Dragon Queen

Dragon Queen

Chapter one, the living nightmare

Rasha watched as her brother Tonat played in the field. Suddenly he stopped and pointed at the sky. A large dragon was sweeping over the tree line. “Mama, mama look” Tonat shouted to gain his mothers attention. Rasha set down the basket from her berry picking to watch the dragon slowly fly closer. Looking over at her mother she noticed that she was too busy to pay attention to her small son, helping her father fix the wheel of their wagon.

“Mama?” Rasha yelled worriedly still watching the dragon. Suddenly the dragon went in to a dive, falling quickly for a creature of its great size. It was heading right at Tonat who was exposed in the middle of the field. “TONAT” Rasha screamed running down the small hill. She heard her mother’s, and father’s screams join her own.

Tonat ducked just as the dragon’s outstretched claws were about to pluck him from the ground. The force of the dragon swooping down had thrown Tonat forward tumbling in to the grass, looking as if he had been hit. The dragon’s wings pumped powerfully to become airborne again. Rasha stood where she was paralyzed with fear. The dragon was bigger than any other animal she had seen. As she watched the dragon she was aware of her mother running in to the field for Tonat. Rasha’s father followed just behind her, carrying a large spear.

The dragon turned sharply and headed back down to the field toward Tonat who was standing watching his mother in the field crying. As the dragon dove again its target was no longer Tonat. As her mother ran for her brother. The dragon’s outstretched claws grasped her mother. A scream filled the air, whether it was from Rasha herself or her mother she didn’t know. Her mother’s body went limp in the dragon’s claws as it flew away. Rasha’s father threw the spear but too late as the spear arched before landing with a thunk in to the ground yards away. “Mama!” Rasha yelled finding her feet she ran after the dragon.

Finally the dragon disappeared over the tree line and Rasha stopped running. She turned to look at her father who had by now scooped up her still wailing brother in to his arms holding him tight. Rasha looked back at the tree line willing the dragon to come back with her mother. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as the realization of what just happened hit her. “Mama.” She looked back at her father again and saw that he looked grim. His face had drawn tight in sadness, her brother still crying in his arms.

Rasha woke from the dream, her blanket wet from tears. The darkness of the room surrounded her comforting her. A baby cry sounded nearby from one of the neighboring houses. Followed shortly by the sound of drunken laughter from her own house. Her father was entertaining a traveler again. Listening in she heard her name mentioned, and knew it could only mean one thing. As quietly as she could she slipped out of bed changing quickly in her warmest clothes and grabbing her ever-ready pack she slipped out the window in to the snow.

The days when her brother and mother were alive, it was happy. Her father was different then, but now years after that day, her father had changed. Knowing what her father’s plans were, Rasha did not return until late the next day.

As she entered the house, her father grabbed her, and pulled her in to the house slamming the door behind her. She cringed at the blow she knew was coming. Her father hit her hard in the face knocking her to the floor. “You lost me money last night, you worthless Gila.” He said angrily. Rasha crawled away as her father came at her again. “I’ll teach you not to sneak out again.” He said as he pulled off his belt. He reached down and grabbed her by her shirt yanking her to her feet. With all his might he preceded to beat her with the belt. Rasha screamed in pain and tried to get away but his grip was firm.

Rasha received about twenty lashes before her father threw her to the floor in disgust. She stayed there too much in pain to move. She heard her father move around the house before the door opened and closed again as her father left. Gingerly Rasha felt her cheek where he had hit her with fist and belt. It stung and was moist to the touch. She didn’t know if it was from blood or from tears. When she pulled her hand away her fingers were red from blood. Rasha looked fearfully at the door afraid that he would come back when he was drunk. The beating was lessoned some by the thick layers of clothing she wore but she knew there would still be marks. As she picked herself up off the floor she went over the plan in her head for the hundredth time. As soon as the snows thawed.
***




Chapter two. Freedom

An ear-piercing scream filled the air as an enormous shadow passed over. The people of the planet Sovra knew it well. They feared it, and anything feared was hated. Warriors hunted them for glory. But often never returned. It had an appetite for all that it could catch. No person on the planet has been able to tame one, even though valiant efforts had been made to do so. Shouts could be heard from the villagers as they scattered away from the dragon.

The shadow passed, and the leafless bushes stirred. Rasha stepped out panting heavily from her run of escape. She clutched a large piece of meat along with a large pack and stepped out of the bushes. It wasn’t the dragon that had made her run, it was the people of her village. The dragon had been a perfect distraction. But the villagers would be after her soon. As soon as they noticed some of their meat was gone. Rasha readjusted her heavy pack and squatted down to catch her breath and listen for any sign that she was being followed. Her brown eyes were wide and searching the area around her. It was odd she thought that a dragon would be that close to the village.

Rasha pushed the thoughts away and listened intently, but all she heard was the rustling of the trees and bushes in the wind. Brushing the hair out of her face she realized that her fingers were sticky from the meat she was carrying. Setting down her pack and the meat she took out a large piece of tanned leather and wrapped the meat in it. Stuffing it all back in to her already crowded pack. The people would be after her again, unless they thought the dragon had gotten her. She smiled at the thought but knew that she was alive. Snow still covered the ground in patches that she had run through. Before putting her pack back on Rasha washed her hands off in the icy snow, and drying them on her finely stitched leather clothes as best she could, before they became too numb to feel. Looking at her hands they were red and stiff with cold.

Hauling her heavy pack back on Rasha headed for anywhere but the village. Avoiding the patches of snow when she could. She had been waiting all winter for the weather to break, had put up with the abuse, biding her time till now. Now she would be free. The thoughts propelled her farther and farther from the village, for her own good she knew.

Rasha traveled all day without stop, occasionally backtracking on snowdrifts and heading in a different direction in hopes to delay and confuse anyone that was following her. By the time the sun was setting the sky had clouded over threatening to snow. The temperature was now dropping quickly.

Looking around for a place to sleep, Rasha spotted a Merker nest a short distance away. The Merker was a large bird that migrated in the cold months to warmer areas. They often made huge nests, bigger than they needed. Rasha headed as quickly as her tired legs would let her toward the nest. At the base of the tree she realized that the tree would be easy to climb, once she made it to the first branch. The first branch was well above her head. Next to the tree with the Merker nest was an old dead tree with most of its roots exposed. It was leaning heavily on the tree Rasha wanted to climb. Smiling at her good luck Rasha carefully climbed up the dead tree. Stopping occasionally to look at the darkening sky. Snow would be falling soon. Once she reached the nest she climbed inside and set down her pack. The nest was quite large and would easily support her weight. Moss and old grass covered the inside, along with a few old feathers and eggshells. Opening her pack she pulled out the meat and a flat loaf of bread along with her fur skin blanket. She set the meat on the other side of the nest to get cold during the night. With a last look at the sky Rasha draped the blanket over herself and her pack just as the first flakes of snow began to fall.

***

As the morning sun began to rise, light entered in to Rasha’s cozy little bed. Opening her eyes Rasha could see a thin layer of snow and ice covering the edge of the nest, where she looked out from under her blanket. Noises of the forest greeted her as she rose from the nest, slightly stiff from the cold and the hard walk the day before. Looking down from the nest Rasha could see a small heard of Drabo’s, grazing near the tree. From the look of them they belonged to one of the villagers who found it easier to let the Drabo’s go over the winter than feed them. Rasha watched as Puffs of warm air came from the Drabo’s tiny noses, as they nudged through the snow to get to the grass and moss beneath it.

The Drabo’s were unaware that she was there as they went about their search for food. Drabo’s were handy creatures. With their long fur, clothing, and blankets could be made. They were mainly used as pack animals, and usually docile creatures. If she caught one, it would help her out later. Rasha looked around for something to use to catch one of the Drabo’s with. She hadn’t brought any rope with her, hadn’t even thought to. Looking around she noticed that vines hung from the tree she slept in. Quietly climbing out of the nest she crawled to the base of the tree and followed the vine up the tree, she cut it as high as she dared. Tying it loosely around herself she climbed back down the tree to the first branch, and cut it again. This vine was particularly flexible even in winter. Rasha tied one end of the vine to the branch. The other end she made in to a slipknot. Waiting patiently for the right moment to throw the slipknot over one of the Drabo’s long necks. She didn’t have to wait long as one of the Drabo’s made its way under her tree. Tossing the rope, it landed perfectly around the Drabo’s neck.

The Drabo panicked, bolting forward only to tighten the loop around its neck until it reached as far as the rope would go. The Drabo was whirled around by the abruptness of its halt. The creature continued to struggle as Rasha quickly climbed down the tree to reassure the frightened Drabo, now panting with exhaustion and squealing. By now the other Drabo’s had disappeared.

Before getting too close she looked the Drabo over, it was taller than her in the neck by a foot or so, its coat was dusty brown, and smooth. Looking closer she noticed that she recognized this Drabo, it was a tame one from someone’s herd. She could tell because of the identifying mark on its neck that showed it belonged to a specific farmer, an intricate tattoo in the sign of that farmer’s house. “You belong to Kritavan I see.” Rasha said soothingly as she edged her way closer to the Drabo.

“You and me Drabo, we are gonna run away from here,” she said in a calming voice to the still panting Drabo. At the site of Rasha the Drabo had stopped struggling and was watching the girl with suspicion. “I wont hurt you, pretty Drabo,” she said in a calming voice as she moved cautiously towards it. Slowly Rasha made her way closer to petting distance of the Drabo and slowly started petting it on its head and neck.

The Drabo seemed to relax but still watched her cautiously. It moved forward enough to make the vine looser around its neck. Rasha backed off then climbed the dead tree again to get back to the nest to grab her things. Stuffing everything in the pack. On her way back down she cut the vine and kept a hold of the end as she climbed the rest of the way down. By now the Drabo had gone back to searching the snow for food, not the least bit concerned of what Rasha was doing. Rasha put down her pack at the base of the tree and walked to the Drabo again. The Drabo’s head shot up watching her warily. Loosening the vine she moved it to the Drabo’s muzzle and looped the other part around the back of the Drabo’s neck and back through the knot at the Drabo’s muzzle making a crude harness. Picking up her pack and putting it on Rasha started walking, watching the Drabo over her shoulder to see if it would follow. At the end of the vine the Drabo did not budge, it only looked at Rasha. Rasha tugged on the vine, “Common Drabo” she said hopefully but it just would not move. Rasha tugged a few more times then remembered that the Drabo was probably trained to whistles. Puckering up Rasha whistled a short sequence of notes. The Drabo moved forward. “Ah ha, you pretty thing, lets go.”

The two walked through the day, during which she decided to give the Drabo the name Tika. Rasha told the Drabo anything and everything, partly for having something to talk to the other part to get the Drabo used to her voice. The Drabo listened quietly behind her as it foraged on the way. They finally stopped for the night by a stream, still slightly frozen over. Tika lay down to sleep, curling up in a ball next to Rasha, who laid down right beside her.

In the days that followed the Drabo trusted Rasha more and more, and walking closer and closer behind her. Rasha was even able to ride Tika at times. There were even times where Rasha would take the harness off Tika for her to graze.

***

Many weeks had passed since Rasha had run away and they were at the edge of the forest. She had never been there before. No one she knew had been either. This area had been named dragon lands, mainly due to the fact that dragons often lived and hunted here. As the sun was setting she looked out over the plains, in the far distance there were mountains. She stood at the edge of the trees surveying the land. The sun was still hitting the mountains throwing shadows over them. Rasha started a fire, a little bit in from the plains, cooking up the last of the meat she had in her bag.

With the last of the meat gone she laid down to sleep resting her head on Tika wondering what she would eat tomorrow. It was still to early in the season to forage for edible plants since most were just starting to come up through the last remaining drifts of snow. Before falling asleep, she gazed around her looking at the trees above her, branches hung over them shivering as the wind blew gently through the naked branches, through them could be seen the dark expanse above dotted with millions of tiny stars that were sparkling like diamonds. The two moons passed over as the two slept.