Chapter Ten
Snalglí
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
Aragon glanced up and looked around as his neck prickled.
He glanced around, looking to see what was watching him, but he couldn't make anything out.
It was three months since he'd begun learning sword craft, and he was confident in his abilities, even if wasn't a match for an elf yet.
He and Thelduin were enjoying some rare time off in a small orchard on the south-eastern edge of the plateau where Elmïra had made her home.
It was warm, sunny and a beautiful day.
Thelduin was flying somewhere nearby, and he was enjoying the bounty of the orchard. It was the middle of Autumn, and the trees were loaded with fruit, and Aragon, still getting used to the notion of three guaranteed meals a day,-provided he bathed daily,-was taking the opportunity to gorge himself on the rich bounty.
There was no one, and no thing there, so Aragon returned to harvesting the perfectly ripe pears and apples the orchard had to offer.
A slithering sound made him wheel about, and come face to face with-
A giant snail…?
It was a head shorter than he was, and each eye was the size of his fist.
'Holy-' Aragon didn't wait around to complete his expletive, but bolted in the opposite direction, out of the orchard and onto the open ground, drawing his sword as he did so.
He didn't bother opening his wrist-bow, as he didn't trust the short bolts to do much against the creature.
He cast a glance over his shoulder, and was just a fraction too slow in diving to the side, and the snail lowered it's body onto his legs.
Aragon shuddered in revulsion at the slick slime which soaked through his breeches and boots.
The thing slid faster than he could run.
And what a way to go-eaten by a thrice damned snail!
There was a hideous sucking squelch, and the weight of the snail vanished, then there was an odd crack as it landed upside down next to him.
Aragon scrambled out of the way as Thelduin twisted around in the air and landed, before picking up the creature in her jaws and cracking it's shell against the ground.
The thing hissed like a snake, and Thelduin bit it just in front of the mantle, causing it to convulse once, then die.
What…the….is…? Aragon asked, too bewildered and off balance to form a coherent question.
My lunch. Thelduin replied, and Aragon could sense her anticipation.
Wait, what? Asked Aragon.
Thank you for luring it out into the open for me Aragon, I've been trying to find one of these all morning, Teclian says that they're fine eating. Thelduin said, nosing him affectionately, which considering her snout was wet with snail slime, he could've done without.
Thelduin, what in Angvard's name, is that thing? Asked Aragon slowly.
A Snalglí, they're absolute delicacy for a dragon. Thelduin said, biting a piece of flesh, mantle and shell away, before swallowing, then paused a moment to savour it, before beginning to feed with relish.
Great. Enjoy yourself; excuse me while I go and get cleaned up. Said Aragon, not bothering to hide his disgust at being covered in snail slime.
Do you mind helping me lure some more of these things out later on? Thelduin asked hopefully.
Aragon sighed in exasperation. Alright. He said resignedly.
A bit of an add-on chapter, spawned by the on going edit.
Yes it plays merry hell with the chapter numbers, but I'll fix it when I get there, please don't tell me about my count being off, I am fully aware of it.