Maiden Flight

by S. A. Barton

  *

  Belora watched with interest as Kelvan strode into the large chamber, heading straight for the pit of warm sand at its center. With obvious enjoyment, he kicked up a little cloud of sand as he settled in for a good roll and made dragonish purrs of contentment as the warm, dry sand rubbed against his scales, polishing them to a brilliant shine.

  The setup of the knight’s quarters intrigued Belora. Everything was built around Kelvan’s oval wallow. A small room for eating and preparing meals sat off to one side with sealed containers of what looked like beer keeping cold in the trickle of water down the side of the stone wall. She went over to investigate and realized that by removing a small trap, the flow of water could be increased or decreased to nothing at all. A large stone basin lay beneath with a drain that led off somewhere below, presumably down farther into the mountain from which this Lair was carved.

  “Magic,” she breathed, removing the trap to watch the flow of icy clear water.

  “And a good dose of science as well.” Gareth chuckled as he leaned back against the doorframe, watching her. “His Majesty sent a mage to help us redirect the energies of the earth so we could heat our baths and the dragons’ wallows, but he also sent a skilled architect who could direct the flow of water for washing and drinking. The two worked hand in hand to design this place for both humans and dragons to live comfortably.”

  “It’s a marvel.”

  “You haven’t seen all of it yet.” Gareth held out his hand to her. She took it and moved through the rooms with him. “Let me give you the tour of our quarters. You already saw Kelvan’s wallow. The dragons’ wallows are the centerpieces of each set of rooms though they vary in size according to location in the mountain, how many dragons need to live there and other factors. Since I am still unmated, Kelvan’s wallow is sized for one dragon only.”

  “And a great hardship it is. I barely have room to turn around.” A great flick of Kelvan’s tail sent a shower of sand over the chuckling humans.

  “I keep brooms on hand to sweep the sand back in the wallow each day, else I’d soon feel like I was living on a beach.” He took one of the brooms leaning up against the circular wall and began sweeping the warm sand back into the pit.

  “Better a beach than a hermitage.”

  “What does he mean?” Belora looked from Kelvan’s smoky snort of disgust to Gareth’s shaking head.

  “My partner thinks I spend too much time alone.” He pulled her close into his arms. “But I won’t be alone tonight, will I?”

  Belora giggled. She actually giggled. She was shocked such a flirty, feminine sound came out of her body, but there it was. Something about this knight brought out the floozy in her, but it felt good. Freeing.

  “No, you won’t be alone tonight, Gareth.” Blushing, she reached for his hand. “Why don’t you show me your room? And your bed.”

  “All in good time.” He patted her hand. “But I bet you’re still too sore to really test the bed yet. Not to worry, I have a solution.” He pulled aside a screen that hid the entrance to a small bathing chamber. It had a stone tub sunk partially into the floor and another of those trap devices that Gareth pulled to allow water to trickle into the tub in a steady rhythm.

  “This water is from the mineral springs. By the time it makes its way here from there it’s little more than lukewarm but we have Kel to help us warm it again, if we ask him nicely. A hot soak in the healing mineral water and a little dragon magic will put you right again in no time.”

  “Dragon magic?” She turned to watch the dragon. He craned his neck out of the sand pit and up onto the warm stone floor so that his great head rested only a few feet away from the bathing tub. His jewel-like eyes settled on her unflinchingly. It was slightly unnerving.

  “Didn’t your mother tell you that the dragon’s breath has healing properties? I will gladly expend my energies to soothe your torn flesh if it means I can share in your pleasure again like this afternoon. I have never felt the like.”

  “You…you felt that?” Belora blushed to the roots of her hair, looking from dragon to knight and back again for some explanation.

  “We bond closely with our knights. We’re always present in each other’s minds. We each feel what the other feels. It’s our greatest strength and perhaps also our main weakness, but it is the way of things. When you joined with Gareth, I felt the echo of his pleasure and your own.” His wide mouth opened in a toothy grin. “It was marvelous.”

  Embarrassed beyond belief, Belora didn’t know what to think.

  “Don’t worry, sweet.” Gareth took her in his arms as the tub filled behind him. There was a small stool just to the side at the foot of the tub and he led her to it. “It’s the way of things for knights and their dragon partners. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “I…I just didn’t realize.”

  “I know.” Gareth soothed her with his hands, undoing buttons as he stroked her shoulders and arms. “And I would have told you sooner, but we’ve been a bit busy today.”

  She chuckled. “To say the least.”

  “Now, how about that hot bath?” He reached out to close the water trap. “Kel, will you do the honors?”

  “Gladly.” Breathing deeply, the dragon aimed a wonderfully warm exhalation of hot air at the full tub, heating the chamber and the water as easy as that. He returned his head to its reclining position at the foot of the tub, watching the humans lazily.

  “Is he going to watch? I can’t… um… take off my clothes in front of him.” She blushed again, unreasonable bashfulness taking over her mind.

  “Why not? You are a beautiful woman, but even if you weren’t, I’m a dragon. Not human.”

  “But…”

  “Your modesty is misplaced. I’ll feel everything Gareth feels, even know what you’re feeling through my link with you both. I couldn’t be any more present if I were human and could fuck you myself.” She gasped, but he forged ahead. “Won’t you let me enjoy what little pleasure I can gain from this? Until Gareth officially claims his mate, I cannot claim my own dragoness. It’s strictly forbidden, and for good reason.”

  “Is that true?”

  Gareth nodded. “Just as he feels my passion, I’ll feel his. Dragon mating is, from what I’ve been told, overpowering to humans. Unless I have a mate to be with during his mating flights, it would drive me mad. Even among mates, sometimes the humans get into a frenzy that can be dangerous.”

  “Oh, my.” She turned compassionate eyes to the dragon lolling in the huge archway. “So you’ve never…”

  He stirred himself to shake his head sadly. “Until Gareth mates, I cannot.”

  Belora walked slowly over to the dragon, feeling both sets of male eyes trained on her as she moved unexpectedly. She knelt down by Kel’s massive head and leaned forward to kiss the ridge just between his eyes.

  “You are a good and noble creature, Sir Kelvan. I’m sorry to have doubted you.”

  With a nod, she stood and removed all her clothing, standing before the dragon as if for inspection as he sighed out a warm puff of air that tickled her. She laughed and turned toward Gareth, who had shed his own clothing. He reached for her, and together they slid into the warm bath, locked at the lips as if they hadn’t kissed in years rather than mere minutes.

  The water lulled her and when a long, hot tongue dipped into the water and circled her ankle, she squealed. Apparently the dragon wanted to participate. She lifted her leg as he tugged upward, then allowed him to do the same to her other leg, draping both over the lips of the massive tub on either side. She was spread before him, Gareth to her side, watching now as the dragon’s head loomed over the tub.

  “What’s he doing?” The nervous edge was back in her voice.

  “Healing you,” Gareth whispered against her breast, just bobbing above the water. He licked her nipple and bit down as Kelvan breathed over them both. This time, the dragon’s breath contained magic as well as heat. She’d never felt it before, but she knew the drag
on magic resonated within her body—especially the sore parts.

  She felt a healing fire of magic within her. This was dragon energy, exciting even as it healed. She had almost come from having a dragon heal her. Could things get any weirder?

  Apparently they could. When Gareth lifted her from the tub long moments later after washing every square inch of her body—some twice and three times—he spread her out on the warm stone floor near Kelvan’s massive head.

  “Just one more thing to be certain you’ll feel no pain from what we do together.” Gareth looked up at Kelvan and spread her thighs far apart, holding them there and spreading her wide with his hands. “Kel?”

  “My pleasure.”

  The dragon rumbled and brought forth an even thicker dose of the vapor she’d come to realize was the magical dragon’s breath. Everywhere the misty cloud of sweet, cinnamon-scented smoke enveloped her, she felt the warmth of healing magic. The dragon’s breath was very, very special. Kelvan must have expended a great deal of his energy to put forth such potent magic.

  She felt euphoric as the mist faded, her skin tingling with the touch of healing and her body raring to go. It felt as if the long afternoon of loving had taken no toll whatsoever on her untried body, and she knew it was all because of Kelvan and his willingness to expend his precious magical energy on her wellbeing.

  She scrambled onto her knees and went over to him, uncaring of her nudity now. What a difference a few minutes can make, she realized in one small part of her mind that worried over such things.

  “May I touch you?” she asked formally. She hadn’t asked before and realized her lapse in manners. This time, the dragon didn’t see her coming. His eyes were closed in fatigue and his head and long neck lolled heavily on the stone of the floor while the rest of his body relaxed in the sand pit.

  Kelvan rolled his head to one side and stared at her as if considering her request. Slowly, he blinked his agreement and she moved forward to place her hands on the ridges just below his enormous eyes. Holding his jeweled gaze, she focused her own small power and sent what healing magic she could back to him the way her mother had taught her. His eyes widened as Gareth stood abruptly to watch.

  “You are a healer? A true healer?”

  Belora shrugged and sat back. “I have only a small gift when compared with my mother, but as you know, healers cannot usually heal themselves. Thank you for expending your energy for me, Sir Kelvan. I hope I have returned at least a bit of what you gave me.”

  “More than I gave, if truth be known. You have more of a gift than you realize. Your energy has the flavor of dragons.”

  She yawned and shrugged. “If you say so.” She was tired now, where before she’d been nearly bursting with the dragon’s energy, but it was a normal sort of fatigue. One earned by a long day. It was how she would have felt if not for the dragon’s magical intervention, and she was pleased to know she’d given him back the massive energy boost he’d inadvertently transferred to her while healing.

  “It’s time for bed.” Gareth scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the sleeping chamber. All the arched doorways in the large suite of rooms were wide so Kelvan could lay his head down right in the middle of them. His head, craning on that long, sinuous neck, followed them right into the bedchamber. He came to rest opposite the pile of sumptuous furs and stuffed pillows that was Gareth’s bed. Belora had never been in such a luxurious resting place. She stretched and smiled as she felt Gareth come up beside her, his hands roving over her still-tingling body.

  “I hope you’re not too tired to make love.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be too tired to make love with you, Gareth. You make me feel so alive.”