The Dragon Guard: Oceans and Pebbles

by Sarah Hite

  She was torn between the Dragon Guard and Flame. Her father had been the Commander before her, and after his death, her grandfather had unknowingly trained her for the position. She had met Flame three years ago, when they had saved Shaelynn’s egg from the duke, and they had begun courting two years ago. However, she had not known how much she loved him until one year ago. He had traveled to the neighboring nation of Navi Aetré to create diplomatic ties between the countries. He had taken Tyanna and her parents along as personal guards and interpreters. Since Navi Aetré was their home country, they were excellent guides.

  They had begun the return trip when they had been attacked by bandits. They raided the coach and took Flame hostage. Ania had been glad when he had asked if he could take Shaelynn with him. They thought it would be a good for her to see other places. She had been returning from a hunting trip and had seen the bandits leave with Flame. She followed them to their hideout and stood between them. She convinced them to release Flame; and as the people of Navi Aetré revered dragons, they had complied with her request.

  Tyanna and her mother returned to Altera to inform the court, while her father had returned to the capital of Navi Aetré to inform their ruler of the bandits. He sent a group of warriors with Doren to track the bandits and save Flame. They reached the point where the attack had taken place and began their search from there; they met Flame and Shaelynn on the way. He explained what had happened and was escorted back to the boarder. Now, she struggled over what to do.

  A knock at the doorway broke the tension. “Lukair! Come in.”

  He smiled at the children and said apologetically, “Sorry kids, the Guard need to borrow our leader. You can go home; we aren’t letting her go for a while.” The kids groaned, and he chuckled. “I know, it’s fun to learn about the different dragons, but you won’t get to learn about the Pebbline dragons unless she learns about them first.” They whispered to themselves as the two adults left the house.

  Ania waited until they were clear of the home before saying, “Thanks for saving me.”

  Lukair chuckled, “I thought you could use rescuing after that last question.” She glared at him; he had arrived just in time to hear it.

  They reached the palace gates before Ania brought up the ‘Pebbline’ dragons. Before he answered, he told her about Shaelynn, and then explained about Alamine. “Where are they?” she asked.

  “We took them to Stone. Pai is with Chekal in the Guest House.” Ania nodded, she knew that Shaelynn’s problem would only bring the family more suffering, and agreed that the adventure would be a good distraction. They entered the palace and went to the far eastern wing. Lord Ryell’s son, lived on the top floor of this wing. He and Mariah ‘Stone’ had married the same year Ania and Flame had begun courting. They knocked on the door to their suite and were admitted by a maid.

  The maid led them into the sitting room. Stone was sitting in a chair by the fireplace reading a book; Shaelynn was at her feet next to the fire. The fire light gleamed and danced along her shiny hide, making abstract designs across her scales. There was a tiny dragon curled up next to her. Stone saw them enter and stood. She embraced her brother, and gave Ania a hug. “Can I get you anything to eat, drink?”

  “No, not at this time. How are they?” Ania asked.

  Stone looked down at the dragons, clearly unhappy. “I don’t know. I don’t think I have ever seen her so unhappy, and the little one seems to be in a lot of pain.” Ania went to the dragons and knelt next to Shaelynn. “Shae, wake up.”

  Shaelynn’s eyes snapped open. She leapt to her feet, causing Alamine, who had been leaning against her, to fall over onto her bad wing. Shaelynn tackled Ania and Lukair went to help Alamine. He scooped her up and set her on his shoulder. She curled her tail around his shoulder for support and watched with bright eyes as Ania sat up and hugged the little dragon in front of her. “I missed you too.” She pushed Shaelynn off of her, stood up, and walked over to Lukair. Shaelynn followed at her heals.

  He looked over at the dragon sitting on his shoulder and said, “Alamine, this is Ania. She will be looking after you.” Alamine nodded. Ania noticed that she did seem to be in pain and asked about the bandages. Lukair told her what had happened and why she had been trying to reach the Keep. When Stone heard about the attack, she exclaimed, a little too loud. A squall from the next room made her groan. She left the room while Ania sat down and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and scanned the dragon memories for any reference to the dralics.

  Stone sat back down, now holding a baby; the baby smiled and clapped. Lukair smiled at his niece and asked to hold her. The baby was transferred to his care and he bounced her on his knee. She smiled, reached up, and grabbed Alamine’s forepaw. Alamine squeaked in surprise as the baby pulled her off of Lukair’s shoulder. “No, no. Leave her alone.” He quickly scooped the little dragon up and set her on the back of the couch, out of the baby’s reach. Shaelynn snorted, and seamed to laugh, either at the scene, or at something Alamine had said. Alamine carefully crawled across the back of the couch, closer to Ania. Ania opened her eyes as Alamine reached her; her eyes had grown dark. She looked over at Alamine and helped her off of the back of the couch. As Alamine curled up in her lap, she looked at the other Guard members. “Is the Dragon Council aware of the situation?”

  “Yes, Pai went to the Keep to speak to Kei-ata and brought Elder back as well. He seems to know something about these dralics. When we left Ciciana, Elder and Kei-ata were returning to tell the council, and begin arrangements to help the Ocean dragons.”

  “Did the memories tell you anything about the dralics?” Stone asked.

  Ania’s eyes darkened even more. The siblings knew enough to know that whatever the memories had said, was not good. She looked over at Lukair and changed the subject asking, “Have they eaten?” She motioned to the dragons.

  “They have eaten recently.” Lukair answered. He knew she had deliberately changed the subject. He also knew that she would tell them about the dralics later.

  Alamine also knew that she was avoiding the question, and was alarmed by this. She looked up at Ania with questions in her eyes, fearing what was not said. Shaelynn also looked to Ania for answers; Alamine’s frantic questions were ringing behind her ears. To the dragons’ dismay, all she said to Alamine was, “Let’s get you home.”

  The Beginning

  A few days after Ania had met Alamine, and was told of the Ocean dragons’ plight, she walked into the market place to see to their preparations. They would be leaving by the end of the week, not only to return Alamine, but also to see what remained of the Ocean dragons, and to tell them that help was coming. Her cloak fluttered around her, and she pulled her hood over her head against the chill wind. Alamine wrapped her tail tighter around Ania’s shoulder as a gust of wind threatened her perch. Ania opened the door to the butcher’s shop and stepped inside.

  “Well ‘ello, Miss Ania,” the butcher said. Ania smiled politely and closed the door behind Shaelynn, who had accompanied her. The hatchling had not left Ania’s side since her arrival. Ania could sense Alamine’s relief at the lack of wind; she sniffed the air, fragrant with fresh meat, and stretched a little too far. Ania stabilized the little dragon as she nearly fell. She could not balance herself because of her broken wing, and would have fallen had she not received help. “Were you able to gather the necessary amount?” Ania asked.

  The butcher nodded. “I ‘ave three pounds of salted pork, five pounds of dried beef, an’ one pound of fresh venison. If you don’ mind me askin’, why the venison? It’s not that far to Sheadod.”

  Ania smiled, “The venison is for Alamine here. She can’t hunt on her own right now, and will spend most of the trip with us.”

  He looked at the tiny dragon on her shoulder and nodded. Alamine’s body was still covered in bandages and her wing had been secured to her side while it healed. They had planned on taking a coach to Sheadod, but even so, it would be a week before they arrived. Ania knew that
they could get more supplies in Sheadod, but wanted to get as much now as they could. She wanted to be prepared for any possible contingencies.

  She looked down at Shaelynn, who had rubbed her head against her leg. “Yes?”

  “She wants to know if she can have some. She says the smell is making her hungry, and she hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning.”

  Ania looked over at the little dragon on her shoulder, and smiled. “Gareth?”

  The butcher smiled back, “How much would she like?”

  Ania picked up a small bowl and handed it to him, “This should be enough.” He nodded and filled the bowl with fresh stew meat. Ania set Alamine down on the counter next to it and laughed as it quickly disappeared. “Well, it seems you were hungry.”

  As Alamine snapped up the last piece, Shaelynn eyed her from the floor. You eat more than I did as a hatchling.

  Alamine looked down at her, You are still a hatchling. I may be smaller in size, but I am probably the same age as your mother; but you are right, I have been eating a lot lately. She sank into thought as Ania picked her up and put her back on her shoulder. I may have to speak with Pai; I cannot recall being this hungry before.

  She wrapped her tail around Ania’s shoulder as Ania adjusted the cloak so she would be under it, and would not have to fight the wind. “We will come for the supplies in three days.” Ania said, turning to leave. The butcher nodded and promised to have the meat wrapped and ready for travel.

  As Ania opened the door to leave, a group of children met them at the entrance. They wanted to play with Shaelynn. Ania smiled and could tell that Shaelynn wanted to play with them as well. She liked their games of hide and seek. “Go on, just be back at the Guest House in time for your lessons.” Shaelynn nodded and scampered of, the children not far behind.

  Ania continued on to the Guest House and met Pai and Chekal in the courtyard. The two dragons were discussing the dralics. Chekal was not sure what to think about them, and wanted to help the Southern Kingdom. They both looked up as Ania approached.

  “Good morning,” Chekal said. Pai smiled, amused, as Alamine peaked out at them from under the cloak. He suggested they go inside, out of the wind.

  Once there, Alamine climbed out from under the cloak and onto the small ledge above the fire place. Pai went over to her, and they talked for several minutes while Chekal and Ania went back outside. Chekal blocked Ania from the wind, and they discussed the upcoming trip.

  “How long will it take you to get there?” Chekal asked.

  “I’m not sure. It will take us about a week to reach Sheadod, and then Lukair and I will take a boat to the main island. Pai will probably fly and meet us there, and Shaelynn is too young to be able to fly long distances, so she will have to come with us on the boat.”

  Chekal nodded. “What will Pai be doing…” he paused, not quite sure how to phrase the question.

  Ania looked up at the dragon; she understood his concern. “Pai will do what he is.” Chekal cocked his head, not sure of her meaning. She noticed his confusion and clarified, “He is a messenger for the council, as well as a shaman. He will deliver a message to the Southern council, and take care of Alamine.” He gave a single nod, and looked up as a horn rang in the distance; dragons were approaching. They could see three dragons in the sky.

  Shaelynn ran through the gate as the dragons began their descent. She ran around Ania and then out to the edge of the courtyard. Pai came out to see who was coming and set Alamine down on a short stone wall. The coloration of one of the dragons was now clear. The pale hide and small size could only be one dragon, and the reason Shaelynn was so excited.

  Mother! She ran out to the dragon as soon as she had landed.

  Moon nuzzled her daughter. I missed you too. The princess had been the first to land. Look who I brought with me. She looked up as a shadow passed by.

  Kwan landed next to her and looked around, as if he were looking for something. Shaelynn ran to him. Papa!

  Shaelynn, it’s good to see you. He hugged her and continued looking around. He stopped when Shaelynn suddenly fell over; her brother popped out of hiding and leapt away. She glared at him and picked herself up. Sayden! You’re going to pay for that! She leapt after him and chased him around the courtyard. Sayden was roughly a third larger than her now, and his coloration was more of a solid brown. Between the row of small spikes down his back, and his new coloration, he was beginning to look ever more like a Forest dragon, and a great amount like their father.

  Every human in the area bowed as a shadow fell over the courtyard. A pale brown dragon with dusted gold on her wings and brow landed on the edge of the field. She approached slowly, taking care not to interrupt the children’s game. Pai watched her carefully as she made her way to them. The scars on her face, neck, and side showed the trauma she had suffered at the hands of the Kenjin, Vidar’s dragon slayers.

  “You’re Majesty,” Ania, Pai, and Chekal said in unison.

  She acknowledged them and asked, “Where is Alamine?” She sounded tired, as if she had not been sleeping well.

  Alamine sat on her perch, watching the children play. She looked up as Pai moved away. Kym came over to her and lowered her head to be at her level. “Are you alright?” the queen asked.

  I am better than I was. The Keep shaman said that if I had not been found when I was, there would have been no bringing me back.

  What happened?

  An eagle, and a snowstorm. I was trying to reach the clan of White Cliff, in the Nahor Mountains, but I lost my way and discovered that I was more than half way to the Keep. I usually am better at navigating than that. Now, enough about me. Are you all right? She had noticed the scars, and knew they had not existed when she had been in Deep Tide, the Southern Kingdom’s capital.

  I have been better. It is sometimes difficult to see with this eye, and it is very sensitive to light. One of the Kenjin’s blows had damaged her left eye, and she was easily blinded. As if to prove it, the sun shone through the cloudy sky and reflected off a patch of ice, right into her eye. She hissed and pulled back, away from the sun.

  Her actions did not go un-noticed; Shaelynn stopped playing and leapt to the air. She hovered in front of the sun and allowed Kym to regain her bearings; she did not have stay aloft long, Pai was at Kym’s side in a moment. He raised a wing to block the sun and suggested they go inside; then he guided her to the Guest House. Once they were out of the sun, she shook her head, trying to clear the spots in her vision. She was in obvious pain, and it took several minutes for her vision to clear. When it finally did, she was left with a horrible headache.

  While Pai made a tonic for the pain, Ania studied her. Just like Pai’s chest injury, she would carry the complications of hers with her for the rest of her life. She was trembling slightly, and was breathing rapidly. She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. Ania also noticed that she had gained some weight, as she was usually as lean as Moon, and seemed to be a little pale. Pai gave her the tonic and she took it without complaint. She quickly became drowsy and was soon asleep.

  Ania looked to Pai for an explanation. “I added a sedative.” Ania did not respond, instead she approached the Queen, and measured the length of her eye. It was as long as her hand and as tall as her fist. She left the Guest House and returned to the palace. Pai did not comment; he was used to her disappearing to chase down sudden ideas. She returned in a few minutes, Moon and Kwan were now inside. She held up a piece of cheese cloth. “Can you see through this?”

  Kwan was nearest to her and was accustomed to her little experiments. He lowered his head and looked through the cloth. After a minute he shook his head. “I can’t see more than shadows, perhaps if it were closer.” She took the cloth and laid it over his head. “I can see through it all right, but it’s dark.”

  Ania smiled, and removed the cloth. “That’s what I was hoping for.” Kwan shook his head to clear away the tickle the cloth had left. Ania held the cloth with one hand, and measured out a s
ection slightly larger than Kym’s eye. She returned to the palace for the items she would need to make her idea a reality.

  The dragons watched her leave, slightly confused. “Any idea what she’s up to?” Moon asked; Kwan and Alamine shook their heads, while Pai stayed silent. He had an idea, but was going to let Ania tell them. However, he decided to follow her and see if he could help. If he was right, she may need his medical knowledge.

  Later that evening, the sun had begun its descent, leaving the Guest House cold. A small door- built into the eighteen foot doors the dragons used- opened and a boy about fifteen with dark hair entered pushing a wheelbarrow full of fire wood. He stopped by the first fire pit and stacked a pile of small sticks inside it. He lit a fire using a piece of flint and waited until he was sure it would not go out, adding sticks a few at a time to strengthen it. Once he had a small fire, he added several thick pieces of wood. He stacked the rest of the wood a few feet away from the fire and left again. He quickly returned with another wheelbarrow full of wood, and continued starting fires. He lit three of the six pits, and stacked a pile of wood next to each one.

  Alamine watched as he opened the door wide enough to bring in several deer. The wagon that held the deer, also contained a large pile of wood. Several men were stacking the wood outside, next to the door. As he returned for the last deer, Chekal picked it up and nosed the boy. He laughed and said, “I guess that one’s yours.” He picked up a bowl, covered with a cloth, and returned to the Guest House. Chekal followed him in; Shaelynn shot past them, followed closely by her brother. Pai and their parents arrived shortly after.

  “It feels good in here Caleb, thank you.” Moon said. Caleb smiled, “No thanks required, my Lady, it’s my job to make sure you’re comfortable.”