This is the second chapter to my story and I will keep writing. Read and review:
I thought there might be some mistake. Maybe my hearing has failed me. Maybe I'm imagining sounds. Maybe…
But then I hear it again, loud and clear, and I know it's true.
There's a dragon in this clearing with me.
Dragons who have been thought to be extinct for years.
Dragons who have gone missing without a single trace.
Dragons who terrorized the islands.
And now one lies just a dozen meters away from me.
I wonder how it got here. Why is it here? Where did it come from? So many other questions come to mind all at once making my head spin.
Then another wave of questions hits me. What should I do now? Should I tell anyone? Will they believe me?
First, I decide to take a look at the dragon, and second, not to tell anyone.
I cross the fallen tree and swiftly scramble up the side of the sheer cliff where I heard the sound coming from. I climb the cliff just like the wall at the back of our garden.
Just as I reach the mouth of the cave, the dragon stops its agonised cries.
I cautiously peek over the edge and to my surprise see one of the most dangerous dragons known to man, staring right into my shocked green-blue eyes.
It's a Nighthawk.
Normally coloured black, deep purple, midnight blue or scarlet. Their fire being the same colour as the eyes and they have a wingspan of up to triple the width of the body length. Equipped with the usual talons but have sharper teeth than most dragons. This species is not poisonous but is known to be a skilled fighter. They're pretty fast too.
I guess all the time spent in the library pays off and not at all a waste of time.
The young dragon notices me too, slightly raising its head in recognition. The creature lets out a whimper before lowering its head back down again. Keeping a suspicious watchful eye on me.
The dragon is a female. Probably around 6 months old and is a quite deep purple colour with the most beautiful yellow wings.
Unlike other dragons, with spider web designs, the wings of a Nighthawk are patterned with circles of all sizes.
The she-dragon is not very big but I could still easily ride her…
I then notice I'm still hanging off the edge of the cave, which is about 25 meters off the ground. I nearly fall of at the thought of riding the dragon. She could incinerate me with a single huff of her flames. It's ridiculous for me to even trust her!
Though part of me still wonders what it would be like to see the island from the sky…
For the first time, I see why the dragon is staying here – one of her thin pale yellow wings is torn in three places. It's heavily bleeding too, leaving dark patches of dried blood.
I must have been so focused on the dragon; I did not notice it at first.
Now that I know the dragon is hurt, I slowly lift myself up onto the cliff ledge sparing me the trouble and energy of trying to hold on. However I never turn my back on the beast.
First I was afraid; I was petrified, but slowly, just by sitting there at the edge of the cave with the dragon, I began to trust the fact that the dragon won't harm me.
The she-dragon is also remarkably thin and hasn't hunted recently. She must have been running from someone or something and flew quite a distance.
The dragon shifts a little, startling me a bit. She stares at me with fear in her large pale yellow eyes and I don't comprehend why.
That is until I see that my bow in front of me, strung and aiming.
It's a natural reflex really.
I lower the bow, putting it down on the cave floor. I know dragons don't trust humans in general, but especially not one with any sort of weapons.
With my foot, I knock it down to the ground below. It lands without making a single sound. I don't really care if it breaks, I can always forge a new one.
Unexpectedly, thousands of birds fly up form the bushes where my bow landed.
The dragon's head snaps up, looking wistfully at the feathered meal. Her eyes watching every their movement.
Slowly it hits me. I back away from the injured dragon and descend back down the cliff face and at the bottom; I retrieve my bow, still all in one piece.
I pick up a rock and, with good aim, I throw it at the nearby bushes.
Immediately a flock of birds fly up. They're quick, but not quick enough.
I manage to shoot down three birds and just miss the fourth one.
I take the kill back to the cave, taking care to leave all my weapons behind; even the knife hidden in my shoe.
Back in the cavern, the dragon immediately perks up at the smell and sight of fresh meat. Standing in the corner, I throw the food to the young Nighthawk.
She devours it immediately: bones, feathers and everything, licking her lips at the end with satisfaction.
I sit there with her a while longer, but then it's time for me to head home if I want any sleep at all.
The one and only good thing about being a house girl is that you can sleep till mid morning, and that's what I do every day.
I don't want to leave the dragon; scared I'm just dreaming and that I will wake up with her gone.
I climb down the cliff face anyway; gather my weapons and leave, making a secret promise to come back again the next day.
The sun is just peeking over the horizon when I see our house through the trees. I noiselessly run the rest of the way and hurriedly hide my weapons and change my shoes.
Staggering into the kitchen I hear my father waking up. Without thinking I hide away my boots and run to the bathroom where I lock the door and turn on the shower.
When I come out, wet and wrapped in a towel, I'm greeted with my father's voice:
"Well look who's up early today! It's sleepyhead Alexa! Now what are you doing up so early? The sun has just risen!"
"I… I… I…" I trail of, clueless of what to say.
Then, without leaving much time for the suspicion to settle, I continue with "…the neighbours dog woke me up. I couldn't sleep any more so I decided to take a shower. I might go back to sleep now though, while I can." And with that I mount the stairs and flop onto my bed, exhausted.
I wake up about after 2 hours, thinking about the she-dragon. I call in sick to the kitchen and tell my dad I'm going to gathering in the nearby fields till late evening, so he won't worry about me if I'm late.
Then, just like last night, head for the clearing only this time I bring something to help the injured dragon.
On the way there I shoot down 4 birds and a squirrel, really using my arrows for the first time.
I get a bit lost. It's the first time I have been in the forest while the sun is still up. Everything looks so different… everything is so much brighter, so much greener, so much more alive…
Only when I hear the she-dragon's voiced pain do I find my way through the seemingly different forest, relieved she's still there.
As I reach the rock fall I realize I hadn't put back the boulder that blocks the entrance in my rush to get home in the early morning.
Eagerly climbing down the mossy rocks down to the clearing, I run over to the cliff where the cave is concealed. Hauling the game I killed with me but leaving my weapons behind, I climb up to the shallow cave where the dragon is concealed.
She notices me immediately and looks at the game with longing in her ice blue eyes. I throw it to her from a distance, not yet trusting that the dragon won't harm me.
I throw her the game and as she gobbles up her meal I lay down the bag full of medicine I brought to treat her wing.
I take out some of the equipment that once belonged to my mother and carefully approach the scaly beast and gently cleanse the horrible wound on her fragile wing.
At first she shrugs away at the touch of my hand, but slowly she drifts into a watchful sleep, never really giving in to the unconscious of her mind.
Once I have washed away the dried blood I begin to really see the wound. It is much worse than I thought. The blood had covered up a lot of it but at least now it's clean.
I go back to my medical supplies. Digging through the bag, not sure what to look for.
I come across some bandages but decide it might irritate the dragon's skin.
Finding nothing useful, I look around the dim cave. Then, something outside in the bright clearing catches my eye.
I recognize the flat leaves we use for patching up holes in our straw roofs and in the villages wooden sheds.
Swiftly I climb down the rocky wall, rip of a few of the oversized leaves and hurry back.
Carefully approaching the dragon from behind, I place two of the leaves on both sides of the wing, covering the biggest hole, and sew it together with some string found in the medical kit.
I do the same with the other two, smaller holes in the delicate flapping devices of the female dragon. For these I use smaller leaves not to make her too uncomfortable and wing seem too heavy.
I sit with her a while longer and it occurs to me; it might be a while before she heals and I can't keep calling her 'she-dragon'. I have to have a name.
Hours pass.
I just sit there thinking of a suitable name for the dragon. Nothing good enough comes to mind so I just sit there staring at the steady rise and fall of the dragon's chest.
Names like Violet and Lola are a little too innocent for her, but Spiky and Roxy just don't fit…
Other names like Featherwing and Oceanmist pass through my mind but sound to soft for the dangerous dragon lying before me.
I decide I like names like Nightberry and Snakewing, as they sound dangerous and are quite suitable.
I ponder over all the possibilities of names till the sun begins to set. I say goodbye to the she-dragon and set off for home.
I walk slowly, unlike last night, knowing I have plenty of time on my hands.
Well, that's the second chapter done. Please keep reviewing to give me ideas and encouragement. Thanks especially to for all the support. She has also written The Spark and Silent Screams as well as Cracked, Broken but not defeated about Haymitch and Effie after Mockinjay