Goodbye life

It had been a nasty day for Renna from the beginning. First the early wake up. The pigs had gotten loose and had to be caught. Then she had spilled some fresh milk and her dad had shouted at her for being such a clumsy girl. And now there was a load of work to do. Despite of that she was not miserable. She thought nothing could make her sad, because today was The Giving Day - the day of the Dragon.

She hurried through her chores with a song on her lips and her mind curious as to who was going to be given to The Dragon this year. Her mind went over the faces and names of the girls who had become of age with her under the first full moon of the spring. With a shock she realized how many of them she had seen standing under the Bridal Tree holding hand with some man sometimes twice their age. This made her worried. Who was left besides her? Name after name she crossed out in her mind until it came down to two. Her and Masters own daughter Alaniliza. But the moment she realized this, the door flew open. A Masters soldier stood on the doorstep.

Before Renna understood what was going on, she found herself tied tightly lying on a cart and they were off. She saw the tears in her mothers eyes and pain on her fathers face for a moment before they vanished behind a bend in the road.

The road was bumpy and being tied like a goat was really uncomfortable. She knew all the soldiers around her. They had taken all the girls to the dragon for years now. They knew how to keep their prisoner safe. There had even been attempts to attack the carriage on its way to the watchman, not speaking of the attempts girls had made to get away.

“This time I’m going to be a bit closer than I would like to be!” she thought in panic.

In the first years there had been mockeries of trials over the girls to be given but now Master did not even bother with them. No reason to, all knew what were their girls taken for. That would have been an escape opportunity. To avoid going crazy Renna planned her escape. She knew how the dragon approached its prey and made her hope, that perhaps she could use her knowledge to get away… She decided to run towards the stream as soon as the dragon burns her loose and then swim down the stream to river. The Dragon as creature of fire should dislike water.

Her heart was bounding as they approached The Watchman but her mind was getting painfully clear. Without a sign of fear she stayed still and quiet as she was bound to cold stone. Her appearance spooked the soldiers. They had seen them all but this was first who was not trying to at least give them hard time.

“Cold as ice!” mumbled one of them.

“If she keeps it up she’ll give the dragon an indigestion… whispered the other.

Renna did not even hear them, her mind was already set on running. All she was waiting for was the heat wave to sign that the ropes are gone.

First she felt the wind, but she did not look around. She kept her eyes on the tree she used to sit on and prepared herself for the run. Her long hair got into her eyes as the Dragon circled her an then the heat washed over her. She was loose! Renna ran with all her strength and for a moment Dragon seemed surprised. She was the first ever to try to run. But the beast recovered in a second. With two strong flaps of wings he was on Rennas tail, grabbed her by waist with his large talons and pulled her up, of the ground. Now Renna despaired. She had not even made it as far as half way to the willow. The scream she let out was even heard by her parents as it was said later. With that scream she said goodbye to her life.Next…