It was any normal day for my family and I, we woke up to the morning birds singing, father went hunting to get the mornings meal while Abiagael and I sparred with our favorite weapon. Mine was the swift elegant sword while my younger sisters' was the strong brutish battle ax. The staff was about half her height with a blade that made up the other half of her height. The butt of my sword went to my hip and the blade was as long as my leg. When father brought home breakfast we ate than my sister and I swam our mile. When Abiagael and were done we laid down on the rivers shore letting the sun dry us off, father laying next to us as well.
"Abiagael," he said as we lay in the sun, "Speak the Old Code to me."
"Yes father," Abiageal said sitting up, "A knight is sworn to valor. His heart knows only venture. His blade defends the helpless. His might upholds the weak. His word speaks only truth. His rath undoes the wicked."
"Very good my child," he smiled at her than turned to me, "Now you Ava."
"Yes father," I said kneeling on one knee, "A knight is sworn to valor. His heart knows only venture. His blade defends the helpless. His might upholds the weak. His word speaks only truth. His rath undoes the wicked."
"Well done Ava," father said nodding at me.
"Show off,"Abiagael said sticking her tongue out at me. I returned with my tongue. Father chuckled at the two of us. At noon my sister and I left for a village to get for tonight. Today marked the twelfth year of our names. On this day we always gave father a gift as he gave us one as well. In a way it was Abiagaels' and my birthday. Fathers gifts were thank you gifts for raising us and loving us as his own children. My sister and I rode my horse into a village that provided most of to all of the wheat in the kingdom. Even though I hated coming into any of the villages under the knigs rule I needed wheat to make a special sweet bread for tonight.
"Sister what are we going to give father for tonight," Abiagael asked while she sat in front of me on my horse.
"I don't know little sister we have always made him something," I said as we entered the village surrounded by Devils of wheat.
"Should we make him a special good luck charm for him and the Scarred One?"
"Father could us all the luck he can get," I said chuckling a little.
"I wish there was more we could do for him," Abiagael said leaning against my chest, "He has been becoming very depressed the last few weeks. If he and the Scarred Don't have an egg than he will be alone."
"I do too sister," I said resting my chin on her shoulder, " Father is the last male and the Scarred One is the last female. If they do not have a dragonling than there will be no more dragons in the world. Only the next."
"But he has us Ava," Abiagael said turning to look at me, "We may not be born dragons but we are his daughters and we love him with all our hearts."
"Yes we are his daughters, but we can not give this world new dragon young as we can human babies."
"True but we can protect him and give him tasty sweets like your sweet honey berry bread."
We both laughed and I tickled her neck. We dismounted my horse going into the mill. I bought one bag of flour with some rabbit skins. While I bought the wine Abiagael was able to sneak a barrel of wine from the village leaders house. We were taught not to steal, but we would steal only from the wicked and never the weak.
"Do you think if we gave the wine to father for the Scarred One they will have an egg," Abiagael asked walking on the barrel of causing it to roll as we walked back to my horse.
"Maybe," I smiled at her. Than we both started laughing, "Come on we better get home."
I tied the barrel of wine to the back of my horse, helped my sister mount the horse handing her the bag of flour, than mounting myself in front of her. As we neared the edge of the village a flew over head. Followed By a knight with shoulder length blonde hair armed with a bow and arrow in hand ready to fire. The knight rode past us not even glazing at us, but I was able to clearly see that it was my old mentor Bowen. He chased after the dragon till they disappeared at the bottom of a hill that laid another field of wheat.
"Ava that was the Scarred One," Abiagael said pulling on my dresses sleeve, "We have to help her!"
I nodded turning my horse around but it was already too late. By the time I had gotten my horse running half way there Bowen had come back up the hill with a horn from the Scarred One. The last female dragon was dead. My father was the last dragon of his kind. I sadly turned my horse around heading back home.
"Sis what are we going tell papa," Abiagael asked. I could tell she was worried she only called father " papa" when she was scared or worried.
"I don't know but let's tell him after dinner and gifts," I said looking back at her, "At least let him have some joy in his heart."
"Alright," she said laying her head and body against my back, "Ava. Is papa the last now?"
"Yes he is the last," my voice told how heart broken I was for our father but I tried to stay strong for my sister, "Here lets get a smooth black stone, you carve a symbol in it and we can make it into a charm for father."
"Okay and we can use our hair as rope so he can where it," she said cheerfully.
"Why our hair," I asked chuckling.
"So that he will always have us around so he will never be alone again."
I thought about her reasoning and I agreed. My hair went down past my butt wile Abiagaels' went just above hers'.with both our hair combined it would make a long enough rope to wrap around fathers wrist or one of his horns. As soon as we got home I started making the sweet bread with berries Abiagael had found. When the battens was baking in a makeshift oven we got ready to cut our hair.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this Abby," I asked as we stood underneath the water fall getting our hair wet.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," she said stepping out of the fall.
"I am," I said stepping out of the water pulling out my knife, "But are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure," she said sitting at the rivers bank.
"Alright," I said sitting behind her pulling back her hair, " To your shoulder blades should be long enough."
"Alright just do it."
"One two three," with one swift stroke I cut right throw her hair. At the sound of hair cutting she let out a loud gasp. I held the severed soaking wet hair in my hand starring at it. Abiagael reached her hand behind her head feeling her now short hair than looking into the river.
She then smiled turning to look at me holding out her hand for the knife, "Alright your turn."
I handed her the knife then turned around. She pulled back my hair cutting it the same length as hers. It was one smooth swift motion like my cut. At the sound the blade whooshing through the air and my hair I let out a breath I did not realize I was holding. I looked it to the water to see my now short hair.
"What do you think father will think about our hair," I asked trying to smile at Abiagael. She started laughing nervously and I did too.
I briaded our hair together making a rope while Abiagael carved a symbol of love into a smooth black river stone. While she made the charm for father I went into our cave to check on the gift father and I had been making for her. It was her very own suit of armor from my old armor reformed by fathers fire. Before father came home with dinner I finished carving an image of fathers' face onto the chest plate. Father brought home two bucks for dinner and we cooked them both while Abiagael sang to us while we cooked. After dinner we sat around a large fire starring up at the stars Abiagael and I finding shapes in the many stars. We kept our hair hidden under cloaked hoods till we gave him the charm. Than we removed our hoods. Father saw our hair and had a look of shock on his face.
"Please don't be mad father,"Abiagael said looking at the ground, "It was my idea to us our hair as rope for your charm."
"We wanted you to always have a piece of us even when we weren't with you," I said, "We didn't want you to be alone."
We waited for his response but he said nothing. We were all quite the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the songs of the crickets. My sister and I looked at the ground, than father pulled both of us to his chest. I felt something warm and wet fall onto my head and shoulder. I looked up to see father crying.
"Father why are you crying," I asked.
"Papa," Abiagael said looking up at him.
"My sweet girls," father said sobbing craning his neck so his jaw bone rested against our backs, "My sweet kind daughters. My loving daughters. I could careless that I am the last of my kind. I am not alone now that I have such sweet kind and loving daughters in my life. My sweet Ava I am crying because I am happy. I love you, Ava. I love you, Abiagael. I love you both so much."
Tears formed in my eyes at my fathers words. The words of a father who truly loved me with all his heart. I couldn't help but start sobbing into his neck.
"You're not mad about our hair," Abiagael asked.
"No my child I could never be mad at your kindness," father said nudging her with his cheek. Abiagael than started crying as well hugging our father.
"I love you too father," I sobbed hugging him tighter, "I love you so much father!"
"I love you too papa," Abiagael sobbed into his neck. We stayed that way for most of the night. Holding each other crying tears of love and joy. When we finally calmed down we cuddled close to each other against fathers' chest his arm wrapped around us keeping us close to him. We looked up at the stars enjoying the peace before Abiagael jumped up to her feet motioning father to come closer to her level than whispered something into his ear. He nodded to her and she ran into the forest.
"What was that about," I asked looking up at father.
He smiled at me than nudging me to stand up and towards the cave, "You should go and get your sisters girt."
I Rasheed my eyebrow but shrugged it off and went into the cave bringing out a large shack full of my old armor. When I came out of the cave Abiagael stood in front of father grinning ear to ear with a scarecrow dressed in full armor with a sword hanging at its side.
"Suprise," she yelled running to me nearly tackling me with a hug, "Happy Birthday Ava!"
"Thank you Abiagael," I said hugging her back, "Happy Birthday Abiagael. I'm sorry my gift isn't as well presented as yours is."
"That's okay," she said smiling up at me. I smiled back at her handing her the bag of her armor. Her smile widened as she opened the bag and pulled out the chest plate dancing around. I smiled at her than walked over the armored scare crow. The armor was well made and shaped to match my curves perfectly. On the chest plate was a carving of an almost mirrored image I made on Abiagaels'.
"Did you help her make this," I asked father.
He smiled and nodded at me, "I worked with both of your amor so I have full confidence in its ability to protect both my daughters if and when the time the time is needed of it."
I smiled at him turning to Abiagael trying on her armor swinging her battle ax fighting an invisible army. After her 'Great Battle' was won she fell asleep against fathers stomach still wearing her armor while I slept against his chest listening to his heart beat. It seemed to sound more whole that night beating almost at the same time as mine.
Hope you enjoy this chapter sorry it took me a little longer to get it posted than the others. Please review I love hearing what you have to say about the story.