Dragon Tamer(On hold)

Chapter Eight

"Easy now." Sumner crooned in a low, soft voice. He gently flexed the small green dragon's wing. It whimpered in pain. "I'm sorry." Sumner apologized, running a finger under its chin. It let out a weak purr, making him smile. "You'll be alright in no time." He set to work cleaning the dragon's burns out with water and a strip of cloth off the bottom of his tunic. He wrapped bandages around the creature's ribcage and front left foreleg. Then he splinted its broken wing with a small stick.

His work finally finished, Sumner gingerly wrapped his cloak around the sleeping dragon's body, careful to avoid the injured wing, and stood. With the dragon cradled in his arms, he turned to Parker and Malcolm, who'd watched him the whole time in silence.

"You are very good with dragons." Malcolm remarked, brushing himself off as he got to his feet. Sumner smiled at the compliment.

"So are you. Berry really likes you." Malcolm shrugged.

"Yes, but, he doesn't always listen to me and do what I say. I'm sure he would for you, though." Sumner shook his head.

"Don't say that. I'm not all as good as you say I am." He waved off Malcolm's protests and glanced up at the sun. It was almost directly overhead, tilting toward the west. It must be around one or two o'clock. Once again, they set out, making their way out of the forest back to the road.

As they walked, Sumner gazed down at the dragon in his arms. "I wonder where you're owner is? Or are you part of the Apprenticeship Test?" Buddy, who was on Sumner's shoulder, chattering quietly, gazed down at his kinsman. Or kinsdragon.

Malcolm popped up beside Sumner, his hand clasped behind his back and peered over at the dragon in Sumner's arms."The poor thing. I wonder what happened to it?" Malcolm mused sadly. "Will it be alright?" Sumner glanced up at Malcolm. He had a look of intent concern in his dark chocolate eyes.

"I think so. I hope so." Sumner replied to Malcolm's question. His frowned deepened slightly and he turned away, gazing blankly up the road, seemingly lost in thought. Behind them, as they walked side by side in silents, Parker was trying to catch Red who kept running in circles around his feet and scurrying up and down his back, tittering loudly. Berry leaped off Malcolm's head and joined in with  the fun. Sumner laughed at this.

  The sun beamed down on the group, warming their backs. Birds sang in the trees and an occasionally fox or rabbit scurried across the dirt road and disappeared into the undergrowth on the other side.

Sumner didn't know when he noticed it, but a chronic ringing filled his ears. He rubbed them, trying to make the sound go away. It didn't. He glanced around at Malcolm and Parker to see if they heard it too, but they appeared unaffected. Sumner frowned and shook his head. Buddy eyed him curiously. Sumner smiled and patted his head. " It's nothing, little Buddy." He said quietly.

But was it really? Soon a headache came pounding on his skull and the back of his eyes and he broke out in a cold sweat. He licked his lips. His mouth felt dry. He went for his water and noticed his hand was trembling terribly.

What was wrong with him? Was it the poison? Sumner thought that had passed earlier since he had been feeling great. But maybe it had just been a passing span of relief.

Suddenly Sumner staggered, nearly dropping the dragon. Buddy squeaked and took to the air, fluttering a few feet above Sumner's head. Sumner's knees slammed into the ground, a huge wave of nausea washing over him, making him retch. His vision became a black blur, dotted with spots of color. He thought he heard voices of alarm filter into his subconsciousness, but he wasn't sure.

Then the world went completely blank.

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Millie rubbed her red eyes, sniffling. That had been so silly of her, running off like that. And crying--so childish. She hadn't done that in years. But is had hurt that Brim didn't trust her enough to tell her what was going on. So maybe he had been telling the truth about beginning swordsmanship in Costnyal, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth. Millie was sure he'd left out a vital piece of information.

But what could it be? What was so secret he couldn't even tell her, his lifelong friend?

Millie realized more tears were threatening to spill over and squashed them back into her eyes with her knuckles, silently cursing herself. Why did Brim make her so sappy?

Millie let out a sigh and brushed her hair away from her forehead.

Ivy. What had happened to the little dragon? Had that large, white dragon eaten her? 

 No. Millie shook her head. She shouldn't think like that. She had to think positive if she was going to find Ivy, even if the little dragon didn't like her. Wait.... what if she had run away? Either way, Millie was determined to find Ivy.

She spent hours searching every bush and tree for even a hint of shining green, but she saw neither hide nor hair of Ivy. Even though dragons don't have hair.

Millie, in one last attempt, climbed up into the large branches of an old oak and gazed down through the tree tops.Nothing. Going up a bit higher, she could see the road in the near distance. She hadn't realized she wandered so close to it. Bobbing there were three heads, two brown and one blonde. And on one head was a purple dragon. She gasped. It was a Scavenger Dragon, like Ivy was! Maybe Ivy had went searching for one of her own kind and was with them!

Millie scrambled down to the ground and sprinted off through the tree with the ease of experience. She had done this many of times as a little child when she raced with Brim. The thought of Brim reminded her of his secret and made her heart heavy. But she shook those thoughts away and directed her mind toward Ivy.

Suddenly loud cries of alarm reached Millie's ear and got louder as she dodged through the woods. Bursting out into the sunlight, she blinked, the bright light tearing up her eyes. She waited until her eyes adjusted in a few moments. When they did, she saw that she was standing right in front of a trio of boys, two of them who were staring at her. Despair and surprise shone in their eyes.

And the third boy was lying sprawled on the ground, a bundle still wrapped in his arms even though he was unconscious. Millie gasped, doubly surprised.

"Sumner!" She cried. It was the boy from the pub. "Ivy!" For inside the bundle was her Scavenger Dragon! Millie knelt beside Sumner, who was looking deathly pale, his lips blue.

"Who are you? And how do you know Sumner?" One of the boys asked, glaring at her with bright green eyes as she placed her hand on Sumner's forehead. It was boiling hot.

"I'm Millie, to answer your first question. And for the second, I met Sumner in Carver before the Apprenticeship started." Millie replied, wiping some sweat off Sumner's forehead. "What happened to him?" She asked, glancing up at the green-eyes boy, who's face was tight in concern.

"Yesterday, a thief got him with a poisoned knife." The other boy answered. Millie gaped at him.

"What? Why?" The boy just shrugged.

"Enough talking! What about Sumner? We need to do something!" The boy with the green eyes said in anguish.

"Calm down, Parker." The second boy said.  Parker turned to him.

"How can I be calm, Malcolm? Sumner could be dying!" Malcolm looked uncomfortable.

"But Hunter said it wasn't that serious." Parker scoffed.

"Then he was lying, because this is very serious." He turned back to Millie. "Can you help him?" He asked desperately. Millie shook her head.

"I...I don't know. But if we could get him to my friend's house...." Parker leaned closer.

"Where? Is it close?" Millie nodded.

"Yes, just through those trees." She pointed behind her. A problem came to her. "But how will we get him there?" Parker pointed at himself.

"I'll carry him, of course." He said with determination. Millie smiled inwardly. Parker really cared about Sumner.

"Alright, come with me." Millie gently pried Ivy from Sumner's arms and stood. Parker draped Sumner over his back and he and Malcolm followed Millie as she hurried to Brim's house. She just hoped they got there in time.

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