Snowden the White Dragon
Page 1
Snowden the White Dragon
A Dragon Dreams Novel
(Dragon Dreams, Book 2)
By
Raymond L. Weil
USA Today Best Selling Author
Books in the Dragon Dreams Series
Dragon Wars (Book 1)
Snowden the White Dragon (Book 2)
Gilmreth (Book 3)
Firestorm Mountain (Book 4)
All books were updated in July of 2019
Website: http://raymondlweil.com/
Copyright © December 2012 by Raymond L. Weil
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design by James, GoOnWrite.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Snowden the White Dragon
A Dragon Dreams Novel
Chapter One
For days, Snowden pursued Gilmreth relentlessly across the vast blue ocean. Twice, Gilmreth had turned and tried to return to the green valley that Snowden had driven him away from. Both times, after a brief and intense battle, Snowden forced Gilmreth to turn back and resume his flight across the water.
During each short-lived battle, Gilmreth had roared in anger at Snowden, trying to drive the smaller dragon away. However, Snowden was too fast and agile. In each attack, Snowden had managed to draw blood, which had further infuriated Gilmreth. Snowden was determined that Gilmreth would never be a threat to that isolated group of humans again. There were so few humans left in the world Snowden was determined that these would survive.
Snowden felt deep sadness at having to leave the humans. At the very end of his stay in the green valley, he had met a young girl that could have been his friend. Now that was behind him, and he faced the unknown once more. Watching Gilmreth in the distance, Snowden continued to fly over the deep blue ocean water.
At long last, Snowden saw a shoreline upon the distant horizon. He knew that he was nearing the end of his strength after the long flight. Each beat of his wings was harder and his breathing was heavier. The exhausted white dragon was relieved that Gilmreth had not attacked again. Snowden didn’t know if he could have forced the larger dragon back once more.
The sky was cloudless, with only a few white ocean birds joining the dragon in his flight. Their high-pitched cries reached Snowden’s sensitive ears as they neared the dragon. They were curious as to what this enormous creature was up in the sky. Snowden glanced at the birds in surprise. Very seldom did he encounter life of any kind on his journeys.
The green valley he had vacated in his pursuit of Gilmreth had been an exception. Now that he had driven Gilmreth from preying upon the humans, Snowden hoped they would survive. Peering intently ahead with his razor sharp eyes, Snowden could barely make out his adversary. Gilmreth had reached the shore and turned toward the north. Snowden knew that Gilmreth was beginning to hunt.
The seabirds screamed their challenges in more piercing cries at the interloper. Never had they seen a creature so large. The birds circled Snowden, wondering what type of bird he was, and then broke off to skim above the blue ocean waters seeking small fish to eat. They had lost interest in him and returned to their relentless hunting.
Snowden watched them for a moment, feeling the loneliness his life demanded. He thought he had found a friend in the young woman back in the green valley. Very few humans could communicate with dragons. However, the threat Gilmreth posed to the humans had prevented any hope of making a new friend.
Snowden knew that he needed to hunt soon to replenish his waning strength, and then patrol the shore to make sure Gilmreth didn’t attempt to return to the green valley across the ocean. Snowden hoped Gilmreth would continue on and not attempt to go back.
As soon as Snowden reached the shore, he noticed that Gilmreth had turned again and was flying inland. Snowden flew toward the south, beating his powerful wings in a steady, fluid motion. Snowden needed to hunt; he would worry about Gilmreth later.
Peering down toward the ground, Snowden saw a lifeless, desolate land. The trees were dead, and occasional shattered ruins from the Worldfire littered the landscape. Like so much of the world, there was nothing green or any signs of life. The world after the Worldfire was barren and nearly devoid of living things. But Snowden held out hope; the white sea birds had to have come from somewhere. He could feel his stomach demanding food.
For several hours, Snowden flew south along the shore. The dragon’s thirty-foot wingspan grasped the air and pushed him steadily in a southerly direction. Below he saw the whitecaps upon the ocean and a scattering of multi-colored seabirds seeking fish to feed upon. Occasionally, one would dive into the water and come up with a small fish in its beak. Fish were not an option for Snowden. They were too small and lacked the nourishment he needed. He could hear the ocean waves breaking against the shore. Other than the seabirds, everything was lifeless.
The sun was just about to set when Snowden saw a sight he hadn’t witnessed since right after the Worldfire: there was a ship on the horizon. The dragon peered closely at the distant sailing vessel. It was moving toward the south at a leisurely pace with its sails capturing the light evening breeze. Snowden felt excitement and new strength flow through him.
The sailing ship could only mean one thing; humans still lived on this side of the ocean. This was something Snowden hadn’t expected. The great dragon hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do. Where there were humans, there would be other types of life also. Humans tended to raise animals that Snowden could feed upon to replenish his strength. Snowden was the oldest of the immortal dragons. He was also the wisest. Humans could be a significant danger. Years past, powerful humans had created the dragons. Snowden would have to be extremely careful. These humans must not learn of his presence.
-
On the sailing ship, the eight humans on board were beginning their night watch. Only two were on deck navigating the ship as they made for home. Their ship’s holds were full of fish. Over the years since the Worldfire, the fish populations of the ocean had finally begun to recover. There were now certain areas that were teeming with edible fish. They had set out from their village over a week ago to travel to one of their favorite fishing grounds. The people of their village would eat well once they returned to their home village of New Haven.
-
All through the night, Snowden followed the lone sailing ship. He moved closer once darkness set in and flew just above the water so he wouldn’t be spotted. The dragon could see large nets on the back of the ship, which were obviously used to catch fish.
As the dawn neared, Snowden began to put some distance between himself and the ship. He didn’t want the humans to spot him and become frightened. On the distant shore, the dragon could see lights. It was apparent this was the sailing ship’s destination. Snowden felt a stirring of excitement. There were obviously a large number of humans here.
Snowden turned toward the shore. He would find a safe plac
e to hide during the day, and then once darkness fell he would investigate this human village and see what type of animals they might be raising. A few older cattle or even some sheep would make for an excellent meal.
After an hour of searching, Snowden found some ruins he could hide within. Landing near some old walls that were all that remained of an ancient structure, Snowden settled down to wait. It felt good to be able to rest. He could feel his stomach screaming for food. This was a feeling that Snowden had learned to control; something that Gilmreth had never learned to do. Gilmreth allowed the driving hunger to consume him. His hunger made the great dragon a threat to everything living.
Once Snowden felt comfortable, he closed his eyes to sleep. He had found refuge between two walls with a slight overhang that should shield him from view. After the sun went down, he would rise and see what these new humans had to offer.
-
Night had fallen, and there was a quarter moon out. Snowden took to the air with a powerful beat of his wings. He flew back toward the shore and the village he had spotted earlier. After a short time, a scattering of lights became visible below. Snowden slowly circled the village, surprised at its size. It was larger than the one in the green valley across the ocean.
Using his keen eyesight, he searched the periphery of the village for any signs of the animals that humans normally kept for food. A few cattle and sheep were visible, but these were in small enclosures and would not be wise to eat. The humans would quickly become aware of his presence.
Snowden noticed a well-traveled road leading away from the village toward a low grouping of mountains in the distance. The dragon decided to follow this road to see where it led. Perhaps he could find a farm where he could safely feed.
For nearly four hours, Snowden followed the road until it began to twist and turn through the low passes of several mountains. More ruins were visible along the road, with very little evidence of anything green. The road finally straightened back out and descended down into a large, secluded valley.
Snowden rose higher up into the air and slowly flew the length of the valley. Snowden could scarcely believe what he had found. The valley was full of life! There were three human villages in the valley. Not only that, but there were numerous food animals scattered about. He could sense some of the poison from the ancient Worldfire still in some of them. These would be the ones he would feed upon. This would remove this potential danger from the humans and help their stock to become pure once more. Snowden considered this a fair tradeoff for the animals he was about to take.
However, this also raised another concern for Snowden. Gilmreth must not be allowed to feed on these humans. Snowden would need all of his strength to protect them. He would also have to make sure that Gilmreth didn’t fly back across the great ocean.
Snowden carefully searched the lush dark meadows of the valley. Spotting an older cow in a meadow with signs of the ancient Worldfire poison, Snowden dove down, killing the cow instantly. Snowden slowly fed, relishing the meal and feeling his strength slowly returning. As the night wore on, he made more kills. Another sickly cow and several sheep with traces of the Worldfire poison died beneath his deadly talons. After each feeding, Snowden felt stronger and stronger. Then, as the sun began to rise in the east, he flew toward the mountains seeking a safe haven to rest. Snowden knew this would be his new home for many years to come.
-
Justin Andrews and his father were hunting up in the mountains to the south of their village. For the past several months, farmers had been reporting that some of their older and sicklier animals had gone missing. Justin’s father felt that it might be a bear that had come down out of the mountains and made the valley its personal hunting ground. Justin wondered about that since it had been many years since a bear had been sighted.
Justin’s father, Richard Andrews, paused for a moment to catch his breath. Richard was forty years old and Justin was twenty-two.
“Still no sign of any animal tracks,” commented the older man, leaning against a tree and gazing around. Richard had dark black hair, which was just beginning to show hints of gray on the sides. He was powerfully built from spending much of his time outdoors working their farm.
“I just don’t think it’s a bear,” Justin replied doubtfully, his eyes scanning the immediate area. They were on a small, seldom used trail that led up and over this section of the mountains. “There hasn’t been a bear sighting in years. If any were still around, we would know.”
“You may be right,” replied his father, nodding his head slowly in agreement. Richard reached under his shirt and pulled his amulet out. The green stone on the end of the finely crafted chain glowed dimly at his touch.
“Are you going to use your powers to scan the mountain slopes?” Justin asked, intrigued. He was of similar build to his father, only slimmer. Both were of the same height and shared the same color hair and eyes.
Justin and his father both had inherited the powers of their ancient ancestors. Those ancestors had been banished from the great mountain immediately after the Worldfire. People in the villages called them sorcerers.
“Yes,” his father replied as he began moving his right hand in a series of complicated gestures.
Justin knew his father was weaving an energy pattern in the air that he would use to search the surrounding area. Because he also had sorcery powers, Justin could sense as well as see the blue latticework of energy his father was constructing.
When the spell was finished, his father listened intently as he cast the completed spell over the area around them. Justin waited patiently to see if his father had found anything.
After a moment, his father shook his head, “Nothing,” he commented, disappointed. That’s how it was with sorcery. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.
“Let’s check the caves over on Beaver Mountain,” suggested Justin, knowing they were deep enough and large enough to hide a large predator. It had been several years since his father or he had been to the caves.
“That’s another two miles over rough countryside,” commented his father, looking over to the east where Beaver Mountain rose high into the sky. Beaver Mountain was one of the tallest mountains that surrounded their valley.
“If we don’t find something there, then I don’t believe whatever the animal is that’s killing the cattle and sheep is on our side of the valley,” commented Justin, removing his small canteen from his belt and taking a sip of water. “It’s just strange that we have never been able to find any tracks.”
“You may be right,” replied his father, looking off toward Beaver Mountain. “It may be on the Sorenson’s side of the valley.” If it was, he doubted the Sorensons would do anything about it. “The lack of animal tracks has me baffled as well. There should be tracks of some sort.”
The Sorensons were the other family of sorcerers that lived in the valley. The Sorensons lived on the northern end and the Andrews lived on the southern. Neither family cared much for the other and for the most part left each other alone. They had been competitors in the past, and there had been several serious and violent arguments about how sorcery should be used in the valley. Unfortunately, the Sorenson’s family sorcery was much more powerful than the Andrew’s family sorcery.
For the next several hours, the two made their way carefully through the tall trees and over the rocky slopes toward Beaver Mountain and the caves. It had been several years since Richard had taken Justin to the caves. It was rumored that the people of the valley had taken shelter there during the Worldfire. Richard and Justin had done a little exploring in the caves but had found no evidence to support those old stories, though they hadn’t gone far into them. They were not very certain as to how safe they were. Even with their sorcery powers, they didn’t want to become trapped.
-
Snowden was deep inside one of the caves on Beaver Mountain. He had found the caves on his second night in the valley. He had made one of the small caverns off one of the larger caves
his lair and had felt relief at finding such a good place to hide. Now he sensed humans approaching, ones that possessed some of the ancient powers. These were the very powers that had helped create the dragons so many long years ago. He hadn’t sensed the powers in any humans since fleeing the great mountain. Snowden felt uneasy at their approach. Maybe he had made a mistake in choosing this cave as his hiding place. If they entered the cave, there was no way he could hide from them.
Snowden knew he should have been more careful and not taken so many of the older animals so quickly, But felt that it was necessary to replenish his strength in case Gilmreth showed up. Every few nights, Snowden would fly far to the north trying to pick up any sign of the other dragon, but thus far there had been no sign of Gilmreth. Snowden hoped that Gilmreth had flown farther to the west, perhaps even back to the great mountain where they had been created. He turned his attention back to the two humans he sensed approaching the cave. He stirred uneasily and waited.
-
Justin and his father stopped before the larger cave entrance. For some reason, Richard felt uneasy. Something didn’t seem right. It was as if some unseen force was telling him that what they were seeking was inside. He wondered if it was his sorcery powers warning him there was something unknown in the cave.
“Do you sense it?” Richard asked Justin as he looked into the darkness of the cave.
Justin concentrated for a moment. His powers weren’t nearly as strong as his father’s were. “I sense something, but I don’t feel as if it’s dangerous.”
“Neither do I,” Richard agreed with a frown. This was perplexing. “I think we need to go into the cave and see what this is; I feel it’s terribly important.”
Justin looked down at the ground. There were no signs of any tracks, and the ground didn’t seem to have been disturbed. “I don’t see any tracks here, either.”