The Witch (Dragon Eyes Book 1)

by Kristina Hlaváčková

  “You’re hungry, aren’t you!” she realized and dug into her saddlebags to fish out the bit of food she always carried with her, just in case. Soon the cub was munching on jerky. He wolfed it all down and then poked his nose into the saddlebag, looking for more. Elena laughed.

  “I don’t have any more meat, little one.”

  ◆◆◆

  At last they reached the hills that gradually changed into great mountains a few kilometers further on. The sun was high; it was shortly after noon. Elena knew there was not much time. Soon she would need return home. Her parents would be worried, and that definitely meant trouble. She might remembered an incantation to summon dragons her mother had taught her. It should work on any dragon given that they were relatively close, and willing to be summoned, that is. Only… an encounter with a grown dragon sounded quite terrifying. Sure, Mother had always said that dragons were more or less friendly unless someone endangered them, but could Elena count on that? What if she managed to summon a dragon that was more or less unfriendly?! Mother would have known what to do; she used to talk to dragons all the time when she was young. To Elena, however, it was obvious that things could go very, very wrong. Unfortunately, she could think of no better plan. In her mind, she went over the whole incantation several times, making sure she remembered it correctly.

  They arrived at a small, sunny clearing in the forest under a huge hill, or rather a small mountain. The princess stopped Ashkent at the edge of the forest. With the dragon cub cradled in her arms, she slid off the saddle. Walking a few paces away from the horse, she carefully stood the cub on the ground. The beast watched her sit on the grass next to him. Out of her saddlebag she fished a loaf of bread and gave half of it to the dragon cub. Together they had lunch.

  “I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Mother taught me a dragon-calling spell. I’ve never tried it ... well, for real, so I’m not sure if it’ll work. But I’ll do my best. If it doesn’t work, there is a cave nearby that I can hide you in. Should that happen, I will fetch Mother and come back tomorrow. She will know what to do. What I don’t know is what will happen if I manage to summon a dragon. I’m sort of hoping he won’t eat me ... father would kill me for that!” She went silent again. Taking another bite of bread, she watched the little dragon eat. It did not take him long to finish his piece. He gave Elena’s portion a hungry look. She shrugged and gave him her share. The cub devoured it and burped. Elena laughed.

  “Did that taste good?” The cub burped again and hot smoke escaped his nostrils. Elena was sitting with her back to a tree, her knees under her chin, her arms wrapped around them. For a moment, she watched the cub enjoy the warm sunrays. Eyes almost closed, the dragon was in turn watching her.

  “I just wish you could tell me what you think of my plan,” she sighed. The cub lifted his head and nodded. She stared. That really looked like a nod! Or did it?

  “You do understand me?” she exclaimed, surprised. The beast nodded.

  “Gosh! Shall we call a dragon, then?” Elena asked her new friend. Another nod.

  “OK, let’s do it.” She got up and walked over to Ashkent. The horse lowered its head and let her caress his anthracite mane.

  “I’ll try to call a big dragon. I know you won’t like it, so I won’t tie you down. I would appreciate it if you stayed with me though. But if anything happens, should you be in danger, run.”

  Ashkent touched her forehead with his velvet lips. Out of a hidden pocket in her black shirt she pulled a prune and offered it to him. The horse ate it carefully off her palm and neighed gently.

  Elena sat down cross-legged, not sure she had it in her to cast the complicated spell. Mother has always said Elena had enough magical power for most known spells, but it was hard to be confidently believe that when she had not found out for herself yet. Risking the spell to exhaust her, did not sound like the brightest idea. Besides, it was always better to be safe than sorry, so she laid her sword across her knees. There should be enough energy stored in the diamond of the hilt. Placing both hands on the sword, one palm on the diamond, one on the hilt, she took a deep breath to concentrate. In the darkness behind her closed eyelids, she repeated the incantation. Trying to hold that blackness in her mind, she opened her eyes and set them on the dragon. He was watching her expectantly. It took some effort to push everything else out of her mind, and to concentrate on the scene before her to embody it into the spell. Elena began to chant in the ancient language of the Adragon, the dragon guardians.

  ”By the power of the dragon blood running through my veins I call on thee, ancient master of the sky, bearer of live fire, great wisdom, and mighty strength. To the ancient power of earth I confide my plea; I found a baby dragon, looking for its family. His people I hereby call, their souls I implore, come help a son of your blood.” She could feel the spell come alive. It captured the picture in her mind, buzzed with accumulated magic, and, like a little rainbow-colored bubble, flew up into the air above Elena’s head. Soundlessly it shattered into trillions of miniature shards invisible in the sunlight. Elena began to chant faster and louder, to finish the part of the spell that would carry her message to the closest dragon mind.

  The girl sat motionless for a moment, her head buzzing, as the world around her went blurry and then became extremely sharp. All contours were suddenly distinct and vivid, as if someone had highlighted every single detail. For a while, she just sat admiring the mysterious beauty that had unfolded and was now slowly dissolving around her. Dully she looked at the grip of her sword. Under her palm, she could feel the diamond inlaid into it. She took a deep breath and drew energy from the stone. Only a little was necessary. Carefully putting her weapon in the grass next to her, she reached out to scratch the dragon cub behind what she hoped was an ear.

  “So, what do you think? Did it work?” she asked her companion. Surprising her, he managed to conjure a questioning look on his face.

  “We’ll wait for a bit, then.” The dragon cub stood up and walked over to her on legs that were now quite steady. He jumped into her lap, and cuddled up into a ball. Elena laughed and started scratching him behind the ears and between the wings. Together they basked in the sun.

  ◆◆◆

  If it were possible to watch the spell, trillions of its tiny shards would be seen spreading through the country in a widening circle. The ancient language of the Adragon and the spell, within which Elena enclosed her thought, had the power to find a dragon mind. Somewhere in the mountains, further up on the cliffs, a rock opened an eye and lifted itself up off the ground. A formless shape of indeterminate color evolved into a dragon figure and its color to dark green. The beast turned its head to where the spell had come from, disrupting its sleep. A few kilometers further on, a grassy hill shook and stood on bulky legs.

  Elena’s spell flew all the way to a mountain called Wolf’s Head, and what remained of its strength shattered into the mind of a huge dragon sleeping in the mouth of a cave. The picture carried by the enchantment appeared in the dragon’s mind for a moment and then vanished. Then mountain of Wolf’s Head shook in fear, dislodging a few stones and creating little avalanches rolling down its slopes, as the beast lifted its head and roared. The red dragon stood, its bulk filling the entire entrance to the spacious cave. A picture of a hatchling with a hide of dark green and sparkling blue lying on the ground before a skinny human sitting, perfectly still, on crossed legs, was firmly set in his mind. The dragon leaped. All of a sudden, his huge body hung in the air, motionless for several seconds. The dark red of his armor caught the sun, turning into a flaming, dazzling blaze. He spread his wings. Without any visible effort, and with breathtaking speed, the reptile whizzed up over the mountain and towards a small clearing in the forest.

  ◆◆◆

  Suddenly, the dragon cub lifted its head and turned it towards the mountains, obviously trying to catch a scent. Elena watched him. Ashkent moved restlessly, pawing the ground with his hooves and flaring his nostrils. His ears were flat to his head, h
is eyes bulging. The horse smelled something and did not like it in the least. Elena heard him snort with fright. Ashkent was never scared and that freaked Elena out. She jumped up, grabbing her sword in one hand, dragon cub in the other. Stretching her head, she tried to see what both beasts could sense. Both were looking upwards, but the Knoll, towering high above the trees, blocked most of the view.

  And then, a huge shadow swung from behind the mass of the Knoll. The sun reflected on dark red scales as the beat of mighty wings reached Elena’s ears. Quickly, she stood the cub on the ground and backed away a step, before a tree blocked her way. She could not go any further, so she pressed her back to it. With a mixture of awe and fear, Elena watched the majestic creature descend lightly. Sunrays traced powerful muscles under the red shiny scales. For a moment the dragon hung in the air, motionless, and then landed easily. The earth rumbled. Elena could feel it shake under his weight. The clearing was too small, so the dragon swung his tail lazily, cutting down any trees that happened to stand in the way. Just as slowly, he lowered his large head almost to the ground. The cub hopped towards him and touched him happily snout to snout. Horrified and awestruck, Elena watched the scene, her back pressed firmly to a tree. From up close, and she was definitely far too close for comfort, the reptile was dark red, his scales huge and shiny, legs mighty, head simply grand. His talons were thicker than Elena’s arm. His wings elegantly folded to his body, their color slightly different from the rest of his body.

  The dragon turned towards her. He stretched his neck, almost touching the terrified Elena with his toothy snout. He drew a breath so deep it pulled at Elena’s clothes and hair. Turning his head to one side, the beast stared at Elena with one blue, snake-like eye.

  “WHO ARE YOU?” he thundered inside Elena’s head, his mental voice as mighty as the creature himself. It startled her. Had it been possible, she would have squeezed through the tree behind her and run. It took her a while to get a word out of herself. The dragon waited.

  “I am Elena, daughter of Ashka of the Adragon and John de Leon,” Elena squeaked.

  Suspicious, the dragon lifted his head and tested the air.

  “WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?” he thundered once more. Even though she was too terrified to even move, she thought this a stupid question.

  “I found this little one and I wanted to find someone to take care of him,” she explained with a shaky voice. The dragon let out a strange, guttural sound. It seemed supercilious. He did not believe her and that was confusing to Elena.

  “A HUMAN CUB, ALONE IN THE FOREST? IN COMPANY OF A DRAGON? WHERE ARE YOUR COMPANIONS? WHERE ARE THE HUNTERS? I CANNOT SMELL THEM!” The voice rumbling inside her head was strangely bark-like. And menacing.

  All of a sudden, a cautious thought tugged at Elena’s attention. Was the huge mass of muscles, claws, and teeth afraid he had flown straight into a trap?

  “I didn’t mean ... I didn’t want ... er, one cub just helped another. My mother is one of the Adragon, the dragon protectors. She taught me about the masters of the sky. How else would I know a spell to summon you with? Besides, if there were anyone here wanting to hurt you, I think they would have shown themselves by now”, she answered in a slightly defiant tone.

  “SO WHY ARE YOU HOLDING A WEAPON AND WHY ARE YOU SCARED?” he asked in a voice that unsettled Elena’s insides. He was not scared. Just curious. And mistrustful. Long years of dodging hunters had taught him that. Surprised, the girl looked at the sword in her hand. Hastily, she returned it to the scabbard, thinking it did not offer sufficient protection anyway. The reptile watched her straighten her back, sensed her feelings change. Her fear gave way to defiance.

  “The sword was lying next to me in the grass and both the little dragon and my horse were restless. So I picked it up. I have never seen a dragon before, and you are huge! Your fangs and talons are thicker than my arm! Why should it surprise you that I am scared?” she tried to explain. “I’m just a child, you said it yourself!” she added.

  Just then the hatchling, standing in front of her like a miniature shield, started to jump up and down frantically. The big red looked at him.

  Had Elena been able to hear, she would have caught an excited narration of the rescue. The little one kept jumping up and down, while the red beast listened attentively, asking a few questions. Then he turned his attention to Elena again.

  “WILBUR SAYS YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH.”

  “Wilbur?” asked she, suddenly interested. Now it was the big reds turn to be slightly confused. He even raised both eyebrows. The child before him had utterly changed in the wink of an eye. Fear was almost forgotten, pushed back by innocent childish curiosity. Elena knelt and reached for the dragon cub who let her scratch his ears.

  “So, you are Wilbur? Pleasure to meet you, Wilbur. Did you know Wilbur was one of the famous dragon kings?” she informed him happily.

  “And who might you be?” she asked the huge reptile airily, still rubbing Wilbur’s ears. As far as he was concerned, the girl did not react like a normal human specimen. This surprised the huge creature greatly. Maybe that was why it took a while for him to answer.

  “I AM ASHRACK, FATHER OF WILBUR,” he responded. Elena stood and bowed to him respectfully.

  “It is my pleasure to meet you, master of the sky,” she remembered her manners. Her heart was racing. Not only had she managed to summon a dragon, she’d managed to summon a dragon king! Wow! Wait till she tells Mother that! Ashrack was studying her, her feelings, appearance, and behavior. As a rule, he did not like people. He did not trust them. In his experience, humans simply did not deserve to be trusted. But this skinny person evoked long forgotten feelings. Ashrack was interested, curious even; and beginning to feel a little cheerful, tenderhearted and grateful for the finding of his son.

  He was surprised by not only the courage with which the child protected Wilbur, but also by her ability to summon him, the mixture of her feelings and the fact that she didn’t run away from him. She didn’t even try to run away from him! The anger Ashrack felt was evaporating as he looked the little redhead in the eye.

  Ashrack lowered his head so low his bottom jaw almost touched the ground. This resulted in both his nostrils coming level with Elena’s face. It freaked her out more than a bit. She gasped, and tried to back away. There was nowhere to go, there was that gods-damn tree behind her. The dragon was massive. His head was far taller than she was! Warm air escaped his nostrils and ruffled her hair and clothes. For a moment, she stood frozen, terrified but excited. As if hypnotized by his stare, slowly she stretched out her hand. It was shaking. Cautiously, holding her breath, she touched Ashrack’s snout with the tip of her fingers. It surprised her that the dragon scales were not only shiny, but also smooth. And warm. Ashrack moved his head a few centimeters lower. His jaw touched the ground. She plucked up all her courage and placed her whole palm on his nose. The dragon closed his eyes. It was an unfamiliar, pleasant feeling to feel the small hand touching his skin.

  All of a sudden, Elena sensed every single cell of her body. Her blood burst into life. She could feel it swell and rush fast through her veins. It was like fire soaring within her. Ashrack felt the same. Ancient magic of the land and dragons had been awakened by that curious childish touch. It hit both of them with enormous force. From the inside, golden-red and dark blue sparkles pervaded Ashrack’s scales and ran all over his bulk, joining into one single current that entered Elena’s body through her palm. The magic pinned her feet to the ground and slammed her backwards into the tree. With surprise, pain, and maybe horror her eyes widened, her irises changed from almost black dark brown to greenish-blue, pupils narrowed and extended into reptilian shape. Time stopped.

  The spell vanished. Ashrack opened his eyes. He could see Elena’s pupils slowly returning to their natural round shape, the green and blue draining from her eyes. Surprised, Elena slowly lifted her hand from his snout and gave it an astonished look. With her eyes still fixed on her palm, she silently slid to the ground a
long the tree trunk. For a moment, Ashrack swayed unsteadily before bracing himself with his tail. Finally taking hold of himself, he carefully blew a cloud of warm air at Elena. This helped. Her arms and legs no longer felt full of lead, she could move them freely again. Semi-recovered from the shock, she smiled at the dragon timidly.

  “What was that?” she whispered.

  “MAGIC AS OLD AS THE EARTH ITSELF,” he thundered inside her head and then fell silent.

  “ISN’T ANYONE MISSING YOU, LITTLE ONE?” he continued after a time.

  “Yikes! I must go home! They’ll be worried about me!” she realized. Aghast, she scrambled to her feet and ran towards Ashkent. Suddenly she stopped and turned.

  “Will I ever see you again?” Ashrack looked down at his son who was frantically bouncing up and down at his feet.

  “SHOULD YOU DESIRE SO, YOUR BLOOD WILL LEAD YOU TO US.”

  For a moment, Elena stood, pondering his words. She concluded she had no idea what the answer meant, but there was no time for explanations. She shrugged her shoulders, laughed, waved, ran to Ashkent, and mounted in one great leap. The horse was so glad to get out of the vicinity of the dragon he leaped forward like an arrow before she could even put her other foot into the stirrup. Happily, she lay on his neck and let him shoot towards home.

  Both dragons watched till rider and steed disappeared from view. Then, as gently as possible Ashrack took his son in his jaws. With a powerful leap he pushed off the ground. One great flap of his wings took him into the air.

  Elena moved effortlessly in tune with Ashkent’s speed. He almost flew through the forest. The girl was hurrying home, and Ashkent was running from the awful beast. They were late. It was getting dark, and she was supposed to be home a long time ago.

  Guards at the gate were suddenly alert. Even in the twilight, they were all able to recognize the tiny figure astride a huge warhorse, speeding towards the closed gate. After a few moments of total chaos, of falling over one another, the soldiers managed to open the gate just in time for Ashkent to squeeze through a gap not much wider than himself. He didn’t even slow down.