Feathers and Fire

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.

But there were now. Fearsome, feathered beasts that could transform you into a puddle of melted skin and blood with one look into their eyes, so it had been told. They were said to be a green forest color that blended into the trees, and they could be completely invisible if they chose. And they always chose to be invisible. The girl watched silently, hoping, with a little fear, that her eyes would catch one in the distance.

The dragons had moved into the Valley when her grandfather’s grandfather was just a boy. They had, according to legend, been seen regularly then. And the people disappeared more frequently then. Walking in the forest became a hazard that they couldn’t risk and they had moved into the Society, inside the tall, looming Soundless Walls.

She stood on a bluff overlooking the forest. Keen hazel eyes searched for movement, a leaf fluttering in the breeze, the swaying of a tree in the opposite direction of the others, maybe a feathered back sliding into the shadows. But she saw only the vastness of the evergreen Valley. Stories told of the beasts’ grotesque appearance and their ability to kill before you had a chance to hide. Myths really, as no one knew the first person to see a dragon and live. The people, however, still followed a strict routine, going into their homes before the sun's last rays fell behind the flat mountains, maintaining the Soundless Walls, and staying on paths deemed safe by their leaders.

Since the day she’d discovered the small opening that allowed her freedom from the Walls, she had slipped away every chance she got. Only special occupations, such as hunters, soldiers, and traders, were permitted outside the city limits, and even then only with badges obtained from the council. No harm had come to her so far though, and she wasn’t even sure she fully believed the old stories of dragons. Once her work was done for the day, she would spend the hour before lockdown exploring outside, sneaking back in before she was missed.

Gravel fell from the side of the hill as she descended. Her trained feet made no sound, the only resonance was the tiny rocks that hit the ground twenty feet below. Her eyes continued to follow a path around her, above her, behind her, warily seeking movement from the woods as she followed the path into it.

The sound startled her for a split second when she heard it, then she groaned quietly, and turned to face the direction of the village. The bellringer sounded one clang of the bell in the center of town each night to remind the Society that sundown was impending. It was the only sound to be heard from inside the Walls. She hurried back the way she’d come, making sure to move silently as before. She would have to keep the pace quick to make it back through her secret hole and into her home, before doors were checked, but if she hurried she would make it back even before Mama Matal called roll.

~

He watched from the shadows. The light gravel falling had alerted him to her presence, and he’d seen her walking along the bluff. It wasn’t the first time. For months he’d strayed too close to the human village hoping for a glimpse of the rebellious girl who broke the rules to walk the forest. She was the closest he’d gotten to one, and studying her had become his favorite pastime.

She was fascinating to him. Her blond hair was so different from his own deep, black cap. Her skin was much paler than his, and even her hazel eyes that looked like they held glitter, were a change from his dark green eyes. Everything about her begged to be seen, while he was the proud owner of a body built for concealment. He didn’t know her name, or what her voice sounded like, but he knew that he wanted to speak to her. It was forbidden, but he’d watched her for months without being caught. Maybe he could find a way to meet her soon.

His ears flicked at the bell that sounded, its sound gone almost as quickly as it had come. The girl jerked her head back toward the sound, and appeared to heave a heavy sigh, before darting back the way she’d come. He watched her leave, feeling upset that he’d just found her and now she’d gone. His eyes, which could see miles with perfect vision, made sure she’d made it back to the Walls. His feathers receded leaving soft, tan skin now that he didn’t need his camouflage. He grabbed his coat that lay nearby and headed back into the forest.

He moved all of three steps in the direction of home when he saw the shadow. Out of the corner of his right eye, the movement was brief but caught his attention. He spun looking for the creator of the shadow, but for a moment saw nothing. Then, his eyes saw the flutter of leaves and the flowing feathers retreating into the undergrowth. His body grew hot, his own feathers threatening to return. Someone had been watching her too. He immediately melted into the trees, desperately hoping that someone didn’t see him and report him to his father. Or worse. He tried not to go there. He’d have to watch her more closely now, for her own protection. Spinning on his heels, he disappeared into the forest.