The Preacher's Daughter

by Valerie Reyes

  “If you are sure that’s okay, then I’d be happy to. As long as Father doesn’t see us anyway,” That was Syrenth’s only worry. If his father caught them, he’d probably threaten war, as he would assume something was going on if Syrenth was riding on Rasenth’s back. he could even be banished if Tazour was in a really bad mood, he was unpredictable this time of year after all. Syrenth didn’t think it would come to that, but it was the worst case scenario.

  “I won't let your father see us. He will probably try to kill me. Of course, he is no match for me, but it would be rather annoying if he did become hostile. So, I can assure you I will be careful,” Rasenth replied. He would put Syrenth on the far side of the mountain so he wouldn't be seen by any of the Inferno clan.

  “Good, I don’t want to get into too much trouble, but I’m glad I could do this for you,” Syrenth spoke after a good sigh of relief. He didn’t want to incur his father’s wrath, so he would try and be as careful as he could.

  “So, where am I sleeping?” Syrenth asked, stretching his wings a little as he was ready to curl up and lie down. At least if he could have his own cave, and he was alone, he could make himself a bigger fire so he could feel warmer in this cold, desolate place.

  “Well, there aren't any extra beds, but my bed is large enough, if you aren't opposed to that,” Rasenth replied. No one else would share a bed in his clan, and so unless Syrenth wanted to sleep on the floor then he would have to join Rasenth, which he really wanted.

  “Sure, I suppose I can at least keep warm that way,” Syrenth nodded, and changed into his human form, as he highly doubted the beds were dragon size. So, he stood up and looked towards Rasenth, ready to be lead to his bed for the night. He didn’t think anything ill minded here. It was merely sharing a bed with a platonic friend who he was helping. There was nothing sinister or bad there, or so he assumed at least. It was perfectly okay as far as Syrenth was concerned.

  With Syrenth ready to retire to bed, Rasenth took Syrenth to his chambers and he changed into some sleep wear behind a light blue divan, and then he motioned to his dresser drawers. “Find something comfortable for you to sleep in. There's some warm clothes there,” Rasenth said.

  “Thank you Rasenth,” The young dragon replied, and managed to find something that looked comfortable and warm, so he slipped that on and waited for Rasenth’s instruction to get into bed. he didn’t want to intrude after all.

  For some while, Rasenth just let Syrenth stand there without inviting him onto the bed, mainly because Rasenth already gave him the permission earlier by inviting him to stay there. At least, Rasenth considered that permission, so the elder was simply wondering why Syrenth was hesitating. “Are you having second thoughts, Syrenth?” Rasenth asked.

  “What? No. I umm… Sorry,” Syrenth stuttered a little, and just got into bed with the elder dragon. He considered that permission enough for now, so he got under the blanket and curled up into a little ball, just so he could help keep himself warm.

  Once Syrenth was in the bed, Rasenth moved closer to him so that their backs were touching, considering that a little shared body warmth would probably go a long way. Even ice dragons had body warmth in their human form, so he was happy to do what he could to make things better for his little helper. After all, he did want Syrenth to come back.

  Syrenth certainly appreciated the extra warmth, he was happy with whatever he could get. So, after a long yawn, the young dragon soon drifted off to sleep, his exhausted body was grateful to finally have some rest.

  As it became evident to Rasenth that Syrenth had fallen asleep, Rasenth turned over in the bed and wrapped his arm around Syrenth and pulled the young dragon to his chest. Syrenth smelled absolutely intoxicating, but Rasenth didn’t want to startle Syrenth by starting anything in his sleep. Rather, Rasenth just took a few whiffs of Syrenth and relaxed, but he kept the young dragon close all night through, but when morning broke, it was time to take Syrenth home.

  Rasenth jumped out of bed and was quick to get himself dressed, then he checked the outside temperature. It was freezing, as always. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but the winds were too fierce to make Syrenth fly all by himself, so Rasenth resolved to help Syrenth down.

  “Wake up, Sy. Your father will start wondering where you are if you try to sleep the day away,” Rasenth said, shaking Syrenth by the shoulder to help get him up.

  Syrenth groaned a little as he was disturbed from his sleep. His eyelids fluttered a little until they eventually opened and Syrenth looked sleepily up at the older dragon.

  “Morning already?” Syrenth asked with a yawn. It was certainly wise not to linger here much longer, but Syrenth wasn’t awake enough to realise that yet. He needed to get home before his father started tearing down mountains to look for him.

  “Yes, morning. And its near sunrise, so you’re going to have to go before your father starts searching for you,” Rasenth replied.

  “Oh, right. Okay. Let’s go,” Syrenth said, then got up out of bed, stretching his limber arms before getting up and waiting for Rasenth to take him home, as he assumed the deal from yesterday still stood.

  “You’d probably do well to put your clothes from yesterday on,” Rasenth advised. All his clothing was made up of very pure white wool with some ornamentation. Even in the winter, when it was cold and the people of Syrenth’s tribe were bundling up, Syrenth would still stand out like a sore thumb considering there weren’t any sheep in his territory, and his tribe wasn’t one to trade.

  “Oh, yeah. Good point,” Syrenth replied, shaking his head a little. Mornings were never a good time for him. He could be a little dozy and clumsy, but he was extra so in the morning. So, he did as Rasenth advised and got into his old clothes, putting Rasenth’s clothes back neatly before turning to the older dragon.

  “Okay, now I’m ready!” Syrenth chuckled, smiling away. He wasn’t afraid of hiding his a naive, klutzy ways in front of Rasenth. The man had already been soaked by a barrel of water from him, Syrenth figured he couldn’t do much worse than that.

  “Good,” Rasenth said, and then went through the opening of the cave and turned into his fearsome dragon form to give Syrenth a ride. He just waited outside for Syrenth to come out and get on him. The wind was bitingly cold, but at least Syrenth wouldn’t have to deal with it for long.

  With Rasenth ready to go, Syrenth ran out, so he didn’t have to stay in the wind too much, and climbed onto the large dragon. He nestled himself on the elder’s back and held on tight.

  “I’m ready!” Syrenth shouted, just so Rasenth knew he could take off whenever he wanted to, but hopefully it would be soon. It was damn cold here.

  Once Syrenth was safely on his back, Rasenth took flight, wasting no time in getting to the base of the mountain. He made sure to take Rasenth to the far side of the base, there no one in his tribe could see the two of them. Considering the suicide that would be, Rasenth would have liked to avoid that at all possible costs.

  The moment they touched the ground, Syrenth jumped off, glad to be in slightly warmer lands now, and away from the awful wind. Now, it was just time to go home.

  “Thanks for the lift, Rasenth,” Syrenth spoke softly “Do you want me to come back again to deliver more elk?” Syrenth was curious if Rasenth wanted this to be an ongoing thing, or a one-time thing. Of course, Syrenth wouldn’t be able to sneak off every night, otherwise his father would get suspicious, but he could do it every now and again.

  “Thank you for the food,” Rasenth replied. Giving Syrenth a lift was nothing in exchange for the favor that Syrenth had done for him. “As for the elk, just do what you can. I don’t want to importune you, but, a little food when you can sneak away successfully, and when your people can spare it would be very nice.”

  “Alright, I’ll try and come back in a few days if I can with some more then,” Syrenth said, as that was the best he could probably do. He would have to keep a low profile with his dad for a few days, and just do what he was told before sneaking
off back to the mountain.

  “Father will be leaving for a few days when the full moon comes, so I’ll probably go up and see you then,” Syrenth suggested, mainly as that seemed like the most reasonable time, and he might be able to stay with the ice dragons a little longer. No one would really notice he was gone, they would just think he was playing in the woods or something. He liked to spend his time flying low in between the trees, challenging himself to go faster or through more dangerous obstacles. That was how he usually spent his free time, so the others may not notice if he was gone for a little while.

  “Your generosity is appreciated,” Rasenth replied. “Take care not getting caught. I hope to see you soon,” he said, and then he returned to his caves. He would have to find Lyshara to go hunting for the rest of the clan, but he was not looking forward to whatever she would have to say about him having an Inferno stay the night.

  Chapter 4

  As Rasenth left, Syrenth returned to his dragon form and flew off back home, so he could get their as quickly as possible. When he did return to his home, he changed back into his human form, and tiptoed inside so he didn’t disturb his father, however, his father was still awake.

  “Where have you been?” Tazour asked, a clear tone of disapproval lurking in his voice. “The sun has risen and you have only just come home? What have you been doing out there all night?”

  “I was just in the forest, father. I found a fox and was just following it around. I didn’t realise I was out so late. I’m sorry,” Syrenth responded, just trying to play dumb here and see what he could get away with. He hated lying to his father, he never had to do it much before, but this was a good cause so he had to deceive the man.

  “This is never to happen again, understand?” Tazour replied, shaking his head before getting up and walking over to his son. “You can sleep until midday if you must, but you better get started on your chores as soon as you get up. If this happens again, you won’t be leaving the village for another season. Am I understood?”

  “Yes, father,” Syrenth spoke, almost as quiet as a whisper as he kept his head down and retreated towards his own bed.

  “Good,” Tazour said, and then left to start his early rounds, making sure to get an update from his sentries to make sure everything was okay on their lands. Syrenth was just glad that he didn’t get into any more trouble. He would try to be on his best behaviour until his father left, and then he could leave again. Leaving his homeland to see the ice dragons was the most fun he had experienced in a while, so he was actually quite excited to see Rasenth again. He just hoped he could find a way to keep doing it.

  While Syrenth smoothed things over with his father, Rasenth sought out Lyshara so that they could go hunting together. When he found her, she was helping the new mother tend to the little hatchlings. They required so much time and attention, but they were growing rather quickly. Hopefully they’d be strong additions to the clan, or else Rasenth wouldn’t just keep dead weight.

  “Lyshara, we are going to go north to try and find a hunting ground,” Rasenth told her, and she quickly finished up what she was doing and followed Rasenth out without a comment. Usually Lyshara was loath to be quiet, even if her chattering was of no importance. The quiet from his second in command made Rasenth concerned, but he knew better than to open up the can of worms that would come from asking Lyshara what had gotten under her scales. He knew full well the reason she was upset was due to the fact that Syrenth spent the night last night, but he would try not to broach that topic with her. He wasn’t afraid of what she would say, but he didn’t want to bicker with her while they were going to endeavor to hunt for the clan. After all, they had an obligation to provide for their clan, and so they had to work as a team.

  Rasenth didn’t get much further than the base of the mountains before Lyshara brought the whole thing up. “Why did that fire dragon stay in your chambers last night?” she asked, flying alongside him. She was a dragon of about two hundred years. Though she was still growing, she nearly fully developed. Her form wasn’t as fearsome as her alpha’s, as she was a very sleek and serpentine dragon. Just because she wasn’t covered in spikes of frost didn’t mean she wasn’t deadly, though. She could fly much faster than Rasenth, and she was much more maneuverable, though not nearly as strong. Regardless she was a valuable asset in hunting, and so he didn’t want or need any friction with her.

  “Lyshara, he did us a favor, and he was tired. I’m rather disappointed in you for not rendering him more help, and for getting jealous of him,” Rasenth replied, growling slightly, trying to put this conversation to rest as soon as possible.

  “Having him in our territory will just put us at danger. If Tazour learns about this--”

  “Enough. Tazour may be strong, but he couldn’t challenge us on the mountains. We are safe in our icy fortress,” Rasenth replied.

  “And when we have to leave to hunt?” Lyshara asked. Perhaps Tazour couldn’t strike directly at their heart, but he could starve them out.

  “Then we will freeze their water supply at the source and let them relocate to an area with ready water. Dragons can survive longer without food than they can without water,” Rasenth replied. This was something that Lyshara hadn’t considered, and so it gave her some comfort. She was still afraid that this arrangement would lead to unnecessary fighting, but given the circumstances with the hatchlings, there was little that they could do to get around using whatever help they could get.

  “I just hope that it doesn’t come to a war between our tribes,” Lyshara said.

  “You and I both, but if it does, I can promise you that we will win,” Rasenth replied and ended their conversation with that.

  Chapter 5

  Over the days that past, Syrenth had been busy doing his chores, helping his father with the village, and just being a good son all around. Although he had been working hard, he thought a lot about the ice dragons, and the peril they had been going through, and it just made him more and more determined to help. He had been wanting to sneak out every night, but his father seemed to be watching him like a hawk, so he did no such thing. While under his father’s watchful eye, he was good, but his father would be leaving soon.

  The sun was beginning to set, and it was the night of the full moon. Tazour had brought his newly carved ornament out of his wigwam and began strapping it with rope, as he would be bringing it with him on his journey. Syrenth had just returned from the river, with his barrel of water for the night. He was sad to see his father go, in some respects, but he was also excited to get the chance to go and see the ice dragons again. Or, more specifically, to go see Rasenth.

  “I think mother would have loved this,” Syrenth spoke softly, smiling a little as he looked down at the beautifully carved sculpture of an inferno dragon. His mother. Hearing Syrenth’s words, Tazour actually managed to smile. He put a hand on his son’s shoulder and looked towards the carving as well.

  “I think she would too,” Tazour replied, taking a moment just to enjoy the view before he turned into his dragon form to prepare for his leave. Syrenth helped strap the sculpture, food, and water, to his father’s back to keep it secure for his journey and stay in the southern valley.

  “I’ll be back in a few days. Stay safe and please, Syrenth, don’t get into trouble,” Tazour asked, stretching his wings out and getting ready for flight.

  “I’ll be good father. Have a safe journey,” Syrenth replied, and took a few steps back, waving his father off the gigantic red dragon sprung from the ground and flew into the heavens. Syrenth waited until his father was out of view, then snuck away from the village. It was now time for his fun to begin. He quickly turned into his dragon form and flew to their hunting grounds to pick up two elks for the hungry ice dragons. He managed to find too rather bulky ones, and swiped them off their feet. They squealed when they were grabbed, but Syrenth ended their suffering quickly, and flew off to the Northern mountains.

  The flight itself was difficult, like it was last tim
e, but he managed it, and with the aid of the ice dragon sentries, he found the cave again and delivered the elks. Syrenth was cold, a little out of breath, and very tired. Once he was in the sanctity of the caves, he let the dead animals go, and just lay on the floor, trying to catch his breath a bit. That wind was certainly not up his ally.

  Rasenth was eagerly waiting for Syrenth to arrive, so as soon as he landed, Rasenth went to his side. Like before, there was a nice fire burning for Syrenth, so he could be warm.

  “A bit tired from the journey, are we?” Rasenth asked, going over to the Inferno dragon and taking the elk he left, tossing them to Lyshara, who was waiting at the entrance of the cave, to deliver to the mother and her hatchlings. Then he sat next to Syrenth, so he could talk a bit with the younger dragon.

  “Yeah. That’s a tough wind around these mountains. My wings just can’t take it,” Syrenth replied, shaking the bits of snow and ice off his body and scooching a little closer to the fire. He simply wished to take in as much heat as he could while he could.

  “It is rather tough, but you’ll get the hang of it sooner or later. If not, maybe I’ll just have to start helping you up to the caves, as well as back down,” Rasenth said, chuckling. Noticing that Syrenth was still looking cold, however, Rasenth got a few more logs and threw them onto the fire for him. He would have gotten closer to Syrenth to share some heat, but in his dragon form Rasenth would make Syrenth even colder.

  “No, no. I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself,” Syrenth chuckled, and was content to snuggle up by the fire. He was beginning to feel a little warmer as his scales soaked up the heat from the fire. It was wonderful. Truly it was. He still felt tired, but he was happy to sit and chat with Rasenth.