by Martha Carr
“And?” Raven shrugged and looked at the beast. “They go back out into nature, right? Big deal. You have wild dragons, and you have trained dragons.”
William raised his eyebrows. “It’s not that easy. Dragons in this part of the world are bred on ranches. Can’t have a two-ton fire-breathing beast flying over the countryside. We wouldn’t last very long. So, if they aren’t responsive to instruction, they need to be released in a controlled way.”
She crossed her arms. “What does ‘controlled’ mean?”
“It means we have to keep the kingdom safe by clipping their wings and preventing them from flying anymore.”
Raven scowled, her eyebrows knitting together. “I don’t understand. How could you do that to such a noble creature? It can talk to you and reason with you.”
“Their own kind of reason. We breed dragons for utility. And if they don’t fulfill that utility, we can’t keep them. There’s not enough room, enough feed. These dragons only know captivity, and I use that word loosely. If they could fly, they would be at the top of the food chain, and we would be somewhere under them.” He scraped mud off the bottom of his boot.
“Like the Swarm.”
William jerked his head up, narrowing his gaze. “Not the Swarm again, Raven. That’s a fairytale these days.”
“Or the start of an adventure.”
“You’re just a mage in training, Raven. I know you don’t like to hear it, but your adventure is right here, going to school. Focus on what’s right in front of you, like this dragon. Leander is a good dragon, but I must get him to listen, or the kingdom will insist on clipping his wings. I have a month until his trials. Focus on that. That’s real.”
Raven saw it was pointless and looked at Leander. He was giving her the same look the two large dragons had. Is it the wound in my shoulder? “Okay, you win this round. But why can’t you teach them to be our allies? We saw the clans over there teaching each other.”
“That’s instinct, mostly.”
“But then you clip their wings and take away their ability to fly? That’s barbaric. Don’t they have rights?”
“The kingdom has rights. Raven, how long have you known me?” He walked a distance away from Leander. “I love these creatures. We all do here. We do our best to take good care of them, and we train them with respect because we want them to thrive. Letting them out into the wild to do whatever they want would be irresponsible and dangerous.”
“And clipping their wings isn’t?” She started to raise her voice. “That’s cruel!”
“We clip their wings and take them to the Valley of the Flightless Dragons.” William walked to a nearby shed, where he picked up a long pole with a hook on the end and hung it back on a peg near the door. The wall was lined with different training implements, all oversized to be used with dragons.
“It’s a safe place where there is plenty for them to eat, and there are other clipped dragons for them to form new clans. It’s a humane solution for dragons who can’t…well, work with us. The valley is separated from the rest of the land out there, and everyone leaves them alone. There are severe penalties for trespassing and messing with the dragons.”
“Can we see it? How far away is it from here?”
He pointed to the south. “It’s far outside the kingdom, way over the wall on protected land. It doesn’t take long to get there if you ride a good dragon. You’ve never ridden one, have you?”
“I can figure it out. Let’s go.”
William hesitated. “I don’t know. Dad will tan my hide if something happens to you, and you have that wound. You’ve just got the one good arm.”
“I can ride in front of you,” Raven said in a rush, a buzz of excitement filling her belly. “That would be safe, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ll have to make sure we’ve got a dragon that is well-trained and well-rested, because we can’t land anywhere on the outlands. One that will communicate with me. They have to make it there in one shot.”
They walked to a massive barn where several grown dragons lounged in their pens. William walked up and down the line of dragons, staring at each of them and glancing at the notes hanging on each of their gates. “How are you feeling tonight, Teo? Are you up for a long flight?”
The silver dragon rose to his feet and fluttered his wings. “I was born ready.”
“Will your parents have a problem with us going outside the wall?” asked Raven.
He shook his head. “They know I take every precaution, and I only go out to visit the flightless dragons. It’s a safe spot, and we’ll make it back before dark.”
He walked to the opposite side of the barn and grabbed a large saddle with straps that were dozens of feet long. “I just have to saddle up and grab a few things, and then we can go. We’ll have to hustle, though. I don’t want to be out after the sun goes down.”
“Of course not.” And I made a promise.
William took the saddle into Teo’s pen and the dragon turned to offer his back for it. In minutes, William had positioned the device and strapped it underneath him, then placed the guidance strap with the reins around his neck. He gave the creature a tender pat on the head, and he sat back down again. “Thank you, Teo. Okay, Raven, you ready to get on your first dragon?”
She walked tentatively into the pen. “So, what do I do?”
“Climb aboard, mage,” said Teo, turning to look at her. He nudged her with his large head, streams of frost coming from his nose. Raven reached out and touched his immense snout, feeling the cool, smooth scales that moved independently of each other.
“You want to do it? Just grab the reins like this, and you’ll lead him out in the open where he can spread his wings.” William opened Teo’s pen and let Raven lead him out, giving her an encouraging nod. Her hands tingled with the surge of energy that buzzed through her.
“Once you get on, Teo and I will take care of the rest. That’s what a well-trained dragon and his rider do.”
Raven walked next to Teo out of the barn, loosely holding onto the reins as they got out into the open field. Once they were clear, Teo stretched and extended his long wings out to his sides, unleashing a loud moan. “Feels good to be free again.”
Raven felt a rush go all the way through her at the sight of the tall beast unfolding his wings.
Teo lowered his body to the ground in anticipation of the riders. Raven nodded, grabbed the handles on the straps of the saddle, and put her foot in a stirrup, then climbed up the beast’s back. She clutched the reins as the creature stood, unsure of her stability.
William climbed up behind her and reached around to take the reins. “Trust the saddle! It’s not going anywhere. Loosen your muscles and relax. A dragon can always tell when you’re stressed, and it affects them, too. They can even smell it. Just enjoy the ride and follow me.”
“Look, storm clouds in the distance. Will that affect a dragon in flight?”
William narrowed his gaze, looking at the horizon. “Everything affects flight. Rain can be a real problem if it’s coming down hard enough. It can affect the stability of an immature dragon. Okay, hold on!”
With a tug of the reins, William coaxed the dragon into the air, the large wings flapping hard until they caught a current. Within seconds, they were soaring high above the land, the ground passing underneath them.
The wind rushing into Raven’s face made her gulp as she peered over the side at the passing great wall. William dipped the right wing and took a wide turn that led them sideways. Raven held on with her knees, tensing for a moment until Teo glanced back at her. She made herself let out the breath she was holding, relaxing into the saddle.
They flew out past the ranches, dipping in and out of the clouds, soaring over farmland until they finally got closer to the mountains. William pointed at a long stretch of the valley surrounded by mountains. “There. See? That’s the Valley of the Flightless Dragons,” he shouted into Raven’s ear.
Dragons of every color and size populated the valley
, which stretched between two distant mountain ranges that curved to cradle the lush green land.
Raven leaned over Teo’s neck for a better look. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she exclaimed. She leaned out a little farther as a large blue dragon blew a stream of fire into the air. Another dragon came up alongside it and blew a stream that shot up parallel.
The two dragons twisted their heads, undulating the streams until they twisted together, in and out. Raven’s eyes widened in delight, and she momentarily lost her grip on the saddle’s horn, slipping to the side. “Huh?” She took a sharp breath.
William put his arm around her small waist and pulled her close. He was careful to slide his arm under her injured shoulder. She leaned against his chest and could feel his steady heartbeat, calming her own.
“You okay?” he asked, his chin grazing her good shoulder.
“I am, thanks to you.” She leaned over but was careful not to go too far. “There are so many dragons. Look at them all,” she said in awe. “Do you know their names?”
She felt his muscles tense and stiffen.
“I did before they landed here.” He paused, gazing down at the different clans scattered as far as the eye could see. “But since they were sent here and, uh, altered, I’ve tried to let go.”
Raven glanced back at him as best she could. “And that included their names?”
William shrugged and pulled on the reins, leaning around her to shout, “Come on, Teo. Let’s fly a little lower and get a better look. Just above flame-throwing level.”
“As you wish.” The dragon tilted his wings, angling to the left as they effortlessly descended with the airstream.
Sunlight glowed through the dragon’s wing, warming the colors. “Put your foot out on the wing,” yelled William, the wind blowing his hair back. “Then you can lean out safely and see one of the most beautiful things on this Earth.”
Raven put her foot out and gingerly pushed against the wing. Teo lifted his long snout and blew out a stream of ice. Raven started and pulled back her foot, making William laugh. “Teo is just showing off.”
The dragon looked back and smiled, his sharp teeth visible. Raven put her foot back on his wing and leaned to the right, the wind pushing her chest, William’s arm still comfortably around her waist as she watched the sun sparkle off Teo’s scales.
“I wish I could be somebody else,” Raven grumbled, almost too low to hear.
“You’re still a mage, Raven.”
With a tug of the reins, the dragon prepared to land just outside the valley. William guided them both down on the near end for a perfect, gentle landing. He climbed off and grabbed a bag of feed for the dragon. “Let me help you off. We’re not going to go much farther than this anyway.” He held out his hand for Raven and waited.
“Why not?” She took his hand and swung a leg over, sliding neatly off the saddle.
“Remember Leander and that undercurrent of hostility? Clip his wings, and you have just over a hundred dragons all gathered in one place. The valley is full of them, and they don’t care for visitors, particularly our kind.” He pointed to the mountain ranges. “The mountains keep out most travelers, cutting down on the occasional human barbeque.”
Raven shoved him, narrowing her eyes. “Cuts down on it?”
He shrugged. “It’s a fact of life around here. If you want to keep the flesh on your bones, maintain a safe distance.”
William led her to a hill that gave them a better vantage point. When they reached the top, Raven marveled at the green valley and the groups of dragons below.
Some were lying down in what remained of the late afternoon sun. Others playfully tackled each other in the open fields, giant jaws opened wide, displaying double rows of large, pointed teeth.
Still, others were broken into groups of three, throwing streams of fire and battling back and forth, smashing into each other. Raven picked out a group and watched them, fascinated. She sat down, and William took a seat next to her.
An iridescent green dragon in the group used a wing to knock over an opponent. The other dragon, a silver female with a pink underbelly, righted herself with a loud protest, icing the ground under the other dragon’s feet and causing him to slide across the ground.
“I like her. She’s clever,” said Raven, smirking. “They look just like the ones on your ranch.”
William nodded. “They are, except they can’t fly away. What you see is coping. Look, they’re still dragons at the end of the day. We just need to be able to keep a rein on them. If we can’t do that, they become dangerous. Don’t need to have the village go up in flames.”
William watched Raven intently study the dragons. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being a mage...in training.” He laughed and ducked as she tried to take a swing with her left arm. “Okay, okay. Don’t injure that shoulder any more than it already is. I can see how much you love being around dragons, but there’s a lot more to it. And you are Raven Alby, part of a long legacy.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard that my entire life. My destiny was picked for me before I was even born. What if I want something else?”
“Like dragons? There are worse things than knowing you are carrying on a tradition. It’s like you get the chance to remind everybody of your mom and dad.”
Raven looked up at him, her face reddening. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“The way you choose to live your life.”
He stood up, brushing off his pants and offering a hand to Raven. “You don’t have to be some kind of superhero. Just happy would probably do it, but I’ve heard those stories too. Your parents were legendary, and then there’s your grandfather and the sacrifice he made. One great battle that saved us all.” He held up his hand. “You’ll find your adventure, Raven.” He smiled to break the tension and bit his lower lip for a moment. “Look, you have a natural talent for spells and magic, why waste it?”
“Because…”
He cut her off and helped her up. “And see if it’s possible to be a mage who likes dragons.”
Raven gave a short laugh and held up her injured arm, cradling it. “Two difficult specialties that take years to master. You really do like me.”
“Raven, for a brilliant mage in training, you can be slow. Here, let me adjust the sling around that arm. That’s been bothering me all day. Surprised you haven’t tried a spell on it.”
“I’m waiting until dark.” She saw the look of surprise on his face and added, “I’m kidding. I know that’s a big no-no. Hey, did you just call me slow?”
“You’ll have to figure that one out for yourself, Alby. Get your fill of watching dragons. I’m going to check on the feedbag. If you want to hang here for a few minutes, go for it, but the sun is starting to set. We need to get home.”
He walked back down the hill to Teo while Raven watched the dragons in the valley far below. A roar erupted, startling her, and she looked at William, but he was already gone.
She looked to her right and saw a smaller female dragon whose wing was caught in a thick patch of briars. The leathery wing was wounded, and small drops of blood had appeared. She roared, stomping her feet and burning the bushes, but she couldn’t free herself.
Nobody’s helping her.
“Help me!” the dragon called, but the others were too far away. She began to panic, pulling her wing and causing further destruction.
Raven gauged the distance between the trapped dragon and the other clans and didn’t hesitate. She slid down the hill and ran as fast as she could to the trapped creature, pressing her injured arm against her body.
The dragon roared in anger when she saw Raven running toward her and threw a line of fire to warn her. “Back off,” she cried out.
“It’s okay. I just want to free you.” Raven held up her bandaged right arm as high as she could, wincing from the pain. “I understand. I fought off an elf and won. Let me help you get free.” She took her dagger from its sheath and held it up. “See? This
is the only weapon I have. Let me come closer, and I can cut away the bushes. We have a deal?”
The dragon looked at her injured wing and back at Raven, smelling the air. Her expression changed, and she nodded. “You can come closer, but stay where I can see you.”
Raven climbed into the bushes and carefully hacked off branches. She looked back to see the dragon watching her every move, snorting in pain. “Just...one...more. There!” She stood up, triumphant as the dragon rose, shaking her wing and knocking Raven to the ground.
“Oof!” Her shoulder hit the solid ground, making her shut her eyes tight until the wave of pain and nausea had passed.
Raven opened her eyes, sweat on her forehead. She looked up to see the dragon leaning down and staring at her, just a few feet from her face. She got up onto her knees and raised her hands. “Oh, that’s not good.” Two large male silver dragons had sauntered over with menacing looks on their faces, snorting and pawing the ground.
They walked around the female dragon, and Raven found herself surrounded by the beasts with nowhere to go.
“What is she doing here?”
Can’t outrun them. Better make friends. She did her best to get off the ground, ignoring the pulsing pain in her body. “I can explain.” She raised her hands, hoping they would let her leave unscathed but preparing herself for the worst. “Such a weird day.”
Chapter Nine
William rubbed Teo behind a pointed ear as the beast snorted and hummed a melody. “I don’t know that one.”
“I learned it from your father.” His voice was low, with perfect diction.
“Dad thinks he can carry a tune.” William chuckled. “All the dogs chime in, which only encourages him. And now the dragons! Okay, just chill out for a bit, Teo. We’ll only be a few more minutes.”
“As you wish.”
He left Teo and began climbing back up the tall hill. He cleared the crest and noticed the sun was already halfway beneath the horizon. We better start heading back. Even when we’re safely in the sky, I hate being out past sundown.
