by A. W. Exley
Cara stepped over the threshold. Wide stone steps dropped below, leading deeper under the ground. Miniature lanterns, no larger than her fist, adorned the wall at regular intervals casting a soft light, sufficient to illuminate the stairs. Sergei’s home lay buried in the earth, the frozen ground above acting as insulation, keeping the interior warm during the long and brutal winter. Another doorway stood guard at the bottom of the stairs and Cara followed the dragon master into a brightly lit living area.
A large, iron light fitting, which looked suspiciously like a former cart wheel, hung from the middle of the small room. Cheerful, blazing lights lit up every surface, revealing a home of surprising comfort at odds with Sergei’s hard exterior. Velvet cushions with long tassels sat on an overstuffed sofa and nearly buried a large armchair. The hardwood floor was softened by the deep pile of lush wolf and bear rugs that overlapped and fought for floor space.
Sergei carefully set the tea chest next to the enormous fireplace. Then he pulled a lever to open the flu, and a breeze fluttered over the embers, flaring them into life. Grunting in satisfaction, he placed a small pile of tinder into the firebox. He watched, waiting until it caught. Once flames licked at the offering, he fed larger pieces to the blaze before closing the door.
Cara shucked off her heavy boots and peeled off her outer layers of clothing. Nate hung their heavy insulated jackets on large iron meat hooks attached to the wall in one corner of the living area. The fire began to throw out much welcome warmth, and she sunk into the sofa.
Sergei ripped the top off the tea chest and pulled a bear fur rug closer to the hearth. He lifted each egg with gentle reverence and created a nest in the deep pile. Soon, three eggs stood at attention in the prime spot, soaking up all the available heat from the roaring and crackling fire.
“Good,” the enormous man muttered to himself. He rose and headed to a small kitchen. “I make dinner. Little one needs feeding up and meat on her bones.”
Cara rolled her eyes. “You sound like my grandmother.” She watched Nate prowl around the room and wished he would settle. She wanted to use him as a leg rest and would kill for a foot rub.
“We can only stay tonight,” Nate said, dropping next to her on the sofa. “We have lost too much time already. We should have returned direct to England; Prince Albert is waiting for us.”
“I know.” She let out a sigh, her gaze fixating on the large shells. “But they’re dragons. How much damage can Victoria really do in the time we have been away?”
“In two weeks, she can finish amassing the youth of England, declare war on a foreign power, and lead us down a path that will cost thousands of lives.”
Cara sucked in her bottom lip on the verge of petulance. “There’s always one war or disaster on the horizon, but how often do we get to see dragons?” Nate really wasn’t seeing her point.
“One night. Talk to your friend. Tell him to get cracking.” He gave his best schoolboy smile.
She gave a groan, another Nate joke; this was going to have to stop.
Sergei’s stew turned out to be surprisingly good although Cara balked at asking what sort of meat floated in the rich mix. With a full stomach and warm toes, she could turn her mind back to the dragon eggs. “Will they be safe out here now that Nolton knows about them?”
Nate flicked his gaze to his imposing Russian friend. “I trust Sergei implicitly with them.”
“Why?”
“Because I once offered him a fortune for one egg and he refused me.”
Sergei’s chest shook with laughter. “Tell her rest of story. I did not just refuse you.”
Cara waited for Nate to speak. For the first time since she had met him, he looked sheepish. He actually ducked his head and avoided eye contact. She gave him a prod in the ribs with her toes. “Spill.”
“He hit me for daring to offer. Literally. First fight I lost in ages and he laid me out cold for a couple of hours. Sergei is rather protective of his dragons.” He ran a hand over his jaw, remembering the powerful punch. “Even if Nolton ever found his way out here, he would have to go through Sergei for so much as a glimpse of a dragon.”
A loud crack rent the air and everyone’s attention turned back to the three eggs resting in front of the fire. The largest one sported a fissure running around the entire shell. It rocked back and forth on the fur rug. A frantic cawing noise came from within. Cara’s eyes widened as a single, inch long, black claw tested the crack and then disappeared. Moments later three long black claws poked out the fracture and curled around the side of the shell like a hand.
She slid off the sofa and knelt in front of the shaking egg. Another three claws joined the first set, but gripped the opposite side of the crack. The egg continued to roll back and forth. Within the cawing became short bursts of sound, and Cara had the impression the dragon was counting down. A sudden groan of effort sounded, the egg popped, and the two halves fell away to reveal the startled occupant.
The creature emerged and stood the same size as a medium puppy, but any similarity ended there. Wide eyes blinked, acclimating to the light. A rainbow of colour spiralled within its irises and exploded in sparks. The dragon closed its eyelids for a long moment before opening them again. His gaze settled on Cara and revealed eyes the colour of molten lava. Rust reds and the deepest of orange moved and flowed within his gaze. He took one unsteady step toward her and halted. His hide gleamed in the firelight, deep brown with auburn veining, like his egg shell. The remainder of the egg sack clung to his lithe body.
Sergei threw Cara a towel. “Give him brisk rub down, take off slime, and dry out wings.”
“Me?” A second crack drew their attention as the other eggs, prompted by the action of their mate, roused into action. Fine hairline fractures started to ricochet over the shells and the two shook so hard they bounced off one another.
“We’ll help these two.”
Cara smiled at the creature. “Hey little one,” she whispered.
His long slender neck swung in her direction. A triangular head held those large radiant eyes. Powerful hindquarters were offset by smaller front legs. He reared up and cocked his head to one side and gave a questioning caw. His eyes spun; gold, copper, and rust kaleidoscoped within their depths. Cara held out the towel and ran the soft cloth over his back, careful to stroke between the tightly furled wings. He let out a surprised cack at the contact and jumped back a step.
“I’m helping.” She reassured him. The eyes drilled through her and he gave another chirp. “Come on, let’s dry you off so we can see those wings of yours. I don’t have all week you know, bossy boots over there says we only have tonight.”
The inner membrane of his eyes rose in a strange blink, changing his eyes white for a second, before the rotating fire reappeared. He stepped forward and Cara stroked down his spine and over his hind leg. He gave a trill and with a plop, seated himself in front of her, lapping up her attentions as she caressed and stroked his entire body, drying off the last of the fluid from his embryonic sac.
Cara glanced over to Sergei and Nate, the other eggs had hatched and the men were similarly engaged drying off the smaller hatchlings. They each bore a strong resemblance to their egg shells. One had similar veining to the male, but in a vivid blue against a swirling brown skin. The skin of the third was the colour of slate with a deep green iridescence.
“Boy and two girls. This is good addition to breeding stock.” Sergei said with all the pride of a first time father.
“How can you tell so easily?” Cara couldn’t see anything obvious, or dangly, to denote the sex of the dragons.
Sergei pointed to Cara’s new friend. “Males marked by fire with reds and oranges, females the colour of water, blues and greens. Fire and water, two opposites, each needed to balance the other.”
Opposites, needed to balance each other. Cara’s gaze lingered on Nate drying the little female. Something within her clicked, another piece of the puzzle slid home and she breathed a contented sigh.
&
nbsp; The male shook himself all over like a dog shaking off water. He flexed wing joints and spread the gossamer thin membrane. Cara gasped. Firelight shot along his wings, igniting the metallic hue in his skin. As he experimented and flapped his wings, he appeared more phoenix than dragon, a creature forged in fire and caressed by flame.
Sergei padded to the kitchen and returned with a large bowl of beef jerky. “They will be hungry after so long in shell. Don’t let them eat too fast, or they will be sick.”
Nate picked up a piece and held it out for the small grey female. Her eyes whirred blue and green before she took the meat with a delicate bite. She rubbed her head against his hand while she chewed and swallowed.
Cara fed dried meat to the male hatchling, watching his long gullet move up and down with each swallow. If she took too long he squawked and butted her hand. Just as they reached the bottom of the bowl, he sat back on his haunches and emitted a loud burp.
“Dinner’s over then?” she asked with a laugh, watching as he padded on the bear rug and turned circles. Finding the right spot, he folded his legs under him and buckled like a horse. With his head tucked into his tummy, he nodded off to sleep. The two females nestled either side of him.
Before long, deep dragon snores rose from the pile of hatchlings.
eaty, salty kisses woke Cara. She spent the night on the floor, unwilling to spend a single precious moment away from the dragons. Opening one eye, she found the male licking her cheek and demanding breakfast. Sergei produced another bowl of dried meat and they fed the little dragons with one hand while eating their own breakfast with the other.
“We can’t stay,” Nate said. “We should never have taken this detour.” He gave her a smile to soften his words. “But they are dragons.”
“I know.” She ran a hand over the hatchling’s head and he trilled and then leaned into her touch.
“Hatchlings come to say goodbye. They can play in snow.” Sergei announced.
With a heavy heart, Cara donned the warm outside clothing and picked up the fire dragon.
Nate and Sergei each had a hatchling perched on their arms. The females sat with casual elegance on extended forearms as though they headed out hawking. Cara, on the other hand, appeared to be stuck with a Labrador puppy intent on licking her face and nipping her ears. The little male squirmed and tossed in her arms as she tried to navigate the steep stairs.
Outside, virginal snow blanketed the earth and spread outwards from the cottage to the forest. Tree boughs dipped under the weight of the overnight snowfall. Silence lay as deep as the snow. There were no roads here, only the Hellcat ventured this far into the Central Plateau, and she lay at rest half a mile away.
They deposited their precious cargos on the ground where the dragons chirped to one another in surprise as their feet sank into the snow. Before long they discovered a flap of their wings lifted them up and let them hop over the surface. Within minutes they were chasing one another, diving into the snow, sending up flurries as they shook out their wings and caused it to fly in all directions. The little boy experimented with hovering, his legs skimming the snow as his wings caught an up draught, making him ski along the packed surface.
Cara laughed and her heart swelled. No words could convey the magic of this moment. Never would she have expected to watch baby dragons at play in the Siberian snow. With regret, she realised she would not see such a sight again. Tears welled up in her eyes to be blinked back.
“How big will they grow?” she asked Sergei.
“Body same size as elephant, wings twice that to support the weight. They grow quickly, but it will be decades before they are ready to breed.”
She cast her eyes over the little creatures who had a place for life in her heart. She knew the price men would pay to have them captured, broken, and enslaved. “You will keep them safe and free?”
Sergei gave her a long look. “Da. They have whole of Siberia to play in, no one will find them. We will protect them. Until you visit again.” A broad smile dominated his face.
“We?” she asked, remembering Nate’s comments from the previous evening.
He gave her a broad smile and waved his finger in the air. “Others are watching.”
Cara cast her gaze around the densely packed forest, wondering how many other dragons waited for them to leave.
The little male flapped across the snow and stopped at Cara’s feet. He reared up on his hind legs, wings wide before settling on his haunches. He reached his head up and nudged her outstretched hand with his nose. She scratched his head, finding the itchy ridge. He closed his eyes and emitted a soft noise of contentment like a strange cross between a purr and a trill. He arched his head, telling her it was time to scratch under his chin and her fingers paused, seeing something held tightly in his jaws.
“What have you got boy?” She leaned down to peer closer to see what he had found during his play. He ground his jaw, making the object bounce between his teeth. A ring dangled from his mouth.
Nate knelt in the snow next to her; a strong arm encircled her waist as he pulled her close. He blew the fur trim of her jacket hood and he whispered in her ear. “Will you do me the honour of being my wife?”
Her breath hitched in her throat. The little dragon trilled and nudged her hand, depositing the ring in her palm. She looked from the enormous emerald cut diamond to Nate. “Did you just use a dragon to propose to me?”
He grinned, his eyes piercing blue like the clear sky above their heads. “Yes.”
“I think that’s cheating.” Her heart pounded, not knowing what to say. Her intention to refuse Nate vanished under the watchful eye of the little dragon.
“I think you’re stalling.” His gaze scanned her face, waiting for an answer.
“We have to move!” A voice yelled from between the trees.
The dragon gave a squawk of fright and leapt into Cara’s arms, putting himself between her and the unknown predator.
Loki appeared, bundled up like a grizzly bear. “The aethergram lit up. Nolton finally dislodged a mooring pile that somehow got jammed in his bridge and left St. Petersburg to search for us. We don’t want them anywhere near this stretch of forest. We need to get airborne for the plan to work.”
The dragon glared at the intruder. The females hid behind the bulk of Sergei, two triangular heads peeking out behind his knees. Cara stood and stroked the agitated bundle in her arms. “Easy little fellow, it’s only Loki.”
His eyes widened on seeing the unorthodox guard dog. “They hatched then?”
The dragon trilled at Cara and hissed at Loki.
“You can’t go jumping on me when you’re as big as an elephant you know, you’ll squash me.”
“We have to go. Now.” He gestured over his shoulder.
Cara placed the dragon on the ground and then threw herself at Sergei, who enveloped her in a bear hug.
“I will keep them safe. One day you will be back, but now, go.” He handed a sack to Nate containing pieces of the male’s egg.
The little fire dragon butted her legs and she leaned down for one last scratch of his head. He cooed and pressed his small head into her hand before Nate took her other hand.
“We have to go, Cara.” Urgency lay in his tone. He drew her away from the hatchlings and guided her through the trees back to the airship. Her gaze never wavered from the dreamlike vision of the dragons standing in the snow, cawing their goodbyes.
Only when they vanished from her sight, hidden behind the dense forest, did she focus her attention to the path in front. A thought whizzed to the front of her mind. “Shit! Nate, I lost the ring.”
Nate shot her a look and patted his pocket. “We’ll continue that discussion later. I believe you owe me an answer.”
“Will we make it to the West Siberian Plain before Nolton intercepts us?” she asked as they moved through the heavy snow back to the grounded Hellcat.
“We’ll angle off south west at top speed. Put as much distance between us and Sergei as
possible. We should get a clear hundred miles or so before we will show up on their radar.”
Cara scampered up the gangplank, Nate close behind. Loki’s feet were still planted on the swaying bridge as his men hauled it up. At the last moment he jumped clear to the walkway. He barked brisk orders before following them into the warm interior. Cara braced a hand against the rich timber wall, prepared for the lurch when the vessel broke free from the Earth’s embrace and returned to her natural habitat amongst the clouds.
Dumping her cumbersome jacket and snow boots in the small cabin, she padded to the bridge. The navigator leaned over the large face of the radar reader, ready to raise the alert as soon as he spotted the much larger Aurora.
Cara leaned over his shoulder. “Where is the spot we just came from?”
“Here,” he said, resting his finger to one side. She looked at the green dots that moved and circled his digit.
“What are those?”
“I don’t know.” He frowned and lifted his finger. “But they’re big.”
A smile touched her lips and she counted. Six of them. My little dragons have six large protectors.
Cara helped herself to the coffee pot and took a scorching brew to go lean on the window ledge, letting the caffeine heat her insides.
Loki kept the airship’s wheel in a firm grasp, making minute changes to compensate for air currents as they held their course. His near black eyes fixed on the horizon. Cara watched him handle the ship with confidence in complete charge of his crew. His gaze flicked from miles in front, down to her.
“What are you grinning about?”
She took a sip of coffee to hide the smile that crept up on her. “I was just thinking that you really are quite the dashing pirate.”
His grin widened into something heated and inviting. “I’m glad you’re finally seeing my obvious charms.”
“You better not be showing her your obvious charms.” Nate entered the bridge and crossed to look over the shoulder of the navigator. He concentrated on the large circular panel. Everyone waited for sign of the military airship in pursuit. The more time that elapsed, the further away they moved from the dragons hiding place.