The Dragon Paladin

Chapter 1

I honestly don't know what just happened. All I know is that my ex and I got in a fight, I put my knife on my waist and walked out into the storm. I got hit by lightning, next thing I know, I'm in a far different place. The rain is heavier and the thunder is louder.
I hear a distant rumbling that is not thunder. A flash of lightning, and I know what the noise is and where i am.
I am on a small hill, more a large bump in the earth. The noise is a landslide not far away, and I'm not alone. I see three figures coming quickly towards me. Two large bulky, one about the size of a dog. Hard to tell in that instant, they're quite a distance.

I just realized, i am in the rain, with no shelter and no raincoat, and 3 animals running towards me.
As they get closer, i realize the smaller animal is a wolf. Oh crap.
The two bulky animals seem tobe horses with sticks and baskets on them. Wait, what? And the wolf? Then I notice that each horse has a rider, and i feel less confused.
They pull up not far from me, they don't know I'm here. They speak among themselve for a bit. The lightning flashes nearby -a bit too close- and reveals a ravaged landscape.
In shock and fear, I scream.
Long and loud. I catch my breath, and hear growling. In a panic, I look around and spot the wolf, creeping towards me, hackles raised. No problem, I've read about this. True, that book was about dogs. But this is a wolf, and they're from the same family. I drop to all fours and lower my head, leaning back slightly and whining. The main reason I'm not running is because of the people on the two horses.
I hear the wolf growling above the noise. Suddenly, there is a sharp command. The voice sounded feminine. There is a woman. Even if the other person is a man, so long as on of them is a woman, I'll feel safe. The wolf trots to her side, and sits. I raise my head slightly, and notice that the other rider is indeed male. Their voices are barely audible over the noise, but I can hear them talking. They don't speak english, though. After a few minutes, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I look up and back away slightly, I don't know these people. It's the woman, offering me her hand. Nervously, I take it. She leads me to the horses and mounts up. A few words with the man and a slight struggle later, he has helped me up behind her. I don't trust many guys. Personal reasons, so of course I'm going to jump away when he puts his hands on my waist!

We ride for a while, galloping into the rain. I honestly miss riding, I'd forgotten how it feels. This horse feels different to the horses I've ridden. Maybe because you've ridden bareback only once? Well now that you mention it, yes. This horse has no saddle. It's also stockier, yet somehow has a long stride.
I have my arms wrapped around the woman, who up close, seems around my age. 16-18, roughly. Leaning my head into her shoulder, i close my eyes and feel the powerful horse-muscles beneath me. We eventually pull up by a row of brush and bushes. Seeing as they're draping some kind of sheet over a few branches, I'm  guessing we're sleeping here tonight. I help to take the equipment(?) off the horses, and the three of us crawl into the tent. They start getting undressed, and i turn my back. The girl moves around so i have no choice but to look at either her or the naked man. She says a few words in one language, then another. She uses sign language, but i still dont know what she's saying. She shares words with the man, and by the the tone and lilt in his deep voice, he made a suggestion. She looks thoughtful. She starts pulling up my shirt, and i pull away. Who the hell are these people? Are they trying to get me into a threesome?! I don't think so, Ellie. Who would want to hook up in a damp leather tent? Wow, Emma. That reAlLy hELpS. Not. The woman holds my hand. Her eyes are a grayish blue colour, like an ocean in winter. I trust her. She speaks again. I put my hand on my temples and shake my head in an attempt to tell her i don't understand what she is saying. I see recognition in her eyes. My message was understood. She turns to the man and exchanges more words. Then she turns to me. She picks up the leather shirt she was wearing, and wipes her arm, dropping the shirt. She's saying you need to get undressed. I point to the man and put an arm over my chest, with my head down.
I put my arms down when i hear his voice talking to her. They confer for a moment. Then he turns on his side, facing away from us. I take of my shirt and pants, keeping my underwear on. She grabs my hand. I start sweating. Please don't see my scars please don't see my cuts pleasetakenonoticeofmyselfharm.
She points to herself and smiles. "Ayla," she says. Wow. Her voice is melodic. "Ayla," I repeat. I stick out my hand, and she looks confused. I take her hand in mine and shake, smiling. I point at myself. "Ellie," I say. "eh-LEE"
I shake my head.
"EH-lee"
After a few tries, she gets it right. She points to the man. "Jondalar." I try the name on my tongue a few times. Ayla nods in approval. I smile.

She pats the ground, yawns and rubs her eyes. Yet her eyes are still bright with energy. Oh, she's  saying it's time to sleep. I nod, and lie down. I feel something warm and dry covering me, and look up to see Jondalar.  I back up into Ayla, and cover my head with the fur blanket. I hear him shuffle back to the other side of the tent.
I begin to feel warm, and soon I fall asleep. Only to dream of my ex.