How to Train Your Dragon: Flame of the Isle
Chapter 4: Heat of Combat
Piece by piece, I put on my armor. Not easy when you don't have a man-at-arms to help. I've found my ways around it. Plate armor, chainmail, and brigandine. The last piece was my sword belt with my arming sword and dagger. As I put my battle axe in the leather frog at my hip, and my heater shield behind my back, Aoibheann nudged me lightly.
"I know, but it's for the village and these innocent people," I said, stroking her muzzle, I put on my chainmail coif and mounted Aoibheann's saddle. Up into the sky and off to the ruins of Fort Navan. I'm not only facing a skilled dragon-rider, but a Midland Red-Black. It seems all the odds are stacked against me, but still I will go out to battle with a foe
"You're late," said Glenda, I said nothing to her accusation. She wore the same form of armor as me with the coat-of-arms of her family on her brigandine. Where as I wore chainmail to protect my head, Glenda also wore a kettle helm as well. Glenda made a single nod. With a breakfast of girdle cakes, eggs, and bacon rashers, I was ready to fight.
"I fight for my village," I said,
"A nest of rebels"
"Only to your kind, Lassie," I said, and mounted my dragon ready for battle. My shield is strapped to my forearm while holding the reigns. I pulled out my battle-axe while she unsheathed a sword. Everflame will stamp down her front paws like two beats on a drum. With a mighty roar, Everflame wants a challenge. Aoibheann did the same to accept it.
We flew into the heavens above. I flew up to give chase, and Everflame and Glenda turned and swooped down. Our weapons struck, and Aoibheann avoided Everflame's poison fangs. I turned, and got a second strike on Glenda only to hit her shield. Still, she cringed, and attacked with a gruff in her voice. Aoibheann got a bite down on Everflame's neck
"You're outclassed!"
"You keep thinking that," I replied, I pulled back the reigns to evade a fireball from Everflame which hit the rocks of the ruins. Like an arrow from a bow, Aoibheann folded back her wings, and flew forward to attack. She got her claws into Everflame, turning her on her back in mid-flight. Everflame snapped her with her jaws, but Aoibheann evaded them
I blocked Glenda's sword, and she evaded the swing of my axe. The clash of iron and steel ringed loud in the clouds above. This is 'Dragon-Jousting'. I weaved my neck to evade her sword, and got a strike in with my axe to knock off her helmet. A trickle of blood came down her nose, "Oh, that looks like it hurt," I taunted back, and evaded another slash
"I'll kill you!"
"Aren't you already trying to do that?" I jested, Glenda snarled and locked her sword with my shield and axe. She managed to free me of my axe. Aoibheann spun a turn in mid-flight to dodge Everflame's stream of fire. It gave me time to parry Glenda's sword with my shield, and unsheathe my own sword for battle. The axe struck the ground headfirst.
My dragon was pinned with a neck bite, "Aoibheann!" Her neck writhed in the vice of Everflame's jaws. Aoibheann blasted a stream of fire to make Everflame release her grip on her neck. Everflame's rear teeth gripped around her neck. There are no puncture wounds from her fangs. I moved to evade a slash from Glenda that almost cleaved my face off.
"Glenda, STOP THIS!"
"Giving up already?! What a pity!" replied Glenda loudly and pridefully. If my words won't get through to her, then force have to do. When her slash came down to me, I saw an opening. I saw her shoulder was exposed. I struck her with my shield with enough force to knock her off her saddle. This is not like tales of old. I will not let pride be her demise.
"Everflame! Save her!" I asked of her dragoness, and she flew down at top speed to catch Glenda from falling to her death. I caught my sword by the grip, and Aoibheann flew back down to earth with a gracefulness that dragons are known for. Glenda looked at me as I gave her back her sword. In a match, I would be the victor, but there's more to this
"Finish me,"
I shook my head lightly to her, and pulled back my coif of chainmail, "I cannot, I will not," I said, seeing Glenda on bended knee to me, "the weak cannot forgive, forgiveness is an attribute of the strong, I know you're strong, you tamed a Midland Red-Black, that's gotta count for something," I said, and offered her a hand. Glenda turned her head away.
"Your village won't forgive me," Glenda said, and for the first time since I met her, a heard a sniffle of shame for her deeds against my people. I'm sure she would feel the same if I took Aoibheann to say York or Essex, and decided to torch the crop fields. I grinned warmly to her with my hand offered to her. Glenda is pretty. Her hair is blond like wheat.
"Glenda, why give up if you haven't even tried?" I asked of her, and Glenda accepted the hand up, "come with me," I asked of her, I picked up my axe from the ground, and put in back in the leather loop at my hip. I mounted Aoibheann on her saddle. Glenda did the same to Everflame, and we flew off from the ruins back to my village. I hope this works