Dragon's Breath

Chapter 1



Marisha watched the flowers as they danced, marvelling at how they where not affected by the war that came ever closer and the deaths that had already started though out the cities. Sighing she stood up and walked back into the castle, all she had known in her life was what was within its boundaries and know it would not be long before she left. Excitement bubbled up inside of her, for the first time in her life she would be able to go where she wished with ought having to wait for her father to agree, she was going to be free.

As she passed the main hall, she heard a strange rumble coming from within its closed door, her interest caught her and ignoring her father having told her that it was considered barbaric to listen from behind a closed door, she hurried over and pressed her ear to it.

“we need to place men in the watch towers so that they can warn us if an army is heading towards any of the cities and it would be good if you allowed us to put me hear to help protect you”, a deep voice rumbled in the hall, giving of mental waves that came when you where speaking to everybody with there minds.

“You are right pelegreth, but if we have those of us who are left in the watch towers, there is nobody to protect the cities, if we leave we are condemning them to death, I will not leave and have my family slaughtered by there monsters.”.

“brix is right, I can not have you go to the watch towers and leave the cities unprotected, yes we have men who are not riders, but you are stronger and the Ack have already destroyed many of my guards that have protected those who travel from city to city, I can not spare all of you”, Marisha heard her father state and a grumble of agreement followed him.

Riders, the riders are hear, and what are the Ack, she though and as quietly as she could she pushed the door open slightly, so there was a slit that she could clearly see though in the hall. Her father stood behind a table at the far end, looking down at something placed on it, many men where stood around him, some muttering to those next to them whilst others stood and looked down at the table. Around the edge of the room where dragons, big and tall, there scales rustling as the shifted, all so bright that they could be seen in the darkest of times, stood next to some of them where riders that had not gone to join the group at the table and instead where watching with sorrow.

As she pushed the door open a little bit more, a large green dragon’s head shot round from watching the king to look straight at her, his rider looking towards the door a few seconds later. She gasped an pulled back, the rider was Arren, one of the younger riders who had not long come back of his travels with some of the other dragon riders that had not long finished there training. His face had once been, scar less, happy and carefree as he had been when he had been laughing with the guards the last time he had come to the castle, but know he’s face was tense and wary, he had a long scar across his forehead and a deep looking cut that was slashed over his left eye. It troubled her that it had not been healed, the riders had more strength then the elves, but even the weakest of elves could heal a scar. His dragon stood, a swirl of black smoke appeared from his mouth, his eyes trained hard on her, know that he was stood she saw that he had deep cuts across his back and legs and as he moved his head into the light she saw that he had one on his long snout that had not yet closed.

“Arren, iven, what is wrong, is it the Ack”, a man straightened up, Marisha guessed that it was brix, as his voice was the same apart from a slight shake of fear in it. He also had a collection of scars that had not been healed.

Marisha saw her father look up, his eye troubled, “no if the Ack came within the magic wards the alarm would have been sounded and I told, it can not be the Ack”.

“A traitor then”, a rider said and stepped forward, drawing his sword slightly.

“No”, iven answered and relaxed slightly, “just your daughter, though how she came upon the habit of eavesdropping I don’t know, but you might like to know that she has been there a while and has heard more than she should”.

Marisha flinched at his words and began to back away from the door as her father headed towards her, anger plain to see. He opened the door and looked straight at her, shaking his head, “get in hear”.

She did as she was told, looking at the floor feeling trapped, “I’m sorry father, please let me go”.

“no I want you to tell us all why you where listening at the door like a traitor or spy would, go on tell us”, his voice was stronger and more menacing that she had ever heard it , it suddenly occurred to her why people said that he was the most frightening person when you got on the wrong side of him.

“I wanted to see what the growling was”, she muttered scuffing the floor with her shoe.

“Lift your head up and speak so that we can hear you”.

“I wanted to see where the growling was coming from”, her voice echoed round the room pathetically, making her flinch and look back at the ground, “I’m sorry”.

There was silence for a few second, “she needs to be punished my lord, there is no other way to get the habit out of her”, a dark looking man said stepping forward, his eye where strangely black and his dirty blond hair hung round his face, lank and un cared for.

Her head shot up at his words and she looked at her father pleadingly, he was looking at his hands, not saying anything, whilst the rest of the riders and most the dragons looked at there king, iven was the only one not, he was watching Marisha, a strange look in his eye, that made Marisha more uncomfortable than she already was.

“he is right my lord”, a rider commented stepping forward and looking at Marisha with disgust, “she has to have the habit beaten out of her, you can not have a daughter who disgrace you and we can not have a future queen that could have heard things that, if she was caught and taken, to give things away that will destroy our land”.

To Marisha dismay her father nodded and straightened up, gesturing to two guards, “he said something quietly to them and the walked over and grabbed Marisha, dragging her from the room.

“Father”, she shouted and fought against the guards, but it was no use, they where both very strong and she was weak. Her father turned his back on her and walked up to the table and leaned against it, his hands clenched so tightly round it that his knuckles where white. She watched in despair as the doors closed, shutting all in it from view, she called to her father again but she knew he would not come.



Later that night Marisha was sat on her bed a wet cloth in her hands, her back ached with the force that it had been hit, scratches covered her hands and stomach and bruises covered her breasts, she knew that she was lucky, many people got a lot more than she had but the real pain came from her father having let it happen. Tears began to steam down her face at the thought, she had never seen him so angry and it scared her, the man she had thought she had knew, she didn’t. The man that had brought her up, hugged her when she had hurt herself, comforted her when she had been afraid, who had never hit her or let other hurt her but yet he had given his guards the order to beat her, if her mother knew she would be sick.

She wiped the tears form her eyes as she heard the door open behind her, but she didn’t turn round. A gentle had touched her back, sending a wave of pain though her and against her will, make her flinch and begin to cry again. Who ever it was took the cloth from her hand and began to clean her wounds gently. Once her cuts where wrapped up, the strong arms rapped round her and stroked her hair.

“Father”, she said fear clutching at her, but she didn’t want to move.

“It’s ok”, he whispered and held her tightly, his hand stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, I am so sorry”.

She nodded and pushed herself harder against the familiar warmth that always enveloped her when he hugged her.





chapter 2



She woke with a start and sat up, the room was almost completely black, except for the stream of moonlight shinning through the window. She didn’t remember falling asleep or being put into bed.



Sleepily she pulled herself up out the bed and walked over to look for a candle. it wasn't normally this dark, yet the moon was still out.