COLONY WARS

CHAPTER 34-DRAGONS ARE NOT WRONG

Dear Ragnar

It is I, Leif. I write to you again, to tell you of what I have learned from the camp. I touched a dragon yesterday. She was a calf that we rescued from the bandits. We have decided to name her Aya. Such a beautiful name.

I cannot wait until the end of winter so that I can see you again. I bring stories with me. Also, I was meaning to ask you, do you perhaps know where they married my sister Piper of to? She is the one with fiery hair, Barbara's first daughter.

Please, I beg that you find her location.

Your friend

Leif.

I carefully folded the piece of paper, sitting on my camp sleeping bag. The other women within the tent moved around, one of them reading a letter from her love while one of them, walked around, with barely anything on.

"Don't ye have any clothes to wear Skye?" Maisie asked the brunette.

"I need to seal this letter first." Skye answered, "My mother ought to receive it. It is important."

"Alright then," Maisie rolled her eyes before turning her attention to me. "Leif,"

"What is it?"

"Who are ye writing to?"

"My friend."

"Friend?" she smiled childishly, "Ye man ye mean?"

"Aye." I spoke unenthusiastically.

"Ye should write to the gods, ask for forgiveness, for killing that dragon." Ella spoke from her side of the tent.

"Pardon me?"

"Dragons carry the souls of our ancestors. Ye do not kill them, unless ye want to end up mad like Skar."

"Shut it Ella, it was just a mistake." Skye defended me, "Right Leif?"

"Aye,"

"She meant to murder it. That dragon sensed something foul within her."

"Which is?" asked Anna, her face thrilled by the tension. "What evil can Leif have?"

"I do not know." Ella shrugged, "All I know is that dragons are not wrong. Just to prove me right, she has never been to dragon riding with the rest of us. Freya keeps her away."

"That is rubbish!" I argued,

"Is it now? Fine! I dare ye to a dragon riding contest!"

I stuttered.

"Prove me wrong Leif! Ye and I will go dragon riding today!"

"I will not entertain ye." I rose to my feet and stormed out of the tent, leaving the girls to argue.

I had never felt so offended in my life. Not even Bjorn made me feel this was. The way that she had said it, it was as if I was an outsider, an animal that had to stay away from the camp and the Celtic people.

The cold breeze whooshed by outside and I shoved the letter inside my coat before walking towards one of the fires. A few people sat around it, one of them was Magnus and Freya. Seeing me, Magnus called out,

"Leif, over here."

I walked over to them before sitting on the log opposite him.

"How are ye?" he asked, one arm around Freya's shoulder.

"Good. I've been good."

"The camp marvels of your strength, for putting down one of the dragons."

"It was a mistake."