by Lyn Worthen
About this story, Claire says: “I have written several dragon stories centered around the idea that they need the element they resemble as part of their food supply. In this case, the idea of the abandoned young woman and the captive, starving dragon – a pair who desperately needed each other – resonated with me.”
When darkness surrounds you, even the smallest spark of friendship shines as bright as the noonday sun, and brings hope where before there was none.
Touch of the Silver Dragon
Claire Davon
All his short life, the dragon had never known anything other than chains and hunger.
His sturdy manacle did not yield when he tugged at it, awakened by something unfamiliar. It was not his bonds that stirred him, he was used to the tether. It was something else that woke him. It sounded like… he could not put a name to the sound.
I don't want to be here. Why did they send me? I am so frightened. So alone.
It seemed like his own voice, but not his words. Shukan paced around his prison, his long body coiled and his antlers grazing the ceiling. His whiskers dragged in the dirt that was marked with the print of his claws.
I am alone, too.
There was a startled moment and then the other retreated.
# # #
Shukan heard crying and woke. The chain pulled at his neck when he lifted his head. This voice in his mind was no dragon. This one was not like him except that it was also solitary, also a prisoner.
They gave me to this man. I am not a prisoner, but a servant, with no family and no honor.
They keep me in chains.
She gasped inside his head. All he had known of humans was hurt and starvation but this one seemed different. Like him, she had nobody.
He was six months old and the only thing he knew about other dragons was what he held deep in ancient memory. His kind were slumbering under the ground. They were a dozen times bigger than the pitiful men who kept him locked away, but they were not here. His own birth was not supposed to have occurred for many decades, but the humans that had stolen him had first forced him to hatch and then imprisoned him. He was alone, and had been since the day he hatched. Until now. In all the time of his imprisonment he had never been able to communicate with a single soul.
It is only the dragon that is kept in chains.
That is me.
How am I hearing you?
I do not know. But will you talk to me? I am so lonely.
I am, too.
What is your name? He tried not to sound too eager but at her mental touch all the loneliness flooded up. To talk to somebody…
Meifeng. Do dragons have a name?
I am Shukan.
# # #
Shukan. Shukan.
Shukan woke from his uneasy slumber. He was so hungry. Even when he ate, nothing filled him. His scales itched and he used a back claw to scratch a spot on his midsection that was cracked and burned with an intolerable itch.
What is it?
There was a giddiness in her mental signature that stirred him to full wakefulness. In the few months they'd been communicating, he had never seen her, nor she him. He was kept in darkness and secret, the man who stole him guarding him like his dragon mother should have defended him. But she was gone and he was stolen.
Someone is coming to see you tomorrow.
I care not.
These men are different. They will help you.
He roared, shaking his chains and vibrating the stones.
Men do not help. Men enslave.
They say they have a plan. I was told this in secret.
What is this plan?
You will see tomorrow. It’s best I say nothing.
He dared not hope. Yet he did.
# # #
The servants who came the next day were the usual ones. It had been foolish to think he would see Meifeng. They put down a platter and scurried away. Shukan swung his head to the rancid meat that lay on the cheap metallic disc that seemed not to gleam as it should. A faint memory of another greyish-colored metal stirred in his mind and then was gone.
Shukan used a claw to snag a piece of leftover wild boar that had the rank scent of something turning bad. The meat filled his belly, but his entire being roared for something more. He snorted and his whiskers shook. His antlers hurt. Sometimes he scraped them along the prison walls just to have something to do. His claws made triangular marks in the dirt. His chain clinked as he moved.
He heard the voices of men now, their unfamiliar tongue signaling that these were the men who had had stolen him and held him in secret.
The humans grabbed his chain and tugged him forward. He stumbled, and they dragged him forward, heading back up the corridor they had come from and toward the main courtyard of the home. He had only been here a handful of times, always chained and with men surrounding him, as he was now.
They led him into the courtyard and for a moment Shukan was blinded by the bright sunlight. He did not know time in his prison. The only slivers of light he had there were through small slits, high in the stone walls, that let in little sun. It was possible to distinguish day from night, but not the hours. Time meant little to free dragons, but as a captive, the days weighed on him.
It took a few moments for his vision to adapt after so much time underground. There were several men in the courtyard. Most were familiar to him, but two stood out as his countrymen, though he only knew this from the ancient memories. They wore simple tunics and loose trousers, their black hair drawn in a knot on top of their heads. They had hair on their chins, in long strands. Beyond them, he beheld additional food arranged on large platters, far enough away that he could not lunge for it, and his stomach rumbled.
Something else stirred inside him then, telling him he was in the presence of something new. He turned his head toward the feeling and met the eyes of the man who came from these lands. He bowed his head toward Shukan. Something like understanding passed between them before the man turned away to address one of the oppressors. Shukan's attention was riveted on an item encircling the man's wrist. It was a simple bracelet made of…
Silver.
A triumphant feeling broke inside Shukan as he felt the pull of the metal that he recognized although he had never before seen it. This was what he was hungry for! He knew it as he knew he could fly, or that the other dragons rested in the earth. It was something primal, a memory of his species that identified the element. He leaned toward it, but the chain stopped him.
He snarled and then dropped his head.
There was a girl at the back of the courtyard. He turned his gaze toward her.
Meifeng?
Hello, Shukan.
She was scrawny and unkempt with straight black hair that resembled his neglected scales. Her clothes were brown with dirt and a size too small. She wore no shoes. She had the look of his region, with dark hair and eyes.
Shukan moved low to the ground, his sharp claws sliding in the dirt. It was good to be out. In the dungeon he could not stretch to his full length. Despite the neglect, there were patches of silver on his scales, gleaming in the light. Shukan snorted and the man sitting on a chair made a disgusted sound. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. The man who held his chain gulped in fright.
“Control the beast,” the man on the chair said. A thin, dark-haired man rushed forward.
“He dishonors our dragon with the name beast,” the unfamiliar man said in Shukan’s native tongue.
The man holding Shukan spoke in his unfamiliar tongue to the pale man. He then turned and bowed to the new man. “As you see, I have the dragon,” the man translated.
The newcomer waved his arm with the silver bracelet in a sweeping gesture.
Shukan watched as Meifeng edged toward the doors of the courtyard. Her gaze darted from the oppressors to the man who now spoke, fear written on her face. She shot a glance in his direction and then looked away.
What are you doing?
You will see. Do not give me away
.
“I do see that,” the man said and gestured to Shukan. “That is why we have come. We wish to reclaim him.”
The merchant laughed, a short bark that sent his belly rolling. “This dragon is under my control,” he said in their language, mispronouncing some words. Shukan's countryman winced at the man's accent but said nothing.
“He has not been well-fed,” the man said and gestured toward Shukan’s scales. “I see that he has been neglected. You know nothing of dragons, Merchant Cornwall. They need to be fed more than a diet of meat to be satisfied. Look at him. His scales are wretched in color and his body wastes away.”
Cornwall flipped his hand in a dismissive gesture. He continued speaking in their language, even though his accent was poor. “Nonsense, Sir Asato. I do not believe this fiction you Cathay have told me about dragons needing metal. I have never heard such a ridiculous thing.” He snorted as Shukan had a moment ago. “This creature doesn't even have wings. He is a dreadful excuse for a dragon.”
The man identified as Sir Asato bowed. Shukan shook his chains. A ripple passed through Sir Asato, but otherwise he made no acknowledgment of Shukan's movement. “In our country, dragons do not need wings to fly - the gift of flight is part of their mystical power. This dragon is ours, and I wish to reclaim him. What is the amount you require for his return?”
The man waved a hand. “I may be a merchant, but there are some things you cannot put a price on.”
Shukan saw that Meifeng was still at the back of the courtyard. Her mind touched his even as she continued to move.
Do not worry. They are here to free you.
They are men. I do not trust men.
I do not trust men either. But these men will help you.
And you?
The gods do not care about me.
“My Emperor is willing to overlook the insult if you return the dragon at once. He will even pay.”
The merchant Cornwall spat into the dirt. “I do not fear your Emperor. The dragon is not for sale.”
Sir Asato and his man stiffened.
“As you wish,” was all Sir Asato said. He shot a look across the courtyard to where Meifeng was hiding. He nodded and she ducked her head.
It is time. I am scared.
“You are lucky I am in a good mood," said Cornwall. “You have seen the dragon and now you will leave.” The merchant thumped his hand on his chair arm for attention. “I require wine. We need more meat. Where are my servants? Where is that stupid, useless girl?”
As if in response, Meifeng rushed to the doors. She threw one open and then ran to the next. She dashed to a third door as Cornwall shouted something in his language. Men poured through the doorways. They must have been waiting out of sight for this possibility. Shukan marveled at his foolish, brave friend for daring to do such a thing. Sir Asato's men rushed into the yard, grappling with the merchant’s hired men.
Shukan uncoiled his body to its full length, stretching halfway across the courtyard even as the chain held him in place. Each part of him ached, reminding him how weak he was.
The girl caught her foot and staggered. Cornwall saw, and over the clang of sword on sword, called for a man to kill her. Out of the corner of his eye Shukan saw one of the merchant's men lurch in her direction, a gleaming axe in his hand and a snarl visible under his face shield. An arrow pierced the brute's chest when he was a few steps from her. Meifeng squeaked in fear and stood frozen.
More arrows emerged now flew from Sir Asato's contingent, felling the other men. Shukan charged, yanking at his chain. He wished he was like his Western counterparts and had fire to roast the interlopers. He did what he could, ducking his head and aiming his antlers toward the enemies.
“Stop them!” The merchant's voice was shrill and desperate, and he got up off his chair, his bulk bobbing with the motion.
Sir Asato yanked the bracelet off his arm. It gleamed in the sunlight and Shukan's heart leaped. Meifeng’s paralysis broke and she ran to Asato and seized the item. Then she sprinted to Shukan, who strained toward her. When she was close enough, she hurled the bracelet to him. Shukan stretched out his neck and the metal hit his body just below the chain.
Instantly it became liquid, spreading across his scales and sinking in. The hunger inside him blazed to life and then faded, assuaged. That part of him touched by the silver gleamed. Meifeng continued toward him, holding a key. How she had gotten such a precious thing he did not know.
The merchant shouted again, pointing toward the girl. His face was red with fury.
The power of the silver sank into Shukan. He swung his head toward his captor, fixing the man with his gaze while the girl worked on the lock. More of the merchant’s men surged toward her, but Sir Asato's men kept them at bay.
At last Meifeng got the lock open and pushed the horrid chain from Shukan. He stepped free of his hated bonds, roaring at the oppressor's men, who fell silent, staring at the dragon.
“Quickly,” Sir Asato said. The soldiers ripped pieces of metal from their armor and threw them at him. Silver! Shukan contorted his form to catch each prized bit. Piece by piece, the metal sank into him, turning his scales shiny.
Shukan's strength grew with every piece of silver. He pushed toward the merchant, whose men moved in front of him, forming a ragged line of protection. Many of them lay fallen in the dirt that was damp with their blood.
Shukan rose several feet up from the ground, part of him yearning to fly away, but he faltered. His body may have been renewed by the silver, but he was still weak. Taking flight was a feat he lacked the strength to perform. He sank back down, and the men scrambled to get out of his way. Shukan aimed his claws at Cornwall's men.
“You will pay for this. This is my dragon,” bellowed the merchant.
“I think not,” Sir Asato said, putting his sword away in a smooth gesture. “We allowed you into our lands to trade, and this is how you repaid us. Yield or I will have your head.”
Shukan fixed his gaze on Meifeng. All of the assemblage turned to look at her. She blanched and looked around as if seeking a way to escape.
“You dare, servant girl?” Cornwall said. “You were given to me and this is how you repay me? You bring dishonor on your family. I should kill you.”
Shukan growled, loud and deep, the sound rumbling through the courtyard. Cornwall blanched, his pale skin going whiter.
He is right. I have brought dishonor on my family. They will not have me back.
“She serves a greater honor,” Sir Asato said. “She corrects an injustice. She has brought no shame on her family name.”
I have nobody either, Meifeng.
“I…” Cornwall’s face was red, but he said nothing else. Shukan ducked his head down to Meifeng without knowing what he was asking for. She put a tentative hand over a spot where the silver had sunk in, giving his hide a sheen that stood out in patches along his length. Then she stroked his antlers, and Shukan quivered with pleasure at her caress.
“You're beautiful,” she said with a trembling voice. She laid her hand on his scales and satisfaction flooded him. He hadn't known how much he yearned for companionship until that moment.
The collected assembly of countrymen and foreigners alike gasped when she caressed Shukan. Some fell to their knees when he didn't claw her.
Sir Asato held up a hand and turned to study Meifeng.
“I didn't know when my man recruited you that you had a way with dragons, girl,” Sir Asato said. The girl bowed, and Shukan snarled at the loss of her hand on him.
Don't stop.
He could be my master. He can protect me. Her mental voice was as plaintive as the first time he heard her.
Nobody should be our masters.
She placed her hand back on his flank.
“Apologies, Sir Asato, but Shukan wants to be touched. He has been in captivity for so long.”
“Perhaps that is why he did not take to the sky,” Sir Asato said. He looked up at the dragon. “Your name is Shukan? It is an
honor to meet you. I am Sir Asato,” he said and bowed low. After a moment the other countrymen did the same. The foreigners did not move.
Shukan inclined his head and then slid it back to Meifeng.
“What is your name, girl?” Sir Asato said without inflection, although there was a rushed impatience to him.
“I am Meifeng, I am just a poor servant girl whose family gave her to this man. I have nowhere to go, but I had to help when your men came to me. I did as I was instructed. I…” She broke off, her body trembling. Her eyes filled with tears and she bit her lip.
Shukan hissed, the sound reverberating. Moisture fell from the sky, though the day was still bright.
“Meifeng. Beautiful wind. It is an appropriate name for you. Do you come from a line of dragon riders?”
Get on and we will fly away. I will take care of you and you will take care of me.
Meifeng slanted her gaze at Sir Asato. “My family are just peasants.”
“She was a starving peasant girl, and this is how she repays me,” Cornwall blustered. Sir Asato shot his man a look and he aimed his sword at Cornwall.
Shukan butted her with his antlers, impatient for an answer.
“He wants me to get on and fly with him,” she said and then put a hand to her mouth. “Sir Asato, please don't kill me. I didn't help you so I could take the dragon. I did what was required to free him.”
Sir Asato landed a hand on her shoulder and dropped it when Shukan hissed again. “I did not expect to find one such as you here, but find you we have. We came to free the dragon. We got more than we bargained for. Please, ask him if he will accompany us back to my Emperor's stronghold. Not to be imprisoned, but to make him well. He is a dragon and is to be revered, not enslaved.” He cast a sharp eye toward the merchant, whose chest heaved with fear.
Shukan roared and the men jumped. You will not leave her.
“Meifeng will come with us, of course,” Sir Asato said as though he understood the growl. “You will both be well taken care of. I promise you this.”