A Match of Monsters

Chapter Six

Elain giggled as the baby dragon licked her, the rough, dry texture of its tongue almost tickling her cheek.

She knew at the moment that the kit could think no better than that of a wild animal, that unlike a fully grown dragon it would be more a pet that a companion on the wildly slim chance that she ever became its guardian. But the little creature was pleasant to be around all the same, she was not looking forward to saying goodbye to it when their time inevitably ran out.

So Elain decided not to think about it, grabbing an expensive looking length of braided southern islander silk with threads of copper and other precious metals woven into it, lesser precious stones such as amber and garnets studded at the evenly spaced elaborate knots. She shivered to think about the price of this beautiful item, but picked it up all the same and shook it in front of the hatchling's face until its eyes were following the movements.

Elain smiled when the little creature darted forward and managed to close its jaws around the edge of the fancy rope.

It shook its head and tried to yank the exotic sash from Elain's grasp, twisting about and using the different angles and positions to try and beat her.

This game went on for hours over countless rounds, some with the kit gaining the sash and others with Elain getting it. She soon lost track of time, and the unexpected rumble of her stomach jerked the both of them from their merriment.

Still laughing and out of breath will exhilaration, Elain stumbled back to the pile of pelts and blankets she now considered as her bed. The gatherer's basket and what remained of its contents still lay where she had dropped it.

It rested mostly empty, as much of what she had gathered had been tossed out from within the deep, woven pocket when Elain was tumbling down the air vent and into this great cavern.

But there were still a few items left.

She rifled through the mushrooms and berries, searching for something different; a songbird. Whine her fingertips touched feathers, she smiled, but was careful not to pull hard enough the damage a single five along the length of any of the miraculously still perfect feathers.

Throughout the day, Elain had felt as if she was being watched, but no matter how often or how carefully she looked, she never actually saw anyone other than herself and the silver kit. Sometimes, when she was petting the infant or would make a sudden movement, she would feel something graze across the corners of her mind, smoother than lamp oil over still water.

Every time she thought she felt it, the presence would slip away just as quickly, and Elain could never be sure whether something was actually there, or if her nerves were just acting up.

All the same, Elain froze when she felt the sense of otherness slide into her head, her hands ceasing the movement of carefully plucking each and every feather from the bird's body – the right sort of traveller would pay well for a finely made and cared for feather trinket when passing through her village. This time the presence was more solid that it had been previously, and unlike the other times, Elain could tell for certain that there was something in her head.

Elain could feel a panic attach coming on, but before it arrived, the presence retreated as suddenly as it had appeared.

The bird's body still somehow felt just as fresh as it had been when she's picked it up more than a day ago in the much colder outside.

Soon, the feathers had all been removed from the body and put in a neat pile in her basket just to the left of her ankles, leaving the body looking even sadder and smaller than before.

But Elain didn't know what else to de; all she knew was that dragons ate meat, and that the kit had not eaten since it had hatched.

The only meat she had was the little bird, and she hoped it would be sufficient for the kit.

And thankfully it was.

After only a brief sniff, the kit's lithe neck snapped forward as its jaw closed around the dead animal. Elain expected it to eat like, well, a wild animal, but the baby dragon was dainty and picky, even though she knew for a fact that it had never before eaten.

As the human girl slowly picked through the foods she had gathered – a wide range of berries from cloudberries to lingonberries, and mushrooms from the excessive angel wings to the rarer golden or black chanterelle, but she left the grey fire morels alone, well aware of the price they could fetch her – she watched the little hatchling carefully tear away the skin and tear the shreds of flesh from the bones of the once vibrant blue jay. It used a single graceful claw to delicately raise each bite to its mouth.

Throughout their dinner, Elain had felt whatever it had been staring at her increase in intensity. When she could stand it no longer, she turned to look behind her, expecting to see nothing as she had previously, but gasped at what her eyes did find.

A/N

 - another chapter completed - yay! Please vote, comment and share this story, It really helps to motivate me continue my book.

- this time, the chapter is dedicated to my BFF, the girl who got me into dragons in the first place; ssnavy.