Dragonsoul

Chapter 19

As the morning chased the night away, Leonie felt as if the light of a new day managed to disperse some of the darkness that often followed the nightmares. The heavy burden on her heart, that usually followed the awakening after a night of dread, was nowhere to be seen.

As her mind adjusted to the waking state, she could hear the familiar sound rumbling in the quiet of the room. Without having to look or use any of her senses, she knew what it was, who it was.

Although she had no idea how he managed to enter the house, or why none of them could hear him enter the house, she knew Rim was in the room with them.

As she slowly opened her eyes, they confirmed that Rim was indeed in the room, curled up at the foot of the bed that her whole family shared for the night.

One would think that a baby dragon would stand out in a human family, but Rim somehow managed to fit in. It seemed as he belonged with the family like he was a part of it.

That was when Leonie realized that it not only felt good to have her friend by her side, but that he was also the one who chased away the darkness that usually drained all the rest out of her sleep.

Rim was the fire that kept her heart warm through the night and didn't allow the chilly fingers of frost to enter it as they often did in the past. Although she had no idea what caused her nightmares, or why they were coming back, she knew what the cure for them was, Rim.

"As she contemplated that notion, Rim's huge eyes started blinking rapidly until he finally awoke. It was as if he could sense Leonie's look and responded to it immediately.

"I am sorry. I didn't ask if it was okay if I sleep here. 

When I came back, the whole house felt heartbreakingly sad, so I came to find you. I wanted to help you feel better, but you were already asleep.

I tried to send as many positive emotions to all of you as I could, and I guess I just fell asleep." Rim whispered.

"You don't have to apologize. You are part of the family now, and that means you have as much right to be here as we do." Leonie whispered back.

There was a spark of something in his eyes as he said that, something Leonie couldn't fully understand. Instead of letting it go, her instinct told her to reach into his mind, into his emotions to try to figure it out.

Before she even had a chance to catch the small glimpse of the spark of emotions, she was suddenly pushed out. It felt to her as if a door slammed into her face. That had never happened before, and it made her annoyed.

"Sorry," Rim whispered.

"I've been practicing emotion control, what is safe to share, and what is not.

There is knowledge in my head now that tells me that some emotions and some information can break the human mind.

I am just trying to protect you. I am sorry if I scared you." Rim said.

"You didn't scare me, I'm surprised," Leonie said.

"Can we go outside and talk," Rim asked.

"Yes, of course," Leonie said as she put her coat over her nightgown.

Once they were outside, the brisk morning air helped clear Leonie's mind, making her less annoyed with Rim. After all, he was trying to protect her.

It made sense that the ancient dragon secrets and their powerful magic would be too much for a human.

Even though she acknowledged that fact, she still could feel doubt pecking at her heart like the most annoying little woodpecker. Trusting Rim to have their best interest in mind, Leonie decided to change the topic in hopes of getting rid of the annoying bird digging into her heart.

"So how are you now? Did you get used to ascending, to getting you fire so early?" Leonie asked.

"No, but I think I know what I require to control it.

"I have to put many different cabinets in my mind so as not to overcrowd my brain and look at the information only when necessary. I need to build a type of wall to ward off some of the more persistent emotions and powers.

That's what happened earlier. One of my walls span out of control. I will try to be more gentle about it in the future." Rim promised.

Leonie nodded her head deep in thought.

Her little dragon was already changing, and it was difficult for her to keep up with his development.

Yet, all beings change. Their change is more frequent than the change of color, that different seasons bring, it is in their nature. Even Leonie herself was no longer the curious little girl that she was. She was now a survivor.

Young as she was, she managed to survive something that most people struggled with at a much later age, losing one's parent. It was not something that a person could get over. It was a fight, a struggle. It was difficult to accept the loss and move on, live on.

Parents should be one constant in children's lives, two people who are always there to catch the children when they fall, to tell them everything would be alright.

Who would do that for Leonie now? Now that her father was dead, and her mother heartbroken. Her whole world was upside down, and all she could do for the time being was survive.

Leonie thought that her mother probably felt the same mixture of pride and fear that Leonie felt looking at the dragon, and that realization surprised Leonie. Never before was she able to imagine how it was for her mother, but at that moment, listening to adult-sounding Rim, she understood how it might be painful to watch one's child grow up too soon because of the neverending hardships of life.

"It's alright, don't worry about it. What about your fire? Do you have any ideas about how to gain full control over it?" Leonie asked.

"I am glad you asked. I've had this crazy idea that I thought you might help me with." Rim said with a huge grin.

For anyone else seeing all of Rim's teeth in all their dragon glory might have been terrifying but not for Leonie. It warmed her heart to see that mischievous smile of a naughty child on his face.

" Yes?" She asked with a smile.

"It's difficult to control the amount of fire I spit out and direction. So, I think that if you send out small wooden rafts on the lake, I can burn them down. I will turn my back to everything I shouldn't burn down, and I can practice my aim safely. What do you say?" Rim asked.

"That sounds like a good idea, but let's wait for everyone to wake up first. I don't want to frighten them." Leonie said.

As she said that, the door to the house opened, and Amitola came out. In the bright sunshine that bathed her face, it became clear to Leonie how much pain had changed her mother.

The face that was open and bright was drawn and sad. On instinct, Leonie ran to her and hugged her as if she could hug the sorrow away.

"What's wrong?" Amitola asked.

"Nothing. I haven't told you how much I love you, mom. I love you as flowers love the sun, as waves love the moon, and as Nald loves his sweets." Leonie said.

The statement was both an expression of her love and an inside joke made up by Leonie's father. They were always the type of family who wasn't embarrassed to talk about their emotions, and they always humorously tried to outdo each other in expressing the depth of their love.

However, after that statement was pronounced one day by her father, they loved it so much that they kept it. It became just theirs.

"I love you, too, as the sun is my witness, as waves are my strength, to the moon and back, as much as Nald loves the cake," Amitola answered.

The answer was thought out by Nald. Thus, everyone started using it to please the little guy.

"Also, I am sorry," Leonie said.

"For what, my dear?" Amitola asked.

"For growing up too soon," Leonie replied.

"That's okay. You couldn't help it. Besides, you did it so nicely that I can't be mad with you." Amitola said.

They both laughed, and it was the perfect way to start a new day after a hard night.