Great Feats of Beasts

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Once it was green, and to see it from the hills that surrounded the long, lush crevice, was to own understanding of the colour. When the dragons came, they began to alter the topography. Slowly, at first, by clearing trees that caused erosion, which encouraged mud slides, until eventually all the people of the Three Families understood it to be part of a larger plan.

The dragons engineered a dam at the North end of the valley where the cold mountain water ran swiftly through the land below. The river changed its course to run around the West rise. The flood displaced the villagers who farmed there further to the West, however no homes or lives were lost as a large breaker wall of mountain stone was built, seemly overnight, to protect them. The deviated water found its path again to the South of the Valley and most people approved of the change, even if they had to resettle. The irrigated soil was richer, and crops grew larger than ever before.

The East side of the valley became increasingly eroded and scorched. The elder dragons dug larger holes from the pits of fallen trees and filled them with coal and ash for their baths. It was no longer feasible for the Three Families who had always occupied the land to stay.

The Three Families tried, in the beginning, to fight off the dragons, to save the only land most members of the large families had ever know, but once the eldest Vardon son was lost, after aggravating one of the medium sized beasts, they gave up and decided to move West as a community.

Each day of their slow move towards the opposite slope of the valley, they woke to some kind of offering, left by silent, unseen creatures during the night - each time alluding the centuries on watch. One day, a large mountain lion, who had been stalking them, waiting for one of the children or the animals to wander from the group, was found laid out, dead, for them to fear no more. And then, several scorched pheasants which went to the grandmothers to make stew enough to feed all the travelers. Each day new little treasures of gold and glitz were found along their path West, as if left purposely to lead the way. It became a game amongst the many children who could find the most gold each day of travel.

It seemed, to young Cameron of the Winkstons family, that the dragons were trying to make peace and apologize, in their own way, for the death of the Vardon son, and for the displacement of the community. He could sense how smart and sensitive the large dragons must be. He vowed to study them, and hoped he could figure out how to keep the peace. He watched Dean Vardon, head of the Vardon family, very closely, for Cam himself was a sensitive boy. He knew resentment and unseen pain could build to dangerous levels in men. Dean Vardon did not hide his hatred towards the beasts. He kept on with his suggestions of using more men, of clever traps, of how to end the Valleys “takeover” for good. The other adults listened but no one ever volunteered, as some had begun to see the powerful beasts as potential allies. Afterall, hadn’t they shown remorse by giving them gifts and protecting the community as they relocated?

On the twelfth day of travel the families came upon a plot of newly cleared land. Felled trees were stacked in neat piles of lumber, perfect for building. They decided to set camp and sent scouts to check out the surrounding lands and report back. Whose plot was this and would they make agreeable neighbors? It was discovered that two other freshly cleared plots of land were further to the West and it was believed the dragons had once again assisted them by clearing the land – a task it would have taken the whole community months to complete unaided.

That evening, it was decided each family would slaughter two animals – one to roast in a celebration feast and one as an offering to the dragons. Of course, Dean Vardon refused an animal for sacrifice to the dragons but did offer his family's most impressive hog for the feast.

A large frame was erected, which later became the trail marker for the Winkston property. That evening the community strung up their offerings and got their first good look at the dragons. Two came; a large female and a medium sized male – possibly even the one who was responsible for the death of Zander Vardon. They floated down with surprising stealth for such large beasts. In total control of the winds, it seemed to Cam.

The female moved forward and bowed deeply in the direction of Cam’s grandmother, the eldest woman of the community. When Cam’s father, Victor Winkston stepped forward, the dragon dipped her long snout in his direction. She then stood tall, opened her wing towards the smaller dragon who stepped into her shade and bowed low towards the Vardon family. Dean crossed his arms and spun his back to the dragon's submission. The female grunted and the young dragon turned his bow into a roll, exposing the billows of his belly.

The children, having seen this submissive behaviour from the family dogs, charged the dragon. Before any adults warning could be voiced, or action be taken, they had swarmed the beast, giggling and marveling at the softness of scales they had imagined to be rough as iron. Cam stood transfixed before the elder female whom he couldn't help but intuit as being amused by the children's ambush. To his credit, the child-riddled dragon was careful to avoid crushing or piercing any soft child skin as he gently removed them and placed them on the ground before raising again.

The two dragons exchanged nods, and the younger one took flight, pausing to clutch the two offerings in the same talons still warmed by the supple flesh of children. The female bowed deeply again, with closed eyes. When she opened them, Cam was struck with the beauty and depth of their emerald glow. When she winked, he swore it was at him. She then shot straight upwards in flight, causing all to voice their marvel. They watched as she put on an aerial display over the valley, swoops, dips, rolls and loops until she was out of slight.

All agreed, except Dean Vardon, of course, that their first real interaction with the dragons had been a success. They had, between man and beast, settled on a peaceful cohabitation of their Valley home. The community members judged it was a week on foot to where the dragons had settled. More days than they cared to travel in the direction opposite to the new river, and any trading to be done, that they would have no reason to infringe on the dragon's territory.

For young Cameron Winkston, meeting the dragons was the catalyst for his life’s great works. He had seen in another species, for the first time, the type of care and ingenuity that he had been taught only existed in his fellow man. He was determined to learn about them, and any other cunning creatures he could, and share his findings with others.