Dragon Scales

Chapter 22

A hand bound the blindfold lose from around Aresa's head. Aresa blinked at the noon sun that blinded her eyes. Those blindfolds were made of very thick material. It had been totally dark, even when her eyes had been wide open beneath the blindfold. Aresa looked around her and was
surprised to see that the trees were even bigger than those she had seen before. Hear and there, there were smaller trees, but most of them were big. The leaves were surprisingly far away from each other on every branch, so much sunlight could pass through. However only dead leaves covered the ground, no sign of under brush or any other plants except for moss.

Aresa frowned. If there was so much sunlight, why weren't there other plants? She was about to ask when Regorn stepped beside her, his face grim.

“What?” Aresa asked silently. She didn't want the Dragon Hunters to hear her talking.

“Did that soldier hurt you?” Regorn asked darkly. He knew the answer but still asked. “Which one was it?”

“I don't know. I was blindfolded,” Aresa answered and glanced around. “But probably that one that's staring angrily at me right now. His nose is bleeding.” Aresa smiled, happy
that she had at least hurt him a little. From the corner of her eye she saw Thon walking toward her.

“Are you all right?” he asked. Aresa sighed.

“I'm fine. Are you?” Aresa asked. One of his eyes were blue.

“Kind of.” Thon grinned.

“Get going!” Grenin yelled and everybody started moving. Aresa, Thon and Regorn spotted Werlek and Dion standing together, and walked their way. As they passed Migor,
Regorn and Thon both gave him a angry glare. No Dragon Hunters were near at the moment. Thon stopped and his eyes were on Migor.

“If you hurt her again you will regret it.” Thon's voice was threatening.

Migor sneered. “You wouldn't dare farm boy.”

Aresa expected Thon to then and there hit Migor in the face, but Thon smiled instead. “I'm not a farm boy,” he said simply.

“What are you then?” Migor asked mockingly.

“A hunter.” Thon's strange smile was unsettling. Migor was slightly uneasy by Thon's smile, but didn't really feel scared.

Suddenly he saw something out the corner of his eye and backed off quickly. He was not afraid of Thon but the person that was suddenly standing beside them. If Migor knew one thing that was that Werlek was very dangerous.

“Come, we don't want to stay behind,” Werlek's voice sounded beside Thon.

Thon had wondered why Migor had
left so quickly, but now he understood. People were afraid of
Werlek, especially if he had for any reason a grudge against them. Aresa, Thon, Dion, Regorn and Werlek hurried till they were beside the soldiers and Dragon Hunters. Aresa saw that Werlek was going slower then the rest and remembered
his wound. It had been big, he shouldn't be able to walk. He had to be in pain, but his face was blank of any emotion.

When they stopped by a little gushing stream she walked to him and asked, “How is your wound?”

Surprise flickered across Werlek's face but was gone the next second and replaced by the blank stare. Aresa waited for him to answer. Werlek saw that she was not going away until he told her how his wound was.

“It hurts slightly,” he said slowly.

Aresa was sure that it was much worse, but didn't say anything. “Show it to me,” she demanded.

Werlek hesitated, then sighed. Aresa looked at the ugly bite mark just below his knee. It did not look good. “I need to put something on that,” she said.