Seed of Change

There weren't always dragons in the valley. So it came as a shock when one swooped down over Cal to steal two of his family's prized alpaca . It happened so fast he didn't even register what was going on till the dragon had lifted back off the ground. Cal exhaled in a sigh of defeat, blowing discordant notes through the pipe still placed against his lips, while he watched the dragon glide effortlessly down the mountain side. He could hear the alpacas bleating fade as they soared onward and away. The rest of the flock seemed to be as shocked as himself not having had time to properly digest the terror that should have been coursing through them. They all stared down at the rapidly dwindling mass before turning as one to face him as the sound faded to nothing, clearly wondering what he would do about it.

Cal sighed again, setting down his pipes, unsure how to react to their expectant gazes. He was sure he would never hear the end of this. Shepherding had been his last shot. He was no good at farming, the butcher wanted nothing to do with him, the baker had forced him out after catching him sneak a peek at his daughter and the candlestick maker had been unimpressed by his ideas of making scented candles. He was out of options, and shepherding had been a pretty relaxing gig, up until a giant dragon had yanked his charges into the sky.

"Alright!" he shouted at the expectant flock. "I'll get them back."

He was sure there was nothing to be done. The dragon would most likely have eaten them before he could catch up, but he picked up his staff and began rounding up the remaining alpaca.

• • •

Giselle was whistling a snappy tune, tapping out a rhythm with her feet as she drove her father's wagon to the mill. Her beagle Max would chime in now and then howling his little heart out, and the clip-clop of the horse's hooves kept time. It was a splendid morning, sun shining, birds chirping, honey bees buzzing around. She even caught sight of a hummingbird. She was having a fabulous time, and building up to a crescendo when a turd the size of a small house landed directly in the back of her wagon, generous splashes hitting her and her dog, not to mention swatting the hummingbird out of the air.

"Well crap.'' she scowled.

• • •

Gunther was ready. He'd finished his chores early and ran down to his favorite watering hole to jump in and maybe catch a fish or two for dinner. He was standing on a cliff face holding on to a long braided rope. He jumped, wrapping his legs around the rope, and swung forward shouting in glee. He let go, allowing his feet to swing out and over his head as he transitioned to a swan dive. As his gaze turned downward he beheld a view of the largest fish he'd ever seen swimming just below the surface. He penetrated the water and opened his eyes again. The scales continued endlessly in both directions, and as he rose slowly to the surface, they began rising as well. This was no fish. His head broke through the surface, as another more serpentine, and considerably larger head broke through next to him, and kept on going. Green scales shimmered on a neck longer than the neighboring trees. A slender elegant head looked down at him. It had a rounded beak that seemed to continue uninterrupted along its face as a single piece of shell only to flare up at the neck where a mane of what appeared to be quills larger than spears lay in what appeared to be a relaxed manner.

"Whoa... there buddy" said Gunther, more reverent than fearful.

The dragon seemed to inspect him, turning its head and focusing a single enormous eye on him. It lowered its head allowing Gunther to better grasp the shear size of it as it took him in. When its eye was within arms length, Gunther reached out and scratched the ridges over it. The Dragon blinked, seeming to enjoy the attention.

"That's it buddy," said Gunther," I'm not gonna hurt you."

The dragon shook its head, quills rattling as water sprayed in all directions like a dog drying off.

"Oh you like that huh?"

Gunther tried putting more force into it but couldn't while floating. The dragon seemed to sense what Gunther was up to and lowered its head under water bringing it up under him. It lifted him out of the swimming hole and leaped into the air, water raining off it as Gunther slung on for dear life. He watched the ground fall further and further away as the dragon beat its wings towards some unknown destination.

• • •

Matt and his sons Bruce and Brad were plowing the field when they saw a wagon full of manure climbing up the road towards them. They continued working but as it pulled up next to them Matt was taken aback at the driver.

"Giselle?"

"Hello!" she responded cheerfully. "Any chance you need some fresh manure?"

"How in the world did you get your hands on all that? And why does it look like you're wearing as much of it as you're carrying?"

She grinned, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," he said, "But first let's get you back to the house and clean you up. Brad, would you take her to your mother? Bruce and I will tackle this wagon."

Brad happily laid down his equipment while Bruce scowled at him, eyeing the load of crap he had found himself responsible for.

"Right this way" Brad said offering Giselle his arm. She raised an eyebrow and lifted her arms demonstrating the brown patches and smears covering her.

"Right. Well then, follow me.'

Matt noticed the dejected way his remaining son was looking back and forth between his brother walking off with the girl and the still steaming pile of crap on the wagon, and laughed. "Don't worry son," he said, "I'll shovel the shit, why don't you just keep on plowing."

• • •

Hours later Matt and Bruce returned to the house, to find Giselle, Brad and his mother gathered in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"I didn't think I was giving you the rest of the day off when I sent you home," stated Matt with a glower.

Brad looked up with such a pained expression that Matt couldn't help but laugh. His wife Andrea smacked him with a large wooden spoon.

"Stop giving your son a hard time, he's been helping me. He drew the water for her bath, it had to be refilled three times! And as I've insisted she stay for dinner, he's killed and butchered one of the sows, not to mention the fire wood."

"Alright, Alright,” Matt threw his hands in the air. Giselle sat with her elbows on the counter, face capped in her hands, grinning from ear to ear as she watched the family banter.

"So..." Matt began “What happened?"

Brad and Andrea both jumped in.

"She says it just fell from the sky!"

"A steaming pile of shit..."

"Language!”

Giselle's grin stretched further, and Matt raised an eyebrow at her.

“I told you you'd never believe me! That's basically exactly what happened. Max and I were on our way to the mill, everything was lovely and then, Bam!” she smacked her hands on the table. "It hit my wagon outta nowhere, a bird turd the size of... well you saw it. Suddenly my empty flour-hauler is an overstuffed shit bucket."

"Giselle! Really!" Andrea admonished while the boys were beside themselves, holding their sides laughing.

"The splatter literally took down a passing hummingbird."

The boys howled, Matt chuckled and Andrea tried desperately to maintain her severe expression. Even Max joined in.

"There must be some plausible explanation for this."

"It was a dragon," said a new voice from the door.

"Cal!” Giselle leaped out of her chair to embrace him. "I haven't seen you in ages! You look like hell."

Cal leaned into the embrace as though she was all that was keeping him up.

"Come'ere son," said Matt, "take a seat, have a breather." Andrea poured a glass of water as Matt pulled out a chair.

Cal didn't respond for a moment and seemed to be perfectly content catching his breath in Giselle's arms. Finally he lifted his face from her hair.

"Eau de toilette?" he asked.

"Bastard!" she shrieked, pushing him back and swatting him, as he chuckled.

"So a dragon took a dump in your wagon? I honestly don't know which of us had a crappier day." The boys snickered behind their hands while Matt and Andre tried to maintain composure.

"What happened to you?" Andrea asked.

Giselle returned to her seat, face back in her hands.

"I was watching the flock just up the hill, when a dragon swooped down to grab two and took off. It was gone before I knew what happened. The flock had no idea what hit them."

"Max was also completely unaware." Giselle said, resting her hand on his sympathetically.

Everyone was silent for a minute.

"Dragons in the Valley,” said Matt, “Never thought I'd see the day. Guess we should round up the village council and figure out what to do about it."

• • •