Grandal

The next day I announced that I had decided to see what was at the end of the pathway going up the mount. I had never gone east and knew nothing of the land and the people there. But I knew I did not want to go west, that was where the savages came from. I did not want to go south with the suicidal troops. And north was a home where there was no one waiting for me.

The Dragon told me if we followed the trail in four days we would reach a small town of different peoples.

"They bow to me as I fly by. They also tie up a woman for me on each solstice but I release them before the wolves get to them. Those women live apart and worship me. They call me Grandal."

"Good name, it suits you. Does it bother you to be called such?"

"On, no. My real name is Grandal, I can communicate with three of them."

"How many women are there?"

"Nine."

"Well, maybe I can get the villagers to sacrifice a woman to me."

"There are nine."

"Yes, mistress," I said in an amused tone.

She spit a ball of fire into the ground startling both me and the horse then giggled. The horse and I both calmed immediately. Giggles can ruin a really good threat.

I packed up and loaded up the horse but found myself struggling to get on it, I had body aches everywhere. I ended the attempt and prepared some pain leaves for me. I saw that Grandal was watching me closely so I gave her the first dose.

We began our journey but travelled for a shorter period of time than we had hoped. We took a slow and easy pace in consideration of Grandal's wound and my general soreness, and because it was all uphill.

It took a while for me to figure out if riding was less painful than walking and learned the the only difference was in the location of the worst pain. I took turns riding and walking.

We stopped under the last tree before the crest of the mount about a thousand feet up, we had another hundred feet of elevation to climb and the trail was steeper, it was grasses from there up. I allowed the horse to wander around but she stuck close to the Dragon and me. She knew there was more than one dragon.

That evening I gave the Dragon another dose of the pain medicine and she slept well. I decided that if I was going to sleep I would need the medicine too. I hated the taste of those things and avoided taking them but sometimes that was the lesser of two evils, I hated restless painful nights more.

The next morning we packed up and after giving Grandal more medicine we resumed our journey. As we cleared the crest we saw a deep forest ahead of us that apparently climbed a distant mountain.

Grandal said, "The town is at the base of the mountains by a river, it is isolated and self sustaining.

I would be happier if they would offer me a cow or a pig but they need those more than they need their women. Other than that they seem to be good people. You will be the first outsider in many years to visit them. They will hope you will stay."

"Well they may get their wish, I am fed up with my world."

Grandal giggled and said, "I'm not surprised. You began a day fighting savages and woke up from your head wound to fight a dark dragon. You may need some peace and quiet."

"I doubt I will have any of that with you around."

Grandal spit a ball of fire in front of us but neither the horse or me made note of it. Grandal then put her face in front of mine and waited until I kissed her then she nuzzled the horse.

"Does the horse have a name?" I asked Grandal.

"Yes, but she does not like it. She apparently did not like her previous owner very much. He was always in a hurry to get somewhere and never gave her a chance to rest or eat until they were at their destination. The only reason he stopped on the mount was because he saw a battle brewing in the valley he intended to cross.

He also never made adjustments for his bags and their weight was always uneven. She likes the way you packed. Her name is Cha."

""Cha it is," I said as I patted her neck softly. Cha began to take longer strides.

Around mid-day we reached the forest below and stopped to rest. We were in a high valley, the trip down the mount was much shorter than the trip up. I took a short nap and Grandal did too. She was next to me still asleep when I woke up. I ate some jerky and drank some water then we got ready but before we started into the forest I asked, "Do you need something for pain? Some food?"

" I am OK pain wise and not hungry. Dragons can go a year between meals and I just had a big one at the battlefield. You were right in thinking I was too full to eat you. I was happy to realize I could understand you but you were alive so you were not a food item anyway.

I felt your anger towards the dark one when he attacked me. Your fury was greater than his so you vanquished him. Your tenderness when you treated me was more than stunning, I fell in love with you then, if I correctly use the term."

"Love is an irrationally good feeling in your heart you get towards another. By that definition I love you too."

"That bird is following us, is he a friend of yours?" Grandal asked.

"Apparently, it kept me company when I passed out yesterday morning and supervised me when I re-packed my benefactors stuff. I don't think it trusts you yet."

I thought I heard or sensed the Dragon talking to the crow.

Suddenly Grandal stopped and looked up. We were just at the edge of the forest canopy. Several dragons were flying overhead towards the battlefield.

"My roost. My sister told them about the battle and they have come to feast. My brother is about to get the surprise of his life. Mom is the big one in front. My brother is the red and black one behind her.

Oh, Mom has sensed me here. She has sent me her love."

"Is this the first time you have seen her since you were exiled?"

"Yes," she said with what may have been a sob. I caressed her side as we watched them fly over the mount we had just left behind. There were perhaps fifteen on them.

"Which one is your sister?"

"She is not with them, probably at the roost asleep. Her name is Gula."

Grandal appeared to be emotional over the event and I caressed her until they until the last of the roost went out sight. A couple of minutes later she gently nudged me.

I kissed and caressed her and we resumed our journey.

"Mom knows about my brother, the dark dragon and you now. She sent her thanks and love."

I did not reply but was grateful her mother would not be finding Grandal's dead body there.

That evening the crow flew down to my shoulder and cawed to the dragon then ate the food I offered it.

Grandal said, "It is happy to be with Cha and she is happy the crow is now my friend. Apparently they have been traveling together for some time. The bird likes you because you talk to it as a real person."

"Does it have a name?"

"Ella."

"Ella, glad you joined us," I said.

Ella pet herself with my hand so I pet her back. She then flew to Grandal and perched herself on her shoulders.

"I am traveling with a fucking zoo," I thought.

Grandal apparently changed her mind about sending me a fireball with her regards. My thoughts apparently were easy for her to hear. She apparently also sensed I was happy I was traveling with a fucking zoo.

Cha woke us up during the night, she was very nervous about something. I listened closely but my ears were still ringing loudly so I had to filter that noise out and listen behind the roar as my eyes searched the darkness. "Well, fuck. Wolves," I said.

Grandal lazily lifted her head and spit a large ball of fire towards the sounds. Some howls emerged from the dark then silence. By then Grandal was already back to sleep. Cha calmed but stayed between Grandal and me the rest of the evening.

It occurred to me Dragons may have a poor sense of hearing. She did not hear the wolves until after Cha, Ella and I had heard them.

I also learned that Dragons can control the size of the balls of fire they eject. The two she had threatened me with were about the size of my head. The one she aimed at the wolves was bigger than Cha and I combined and much much hotter.

I also learned there was a low clicking sound from under her nostrils just as the fireball emerged. I wondered if the two larger scales produced the spark that ignited the blaze.

The following morning we resumed our journey but were more than ready to rest three hours later. Grandal and I were still sore but her wound was healing well. I was somewhat surprised she had not asked for the pain leaves. Perhaps she had decided to take them only when I did.

Ella disappeared for a while and when she returned she fell asleep on Grandal's shoulder, she had found a new favorite perch. Grandal's shoulder was as high as the top of my head while sitting on Cha.

We walked another three hours then stopped for the night. Sunlight had difficulty getting past the tree canopy so although it was just past mid-afternoon it was getting dark quickly in the forest. I though I smelled rain but it was already past us.

I prepared my bedding then prepared another dose of the pain reliever for Grandal. After I ignored her complaints about the taste she went ahead and took them and I took some too. I kissed Grandal, caressed Cha and readied for sleep. The crow came down to me and seemed to be reminding me I had not said goodnight to her so I did as I caressed her. It softly cawed and flew up to Grandal's shoulder.

"Well fuck, another that demands my affection," I thought. I did admit to myself that it felt nice. I sensed someone giggle.

About an hour later Grandal said, "The wolves are back, they are following us."

"Yes but they will not attack while you are with us."

"So you are happy I am with you?"

"Yes, but I would be happy you were with me even if there were no wolves."

She gently nudged me and we slept well.

Three days later we could again see the mountains ahead but not as closely as I had hoped, they still looked like they were over three days away. The trails other than ours had disappeared, apparently few came this way.

I asked Grandal about that and she said, "Rumor has it that a Dragon patrols this forest," then giggled.

We were resting atop another mount when I saw Grandal briefly try to lift into the air but stop abruptly. I prepared a wad of the medicinal leaf for her and she nudged me softly after she swallowed it. She had not needed the leafs the past two days and neither had I. We were mending, until then.

The crow talked to her and I heard Grandal say, "I know."

"What did she tell you?"

"She called me an idiot and that now it would take extra time before I could fly."

"What she said," I said.

A small ball of flame went past us. Ella and I ignored it.

I checked her wounds and saw they were still closed "No real damage," I said to her as I caressed her.

Grandal had me climb up her back and said, "Do you see the smoke rising on your right?"

"Yes, is that the town?"

"No, that is the home of the nine women. We will veer towards them, we should be there before noon tomorrow."

Ella was perched on my shoulders and seemed to take the coordinates into her head. "Great, someone else to tell me where to go," I thought.

We had been traveling at a gentle pace so it was taking us longer to reach our destination. The conditions of Grandal and Cha had dictated our pace. Cha was pregnant.

"She thinks that she can last until we are safe. The wolves will not get a feast." Grandal had said the day before.

Cha would soon give birth, I had not considered that. That was why the wolves followed us.

We found a clearing about two hours later and Grandal said, "We camp here tonight."

"We still have three hours of daylight," I said.

"But Cha said her young is ready."

I quickly dismounted and took everything off her including the bridle. Cha moved to the center of the clearing and began to softly neigh. I went to her and patted and caressed her neck as Grandal stood behind her. I heard something go plop on the ground and saw the foal wriggle under the Dragon's shadow.

"Walk Cha down the trail we just covered. We want the wolves to discover the afterbirth and fight over it. That will alert us to their presence."

Cha was already walking that way. There was enough edible material to perhaps satisfy them, I hoped.

Grandal was trying to help the foal stand up but even though Ella was attempting to help her there was little success. I could not help but chuckle at the sight.

I readied myself for a bolt of fire but Grandal was happy to allow Cha to take over and began to set small bushes on fire all the way around us.

"The fire will interfere with their sense of smell so it may take them longer to find us. I will rest now."

I took over the job of helping the foal stand and before nightfall she was walking well. I was proud of her.

"You have too gentle a soul to be a warrior. I'm glad you resigned," Grandal said.

Ella the crow cawed her agreement.

I decided I needed to stop thinking out loud. Grandal giggled and Ella may have too.

Then it occurred to me, "Grandal is a predator. Her first instinct should have been to eat the foal yet she was trying to help it stand. My friend is a defective Dragon."

I got up and kissed her as I caressed her neck.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"For being you."

She did not ask what I meant but seemed pleased.

It was nearly dawn when we heard the wolves, they were squabbling over the afterbirth.

"I will keep them away, go back to sleep," Grandal said.

"Let me know if you need help."

She giggled so I reminded her I was the warrior that had saved her from an assassin dragon. She looked at me with what was apparently love in her eyes and simply nodded. I walked to her and hugged her neck then kissed her. I felt her love for me. I hoped she felt my love for her.

I lay down but stayed mostly awake.

It was dawn when I felt her concern. There were many wolves and she was afraid some would slip through. I took my sword and began to circle our perimeter. Fire had consumed the nearby vegetation and there were now gaps in our ring of flames.

One wolf came at me and I beheaded it, split it open then threw the carcass into the woods towards the pack. I did the same with a second then noticed the wolves were staying back.

"Your calm fury has given them pause, they respect you as much as they do me but may fear you more. They are walking away."

I said, "The young one can walk and there is enough light for us to see the trail. Check with Cha and see if she is ready to go on."

"She is more than ready to continue. The child knows to keep itself in her shadow."

After giving both Grandal and Cha some medicinal leaves I loaded the supplies on Cha but did not mount her and simply led the way on foot with the sword in my hand. The four followed, Ella the crow was now riding on Cha's back.

Every two miles or so we stopped for Cha to rest and allow the little one to nurse. Ella would take flight and apparently relay what it saw to Grandal. I was then informed of our progress.

Around noon Grandal said, "We leave the trail now. Ella will guide us."

There was no trail to the women's village. Grandal had always flown to it so all obstacles came as a surprise to her. It took us a lot longer to get there than we had thought. Cha, her baby and I followed Ella as she guided Grandal around the obstructions. I had to prepare medicinal leaves for her after a particularly difficult section.

We made it to the women's cottages just before nightfall. Grandal groused about being an earthbound life form and looked forward to being able to fly again.

The village had a wolf proof barn and we put the new mom and her daughter in it. Mom and daughter were soon being brushed and caressed by three women. The crow stayed inside the barn with Cha.

The mini village consisted of nine houses in a circle but with two open ends. The large space in the middle was big enough to shelter Grandal. It also had a high roof. It was obvious she felt at home there. She was genuinely loved and was caressed constantly.

All were very upset when they saw her wounds. After a pause one of the women told the others something. All of them then looked at me and smiled. Two hugged me briefly. I assumed Grandal had told them about the dark dragon.

I then realized I was not Grandal's only friend.

The women ranged in age from their late teens to their late twenties. They brought out food and milk for me although Grandal was not fed, she had apparently told them she was not hungry.

The women looked at me with curiosity but none were afraid of me. They likely understood I was a warrior but I had saved Grandal and was her friend. The apparent contradiction perhaps confused them but understood I would not be a danger to them.

That evening I stayed with the Dragon on the covered plaza. I had given her another dose of the pain killer, walking over rough terrain had really been difficult for Grandal. I was surprised by the depth of my concern for her.

I asked Grandal why she had taken the women away instead of just releasing them.

She said, "They are banned from returning home because the villagers insist they belong to the Dragon.

A few townsfolk apparently whispered that the women had been rejected were because they were not virgins but I doubted that since a confession would have saved them from me. I can't tell who is or isn't a virgin anyway.

Their shelters were built by their fathers and brothers. Their mothers and sisters had provided them with the materials to run a household.

None has told the townsfolk their daughters and sisters are alive, they only say they were with the Dragon. The village is a day horseback ride or two nights on the trail away from here by foot."

Grandal and I talked well into the night but she was apparently asleep before I finished describing my military training. I guess that was too boring to keep her attention.

The next morning I noted the women looked at me with reserve and would not speak to me. All seemed to perhaps be ill at ease with my presence. I could understand their apprehension, it had been men that fed them to a dragon.

I followed them as they went about their chores and helped with the fire. They seemed to be surprised by anything I did for them. During a pause for lunch they brought me food but left me to eat by myself.

I checked on Grandal's wound and got some oil from my bags and rubbed it on the injury. Insects had been bothering it and Grandal could not get them to stay away. Ella the crow had been keeping them off but there were many more of them in the village.

All the women were smiling at me when I was done, Grandal had apparently explained to them what I was doing.

I understood the reason for their reticence when they spoke to Grandal in a language I had never heard. They had not understood a word I had said to them since I got there.

What they asked Grandal was if I would be staying with them. Grandal told them I would be there with her for a few days until I saw she could fly without pain before continuing to the town.

She was suddenly apologetic to me when she realized she had assumed too much. We had never talked about that. I told her she had been exactly right.

Grandal listened to the women and seemed to register surprise before she said to me, "They would be disappointed if you did, all want a child, they want you to stay and impregnate them."

I looked at the women and saw all were smiling shyly at me.

"May I suggest you stay with each one for one week, go to the next for a week and so on, please?" Grandal asked.

"You want me to make all of them pregnant?"

"No, they want you to make them pregnant, I want you to make them happy, please. Do you have much experience?"