by Katrina Cope
I point to the second puddle of water, and she runs to it, spits the salt into the water, then plunges her mouth into the liquid, opening and shutting it a few times. She pulls her nose out and spits. That was disgusting! She indicates the first puddle with the water running into it. Is that fresh water?
I nod.
She dashes to the puddle and plunges her nose deep into its contents, sucking in a big mouthful. That’s better.
I chuckle and set to work slicing off a piece of meat about double the size of my hands off the rump of the animal. I slap the piece of meat on a rock in front of Elan.
That’s not going to fill me. Elan looks at the piece of meat with disappointment.
“That’s not for you. It’s mine. I was going to ask you to cook it for me.”
She looks at me strangely. What do you mean by cook?
“I need you to breathe your fire over it until it is grilled enough for me to eat.”
Elan screws up her nose. Yuck! That would make it disgusting. Why would you want to burn your meat?
“It’s just the way I like it.”
She shrugs then does as I asked. The smell of burnt flesh reaches my nose, and my stomach growls louder. It’s nicely charred. “Stop. That’s perfect.”
She screws up her nose, and I shove the rest of the animal toward Elan. “The rest is yours.”
Her face lights up, and she finishes the whole carcass before I finish my chunk of meat.
I wash my hands in the salty water then throw the skin into it, swishing it around a few times.
Wings flap outside the cave, and I spin around with my eyes wide.
Don’t worry. It’s just Sobek. He’s going hunting for his meal now that I’m back to protect you.
I notice that the sun is dropping below the horizon, and darkness is engulfing its light. Elan moves farther into the cave and curls into a ball. I nestle against her body, pressing my back into her side and absorbing its heat. It’s a strange, comforting feeling to be curled up with a dragon and having the heat from her body keeping away the cold of the night in the wilderness. Only a few months ago, I never would have thought it was possible that a vicious creature could turn out to be so loving and caring. Tomorrow is another day, providing I can get through the night without being eaten by a wild dragon.
I drift off to sleep only to be woken by a thump at the entrance of the cave.
- CHAPTER FIVE -
My eyes shoot open, pulling me rapidly from my sleep. I hope that the thump was just Sobek returning from his hunt. Quietly, I roll up to my feet then tiptoe to the edge of Elan’s enormous body to peer around her at the entrance of the cave. My face is hit with an icy-cold breeze from the wastelands, pulling me further from my sleep. I can’t see anything at the entrance, so I move closer to get a broader view. Despite the chilliness and potential danger, my curiosity gets the better of me.
As I peer out of the cave, I don’t find any sign of movement. Sobek and Elan’s sister lie together, asleep under the moonlight. Tiptoeing past them, I head to the edge of the cliff.
Another thump sounds behind me, and I spin around, my eyes wide. I can’t see any movement. I know I am exposed, so I dart toward Sobek to take cover only to stop when his tail lifts then thwacks to the ground. Now it makes sense. He must be having a restless dream.
I release the pent-up breath and head back to the cliff edge to peer down at the dragons in the valley below. Most of the dragons are curled under the moonlight, though some still wander around. There doesn’t appear to be as many dragons in the valley as there were earlier today. I squat and study them, taking in all the different colors and how they group among their own breeds.
A rock clatters behind me, and I twist around, startled. Charging toward me from several feet away is Sobek. A strange look is plastered on his face, and it sends shivers down my spine—I hope he’s not charging at me to eat me when no one is looking. Perhaps he didn’t catch anything to eat earlier and is still hungry. I want to run, but there is nowhere to run where he cannot get to me. Instead, I pull all my courage together and remind myself that he has sworn to protect me because of what I’ve done for Elan.
His great form halts extremely close to me, and something blocks the light of moon falling onto my body. I glance up to see that his wing is towering over the top of me.
What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Dragons who can see in the dark are flying above. Walking around like this is a quick way to become dragon dinner.
I move forward a couple of steps and peer past the edge of his wing. A shadow of a dragon passes in front of the moon.
They are searching for prey naive enough to be sleeping out in the open. Many animals come out at nighttime, when it is not so hot. You’re so lucky you haven’t been spotted. Sobek’s voice booms in my head. He tucks his head underneath his wing and stares at me. The moonlight casts harsh shadows over his eyes, making them seem more intimidating.
I gulp. “Thank you. I didn’t realize. The only dragons I’ve had anything to do with have been Elan and the ones captured in the stalls. It’s impossible to learn their habits and skills when they are unable to leave the stalls to search for their prey.”
He continues hovering over me with his wing spread, sheltering me like a big mother hen warming her chicks.
I gaze back over the edge of the cliff, observing the dragons in the moonlight. “There seem to be a lot of dragons here. Are there more colonies than this? If there are, then your population must be increasing.”
The population is increasing, but unfortunately not fast enough, and it’s only because of the alliance we have made with the Valkyries. It would increase quicker if we didn’t have to hand over one youngling every year. We could breed a lot faster if we had them here and the war between the Valkyries and dragons remained finished. He peers over the edge and sighs loudly. But at the moment, it is causing much unrest because we have to hand over these young, knowing that they are subject to the Valkyries and their unforgiving mercy. The only thing that keeps these dragons handing over their young is because the Valkyries would attack us again if we stopped this alliance.
I search around the top of the mountain, and I see his sister still sleeping. “Where’s Eingana gone?”
Mother has gone back to the academy and to the palace to spy on Odin and the other Valkyries. She needs to see what the result is from the disturbance of your freeing Elan. And to see what the outcome will be for your friends who returned with the dragon they took. Hopefully, she will be back soon. His feet shuffle a little, as though he is moving into a more comfortable position. After she sees what’s going on, she will negotiate with Odin over the new rules that he wants to enforce on the alliance.
He shakes his body and continues standing over me. I move in closer, leaning against his scales and soaking up their warmth. Something on the ground glistens in the moonlight, and I look down, spotting several golden scales glowing dully.
I stoop down and pick one up. It is about the size of my hand. I tap on it, my nails clinking softly against the hard surface. I poke the underside, noticing that the hard surface is not budging under my pressure. Grabbing a rock, I slam it against the scale. It doesn’t give. It remains as robust as it was a few moments before. I turn to Sobek and tap against his scales with the point of the rock.
He peers down at me with curiosity in his eyes. What are you doing?
“I’m just checking out your scales,” I say as though it is an ordinary thing to do.
Ah, why?
“Because they appear to be so hard, and I notice that there are a lot of scales of your siblings lying over the ground. Is it normal for a dragon to lose scales like this?”
Like any reptile, we shed our skin now and then. The only difference is that dragons shed a scale or two at any time, not the whole surface, like reptiles. The scales get pushed out when another one pushes through—kind of like losing teeth. That way, we only have a tiny hole exposed at any time, hindering t
oo much damage when attacked, provided we are not hit in the vital spots.
“What can your scales withstand?”
I don’t think I should tell you that. If I tell you, then you may use that information against us.
I tilt my head to the side and give him a weird look. “Do you really think I’m going to use anything against you and the dragons?”
He stands in silence.
I continue, “The only time I would use it against them is if they attacked me and I needed to defend myself. I think you guys are to be revered. I have so much respect for your kind, and I would love to see us work together, not kill each other.”
He stares at me for a moment, as though trying to process the information. He nods slightly, yet his eyes don’t leave me. He looks to be observing and processing information. Very well. There is very little that our scales will not withstand. They withstand fire on the outside and trap heat when exposed to extreme cold. If we need to release some of that internal heat, we can open our scales to allow the heat to escape.
“Do mean like how we have goose bumps?”
What are goose bumps?
“Goose bumps are when we get little bumps on our skin, and the hairs stand on end, trapping all the heat within the hairs so it holds some of our warmth.”
He looks thoughtful for a moment. I guess it is kind of like that, only opposite because we are letting the air out.
“Clever.”
It is also nearly impossible for a spear to penetrate our scales unless they manage to pierce a place that is shedding or underneath a scale and straight into the soft skin.
I pick up a scale, feel its texture, and turn it to look at the underside, feeling it there too. I notice that there is a floppy part, not as tough as the top side of the scale. This is near the connection where it would mold onto the skin.
“What about this bit?” I ask.
That is the part I am talking about. It is a little softer so it can connect.
“So this would be a perfect spot for me to sew it onto something.”
He frowns. Why would you want to do that?
“I need protection when I am on Elan’s back. Perhaps I can make something out of this, like a jacket. That way, I should be warm when we are traveling at a high altitude, and it will also act as a shield.”
Then you would have the toughest jacket that anyone has ever made.
- CHAPTER SIX -
I gather several scales into my arms, carry them back to the cave, and toss them into a corner before cuddling back into Elan. My mind runs wild with all the things I could make with the scales. A chill runs down my spine, and I press my back against Elan, taking in her warmth, and fall asleep.
The next day, when the sun is high, it glistens off the rocks and shines straight into the cave. I force my eyes open. Elan is not lying next to me. I roll over and crawl to my feet, searching for any sign of her. A large figure stomps my way. I’ve found her, and she doesn’t look happy.
Are you trying to get yourself killed? What are you thinking, wandering off in the middle of the night out into the open in the middle of the dragon wilderness? Her wings spread wide in frustration.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
You do know that dragons have excellent hearing, don’t you? You need to keep your voice down, she says through gritted teeth. She grabs something from the entrance of the cave and throws it inside. An animal carcass falls at my feet. Here, I got you some breakfast.
The carcass is bigger than me, and my eyes widen in delight over the size of the hide. “Thank you, Elan. It’s perfect in every way.”
She gives me a strange look. Okay. Whatever you say. It’s just an animal. You need to share, though.
I gaze back at the carcass and chuckle. “Do you expect me to be able to eat all of that?”
Her shoulders rise in what looks like a shrug. You never know. You could work up a big appetite because of all the trouble you get into.
I grab my sword and get to work skinning the carcass, making sure I don’t nick the hide. Once I finish the lengthy ordeal, I throw it into the salty solution with the other one then wash the blood off my hands and arms. I cut off a hunk of meat and place it on a flat rock in front of Elan. “Can you please cook it for me?”
She gives me a strange look. I don’t know why you insist on burning it. Just eat it raw—it tastes better that way.
“I prefer my meat dead and without blood, thank you.”
Okay. Whatever you say. She breathes fire over the piece, filling the cave with the heat until the meat turns a nice dark brown. I wash my sword in the salty solution and cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
“You know, dragon-cooked meat is quite nice. It’s surprising, really.” I sit at the entrance of the cave, gazing out into the sunlight as I eat.
What else did you expect? Did you think it would taste like meat breath or something? Elan says sarcastically.
“Yeah. Meat breath means bad breath, so that would mean bad tasting meat.”
Elan rolls her eyes, and I chuckle.
I spot her eyeing what remains of the carcass. “Help yourself to the rest.”
Her eyes light up, and she wanders over and swallows it after a few chomps.
As we eat, I stare across the wilderness, observing Bifrost crossing the sky in a beautiful aurora of lights shining like rainbow beams from the sun. The colors break and gather then straighten again.
“There must be another reaping happening,” I say, watching as it repeats this sequence. I’m tempted to jump on Elan’s back and ask her to charge for Heimdall’s Tower, but there is no point trying, especially right now. I would only be sent back to Asgard or imprisoned. Even so, I can’t help wondering about Harut, the unusual angel of death I met briefly on Midgard, and whether he would be there, fighting the winged Valkyries for the souls of the dying warriors so he could take them to the underworld. Our brief encounter had been a strange one, and the angels of death should be my enemy. Instead, he had shown support for my cause because I was different from the other Valkyries he had met.
I push him from my mind and focus on life in front of me. “Is your mother back?” I ask, not seeing her among the siblings.
I haven’t seen her. She must be checking everything out and discovering all the information she can.
A large cloud of worry crowds my mind. “You don’t think she would have been caught, do you?”
Elan casts me a disbelieving look. Um, seriously? Have you met my mother? Like she’s going to let herself get caught. It’s not like she’s going to lie there and forget to make herself invisible and get caught, like someone else I know. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, and I know these gestures are aimed at herself. Especially with the warning you’ve given her.
“Well, you never know. Someone else was silly enough to do it.” I lay a hand on her front leg, and she puffs out a stream of smoke. Her eyes dart my way, and I flinch from the sharpness. “You know I’m kidding, right? It wasn’t your fault that you got kidnapped. Odin didn’t give us any warning.”
Yeah. I know. But it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing. That’s twice you’ve saved my life now.
“I’m sure you’d do the same for me.” I say, shoving another lump of meat in my mouth. The Bifrost splits then straightens again, undoubtedly with another group of Valkyries taking off to Midgard.
I let out a deep sigh before swallowing the lump of meat. How do I get myself out of this predicament?
~~~~~
A FEW DAYS pass, and there is still no sign of Eingana. A deep churning knot worries my stomach. I hope she’s okay. I know she’s a big, bad dragon and all, but Odin is tricky.
To fill the time and occupy my mind, I set to work on the hides of the animals that Elan has been bringing me. At least twice a day, she supplies me with another animal—each one, I skin then soak their hides in the salty solution. If I stay out here any longer, I will have enough hides to make the things I need. I finish the tan
ning process, following the steps I learned at the Valkyrie academy.
We are responsible for making and fixing our own leather uniforms and other protection for our skin. Alongside this, we learned how to make more quivers for when others become worn out. I found that kind of work relaxing, a welcome break from all the bickering with the winged Valkyries and menial tasks set for the wingless Valkyries. I lack the tools that were available to us at the academy, but I will improvise. My sword proves useful for cutting the material, and I source a sharp, pointed rock to jab holes into the leather so I can thread the pieces together. Thankfully, Elan hasn’t been tearing the hide too much with her teeth. They would be ruined if she had been biting them across the middle.
First, I cut the leather into long, thin pieces and plait them to make them stronger and thicker. The first thing I need to make is a bridle. Each time Elan enters the cave, I measure and fashion the ties around her head, shoulders, and waist. When complete, I set to work on the medium pieces of leather, fashioning a saddle.
Each day Elan brings me more hides, I am thankful. It will take a lot to fashion a sturdy saddle and enough straps to reach around her large waist.
When I’m satisfied with my progress on the saddle, I set to work making myself a leather cape. I cut and measure the sleeve to reach to my wrists and fall slightly over my hands. I make sure the leather of the cloak falls to my ankles, and I fashion a hood to pull over my head. I am determined to keep out the cold from the altitudes. Then I sew the golden scales from the hem of the cloak to the edge of the hood and sleeves. There is a large collection of scales available circling the emperor dragons’ precipice—I have plenty. As I sew, I smile to myself. In this cloak, I will blend in with Elan when I am riding on her back. Once finished, I try it on and stroll in front of Elan.
