Sleepless Nights

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. But they’d been there long enough to weave legends. Most memory of them now was like mist blown on a westward wind. But there were still those who sought to protect them. These rebellious few were in as much danger as the creatures themselves, risking their lives to fight for a greater freedom. But with great deeds come great consequences.

And it is in such places that stories like ours begin.

We begin on a dark and rainy night in a forest far from rhyme or recognition. On this night the rain pelted with so much force its fateful pounding was the only sound to be heard. Suddenly, a deadly flash! A whip of white! A lethal streak of red! The ungodly sound of galloping horse hooves.

To those who called this place their home, seeing or hearing this combination would have resulted in an immediate evacuation. But since you, dear reader, have not been raised in such a vile land, you may stand confused. The red was the capes of the King’s fiercest guard. The white? Their horses, with foaming mouths and unafraid to trample anyone who got in their way.

Tonight, they hunted prey far different from the usual fox, rabbit, or runaway. They searched for a prize more valuable than all the treasure in the kingdom. Or rather, they hunted for the one who had stolen this treasure.

The wind blew wildly as the horses galloped, breaking down branches and forest ferns.

Not far ahead of the guard was a girl, gasping for breath, raindrops draining across her face. She wore a green cloak, but it did little to shield her from the elements. She cradled a wooden box under her cloak, hoping that what it contained would be protected from the pouring rain. As quickly as she could, she broke through the dense bushes of the surrounding forest; sweat, tears, and rain covered her frightened face. Her cloak was snagged, her dress caught on the thorns of wild roses.

The galloping behind her got closer...and closer. Ducking behind a tall pine, she crouched as low to the ground as possible, praying that the horsed troupes would pass her by.

But the captain of the guard seemed to sense that the thief had stopped on the trail. Mere feet away from the girl he dismounted, swinging his armor-clad body from his stallion.

The girl didn't dare to breathe. She knew these men were trained to hunt and kill. They never missed a target. Never lost a hunt. Never failed.

The box pushed its way into her side as she used her body as a cloaking shield. The captain stood, listening. His troupes silently sat staring through the rain... waiting for his command. Minutes seemed like hours in the silence. As silently as he had dismounted, the captain jumped back on his horse, raising his right hand for the others to follow.

They rode away into the night.

The girl sighed in relief. Hope returned to her that she would, somehow, be able to finish her quest: save the stolen relic, which meant so much to those who had come before her. For she was a Keeper. A guardian of all that was sacred in the land. She was to protect this, the last dragon egg, at all costs. Even to the point of death. She waited silently for a moment. The rain slowed to a misty drizzle.

Shivering, she rose to her feet, taking a few steps from the safety of the pine boughs.

Suddenly she heard a swooshing noise and felt a stinging pain in her arm. Trying not to scream, she looked down to see the red-feathered arrow of the royal guard.

She knew each arrow was tipped in the deadliest poison and that she now had only hours to live. Just long enough to be caught and interrogated by the guard. Breaking off the end of the arrow, she turned quickly, running as fast as she could. The yell from the captain behind her seemed to drive her feet faster than before.

She had to make it out of the forest.

Just beyond the forest.

Sweat blurred her vision. Her heart raced, aware of the poisoning seeping toward it with every pulse. After running for what felt like hours, she finally saw a clearing up ahead. She supposed the guard has slowed their pace since they knew she would not get far wounded and carrying a parcel.

Her arm stung more than she ever thought was possible.

The clearing she had found opened to the central Valley. She would not be as well protected there, but she could travel more swiftly.

The heavy rain began again, the sheet of water made it almost impossible for her to see. She stumbled, feeling the effects of the poison, welcomed by the early hours of the morning. With the new dawn, the rain cleared, and the sun shone on the stream that ran adjacent. It would have been beautiful to someone, somewhere, at another time and place.

In a fevered walk, she stumbled until finally, she saw what appeared to be a door on the other side of the beaten path. Confused, but not knowing what else to do, she knocked...two quick taps and with the last of her strength...one slow. She took the concealed package from under her cloak, using all of her strength to hold it. She opened the box and set down the green package, tied with twine. The scribbled note she had found with the box she slipped back in. For she knew this was the end of her journey. She slumped to the ground, the poison taking over the last of her body. Her brown eyes closed on the green box. "Goodbye," she whispered, vanishing in a whiff of smoke.