Dragon Fool

by Delaney Walnofer

Rib woke up to the sound of Gavin's flute, but he kept his eyes closed with the intention of going back to sleep. For a few moments it was quiet, then came another long whistle from the instrument.

  Rib curled his lip somewhat in irritation.

  Is he trying to play that in my face? Why does it sound so close?

  From the far end of the boat, Jasper's stifled laugh could be heard as yet again the note played. Rib felt his scales prick a little when he became aware of someone very close to him.

  Fine, if they won't let me sleep, Rib thought and gave a sigh. To his surprise, the flute gave a fourth whistle at the same time. Lifting his eyelids, he nearly crossed his eyes when he saw the instrument right in front of his left nostril.

  What?

  Rib jerked his head back in surprise and looked at Gavin, who took back the flute where he lay with his back on the deck, laughing. Jasper also hollered out his laughter, but quieted when his voice cracked.

  "Hey Rib, now you can say you've played an instrument," Gavin joked, wiping the mouth of his flute on his tunic while he sat up. "You've always said you wanted to."

  "You mean that was actually me?" Rib asked. He stared at the flute in Gavin's hands. "Here, let me try again."

  His friend shrugged and came closer to hold the flute back up to Rib's nostril. The dragon took a deep breath, then let it out through his nose with power, causing the instrument to shriek. Gavin took it away quickly, laughing and holding up an open palm to stop him.

  "Breathe out calm and evenly," the young man said, "like when you're asleep."

  Rib nodded and filled his lungs for another try. He did just as Gavin instructed, exhaling in a drawn out manner. As he did, Gavin plugged certain holes with his fingertips to turn it into a little song.

  A smile spread across Rib's face and he looked around at everyone, feeling rather proud. They were all clearly amused. Even Damara showed a bit of a humored smirk, though she turned her gaze to the horizon when his eyes fell on her.

  I can really play an instrument!

  They went on playing more songs until Rib got tired of breathing so deliberately.

  As Gavin took care of wiping his instrument clean, Rib noticed him glancing up at Damara. With the soothing lapping of waves against the boat now the only sound to be heard, Damara was looking lost in thought, rather sad.

  Is she thinking of her brother? Rib wondered. His wife?

  Is she afraid his wife will die? That she won't get the cure in time?

  Rib made a conscious effort to stop guessing her thoughts, but he couldn't help being curious. He wasn't used to Damara looking as forlorn as she was now.

  "What about you, Damara?" Gavin spoke beside Rib. "Do you play any instruments?"

  She looked up from her hands, blinking as if suddenly yanked from her thoughts. With a glance at Gavin, she cleared her throat.

  "No," she said. "I don't."

  "Have you ever wanted to?" Gavin lifted his flute as an offer.

  Damara gave a grimacing smile at it and shook her head.

  "No. Thank you."

  The young man grinned.

  "It's the dragon snot, isn't it? I promise I got it all off."

  I didn't get snot on it, Rib objected silently.

  Did I?

  Damara didn't respond, but let her eyes drop back to her empty hands and blew a lock of hair from her mouth.

  "So how is it I hardly know you after all this time?" Gavin asked her, slipping his flute back under his vest. With a heave, he lugged Hesper into his lap and rested his chin on his arms crossed over the monigon's body. "We've been out at sea for weeks and I don't even know which town you call your own."

  Damara cleared her throat again. "Rookton."

  "Ah." Gavin leaned back, his arms supporting him from behind as Hesper tried to lick him with her forked tongue. "Damara of Rookton," he recited, as if just to know how it felt to say. "Have you lived there your whole life?"

  The young woman shook her head.

  "Well, then where were you born?"

  Damara hesitated before replying, "I don't know."

  "You don't know?" Gavin stopped tracing Hesper's scales with his finger, raising his eyebrows at her in surprise.

  Jasper laughed harshly, but again silenced when his voice cracked a second time.

  What does it matter? Rib wondered. I can't remember where I hatched.

  Damara sniffed and repositioned herself, arms around her knees in a guarded manner.

  "No. I don't remember which town I was born in."

  "Your parents must have been travelers," Gavin guessed. "What was your father? A bard?"

  She shook her head again, preoccupying herself with smoothing out the wrinkles of fabric over her legs.

  "I hardly knew my parents," she said, so softly she was hard to hear.

  Clearly she doesn't want to talk about it. Rib turned his head to see if Gavin was catching onto Damara's resistance.

  His friend seemed to be debating whether or not to pursue the topic. He ran his finger up and down the curve of one of Hesper's claws, a thoughtful expression on his dark grey complexion.

  "Did they die in the Dragon War?" Jasper butted in. "Did you live your childhood as an urchin because of it?"

  Dragon War? Rib cocked his head.

  Mortaug yanked the boy down beside him at the steering oar and boxed him on the ear.

  "Ow," the boy complained, rubbing the side of his head with a scowl.

  "What Dragon War?" Rib asked Gavin, but his friend shrugged it off without answering.

  Rib figured Jasper didn't know what he was talking about. Instead, he asked what an urchin was.

  "A child that runs around causing trouble," Gavin answered in hushed tones as he continued tracing Hesper's scales. "Scrounging for food and all that."

  Oh. Rib imagined a younger version of Damara with wild hair and clothes, picking fights on the streets, hunting rats. That sounds exactly like what she'd be.

  Damara didn't answer Jasper's questions but leaned back on the boat's side. Rib took her silence as proof that Jasper was right.

  Good guess, he praised the boy inwardly. Damara as an urchin explains so much.

  "So you don't remember your parents so well, but what about siblings?" Gavin spoke up to Damara again. "Do you have any?"

  What does it matter to him? Rib wondered, secretly wishing his friend would ask him questions instead. Why is he so eager to talk to her?

  Damara rubbed her knuckles into a monigon's head, which it seemed to appreciate, closing its eyes and letting its head move back and forth with the motion. "I have a brother."

  "Older or younger?"

  "Older. Five years or so."

  "Yeah? I've always wanted a brother."

  Damara ran her fingers through her hair, a warm smile touching her lips as she thoughtfully rested her eyes on Hesper.

  "His name is Xander," she said, her voice soft. "Been married for a while now. To my close friend."

  "Oh?" Gavin grinned. "Did you cause any trouble for them?"

  Damara simpered. "Like you wouldn't believe."

  The two shared a knowing laugh.

  Rib tried to join in, though he didn't quite understand the humor.

  "What does your brother do?" Gavin questioned further.

  "Pargeting."

  "Ah." Gavin raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. "I should like to see his work sometime."

  "Yeah." Damara smiled genuinely at him. "Come to think of it, you could be good friends. You and Xander."

  "What about me?" Rib spoke up, wanting to get in on the conversation. "Could he and I be friends?"

  Damara glanced his way. "I suppose."

  Rib was disappointed by her clear lack of interest.

  Shed it.

  Gavin cleared his throat. "Forgive me for asking, but?is your brother the one you need the cure for?"

  "No." Damara shook her head. "But it's- it's actually his wife. Catherine. My friend."

  "Oh."
Gavin took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. That's awful."

  The young woman's eyes were downcast now.

  "My brother's gone through too much grief as it is, most of it my?" She let her sentence die out, replaced by the sound of water swelling against the sides of the boat.

  "I won't stand to see him a widower," she finished.

  Gavin nodded silently.

  Look how easily he got her to hold a conversation with him, Rib thought jealously. Do people just not like to talk to me?

  "What about you?"

  Rib was taken off guard when Damara spoke to Gavin of her own accord, sitting up a bit to meet the young man's eyes.

  "What was your childhood like?"

  All these questions I've never thought to ask, Rib contemplated. I didn't realize these things mattered to humans so much.

  He noticed Mortaug stiffen beside Jasper, who opened his mouth, then closed it at a piercing look from his father. Gavin laughed uneasily.

  What? What is it?

  Damara seemed just as troubled as Rib was, her brow furrowed.

  "Forget I asked," she mumbled, and sunk back against the wooden sides of the boat to rest.

  But, no, Rib thought. What could Gavin's childhood have been like that everyone's acting so strange?

  He wanted to ask, but Gavin suddenly had his flute out and was just putting it to his lips.

  Rib pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth in frustration as his friend began to play, the young man's eyes closed in concentration.

  He's avoiding conversation again, Rib grumbled to himself. Sometimes I wonder if he likes music more than talking.

  . . .

  "You might want to leave the ship for a while as we come into port," Gavin told Rib, playfully tugging on Hesper's ear flap. The monigon looked like she was grinning, opening her mouth and swinging her head around to bite him lightly on the hand.

  "Why?" Rib complained. "People are starting to like me, haven't you noticed? Word is travelling of our performances."

  "Rather quickly, too," Gavin agreed. He gave Hesper a little shove, for which she quickly retaliated by lunging at him with slobber oozing from her mouth. "I'm only saying you should go so people don't figure out you're the one who caught these fish. I don't think they like you enough yet to eat right out of your paws, or claws, or whatever you call dragon feet."

  On the deck was a net full of rare fish Rib had caught but an hour ago. According to Mortaug, they were considered a delicacy among humans.

  "What does it matter?" Rib protested.

  His friend now gripped his hand around Hesper's bottom jaw and she fought him, her tongue arching to get out from under his palm until he let go. They kept on playing, only stopping when Hesper got so frisky as to scratch her master down the arm with her claws.

  "Gavin?" Rib tried again. "What does it matter?"

  He watched Gavin stand up and stop Hesper's jumping, frustrated when the young man still declined to answer.

  "Fine," Rib muttered. "But come find me as soon as you've sold the fish."

  The fish I caught, he added silently.

  "Huh?" Gavin said. "Oh yeah, sure."

  His friend's behavior reminded Rib of when Damara asked about his childhood, and how Gavin just laughed nervously. He wanted to ask now what made him act like that, but the young man was already walking over to Mortaug.

  Forget it, Rib decided. He could see land in the distance.

  "Look for me on the beach," he said aloud to no one in particular and flew off feeling particularly doleful.

  . . .

  Rib studied the stack of stones before him as he crouched in the sea cave he'd found on the beach. How round and smooth they were, perfectly balanced.

  This can't be natural, he thought. Someone must have set them like this.

  He took a rock up in his mouth and tried to set it on top, but the tower fell over and clattered down the barnacle boulder. Rib laid back with a sigh.

  Someone with hands.

  The sound of a tune being whistled behind him made Rib turn to the mouth of the cave. Hesper appeared first in the opening, her shape framed by light as she stood tall on a rock before giving a raspy bark and bounding towards him. The whistling began echoing around the cave when Gavin followed after her, swinging something on a chain.

  "The fishermen were baffled by how Mortaug was able to catch so many fish with such a holey net." The young man's laugh layered over the last echoes of his tune. In his hand, he dangled a coin purse, which he dropped in his other palm with a satisfactory clink. "They sold quick."

  "Mortaug gave us all a share of the profit," Gavin continued. "Twelve glints. What do you want to do with it? After all, you're the one who caught all those fish."

  Rib was pleased at this little bit of recognition. He took a moment to think, watching Hesper toy with the crab she'd found at the edge of a tide pool.

  What do I want to do with twelve glints?

  "I don't know," he said after his mind turned over the question a few times. "I've never bought anything before."

  Light refracting off the pools gleamed on Gavin's white teeth as he grinned.

  "Let's take the dragon to the market, shall we?" he suggested to someone not there, or so Rib thought.

  "Sure."

  Rib jumped when Damara spoke from a darker spot in the cave. How he hadn't noticed her sitting there taunting a small crab was beyond him.

  "When did you get here?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't see you enter the cave."

  "Didn't you?" she said, her expression indifferent. Pinched by the crustacean, she crinkled her freckled nose and sent it flying into the balanced stack of rocks, which tumbled apart.

  Damara slid down from the boulder she was on and straightened her dress.

  "Come on, then."

  Rib watched her exit the cave with Hesper tearing past her. Gavin paused to set the smooth stones back on top of each other, then followed suit. With a jealous glance at the newly stacked rocks, Rib headed after them.

  I wish I had hands. There's so much I can't do without them.

  He saw that Gavin's other monigons were outside the cave, running up and down the water line. Up ahead, Gavin had caught up to Damara and Rib could almost hear them talking. He looked to where Damara pointed, surprised to see a couple of dolphins leaping just beyond the waves.

  The monigons saw them too, barking as they jumped in and out of the water, clearly undecided of whether to confront the water animals or not. Hesper barreled into the ocean, but Gavin called her and the others back to him.

  Rib took a couple bounds forward to join him and Damara, just missing something the young woman said, which made Gavin have to stop as he doubled over in laughter. Rib pulled up short in astonishment.

  I've never seen him laugh so hard.

  Rib saw Damara's own surprise turn to satisfaction and she smirked, saying something else to Gavin when he stood upright and went on walking. Rib decided to hang back, envy haunting his every step.

  How can Damara make him laugh like that? Gavin and I have been friends for years now.

  As if aware of Rib' sour thoughts, Gavin turned around and started walking backwards to call out, "Are you coming? With you so slow, you'd think we're the ones with four legs."

  Rib smiled a little and caught up with ease, but by then their previous conversation had ended. Damara kept silent with her eyes scanning the horizon. Rib noticed her speed up to a clipped pace so that she was soon leaving them behind.

  Could she be more obvious? he grumbled inwardly.

  Gavin must have noticed it too, for, nudging Rib with his elbow, he jokingly sped up with his arms exaggeratedly stiff. Rib held back his laughter, as Gavin stopped his silly imitation.

  "Really doesn't like you, does she?" the young man whispered in Rib's ear.

  "I guess not."

  Rib laughed it off, but the truth of Gavin's words sent a pang through his body. He wanted Damara to like him. He wanted everyone
to like him.

  Maybe if I were human, he thought wistfully. If I were a human, no one would think to treat me any different.

  When they reached the town, Gavin wrinkled his nose.

  "Ah, smell that?" he said. "Now that's the stench of a port."

  "Gavin," Rib complained, "you know I can't smell."

  His friend grinned. "And right now, I envy you."

  Entering the marketplace, Rib saw people's faces slacken with shock, then brighten all around.

  "They've come," some said. "The Dragon Fools!"

  Dragon Fools? Rib and Gavin exchanged looks. Is that what they're calling us?

  It astounded him how quickly news of them was travelling. Somehow it beat them to every port. Rib couldn't help but smile at the people, though none approached him. He was so focused on hearing their comments that he didn't realize at first when Gavin was talking to him.

  "Or you could get a goat haunch," the young man was saying. "They roast them, but I'll wager they have a raw one if you ask for it."

  "Why would I want that when I could hunt instead?" Rib asked, confused.

  Gavin shrugged. "Let's see," he said, gazing at all the booths along the street. "Hmm, what is a dragon to buy?" He tossed the coin purse from one hand to the other as he looked.

  Ahead of them, Damara disappeared into the crowd. Gavin had to call the monigons to his side whenever they strayed too far, bothering the chickens or getting into someone's merchandise.

  "Ah," the young man said and stopped in front of a stand with a number of things on display Rib couldn't identify. "Paint! Rib, how would you like real paint to put on our faces? Besides, those white shells aren't always around."

  Paint?

  Rib looked at the container Gavin picked up and cracked open. Inside, there was a pale, thick liquid. The seller at the stand cleared his throat when Gavin took the liberty of dabbing a bit on his wrist to see the contrast.

  "Look, Rib," he said. "Perfect."

  Rib smiled at the substance already drying on his friend's dark grey skin.

  "Real paint. Like professionals have."

  "Let's buy it," Rib decided, relishing the words on his tongue.

  I sound so human saying that.

  "How much?" Gavin asked and paid the man from his coin purse. He turned to secure the container inside Rib's saddle. As he did, Rib noticed him repeatedly glancing in a direction.

  "What is it?" Rib asked, taking a look the same way. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Crowds of people went about their business, seemingly used to being in the presence of a dragon by this time.

  "Those Huskhns," Gavin answered. "I saw them when we first came into port and now they're just watching us. I think they might be following us."

  Huskhns? Rib scanned the marketplace until he saw who Gavin was talking about. Two dusky-skinned people, one female, the other male, hung back against a tavern wall, peering at them. When Rib met their eyes, they turned to face one another.

  "Why would they be following us?" Rib asked Gavin.

  "I don't know, but I don't like it. Maybe we should get back to the others."

  There was a hint of foreboding in his friend's voice and Rib wondered if the situation was more serious than he thought. "You don't think they'd attack us, do you?"

  The idea of fighting them made Rib terribly uneasy, but not because he imagined he'd lose. Some other fear whispered possibilities into his ear.

  Turning back to the crowds, Gavin looked grim. "I've known Huskhns that just might."

  Rib found it impossibly hard not to look behind him for the ominous strangers as he walked beside Gavin on their way to the docks with the monigons. Once, he couldn't help but glance.

  The Huskhn were nowhere to be seen.

  Maybe Gavin was wrong.

  Why would they be following us anyway?

  "There's Jasper," Gavin said when the start of their dock came in view. He stopped short and put out his hand to keep Rib from approaching. "Wait."

  "What's wrong?" Rib's heart skipped a beat.

  Are the Huskhns coming for us, after all? His eyes swept the surrounding people.

  "Nothing, it's just Jasper," his friend answered. "Looks like we ought to leave him alone right now."

  Why? Rib studied the boy from their short distance. He was sitting on a squat barrel, head bowed to focus on his work. What is he doing?

  With an oversized glove on his right hand, Jasper seemed to be having trouble sewing it to his long sleeved tunic, pinching a needle in his left and scowling.

  Oh. He's trying to hide his deformity.

  Now Rib understood the importance in giving the child some space. He was about to suggest looking for Mortaug instead when the male Huskhn from earlier walked past Jasper and mockingly pushed him off the barrel with one hand.

  Oh no!

  The boy sprawled on the ground in surprise for a moment before the fury registered on his face.

  "Hey!" Jasper leapt to his feet and Gavin groaned.

  The Huskhn man, glancing at Rib, turned to face the child and spoke a few Huskhn words.

  "What did he say?" Rib asked, but Gavin appeared to fixated on the scene to translate for him.

  Whatever it was the man said, it only seemed to make Jasper angrier, for he pulled the oversized glove on further and shouted something back.

  Again glancing at Rib, the stranger advanced on Jasper until the child made a half step backwards. No matter the words he spoke, Rib could tell by the sound of it that the man was ridiculing the boy.

  "Don't, Jasp," Gavin uttered under his breath to himself as the child's expression intensified. Balling his left hand, Jasper tried to punch the man in the stomach.

  Jasper! Rib watched, horrified, when the stranger easily caught the boy's fist and held him up off the ground by it, though the boy struggled and cried.

  "What's happening?!" Rib asked Gavin beside him. The monigons were picking up on Jasper's protests, tensing up.

  The Huskhn laughed and appeared to be trying to reason with the bawling child, whose glove now lay on the ground, exposing his deformity. Rib couldn't understand why the man glanced in his direction yet again.

  "He wants Jasper to hit him with his weak hand," Gavin interpreted, pulling a throw-toy from his vest. "Rib, you can stop this."

  Me? But I?Rib hesitated. I've never confronted someone like that before!

  As the situation worsened, with the man now snapping at Jasper, Hesper curled her lip back with a growl.

  Do that, Rib tried to tell himself, but a snarl just didn't come naturally to him. Instead, he flexed his claws nervously.

  He felt frozen in place. Other people were watching the scene and he feared being interpreted as aggressive if he went to confront the man. He didn't want the crowds to think of him as a beast to be wary of again.

  What if I scare them by interfering?

  As Rib still did nothing, Gavin gave a short whistle to his monigons and they snapped their attention to the ball held in his hand. With a well-aimed throw, Gavin sent the ball right between the stranger and Jasper. Rib craned his neck past the crates to watch as the monigons went tearing after it.

  The man dropped Jasper as all four monigons barreled towards him for the ball. One knocked into the stranger and he fell back. Jasper, suddenly free, scrambled away crying.

  The monigons stopped at the dock's edge where the ball had gone off, whining. The Huskhn man now jumped to his feet, furious eyes locked on Gavin.

  "Playing brave?" he asked, stalking forward but stopping short before him and Rib. "Come on, then. Looks just like my father's slave, you do. Bet, too, you wail like him."

  What is he talking about?

  Rib looked at Gavin with worry. This Huskhn's behavior had Rib's scales tingling, ready to stand on end.

  Is he threatening to hurt Gavin?

  Judging by the man's body language and Gavin's posture growing defensive, he was.

  A sudden, protective passion made Rib's entire hid
e bristle. He planted himself between Gavin and the man, lip drawn back, head low and threatening.

  Back off.

  Rib was surprised at the anger that surged from the back of his throat in a snarl. This man wanted to hurt Gavin. This man didn't know what he was asking for.

  The Huskhn lifted his chin and grinned as though this was what he'd been waiting for.

  "Isn't that just like an Eristad?" he sneered seemingly to Gavin, though never once taking his gaze off Rib. "Coward not to fight their own fights."

  The man opened himself wide as a target, slapping his chest.

  "Do it, dragon," he said. "Breathe fire on me. Do it!"

  What?

  Rib looked back at Gavin in confusion.

  His friend was kneeling behind him, holding Hesper back as she now barked beside him, looking ready to fight. "I think he wants you to breathe fire at him."

  But why? Rib stared at the Huskhn in wonder. Why would he want that?

  "Do it!" the man began shouting louder. Rib was about to tell him he couldn't, when Hesper was suddenly leaping past him to lunge at the adversary with jaws snapping. The Huskhn dodged, but was soon assailed by the rest of Gavin's monigons and he took off running.

  "They chased him away!" Rib exhaled in relief as the monigons began coming back, the man now far from sight. "I was afraid I'd have to fight him."

  "Why'd you do that?" Gavin asked from behind.

  "Do what?" Rib turned around.

  His friend had his arms folded over his chest, an almost judgmental look on his face. He didn't seem much affected by the fact that someone nearly just attacked him.

  "You defended me," the young man said. "Thank you, but why didn't you do that for Jasper?"

  "I?" Rib tried to think of a good reason, but grew ashamed as he couldn't.

  The watching people now whispered amongst themselves with admiring looks cast towards them. It appeared no one was put off by Rib's interference after all.

  The fact would have warmed Rib, if he weren't still able to recall the way Jasper bawled as Rib did nothing to help him.

  "I don't know," Rib said. "I should have."

  Gavin pressed his hands against his hips and arched his back to stretch.

  "Well, who knows when Jasper will show up now," he said. "We'll probably have to seek him out when it's time to leave."

  "What should we do in the mean time?" Rib asked.

  His friend shrugged, then thumped his chest so Hesper would rear up and stand on her forelegs. Taking her foreclaws in his hands, he pretended to dance with her. Rib blinked at them, still shaken by what had just happened.

  "Why do you think that man wanted me to breathe fire for him?" he puzzled out loud. "Don't humans burn easily?"

  "I've come to learn there's no understanding Huskhns, or the vast majority of them anyway," Gavin replied, letting Hesper drop to all fours again. "Most times it's just best to avoid them."

  "But Mortaug and Jasper," Rib pointed out. "They aren't like that. Well. Mortaug isn't."

  Gavin snorted and crouched to inspect his monigons' claws.

  "Not anymore, no," the young man murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

  I suppose before?Rib recalled the look on Mortaug's face when the Huskhn was chasing him on the horse. The look of cold determination.

  Are all Huskhns just that way?

  An alarming sound met Rib's ears and he perked up, just as Gavin's monigons did.

  "Did you hear that?"

  "Hear what?" Gavin looked confused.

  Rib dug his claws into the ground. There it was again. An unmistakable cry, distant, seemingly carried over the waters.

  "It's Jasper!" Without another moment's hesitation, Rib launched into the air in pursuit of the sound.

  It led him sailing over the docks and the masts of ships until he reached an open space of sea where one boat of Huskhn craft waited in the water. With his keen eyesight, Rib could see Jasper restrained in the arms of the Huskhn man, a loosened gag partly in his mouth. The boy cried again from behind the soggy cloth.

  Jasper! Rib saw his chance to do what he failed to do before and help the child. He would not hesitate, he told himself determinedly.

  In seconds, he was before the boat, facing a dozen Huskhns all armed with weapons. The man holding Jasper kept behind the others, though his captive fought to get to Rib.

  What are they doing with him?!

  "Rib!" Jasper shouted. "You have to help me! They took me but I don't know what they want!" As he continued to make a raucous, the man holding him yanked the gag back in his mouth.

  "Hey," Rib finally found his own voice. "Give him back!"

  Although the crew was armed, each person seemed to hold their weapon out of defense more than anything. One of them, the woman from earlier, stood out among the rest, the head of her mace resting on her shield. She surveyed Rib hovering there. Her harsh eyes reminded him of Damara's, though with long dark hair and dusky skin she bore no other resemblance to the young woman.

  "We don't want your rotten boy," the female spoke in a surprisingly beautiful voice. "Just light our torch and we'll let you have him." She nodded to an unlit torch held up by an unarmed, dark grey boy older than Jasper. Rib hadn't noticed him trembling there until now.

  They want me to light their torch?

  "I can't," Rib protested. "I don't breathe fire!"

  The woman spat a Huskhn word at him and the wrinkles deepened around her squinting eyes.

  "Do it or your boy gets a strangling from my man," she snarled.

  With a shove of her shield, she sent the torch-holder fumbling closer to Rib. The scrawny boy reeled back to not fall overboard, then lifted his head to gaze upon Rib, terror in his eyes. Rib kept beating his wings over the rolling waves and watched the frightening scenario, unsure of what to do.

  I hesitated too long the first time, and now they're going to hurt Jasper!

  Again, passionate anger built up inside him. It started as a growl in his throat and grew until, with a roar, he heavily landed on the boat. This caused the vessel to rock violently back and forth, which threw everyone off balance. The boy in front of him screamed and threw the torch at Rib's face, turning to run through the Huskhns who tried their best to brandish their weapons on the reeling deck.

  Rib saw someone fall on her blade that then pierced her through the arm and caused a scream of agony to rip from her lips. Immediately, sympathy and concern snapped Rib out of his anger. But that did not matter, for the boy that had fled him was sent careening into the Huskhn man at the back, creating an opportunity for Jasper to escape.

  Can he swim?! Rib gasped as the child jumped overboard.

  There was a splash and Rib moved to go after him, but Huskhns blocked his way with their weapons. The woman with the mace swung at him, yelling, "Give us your flame! Your flame!"

  "I told you!" Rib jerked away. "I can't!"

  A weapon jabbed at him came alarmingly close to his face and he took to the air with a leap. Again the boat lurched side to side, again the crew was thrown off balance.

  Having escaped the Huskhns, Rib fought his way through the ropes of the mast and sail that caught on him and went to rescue Jasper from the water.

  He found, however, that the boy was now out of the water, having swam to a tiny strip of island off the coast. Jasper stood watching the scene, undone gag clenched in one hand.

  "Jasper!" Rib cried in relief to see he was alright. He landed on the sliver of rock, turning to look at the Huskhns as he did.

  The boat had stopped rocking violently and its crew now worked to get it sailing. Within minutes, the Huskhns were far out at sea. Rib and Jasper watched them go in silence, only broken by when the boy sniffed after all his crying.

  What do I say? Rib wondered. People just tried to snatch him and I can hardly call what I did a rescue.

  Before he could think of anything, Jasper threw the wet gag from his hand into the sea, where it disappeared amongst the sea foam, and
sat down.

  "You're lucky."

  Rib was surprised to hear him talk first.

  "Me? Why's that?"

  The boy sniffed again and raked his sleeve over his nose.

  "You're a dragon. You can do whatever you want."

  "Well, that's not true?" Rib said. "There are a lot of things I wish I could do that I can't. A lot of things."

  Jasper cast him a sidelong glare.

  "Name one."

  Just one?

  Rib thought, if he could do anything someone like Jasper could, what would he want to do?

  "Uh, touching things," he said, lying down to relax. "People are always talking about how rough things are, or smooth, or soft?My scales don't feel all that. I wish they would."

  Jasper kicked some water as the waves swelled over his feet.

  "What else?"

  "Well?"

  Rib was frustrated by how blank his mind was. There were so many things he wish he could do.

  Why can't I think of them now?

  "I wish I could play an instrument," Rib finally remembered another. "Like Gavin does. Or create something. Anything."

  Jasper continued staring at the lapping saltwater.

  "I can't play an instrument either." He moved his deformed hand out from under his thigh, where he'd been hiding it.

  Rib was sure not to get caught looking at it. "Do you like music?" he asked.

  The boy nodded.

  I'd have never guessed?

  "I'm sure there must be some instrument you can play," Rib encouraged him.

  "I'm not talking about blowing through a flute with your nose," Jasper spoke hotly. "That's not playing an instrument."

  Oh. Rib remembered earlier that day and laughed a little. I suppose Gavin was the one choosing the notes.

  "No, I guess it's not, is it? But still, there must be something for you to play. Ask Gavin. He probably knows a lot of instruments that would work for you."

  Jasper shrugged and picked at a barnacle on the rock.

  "I don't think Gavin likes me. I'm no friend to anybody."

  "What makes you say that?" Rib forced himself to ask, though he knew very well how difficult the boy was to get along with. "I mean, sure you are! Aren't we friends?"

  Rib tried not to cringe at the fakeness of his words as Jasper finally turned to face him, a skeptical look on his face.

  He can see through me, I know he can.

  "Us?" Jasper questioned. "What makes us friends?"

  Oh, help me, Rib thought.

  "Well, we've known each other for what, five years?" he said. "That's a long time to not be friends."

  So very long.

  Jasper scowled, looking away again.

  "You never let me ride you. Still, you beg Gavin to. He's your friend, not me. I'm no one's friend."

  This isn't right.

  "You know what?" Rib said decidedly, standing. "You're going to fly with me right now."

  Jasper was quick to light up. "Really?" He swept tousled hair out of his face with his small hand.

  "Yeah, come on."

  I'll fly low over the sea, Rib thought as Jasper clambered up his back in a flash, take him back to the dock. Everything will be fine.

  "Alright, let's go!" Jasper said.

  Rib could feel the boy's small legs against his sides.

  "Do you have a good hold?"

  "Yes, let's go!"

  Here we go, then.

  Rib unfolded his wings and took an easy lift off, hardly beating his wings when he found a low draft to glide on. Jasper didn't seem to mind the lack of elevation; he just exclaimed things from Rib's back.

  "I'm flying!" the boy cried out in pure delight, though his voice cracked.

  Sure, Rib thought humorously. Look how well you fly. You're doing all the work here.

  He banked long to the left for the boy's enjoyment, let his foreclaws skim the waves, dared to fly a little higher, but not much. When Jasper finally quieted down, he held onto Rib's neck like a bear cub to a tree branch.

  "You can land now," he said, just loud enough for Rib to hear. He sounded happy. Content.

  Thanks for the permission. Rib couldn't help but smile.

  Oh. As he turned to land back on the dock, he was caught off guard to see crowds gathered on the docks, watching them. Mortaug, Gavin, and Damara were among them, waiting. The boy's father stood with arms crossed, his thick grey locks hanging down like rope. Rib found the expressive half of Mortaug's face hard to read.

  What is he thinking right now? Is he mad at me for giving Jasper a ride even after what happened?

  "Father!" Jasper said, leaping down from Rib's back as soon as the dragon had landed. "Did you see me? I was fine, just like I told you I'd be!"

  Mortaug knelt in front of his son and communicated something with his hands. Rib stood by Gavin, seeing how calm the man looked.

  "Does he know people just tried to snatch Jasper?" he whispered to Gavin, who shook his head.

  "He spotted you both only a moment ago," the young man replied. "Must think you were giving Jasper a ride just for the fun of it."

  Then is he mad? Rib was surprised to see the Captain didn't look upset at all. He merely messed up the child's hair and walked down the dock they were standing on. Jasper beamed after him and the crowds, then faced Gavin.

  "Did you see me?"

  Gavin smiled, trying to bite a hangnail off his finger.

  "Sure did," he said between his teeth. "You're braver than me, flying like that."

  Jasper couldn't look happier, Rib thought, until the boy's eyes fell on Damara.

  "What did you see?" he demanded, seemingly afraid she knew more of what happened than his father.

  Yeah, what did she see? Rib wondered and studied the young woman's face. Does she know I saved him from the Huskhns? Or?did she see what little I actually did?

  Damara rose her eyebrows at the child. "I saw just as everyone else did."

  Jasper looked at her suspiciously.

  "I flew on Rib," he said, testing.

  "You did," she agreed with a steadiness and patience Rib didn't know her for. "And everyone saw it, too."

  Satisfied with her answer, Jasper raked back his curly hair. "I bet you wish you could fly like me."

  She can. Rib looked at Damara to see if she would tell him so. She even knows how to ride me without a saddle.

  The young woman didn't say anything, but the boy persisted.

  "I could show you how."

  Rib suppressed a laugh at Jasper's offer.

  Damara gave a slight smile back at the child. "How nice of you."

  The bunch of them began to follow after Mortaug, Gavin and Rib falling into step beside each other to discuss in hushed voices what had happened.

  The Huskhns wanted fire from me so badly they snatched Jasper for it. But why?

  Do they know it's necessary for potion-making? What else could they possibly have wanted it for?

  Chapter 10