lifts off the ground into the waning daylight. It's as though it took its time for its passenger. I wonder why it's helping me, where exactly it's going to take me, and if I'm dreaming.

Its powerful wings swish through the air and soon accelerate into a quick pace. I lean forward and wrap my arms around its neck as we speed faster and faster into the dusk. The feeling of flying is exhilarating and I find myself caught up in the powerful moment.

We fly for a short while before it drops slowly to the ground to land lightly on four feet. It lifts its paw so I can climb down. I wonder, is it male or female? Why did it save me? What was going to happen now? I have so many unanswered questions which can't be answered by the winged creature.