Finding The Red Dragon

Convincing a dragon.

Where the hell was that dragon? Sal flew through the night, watching for movement. He had checked the hills and fields where they normally hunted, but he was nowhere to be found. Then he remembered the river and headed that way.

And there he was, sitting on the bank, slumped over and looking more defeated than he ever had. Slowly Sal landed nearby and went to his friend.

"Hey old man, what are you doing out here?" "Go away." Ragnar sounded sad. "I can't do that. There is a pretty little girl at the house that is worried sick about you, and I promised her I would find you." "She is?" Ragnar looked up and Sal flinched at the agony etched his face.

"You made the queen of toughness cry man, what happened?" "She cried?" Ragnar let out a groan of pain. "Yeah, a little, but Torsten has her calmed down. He will watch over her. Tell me what happened." Sal waited for his friend to talk.

"You should be with her. You are strong and healthy and will be a good mate to her." Ragnar said, but Sal could hear the pain in his friends voice. "Me? No way. She is amazing, but way too much woman for me. She would off me in a few nights when I could not keep up with her." Sal laughed and got a chuckle from his friend.

"True. She is vicious. Never backs down either and it drives me crazy. I do not know what to do with her." Ragnar chuckled. "No of us do. She walked into the manor and immediately shook us all up. She has us playing nice and even has everyone sitting at the dinner table every night. It is strange, but then, she has some strange power. To tell you the truth, I think most of them are terrified of her." Another chuckle from Ragnar and Sal hoped he was getting through.

"She is a tiny thing, but fierce as they come. If she were a dragon, she would be a force like no other. Her heart is pure and her soul strong. A fighter that one is." Ragnar shook his head and exhaled loudly.

"And if my best friend did not already like her, there is a line of at least eight men in that house that would steal her up in a heartbeat." "Let them." Ragnar growled, but even Sal could hear that the pain had returned to his voice.

"What happened tonight? I saw you two out on the lawn. You were curled up as she sat in front of you and it looked so promising. Then the next thing I hear is her running into the house upset. What changed?"

"She made me feel things Solveig, odd things. Things I do not like." "What things?" "She makes..." Ragnar paused as he looked out over the lake deep in thought.

"What did she do?" Sal pushed, he needed to know. "Do you know I have my fire back now?" "No kidding? How did that happen?" Sal was shocked, but he tried to stay neutral and not get too excited.

"She did it. She made me so happy that I felt it and it just happened. Twice. That is what she does to me. She pushes me to feel and then when I do, it is confusing and strange. Nothing makes sense to me. I am spinning inside my own head."

"Sounds like you like her. Maybe enough to let her in?" "No. I am a dragon. She is human. No." "Jerrico is mated to a human." "No. She is not a dragon. I am a royal blood and must have a dragon mate." Ragnar huffed and slammed his fist into the ground.

"What if Liv comes back without a female?" Even though Sal did not want to, he had to go there. He had to know. "Then I die." Ragnar said with such finality, that it made Sal's heart drop to his stomach. His best friend was going to die and there was nothing more he could do for him. This was going to be it.

Sal had given him an amazing woman, one that would have loved him until the end of time, but he was as stubborn as they came, and Sal knew this was not going to be easy. Convincing a dragon that he was in love with a human was going to take all he had, but he was willing to do what it took, both for Ragnar and sweet Ella. He sat next to his friend and they let the silence stretch out between them.