Rider

Dragon

                                                                               Dragon   

        Zoe watched as the beautiful greenery shifted to a barren, rocky plain. Looming before them like an angry wolf, lean and hungry, was an immense mountain. Jutting from its sides were jagged pieces of stone, and few trees grew. The brave few were windswept and had little leaves. Birch gave a small whinny and began to slow down.

        "Well, here we are. We walk from here." Xander said, jumping down. Zoe followed quietly.

        "What about Birch? Do we let him loose?"

        "No, we have stables not too far from here. All horses get skittish at the base of the mountain, the smell of dragon is strong here."

        Zoe nodded. She wrapped her tattered coat tighter around herself. Something about this place gave her the chills. A small wooden structure stood in the distance, dwarfed by the massive mountain standing behind it. As they approached, Birch whinnied and shook his head more often. 

        "Can't you keep them farther away? They'll all be terrified this close." She asked aloud.

        "Well, usually they stay a bit farther away, but it's much more convenient to keep them here. Besides, the scent of dragon drives predators away as well."

        Zoe nodded and turned her eyes once again to their destination. After dropping Birch off, Zoe spoke up once again.

        "We aren't going to climb that mountain, are we?" She questioned, eyes wide.

        Xander laughed. "No. I'll show you how when we get there."

        Zoe frowned. "You're a great help."

        Xander just chuckled and shook his head. The two continued walking in silence. The wind twirled and spun around them in a dance, roaring in their ears and whistling through the sparse and thin trees. It was getting colder by the minute, and Zoe could only wrap her coat tighter around herself. Silently wishing for a fire, she trudged on. Xander stopped arubtly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

        "Wait here." He sprinted off and out of sight. Zoe sighed and breathed into her hands, trying to warm them up. A loud whooshing sound filled her ears and she winced, covering her ears. She squinted up through the wind as a beast lowered itself to the ground, folding its wings in carefully. She was staring into the eyes of a dragon.