Heart of Ice

I soar over the trees, stretching my large, dark blue wings, as they glisten in the rays of the fading sunlight. I enjoy the feeling of the wind blowing across my scales and smelling the crisp winter air as I take a deep breath in. After 250 years of living, I've decided that winter is the best season and no one can change my mind. For me, there's not even the drawback of less food since I can just fly to another area, I think, as I begin my dive for the doe whose scent I caught on my inhale.

I take my time enjoying my meal. I leave the foal alone to figure things out without its mother and decide to call it a night. I'm heading towards a cave I saw nearby when I hear rustling and struggling. I wait, watching the moving bush curiously. After a moment, a squirrel runs out of the bush followed by a human child. The child face plants as the squirrel gets away. It sighs, then starts to get up, freezing when we make eye contact. The child is small, both young and undernourished. I wonder briefly if it's lost, then decide I don't care. The scrawny thing is of no use to me- as food or otherwise. I walk away, leaving it to attempt to fend for itself like the foal earlier.

"Mr. Dragon!" the child calls as I leave. I ignore it. "Mr. Dragon, you not gonna eat me?" The cave I saw should be close by now, perhaps just around the group of trees in front of me. "Mr. Dragon! If you not gonna eat me, then I'll just go with you. Did you know people sometimes be dragon friends. You think we can be dragon friends, Mr. Dragon? It's okay if you don' wanna say anything. I can talk for both of us! Did you know that-"

I turn towards it quickly with a loud growl, large snarl, and a puff of steam. The child only smiles.

"You not gonna eat me now," it says. Which is a correct assessment. If I was going to eat it, I'd have done it already. Smart kid. Though perhaps I'll kill it so it'll leave me alone. Not really my style- killing for sport is just wasteful- but perhaps I can make an exception for this annoying pipsqueak.

"I don't have to eat you to kill you," I say into its mind. The eyes widen in fear and, satisfied, I turn and continue to the cave.

The child is quiet after that, but it still follows me. How annoying. I breathe a sigh of frustration as I finally arrive at the cave. I go inside, but stop when the child attempts to follow. I turn around to look at it.

"Go back to your parents, little human baby," I tell it.

"I's not a baby!" it yells back. "I's four years old!"

"No matter," I say. "Return to your parents."

"I can't. I don' know where they are."

"Well, find the nearest humans, then, and leave me alone."

"Awwww! Can't I just stay with you, Mr. Dragon?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No." As the child continues to plead, I leave the cave and knock down a nearby tree. I push it close to the cave entrance, go inside with the child outside, pull the tree close so it blocks the entrance completely and then set it on fire. The child yelps as the tree catches and quickly backs away. Satisfied it will leave me be, I settle in for the night.

~

I wake to the sound of birds singing their morning songs and early sunlight shining into the cave above the burnt tree. I peer over the downed tree, and not seeing, smelling, or hearing the child, I knock the tree out of the way of the exit and happily begin on my way. I've only made it two steps out of the cave when I notice a small pile of fire-root nearby. Fire-root is great for a dragon's health and absolutely delicious. It's like the best kind of spicy dessert, but quite difficult for a dragon my size to get to without ruining, as it's found inside the root of the redwood bush. Clever kid to have made himself of use to me, I think as I eat the pile of fire-root. I sigh happily as I finish the tasty morsel. The child isn't around now so I take off on foot to find breakfast.

I have boar for breakfast, then lounge in the warm sun to wait with the leftovers. About an hour later, the child appears looking nervous.

"H-hello Mr. Dragon. Did you like my gift?"

"Eat," I say, then cook the leftovers with a slow exhale of fire. The child smiles brightly then begins to eat, silent for a few blissful moments.

"This is so good!" the child says with its mouth full. A response is apparently not needed as it continues talking and eating at the same time.

"Thank you lots for savin' it for me. I didn't really know if you'd like the fire-root but I 'member dragons like fire-root and you're a dragon. Right, Mr. Dragon? It was easy for me to get and I didn't think you'd-"

I get up and take to the sky. There's no way I can handle all this chatter. Not even for the delicious fire-root... maybe.