The Dragon Rider Vol.1 [PUBLISHED & AVAILABLE ON AUDIBLE]

Three

           

"Abagail, Slow down!" Alex yelled from behind me. Dodging a tree branch, I ignored him as I continued to run towards the cliff just outside the village. I needed to see Marcus's dragon, I needed confirmation that he was here and if he was, why he hadn't come to see me.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed a tree root sticking up from under the ground, causing my foot to get snagged, tripping me to the dirty floor below. I landed on the ground with a loud thud. Hissing in pain from my wrist, I looked down at the small cloth Prince William had wrapped around my wrist. It was slightly red from my own blood, causing me to panic.

"Are you alright?" Kneeling down in front of me, Alex took my wrist in his hands, causing me to wince from the sudden tug. He released my hand with a frown. "You should go to the healers and see if they can help you."

"I am not going to someone who thinks they have the power to heal. You know as well as I do that those old ladies are just fooling everyone."

Alex sighed at my words. "At least let me take you home. You need to clean that. Who knows what the rogue had used that blade for." Just at the mere thought of the things he could have done with the blade, I felt bile rise in my throat. Breathing out heavily and giving in, I nodded.

Although I wanted to see Marcus dearly, I knew that if I left my wound untreated, my wrist would only become infected. Placing his arms under my armpits, Alex hauled me up to my feet. Looking off into the distance, I could faintly see the cliff. I felt my legs itching to run, but before I was able to, I was lifted into Alex's arms. Frowning down at him, I watched as a smug look crossed his face.

"If you try anything, Alex Dwell, I swear today will be your last living day." I threatened. It's not that I didn't trust him; I just knew what he was like with the other women in the field.

Laughing, Alex shook his head. "You really think—"

Pulling out my knife from its holster, I held it at his throat. He looked at me with eyes full of horror. "What were you going to say?"

I watched as his throat bob up and down, fear had obviously taken over him. "I told you. I may be a girl, but I can still lay you on the ground and beat you. Remember that."

"Yes, it's quite hard to forget when you have a knife held to my throat."

Shaking my head, I placed the knife back into its holster. I knew I had gone too far, but I needed him to realize I'm not just any other girl from the village. I was capable of looking after myself. I didn't need someone protecting me.

Once we reached the small hut of my home, I noticed the front door open. I knew mother was home cleaning up the mess that the rogues had left. Hell, most of the village had been raided in the attack. Surely, they had done that on the orders from the Dark King Tobin. He knew we supplied the Dragon Riders and the soldiers with weapons. Considering that one of the sword makers were killed in the attack along with his family, it would take months before we could have the amount of weapons taken replaced again.

Once Alex placed me on the ground, I walked into the small hut. He had left to see his mother and father. Apparently, his mother had been injured but was saved by Markus. At that moment, I wished it had been me saved by him instead.

Pushing the thoughts out of my head, I walked deeper into the hut. "Oh no..." I whispered. The whole inside of the hut had been destroyed. It was a miracle that it was still standing. The support beam in the middle that held the roof up had been broken, causing it to sit at an odd angle.

Mother stood as she attempted to get the remainder of our things, but I knew from the look of the inside that there couldn't have been much saved. "Mother?" I whispered. A small sob escaped her lips, catching me off guard.