A Fifth Daughter [Book 1: The Dragon Rider]

Chapter ~ 6

~ Chapter 6: Cat-chasing Dragon, Silver-hair Rider, and Kid-napping Brother ~

We're all born human. Even the Werewolves and the Vampires are born human. It just depends on the nature that we're born into. If a Werewolf is born among humans their animal side will remain dormant for most of their lives. Same for the Vampires; even their delicacy to sunlight won't be a problem. But once you put these creatures in their natural environments the beastly side will come out and normally take over. These are what we call Rogues, because they cannot control the evil that has coiled inside them for however many years they'd been kept away from home. (This does not work on humans if they are born among Wolves or Vamps, they do not possess the flip side of the coin that these Night Children do.) But humans can be born in their own realm and still belong to another. Take me for example – because I can't think of anyone else – born and raised by a very human and normal family but "destined" to ride dragons, which is a fate normally left to the Royal-born children and such. I've already explained that there is no magic in my veins and therefore the only thing that puts me as a Rider is the fact that I'm a Pure One.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well last night. Not only were those thoughts buzzing through my head, but also the conversation I'd overheard kept being replayed, over and over and over again. It was on constant repeat for the remaining five hours until the sun rose. And the fact that it could all be a dream has really given me a headache.

Mom looks about as bad as I feel, only her eyes are red and puffy from crying, which means she cried herself out last night. Which makes me wonder if my imagination didn't create last night's event. Because I'm pretty sure a sick calf isn't a reason to go to bed crying.

Silence is almost a burden at the table. Only Mom and I really know what happened last night – although I beg to differ on me knowing anything at all really – but everyone can feel the tension and see the lost look in Mom's eyes.

At a quarter to seven I'm washing dishes and Mom comes to stand at my side.

"Your ride will be here soon." She says quietly, picking at the drying cloth. "I need to talk to you before you leave."

"Okay." I don't look at her. I feel like she'll know I'm keeping her secret if I make eye contact. Maybe she already knows though. And that's why she wants to talk to me. Then again, she could have been crying over the calf.

"Now?" She asks quietly.

Uh... no... not now, nor anytime soon. "Sure."

She only nods and turns away.

I suck in a breath and shut off the water. Here goes whatever happens next.

Mom sits in her rocking chair and I take my normal corner of the couch in the living room. For a moment she stares at the floor, her fingers flexing in her lap. When she finally does look at me her mouth is open and on the verge of spewing whatever she wants to say but instead she closes it with a sigh. Another odd moment passes and she just stares at me.

"Your father left something for you." She finally says.

I blink.

"I was supposed to give it to you last year, but between forgetting and not wanting to, I didn't. With you leaving for Dragonmage today, I guess now would be as good a time as any." She pulls out a package from the knitting basket beside her chair and stands. With slight hesitance she gives it to me. "Don't open it until you've settled tonight." She leaves for the kitchen.

The package is obviously a book and that's all I can tell about it. The only evidence that it was ever my father's is the one word etched in the paper.