The dragons lair

The flight was uncomfortable. Dragon moved up and down in the rhythm of the beating of its wings and pulled Renna with him. Besides higher above the ground air started to feel cold in spite of the midsummer heat. Rennas scream had left her all fuzzy and numb. She had no strength nor will to resist left in her. Her mind moved slow as if stuck in honey. She barely noticed the changing scenery . A strange as it may seem she even slept last part of the way.

Sudden drop to the ground awakened her. She barely managed to find strength to look around. All she saw was depth and mountains. She was lying on a rocky ledge high above the world and no sign of humans was apparent anywhere. But there was no sign of the dragon either. She dozed off again. When she awakened, she found a fuzzy memory of being carried by somebody strong. Then all thought vanished as she looked around. She had been sleeping in a most beautiful bed she had ever seen.

Big four-poster bed was covered with soft light blue sheet and softer blankets she had ever imagined to exist. All wooden parts were neatly carved but the patterns seemed a bit monotonous. Moon, sun, stars and dragons. Top was covered by an almost black blue velvet and blue slightly transparent curtains covered its sides. The curtains were shut but Renna could sense a lamp lit the room behind them.

She peered out from one side. Wooden wall panels and the rest of the furniture were covered with the same motives as the bed. There was a wardrobe, a full sized mirror and a small dressing table with a small mirror on top of it. In the corner on a stool stood a washing basin. Renna walked over to it and put her hand into the water. It was warm. Renna wrestled her fear and questions down. This was not the time to panic. For the first time as she looked down at her hand, she noticed that her worn work dress was gone. Instead she was wearing a light blue soft nightgown. Now she was spooked. Renna ran fast back to the bed and hid her head under the covers and started crying. It was all so unfair and insane. She even wished that the dragon had eaten her already, so she would not have to worry about the future. It really was a lot different to watch others get taken away than to be caught in the events itself.

Fear overwhelmed Renna. She cried under the blanket for a long time. Then she just laid ignoring the world until her stomach stared to rumble. Her hunger made her peep out. As soon as her nose got out from under the blankets she felt the smell of a meal. On the dressing table a breakfast was laid out. At least she hoped it was breakfast. She had no way of being sure, because this room had no windows. Slowly she climbed out of her bed and sneaked to he dressing table. Some tea was steaming in a big cup. Buttered bread slices were laid out in a row next to it and on a plate were some fried eggs. Renna decided that the food looked harmless enough and ate it.

Next she started exploring her domain. She had no guts to open the door that apparently lead into rest of the world, so she started small. First she looked into the drawers of her dressing table. They contained, as expected, brushes and combs and even some jewelry. Only blue gems. Nothing interesting there. Then she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled open the doors. Hats, dresses, shoes and other clothing items. All blue, but oh so many different shades! She closed the wardrobe and climbed back to bed. At least that was turning into a familiar and seemingly safe place. But she could not stay still for long. She had done her crying and though fear was still present, there was no other way to ease it but to explore.

She went to the door and pushed. Nothing happened. Hesitatingly she took the door handle and pulled. Slowly the massive wooden door started to open. Behind it seemed to be a windowless living room. She was surprised. She had imagined for some reason a dirty cave with a gold pile. In her mind the Dragon spent its days lying on its hoard and thinking where to get more, but this looked like human room. The dragon would have only barely fitted into it. Two more doors seemed lead out of it. One was big double door with slightly different carvings and the other was pretty much like the door she was looking out from. The room itself contained a dining table, some chairs, a fireplace in the opposite wall and two huge armchairs in front of it, backs facing her. Between the armchairs was a small round table, on it a chalice with something red. As Rennas eyes stopped on the chalice a hand reached out from the right hand chair and picked up the chalice.

Renna let out a wail of fear, and then a loud “Aah!”. The creature that had jumped up and come out of the shadow of the chair was a human. A surprised young man in dark blue clothes was looking straight into Rennas frightened eyes. On his head he wore a silver circlet that held a strange shiny and sharp looking stone on his forehead. His eyes underneath it had a peculiar shine. The silver band disappeared under his short light brown hair. Suddenly as if he had just realized who she was, he smiled.

“I was not expecting you to come out of that room for another few days.” His voice was warm and pleasant. “But as you are here, come sit with me by the fire…”

Hesitantly and not daring to say a word she walked to the fireplace and sat into the armchair on the left. The man sat back in the vacant chair. After long silence Renna gathered herself and asked,

“Why are there no windows here?”

“Because we are underground. It is a dragon cave after all!” He sipped his drink calmly while Rennas mind tried its best not to think where the dragon might be. “Do you want something to drink?”

“What are you drinking?”

“Wine. Want some?”

After slight hesitation she agreed, but her agreement caused her yet an other fright. Another chalice was soon placed on the table in an ordinary manner, but the creature who brought it almost made her run back to her room. This creature was pure flame that did not burn. What made it worse for Renna was its shape. This flame was very vaguely shaped like a naked woman that radiated soft red light. As the creature floated rather than walked away she settled again into her chair with her wine. She had tasted wine only once before and it had left her an unforgettable impression. It tasted so much better than usual ale. She took a sip and relaxed. It was much better than the wine she had tasted on winter festival.

“You like it?”

“Yes! It’s so good.”

They enjoyed their drinks and fear in Rennas mind slowly started to dissolve. She was still too afraid to ask the questions on her mind or rather, she was too afraid of the answers she might get. Instead she sat and watched the fire with this stranger. Soon after Renna had finished her drink two fiery spirits served them lunch, but as he asked Renna to join him at the lunch table, she noticed that she was still wearing a nightgown. Even she, a simple peasant girl understood, that this was no way to dress for lunch with a charming young man. She hesitated.

He noticed her hesitation, understood the problem and sent her to change with an encouraging smile. “Go change, Maria will help you. I’ll wait.”

Renna ran back to her room and one of the spirits followed. When she stepped out of that room at last she looked almost ladylike. For Renna changing had been unforgettable. Maria had taken her hand and pulled to the wardrobe. Her touch felt pleasantly warm like the touch of a usual human hand but her hand seemed light, almost weightless.

“Pick one.” Her voice sounded like young woman’s speaking through furiously burning fire. Renna could just barley hear the message. Slowly she opened the wardrobe again and looked at the dresses. There was one she specially liked. It was long and dark as summer night with sparkling stones in it. She had dreamed of a dress like that when she was a kid but she decided to leave it for a more special occasion. Instead she picked a simple light blue dress. Maria found the compatible accessories and the dressing began. When the clothes were on Maria seated her at the dressing table and started doing her hair. Rena looked at Maria from the mirror. She was finding it hard to think of her in any other way than as of human.

“What are you?” she dared to ask.

“I am Maria.”

“Yes I know, but WHAT you are? Are you an human or are you a spirit or maybe an elemental?”

“I don’t know what you mean. I am Maria. Just Maria.”

That ended this conversation. Renna made herself a mental note to ask this young man who’s name she even did not know about Maria and others like her. Soon she was ready to step out to have lunch. Just for a second, before Maria pushed her out, she managed to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She did not recognize herself. The young blushing lady in the mirror was certainly a huge step from messy haired peasant girl in gray work clothes. She felt that this new outfit was a lie somehow. It was not her.

Renna stepped out of her room and the young man came to take her and lead her to the table. She knew what she was expected to do because she had served at some of the parties Masters organized for relatives every year and she had kept her eyes open. But something inside her rebelled. She hated the thought of being led anywhere. Still for this once she decided to play it as he wished.

She took his hand and they walked to the table and sat down to have lunch. Food was delicious so both sides remained silent. There was plenty of time to sit in front of the fire, drink tea and chat after the meal.

“I don’t even know your name my lady” started the young man.

“My name is Reginaldina, Johan’s daughter, but most call me Renna these days. But I don’t know your name either…”

“I don’t have a name in your language and in mine I cannot tell it to you, so you can have the honor of giving me a name.”

“I cannot give you a name before I know you… Please tell me of yourself.”

“I’m not of this world. I got exiled here for being to human, for preffering this shape.”

“Are you not human then?”

“No! I’m a Dragon.”

“But you look human…”

“I can look like dragon too. Remember, I carried you here.”

Renna was not believing her ears. Fear in her was mixed with thrill and her braveness was strengthened by wine. She decided to challenge.

“I don’t believe you! How could this be! I bet there is the dragon here somewhere and you are just teasing me…”

“You want proof?”

“Yes! Absolutely!”

“Come then!”

He put down his cup, took Rennas hand and pulled her towards the big doors. For a moment Renna considered pulling herself loose and running back to her bedroom, but this notion passed fast. She figured that if she got herself into this she has to see it trough.

After the big doors they hurried through a huge room. This room was lit with late evening light and all she managed to sense in their hurry was this rooms enormous height and the fact that on the walls there were walking paths connected with stairs looking very much like indoor balconies. She hoped to explore this room later. They ran out of that room into a tunnel in the other end of which behind a disguised door was a small cave that lead out to the ledge she had found herself on after the terrible flight.

He walked her almost to the edge, left her standing and walked on until standing on the edge he tuned around and waved. Rennas eyes were wide open because she had no clue how this man was going to prove his case. She did not even manage to scream when he just let himself fall backwards into the emptiness below. She simply stood wide-eyed and motionless not believing what had just happened when suddenly from the same emptiness The Dragon soared up into the sky. It did a magnificent loop in the air and for a moment she felt again the same awe and admiration that had filled her in that previous life when ever she saw the dragons flight. It did not last long though. After the loop it seemed that The Dragon was heading straight for her and collision seemed unavoidable.

It was a close call. The dragon missed her head by inches and landed behind her. As Renna turned around the dragon turned too. Soon they were facing each other and Renna felt its breath heat the world around her. Then slowly a change came over the creature. It seemed to shrink and alter becoming more and more human with every second. The young man was back. Rennas eyes were full of tears as she rushed past this horrible creature and sought refuge in now familiar bedroom. Her fear was turning into anger. How did he dare to deceive her like that! How can he be such a beast and at the same time look so attractive! She pulled the covers over her head without even undressing. In Rennas mind anger was soon replaced with strange disappointment and sorrow. She cried herself to sleep.
Next…