Kingdoms of Ethirebard: Silver Eastcastle

Chapter 7

Doldrurth woke Sira up. She grunted at first, but woke up. The sun's ray warmed Sira as she walked with Doldrurth. Mallow was already there. It explains why I felt cold, thought Sira. Mallow was too excited like a young dragon waiting to be a trainee.

"Today we will see your progress." said Doldrurth, "You both will take different paths and try to catch as much as prey as you can. We will see you in the hollow tree by the clearing where we fight."

Mallow's tail kept twitching as she ran to the hollow. She enjoys assessments like this one. Dyghem walked to her. Sira could see that he was in a good mood.

"What's up?"

"We are doing a assessment."

Sira kept walking. Dyghem follow, a few steps, behind her. She reached the hollow. Mallow was still excited. Doldrurth and Adieu were already there.

"Sira you'll go left, Mallow you'll go right. We will see your process. Come back before sun high." answered Adieu.

Sira left. The thick undergrowth felt cool under her feet. The canopy leaves provided shade. Few patches of sunlight penetrate the surface of the leaves. Brambles and twigs poked out of the soil. A small creature was in the bushes. The mother fox was follow her.

"Autumn. Come out, you little fox."

The fox came out and rub against Sira's foot before running back to the trees. Sira stopped looking at the place where the mother fox disappear from.

Sira spotted a chaffinch a few feet away. The bird was pecking at a tree root. Sira dropped to a hunters crouch. She hid behind a tall Cedar tree. The chaffinch was still busy looking inside the tree root. Sira pounced on it. The bird got stunned and froze. Sira killed it with one swift foot. The animal was hidden beneath the cedar tree root. Sira covered it with soil. She walked a few feet away from her catch were she spotted a Rytm. The fat feline crept through the forest. Its ears were pricked. The small animal stopped. Sira crouched and jumped.

"Good. A surprise attack. The rytm won't know where it will go. They are, for sure, tough," whispered Doldrurth to no one in particular.

He was behind a tree a bit too far for Sira and the rytm to hear. Doldrurth was careful not to this disturb Sira. The Rytm still didn't notice Sira. She jumped high. The Rytm turned around and dodge the attack. Sira was too fast for the rytm. She twisted around and flung her rear feet at the rytm. The animal landed in the soft undergrowth, but Sira' back kick was powerful enough to kill it.

She grabs the animal by the neck and padded to where she left the chaffinch. She smelled another dragon in her catch. Doldrurth must have been here she thought.

Sun high came. Sira had a nice pile of prey in the hollow. Mallow's pile was a bit lowered than her. Adieu was growling at her.

"Who gives you permission in entering the core of the forest and kill prey in front of the Sky Oak?" yelled Adieu.

"I'm sorry. I was so concentrated on the rabbit I forgot." whispered Mallow in gasps, "Sira visits the Sky Oak, too! Why doesn't she get scowled?"

Doldrurth turns to Mallow. Sira was astonished that Mallow knew.

"The Sky Oak opens up to the dragons that it wants to. Sira was one of those. You must respect that!" yelled Doldrurth.

Mallow widen her eyes. Sira felt guilty. She had forgotten to tell Mallow about the "opening". She knew it wasn't true, but she couldn't reveal her small connection to her, yet. Sira looked to the ground. Tears had begun to burst. A single drop fell to the hard ground. She could sense the disappointment from Mallow. More tears fell to the ground as it became humid.