The Dragons Heart Saga

The crisp wind cut into her flesh as she took careful but hurried steps up the rocky hillside. The wind smelled of rain to come, but it would not arrive before she reached her destination. She heard the babbling joy of a spring nearby and, making her way through the brush at the side of the trail, stopped long enough to get a sip of its cool freshness. Sitting down on the grassy bank, a lighter breeze blew here and was more refreshing than chilling. Slowly, she bent forward and removed each worn sandal in turn, and placed her feet into the swirling water. Cold, but not uncomfortable, she let them remain in the water several minutes, allowing the cool soothing energy to stream upward into her weary body.

She had started early that morning, knowing as she did that her destination would take the better part of the day to reach. She would have to spend the night, but here she had no worries. She knew her visit would be welcomed and hospitality, sparse though it may be, would be extended. She reached behind her and brought a small and much worn satchel forward. At one time, its leather had been the color of the purple meshunk trees that adorned the area. Now, it was faded and worn, although she attempted to keep intact it by oiling it regularly. It had been a gift many years hence, Lord Michon had made it for her when he was but a boy and his family still reigned over the shire and village below.

The wind blew loose strands of gray hair around her face, which she brushed away. Allowing memory to open the gateway to what used to be, she remembered the shire and village when they had been full of life and even love. She did not know why she had stayed on after all was ravaged, but she did not regret it. The gods had been kind to her in the ensuing years and life had been comfortable, if lonely. She had not seen another human visitor, save the occasional bandit or ruffian, in many years. It was with a mixture of joy and sadness that she had watched Lord Michon arrive many weeks prior, and she now knew what had prompted the visit: the same thing that prompted her journey up the mountain now. She pulled out a bit of dried bread and a small container of meshunk wine. The rich sweetly bitter taste soothed her tired, dry throat as she sipped it. She took tiny bites of the bread and two more sips of wine before returning them to the satchel, drying her feet with the lower portion of her apron, and returning the sandals to her feet. Rising, she put the satchel back over her shoulder and returned to making her way up the hillside.

She travelled as she lived: alone. There was no fear in her of a bandit or ruffian delaying her, particularly as she had finished one off earlier in the day. Deceptively fragile in appearance, she was agile and full of life still, and had significant knowledge of combat technique which allowed her a life free of fear from attacks by those who would take rather than earn their way in life. This morning’s bandit had surprised her in the kitchen area of the old castle, where she had been packing her provisions. Killing him had not been her intention, but his determination to take from her what was hers necessitated the action. She ran the blessing of departure over the corpse, and removed what little food he had on him. A dagger would always be handy, so she tucked his into her belt. Money meant nothing to her, so she left it and him alone in the kitchen. Leaving the body was a calculated decision: the carnivorous vermin of the castle would eat well while it lasted.

Drops of rain fell lightly against her face as she continued up the now steeper and rockier trail. Trail was a kindness, for in truth it now became no more than a clear path through hedges of sage and gorse so long had it been since human feet had come here from the shire. Everyone knew of the cave and the dragon, but none had ventured here. They left the creature to its solitude in the mountain cave. To be sure, the few foolhardy souls that attempted the climb up the hillside came to regret their actions as they never returned. The dragon gained a reputation as a guardian of sorts who would insure his privacy and solitude in ways that dragons could. He accepted the role of guardian, though he knew there was another of his kind that carried the true guardianship of the shire – one who dwelled beneath the castle.

Finally she saw the cave entrance ahead and quickened her pace even as the rain drops came more heavily on her face. Stopping at the cave entrance, she called out.

“Are you home, Great One?”

From the darkness of the cave came a response of thought, “I AM. YOU MAY ENTER SAFELY, NOBLE LADY.”

She made her way confidently into the darkness, guided by the thought trail of the dragon that had made it his lair, and came at last into a chamber in which the darkness was offset by a blazing fire. Against the dragon’s gold sheen the flames danced in alternate hues of red and orange, adding a warmth and glow to the chamber. She halted as she met his gaze, and bowed. He was a large dragon and had resided near the Shire for many years, venturing out only to hunt for food in the dark protection of night. Few had ever seen him, and of those, many believed themselves to be not of their right minds.

“WELCOME, LADY. COME, WARM YOURSELF. I HAVE SEEN YOUR COMING AND PREPARED THE FIRE AND A KILL THAT YOU MAY EAT WELL AND REST FOR THE NIGHT. THE STORM SHOULD PASS QUICKLY ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN RETURN HOME ON THE MORROW.”

For her part, she bowed graciously, “Thank you, Great One. This is indeed kind.”

Later, after she’d eaten her fill and given the remainder of the kill to the dragon, she sat by the fire sated and content. “You say you saw my journey, great one … did you also see my reason for coming here?”

“I HAVE, AND STILL I WISH TO HEAR YOUR WORDS, LADY. I THOUGHT I MUST HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN.”

She shook her head, “No, not mistaken I’m sure. Your kind are rarely, if ever, mistaken. Still, I see you are still a golden hue.”

“INDEED I AM. YET, SHE IS COMING, THIS I HAVE SEEN. DID MICHON CALL ON YOU WHILE HE WAS THERE?”

“No, he did not. I kept my presence secret from him, so I do not know if he is aware I still live.”

“I SEE. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE SUBTERFUGE?”

“I had no reason, I just kept from him. Last I saw of him was when his family fled the bloodshed and destruction of their home and shire. That, of course, was many years ago.”

The dragon nodded, “YES, AND WAS YOUR HAIR NOT GRAY EVEN THEN?”

It was her turn to smile, “Indeed so, Great One. I have lived longer than most of my kind.”

The dragon heaved a sigh that nearly knocked her over, but she regained her balance quickly. The creature looked at her, “Are you all right, Lady? I am sorry – I forget my size sometimes.”

The woman laughed merrily, “Not so easy as when you walked among us, is it then?”

Looking off into the distance that went he replied softly, “No, it is not.”

She nodded, sad understanding filling her blue eyes, “Where am I to lay my head then, Great One? I am weary.”

He lifted one enormous foot to reveal a sleeping pad by the fire, “I have used this in the past, it is comfortable. Will it do?”

She nodded, rising to amble over and curl up under the covers, “Very nice – thank you for warming it.”

He chuckled, “It has not been so long I do not remember the comfort of a warmed bed, Lady. Sleep well.”

She closed her eyes, “And you, Great One.”

Several minutes passed with only the crackling of the slowly dying embers making any sound. The dragon’s breath came slowly and deeply while hers was evenly shallow. She watched the embers without word, letting the warm of such a generous fire seep into her body.

“Lady? Do you sleep yet?”

“No,” she replied, “not yet. What is it?”

“Surely you did not come all this way to simply visit an old dragon in his lair.”

She smiled, “As if that would not be reason enough.”

“True,” he acknowledged, “audiences with one of my glory are rare indeed.”

Turning to look at him, she nodded solemnly, “Indeed, Your Highness.”

Words turned to thought once more, “DO NOT SPEAK SUCH THINGS ALOUD LADY, EVEN HERE. BOTH OUR LIVES WOULD BE FORFEIT IF ANYONE KNEW I STILL LIVED.”

“Is that why you have remained here all these years, to save your life and mine?”

“NO, I AM NOT SO VAIN AS THAT. NO, THERE ARE OTHER LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINE, OR EVEN YOURS. LIVES I WOULD FACE A THOUSAND YEARS OF SELF-IMPOSED EXILE TO PROTECT.”

“This must mean your wife and child still live. Still, you do not go to them, have never let Lady Phyla know you still lived. And this was to protect her and the child?”

“IS THAT SO REMARKABLE? WHO WOULD NOT DO THE SAME WERE THEY IN MY PLACE. IF THAT MISCREANT ON THE THRONE IN CANNAIT KNEW I YET LIVED, HE WOULD TURN THIS LAND TO A BURNT OUT CINDER IN THE SEARCH TO FIND US AND END OUR LINE FOREVER. AND ONCE HE HAD THE TRUE PENDANT, NOTHING WOULD STAND IN HIS WAY.”

“Will you ever reveal yourself? Ever show yourself again?”

He lay his head down heavily, closing his eyes, and she believed the conversation had come to an end. She turned back to the embers and closed her eyes.

When morning came, there was another fire and fresh kill beside it, but the dragon was not to be seen. She rose and prepared the kill over the readied fire, blessing and then eating her fill of the moist meat. She was sorry that life must be lost that other lives continue, but this was the way of the world.

Rising, she pulled on her travelling robes and walked toward the opening of the cave, noting that the sky was a crisp bluish lavender in color with only wispy clouds of white to show that a storm had passed through. Well, that and the drenched soil and plants around her. She moved to the side of the cave opening when she heard wings approaching, looking up expecting to see the brilliance of the majestic gold dragon. She was taken aback to see that he was no longer fully golden in color. In fact, he was black from snout to tail tip.

“G … Great One? Is it you?” she stammered, shaken.

“OH, YES, LADY … IT IS I.”

“How can this be??”

“SHE WEARS THE PENDANT AT LAST. SHE IS COMING, AS I KNEW SHE WOULD.”

“You saw this?”

“YES, I SAW IT, AND DID NOT DARE TO DREAM IT WOULD BE SO. MY BELOVED YET LIVES, AND OUR CHILD HAS GROWN TO BECOME A WOMAN. WHEN MICHON CAME, I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO RETURN TO RECLAIM THE SHIRE. NOW I KNOW THAT WAS NOT HIS PLAN. HE IS SENDING HER.”

She nodded, looking with him out toward where Shire of the East stood, “Do you know who he is sending?” Her visions had not given her this information, only the form of a woman with many soldiers and supplies, three days journey from the abandoned shire below.

He nodded, taking a deep breath, “I DO. HE IS SENDING KELLINA.”