Chapter Fourteen
He’d said no. He’d meant it too. He was angry, had every right to be angry. She had gone off when he’d said for her not too. So what it meant a mammoth? She’d also found a dragon, one of the creatures that would do anything to kill her! Had she thought about that? No! She’d told him they would bring the dragon back, and he’d said no.
So then, why was he dragging the dragon back to the bone pile, while Dekani transported the meat? Somehow, while cutting the new carcass up, his little one had managed to get him to agree with her. He wasn’t happy about it, oh no! Chosen of Dekalagh? More like Warrior of Dekalagh! Couldn’t even listen to a dragon about other dragons…
Dekani ignored Nakomii’s mutterings, instead focusing on the work. She was already starting to get tired, and they weren’t even halfway back to the bone pile… home, perhaps? But no, she would have to work past the exhaustion, and just keep going. Because, otherwise, they wouldn’t keep the meat. Because, otherwise, Nakomii would abandon the hurt dragon for her.
Dekani couldn’t shake a feeling, when she looked at the black and gold dragon, that she had seen something similar. But she couldn’t place where, or what. Probably in the past, and due to her faulty memory she couldn’t recall it. Still... hadn’t the dragon that killed her mother been a golden color? But that wasn’t quite right…
Growling, Dekani went back for the last large slab of meat, hissing and spitting at scavengers that made as if to try to eat her food. Her good hand lashed out, claws ripping into a side. With a yelp, the scavengers backed off, the injured one limping a ways. Dekani hoisted the meat onto her shoulder, and went back to Nakomii.
He had stopped by the meat pile. She lifted one brow, and he nodded behind him. There was the dragon that was injured. “Nakomii,” Dekani said, her breath coming a little harshly. “Keep pulling her to the bone pile. Don’t stop.”
Nakomii lifted his head, and his gaze suddenly, quite unpredicted, sent a jolt of fear through her. It wasn’t because he was angry, she could deal with that. No, it was the way he narrowed his eyes at her, the barest hint of lifting lips, the flexing of his claws. And then Dekani looked back at the injured dragon, and thought she knew why he acted the way he did. But she wasn’t sure. Still…
“Nakomii.” It was the first time she’d used that tone of voice on him. Nakomii struggled to rise from his stupor, and looked at her. “Nakomii, you have to take the dragon to the bone pile. You have to do that, Nakomii. Otherwise she won’t live. Come on, Nakomii, I can’t drag her, you have to do it yourself.” That sounded reasonable. Though, why, he didn’t know. Nor did he quite understand why he had to struggle to think, but the more he thought about it, the easier it became.
So, Nakomii started to drag the dragon again, remembering that he was angry at Dekani and didn’t want to do this, but he didn’t let go of the dragon’s neck either. He could, Dekani couldn’t drag her, but…
Wait, her? Oh, Mother! No wonder he could barely think! It was spring, there was a female dragon in his jaws… stupid! He’d have to stay away then, simply because, well… she was injured.
Dekani sighed as the last of the meat was placed under the rib bones, and stretched backwards. Her fingers flexed, and then she relaxed. Only then did she realize that Nakomii was staring at her strangely, but she waved it off.
“Nakomii, where’s the dragon?” Dekani didn’t use the soft tone of voice, just her normal one, and tilted her head. Nakomii nodded to the pelvic bone, and Dekani sighed. Of course, in her sleeping area, why not?
“I’m going to stay away for a few days. You can handle yourself?”
Dekani lifted an eyebrow, mouth twisting to the side. One moment she couldn't walk without his help, and the next she could fight a dragon? Well, she wasn’t going to question his sudden trust in her strength, so she nodded.
“Of course.” Nakomii nodded, and turned. Headed off to the watering hole, she guessed. Or the stream she had followed… how long ago it seemed! And it probably was a long time.
Turning back towards the injured, unconscious dragon, Dekani sighed.
Well, she had her work cut out for her. She wasn’t good at this sort of thing.
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Tora Rashia frowned as he heard the ruckus sound of several male dragons, all laughing and shouting. They’d gotten into the grain grass again. For the love of the Father and the Mother! Could they not go one week without ending up drunk? It went against what the Parents wanted for the chosen children…
Growling, the old dragon did his best to stalk forwards, though it was more like a painful hobble. He hadn’t truly stalked, not for… oh, it had to be three centuries, at least. Parents, he was old!
Tora Rashia stopped as he nearly stumbled over Finti. The gold and red dragon looked up at him and hiccupped. Obelisk was clearly trying to tell a story, but it was so convoluted and mixed with drunken laughter that tora Rashia could only guess that it was about the pest hunt and Nakomii. Sparing a wish that he was as young as these… idiots, tora Rashia lifted his head.
“Stop this at once! Do you not know how disobedient you are being? One of the commands, by the Parents, is that becoming drunk on grass grain is prohibited!” Tora Rashia breathed hard, glaring at each and every dragon there. The only one not to fall silent under his angry gaze was Obelisk, who was quite possibly the most drunk.
Weaving and stumbling, the black dragon made his way over, and tora Rashia had to order his limbs to stop trembling. Even drunk, Obelisk was bigger, stronger, and of course he was younger then tora Rashia… but then, it was likely that tora Rashia was older then many of the trees on the mountain…
“Grandfather! Welcome! Have you come to tell us stories, and learn of my own? I shall tell you, so that you may memorize it!” Laughing, Obelisk threw an arm over Rashia’s shoulders, and the older dragon winced, and shrugged the arm off.
“Silence!” He roared, voice stronger then it had been in many years. “You disrespectful snake! The Mother is shamed by your behavior! The Father turns his face from you! Yes, you, who will join Gimik in the fires under the earth, to be trapped for eternity!” Lifting onto his hind legs, tora Rashia spread his wings and swayed, before finding his balance. Sunlight streamed through his leaf thin wings, outlining his skeletal body.
Obelisk looked away, his expression sullen. “Come now, Rashia, you’re spoiling our fun.”
Many of the other dragons shuffled away, Finti the fastest, almost tripping over his own paws. Tora Rashia’s face looked like a thundercloud, and for once his bright blue eyes were fully visible. Obelisk didn’t even see the paw that was suddenly snapping his head to the side, claws tearing along his cheek.
“Such disrespect! You-”
Obelisk turned to look at him, and tora Rashia paused. Fear spiked through him, and he gasped as if he’d been hit.
“Rashia… perhaps you should leave. I don’t think this is the best place for such an old dragon, do you?” Obelisk’s voice was soft… deadly… Tora Rashia swallowed, and then lowered himself to all fours.
Finally, joints protesting each movement, he turned and left. He’d stay in his den, then.
And, at least Nym and Nakomii knew the stories.
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Dekani looked away to the blurry horizon, then down at her hand. She flexed her fingers, and watched the tendons jump and the skin flex. Oh yes, was she bored. And she didn’t like it.
The problem, she thought, with having food right there and not having to hunt, or find a place to sleep, is that it leaves too much time to think. And she wasn’t used to it still, so…
Shifting again on her perch, she stiffened at the sound of movement below. Maybe stuffing the dragon’s throat with meat had helped, but now the dragon was awake… What was she afraid of? Just because Nakomii acted as if she was something fragile… By the Mother, she was frightened! Well, she’d just have to not be afraid.
Jumping down off the rib, Dekani flexed her knees to break the fall, and then watched the dragon, whose eyes were closed. If she had eyes.
Ears flicking, Dekani moved closer too, and hissed. The dragon jumped, wings spreading and bumping into bone. With a yelp, the dragon stopped moving, and Dekani blinked.
“You don’t have to worry. You’re safe here.” What else did one do for a greeting… Oh, right! Names! “My name is Dekani. What’s yours?” Feeling absurdly pleased with herself for remembering, Dekani squatted down on the ground.
The dragon sighed, the sound pleasant to Dekani’s ear. It was a feminine sound, so she had been right. “My name is Nym. Thank you for rescuing me, Dekani.”
Dekani nodded, then wondered if Nym could see that. So she spoke. “You’re welcome, Nym. Why were you out in the plains, anyway?”
Nym sighed again, and Dekani felt one ear twitch. Couldn’t she do anything else? “I was looking for someone.”
“Who?” Dekani felt a surge of… something. She hadn’t felt the feeling in a long time, and a growl started to build in her throat. There were more intruders? One she could handle, Nym she could handle, but two? Or three? Feeling her nails start to dig into her palm, Dekani glanced down and then rolled her eyes. Yeah, okay then.
“A dragon male named Nakomii. Have you heard of him?” Finally, Nym opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred, the result, she supposed, of being unconscious, but it would go away. The white form in front of her bobbed, and she could only assume Dekani, a chosen of Dekalagh if there ever was one, was nodding.
“Yes. He’s the one that brought you here.”
Nym’s brows furrowed. “So you’re a healer then?”
“No… If I was, I’d be able to take care of my shoulder and arm. But I’m not… Nakomii took care of me, so I think that makes him a healer…” Dekani sounded puzzled, and Nym was too tired to correct the assumption.
“Yes… Well… Good sleep…” Eyes closing again, Nym fell asleep.
