Ianite's Daughter

Chapter 9

Audrey's POV
Who were the people standing up on that small rise? And who is this "he" they were talking about? Was "he" within the small group gathered upon that hill? I have so many questions that Capsize and Red Beard won't answer. Red Beard pulls me below-decks. "Stay here until I come to get you." He says. I nod. As soon as he's up the stairs, I grab a cloak and stuff some supplies into a backpack. I take the emergency hatch to the deck and jump over the edge. I land on the sand and hide inside a cave. I put on my cloak, pulling up the hood. Judging by the fact that Capsize or Red Beard aren't shouting, I'm in the clear. I sit on the floor of the cave and wait for the ship to head seaward.
~•§•~
I sigh as the ship disappears. It's dusk outside now. Something growls deep within the cave. I freeze. I get to my feet and pull out my sword. "Who's there?" I ask. Something shuffles in the darkness, moving closer. It snarls, even closer now. I move backwards, moving away. "I'm not going to hurt you." I say, realizing that I have a blade aimed in its direction. I sheathe my sword and stand completely still. Whatever it is brushes up against my arm. I flinch away. It was warm and scaly. I shiver. It almost sounds like it sat down. I try to see what it is and it's eyes stare up at me, their yellowish-green tinge observing my every move. I back out of the cave, it following. A black head appears in the dim moonlight, a pair of ears adorning it. "What are you?" I ask. It moves further out, a tail slithering behind it. "A giant lizard?" I ask. It looks annoyed. A pair of wings stretch outwards, flapping slightly. I back away, frightened by the beast in front of me. A dragon. It folds its wings. I trip over a rock and fall flat on my back. It rushes over and uses its nose to help me up. I get to my feet and move away. It sits down and looks at me. "Are you a male or a female?" I ask. It cocks his head to the side. I sigh. "Sorry. Male for this hand, and female for this hand." I say, holding up both my hands. It picks male. "Well, in that case, hello good sir." I say. He garbles something. I laugh. He draws something in the sand by his feet. He stops and looks up at me. I look at it. I back up a few steps. "How did you know?" I ask. He drew a set of scales in the powder. He shrugs. I sit in the sand. I begin to shiver. He scoops me up on his back and sets me down just inside the cave. He runs back out and comes back with some sticks. He drops them just outside and lights them on fire. He gets inside the cave and curls himself around me. His wings pull me toward his stomach and his legs wrap around my waist. I fall asleep to the sound of his breathing and the crackling of the fire.
~•§•~
I wake the next morning to someone talking. I squint into the early morning sun and look around. Three people are standing on the docks. I move farther into the cave. The fire is doused and there's footprints in the sand. "Do you think she's okay?" Capsize's voice asks. I move faster. Something comes out of the darkness and grabs me. I freeze, holding my breath to subdue my yelp. It nuzzles my arm. I sigh, realizing that it's the dragon. "Well, you can stay here until we find her." The man from yesterday says. "Come, I'll show you where you can stay." He says. They move away and the dragon sniffs. He moves forwards. I pull him back. He looks at me. "It's safe?" I whisper. He nods. He scoops me up on his back. I pull the hood of my cloak up and he walks out. He turns right, away from the docks. He begins running and a massive tree comes into view. "Whoa." I say. He glances back at me. He stops atop a cliff and the sun catches in the leaves, casting shadows over the water. A house sits on a small rise, surrounded by trees. The dragon sniffs the air as I get off. I lie in the grass, allowing myself to relax. The dragon lies down next to me, keeping his head up. "What should I call you?" I wonder. He looks at me. It was around midnight when he found me... "Midnight! That's what I'll call you!" I say. He nuzzles my cheek. I fall asleep lying in the warmth of the sun.
~•§•~