Dragon Heart

Prologue

Tina pov
I remember my mother sobbing while Father comforted her.  Mother never cried!  She was always so strong!  Whatever had upset her must have been something huge; nothing else could make her scream like she was right now.
  
I had stopped at the doorway, my curiosity getting the best of me.  Was mother, alright?  Why was she crying?  It hurt me to see her like this. She had always been the one to comfort me, and now I wanted to comfort her! 
 
I stayed quiet, somewhat used to sneaking around in the little games Millie and I played.  No one noticed me peering through the slightly open door.
 
When I heard my name, I began listening more intently, "Tina must be taken to the Temple of Five!  Her talents are far too dangerous. If anyone found out about her, only the Ancestors know what will happen!" a man hissed softly.

Little me was confused.  What was happening?  Mother and Father wouldn't give me away, would they?  No!  They love me!  Don't they?

  "Of course, you are right." That was my father!  "But she is still too young.  Tina must grow and at least begin to understand her importance in this world before we let her go!"

That night was the night that my world crumbled down around my feet.  Why would my parents give me away?  Had I done something wrong?  Was I not pretty enough?  Did they not love me anymore?
 
That was the moment that little five-year-old me had to grow up far too fast.  I had to go.  The only person who I can rely on now is myself.  No one else would be there for me...  And it was time for me to leave.
 
While the strange man and my parents continued their quiet conversation, I snuck to my room and grabbed a small satchel.  I began to fill it with my most prized possessions: A small glass horse mother had given me; a little stuffed bear that I couldn't sleep without; a dragon pendant and the accompanying chain.  I stuffed a few pairs of socks and undergarments in the bottom of the bag before slipping on my best walking shoes. 
 
Quickly and quietly, I snuck across the hall outside the room the adults were still taking in.  I didn't stop to listen this time. 
 
My eyes were watering, but I couldn't make a sound.  I'd be caught for sure if I so much as sniffled!  Faintly, I wondered if I could say goodbye to Millie.  My sister had been my best friend since we were old enough to play, and I knew I would miss her!
 
Sadly, there was no time to say goodbye.  As it was, I'd barely gotten into the back garden before I heard the scrape of chairs on wood and footsteps beginning to stand.  They were coming for me!
 
I threw all caution to the wind and jumped off the back porch.  I began running for the treeline, my satchel bouncing around on my back.  If I could get to my hide-away, I might be safe!  No one but me knew where it was, so I would be safe there!
 
I barely made it into the treeline before the back door was flung open, and my father called to me, "Tina! Sweetie, come here!"
 
I paid no heed to his voice and continued on my mad dash into the woods.  I zigzagged through the dark trees, slowly but surely making my way to my hide-away.
 
At last, I came to the right tree. My hide-away was an abandoned Great Grey owl nest hidden away in the trunk of an old cottonwood.  I was so small then that I fit inside the hole easily, with room to spare!  This was the place I would go whenever I was angry or sad about something.  I'd play around with the remains of the nest, making stick figures out of the feathers until I was calm enough to climb down and go back home.
 
Once I'd reached the tree, I quickly swung my leg up and hooked one of the branches.  I pulled myself up and hurriedly made my way up the "Stairs." The boughs of the tree had grown in such a way that they were almost overlapping, just far enough away from each other that my legs could climb them as if they were stairs! 
 
I climbed the tree quickly, quicker than I'd ever gone before.  Once I made it to the nest, I slung myself inside and crawled in.  I panted from the run and leaned my head back against the wood. 
 
Then, the reality of my situation began to set in.  I'd run away from home!  Where would I go after this? I certainly couldn't go back home, or that strange man would take me away! I still didn't even know why they tried to give me away!  What was going on? 
 
I put my head in my hands and let my tears leak out the corner of my eye.  More quickly followed until I was sobbing.  Why was this happening to me?
 
I heard voices shouting nearby, calling my name, "Tina!" They called, "Tina, come out, honey! We need to talk to you!"
 
I ignored them.  If I left my hole, then they'd take me away!  I didn't want to go!  I wanted to stay with Mother and Father and Millie!  I don't want to go anywhere.
 
I felt a tugging in my mind, like that feeling you get when you feel like you remember something, but you just can't reach it.
 
I knew what was going on.  My mother reached into my mind again, and her words began to form: 'Tina, sweetie, you need to come out now.' 

  'No!' I responded, 'They want to take me away from you!  You and Father want to give me away! How could you? I thought you loved me!'
 
My mother receded from my thoughts, my heartbreaking as she left me alone again.  Now, I was truly alone. 
 
I curled up in a tiny ball on the floor of the owl nest, tears streaming from my eyes again.  I clutched my satchel to my chest and bit back my sobs, trying to stay quiet.
 
Suddenly, I felt a tiny sting on the back of my neck.  I jumped and reached behind my head.  I found the source of the sting and plucked it out. 
 
Holding it in front of my face, I found that it was a tiny dart.  A dart? What was a dart doing here?
 
I had just enough time to realize what it was before I began to feel very dizzy.  My vision clouded, and my heartbeat was loud in my ears. 
 
I curled slightly tighter around my bag, with one last gray owl feather clutched tightly in my little palm. 
 
The next thing I knew, I was waking up!  But it wasn't in my own bed