Dragon Riders

Chapter 17: Snow in the Summer

Serafina POV:

I broke into sobs as I collapsed into the toadstools. Hugging the red and white mushrooms, I let the rivers flow from my eyes, making large pools in the undergrowth. How could he? He was so good! So different! He wasn't out of control! Or was he? Did I just not choose to believe it? Did I ignore that part of him? Was I too engrossed? I choked on my escaping sighs as tears continued to stream down my face, watering the nearby flora. I only liked him because he was different. Was it time to give up our friendship and whatever more was going on? My sobs were interrupted by a thud. I turned my head slightly to see Orion himself standing a few feet away, looking down at my pathetic scene. He stepped closer.

"Ouch!" He shouted as a thorn bush reached out and yanked him back. Forming a cage, it trapped him inside. "Serafina! Listen! I know I have some explaining to do..."

"You think!" I shrieked as I spun around to face him. His deep green eyes were watery as well. It hurt him to see me this way. I released him from the thorns and he approached me.

"Please," he begged. "Let me explain then." He grasped my weak shoulders with his strong paws. I shrugged them off and turned away from him, wiping my eyes with my scaly paws.

"No!" I yelled. "Why should I let you? That was awful what you did back there! You don't deserve a chance to explain!"

"I know," he sighed, head hanging, staring at his feet. With that, he let silence hang over the forest. No voices, just the sounds of nature. The birds chirped, calling to one another. The insects buzzed as they flew past my head. The leaves whispered as the wind blew them around. Water trickled in a nearby creek, bubbles bursting on the surface. "Just please!" He urged. "Let me explain!"

"Why should I?" I retorted, fury filling my brain. "Give me one good reason and you can explain to your heart's content."

"That's it!" He exclaimed. "That's what this about!"

"What?" I mused.

"This is about my heart," he admitted. "It is about my deepest desires and my true feelings." That stunned me. Orion was never this emotional. I shrugged and then let my shoulders drop.

"Fine," I allowed. "Explain!"

"Do you remember during training today when Shade was examining our fighting stances?" I gave a quick nod, not seeing how this related to them fighting. "Well, he said you were perfection!"

"Why does that matter?" I burst, spinning around to glare at him.

"It really shouldn't have mattered," he admitted. "But it did... to me. I could feel my heart burning when he was looking at you like that, calling you perfect!"

"Looking at me like what?" I pushed for more.

"Like... Like he admired you!" He confessed. "I couldn't stand him looking at you like that! It made me so... So...."

"Jealous," I filled in his missing word. "You were jealous of Shade! That's why you growled? That's why you all fought? You were fighting over me!" I shook my head in disbelief. I was dumbfounded by the prospect of two of the most respectable Dragons I knew stooping so low as to fight over me!

"Yes," he confirmed my outrageous statement. The first thing I felt was anger. Was I some kind of prize to be won? No! But then, it died away as I succumbed to joy. Orion was in love with me too! This couldn't be! If I was a Fire Dragon, I would be radiating with joy. "Ser," he pulled me from my thoughts, "you're blooming." Flowers were blossoming all around my feet and vines were weaving up my legs. A ringlet of daisies had grown around the top of my head. I ended their growth and shook off the vines. I reached up to take off the flower crown, but Orion took my paws in his. "I think that suits you." He whispered affectionately. I giggled as he raised my arms and placed my paws on his shoulders.

"You're not mad?" He asked, surprise lacing each word. I shook my head.

"How could I be?" I crooned as he wiped the last tear from my face. "You love me that much!"

"You love me back?" He gasped in surprise, mouth ajar. I nodded shyly.

"And I already know where your feelings lie," I teased, watching the yellow of my eyes dance in the green of his. Little bits of light penetrated the dark cover of the forest. Like pixies, they danced upon the ground and trees. They even twirled on us. He took one of my paws off his shoulder and enclosed it in his. He reached down to my face and gently lowered my eyelids, closing my eyes.

"Take off," he whispered. Obeying his command, I flapped my wings and we burst from the leafy shade and into the light. The orange glow illuminated my closed eyes, alerting me we were heading west, in the direction of the setting sun. I had no inkling of where we could've possibly been going, but his firm grip on my paw reassured me. He wouldn't let anything happen to me. My heart pounded. He loved me back. He loved me!

How could this be? My mind raced. Why me? How could someone like him ever love me? He is so perfect and I'm... I'm just me. Serafina. This was a dream come true. I felt us turn to left. The sun now warmed only my right side. We were heading South. Another turn made our destination to the east. We soared on and on for what seemed like ages, with the sun heating our backs. Then, I felt a blast of freezing air. What in Octinia? I contemplated the possibilities. Then I was warm again.

I felt us descending. He grasped my paw tighter and I found the source of the heat. He was keeping us warm. My paws touched the ground and I felt a chill go up my spine. The ground beneath us was a cool, smooth surface. He led me a few feet further.

"Okay," he told me. "Open 'em!" I lifted my eyelids and let the light flood my vision. After rubbing my eyes and riding myself of the annoying colored patches that dot your vision when you first open them, I examined my surroundings. We were very high up, right on the edge of a cliff. I looked down to see plains to my right, and more mountains to my left. Straight ahead laid Beliu in all it's glory. We were in Sci.

"Why here?" I wondered aloud.

"Because during the summer, it's kind of hard to find the right atmosphere anywhere else." He tiptoed around the answer.

"The right atmosphere?" I asked, but then my question was answered. A white fairy drifted down lazily from the heavens. Joined by her friends, they landed on my scales and turned to water. I shivered in delight. "Snow!" I squealed excitedly. Orion was standing a few feet away, entranced by the view. I used my paw to scoop up a handful of snow. Aspen had taught me how to do this. I patted and rolled it around in my paws until it was in a perfect sphere. Then, I chucked straight at the side of his face.

It sizzled on impact as he jumped back in alarm. He scoured the area for an attacker, but then saw me in a fit of laughter. Not able to resist, he joined in. After a while of this laughter, he pulled me up out of the snow. Wet and cold, he led me to the edge of the cliff and sat with his legs dangling off the edge. I follow his lead as he lit fires on either side of us and behind us. While still keeping warm, we looked down upon Beliu with snow falling in front of our faces. I turned to him to say something, but found him looking at me already. He moved closer. I filled the gap, our faces now inches away. Then, he did it. His snout pressed against mine. I felt electricity flowing through my veins as our lips met. He wrapped his paws around my neck and I placed mine on the back of his head, pulling him closer. The snow no longer chilled me. All I felt was warmth.