Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 36

They arrived at the village in uncomfortable silence that had persisted despite attempts from Jin and Aldren to break it.

Sebastian had abandoned his previous efforts of civility and Marcie was responding with offended indifference.

She led them through the trees and onto the crest of the hill that overlooked the village. Glancing at her charges she saw them all blink against the uninterrupted winter sunlight and gaze upon their long forsaken prize.

Jin sighed heavily and raised his arms above his head to stretch. All three of them looked like they might have whooped and cheered if they had not been so tired. The last stretch had been tough. She had pushed them to travel faster and for longer periods so to rid herself of their company all the quicker. Well, Sebastian's company mostly. The others she wouldn't mind continuing their association.

Unexpectedly embarrassed by her proximity to them, Marcie moved away from the others and began to sing a song proclaiming that visitors were here. It was one she had not sang in a while and she stumbled over the words a little until she found the right ones.

The villagers stopped what they were doing and turned towards the hill, some disappearing to gather their friends and relatives, other voices joined hers. The old language drifting over the valley and becoming lost in the dense trees of the forest.

She brought the song to a close and motioned the men to follow her down the hill, but Aldren caught her arm to stop her.

"You speak the Gods Tongue" he said in the Old language urgently,

Marcie blinked, "Of course" she replied, also in the Old Language, "We all speak it" she gestured at the gathered village people.

Aldren released her arm with a frown. Marcie tilted her head inquisitively at him but when he offered no explanation she continued down the hill, feeling the others follow her.

In her mind she felt Dara mourn her leaving the forest and saw how he watched her from the safety of a tall tree. She also felt his fascination with the village, it being a place denied him, and how he longed to follow her into its unknown depths. She urged him to go back home and warned him of the dangers of others seeing him, expressing her own inherent fear to him. Dara was so terrified of this that he leapt off the branch as fast as he could and flew over the trees back to the the cave, and sanctuary.

The usual clamour that accompanied her return from hunting trips was not present as she led the strange men down the hill.

The villagers moved out of her way, staring intently at the strangers, whispering among themselves, their eyes full of suspicion. The children pointed excitedly at the horses having only seen paintings and descriptions of them in story books.

Marcie kept her head high, avoiding all eye contact, they kept away from her, even the children, so disturbed were they by the unexpected visitors.

She kept walking until she saw Roor's shaggy mane of hair approaching above the villagers heads. He stopped in front of her, his expression wary.

She greeted him in the traditional manner and he returned it after a moments pause.

"Who is this you have brought before us, No Ones Bride?" he asked after a pause,

Marcie heard Jin snort behind her and resisted the urge to turn and glare at him.

"Leader Roor" she said, adopting a formal manner of speech and raising her voice so all those gathered would be able to hard her, "I bring before you, Aldren of Thoughts Burrow, his man servant Sebastian and Jin-" she turned back to Jin when she said this, unsure what his title was, he answered this by saying,