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

Four

After handing mother the basket full of now clean vegetables, I ran to what was left of our hut. Although it had not been repaired, I needed to change my top before anyone could see my mark. Although Aurora told me to show myself when the riders come for me, I didn't want to do that. After the attack on the village, I couldn't see myself leaving my mother. I could just picture the hurt in her eyes when she found out that I was the new rider, after all those years of telling me it was impossible. She'd already lost so much of what our family was between father and the damage to the hut, how could I tell her she was going to lose me too?

Biting my bottom lip, I crawled through our hut towards my nap sack and bag. Inside the old bag were some worn out and tatted clothes. Rummaging through the bag, I heard the sound of the floorboards creaking, stopping my hand mid search.

Turning my head slightly, I could see someone walking around in our hut, but I didn't know whose shoes they were. Fear surged through me as my heart rate picked up.

Abagail, what's wrong? Aurora asked.

Not replying, I breathed as quietly as I could through my nose. Slowly bringing my hand out of the bag, I reached down to the knife strapped tightly to my thigh. Pulling the knife out of its holster, it made a soft clicking sound, causing the person to stop.

Freezing, I waited for the person to move. Watching them bend down to see under the pillar I was currently under; I gripped the blade tighter in my hands. As the person's face came into view, I sighed in relief at who I could see.

"Do you have a death wish or what Alex?" I said, letting out an exasperated sigh. Condescendingly, Alex bent down a little more before eyeing the blade in my hand.

"Were you really going to use that?" He asked, pointing to the knife still tightly wrapped in my hand.

"If I didn't notice your ugly face then yes, I was going to use it on you. Why didn't you make any sound?"

"Well, I didn't exactly think anyone was going to be in here now, did I?" Tilting his head to the side, that familiar smirk annoyingly graced his lip once more. "What were you doing in here anyway?"

Pointing to my bag, I reached in before grabbing the top I had wanted. "I was going to change into this."

Frowning, he looked at me. "Why? It's not like the one you're wearing is dirty."

"I know, but I felt like changing. Now if you don't mind... I would like to change."

Continuing to smirk, he looked me up and down. "I don't mind if you change right—"

Stopping his words mid-sentence, he looked at the blade that had landed inches away from his face before looking back at me. "You were saying?"

Watching his throat move in fear, I waited for a response we both knew was never coming. Placing his hands in the air, I watched him slowly retreated back to the front of the hut. In solitude once again, I closed my eyes and sighed. Fear gripped my chest as I thought back to what had happened earlier by the river.

How was I going to keep this from my mother? Better yet how was I going to keep it from the town when the riders came for me? I knew they were coming here tomorrow to help re-build our village, but if the priests put down the town's name, then it meant they would be here before day break.

After changing into my new top, I headed back towards the farming area. The women in the fields were working harder than before to save some of the crops. Most of it was destroyed in the attack; although damaged, some of the crops could be saved and taken to town to sell.