The Dragon and the Princess

Chapter 16

Lydia sighed happily as the steady wind blew through her silky hair. She had thought long and hard about whether she should ride on Lithon's head, holding onto his horns, or allow him to carry her in his talons again. It was a decision she had only made once her feet were re-bandaged and her back re-dressed. She didn't want to risk losing her grip and plummet to the earth below. Falling from a dragon, hundreds of feet in the air, even if the said dragon would catch you, is not something she looked forward to. So she chose the safer option. And she didn't regret it.

She sat securely in the safe space his talons created. Not particularly comfortable, but definitely manageable over short distances. She actually found herself enjoying the view of the ground below her, peeking through the gaps of Lithon's closed talons. She felt like she was in a cage. No, 'cage' was the wrong word. She wasn't in a scary bared enclosure that refused to let her leave, no. Instead, she was in a cocoon. A cocoon that kept all danger out rather than keeping her in. She could ask to be put down at any moment she wished and she knew that her words would not fall on deaf ears. So she just enjoyed herself, savoring the moments before she had to try and convince a whole troop of soldiers, sent to 'save' her, that dragons weren't the savage beasts they thought they were. Not an easy task...

Lithon strained his wing muscles as he tried to fly as slow as physically possible while still actually flying. He tried to glide as much as he could so that the wind force his wings created wouldn't hit Lydia. His foot was clenched tightly next to his stomach to try and keep her warm and out of as much wind as he could. It was hard but he could tell that she was enjoying herself this time around. Knowing this he tried even harder to make the flight more enjoyable for her. It was difficult but it was definitely worth it.

Eyeing the land in front of him and finally spotting the soldiers, Lithon noted that they were further away from his home than the last time he saw them. Good. His circling around method worked.

Lydia felt a small vibration go through the safe cocoon she sat in and heard a deep rumble coming from Lithon's chest. She knew what that meant. The troop was close.

"Let's go down now." She called above the wind. She knew she didn't have to speak very loud for him to hear so she just raised her voice a little. A hum of disagreement rumbled threw Lithon's entire body. He didn't like the idea.

"We need to go down or they will attack. What do you think they'll think when they see their princess in the talons of a dragon? There will be no reasoning with them!" She tried to convince him. She knew that this was the best option. It would give them the best chances of succeeding. She could still feel Lithon's deep growl as they slowly descended from the sky. He wasn't happy but at least he was listening to her. Lydia felt her heart swell with happiness. He trusted her, truly trusted her. It was an honor she had never had before and she liked how it filled her with confidence. Confidence in knowing that, no matter what, Lithon would listen to her opinion. Even when he didn't like it. And in turn, she trusted him too.

Lithon landed in the forest on one foot, the other clutched to his chest to make sure that Lydia was ok. Slowly lowering his leg and uncurling his talons, he began to shift and moved in such a way that by the time he was fully shifted, he was holding Lydia in his arms, clutched tightly to his chest. He was scared. This was how Aderria had been captured. She was then brutally tortured for her affiliation with dragons before she was finally put to rest. He didn't want that to happen to Lydia. But, this is what she wanted and, unlike Aderria, Lydia had him to protect her. He never got the chance to protect or defend his sister, his parents got in the way, trying to protect him, but they weren't here now. Nothing was there to stop him. He would protect Lydia with all his might, with his life if he must. With his mind set stubbornly in place, Lithon began walking in the direction of the soldiers, knowing it would take them a good hour or so to reach them.