Within the Dragon's Heart (Under editing)

Ch. 4

Marina stared at her new friend trying to make out his name, "Ch-chudech?" Cuidightheach looked at her and chuckled, "That's fine, you'll get it in time." "Chudech, Chu-dech, Chudech!" she exclaimed with excitement. Giving a toothy grin the Wyvern lumbered over to the mouth of his den. "Stay here, okie? I don't want you wandering off without me." he then launched himself out and over the trees, to hunt for his new daughter. "Okie! Bye, bye!" she yelled after him.

Watching the ground below him, he waited for movement. Eyes darting from left to right, making sure that nothing escaped his praying eye. After about three minutes a herd of deer caught his attention, five does, one eight point buck, and two fawns. Not a bad find, the deer are flourishing this year.' His eyes locked onto one of the does, she looked older, maybe in her last few years of life. He focused on her, not letting the doe disappear from his sight. He tracked them for about a mile before the herd came into a small clearing, Cuidightheach took the chance, tucking his wings in, he aimed at the unsuspecting doe. When he was almost upon her, he thrust his hind legs forward, feeling his talons sink into the tender flesh of the deer. Thrusting his wings downward he shot back into the sky, watching as the herd darted for cover in the dense trees.

He made a wide sweeping turn and headed back to his awaiting child. The deer hung limp in his talons, it's blood flying back, staining the sleek light brown coat. He then thought about how humans wear clothing made out of skins of animals, or fur weaved into fabric. He didn't know how to weave but we could make this deerskin into a parka. 'I should have thought about that before I pierced her skin. Oh-well, it will just have to do for now.'

He could see his cave in the distance, he climbed higher into the sky and then dropped the deer. Making a sharp corkscrew downward, he caught the deer in his mouth careful not to cut it in thirds. Then continued to fly towards his home.

Marina was fascinated by a gem-encrusted goblet that had been close the bottom of one of the mounds of treasure. Studying it carefully she named all the gems that were on the gold and silver cup. "Ruby, Dimon, Emerld, Amethis, and Onic! Preety! Ugh?" She looked out of the cave entrance to see Cuidightheach diving after something, catching it and then headed towards the cave. "Chudech back!" she yelled as she ran towards the entrance, the goblet still in hand.

Landing on the ledge Cuidightheach clawed his way to the entrance, seeing her awaiting his return sent a warm, tingling feeling through his body. A feeling that he had not experienced in half a century, not since his brother had been killed for a game, by the humans. Reaching the opening he dropped down to all fours, standing over her, the blood of the deer dripped from the limp carcass, staining the rocky ground.

"What do you have there Marina?" he questioned her as he walked over to a corner and dropped the deer onto a flat outcropping of rocks. "It a goblet." she answered him with sincerity. He looked at her in aw, 'Once again, she astounds me.' He sighed and then motioned her over with a wave of his head. Marina scuttled over to him, wondering what he had brought. "Wat dat?"

"This is a deer, well a dead deer."

"Not live?"

"Yes, this deer is no longer living. This is what we are going to eat for today." he started to slice the stomach with his thumbnail. The blood oozed out of the open wound, the groves in the rock that it lay on, caught the liquid and channeled it to a depression in the ground. "Would you like to help?" he asked looking at her.

She was staring at the red substance pooling on the ground, pointing at it, "Blood, right?" She expectantly looked up at him.

"Yes, that is blood." she nodded and then stepped closer to the deer.

"What now?"

"I need you to take out all the organs, can you do that for me?" He thought that it may be a little much to ask of the five-year-old but she obliged and hesitantly pushed her hands into the slit.

The inside of the deer was still warm and slimy, she cringed at the feeling and drew her hands out. Looking up at the Wyvern she shook her head.

"I don't like it!" she exclaimed with disgust.

Sighing Cuidightheach said, "You don't have to help if you don't want to." It would be hard for him to clean the deer out himself, for he only had to swallow his prey. Yes, it was going to be a very different lifestyle with a human living with him.