Captured by the dragons, p.5
Captured by the Dragons, page 5
I hummed. "Survival of the species?"
He blushed, and looked away. "Exactly," he said.
"How old are all of you, if you don't mind me asking?"
Mishael laughed sheepishly. "Galen and I are almost three hundred," he said.
"Minus a day," I said, winking at Galen. The dragon blinked at me, and then laughed loudly, his flanks heaving with laughter and a throaty chuckle rumbling from behind his teeth. He flicked his tongue at Mishael, who laughed as well.
"I'm only eighty," Rhys added. "Dragons reach adulthood at twenty. Or at least, we're full grown. Mental maturity leaves something to be desired."
Only eighty. I laughed to myself, and they laughed with me. Rhys' laugh was higher than Mishael's, and certainly more human than Galen's.
"I'm twenty-five," I told them. "Practically an old maid."
Mishael frowned.
"Humans try to marry their daughters off young," I explained. "No one my age doesn't have a husband."
"But you don't have a husband," Mishael said.
I shook my head.
Rhys was looking at me like that again, as he had when I first came back from the baths. It made a warm flutter start in my stomach. I imagined it was the same look I had had when I was admiring the baths, and the caves. Startled at the very existence of a thing.
"Why?" Rhys asked, voice soft and incredulous.
"Why don't I have a husband?" I asked, arching a brow. He nodded, and I shrugged. "No one asked. I'm not very well liked in my village."
Rhys' brow creased. "Why?"
I had thought a lot about that, myself. "I tend not to know when to be quiet and keep my thoughts to myself," I said. "And I'm…. Well, I don't want to brag, but I think I'm much more intelligent than most of the rest of my village, and my home in Eventide. Men aren't attracted to women like me."
"But you're beautiful," Rhys breathed. "And -. And intelligence is beautiful. What are you supposed to do if you can't speak to your mate?"
I smiled down at my hands. "Not much, I suppose. Just keep them at home and make babies."
Mishael's upper lip curled back, at that, with a brief flash of anger and an aborted snarl. It surprised me to see. They all seemed so protective of me. Even Galen's tail was twitching in quiet aggravation.
Mishael reached out, and touched my hand. He smiled when I let our fingers lace. I liked holding his hand. It was smooth, lacking any kind of calluses or scars from work in fields, or as a blacksmith, or anything else. It was another reminder of how other he was. A beast, who knew how to hunt well enough that his prey never got the chance to fight back.
Rhys was the same, completely unmarred by scars or blemishes. I hadn't seen Galen as a human yet, but I imagined he was the same.
"I hope you'll forgive me for saying so," Mishael whispered, "but I'm glad you're here with us, Alice. You don't ever have to be worried about…being 'kept at home'." His nose wrinkled again in distaste. "We'll take you wherever you want to go. Just ask."
Rhys nodded, and Galen purred in agreement, tail finally settling. I smiled at all three of them.
"Your offers are appreciated," I said. "I promise I'm not that demanding. And I can earn my keep up here, too. Whatever you need so that I can stay."
Rhys smiled, and took my other hand, kissing the back of it. "Just stay," he murmured. "Let us try to make you happy."
It sounded like a marriage proposal. I had no idea how that was meant to work, between the three of them. Lyra's words about True Mates and the mating habits of dragons rang in my head, even as I nodded, earning another set of smiles from them.
It was clear that I was going to have to learn a lot, before I could move forward. But for now, I was content in the presence of these three dragons, who looked at me like I was precious, and were keeping me warm and well fed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ALICE
When dinner was over and night had fallen again, Mishael said that he had a meeting with Frost, the roost elder. I wanted to meet him, but I wasn't sure I would be able to understand if they communicated as dragons, and I didn't want to impose.
When Rhys and Galen went with him, I found myself alone in their nest. It was warm, and I knew the smallest bowl, at least, was comfortable, but I felt restless. I wanted to explore everything that I could. Mishael promised me that no harm would come to me, and gave me a thick wolfskin cloak to wear, and leather boots so that my feet wouldn't be cold. I had no idea where he was getting human clothes from, since none of the other dragons seemed inclined to wear clothes, but I was grateful for the gifts.
I walked out onto the plateau, and stood on the reddened rock. Below me, my village twinkled with candlelight, tiny pinpricks amongst the darkness. I could see a single moving light that looked like a wagon, coming up the road. I didn't see any evidence of the attack Galen and Rhys had done on my abductors, and assumed that it was on some other part of the mountain, out of sight.
I sat on my cloak, and it was large enough to wrap around me and protect my body from the cold rock. It was absolutely beautiful up here, more beautiful than I had ever imagined. Starlight shone bright enough that they looked like suns, and the moon was full and high, dropping silver down onto the treetops, the open fields, the peaks of the snow-covered ranges in the distance. Aside from the occasional murmur of insects and rustling of animals in the undergrowth, everything was perfectly peaceful and silent.
I had always liked silence. It was where I could think, and relish my solitude. I was the only one smart enough to keep up with me in my village, and the only one who could tolerate my thoughts for any stretch of time.
I heard a small whoosh and felt displaced air, and turned, looking up. My eyes widened as, from above me, through the thicker clouds, descended a slim red dragon. It looked a lot like Rhys, with its two legs and frilly membranes, though the tail was a lot more thickly clustered, so I knew it wasn't him. The dragon chirped at me in greeting, wheeling around when I smiled, and then folded its wings and came to land beside me.
I watched it flare its wings out, backpedaling once and sending loose rocks skittering away with a blast of icy air that made me shiver. The dragon's tongue snaked out and it yawned, smacking its teeth back together with a small click. It fell forward, bracing itself onto the arches of its wings where the finger-like claws were, and shook itself free of a film of water that had gathered from the clouds.
Then, it looked at me, and rippled into the shape of Lyra. My smile widened in recognition.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Hello, Alice!" she chirped, and sauntered over to me, sitting down without a care for how cold the rock was on her bare feet, or her thighs, or her hands. She grinned, disregarding her own nakedness, and started to braid her long blonde hair. "How are you?"
"I'm well," I replied. "I had dinner with Rhys, Galen, and Mishael. I think they're speaking with Frost right now."
"They are," Lyra confirmed, pursing her lips.
"Do you know what about?"
She shook her head and shrugged. "No. I left when they showed up. I love my brother dearly, and Mishael and Galen are like brothers to me, but I don't particularly care about things like running the place or whatever it is they talk about."
I tilted my head. "Mishael told me that everyone gets a say in how things run."
"They do! But I don't live here, so I don't mind not knowing," she replied. "Frost would tell me anything important, like moving or the arrival of a new nestmate. Other than that…." She shrugged again.
"Moving?" I repeated.
"It's rare, but it happens," Lyra said.
I nodded, and looked back out to the trees, and the mountainside. It looked very treacherous from up here, and I wondered if there was a place further down where dragons and humans could meet, where hunters might leave their gifts, or if they were expected to trek all the way up to the plateau where I sat.
I bit my lower lip, and pulled my knees up so I could rest my folded arms on them. My dress pulled and moved with me. It was so soft, almost like silk, and made me feel as though I was wearing nothing at all and wrapped in the thickest cloak at the same time. I was warm in it, and with the wolfskin, but very aware of how it clung to me. I had never worn anything like this back home.
Lyra finished with her braid, but had nothing to tie it with, so she let it fall loose again, long hair unraveling until it only vaguely resembled the shape. It was easy to see why her hair was so naturally wavy, much different than my straighter strands.
Despite Rhys' warning that Lyra was talkative, she seemed content to sit with me in silence. A familiar feeling of comfort overcame me, gentler than when I was with the others, but still welcome. I smiled to myself, and closed my eyes.
"Lyra," I murmured, and she hummed in answer. I opened my eyes again and put my cheek on my forearms so I could see her. "This True Mates thing…." Her eyes flashed with intrigue. "You said you knew it instantly?"
"Yes," Lyra replied. "I felt as though my fire was going to leap right out of my chest." Her face softened, a faint smile crossing her face. It was so full of adoration, and felt too intimate to look at directly, like staring into the sun. "And I knew he felt the same."
"How did it happen?" I asked.
"I was here with Rhys," she told me. "He left our roost, wanting somewhere colder. I came with him, since he was still quite young. I wanted to make sure he chose a good roost and would be happy here." I nodded, smiling. "And I saw Frost. I can remember thinking to myself, 'Oh, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you', even though I hadn't."
"But you didn't move in?" I asked curiously.
Lyra sighed, and shook her head. "I couldn't. I had a clutch of eggs waiting for me back home, and I had to go take care of them." I blinked in surprise, and she caught it, and smiled at me. "Like I said before, True Mates aren't the only mates we can take. But now that I know Frost, I won't let another male near my nest." She sighed. "When my fledglings have moved on to their own roosts, maybe I'll move here permanently, but not right now."
It was so strange to me, but given what she had told me about their belief in reincarnation, and the long lifespans of dragons, I supposed it worked for them. "So for True Mates, you don't feel a…calling," I said, wincing at the word. "You don't go search for them?"
"Some do," Lyra replied. She bit her lower lip and absently dragged her nails along the stone, leaving bright white lines. "And I knew that home wasn't home. When Rhys suggested visiting here, I remember thinking that I should go with him. Not just because he was my brother, and so young, but because I felt like I would find something here. And I did."
I pressed my lips together, humming. It didn't sound very different from my own journey. I had left Eventide and gone to the Pass, which was so much smaller and lackluster, because I felt like I should be here. Then, looking up at the mountain every night, I had always wanted to journey up and visit. I had thought it was simply because dragons fascinated me and I wanted to learn more about them.
"Are True Mates only for dragons?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Lyra shook her head. "Every living thing has fire, Alice," she said, and put her hand on my shoulder. "Even the plants, remember? Fire becomes ash becomes clouds become rain, which feed them. We are all under the same sun, the same fire in the sky keeping us warm and alive."
She paused, and withdrew her hand, her expression turning curious and serious. "Have you felt it?" she asked excitedly.
"I don't know," I confessed. "I'm not really…sure what any of that feels like. I've never been in love, or even felt that much in the way of attraction." I sighed. "There aren't a lot of options in my village, or my homestead. And usually if I did find someone attractive, that went away as soon as they opened their mouth."
Lyra giggled, covering her smile with her hands.
"But I've…always wanted to be here," I continued with a small smile. "Since as far back as I can remember. Mishael, Galen, and Rhys have been so kind to me as well. I feel safe and comfortable here. I feel like I'm meant to be here."
Lyra's gaze softened, and she nodded in understanding. "Perhaps there is some dragon fire in you," she murmured, and I blushed. Was that the heat I felt in my stomach, whenever Mishael touched me, or Rhys smiled, or I felt Galen's eyes on my face?
"I confess, Alice, when I first saw you, I recognized something in you," Lyra continued, drawing my gaze again. "It's why I thought you were a dragon, at first. You…." She trailed off, humming, and drew in a breath. "You smell like rubies."
I frowned. "Is that…a good thing?" I asked, laughing. "What does that mean?"
"There are some things the legends get right," Lyra said, grinning. She crossed her legs in front of her and sat forward, hair pooling over her shoulders and between her thighs. She put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. I couldn't shake the feeling that, if she had her wings out, she would have wrapped one of them around me. "Dragons have hoards. We like gems and gold and all that. We can smell it, and it draws us to the source. Think of it as coming home to the scent of a well-cooked meal. That's what a good mountain smells like to us."
"Sure," I said, nodding.
"Our own kind smells like that, too," Lyra continued with a smile. "There's…a kind of comfort to it, I suppose. The scent of your family, and your nest, and your mate. You smell like family."
"Maybe just because Rhys picked me up and carried me here," I replied, somewhat breathless at the idea. Hearing Lyra call me family hit a nerve I hadn't realized was so raw. I had been alone for so long, since moving away from my parents in Eventide. Did they know what had happened to me? Did they think that I had been kidnapped by wolves and sold to slavery in the North?
Did they care?
Lyra laughed again. "I smelled you in the baths, not in the arms of my brother," she teased, and I blushed despite the cold air. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that, like Mishael said, you're welcome here."
I smiled widely, so wide my cheeks hurt. "I don't think I'll ever want to leave," I confessed, making her laugh again. "I have so many questions, and I want to know everything."
Lyra's dark eyes shone with giddy joy. She was like a puppy that had just found a new friend to play with. Again, her similarity in mannerisms to Rhys was striking. "Let me be your guide, then!" she chirped, clapping her hands together. She paused, her eyes widening. "Oh, I just realized – you must have never seen a white dragon before! Or any of the other colors."
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "Only red and gold. And even then, only Galen and Rhys up close."
Lyra nodded, and rose to her feet, pulling me upright. "We'll go see Frost, then," she said, smiling. "I'm sure they've had plenty of time to talk amongst themselves. Come with me!"
She laced her fingers with mine, and dragged me away from the plateau.
CHAPTER EIGHT
FROST
I could tell young Mishael was troubled when he visited my cave. I was at the very top of the mountain, where I could get the most sun, and the snow reflected more of it to warm my pale scales. Without any of the younglings bringing their nests this far up the mountain, I had plenty of room to stretch within my nest.
When it was not just Mishael, but Galen and Rhys who arrived as well, I knew it was going to be an interesting conversation. I had known Mishael and Galen's mothers and fathers, and counselled Mishael's mother until she decided to step down and name him her successor.
She had chosen wisely, in my opinion, and not just because I had suggested the same.
Mishael looked so much like her. He had inherited her eyes and her hair and her bearing, though his golden scales were his father's through and through. Unfortunately, Mishael had also inherited his mother's temperament. Though she had been wise, she had always been a worrier. She was the brood mother that always watched the fledglings on their first flights, and stayed up late when Mishael and Galen had hunted together for the first time, not resting until they had returned victorious.
Mishael worried, too, almost constantly. It was enough to give an old dragon like me wing rot.
I gazed upon them as they entered, my whiskers twitching and frail wings straightening with the urge to pull the young ones under them and protect them from their worries. Galen was the only one in his natural shape; the other two walked as humans.
"Lyra said you wanted to see me," Mishael said, chittering the words in dragon tongue.
"I did," I replied. "There was quite a display the other night."
Rhys and Galen twitched, and I knew they had been involved as well.
"Wolves came," Galen said, snarling the words. "They took humans. We rescued them."
I hummed. "And why these humans?" I asked, more curious than anything else. "Wolves steal people all the time."
Mishael swallowed, meeting my eyes. He was a strong young one, and although he worried, he had always trusted his own instincts and wisdom. I listened as he told me how he had heard the scream, and investigated the source, and found the scent of wolves. Among them, a human female, and upon knowing she was in danger, he had sent Galen and Rhys to rescue her.
I listened, then, noting with surprise how Mishael's voice softened. For a moment he reminded me so much of his mother when she had spoken of Mishael's father that it caused my fire stone to pulse in sympathy.
Galen's and Rhys' faces were also twisted in a complex display of emotions. Yearning, adoration, fierce protectiveness. Whoever this young lady was, she had captured them all.
When I saw Rhys rub at his chest, I understood.
"She is your True Mate," I said.
They looked up at me. Gold dragons were larger than white ones, and I was lying down, far too old to get to my feet and move around like a youngling, but Galen kept his head low out of respect. "We weren't sure," Mishael said quietly. "We sought your advice and experience. You're the only one we know who's mated like that."
I smiled, thinking of Lyra. My beautiful, vibrant, and precious Lyra, who smelled of pearls fresh-stolen from oyster shells and silver ore. She was liquid moonlight, and settled my fire to a fiercely burning ember.
