The little green dragon sprawled on the sandy bank by the waterhole with his neck outstretched; his hands folded under his chest. The setting sun picked out the silvery points on his spinal spikes. His emerald eyes gleamed, sightless, from behind half-closed lids.
The draped wings twitched, several times, before he lifted his head to gaze groggily at the southeastern horizon.
"She is doing it again," he said, looking down at Jarryd, forgetting he had not yet told him of the futile communication attempts from the girl.
A gentle snore was the only response from the bundled bedroll.
Rufus grumbled.
He rested his head on the sand again, shifting irritably to get comfortable. Comfort had not been on his mind when he had fallen asleep soon after their crash landing.
He shook his head, bewildered, as his thoughts turned back to the girl.
Hundreds and hundreds of leagues separated them, though distance did not prevent him from answering her persistent pleas. Their enchanted prison blocked him. And, despite their exchange of thought patterns, Taniel should not be able to speak to him through the magic.
She should not be speaking to him at all. If he understood how a mindpath functioned, only another dragon, or a properly trained wizard, could initiate such a union of minds.
I must ask Driscoll how she manages it. That firedrake knows more about spells than I will ever learn in a lifetime, he thought, rolling his eyes.
He waited, hoping that this time she would close the mindpath correctly, but after the sense of direct contact with her faded, the link remained.
Resigned, Rufus took a deep breath and let it rumble out as he curled his neck and lay his head on his hands. He watched purple shadows creep over the valley, drawing closer to the chain of waterholes. He hoped something large and edible would come to drink in the morning.
Before he could decide on the ideal prey for breakfast, the dragon slumbered.
****
13 March 2017 - replaced with revised scene 21 March 2017 - small change to wording in final sentence
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Taniel (The Taverner's Daughter I)
FantasyTHE TAVERNER'S DAUGHTER - BOOK ONE FANTASY, MAGIC, DRAGONS, ROMANCE, WINGED WIZARDS. Please Note: The rest of this series will not be published until the complete series is drafted and revised - probably another four volumes over the next year...
