Traveling with Nomad Dragons

So, the adventure begins

Since the dragons were up, we then packed up our things and headed down the stairs and into the pub that was empty except for a few tired looking men at the bar. I headed over to the door with the dragons as Aria went over to the counter. She talked for a while to the man behind the counter and after a while exchanged some items that I couldn't see. She then came back over to us and asked, “Ready?” She didn't wait for a answer before slipping out the door and into the cool, still dark morning.

We stopped by the well in the middle where Aria pulled out something that looked like a canteen and filled it up with water. “Is that like a canteen?” I asked as she was re lowering the bucket. She looked at me with a confused look. “A what?” she asked. “Never mind.” I said, turning to Zena who just shrugged at me. After we filled up on water, Aria headed out on one of the four roads through the village. Zena told me we were heading north and I had no clue so I just believed her.

After a while, we left the brown town far behind us in the distance as we approached some intimidating looking mountains. Aria and Arrow lead us through a maze of forests as we entered the mountains base. They were both going steady but fast. I had to regularly ask for breaks which Aria didn't mind but made Arrow complain. I looked over at Zena at one of our rests to see how she was doing. I was surprised to see that she didn't even look winded and that she was just waiting patiently. She noticed me looking and asked, “What?” out loud. I just shook my head.

We continued climbing the mountain until the sun was high in the sky over head. Then, Aria helped me climb onto a large rock that over looked the valley's and smaller mountains below. “We'll have lunch here.” She said, sitting down and pulling out some food from her pack. I sat down in a huff, to tired to move. After a minute I slowly pulled my pack off of me and pulled out a sandwich. I slowly ate it as Aria feed both dragons with some meat she had and stared out over the horizon.

Was it really only the third day since I had left my home? I wondered if any of the kids at school knew what had happened. They must have, Namend would have spread the story far and wide, plus people would notice that his dragon was missing. I sighed, and turned my thoughts to my mother. Would she be surrounded by people comforting her right now? Shedding false tears? Or would she have gone on like nothing ever happened? Like she never even had a daughter for sixteen years of her life.

I looked down at my legs as Zena gave them a gentle shove. She had regret and sadness in her eyes as she held out a small red apple from my pack. I smiled down at her, took the apple and wrapped my arms around her neck. She nuzzled her head into my neck making me laugh as it tickled. After she moved away Aria handed me her canteen thing of water and I drank thirstily from it. After I handed it back to her she slid over to sit by me and we stared off into the horizon as the dragons chased each other around our legs.

After a while Aria asked, “Do you miss your family?” She spoke as if trying not to disturb the forest. “Not really.” I said quietly too. “What about you?” I asked. “Huh?” She said. “Do you miss your family?” Even not looking at her face, I could tell that the dark look at crossed over it again. “I have no family to miss.” she said, picking up a pebble and flinging it off the rock and into the forest. “I'm sorry?' I asked. Not sure if it was something to be sorry about. She chuckled, standing up and offering me a hand, saying,”Don't be. That's part of the life of a nomad. You don't have family, just the road ahead of you.” “Sounds kinda sad.” I said as I grabbed her hand, got up and slipped on my pack.

We started moving up the mountain again and I thought the topic had been dropped when Aria said,”Yes, I guess the life of a nomad can be sad. There is nothing to ground you, nothing to keep for memories. After awhile your even forget that time is passing sometimes.” “But, why would anyone want a life like that? I mean, I thought human nature needed to have something to hold on to.” Spoke up Zena who was casually flying above our heads. “Well, then, I guess us nomads aren't human then.” said Aria, smiling up at Zena.

Zena nodded before zipping ahead in the trees. After a few more hours and a couple more breaks, I asked,”So, Aria. Where are we going exactly?” “We're going north. I know of a small village that lives on the peaks of Coperta Di Neve. I have a good friend there that I need to visit.” “Um, What does Coperta Di Neve mean?” I asked. “It means 'Snow covered'. It is Italian.” “Oh, and I'm guessing that the peaks are covered in snow?” Aria turned around to face me, smiling. “That would be correct.” she said. I smiled at her before she turned around and continued climbing.

We continued climbing as the sun started to sink. As the sun began sinking behind the long tree line behind us, the forest around us began to come to life. I heard rustling in the bushes beside our trail and an owl hooted above us as it soared, looking for food. I expected Aria to stop soon but, she didn't pause until the last rays of light were slipping behind the mountains behind us. She turned around to look at the horizon and said, “We should find a place to camp soon.” I nodded, my breath wheezing out of my lungs. I couldn't say a word, I had been trying hard to keep up with her speed the whole time but it was hard.

She looked at me, as I leaned against a tree, bending over from breathing so hard. She then set off at a brisk pace. I followed slowly, my energy falling. Eventually she found a clearing surrounded by thorn bushes that would ward off any animals. She had the dragons grow to their full size, Arrow still being smaller than Zena, and lift us up, and set us down in the clearing. Aria started setting up a camp fire, as I slowly unrolled my sleeping back. The dragons, now back to small size, were helping Aria set up camp. I lay-ed down on my sleeping bag just for a moment, wanting to get back up and help, but my tiredness pulled me under and I was soon asleep.

I awoke to the smell of the fire still burning and sat up to see Aria sitting at the fire, roasting something over it. She greeted me with a friendly “Good morning.” I responded the same, as I slipped out of my bag and went and sat down by her. “What is that?” I asked, looking at the thing on a stick that she was roasting over the fire. “Squirrel. Do you want to have some? It's almost done.” she said. I looked at her to see if she was serious and she was. “No thanks.” I manged to say without sounding disgusted. She shrugged. After she finished her, meal, we packed back up camp and continued on our way.

It took us three whole days to get to be able to see the Coperta Di Neve mountains. By the second day, my legs were so sore I wanted to saw them off, but underneath the soreness I could feel my muscles growing stronger. As we rounded a bend through some trees, Aria stopped in front of me and I almost plowed into her. “There they are.” she said, pointing ahead of us to some large, snow covered mountains. “The Coperta Di Neve mountains.” I breathed, glad that we were almost there.

“You see that glimmer of light on the right side?” asked Aria, pointing to the right side of the mountain. I squinted, not seeing anything in all the snow up there but, then a faint light hit my eyes and I saw just the smallest bit of light on the side of the mountain. “Yeah.” I said. “That's where my friend's village is.” “Oh.” I sighed, seeing how far they still had to go. Aria laughed and said,”Come on, it's not that bad. We will be there before you know it.” I grunted as she started forward again, Arrow landing on her shoulder and swaying with the rhythm of her walk.

It only took us the rest of the day to get to the village, though I was freezing before we got there. We had to walk through ten feet of snow and a blizzard in order to get there. As we entered the village it appeared to be deserted. I would have deserted it too if I lived up in this cold place but, through the lit windows you could make out shapes of people, inside, away from the cold. Aria, lead me through the village to a small house on the edge of the mountain.

She knocked patiently on the door, not even seeming to notice the cold wind that was blowing through the mountain. I stood next to her, shivering. Cold down to my bones, and was thinking that I would never be warm again when the door opened. A girl older than us stood in the slit that had been opened. As soon as she say Aria's face though, she flung open the door and pulled us inside, squealing with joy.