Dragon Tamer

Chapter 12

We flew around the valley all day yesterday. I rode on Madden, one of the more experienced dragons with trainees. He flew below Elesor, ready to catch Camden if he lost his grip on the turns. He never did. Actually, he was a natural in the sky. He obeyed Elesor's needs, leaning more or less, pressing closer to her back so there was less wind resistance. It was the most fun I'd had with someone other than my brothers. Most people in my village only flew to get around, they didn't treat it as a fun pastime.

Near the end of our flight, I took him to Mount Ankar. After our talk the other night, he seemed a little homesick, so I took him to the highest point on the mountain to view the plains of Wala. We couldn't see Histero from here, but he seemed content enough to sit and gaze at familiar territory. He pointed at the village closest to the valley and told me of the shenanigans he and his best friend Ronan got up to. Surprisingly, the stuck up prince wasn't actually stuck up, and knew how to have fun. So far away from the castle, he'd take his crown off--very much like how he didn't bring one to Plum--and let loose. Start fights with people who were asking for it in bars, horseback riding along the endless plains, hunting, swimming in the river. He was actually quite the adventurer with far more interesting stories than I had to share. I envied him for his freedom. Prince or no, people let him do what he wanted with only minor consequences. He'd travelled to other kingdoms with his brothers, seen many amazing, beautiful things, met all kinds of people, fought off beasts I'd thought gone extinct (turns out dragons were a bigger deterrent than I thought), and attended extravagant events where people wore the most uncomfortable things to look the most stuffy and rich. And here I was with a dragon to take me anywhere but with nowhere to go.

Today, I took Camden along a trail through the meadows, North for Mount Cartin. Elesor loyally joined us, hopping joyfully up the small incline, waiting for us at the top. The path wasn't as used as other trails leading from town; this location was a family secret. The only other person who knew of its existence was Prince Quinnton, who had trained under Giles two years ago. The grass swayed in the gentle breeze, thinning out the higher up the hill we hiked up, giving way to the gravel now crunching beneath our boots.

Camden raked a hand through his hair, jacket tied around his waist. Sweat trickled down the side of his face. He licked his lips. "Where are we going? I thought you said we were going to fly?"

The eager twinkle in his eyes to get back up to the skies warmed me to the core. I would be more than happy to oblige him, but first, there were some things I needed to prepare him for. Flying in the valley was dangerous and he'd undoubtedly have to fight on his dragon as Dragon Prince.

"We will later," I promised him, "but I want to show you something you'll need to know and it'll be much safer here."

He screwed his face up in confusion but continued to follow without further complaint.

The incline finally levelled off, leading to the base of Mount Cartin; there were a bunch of boulders lying about from an avalanche several winters ago. Amazingly, one of the boulders had been so bashed around that it split cleanly down the middle, leaving a flat slab. It balanced perfectly on top of a rounded boulder piled up over a few smaller rocks that kept it level. After Harry had discovered it, we started using it for combat training. The way it titled when you walked along it, mimicked the way a dragon moved mid-flight. It was perfect for new flyers to learn how to balance and fight at the same time safely.

Camden's eyebrows scrunched together as he wiped the sweat off his brow. His shirt clung to his back, stained with his efforts. A strand of hair stuck to the side of his face; I had to fight the urge to brush it aside. Hmm, he did look good working up a sweat instead of looking like the preened up prince he'd been when I met him.

"What's this?"

I readjusted my ponytail, tying back a few loose strands that had come free from the hike. "A freak of nature--but also a training tool. When we fought the harpies on Marco's back, you had trouble holding your balance. Nothing against your skills as a fighter, you're merely used to fighting on the ground, something that doesn't move. You said you wanted to teach me how to fight; you can on this and learn how to keep your balance at the same time."