Dragon Riders of Etrea 2—Chapter 20

He saw the cave in the distance.

It was impossible to miss, really; the sun illuminated the side of the mountain in a rather majestic manner, making the twenty-foot-tall hold in the side plainly visible. Something stirred within the shadows of the cave, so he placed his sword hand on his horse’s neck to help keep him calm.

“Alright, boy. You’re used to Tossyth by now, so Cazeth is going to be the same thing. Well, I assume so. But she’s not going to hurt you. Just keep your calm.”

The horse tossed his mane, as he often did when Henrik spoke to him. Sometimes he wondered just how much the horse could understand.

Moving shadows within the cave eventually became familiar shapes. A massive head emerged, covered in dark brown scales that shimmered in the evening sun. Her eyes were emerald green and glittered like gemstones. The Duke balked, but Henrik spoke calming words and convinced the horse to move a bit closer. 

At a certain point, though, the horse would simply not budge. Henrik couldn’t blame him. As Cazeth slowly emerged from the cave, he was awestruck with just how massive the beast was. She was even larger than Tossyth, and that one could eat Henrik in a single bite.

“You just stay here for a moment,” Henrik said, guiding The Duke back a few steps, then looping his reins around a low branch. “Eat some grass and try to relax, okay?” He removed his saddlebags from the horse and tossed them over his shoulder.

Henrik wasn’t sure how to introduce himself to a dragon. He simply walked with his head high and his back straight, right for Cazeth. The massive dragon sat back on her haunches and watched him like a bird of prey. Her thoughts finally came.

A strong sense of caution came from Cazeth, perhaps even a bit of fear. She knew what Henrik might become. But through all that there was excitement, for she knew that he could also fight with them, making their dragon family complete. She sent a question involving Calduin.

Henrik smiled. She was curious how the little guy was doing. Henrik tried to send a scene of a puppy bouncing around, jumping on everything and playing, then changed the puppy into a baby dragon.

Well, that didn’t go over too well. 

Waves of irritation and incredulousness hit Henrik, and he realized that she probably hadn’t taken too kindly to being compared to a dog. Henrik quickly sent an apology and tried to patch things up. 

“Children are always filled with energy and excitement,” he told her, and her irritation lessened. He sent images of him hunting for Calduin, and that was met with strong approval. 

“It seems you’re learning quickly how to communicate with them,” said a woman’s voice from behind him.

Henrik spun reflexively, his hand going to his sword before he caught himself. He had been so focused on talking with Cazeth that he hadn’t noticed Isobel sneaking up behind him. 

Just as Anslie had said, Isobel had fiery red hair that fell in waves halfway down her back. It framed a face with soft, gentle features, with the exception of her eyes. They were green, just like the dragon’s, and every bit as hard and unsettling to look into. While she looked much different than Anslie, she was every bit as beautiful.

She wasn’t quite as tall as Anslie, but she was surprisingly muscular. Her shirt had no sleeves, showing off the light tan on her skin. She wore pants, just as Anslie had, and Henrik could tell she had thick thighs.

“So, you’re him,” she said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

Henrik took a deep breath. “I am Henrik, of Selfoss. I have bonded with the young snow dragon Calduin, and managed to tame his mind. I also have Garnell’s sword, as you can see.”

“And you have flowers,” she said.

“Yes, I picked these for you,” he said. He took a step forward and offered her the bouquet.

“My plants and trees are very important to me,” she said. “Much of my time is spent tending to them, keeping them healthy and strong. And you just undid some of that in your attempt to try to impress me.” Her frown spoke volumes.

Well, he hadn’t been expecting that. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Anslie’s description of Isobel made her sound…difficult. He opened his mouth again and probably would have made the entire situation worse, but he felt amusement from Cazeth behind him. Right behind him.

“I’m just making sure you have enough work to do,” Henrik said, offering her the flowers. “Please, take them. They’re heavy.”

Her frown slipped, and she laughed softly. “Thank you,” she said, taking the flowers. She examined them closely and her smile deepened. “Two of each color.”

Henrik shrugged. “I didn’t know if you had a favorite color, so I figured that was the safest bet.”

“Good thinking,” she said. “Come on.” She turned and walked to the side.

Henrik followed her. Of course the first place his eyes went was her ass. He almost swore when he saw the thing. Even through her plain work pants, it was just perfectly round. He sped up a few paces and walked next to her so he didn’t wind up tripping.

“I feel like I’m supposed to test you,” she said. “Like I should draw my sword and challenge you to a duel, right here and now. I’ll try to kill you the entire time, and if you draw even a drop of my blood, Cazeth will eat you.”

Henrik eased his sword in its sheath. “If that is what you wish, I accept.”

She gave him a dry look. “What does that really accomplish though, Henrik? So, you can fight with a sword. Does that make you a kind man? Will you show me respect? Are you even capable of love? I can’t learn those with a sword.”

“Fair point,” he said. “So, how will you test me instead?”

Cazeth suddenly stepped next to him, her face swooping around, directly in his way. He stopped and stood there calmly while she breathed on him, hard enough to nearly blow his clothes off. 

“Go on, get my scent,” he said patiently.

Cazeth opened her mouth, exposing teeth as long as Henrik’s arm. It was rather fascinating to see, really; all of the teeth curved back slightly to keep any prey from escaping. Her rearmost teeth were slightly more blunt; probably for crushing things.

“Anslie was right,” Isobel said. “No fear. She even frightens me sometimes, and I’ve lived with her for nine years.”

Henrik reached out, holding his hand in front of Cazeth’s face for a moment. She closed her mouth and breathed on him once. Her breath was hot, and smelled like old meat. Henrik took a step forward and rubbed her on the nose. Cazeth was filled with amusement at that.

“She also told me what you did to Tossyth when you first met,” Isobel said, walking again.

Cazeth snorted at that, though Henrik couldn’t tell if it was a laugh or if she was angry. 

“It’s okay, mother,” Isobel said to the dragon. Cazeth nudged Henrik with her massive snout, then moved out of the way, letting him pass. He watched over his shoulder for a moment as she went back to her cave.

“You punched Tossyth,” Isobel said, sounding somewhere between shocked and amused. “You broke your hand, so you drew your dagger with your left, ready to fight her. You are indeed a strange man, Henrik.” She looked down at the bouquet in her hand. “Thank you again for the flowers.”

Henrik shrugged. “Anslie snuck up behind me. That’s not something I’m used to people being able to do. And then she slapped me. Twice.”

Isobel laughed. “That sounds like her. Love or fight, with very little between.”

“I grabbed her and Tossyth was suddenly right there.”

Isobel stopped in her tracks. “You hit Anslie? She didn’t tell me that.” The look on her face was stark disapproval.

Henrik shook his head. “No, nor would I. I picked her up by her armor and pushed her against the side of the mountain so she would stop. I would not hit a woman.”

“The famous dragon temper,” Isobel said with a wry twist to her lips. “I do hope you’re able to control yourself better, now. You know if you lose your temper, that pushes Calduin over the edge. He will become angry with you, and you do not want an angry dragon anywhere near. Especially a snow dragon. Has his fire come in yet?”

“Not yet. Anslie said soon. She told me that snow dragons grow very quickly, as they often have to fight when another snow dragon senses their presence.”

She frowned. “Yes, you will both have to deal with Emyss one day, and I do not envy you for that. That’s another good reason to keep your temper. If Calduin becomes enraged, it will be like a signal fire for Emyss.”

She had led him to the side of the cliff, where a smaller cave had been dug into the face of the rock. Actually, it wasn’t a cave; it was a house. 

The entire thing was recessed two feet so rain wouldn’t blow in the front door. Two small windows had been carved on either side of the front door, helping to keep the place from getting too dark.

Isobel pushed the front door open and walked in. Henrik followed her. A small oil lamp burned at the far end of the room, providing gentle illumination. Two wooden chairs flanked a matching table, and the opposite end of the room had a small kitchen, complete with a hearth. Henrik noticed a small chimney to keep the smoke out of the house; it simply went up into the mountain. He didn’t know where it exited.

“This is cozy,” he said.

“Dragons are surprisingly good at building houses,” Isobel said as she walked over to the kitchen area. She selected a small clay jug and set the flowers in it.

“Mind if I set my things down?” Henrik asked.

“Over there,” she said, pointing to the side of the room without looking. 

Henrik walked to the corner of the room and set his saddlebags down, then unbelted his sword and leaned it against the wall. Glancing over at Isobel, he saw her watching him. He hoped he wouldn’t need the sword.

“So, what’s the first test? Henrik asked as he walked closer to her.

She turned to him and smiled. “You’re going to make me dinner. You have one hour.”