Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

Haze's Story Part Two

"That's horrible." Boysen declared.

"You get used to it." Haze insisted.

"And that's it? No one ever came after you again?"

"Well, technically that's not true. A dragon did try to kill me once, but my father was able to rescue me before it was too late. That's where I get this." She paused and gestured to a long scar running down her side. Boysen wondered how he had failed to notice it before. " After that, he taught he how to defend myself. That's when I started sharpening things, just to be safe. Just in case someone ever tries to hurt me again." Boysen looked at her.

"No one here is going to hurt you." he promised. 

"You don't know that."

"Well, I know that if they try, they have me to go through." She smiled slightly at him, but didn't look very reassured. 

"Do you have any other questions for me?" 

"Just one." he swore. "Did you ever find out if your mother was truly dead?" Haze frowned.

"Well, it's not like we received a body in the mail, but I thought it'd be obvious. It's been nearly four years. Surely if she was alive, she'd have found a way back, or sent a letter or something. There would be some way of knowing that she had survived." she paused, emotion showing on her face for the first time. "Surely, if she was alive, she would've wanted to find a way back to me, right?" Boysen's face fell. He knew what this pain felt like.

"Of course she would. But maybe there's something preventing her from finding a way to contact you." 

"Like what? What could possibly prevent a mother from getting home to her daughter?"

*~*~*~*~*

In a dark room in the Scorpion Den, Rattlesnake laid on a bed and wept silently. Prickle had found her and had dragged her back, turning her into his personal slave. Hope for escape was the only reason she kept herself alive. There had to a chance- how small it was didn't matter. There had to be the slightest possibility that she could escape from this hell and go back where she belonged- where she was loved. There were dragons out there that needed her, but she had no way of getting to them. Especially not now. 

Not after Prickle had gotten what he desired.

Light footsteps padded into the room and small talons poked at her scales. Rattlesnake felt fresh tears brew in her eyes.

"Mommy?" a tiny voice asked. "Are you okay?"

"Go away, Drought." she pleaded, hoping that the dragonet would listen. 

"Daddy doesn't like it when you cry all day." he warned.

"Go away," she repeated, on the verge of losing control. The little dragonet looked crestfallen, but reluctantly left the room. Rattlesnake felt fresh tears roll down her face.

She had always wanted a dragonet, and yet, the one she had felt so wrong. Her dragonet was never meant to be here. She cried as she remembered another time, with another dragonet. One she had wanted. One she loved with all her heart. The one she had with the only dragon who'd ever said that he loved her. The dragonet she had never even gotten a chance to meet.