Amelie watched Stripe fly off, sensing from his businesslike manner, that he wasn’t abandoning them, but had purpose. The once bright gold living dragon was now a charred and flaking mass below. Eddies swirled around the massive carcass thick with ash. As she watched, the ribcage collapsed. The dragon’s fire must have been very hot to have burned the bones too. Watching the cremation was sobering in more ways than one. What other abilities might a dragon have? They did have magic after all. Surely if they could speak to one another mind to mind, then other things might also be possible? Not knowing set her imagination aflame with worry. She wondered what Stripe now expected of her and more to the point, should she leave now before she got even more involved? She gazed down at the burnt remains again; that queen had given her life for her babies. It would be an insult to her sacrifice for her chosen replacement to run away now, just when the little ones were most vulnerable and really needed a mother’s care. Hearing movement in the cave, she knew some were waking up again. She hurried back.
Two were awake already and looking around. As they caught sight of her they immediately started clambering over their siblings to get to her. In short order there were many more squeaking protests from those rudely awakened. The chirps of protest turned to ones of hunger and more started towards her. Amelie returned to the task of feeding again from the dwindling meat left on the cow.
‘There’s no more just now,’ she had to say a while later. ‘Come and lick at the bones if you’re still hungry,’ she added and showed them what she meant. Soon all the little ones had had a go stripping the bones of the remaining scraps of meat. It had taken a little persuasion to get them to try it, but hunger was a great motivator. They were also remarkably competitive with one another, even so young. They quickly realised standing beside the carcass and opening their mouth didn’t cause food to appear on their tongue. Linking eating, to searching for it, was a big step in their understanding, not that she wanted them to have to fend for themselves so young. But getting round eight dragonets, simultaneously hungry and demanding, was hard work, especially when trying to keep track of who had eaten more than their fair share and also who might be going short.
‘Good, your father’s back with more food,’ Amelie announced. She noticed that Stripe seemed rather taken aback and also a little nervous as she, with the dragonets on either side of her, advanced towards him. He dropped the stag before them and hastily backed up out of the way. He sat down, but she was well aware he continued to watch as she hurried to feed the still warm meat to eight insistent mouths. They were astonishingly demanding and she was rushed off her feet.
‘You must eat too,’ he remarked once the little ones had again fallen asleep. He hadn’t seen her eat any of the morsels she’d carved from the stag with her teeth, although she’d have been able to swallow some of the blood. He nudged the meat closer to her where she sat out of reach of it, immobilised by the dragonets draped on or against her. She nodded wearily and did eat. ‘You had them licking the bones?’ he asked, glancing at the bare skeleton of the cow in dismay. He obviously hadn’t got back quickly enough with real food. Even the non edible parts like the hooves were scattered and showed teeth marks.
‘There were many scraps left. They got through it fast though. Is it always like this?’
‘I don’t know,’ admitted. ‘They are my first brood.’
Amelie nodded; no wonder the queen had been so anxious that her children would be properly taken care of. He watched, but had made no attempt to help feed, aside from providing the food itself. There was obviously a clear gender demarcation of roles between a dragon pair and the expectation that this was exclusively a female’s responsibility.
‘How long do you need me to stay?’ Amelie decided to risk his ire asking while the little ones slept.
‘Stay? They are yours now,’ he told her, his head going up high in dismay.
‘No Stripe, I am not their mother. You are their real family.’
‘You could become my queen,’ he suggested watching her closely.
Amelie recoiled, deeply unnerved. ‘No, that wouldn’t be right,’ she managed, wondering what exactly she could say to put him off without betraying the fact she was not a dragon at all. How Stripe would react to discovering that she was an imposter she couldn’t guess. He was bestowing a great deal of trust in her and was even inviting her to look after his vulnerable children on a permanent basis.
‘I suppose not,’ he said slowly, knowing he had his answer. ‘You are obviously very young and will always be considerably smaller than me.’
She was very glad he’d made that age comment; it was the excuse and ammunition she’d been looking for. ‘Yes, I am too young for this responsibility. And beyond feeding them, I don’t know how to properly rear them. Isn’t there someone else you can ask to help you?’
‘Help me? Why? I’m certain you would be able to raise them. The knowledge would come to you,’ he said, but she narrowed her eyes, furthering his panic; she was serious. ‘My queen chose you and they have bonded with you now.’
‘You know she had no option but to choose me. I was the only one close by she could ask.’
‘I know this, but she watched you. She told me you had strong maternal instincts. She thought you would manage.’
‘She was merely trying to reassure you. No, Stripe, I appreciate the honour and your belief in me, but I cannot accept. I’m simply not ready for this level of commitment and responsibility. You don’t even know what to do either, so you cannot even advise. No, an older female would be a far better choice. Please think about it. There must be someone you can call on.’
‘Like whom?’ he asked angrily. ‘We are completely alone here.’ He began pacing in his agitation, shocked and actually scared by her declaration. If they were not cared for, they would suffer and might die. ‘You think another female would take them on, just like that?’
‘That’s what you’ve asked of me,’ she reminded. ‘I am a complete stranger to you. However, the one you ask needn’t be a stranger. You could choose the one you would trust with the raising of your family.’
‘A male cannot choose his mate. I was lucky to be chosen and I doubt anyone will have me now,’ he added quietly and very despondently.
‘Why?’ she asked softly.
‘My mate was mortally injured when she should not have had to be hunting. It is my fault she died. Now, you too reject me. I can expect to be shunned when the truth is known.’
‘I am not rejecting you, because we are not courting,’ Amelie told him, treading as carefully as she could on this delicate subject, especially as she wasn’t entirely sure what she could say. A dragon’s culture and normal behaviour was unknown to her.
‘Everyone will see it as a rejection.’
‘Why would anyone know about me? As you say, we are alone here.’
‘When anyone asks the children about their mother, they will picture you. I doubt they even saw Elaye. Everyone will assume Elaye left me long ago and that you are their actual mother.’
‘Why would anyone assume Elaye left you?’
‘I was not her first choice and everyone knew it. We left before she became pregnant, so no-one knows she did eventually consent to having a family with me.’
Amelie shook her head in dismay. ‘You have a lot of explaining to do then. You have two choices,’ she added briskly. ‘You could raise them yourself or you could ask for help.’
‘Raise them myself? I wouldn’t begin to know how,’ he said anxiously.
‘You could ask for advice, surely? Your mate has died, Stripe. Accidents do happen. If I hadn’t been around, what would you have done?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You would have worked out what to do. You were a hatchling once. Their needs might be demanding, but they are quite straightforward at the moment.’
‘But who would protect them while I hunt? They are too young to be alone.’
‘It is not ideal no,’ she agreed. ‘How far a
way are the other dragons?’
‘The main clan is a two day flight away. What are you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking that you could get us stocked up with plenty of food and get going soon.’
‘But I told you, it is unlikely I’d be able to court and persuade another to become my mate. It is likely I will make the trip for nothing.’
‘What about your mother, or Elaye’s mother? They are family and they would know what to do,’ she suggested. ‘Explain it to them; perhaps one of them would be prepared to take over.’ Amelie watched him consider that, brightening for a moment before eyeing her unhappily. It was clear he didn’t want her to leave, but she knew she must, for all their sakes. At least she was being up front and honest with him and had even thought of a solution to his dilemma.
‘Very well, I will speak with my mother.’ He noted her relief and added, ‘I’ll go when they are stronger.’
Amelie watched him leave the den, presumably to hunt again. Why couldn’t he have started out immediately? Why did he want to delay her departure? Was he hoping that spending longer with the little ones would make it more difficult emotionally for her to leave? It would, but what choice did she have? She could just abandon them but she already cared too much to do that to these innocents. Her conscience dictated that she stay until she could hand them over. An experienced female would know what to teach them to properly prepare them for life as a dragon.
An exhausting week passed in a blur for Amelie and Stripe. He was kept busy hunting, while she had to feed, and increasingly as they spent longer awake, supervise eight energetic and worryingly mobile dragonets. Several times she only just noticed a dragonet going down the tunnel towards the light and got to them in time to stop them falling out of the cave mouth down into the ravine below. She had to be vigilant all the time.
She heard a deep growl; Stripe strode in looking very annoyed. The little black dragonet Nera fled before her father, continually nudged on by his nose.
‘She was at the mouth of the cave,’ Stripe growled at Amelie. ‘I nearly landed on her.’ He threw down a pig carcass, angered by the near catastrophe. Poor Nera cowered, held from escaping by one of his huge paws.
‘Stripe, you are their father. You have their full attention. It’s about time you taught them some basic rules to stop this happening again,’ Amelie suggested. She ignored his sudden dismay and uncertainty. He needed to become more involved in his children’s upbringing, especially if he was going to take over soon. She sat down expectantly and was amused he was disconcerted to be put on the spot. The rules a dragon was expected to live by were not known to her; she needed him to fill in the blanks or the little ones would not learn how they were expected to behave. One useful thing she was sure about though, a male tended to obey a female.
Stripe sat down before them, a little uncomfortable to have nine sets of eyes fixed on him, but began talking. He kept it brief and spoke as clearly and simply as possible. He connected to Nera’s mind so he could monitor her understanding and adjust or expand where necessary. Until they could fly, it was very dangerous to go out to the cave mouth. Firstly they could fall and be killed on the rocks below and secondly, they could be squashed when he came in to land. Going from bright daylight to the cave’s deep shadow meant he couldn’t always see them if they were there in the wrong place. Landing on three legs, whilst trying to keep hold of a kill, also meant he was not as nimble or steady as usual. Giving them his images of the problems he was describing helped them appreciate the warnings better. The children already obeyed their mother; he hoped they would obey him too.
He’d noticed she kept them all closely in line, not tolerating squabbles at feeding time. She rarely struck out at them, but often excluded them as a punishment, driving them to the far side of the cave where they stood alone. It was rare they needed a second taste of banishment. But generally he’d noticed she always spoke to them, gently explaining why a particular behaviour was unacceptable. She forced them to use their minds to consider their own actions and how any selfishness would affect their siblings. Her ways were unfamiliar but he couldn’t deny they were working. His children were thriving.
By only providing small kills that would nearly fill all their bellies, he made sure they spent plenty of time awake, slightly hungry and active. Keeping them all as busy as possible while he was out hunting meant she would have little time to consider leaving. So far his plan seemed to be working. The dragonets were just over a week old now and she hadn’t yet reminded him to fetch his mother. He had no intention of hastening that, assuming she did still intend to leave. So far she was proving to be a far quieter and restful companion than Elaye. He hoped that, despite their differences, she would consent to stay, ideally long enough for the dragonets to fledge. He hastened back to the tunnel to collect the second pig where he’d had to drop it. Now there was sufficient food to give the little ones a good meal.
‘I must stretch my wings,’ Amelie announced to him while the children were fully occupied eating. At least they could now feed themselves from a kill. She’d been cooped up for days, barely going out long enough to care for her own basic needs each evening before returning, fretting at what they’d be getting up to in her absence. But he was there able to supervise right now and she’d started him on the path to taking some responsibility for his children’s actions.
Amelie left the cave and flew quickly back to where she’d left Jim the week before. She needed to see him. Wondering how he was faring and whether he was waiting for her to return, was preying on her mind. She felt dreadfully guilty to have abandoned him, especially without any kind of discussion. They had not been in a particularly safe place to linger either. Dusk had fallen by the time she reached the cliff top clearing over an hour later. She circled it twice before landing, deep disappointment quenching her spirits. He wasn’t there. The remains of a camp fire were days old. Had he given up waiting so quickly and gone on? Did he expect her to catch up? Or did he care if they never saw each other again? There was nothing in that empty clearing to give any clue as to his expectations, his state of mind or where he’d gone. She paced in lonely despondency. It suddenly struck her that the ground showed more signs of use than it had before. It hadn’t been immediately apparent because much of the ground was stony. One man staying only a few nights would not have made such an impression. She wished the light was better; she found some boot prints and was fairly sure they were not Jim’s. Her pulse speeded up anxiously. Had something happened to him?
‘Jim!’ she wailed mentally, knowing there had been people not far away in the valley below that would hear if she roared her frustration out loud. ‘JIM,’ she cried again.
‘Am, is that you?’
Amelie went still. The voice had been a distant whisper in her mind, but she recognised it. Having been speaking mentally to the dragons all week, she’d unconsciously done the same. Jim was a wizard and he’d heard! Her spirits instantly lifted. ‘Jim, where are you?’
‘It is you,’ he responded, relief colouring his tone. ‘I’ve been taken.’
‘Are you alright?’ she immediately asked in concern, straining to hear him better.
‘Yes. But I don’t know what they want. They speak a strange language and keep out of my reach so I cannot read their minds or take control enough to escape.’
‘They must know what you are then,’ she said uneasily. ‘You sound far away. Where are you?’
He digested that comment for a minute, knowing she was undoubtedly right. If they knew what he was then he needed to be doubly cautious. ‘If they have recognised what I am they might have a wizard with them. He might be able to hear us talking,’ he added nervously, cautioning her to watch what she said. ‘I’m two and a half days due south of where you saw me last. Can you come now?’
‘No,’ she said a regretfully. ‘I must extricate myself and that will take days. I will come as soon as I can,’ she promised. ‘It’s dark, I must go back now. Take care.’
‘I will. I will wait for you,’ he promised and felt her relief and warmth for him that he would offer that. Then her presence was gone. She was flying further away and beyond the distance they could communicate. He was astonished that she had been able to call in the first place. He’d called out before but had known he wasn’t reaching her. He hadn’t realised it was a simple matter of being too distant. Relief and hope swept through him. He’d been terrified the dragon had killed her or left her badly injured. Now knowing she was going to come for him, he could relax a little and steel himself to patiently wait.
‘You have been a long time,’ Stripe observed when she returned.
‘I haven’t been out properly in days.’
‘They kept asking where you were.’
Amelie ignored the comment, concentrating on eating the small doe she’d managed to catch on her way back. She noticed that the dragonets had fallen asleep in a pile together rather than cuddle up to their father in her absence. Several had now woken, disturbed by their father’s conversation or perhaps smelling the blood from her doe, and with glad chirps they rushed over to her. Amelie was rather disconcerted that it wasn’t the meat they were happy to see, but her. Whilst on the one hand it gladdened her heart that she was accepted and loved, on the other it made her anxious because these loving dragonets were going to be very upset and feel abandoned when she left. They were lavishing all their love on her alone. They barely noticed their father. She’d spent years in that awful prison abandoned by the world, alone and starved of love. The dragonet’s unconditional love and baby need of her had cracked her defensive shell and awoken a strong need for companionship and love. But she needed her own kind, as did Stripe. Staying to mother his children just postponed and made the inevitable parting more difficult.
Amelie: Wizards of White Haven Page 5
