Dragon Tamer - Book 1

Chapter 75

Marcie arrived back at the village in the early hours of the morning with a sense of dread, one which very nearly had her running back into the cover of the trees.

She did not however, instead she slipped quietly into the village, keeping her head down and ignoring the sounds of the villagers rousing.

It was as she slipped past Breen's home that she realised her one companion who she could count on was not here, he could not protect her. Then she remembered Dafne and Miss Maiden and was reassured she would not be alone. Thinking of Miss Maiden she hurried through the village square as the sunlight lit the rooftops and found her shop, she knocked quietly then let herself in.

"This village!" Miss maiden exclaimed angrily, aggressively darning a hole in pair of trousers,

"You would think you had led all the children into the forest to be devoured by wolves the way they prattle on" She bit through a stray thread and rummaged around in her hair bun for another pin,

"Superstitious nonsense..." she carried on for some time,

Marcie smiled and stitched her own neat line through a dress sleeve that she was extending, Miss Maiden had been so pleased to see her she had cried and made Marcie feel so guilty she habitually offered to help with the workload. Miss Maiden refused initially then graciously accepted, they had worked in silence for a while before Marcie made the mistake of asking how the village had been in her absence. Miss Maiden always seemed to find focus in her rage,and it was comforting to know she still had a friend.

"And most of the nonsense is being spewed by that tart Kena"

Marcie's head snapped up, "What!?"

"Oh yes" Miss Maiden growled, threading a new needle with one quick motion, "She's got it in for you darling, seems all worked up over something, spreading rumours your a..." she lowered her voice "A witch"

"Why would she?" Marcie asked bewildered,

"No idea, as I said, she's got some point to prove and it has never been hard for her to get the men on her side"

"Bitch" Marcie said half-heartedly,

Miss maiden giggled.

"Do not go worrying your pretty head about the actions of a deranged husband stealing harpy darling" she said quietly, after a moment,"This shall pass and people will go back to treating you the same as they did before"

Marcie groaned, "I don't know if that is better, at least they cannot pretend I do not exist now"

Miss Maiden tutted.

Marcie slept at the shop that night, Miss Maiden had a small loft where she stored all her fabrics and thread and she moved them around to make a space large enough to lie down in and lay a few pillows on the floor.

It was much too hot but, once she stripped naked, Marcie found herself dozing pleasantly. Dara fed her images of the trees spreading as far as the eye can see as he soared through the grey sky.

He turned and she saw the gathering clouds, huge grey monsters that seemed to almost boil across the sky. Marcie felt him land on a large cliff side where he watched the sky with interest. As if the ominous sky was influencing her, Marcie began to feel anxious, she pushed Dara away gently until she could no longer see what he saw and yet the feeling persisted.

She tossed and turned all night, until, in the early hours of the morning she could bear it no longer, she pulled on her clothes and climbed down the ladder from the loft. Miss Maiden was sleeping soundly on her cot so Marcie crept out the shop and breathed in the thick summer air that held the promise of another storm.

She walked through the village square and ended up at the lake edge where the hard baked earth ended and the waters edge started. She pulled off her boots and dipped her toes into the water with a sigh of relief at the respite from the heat.

She was just started to enjoy herself, the anxious feeling diminishing when the mark on her chest exploded in sudden and unexpected pain.

Dara sent her a flash of alarm and she felt him focus on her so intently she could feel his mind humming with so many thoughts she felt overwhelmed, another stab of pain shot through her chest, she doubled over and pressed the heel of her hand into her breast bone, trying to massage the pain away.

She felt Dara turn in her direction and launch himself into the air, his intent clear. She wiped her feet clean quickly and scrabbled into her boots, trying to focus her thoughts, she sent Dara a clear 'turn back!' and was rewarded with a roar of rage that echoed in her mind and in her ears, she cried out and clutched her head.

It took her a moment to compose herself and when she did she staggered to her feet, one hand still massaging her chest the other pressed to her temple. She stumbled along the lakes edge, the pain in her chest grew to a constant ache that spread throughout her limbs, she straightened, gritted her teeth and carried on walking.

Strangely, her body felt, almost compelled to go in that direction and yet it hurt, it hurt so much and it only got worse, she did not know why but she carried on.

She was dimly aware of stumbling between two buildings and coming out on the other side when she felt someone grab her arm and voice call her name, she ignored him and continued forward,

"Marcie? Marcie!" the voice called, and she recognised it as Merrick's, her childhood friend. Another voice sounded, "Leave her Mer, she's cursed or possessed, leave her!" And again, Marcie dimly recognised it as Ryna, Merricks possibly soon to be betrothed.

The grip on her arm tightened but she felt it loosen with a cry of pain and she was free to run forward till she reached the mouth of another alley between two buildings, where her eyes were irrevocably drawn to the slumped figure that lay behind some crates.

The pain in her chest swelled then, as soon as it started, it dissipated, leaving her limbs so weak she fell to her knees.

She stared at the figure and knew why she lad been led to this spot.

Lying on his side, in a pool of his own puke, very much dead, was her father.