A Rose Amongst the Dragons, page 28
part #1 of A Rose Amongst the Dragons Series
“Yes, your lordship.”
“Please, call me father.”
The king embraced Thelton in his arms. They hugged for a very long time.
“Go,” the king said as he released Thelton.
…
Suddenly Indy felt her heart jump. She recognized where she was. She knew where home was. It would only take a few hours and she would be to the Vegus forest. She was so delighted. It had been so long since she had been home. She wanted to see her family. She wanted to sleep in her nest. She wanted to taste the animals and foods that she was used to. She wanted to see her mom and siblings again.
“Happy, happy, happy,” she said as she flew. It was going to be so amazing.
“Yes, I am happy too. I never get tired of flying with you.” Sterling said.
Indy thought about Sterling. Should she leave him before she went home? What if her family tried to eat him? She didn’t want to leave him; in fact she very much wanted to take him to her home. She wanted him to see what she was made of. She wanted him to meet her family. She wanted them to see him. She decided she would bring him and fight for him if she had to, just like her mom had always fought for her. If things got too bad, then she would fly him to safety.
Soon Sterling also started recognizing the area. He became elated as well. Maybe he could guide her to Candleshaw. He tried to change the direction she was flying in. She kept telling him, “No, happy.”
They flew until they were over the Vegus Forest. Sterling was excited. He loved the idea of being above the enchanted forest. He kept a close eye below. “I hope to see trolls, dragons, anything.” It didn’t take long for him to be disappointed because all he saw was the top of the trees, because the canopy was so thick he couldn’t see beyond them.
“This is the Vegus forest. I have had many adventures here. You wouldn’t believe some of the things that I have seen. There is a lake here with fire on top. There are trolls and dragons. If you are brave enough, maybe one day I will take you into it and teach you how to kill a dragon. They are horrible beasts.” Sterling was yelling so Indy could hear him.
Suddenly, Indy started descending down toward the forest.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not now, we can’t go there now. I meant another time. Ok, maybe never. That place is scary I really don’t want to go back. Friend, no! Stop. No, no, no.” Sterling was screaming like a girl. He was really scared of that place.
Indy didn’t hear him. She landed in the middle of the dragon camp. Sterling froze. There in front of them was a massive spotted dragon. Sterling started shaking; he was in the heart of a dragon camp.
“Uh, friend, um, um,” he whispered. “We better go; this is, um, bad news.”
The spotted dragon looked over at Indy and Sterling. Indy looked around. There were no other dragons in the camp. Indy ran toward the spotted dragon with her arms outstretched. The dragon hastily made its way to her. Sterling drew his sword. He was shaking so bad he could barely hold it.
“Friend, bad, no, bad, stop.” He yelled after her.
Before Sterling could stop her, Indy wrapped her arms around the dragon's face. She kissed his nose over and over again. The dragon made several strange noises. Their reunion was a joyful one.
The two of them rolled around and Indy laughed and laughed. The spotted dragon was so happy to see her again. They were sisters. They both joined the family at the same time. To the spotted dragon, Indy was a natural part of the nest. She knew nothing different.
The two sniffed each other and did a little exploring of the other. The spotted dragon stopped. Its eyes narrowed and its nostrils flared. She looked over at Sterling. She began to snarl.
Indy rushed over to Sterling and stood in front of him. She held out her claws and began snarling back. The two kept it up for awhile.
“This is very weird.” Sterling thought as he shook. Being amongst the dragons frightened him. The one thing he could figure out was that the spotted dragon wanted him for lunch. At least she was trying to save him, but she didn’t stand a chance. The dragon would rip her to shreds and then come after him. Sterling began to cry.
After awhile, the spotted dragon quit snarling and turned away. It went over to the queen’s nest and lay down. Indy calmed. She looked around the camp. There were no other dragons to be seen. She felt worried. Where were they? They could be gone on a hunt, but she doubted it. Why was the spotted dragon in the queen’s nest? Things weren’t right. Indy felt her heart ache. Where was the rest of her family? Where was her mom?
Sterling went to her side and grabbed her arm. “What is going, um, on? Can we, um, leave now? I am not sure you, um, noticed but there is, um, a dragon over there.” His stutter had returned.
Indy perked up and grabbed his hand while she anxiously led him around the camp. She pointed to many things. She took him to a half consumed carcass.
“Eat," she said.
“Ewww, yuck, no eat.”
Indy led him to each nest and to a group of trees. She took him to a rock and moved it aside. Buried were her treasures. She took each one out and handed them to Sterling. Her face illuminated. She was so happy.
“We gotta go, we really gotta go,” Sterling continued trying to talk her into leaving. She paid him no attention. She kept showing him all the important things to her. She took him to a rock overhang. Under it were many pictures. They were ones she had drawn on leaves and various objects. Sterling studied each one.
“I get it,” he said. “This is your home. These are your pictures. They are pretty. You are very talented. Good, good,” he said.
“Good,” Indy replied. She enjoyed the praise. It felt so good. The dragons had never responded to her art. Sterling seemed very pleased and interested in them. Her smile spread so wide on her face. Sterling liked how happy she was, and whenever she laughed, her entrancing laugh echoed off the trees.
“So, this is your home,” he said as he waved his arm around. “All of this, even the dragons. I don’t know how it works. How did you come to live with dragons?”
Indy grabbed his hand and kissed it over and over. She smiled big and placed her head on his shoulder. She didn’t keep it there long. She jumped up and dragged him for a ways until they got to the Brumbleetrie tree. The tree had a root that produced healing and euphoria. She dug out a root and placed it in his mouth.
His tongue explored it for a bit, and then he swallowed it. “Doesn’t taste like much,” he said.
“Good,” Indy said. She put some in her mouth.
After some time, Sterling felt sensational.
“I don’t know what you gave me, but wow! I want to live off that. It kind of reminds me of Firelake. I will have to take you there one day. There is this great big lake with fire on top. You go in and you feel, I don’t know how to explain it, you feel incredible; a bit like I feel now.”
Indy gathered some root and put it in his pocket. They walked back to the spotted dragon. She went over to it and offered the root. The dragon turned its head away. Indy kept trying until she slipped it in its mouth. The dragon munched on it. Indy went back to Sterling.
“This is your home. Home, home; say home.”
“Home.”
Sterling waved to everything. “Home.”
“You know, it’s not a bad place to live. This must be the heart of the Vegus Forest.” Sterling frowned. A chill descended down his spine. “Oh yeah, I had forgotten we are still in the forest. This place is wicked. How did a girl like you live in the Vegus Forest and live amongst the dragons and not get killed?”
Sterling went over to Indy and grabbed the top of her dress. He began shaking her in play. “Talk to me, why can’t you learn to talk more? I want to know your story. I bet it beats any story in the world.”
Indy leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on Sterling’s lips. “Kiss,” she said.
Sterling touched his lip while she walked away. “Where did that come from?” he asked. He watched Indy flutter around the camp. She was so happy. She made him happy.
Chapter 24
Indy and Sterling had been at the camp for a week. Indy was so upbeat. Sterling was really starting to like the area. Since he had spent much of his life living outside, he was used to rugged living. He decided to build a gift for Indy; a house.
He made some tools out of rocks, bones, and vines. He kept himself busy constructing a small tree house suspended in the trees. When Indy was interested, he would teach her and have her help. When she wasn’t helping, she was painting or playing in the trees. Sterling would often stop and just watch her. He loved having a friend. Whenever Indy would get bored, she would pull Sterling away from his work. He always went. Sometimes they would fly, explore, or dance. He never hesitated to join her in an activity. Sterling realized their friendship enticed him more than all the riches of the world, he loved having a friend.
…
The spotted dragon adjusted quickly to their presence. It would fly away every day for many hours and then return with food. Sterling was still very nervous living with a dragon. He tried to stay as far away from her as he could.
…
Thelton silently walked into the dragon camp and looked around. It was different than when he had first gone there. This time at the camp, there were no dragons to be seen. The area felt abandoned and empty; maybe they had moved their herding grounds to somewhere else. Would Indy have gone with them? If she wasn’t here, then where would she be? He was sure he would have found her there. Dispirited, he sat down, for he didn’t know where to look next. The lovely laughter of a woman floated down to him. He looked up into the trees and noticed the newly constructed tree house.
Thelton ran over to the base of the tree below the house and began climbing up to it. Once inside, he saw Indy.
“You are here,” he called out. He was so excited. Indy looked down.
“Teltn,” she said. Excitement over took her. She ran over to him and jumped into his arms. Her face illuminated in joy. Thelton picked her up and spun her around. He kissed her face over and over. His eyes filled with tears, so did hers.
“Teltn, Teltn, Teltn,” she said. She kissed him all over the face as he had done to her.
Sterling watched while cowering in a corner.
“What did I say to you about flying away,” he said, his voice choked up. “You have no idea how long I have been searching for you. I just couldn’t imagine continuing life without you.” He kissed her again and again.
Sterling shifted his weight. Thelton looked over to him.
“Oh,” he said. He let go of Indy and went over to Sterling; he bowed his head. “It is the son of Flance.”
Sterling was shocked. Had Thelton really bowed to him? Thelton was the most self centered man he knew. They were bitter rivals. What was the display he was giving Sterling?
“No words, boy?”
“What, um, what do I say to a man like you. My father was executed because of you.” Sterling was shaking as he spoke.
“Little do you know,” Thelton said.
He turned from Sterling and went back to Indy. He grabbed both her hands and rubbed them. “My dear, I can’t believe I found you. Oh, the fates are good.”
Sterling stayed in his corner and watched. He felt his heart rip. Indy never had been his to control. He always knew she belonged to Thelton. Now here was Thelton to take her away from him. She was the only friend he had ever known. Indy had brought flavor to his life. She had opened his eyes to so much. When she left, he would have no direction. He would be utterly alone.
The three climbed down from the tree house.
“Do you have anything to eat?” Thelton asked Indy. “I am starving.”
Indy ran to where a half eaten raccoon sat. She and Sterling had eaten some of it earlier. She took a bite out of its side then handed it over to Thelton.
“Oh, gross, woman, you still eat raw animals? Doesn’t that just make you sick to watch her?”
Sterling didn’t respond. He just glared at the enemy.
Thelton built a fire and then he roasted the rest of the raccoon. While it cooked, he and Indy snuggled in front of the flame. Thelton’s nerves were exploding. He was with his woman again. If felt so good to touch her and caress her. He noticed how beautiful her hair was. He noticed that she was back to wearing her leaf clothes. As a matter of fact, Sterling was wearing one as well. “They both look like fools,” he laughed inside himself.
Sterling took a stick and poked around the fire. He had nothing to say. His heart was falling apart. He knew Thelton was going to take Indy away from him. First Thelton takes his father’s life, and now his friend.
After the fire had died down, Thelton stood, with his strength, he pulled Indy up with him.
“Thank you for caring for my woman.”
Sterling used all his bravery to say, “Isn’t the princess, um, your woman?”
His words pierced into Thelton. He looked away and thought of the princess for a long moment. He didn’t answer Sterling. He wrapped his arms around Indy’s waist.
“It’s time to go, fly,” he said.
“Fly,” Indy replied. Her wings stretched out.
“Wait, you can’t, um take her. You can’t, this is, her um, home. I have been building it, for, um, her.” Sterling looked at the ground.
Thelton looked at the boy. “Fly,” he said again as he ignored Sterling.
Sterling ran over and got in Indy’s face.
“Don’t go. Stay here, this is your home.”
“Home,” Indy said.
“Yes,” Sterling said as the tears poured out of his eyes. “This is your home, here with me. This is where you belong, with the dragon. Don’t go.” He bent over and put a kiss on her lips.
Thelton pushed him to the ground.
“FLY!” He yelled.
Indy started flapping her black wings and up they went. She didn’t understand what was happening. The men seemed to be acting so weird. She could sense their tension and hostility.
Sterling looked up to the sky and watched his only friend fly away. He dropped to his knees and began to bawl. He lay on the ground and rubbed his head in the dirt. Mud stuck to his chin.
“Why did she have to go,” he bawled. His head felt heavy and dark. “Why did she have to leave? She could have lived here with me. This is her home.” He screamed through his tears. “THIS IS HER HOME! He won’t know how to treat her. He is so unfeeling and insensitive. She deserves better.” Sterling’s words trailed off. “She deserves me.”
…
Thelton directed Indy to a spot on the Far East end of the Vegus Forest. They landed and he busied himself setting camp for the night. As he worked, he kept watching her. It felt so good to have her back.
“Tomorrow we will seek passage on the sea. We will start life somewhere new. I will never let you go again. I promise.”
Indy looked around. She was becoming jittery and very nervous.
“Friend?” she asked. She looked lost. She wanted to know where Sterling was.
Thelton looked at her. “Yes, I am your friend. I hope to be much more than that.” He came over to her side. He reached his face down to hers. Closing his eyes, he went in for a kiss.
Indy bit his lip hard. Thelton almost slapped her, and then he remembered he had vowed to be more patient with her dragon instincts. He grabbed his lip and backed away from her.
“Friend, where? Go home. Go friend.” Indy said.
“I am right here.”
Indy punched Thelton his well built chest over and over. “No, no, no, no. Where friend, where friend?”
Thelton suddenly realized she was talking about Flance’s son. She seemed to be focused on him. This filled him with jealousy. “She is mine and only mine. No other man should have even had a chance to get to know her. She belongs to me.”
“Listen, woman, I am your friend. I love you. I am going to have you as my own. You belong to me now, you are my woman.”
Indy opened her black wings, with the teal on the edges, and she started to fly. Thelton tackled her to the ground. “Please, you can’t leave me again. We just got back together. Please, please, I am not trying to hurt you. I need you.”
Indy stopped fighting. Tears streamed down her dirty cheeks. She turned her back to Thelton and cried.
Thelton stayed very close to Indy over the next few days. He tried to present her with food offerings and gifts. She didn’t respond. The life had burned out of her. He hated to see her like that.
Thelton went through a variety of mood changes. At first, he denied that she was acting like that because of Sterling. But the more she shut down, the more he couldn’t ignore that being away from Sterling was causing her so much pain.
His emotions switched to anger. He was so upset that another man caused those feelings in her. “Didn’t her heart belong to me?”
At times, he would bargain in his mind the idea of all three of them living together. No, that was defiantly out of the question. “I would just end up killing Sterling.”
Sometimes, Thelton slipped into a deep depression. Emotionally, he had been through a lot over the last little while. “What is happening to me, he wondered. He had so many mixed feelings inside that were caused by the king, Alashia, Flance, Sterling, and Indy. “I am used to living the easy life. I never have had drama in my life because I avoided making relationships with people.” Now, he was so swamped by it all, it was more than he could handle.
After Thelton had gone through an array of emotions, a powerful thought finally hit him. “If I really love her, than I have to let her go. I do want to see her have joy, for I can’t stand seeing her so miserable. It sickens me that I am the cause of her misery. I am the one who has dampened her spirit.”
Thelton built a roaring fire. He tried to cuddle with Indy by it. Although she allowed him to embrace her, she was stiff as a board. As he held the only person he ever remembered loving, he thought about ways that he could make it up to her.
“Sure we have had some rough patches in our relationship, but we can work on it.” As his mind wandered, he drifted to sleep.
