Dragons of Ash Valley

There weren't always dragons in the valley. Or maybe there were and we just didn’t know it. It was only a few years ago that Della Frye and her sister Bonnie had seen one land in the clearing near the edge of Cardstone Forest. Della was around eighteen at the time and Bonnie just thirteen. They’d been gathering whatever it is that girls gather in the forest, and felt the earth shake as the monster hit the ground. Bonnie had, unfortunately been visible from the clearing. Although from Della’s statement on the incident, Bonnie’s scream of terror most certainly would have alerted the dragon to her presence. In a matter of moments the dragon was on top of her, pinning her small form to the ground with its front claw that was as big as a cow. Bonnie’s screams hadn’t lasted long. They were silenced as a sharp talon as long as my forearm pierced her throat. According to Della, her sister’s body twitched for a few moments as her life’s blood soaked the earth beneath her.

Della had said she expected the beast to then eat her sisters’ body as she hid deeper in the forests’ darkness, too afraid to move for fear of being killed herself. The dragon searched the area, looking for anyone else that might have been there. Satisfied it was alone, it shifted and its body changed into that of a man. A very large and naked man. The man then took off running towards the township of Ashbourne.

Once Della felt it was safe, she made her way toward her sister. She wasn’t strong enough to carry her sister home on her own. The pair had walked for an hour or so to find the best mushrooms. So she covered the body as best she could with branches and leaves and rocks to deter scavenging animals and ran as fast as she could back home.

I remember Della bursting through the door of her fathers tavern that day. Her beautiful face was deathly white and tear stained. Her long raven hair stuck to her sweaty skin around her bare shoulders and her forehead. Her chest heaved with every breath as she recounted what had happened.

Elliott Frye immediately closed the tavern and with a small posse of the towns men, myself included, although I was not quite eighteen, went to gather his daughters’ body from the forest. I was invited along as my family had the only spare hay wagon available at the time.

The men followed Della’s directions and took off on their own horses and Della rode with me in the wagon. I questioned her some on the events as we travelled.

“So what did this man look like?” I asked.

Della stared at me with wide eyes. “What?”

“What did he look like? I mean was he tall? What colour hair did he have? Was he fat or thin?”

“Oh my God Fern! I don’t know! It wasn’t as if I was checking him out! I was hiding!” she bit back at me.

“Yeah, ok. I’m sorry.” I decided against anymore questioning. She was probably still in shock over the whole thing anyway.

I focused on guiding the horse and thought I should give the old boy a bit of a flick with the reigns to hurry him up. We had already lost sight of the other men. I clicked my tongue. “Come on Gordan, giddy up.”

The old chestnut Clydesdale cross picked up the pace a bit and we travelled in silence for a while. It had been mid afternoon when Della had first told her story in the tavern and now the sun had started sinking and turning the late summer sky a pale peach colour. The air was growing cool and Della pulled a light woollen shawl over her shoulders. I could hear her sniffing and glanced at her to see that she was crying.

Oh shit! What do I do now? I had no idea what to do with a crying girl. I knew I should say something. Bloody hell, how do you comfort a girl who just saw her little sister slaughtered by a dragon? Come to think of it, how did we even know it was a dragon? Everyone just took her word for it. No one I ever knew had ever seen a real-life dragon. I mean sure we’d read about them in books and heard stories but they were just myths right? And surely they didn’t transform into men! Maybe Della had eaten one of those funny mushrooms that make you see things that aren’t really there.

She sniffed again and wiped at the tears running down her cheeks. She looked so small and vulnerable. My instincts told me I should offer support of some kind, so I shuffled closer to her on the seat. Placing both reigns in one hand, I pulled her close to me and wrapped my free arm around her.

“I don’t know what to say Dell. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this.”

She lay her head on my shoulder. “Thanks Fern.” Was all she said.

That was enough though. I think that was the day I fell in love with Della Frye.

About three weeks after Bonnie’s funeral, Della sought me out. I had been in her father’s tavern again. This time I was legally allowed to be there having turned eighteen the week before. I was sitting with a couple of my friends. Harry and Isaac made themselves scarce when she had approached. I had done nothing but talk about her for weeks and although they ribbed me for my crush, they also understood it and were more than willing to give me any opportunity to spend some time with her.

“Hi Fern.” She said as she took the seat Harry had just vacated.

I tried to be cool. “Della.” I said in a voice as deep as I could make it and offered a small nod of acknowledgement.

Della took a deep breath making her breasts rise. God they were perfect as they strained against her white cotton blouse. She had taken to wearing men’s trousers since the funeral. The other women looked at her weird, judgingly. But I thought she looked beautiful. Hell she could probably wear a potato sack and I would think she was beautiful. She would tuck her white blouse into her trousers and cinch it at her narrow waist with a wide leather belt. Long leather boots worn over the top of the pants showed her shapely legs. Essentially it was the same outfit as I wore myself but I reckon it looked a hell of a lot better on her than it did me. She wore her hair long and loose. Dark waves cascaded down her back and across her shoulders and contrasted brilliantly with piercing blue eyes and creamy pale skin. Mmm, excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor and wipe the drool from my chin. Damn, she was beautiful.

“I wanted to say thank you for being there for me that day. I haven’t really had much of chance to catch up with you.” She said.

“Oh, sure. No big deal. I’m sure anyone would have done the same. I guess I was just the lucky one that was there at the time.” I felt my cheeks redden as she placed her small hand over mine and smiled at me.

“No Fern, there were plenty of others around that day that listened to my story but were too afraid to help us out. You didn’t hesitate. And for that I thank you.”

“Once again Dell, no need to thank me. I’m glad I could be there for you. How have you been anyway?” I asked.

Her smiled faltered and she looked down at the table. She scratched at the timber grain with her fingernail. Another deep breath drew my gaze to her breasts. I could see the rainbow of colours on the opal pendant she wore that sat just above her cleavage through the laces that tied her shirt together across her collarbone.

“Honestly Fern, I am not all that good. I can’t sleep without seeing a replay of what happened. I hate feeling so helpless. It plagues me that somewhere out there is a man that can turn into a dragon, and he murdered my baby sister. I need to find him Fern. He has to pay for what he did.”

“I guess it’s in the hands of the authorities now. I heard that the Mayor has brought in Bounty Hunters to search for the man.”

“Exactly, they’re searching for a man. He could have turned himself back into a dragon and flown off to some other land by now. Its been a month since that day.”

“Mmm, I suppose. You’re right though. I wonder if they thought of that? They really don’t have much else to go on. You said you couldn’t remember any details of the man, so how are they supposed to find him.”

“I know, but since then I have been having random glimpses of memory. I mean, I have remembered some details.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Well, like he was really tall. Really muscly and had dark brown hair. You have to remember that I was a fair distance away and hiding in the forest so I really didn’t have a very good view of the man. But its not the man I really remember. It’s the dragon. He was so large. Like as big as a barn large. He was a reddish-brown colour and his eyes were golden. I also remember he had some kind of a wound on his right shoulder, like a huge gash, and it was bleeding.”

“Well, that is something.” I said as I scratched at the stubble on my chin. “I wonder if the wound on the dragon would also be on the man. That would certainly narrow down the culprits.”

Della’s eyes widened. “Yes, you’re right.” She stopped scratching at the table and placed her hand over mine again. God I could get used to having her touch me with those cool soft hands. I literally shivered at the thought.

“Fern, how would you feel if I asked a favour of you?”

I couldn’t help but smile at her. “Well, that depends on the favour Dell. What do you have in mind?” I knew what I had in mind and my imagination ran wild for a few moments as I felt my pants tighten at the thought of her hands elsewhere on my body.

“Well, I was wondering if you would come with me back to the clearing, where it happened. I went back there just after the funeral. I was hoping to see a dragon again and maybe take note of which direction it came from or something. But after I got there I was freaked out and I couldn’t stay there alone. It was just too, too scary. I told my father and he said I should stay away, but I feel like no one is taking this seriously. Already it seems like they have forgotten or they didn’t believe me. I don’t know about you but I certainly haven’t seen any of these Bounty Hunters that the Mayor is supposed to have hired. I think they all think I’m just a foolish girl who ate a funny mushroom. But it doesn’t explain what happened. You saw Bonnie’s body. A wound like that doesn’t happen from anything human made.”

I thought about what she said. She was right. It was as if the townsfolk had forgotten already. I suppose seeing as there had been no further incidents or sightings of so-called dragons that the mystery of Bonnie’s death remained just that. a mystery. I didn’t think Della was making up stories and I didn’t think she’d eaten a funny mushroom either. What could it hurt to go with her and look around to see if there were any clues left in the forest or the clearing?

“Ok, I’ll go with you. We’ll go tomorrow. You get some packs together for us and I’ll borrow a couple of horses. I’ll meet you here just after dawn.”

The smile on her face was worth it. She leaned forward and hugged me. “Thank you Fern. This means so much.” She stood and I watched her walk up the stairs to the private rooms occupied by her and her father.

Seeing that Della had left me, Harry and Isaac joined me again at the table. Isaac grinning from ear to ear.

“Well then Ferny Boy. What did ya say to earn a hug like that?”

I felt heat rise and flush my cheeks. “Can I borrow a couple of your fathers horses for tomorrow?” I asked him.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. “Ah, now I get it. Goin off on a little romantic adventure for the day are we?”

I responded with a smile and explained the plans Della and I had made.

****

I waited out the front of the tavern for Fern. It was just on dawn when I saw him round the corner leading two horses. It was still the early grey of morning but I could see his brilliant smile as he saw me. He had grown into quite a tall, handsome young man and the physical work of a farmer had broadened his shoulders and given him a very pleasing muscular physique. He wore his light brown hair cut short and his eyes were a deep blue. I was a couple of months older than him and I remembered when we were children I had been much taller than him too. The last couple of years however saw my growth stop and his continue. We had always been friends. Our mothers had been close friends too. It made me sad to think of our mothers. They had gone off one day with a wagon, intent on going to the market the next town over to buy material for some new dresses for Bonnie and me. They never came back. They just disappeared. Our fathers searched for months, but not a single person had seen them. Fern’s father, Jonah, had needed Fern to step up and help out around the farm once he was old enough, and after that we didn’t see each other very often. Our friendship had grown distant. Maybe once a month or so when he came into the tavern to meet up with his other friends. Each time I did see him though, it seemed he grew taller and more handsome.

I passed him one of the bags I had packed and set about securing my own to the horse he had brought for me to ride. He did the same. Neither of us said a word until we were outside the Ashbourne township limits and on the road heading towards the Cardstone Forest.

“Did you tell your father where we were going?” Fern asked.

“No, did you tell yours?”

He laughed. “No.”

That made me giggle. “So nobody knows where we’re going or that we’ve even gone?”

“Actually Harry and Isaac know. But I didn’t tell anyone else.”

“Well at least someone knows to come searching for us if we don’t return.” I said.

“Do you really think those blockheads would think to come looking for us?” Fern laughed.

I thought seriously about that. Harry and Isaac were Fern’s best friends but they weren’t known for being very smart. “Oh God. We’re screwed.” I said then laughed along with Fern.

As the sun rose higher revealing a clear blue sky and the promise of a warm day, we came to edge of the forest. We dismounted the horses and lead them through the thick trees. Fern had thought it best to retrace my steps and so I did. After about twenty minutes I stopped at the spot I had been hiding when the dragon had pinned Bonnie to the ground. Fern had walked over to where Bonnie had died. There was only about fifty metres or so between us. He looked at me.

“Is that exactly where you were standing?” he asked rather loudly.

I nodded and moved slightly to my left and behind some thin scraggly shrubs. “I was here.” I shouted back at him.

Fern looked surprised. “Really? But I can see you. How is it that he didn’t see you and come after you too?”

“I, I don’t know.” I said as I walked toward him. “I was standing very still. Maybe he could only see me if I moved. You know some creatures have bad eyesight.”

Fern only raised an eyebrow at my theory. “So did you see where he landed in the clearing from where you were?” he asked.

I nodded and led him out of the forest. The clearing was lush green grass surrounded on the west and southern sides by the forest and gentle grazing hills to the east. To the north the hills were much steeper as they dipped and rose for several leagues before the Karlgate Mountains. A truly magnificent mountain range that was the natural border between Meshor and Lucreyle. Travelling to Lucreyle from Meshor was a venture fraught with danger. There was no safe passage through the mountains and as such the two countries kept to themselves. There was, however, several small townships between Ashbourne and the mountains so as Meshorians, the Ashbournians mingled and traded with their northern neighbours.

I walked to the very spot I had seen the dragon first land. There was a curious patch of flowers there. As if they grew there just to mark the exact spot. Tiny blue and purple flowers shaped like stars with yellow and white centres. They gave off a delicate scent of sweet vanilla. Fern and I walked around inspecting the ground but found nothing other than the flowers. I picked a few and put them in my pack.

It was now mid-morning and I could literally hear Ferns stomach growling so I suggested we have something to eat. We sat in the grass near the tree line to take advantage of the shade. Our horses, hobbled nearby, became agitated and nervous and I too felt as though we were being watched or something.

I looked around. “Somethings not right Fern.” I said.

He had gotten to his feet and was trying to settle the horses. “You got that right/” he responded.

“Dell, don’t move too suddenly and please don’t panic, but I think I see something in the sky over there.”

“What? Where?”

“Towards the mountains. It seems a fair way off, but I think it’s what has spooked the horses. Let’s move into the trees just to be safe.”

I grabbed our packs and Fern led the horses into the forest. As we were just near the edge, we still had a view of the thing in the sky. Well I knew it wasn’t a thing. It was a dragon. I knew it right to the depths of my soul. And it was coming our way.

In less than a minute, a gigantic beast was circling the clearing. Fern and I were hidden behind an ancient oak tree only about ten metres in from the clearing. Fern was behind me slightly, still holding the horses, praying they didn’t make a noise or try to escape. My heart thudded an erratic beat in my chest.

The dragon landed. Not with a loud crash like last time, but gracefully and almost silently. From our hiding place, I could see this dragon was not the same. Oh it was very similar. It had the same colourings and was just as big, but this one was different. There was more than one I realised. If there was at least two, then it was probably safe to say there was likely more. But where did they come from? If they had been hiding somewhere, then we needed to find out where.

The dragon began to walk toward the forest edge. Straight toward us, like it sensed we were there. I froze, terrified that it would see me. Large golden eyes seemed to look right at me, but right through me at the same time. Like it knew I was there, but it couldn’t see me. Weird.

It sniffed the air and took another step forward and cocked it enormous head to the side as if listening for something. Several birds took off from the branches above us and the dragon darted its gaze toward them as they made their escape. It took one last look toward us before letting go a little snort from its nostrils then backed away a few steps. It launched into the sky and flew back toward the mountain.

We dared to make our way to the edge of the trees and watch where the beast went. Instead of disappearing into the clouds around the mountain top, it dipped down into one of the valleys at the base.

It wasn’t until it was completely out of sight that I turned to Fern and relaxed some. Fern was deathly white. He actually looked like he might faint.

“Fern? Are you alright?” I asked.

“That. That. That was a, a dragon!” he exclaimed.