When a Dragon Weeps

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley,” Sarah said to herself as she stared at the huge claws in front of her. “Now I guess I get to be eaten instead of beaten.” She heard cursing behind her, Doug had stopped chasing and tried to back pedal from the creature in front of the one he was after.

“Not unless you want to be.” Said a voice inside her head. “Why is this man chasing you?” Doug was trying to back off now, but the wing tip of the dragon was poking him in the back. He was now petrified, and the huge dragon head reached out and sniffed him. “He smells putrid.” The voice which Sarah decided had to be the dragon said to her.

Her eyes traveled up the front legs of the shiny blue creature, the chest was massive. Her eyes traveled along the neck and Sarah realized the dragon was now looking down on her, wide flaring nostrils that still looked delicate on the snout of the giant creature. “He wants me to be his slave, he caught me and chained me in his house, and he makes me work whenever he is not beating me. He says one day when I am older, and bigger, he will breed me.” Big tears formed in Sarah small eyes, and she sat down seeming to accept the fate the dragon had for her.

Deciding the small human in front of her was still a child the dragon poked the man again and he let out a yelp. The nostrils flared and the golden eyes glared in the man’s direction. “You have a nasty spirit and are guilty of abusive behavior towards a child, therefore you are finished.” The scream coming from Doug was short lived as the dragon toasted him right then and there. Sarah’s eyes went wide, and she stared at pile of ash that had been her nemesis.” Now then little one, where is your home? I shall take you there.” The dragon asked gently.

Sarah was still trembling her soft green eyes were now wide with fear. “Are you going to eat me now?” She asked as she pushed the strands of honey colored hair from her face. The dragon smiled as much as a dragon can smile, she could not help toying with the child.

“You are rather thin and quite small,” Sarah had not reached four feet yet, “how old are you?” She asked while pretending to consider things.

“I will be ten next full moon.” Sarah said tentatively, she felt it best not to lie to a dragon.

“Well then, you are not old enough yet, so there is that. Come, come where do you live? Someone must be missing you terribly.” The dragon leaned closer and saw the sadness cross the child’s face.

Sarah shook her head, “No, I have no home. Papa was lost in the war, and I don’t know who my momma is. Gram died when I was seven and I had to leave our house. Doug caught me about six full moon cycles ago. He made me clean for him and tied me up at night.” She looked back at the pile of ashes. “I guess he won’t do that again.” There was a bit of satisfaction in her voice.

“Very well then I suppose I must take care of you then, stand up dear.” The Dragon said softly. Sarah obeyed and ever so gently the dragon wrapped her claws around the child and lifted her to her breast. “Hang on tight dear,” the dragon said as she unfurled her wings. She chuckled then as she peered down, Sarah had a death grip on one of her middle claws.

The flight took less than an hour and the dragon settled on a ledge in front of a very large cave. Inside there was a fire burning. A young man of about fifteen summers strolled out to greet them. He smiled softly and helped Sarah regain her feet. “Quite the little one you have there Monique,” he said looking over the newest rescue. He studied the elegant dragon, “You need some oil on those wings, I will get her settled and get to it.” The dragon smiled mostly in his mind, she had a way of doing that.

“I heard her cries and went to see. Some fool had captured her and was keeping her as a slave. You know how I feel about men who abuse children.” Monique said as she settled down on the ledge. “I will just take in a little more sun before I go find something to eat. And Jesse, be sure she eats she looks rather thin.”

The boy, Jesse, made a face, “Did you toast him?” He asked knowing the answer. Monique grunted and settled in the wallow in the sun. He turned and led Sarah back into the cave where she was surprised to see several more children, all older than her but younger than Jesse. There were two more boys, Hank and Dexter, thirteen and fourteen respectively, and three girls, Annie, twelve, Opal, thirteen, and Bonnie, eleven.

She soon learned that Monique had rescued many children over the two years since her mate had disappeared. Dragons live very long lives and Monique was lonely without Jason, her mate. He had gone missing when chasing after some men that had stolen a clutch of eggs that Monique had laid. She had never seen him or her eggs again.

*************

It had been nearly ten summers since that rescue and Sarah had come to live with Monique’s little family. All the others had left around the age of eighteen, except Bonnie and she was very dependent on others to look after her. Several other had come and gone also, Sarah had no interest in leaving. Jesse stayed on to help Sarah care for Bonnie. He had matured greatly and was almost twenty-five summers. Monique teased him about not going out to look for a wife and settle down. Each time he would brush her off and his deep brown eyes would dart over to Sarah. Monique knew that Jesse’s heart belonged to Sarah and yet he had never confessed his feelings to her or to Sarah.

Sarah had also matured, nearly as tall as Jesse, she had very long honey-colored braids, soft green eyes, and a blossoming figure that any young man would dream of. Sarah was humble and grateful for all that she had, though it would seem little, she felt safe and loved. Jesse trained daily in swordsmanship and with the bow. Sarah practiced knife throwing. In his spare time Jesse made different size daggers for Sarah, never giving them to her directly, he would leave them on her cutting block.

Every morning Sarah would run with Jesse. The mountainside was rough terrain and built endurance and stamina. Every evening Jesse ran alone while Sarah cooked whatever game was dropped on the ledge by Monique. One evening Jesse was late returning, he had been thinking of a way to tell Sarah how very much he cared for her, every time he tried, he chickened out. He suddenly realized he had gone farther around the mountain than he ever had before. He noticed smoke rising from the back side of the next peak. This was news to him; he didn’t know any villages over there. ‘I think I will ask Sarah to go with me on an adventure, maybe she’ll see that I am quite able to take care of her.’ He thought and then turned back.

Sitting on the edge of the ledge Sarah was clearly upset, and the later it got, the more distraught she became, Monique sat stoically watching the sun edge down on the horizon, “He is just delayed little one,” Monique still called Sarah her little one. “You care deeply for him, do you not? Even perhaps you love him?” She spoke softly as she had never wanted to interfere in the hearts of others.

Sarah hugged her knees and stared at the huge ball of red and the crimson and gold clouds that hung in a deep blue sea just over the last mountain peak. She turned her huge green eyes to Monique, “I care, very much I care, but I dared not love him.” Though her words denied what Monique saw in her eyes, Sarah would not come to terms with her feelings. “If I dare to love him then he will disappear.” The great dragon knew well of what Sarah was saying, her one mate that held her own heart was gone from her, and it hurt still deeply wounding her heart.

Her long neck snaked out until the snout touched Sarah’s back and she leaned against it. “But if one does not love the object of one’s heart while you have it, then you deny both the greatest gift the creator could ever bestow.” Monique was not going to try talking Sarah into believing in love. She merely gave her bits of truth to consider.

Tears slipped silently down Sarah’s cheeks, she knew that Jesse cared for her, but she didn’t know if that meant as a sister or as a lover. Maybe he was just taking care of her because he felt responsible for her. He also had never once showed or said he wanted more. “Everyone I have ever loved has left me, except you, Monique, Jesse will one day want a woman he can love and then he will leave, if I dare to love him, he might die, they all die.” She looked up then with fear mixed in with her sorrow. “I dare not love any too much, though I have dared some and he is gone.”

Monique realized that Sarah believed herself cursed, and if she allowed herself to care too much then that one would be lost to her. “But little one,” She said carefully and with genuine affection, “you dare to love me, am I any different than Jesse?” Sarah turned and kissed the nose of the great dragon whom she did love very much.

These thoughts confused Sarah because she did dare to love the gentle dragon, and yet, she was a great and powerful dragon after all. Still her heart and her head fought over her feelings for Jesse. She felt deep inside if she cared too much that he would be gone or be taken from her.

Bonnie eased over and seated herself beside Sarah. Bonnie never said much her thoughts were slow and usually things are said for her before she has a chance. “I can’t help much,” she said with her tender round eyes watching Sarah, “But if you let me hold your hand, I can hold some of your worry for you.” Sarah smiled through her tears and clutched Bonnie’s hand to her breast. The two sat quietly waiting.

“He is coming now little one, he was delayed but he is coming,” The dragon said softly in her heart.

The light was all but gone and Monique blew some flame into the firepit. It glowed and then caught. Sarah had not move when Jesse finally scrambled onto the ledge from the path below it. “Hey, I am sorry I am late I ran too long and saw a strange sight, I . . .” He was suddenly brought up short as a body hit him with a force and latched on. Sarah buried her face in his damp shirt and held tightly with no words.

Shocked now Jesse held onto her and looked to the dragon. ‘She is afraid if she cares for you too deeply then you will be taken from her or you will leave.’ Monique mind spoke into his heart. He looked down and saw the tears Sarah was now allowing to flow. ‘Go gently my boy, she is much more delicate than she appears.’ He held her for a while and though simply comforting her he was filled with hope now.

“I will always come back to you, I have promised to always be there haven’t I?” She nodded but didn’t lift her head. “Okay then, Monique has permission to toast me if I ever forget that promise.” Sarah then looked tentatively at Monique; she knew very well Monique would not harm a hair on his head. The dragon puffed a bit of white smoke and Sarah could not help but smile. Her great golden dragon eyes glimmered with mischief.

Sarah pushed away then and without looking directly at him she scolded him. “You scared us all when you decided to dawdle, don’t do it again or Monique might have to warm your britches.” She went directly to the fire and pulled a pot of water and brought it to him. “Now wash up I have to heat your supper.” He saw the familiar attitude masking her emotions and smiled.

“Yes ma’am I can do that. I am very sorry I worried you.” Bonnie hugged him without a word and began to help ready supper. He decided to wait until she had a better handle on her emotions before he approached her again.

Later when Bonnie was bedded down and Monique had taken an evening flight Sarah had settled on the seat by the ledge. It was a bench Jesse had made for them to watch the valley below or the sunset. Slowly Jesse approached and knelt behind her. He slipped his arms around her waist, and she leaned back against his chest. Deciding it was still too soon Jesse didn’t say anything. “You are the closest thing I have to a family,” she whispered, “If I care too much you will be lost.” She left it there, but Jesse knew what she was saying, this fear deep inside was going to be a great hurdle in winning her heart.

Changing the subject Jesse stood and seated himself beside her. He dared now to put an arm around her waist. She didn’t pull away, so that was a start. “I saw settlement on the backside of the next peak, well, I saw the smoke from their fires. When Monique returns, I am going to ask if we can go explore and see who it is.” She turned and looked at him, there was a hint of a smile on her lips. “It can be our first adventure together, just us two.”

She touched his cheek and then nodded, “That would be nice.” She whispered and dared to hope.

“Okay then, if you are agreed then we will ask.” He said and leaned a little closer to her.