Yes! Your- a hand grabs my shoulder. In an instants I am whipped around. Without thinking I shove the person to the ground, taking my bag off my shoulder to hit the stranger. When I look down I see familiar curly blond hair.
"Don't sneak up on a girl like that! I thought I was being kidnapped!"
"Well then don't go wandering off into the woods with a big mysterious bag."
I look down at the boy, being able to make out his face for the first time. His green eyes are looking right at me in an annoyed expression. I never realized how tall he was from watching him train. He's not trying to get up, he's staying still, staring at me. I get so lost in his stare I almost forget about why I'm here. I whip my head around and am met with its beautiful yellow eyes. Still there, that's good. I start to hear voices approach our direction.
"MASON! WHERE ARE YOU!?!?"
No, no, no! They're gonna scare it!
I start running through the woods following the noise. I see the person yelling, and reach my arms out making contact with his face. I cover his mouth and pull him into what is almost a head lock. He grabs my arm pulling me down onto my back, I hit the ground hard. When I look up I see a boy with jet black hair looking down at me, and he looks pissed.
"What. The. Fuck" his voice is deep. Angry.
"You need to shut up! You can't be yelling like that!"
Another voice emerges from behind him.
"We are in a forest. Who cares if we yell?"
The boy walks up beside his friend, putting a hand on his soldier to push him back. His friend steps back and I can see who it is. That annoying brown haired boy from the training grounds.
"I care!"
I hiss back. Why did they follow me. Do they know?
"Well clearly. You made the mistake of trying to put Roman here in a head lock. I know you've seen us train."
Roman? I've heard that name before, at the tavern.
"Leo shut it."
I start to hear footsteps approach from behind me, I turn my head to see the blond boy. From what they were yelling I assume his name is Mason.
"Guys. You may wanna come see this."
The boys take off running in the direction he came from. What? Wait. OH CRAP! I grab my bag and start running after them. My back aches from where I got thrown to the ground, but I don't dare stop. I have to stop them before they turn it in! When I get to where the dragon laid I see the boys crouched, whispering. I stop to take a deep breath, it's uneven shaky, I can't tell if it's from getting the wind knocked out of me or fear. Could be both. I approach the three boys and crouch beside the black headed boy, Roman. I start rummaging in my bag for the food I grabbed from the tavern and bring it out.
"What in the name of the gods are you doing." He turns to me grabbing my wrist. I rip my hand away.
"Don't touch me. I'm gonna feed it."
"Why? So you can have it as a pet!?"
"Maybe."
The three boys turn to me their eyes large. The brown headed boy, Leo I assume, speaks up.
"We'll be my guest I would love to see how this goes."
"I will."
I step carefully around the bush we were couched behind going slow and steady, my back still aching not enjoying being hunched over. The creature looks up at me his head still covered by its tail, yet it doesn't back away. It just stares. I sit down crossing my legs. I grab a peace of meat, tare of a piece and throw it towards the dragon. It doesn't budge. I hear a snicker from behind me, I turn around, shooting a pissed glance at Leo. His snickers stops. That's right. Shut you mouth- however he didn't stop laughing because of me but because of the dragon. When I turn back it's lifting its tail from over its head, its eyes darting back and forth from me to the piece of beef laid a few inches in front of it.
"Go ahead. It's for you!"
He shots forward grabbing the beef and then runs back to where it laid. However this time it stays up, sitting, staring, at my bag.
"You want more?"
I open up my bag, grabbing the slab of beef. I rip of a piece and toss it. Then another, then another. Each time the dragon shots out to eat it, but every-time it goes back it's slightly closer to me. Soon it is sitting but an arms length away from me. It's beautiful eyes no longer show fear, but curiosity, and hunger. I grab another piece of meat and place it in my hands. I hadn't even noticed my intense breathing until now, I begin to clam it. I relax my body in hopes to relax the creature. Then I stick out my hand with the meat in it. It jumps back a bit, startled by the movement, but then it approaches. Inch by Inch until it's close enough to eat it. And it begins eating. I look back at the three boys, specifically Leo and smile a wipe, grinning smile. An, I've done it, smile. It drags the meat from my hand onto the ground and begins devouring it. I grab my book and search frantically though the pages until I find it. And I begin to read.
There are many different breeds of dragons. The most common are fire, water, and ice. However those are the only ones humans have been able to approach and study with out to much worry. Other types tend to be more erotic, dangerous.
I skip around till I find what I'm looking for.
There are two ways to tell the gender of a dragon. The first being obvious. The second however, is their horns. Females will have smaller horns than males, they are still large but not as large as males. It is best seen when they are younger, for males will have horns, but females will start to grow theirs later in life.
So you're a boy. I close the book and place it in the bag, when I look back at the dragon however he is gone.
"Hey. Where did you go?"
I looked in the directions of the boys and the dragon had found his way to them. Staring intensely at them with curiosity. The boys stand up and round the bush, standing behind me.
"It's looking at us..."
"It wants to eat you!" I joking say
"Shut up" Roman says looking down at me.
"What are you gonna do now?"
"I don't know. I guess just hope it hides itself well enough to stay out of sight while I study it?"
The three of them stare at me in confusion, Leo begins speaking.
"Your not gonna turn it in?"
"Leo I just made friends with it why in the world would I turn it in? Do you not remember the pixie incident?"
"The what?"
I stand up and look at Leo. Is he serious?
"He wasn't here when that happened." Roman says. Leo looks at Roman in a confused look.
"What pixie incident?"
"Years ago, I think 5 do be exact, King Shawn's men found a pixie near this city. I assume you know what pixies are capable of?"
Leo nodes.
"Well instead of taking a chance and letting it go free, he hired a warlock, also known as a wizard, and trapped it in a magic cage of some sort."
"And it died." I interrupted.
"No one knows that for sure. Some say it's still alive, others- well."
"Believe it starved to death."
"Hey girl do me a favor and shut up while I'm talking. Plus you're making King Shawn look like a monster, all he wanted to do was protect us."
He was right. Not about me shutting up, but about our King. He cares a lot about his people. Even though he is stationed in our city, he often travels to others when a tragedy strikes to show that he is there for his people. However he is an over reactor, hints the pixie. I wasn't about to let this poor little guy be subject to that.
I pick up my bag, look at the dragon, then back at them.
"It doesn't matter how great King Shawn is to his people. I'm not letting him or any of his men get his hands on the dragon."
I start to walk away. As I walk I hear Roman sigh.
"Well, that's some bad luck for you. The three of us happen to be training soldiers."
Damn. That did slip my mind. What do I do?
I pause.
"What do I need to do for you guys to keep your mouths shut."
They're silent for a moment. The three of them look back and forth at each other as if they are communicating through their minds or something. Soon one of them speaks up, and it's Mason.
"Let us keep tabs on you and the dragon. It will allow us to make sure nothing goes wrong."
I sit there thinking. Is this a good idea? I just met them, how can I trust them? But do I have any other choice? I don't. I stick my hand out.
"Deal."
Mason shakes my hand. His grip firm, serious. I look into his eyes, trying to show I'm serious as well. They have one chance, if they break it. I'm not sure what I'll do, but I'll think of something when the time comes. He lets go of my hand and steps back, Leo steps in front of him.
"So. What now?"
I look down at the dragon. He's looking up at us, he's not close to us but not far. I bend down.
"You need to stay here and hidden. Ok?"
I don't know if he understands me, but that's all I can really do.
"I guess let's go."
"That's it your just gonna leave him here?" Roman says annoyed.
"You made this big deal about keeping him safe and now you're just gonna leave him here?"
"I have no where else to keep him? I live up stairs in a tavern."
Roman sighs.
"I have a place we can take him. If that doesn't bother you?"
The way he said it was condescending. He knows I have no other choice but yet still asks, just so I have to ask for his help. Leo is smiling knowing exactly what Roman is doing. Mason how ever still has a stern serious face. Does he ever smile?
"That would be great Roman. Thanks."
"Amazing, let's head that way! It shouldn't be too far."
"Hold on we can't just go walking through town with a dragon. How are we gonna get it to-"
Leo interrupts.
"If it's the place I'm thinking of we shouldn't have a problem. It's on the outer edge of the city. We just have to travel around the walls instead of through."
The three of them start walking off towards the wall. I look back at the dragon, how in the world am I suppose to get him there? Will you follow me? I take a few steps away and watch him for a moment. He quickly looks my way, his expression is something of confusion. I take a few more steps, but he still doesn't follow. Come on. You need to follow me! I place my bag down for a moment to think. I look back at the boys, Leo and Roman are speak about something, Mason is staring in my direction. He's clearly annoyed at the time it's taking me to follow. I'm not the one who decided to follow a girl into the woods. This is your fault. I wish I could scream it at him.
"Ok boy you-"
Panic strikes me hard as I look back. Where did you go?! No. No! My eyes dart around. Crap, crap, crap! My eyes dart around the area he was just in. I grab my bag. It's heavy. I looked down into my bag, and I'm met with his gold eyes staring up at me. He's not scared, or nervous, he is just sitting there. I walk after the boys, holding the bottom of the bag to keep it more secure. I walk over to the boys, a smile taking over my face.
"Where is the dragon."
Roman is looking around on the ground, confusion covering his face.
"In my bag!"
I'm practically beaming! He trusts me!
"Well that's one way to transport him. Let's get going." Mason leads the way while Leo and Roman stand by my sides.
"Soooo if we're gonna be stuck with you. It would be easier if we knew your name?"
"Evie. Evie Anderson!"