A Heart So Precious Sample

Chapter Four

"It's nice to meet you too, Vardan," I responded, smiling warmly at him. I would likely be berated if my clan could see me now. So I suppose it was a good thing they couldn't see me now, smiling goofily at a cute human boy.

Opening my mouth to continue the lighthearted conversation we had going, I was interrupted when Vardan leapt toward me, tackling me to the ground. Pinned beneath his considerable weight, I lay motionless, reeling over the sudden movement. I really must have hit my head when I fell down that slope, because my vision faded in and out, my temples aching.

A second later, his weight had vanished completely from on top of me, as a blur of grey passed over head. My gaze flashed to a blur of flailing limbs and fur, a few yards away. Registering what had happened all at once, as I recognized the unmistakable fur of the mighty wolves that plagued these mountains, and the struggling limbs of the boy who had just been shielding me from the dangerous jaws of the wolf that were now closing in on his neck.

Panic set in as I realised Vardan couldn't grab his knife with his hands keeping the beats jaws and bay. Swivelling around in a circle searching for a weapon to protect the boy who had saved my life. Spotting a hunting knife next to the form of a slumbering man, I dove to retrieve it, calling loudly to wake the men around me. How they were still sleeping with a wolf in their midst I would never know.

Rushing over to the wrestling pair, I halted a few yards away, pausing to get my bearings as I aimed. Taking a deep breath, I lined up my throw and let go. The knife met its mark, embedding itself in the throat of the wild animal, its jaws a matter of inches from Vardan's neck.

The now dead body of the wolf slowly tipped sideways, falling limply to the ground. I watched as Vardan took deep breaths, in apparent shock, lying motionless on the ground. Stumbling over his prostrate form, I eased myself to the ground, examining him with my eyes for any obvious injuries.

The loud rumbling of the men around me finally reached my ears, as they pulled themselves from their sleep, noticing that something was amiss. Gently pushing his hair away from his temples, I met his eyes, unsure of what to say.

" Thank you Vardan," I whispered, glancing uncertainly towards the ground, "For saving my life. Again."

I simply wasn't used to relying on others, in any shape or form. Dragons were not the most tender hearted of creatures, one could say. No one ever had my back but myself. It was scary to think, had Vardan not tackled me to the ground, I would probably be dead now.

Thank god for both his awareness, and his quick action. In the condition I am in now, I wouldn't have been able to fight, even if I had known of the dangerous beast's presence. The reality, however, is that I hadn't known. I now owed him my life for the second time in a day.

Starting slightly, a rough finger placed itself on the bottom of my jaw. Glancing upwards slightly, surprised, I found myself gazing into the depths of Vardans eyes. They were such a honey brown colour, emitting such warmth, that I couldn't help but feel comforted. I don't know what I needed comforting for, since I wasn't the one that just got attacked, but I would accept the feeling nonetheless.

" You're welcome. And thank you," he grunted as he pushed himself off the ground and back to his feet. Glancing meaningfully at the dagger still embedded in the wolf's neck, he gazed into my eyes, smiling reassuringly. A second later he was walking briskly towards the man approaching us. As the hunter walked over with Vardan, his eyes constantly flickering towards me, he stopped a couple feet away. Towering over me by a considerable amount, I could feel my guard go up. While I may trust Vardan to some extent considering he was responsible for saving my life, I didn't owe that same trust to this man.