Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 74

The storm built and built and built. And did not stop building until Marcie was back at the cave and blessedly cool within its depths.

Rumbles in the distance announced its arrival and Marcie instructed Dara to take shelter, he grumbled and groused but his scales quivered whenever the sound of thunder sounded and he slunk as far into the cave as he could but still see the sky, his dark eyes never leaving the heavens, his tail flicking.

Her packs were both sodden with sweat and Marcie lay the clothes and precious things out to inspect them and take stock.

She laid the clothes in a closed basket and placed them at the foot of her bed. Then she did the same with all her precious things but these she instead placed within a crevice in the crystals where they would remain hidden and safe. A secret place she had only stumbled upon by happen stance. Better safe than sorry.

As the storm grew closer Marcie grew restless. She had always loved a good storm and now she had the most spectacular view, but she also knew the dangers of being so high up and so stayed well away from the entrance which Dara guarded.

Being so restless she took a bundle of sticks from her supply pile, tied them together tightly and began sweeping the floor of the cavern. Removing all the piled up dust and pebbles and mud clots into the corners, humming as she did.

Dara shuffled over to watch what she was going, his head titled quizzically to the side. Not understanding, he returned to his vigil at the entrance. Marcie hummed a few lines of 'Barmans daughter' but stopped when something caught her eye. In the steadily growing pile of debris she had been adding too she saw flashes of light, like shards of glass.

She put down the broom and rummaged gently through the pile, and brushed aside dried dirt to reveal a tiny oval shaped piece of black glass. She held it up to the light of the crystals. It reflected the bluish light back at her.

She walked along to where Dara lay crouched at the entrance to the cave and held the the small oval up to his side. It was a smaller version of his large black scales, probably from when he grew bigger, shedding the smaller scales so larger ones could grow underneath. Dara ignored what she was doing, too intent was he on the lightning that periodically crashed across the grey sky.

Intrigued by the tiny scale Marcie returned to her dust pile and rooted around until she found more, then she swept and swept until she had a small pile, enough to hold in both her hands. Resolved to keep them, as a memento and for any possible uses in the future she wrapped them in a skin bag and placed them in the hiding place.

Then, having swept the cave until its rough floor was as smooth and neat as it could possibly get, she went to join Dara. She settled next to his head and watched the amazing display happen over the tops of the trees.

Dara trembled and flinched every time the thunder cracked overhead, and Marcie laughed as her ears popped and the lightning drew incredible shapes across the sky, she leaned on Dara's cheek and laid a hand on his snout, stroking his scales softly and reassuringly. He still growled low enough to vibrate the floor but his tail ceased its relentless twitching and he leaned into her caress.

The storm swept over them and brought with it torrential rain which fell so hard and fast that it drowned out Dara's growling. Strong gusts of wind sent it into the cave and forced Marcie and Dara to move further inwards, but Marcie didn't mind, she felt cosy and warm in her cave with her dragon.

She fell asleep to the sound of the water pouring off the lip of the cave entrance and resolved to find some way of collecting rain water so she would not have to climb down and find a stream every time she got thirsty.

She awoke in the early morning to the sound of...well...silence. The rain had stopped and the world outside the cave was wet and slowly getting hotter again.

After the excitement of the night before she felt bored again. The kind of boredom that left her feeling lethargic. 

Dara woke up when she did and immediately bounded happily out of the cave, opening his wings as he ran and leaping of the edge only to catch the air perfectly and swoop out over the trees.

When his joy did not rouse her from her stupor, Marcie knew the quiet life was simply not for her.

How could she be so unfulfilled with a bloody dragon in her life? How could she possibly make her life any more interesting than it was now?

She stared out over the great forest she had for so long, called home. Thought of all the wonders that it held, of the secrets that had been revealed to her about this marvel of nature. She felt more at home here than anywhere else and yet...

She looked westward, to where the village lay. Then she looked east.

There lay the unknown. The outside.

She had never thought of going there. Never dreamed of it, never thought it was even possible, what with all the dangers one must get through to arrive at the border of The Great Forgotten forest.

Her brother was either dead in the ground or he was there. Outside.

She had not wished to search for him when she first found him gone all those years ago and she still did not. Let him be dead or let him be free. Both options he had chosen for himself and while one was unspeakably better than the other, either way, he had gotten his wish.

With this Marcie knew. She must go back.

She sighed but knew the feeling of a lifting of her shoulders, as though this were the right decision. She did not know what she would do when she did go back, apologise to Miss Maiden, seek out Luce, maybe ask Merrick if he wished to continue where they had left off all those months ago at The passing?

Regardless, she packed only the barest minimum of provisions, left her bow and quiver leaning against the cave wall and set off back to the village and the unknown.