The next day Strata was sitting at the table sharpening a new spear for hunting when I came up to him.
"Teresa?" He looked up and then I leaned in and kissed him.
"That's how I feel about you." Then I spun on my heel and walked out of the room.
Summer passed and Autumn soon settled in on the little island. Natija was getting stronger each day going out for longer and longer trips. Soon she was ready to leave the island. During that time Strata and I hunted and fished for food while sharing our secret. Sometimes when he passed me he would smile or squeeze my hand but we never talked about it in front of Natija. Soon the day came when Natija could leave the island. We pack our stuff and climbed on Natija.
It was strange leaving the island knowing that we would never return. Strata climbed on Natija's silver back and reached his hand out for me. I turned and looked out over the island. The wind played with my hair and the setting sun shone down on us. I absorbed my last minutes here. Then turned and took Strata's hand. Natija spread her majestic wings then took off from the same plateau as we arrived on. We soared above the clouds and I watched the island disappear until it became a tiny speck in the distance. The moon was starting to rise and the light from it made Natija's scales glow so that we felt like we were riding the moon itself. We flew for a bit then started to decline. I saw the lights of our village that I thought a year ago I would never see again. We circled the mountain and finally set down on it. We got off Natija and immediately heard voices shouting. It was the villagers! I turned to Natija.
"Natija! You must hide on the other side of the mountain then leave and start a new generation of dragons!" I said as the voices got closer.
"No! You are the only family I have! I don't want you getting hurt." She said stubbornly
"Natija! Teresa's right. You must go! This is what your mother wanted. We will be safe we know these people!" Strata said starting to run up the mountain.
"Wait you knew my mom!"
"Yes, but she died before you were born! Now go!" I yelled. She reluctantly turned and ran up the mountain and hid in a cave. The villagers ran up to us and surrounded us.
"Where is the dragon?" "They're friends of dragons!" "Get 'em!"
Voices floated out of the crowd. My head swam as I was pushed around by villagers until finally, a voice silenced them.
"Enough!" Chief Nord pushed his way through the crowd.
"Strata?" He said looking at us. "Strata! It is you!" He gathered his son up in a hug.
"Teresa?" Clenver pushed through the crowd.
"Clenver!" I ran and hugged him. He held me tight.
"I thought you were dead." His voice cracking.
"What happened to you?" Nord asked his son.
"We were taken by a dragon who left us her egg and we raised it and flew back here. The dragons are actually peaceful. We don't have to be frightened of them." He said and Nord's face darkened.
"Son, this is no time for stories."
"But we are telling the truth. The dragon-" He cut me off.
"The dragons have always been a threat to us." He said
"That's not true they are peaceful! Strata?" I said hoping for his help.
"Son, you don't agree with this girl do you?" He said looking at his son.
"Actually, I do." He said and walked over to me. I felt his hand wrap around mine.
Nord stared astonished then straightened up.
"Well then son, you brought this on yourself. Take them to the village." Then he stepped aside and the villagers grabbed us and pulled us towards the village.
They tied us up on poles with a guard and left to hold a meeting where they would decide our fate. An hour later they came back and untied us. Two guards dragged us to a set of cages and there emptied our pockets. The guards put Strata in the cage, but when I went in my long hair kept on getting caught on the bars. So the man pulled me out and took out his knife. I thought we was going to harm me but instead he grabbed a handful of my hair. Then he pulled his knife across my hair and cut it off. My hair fell to the ground and I was shoved into the cage.
I grasped my hair but it slipped through my fingers and I slumped against the hard bars of the cage. I looked over at Strata. He was shaking and staring off into space. I finally made eye contact with him and reached my arm through the bars. His hand intertwined with mine.
"It's going to be okay," I said my arm relaxed but he didn't let go. So we stayed like that until the guards came. They unlocked my cage and pulled me out of it.
"Let's go. The chief wants to see you." Manes our bread maker said and hauled me off to the council hall. I entered the hall and saw chief Nord behind the council table that surrounds the hall in a circle with one gap so one person could stand in the middle.
"You remember what happened when we were attacked by the stronghold clan?" He walked around the table.
"Yes," I said watching his every move.
"Many people died that day because of poor judgment. Including your father." He turned to face me and waited for my reaction. "You see, the death of your father and many others was the cause of not destroying a potential threat. Our chief and leaders thought we could make friends with our enemies. They did not have the wisdom to get rid of the potential threat. So many suffered because of it. You don't want this to happen again do you?"
"No, Nord had", I said looking at him. I can show weakness, that's what he wants. Me to become weak and crack. "Good. Since you agree then it should be easy to tell me where the Moon Rider is."
I stayed quiet. "You and Strata can go free and this will all be forgotten." He Nord had traveled all the way around the table and was now right beside me. I could smell his awful breath.
"The dragons are no threat to us! We can make friends with them and be protected forever!" I said indignantly. He raised his hand about to hit me. I flinched. But instead he lowered his arm. Smothering his anger.
"I thought you were smarter than this Teresa. Well, if you won't tell Strata will. Take her away and bring me my son." The guards seized me and dragged me out of the hall and to the cages.
They threw me into the cage and locked it. Then they went to Strata's cage and pulled him out. He looked at me to see if I told but I shook my head. The guards roughly spun him around and walked away.
