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Date Posted: 20:04:33 03/06/05 Sun
Author: DS
Subject: Ch.3
In reply to: DS 's message, "Ch.2 (Ack! The last one didn't center...)" on 20:03:20 03/06/05 Sun

Ch.3

For the next few days, things went smoothly. Their mother stayed asleep, Nite went out and did chores around the house, and Ray practiced with his wooden sword. They’d hung Raylen’s up in the living room, where Ray could look to it for courage and strength.
The stone sat undisturbed on a shelf in Nite’s room. Before she went to bed, Nite would pick it up and stroke it absently, and let her mind wander. She was only partly aware that every night, the stone got warmer.
By the end of the second week after finding the stone, it no longer had the outer cold, even though it had started to snow outside.

On the first night of the third week, Nite had a strange dream.
Everyone was staring at her. She hadn’t thought much of it, but now, as she walked through the streets of Firond, it was strange. She looked around, and found Lyzel, Benjil, and Jelzan in the crowd. She tried to call out to them, but she couldn’t speak. They seemed unaware of her efforts as they just stared, and she finally looked into a window, and saw her reflection. She was wearing her black under-dress.
Blushing rapidly, she tried to recall what was going on, but couldn’t. Suddenly, the people were whispering. Their whispers were like a subtle cracking, as if something were tapping at a rock with a dull blade. However, the noise grew louder and it sounded almost as if someone switched to hitting a stone with a hammer…

CRACK.

Nite jumped up. It took her a minute to register what was going on, and then she heard it again.
It sounded as if someone had taken one of Benjil’s large jewels and took their sharpest chisel and heaviest hammer to it. The sound deafened the room, and everything was still.
On the third crack, her head snapped automatically towards the stone, just as it toppled down of the self with a bang.
It remained motionless for only a second, however. Soon, it began to spin, first slowly, then upgrading to a violent jerking ride. Sounds of scraping and pounding filled her ears, and she wondered fearfully if Mother and Ray still slept. The stone wobbled with a grace and rhythm all its own, and it would not stop. Deep cracks were appearing down the sides, almost as if something inside were breaking free…
And a small, black thing, undistinguishable in the night’s darkness, broke out. Holding back the urge to scream, Nite watched as the black thing broke through, sending the black shards of the stone everywhere. The stone then broke like glass as the black broke through, talons extending, tail lurching…

After a minute, the black creature stood there, in its full glory. Its leathery hide was darker than the egg, darker even than the sword hilt of Raylen’s sword, a black so dark it was reserved only for the creature. Sharp talons, pointed dangerously from lack of use, gripped the floor ineptly, stretching from the four limbs that held the beast up. A very long, thin tail, like that of a snake’s without the scales, slithered from behind it, and long, soft wings, nearly twice the creature’s size, extended as the creature balanced itself. The neck was long, and the head attached had soft-features, almost like a doe’s. The eyes were like thousands of jewels, glowing dark blue with the excitement of new life.

Curled up, the dragon was only about as long as Nite’s forearm, and looked as if it had bones of toothpicks. However, there was certain strength to the dragon as it shook itself, sending wet membrane across the room at Nite. It crooned a bit, and then tried to walk, its unsure legs wobbling. It stumbled three times before it got the hang of its feet, then it took no notice of Nite as it tumbled over to the bed, and looked up at the construction thoughtfully. However, a red tinge grew in the center of its eyes, and soon spread through the whole many-faceted orbs. It sat down, and cried piteously in its hunger.
Nite, feeling somehow sorry for the poor hatchling, tiptoed up, and knelt next to it. When her knees touched the floor, the dragon turned its wedge-shaped head around to look at her, its eyes pleading. Curiosity tinged the edges, but hunger overruled all other emotions as it cried.
Nite gently reached her hand out, but hesitated. What if she scared the poor fledgling? The black one looked deep into her eyes, and she knew it was starving. It must be, living in that egg so long without nourishment. Slowly, she got up, and walked to the door, closing it silently.
Nite walked into the kitchen, and walked up to the meat cabinet. Silently, carefully, she picked out one of the smaller pieces, and took out a knife from the drawer. She deftly cut the meat into small pieces, hopefully small enough for the dragon, and put the knife in the sink.
The dragon cried to her as she got back, still in the same spot as before, though now facing the door. Smiling apologetically for taking so long, she knelt down again, and put a piece of the meat on the ground next to it. The black stretched its neck, and sniffed the meat. Then, slowly, it opened its mouth and swallowed the little chunk.
A feeling of satisfaction came to Nite’s mind. It surprised her, for this feeling was not her own. She pushed the thought away as she put another one down. The dragon took that one readily, and at about the fourth piece was eating strait out of her hand.
The hide felt soft as the head brushed against her with every bite, almost like the soft skin of a newborn human. However, the hide was a bit rougher, and felt a bit looser than a mammal’s skin. After all the meat was gone, the soft, forked-tongue licked at her hand, tickling her and sending shivers down her spine. When all the meat juice had been licked from Nite’s hand, the fledgling yawned, and lay on its side, stomach bulging with meat. Smiling, Nite slowly put a hand on the dragon’s side. It chirped to her thankfully.
A warm feeling spread through Nite’s hand as she touched the fledgling, and the feeling soon spread throughout her entire body. It was an inviting warmness, and it made Nite feel… welcome. The dragon may have been only a fledgling, but somehow it made Nite feel that it could know her, be her friend, and be loyal…
Nite slowly scooped the baby up into her arms, and sat down at her bed. It chirped questioningly, but remained curled where it was when she placed it on her pillow. Slowly, Nite laid back down, her head next to the dragon. The black tail swished around, and tickled her cheek. She smiled, and then, sleep over took both of them.


The next morning, Nite awoke to a soft chirping. Opening her eyes gently, she saw the dragonling sitting up almost cat-like, tail curled around the dark body, eyes whirling a soft blue as it chirped an unknown tune softly into the morning. The first rays of the sun sparkled off the shadowy hide, and the skin glowed lighter and darker at the same time, just as the stone—or, egg—had.
Nite just marveled at the beast’s splendor for a moment before the soft eyes turned to her. The fledgling gave a chirp; it was hungry again. Giving a soft smile, Nite got up, and walked over to her shelf. She picked up the folded tan outer clothes, and walked back over to the baby. She gently scooped the black into her arms, and was rewarded by a soft chirp as the dragonling buried its head in the soft fabric. Nite smiled; she loved the small creature already.
She walked towards the door, but stopped just as her hand touched the handle. How would she explain the dragonling to Ray? Her mother she didn’t have to bother with as much; she’d forget in an instant. But, Ray…
She couldn’t tell him just yet. Ray didn’t like dragons from the old stories, so who was to say he’d like them now that they existed?

Carefully, she opened the door and tiptoed out, peering around. The door to Ray’s room was still closed, which she hoped was a good thing; Ray very rarely woke up this early by himself.
Opening the front door, Nite was surprised at how cold it had gotten. The black shivered; it didn’t like this new cold. It wanted to stay warm. Smiling sadly, Nite closed the door, and walked over to the table, setting the dragonling onto it and laying her head down. The fledgling crooned, and walked closer. Chirping comfortingly, it laid itself down on its side, its stomach against her head and the talons, tail, and neck curled around her. Nite smiled faintly, and allowed the warm hide to brush slightly against her face as the black breathed, and felt warm as the breath ruffled her hair slightly.
Only then did she realize how difficult keeping a dragon would surely be. Not only would it eat much more than she could afford with the healer bills, she didn’t know how big it would grow. It was already several inches longer than it was the night it hatched; would she eventually have to build a shelter bigger than her house to keep it in? And what about Ray? She’d have to tell him eventually, and he hated dragons. Sure the thing was a baby now, but it…
It. Nite suddenly realized she had no idea whatsoever whether the little one was a girl or boy. Moving slightly, she picked up the black. It started to shriek, but Nite instinctively made a small clicking noise with her tongue, and it stopped. It looked at her curiously, and then stopped struggling as she turned it around. It grunted a few times in displeasure, but Nite didn’t find anything out. It seemed this dragonling was getting more mysterious by the second.
Sighing, she gently replaced the dragonling on the table, and it chirped. She gave a faint smile. It crooned piteously to her, trying to remind her that it was ever so hungry, and could she get it something to eat?

After getting some raw meat for her charge and putting some out to cook for Ray and her later, Nite watched the dragonling. It seemed determined not to show any feminine or masculine characteristics. Perhaps she could stop by the library in Firond, and look up books on dragons. Nodding decisively, she turned to a more immediate problem; what should she do with the child?
It hissed frantically, letting her know what it did not appreciate her calling it a child. Smiling sadly, she made the clinking noise again, willing it to know that she was sorry, though not exactly expecting it to work. However, surprisingly the baby did seem to get the message, and curled up a bit with a satisfied chirp.

After a few minutes, Nite was settling the dragonling in a box in her closet. Until she learned more, she could not think of anywhere else for it to go. Giving a little sigh, she packed some money and her ID for the library, and took one last look at the hathcling. The black looked at her piteously, and she felt sorry to have to leave it. However, there was no way the black could come with her. It was just impossible,
The black gave a chirp of disappointment, and Nite got the strange feeling it understood her thoughts. Giving it a shy smile, she gently closed the door, and locked it. It would do her no good for Ray to stuble upon the little one now.


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