Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 6

Merrick slept over that night. He curled up in the warmest corner near the fire, wrapped in furs and snoring softly.

The villagers would most likely be horrified that Marcie had let a man sleep in her home when she was not married, even a childhood friend, but she refused to care what they thought. Let her allow whoever she pleased to stay in her house.

The reason for him staying over and not returning home was simple, Marcie's house was separated from the rest of the forgotten village by a sliver of trees that was part of the forest and it took up to an hour to walk through. It was inadvisable to attempt to walk through at night, particularly when the moon was full. The village people were all locked in their homes by the stories of monsters and demons that patrolled the night at this time of the month, their windows secured against the night.

Marcie lay awake watching the moon through the tiny window, it did not scare her, rather she thought it beautiful. She had never been superstitious, her mother had always told her that only fools believe something they have never seen, she used to believe this completely, but now she was not so sure.

True, she had not actually seen the...thing in the cave, but she had heard its breathing, smelt its breath and felt its presence, there was no way she could have imagined the hot air on her face or the shaking of the earth as it stalked towards her in the shadows.

Just remembering the ominous presence had her curling into a ball in her blanket, a chill went down her spine and she shivered uncontrollable. Immediately her fear made her angry at herself, she hated that her fear could trap her like this, as a child she had scared easily but she had overcome that as she grew older.

Being afraid seemed so weak and pathetic that she cringed from it. Gripped with sudden purpose she threw off her blankets and sat up, then paused.

What would she need?

She changed out of her night dress and into her hunting clothes, leggings, knee high boots, tight fitting jersey over which she put a thick hunting coat, elbow length fingerless gloves, she shuffled silently around the house putting things into her pack, making a note of what she didn't have and would need to buy, and being careful not to wake up Merrick or her father who had come home late that evening and collapsed onto his bed without a word.

She would need money. She could catch her own food but she would need to leave some for her father and she would need to stop at Dafne's to collect some herbs but The Witch rarely accepted payment which would make it easier. Marcie dropped her pack and grabbed her pile of sewing that Miss Maiden would have her do, she considered lighting a candle and doing them at the kitchen table, but she didn't want to wake anyone, so instead she went outside into the night. The moon was so big and bright that everything was awash with its silvery light, if she squinted she could make out the tears and holes well enough. Marcie seated herself in the rickety old chair next to the front door and set the pile of sewing to one side of her and her sewing bag to the other, she started with a small blue dress with a rip in the sleeve.

It seemed that in no time at all the pile of sewing was finished and she had nothing to do, glancing at the stars, she saw that she still had a few hours till the sun rose, after some consideration, she sat down and began to carve more arrow shafts, attaching arrow heads to the tips and securing them.

She carried on doing this, driven by the what she planned to do, until the sun eventually rose over the trees, shooting colours into the sky and hitting her face, warming it instantly. The days were getting shorter and the air cooler, everyday the sun continued to struggle more and more to clear the horizon, it wouldn't be long till the snow hit.

Merrick woke up not long after sun rise, he shuffled out of the door, his clothes crumpled from sleeping in them and his hair messed up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He jumped when he saw her,

"Marcie, what the Goddess are you doing up so early"

"I could ask the same"

He dropped her gaze and mumbled, she raised her eye brows at him,

"I was just..." He indicated behind him at the open front door, through it Marcie could see her fathers arm hanging limp off the edge of his bed, she understood,

"I just...didn't want to..."

"Be here when my father awoke?", he dropped her gaze again and mumbled, "Yeah"

Suddenly he saw her, "Going somewhere?" he asked,

"I need to go back into the forest, I left something behind"

He stared at her "Is it so important?" he asked

"Yes" was all she said, turning back to the arrow shaft she was carving with her knife.

"Will you go with the others? The last group hunt is not for a while, two weeks at least ready for The Passing"

She considered it, then decided that if she had to wait that long she would go forest crazy,

"No, I shall go tomorrow or the day after. Then join up with the hunt later"

"Why?" Merrick asked again, "Why would you go out of your way to...is this what has been troubling you? Are you really so desperate for money?"

Marcie did not met his eyes, she formed a notch in the top of the arrow shaft and dripped a drop of resin inside before pressing the arrow head into the notch and binding it with cord.

Merrick crouched down in front of her, directly in her eye line, he put his hand on her knee.

"Marcie" he said gently, "you know that my family...I...will support you. If you need help-"

"No" Marcie said, pointing the arrow at him, "I do not need you, or anyone else's help"

"Marcie-"

"Merrick, don't, just..." she stood, causing him to jump backwards in his crouch. She walked a short distance away and stood with her back to him, gripping the arrow head tightly in her fist.

She never knew what to say to him. How to explain to him why she thought it so important she be independent.

He came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He stood very close, his breath tickling her neck.

"Some things are more important than pride Marcie" he said softly.

Marcie did not answer him. She seethed silently.

It was not pride. Well, pride might be a factor, but it was more important to her than that. It meant something. And he would never understand.

When she remained silent he stepped away from her with a sigh,

"See you when you get back" he said and Marcie heard him take off at a run through the trees back to the village.