The Mouth of a Dragon

[CloudyBlueDay]

Two orphan children decide to steal dragon eggs to protect them from exterminators. What could go wrong?

 

[Mordecai]

No one could lie in the presence of a dragon; Grayson knew better than most. As a young child, he had encountered a dragon only once. It had been captured and was being dragged through the city streets in a metal cage towards slaughter. Ropes clamped its jaw shut, though smoke still had billowed from its nostrils as he clawed desperately at the wrought iron, though its claws, powerful as they were, could not bust the welded metal. It had been wounded during its capture and its blood dripped from between the brilliantly gold scales, collecting in small pools on the cage floor. It was a memory Grayson had retained amazing clarity of. Even in a panic, the dragon refreshed his eyes with its blinding scales and blew away lingering darkness in his mind with its leathery wings. It had made the very best and the best worst of him known and Grayson had loved dragons ever since. A love for dragons was about as taboo as murder though, so it was rarely something Grayson just brought up in conversation, so how he and his good friend Winnie first brought up the matter of dragons was something he had long since forgotten.


Whatever the case may have been, Grayson was now hunched down in front of a small fence meant to ward off pesky intruders from the large Gothic-style factory. It was a beautiful building—constructed from wood, masonry, and marble with slit windows and pointed arches. It had been a church once, but was retired when a new, larger Parish had been built. Instead, the building had been refitted for the capturing, storage, and destroying of dragons. Dozens of dragons and dragon eggs were totted there a week, all captured by poachers, hunters, or military squadrons. Now, how the two of them got the idea to break in and steal eggs to raise as their own? Grayson couldn’t remember that either, but there wasn’t even the smallest worm of doubt in his gut.


Hunched down by the fence, Grayson curled his fingers into the metal links, staring out over the dark yard and at the looming shilouette of the Dragon Factory. It was early fall, and his breath was spilling out in small puffs of steam as raindrops pattered down on him. It was well past midnight and all seemed eerily quiet on the grounds. There should have been a guard or two, from Grayson’s previous observations, but even his keen eyes couldn’t discern a single moving form through the dark and rainy atmosphere. Shifting his boots in the mud and tightening his satchel across his shoulders. His blue eyes found Winnie, giving her an assuring nod, “So, are we going to do this? We probably should do it, soon.”


Raindrops dripped down his face and off his nose, “Let’s go,” he said in a voice barely audible over the rain. His fingers caught the fence and he moved to scale it. Leaping down on the other side, he paused a moment, still not seeing any movement around the Factory. He proceeded quietly towards the building, his fingers meeting the glass pane and swung it open. While he had been expecting the window to be locked, it swung open with a merry squeak. It was a narrow window, barely enough for the two of them to squeak through. Grayson perched himself up on to the ledge and pulled himself through the window, clattering down on to the floor on the other side before leaning back out the window and extending an arm down towards Winnie.


“Grab my hand, I’ll pull you up,” he offered, giving her a mischievous grin. His hair fell across his forehead like a wet mop, “we should hurry.”


The inside of the factory was a dank, dirty space lined with cages and steel boxes. The aroma of moth balls, grease, and mold was heavy in the air: it smelled like adventure.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie was desperate to see a dragon up close. Any time there was a rustle in the brush, or some shift in the dirt, she would announce that she was absolutely positive that it had been a dragon. Then, she would proceed to sit in wait for quite a few hours, until a squirrel or raccoon appeared instead and crushed her hopes and dreams. One time, she found an eggshell. It was black and leathery, strangely soft yet tough. There were scratches on the eggshell, markings of a baby dragon clawing it's way outside. Winnie had been astonished. She'd shown Grayson immediately. She'd never enjoyed the fact that their society murdered countless dragons, but after seeing that eggshell she refused to stand by any longer.


She'd shown Grayson the eggshell, her eyes sparkling the entire time she explained how she'd found it and she pointed out the little claw marks. Winnie had listened in wonder as Grayson told her the time he'd seen a dragon. She could almost touch the shimmering golden scales that he described. "Wow." She had whispered. Grayson had only hesitantly told her that it had been injured, and Winnie wailed sadly, but this only fueled her fire more.


"Of course we're going to do this." She said firmly, staring at the dragon-killing factory, teeth clenched. She wiped her face with her sleeve from the rain and watched him scale the fence. Winnie did the same, hopping over and letting out a little squeal as she nearly fell face-first in the mud, but managed to save herself at the last second. She followed him to the window and grinned wildly as he pushed the window open, easy-peasy.


It was hard to hear him over the pounding rain, but she got the jist of what he said when he put out his hand. Winnie reached up and grabbed his hand and found herself inside. She looked around, taking it in, all the cages and boxes and she thought she could hear some growls of dragons, too. "I'm hurrying.." She said, looking up at him and beaming. She was thrilled and terrified, her heart pounding in her chest, but she was ready.

 

[Mordecai]

Grayson hauled Winnie up with a small grunt of effort before turning his attention back to the dark space. The cages were lined in rows and most appeared to be empty, though four young dragons lay dead with spears through their hearts in some of the nearest cages. Dead dragons were valuable things: their pelts made fire-resistant armor, their flesh was sold as food in markets, their bones were crushed down in to medicine, and their teeth and claws were forged into exquisite pieces of over-priced jewellery. The fact of the matter was that killing dragons was a profitable trade, which is why poachers waited for the dragons to hatch before they slaughtered them.


"C'mon," Grayson whispered, still fearing a guard would come around a shadowy bend and meet them head on. He happened to be carrying a small blade with him, tucked neatly into the side of his left boot, but it wasn't any match for a sword or firearm. It was best that they went unnoticed, so Grayson moved quietly through the aisles, searching empty cage after empty cage. He moved quickly and quietly, occasionally glancing back over his shoulder to find comfort in Winnie's presence. As stupidly courageous as he was, his chest was still tight as they continued through the rows. Being caught with a dragon was bad enough, but stealing a dragon from a slaughter pit? That was outright treason. They'd face certain death at the hands of the law if they were caught doing such a treacherous act. There was a small voice of doubt feeding in to his mind for a while until he laid eyes on them: two perfectly spherical dragon's eggs laid in a nest of straw.


He knew there were two of them, but his eyes had locked so fervently on to one of them, he hadn't even really noticed the other. It's shell was leathery and powder white and he couldn't resist but reach through the bars of the cage to touch it. It was warm and pulsed below his fingertips, much like a little heartbeat would have. "They're alive. We've got to find a way to bust open this cage... and preferably with as little noise as impossible," Grayson said, pulling his hand back through the bars and glancing desperately at the cage, "Thoughts?"

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie gnawed on her lip as the two walked through the factory. She was constantly looking around, over her shoulder. Just knowing what had gone on here, how many dragons had been slaughtered mercilessly.. it sent shivers down her spine. Why were their no guards? People were too afraid, she assumed. They didn't even bother to come close. Winnie didn't believe that dragons were just plain murderers. She almost never heard of dragons killing or hurting, unless they were in a situation where someone had provoked them. Imagine what people could do if they lived in harmony with dragons.


Winnie's eyes widened as she saw the four dead dragons. She covered her mouth with her hand, freezing up at the sight of it. They.. they were so young! How could they? They were practically killing children! Grayson barely seemed to take notice to it. She was horrified and took her a few moments to realize it might not be best to stand and stare. There was work to do. Or, y'know, maybe it wasn't her but Grayson's words. She only nodded silently, moving forward.


Winnie followed Grayson's gaze. She stared at the two beautiful eggs, one black, one white. He immediately went and touched the white one, declaring it alive. Winnie's eyes locked on the black one. It was just like the eggshell she had found before, only, well.. whole. It was so beautiful. She watched Grayson, the way he touched the white egg so gingerly, like they were meant to be. But in truth, Winnie was scared. What if it hatched right then and there when she touched it? What if it bit her? While dragons didn't seem like bad creatures, she.. she was still allowed to be scared, right?


"There must be someone with keys." She said to him. Her voice was much less confident then it had been only moments ago. Winnie pointed towards a hallway to the left of them. Winnie was light on her feet. She could easily peek in and see if there were any keys, run away if need be. "I'm going to look. You stay and watch for anyone coming, okay?"

 

[Mordecai]

Grayson didn't have time to worry about dead dragons. As sad as it was, his mission was clear and any minute they wasted grieving dead dragons were minutes they'd lose saving living ones. It was a cruel situation to be existing in, but one that they had to simply come to terms with. There was nothing they could do for those dead dragons, but there were things that they could do for the two eggs-- the ying and the yang, the black and the white. He looked away from the eggs to glance back at Winnie, giving her a nod when she offered to go look for keys. "Be careful," he offered a friendly warning, reaching down to produce the blade and offer it out to her if she so chose to take it. "Here," he offered, jiggling the handle in her direction, "Just in case, okay?"


Winnie was his friend and he could see the obvious fear in her eyes. It was painfully easy to be afraid in such a situation, even he felt the same fears, but forced a brave face for her sake. They were going to make it out of the Factory alive-- them and those two eggs. There just simply no other option for them. He wouldn't allow for anything else to happen.


Watching as Winnie darted off until he couldn't see her anymore, he knelt down in front of the cage and studied the eggs with a bit more scrutiny. He had never seen a whole egg-- not like this before. He had seen broken shards of dragon eggs, like the one that Winnie had brought to him once, but these were the first two live eggs he had ever laid eyes on. Several years back, he had gotten his hands on a book about dragons and relished it for so long, but the owner of the orphanage he had grown up in had found it and made him burn it for it being considered a sin. It hadn't mattered though-- he had read it so many times he had every line memorized. It was how he knew the eggs were still alive.


"Come on, Winnie," he mumbled under his breath, his head snapping up so he could watch the darkness for any sign of movement--- Winnie or otherwise.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie took the blade gingerly. She wasn't a pro at handling it. She'd never wanted to try, but she supposed it could be handy, maybe to scare someone off... never to use it. She hoped to never want too. Winnie stared Grayson right in the eyes, giving him the firmest look she possibly could, before turning down the hallway. She gripped the knife and held it in front of her in a pretty amateur way. Grayson would've laughed.


There was a noise that Winnie didn't recognize. A grumble, the scuffing on the boots on the floor. Winnie almost allowed herself to freeze up, but she kept on going, tightening her grip on the knife, preparing to turn around the corner. The worst there could be was a guard. That wasn't so bad... okay. It was kinda bad. But she had a knife. Stabbing wasn't hard. This was for a good cause. That would hopefully not kill her later on. God, this was so twisted. Why hadn't she thought this through?


Okay. I'm going to do it. She thought to herself, told herself. The keys have to be somewhere around here. I can turn the corner. Stop getting so worked up, Winnie! Three, two, one.. Winnie jumped in front of the corner, thrusting the knife in front of her, only to find a guard slumped in a chair, fast asleep, a set of keys attached to his belt. Winnie let out a sigh of relief and rubbed her forehead. All she had to do was grab the keys without waking him up and she was good to go.


Holding the dagger in her left hand, Winnie crouched down to unhook the keys from his belt. The guard was a skinny man, he really posed no threat. If he had been awake. It was rather easy to grab the keys, and Winnie grinned proudly. She rushed back down the hallway. "I got the keys, Grayson!" She whisper-yelled.

 

[Mordecai]

No one had bothered Grayson nor the eggs while Winnie had been away, though the sound of her shoes pattering across the flooring had nearly caused his heart to seize in his chest until he watched her emerge from the inky darkness, dangling the keys proudly. He gave her a proud grin, swiping the keys from her hands and quickly fumbling with the lock until it popped open and clattered to the floor. The door swung open with a creak and Grayson dropped to his knees, reaching out for the black egg first. He extended it out towards Winnie with a smile and once she had taken it, turned back to grab the white egg, pressing it against his chest.


The warmth of the egg against his damp shirt caused a pang of pride to course through him. It drummed rhythmically-- the vibration of its beating syncronising with his own heartbeat as he got back to his feet, zipping his coat over the egg as he kept it nestled against his chest protectively. Dragon eggs were incredibly tough little things, but enough trauma or cold could still terminate them. "Good job, Winnie," he beamed at her, impressed with her quick and effective handiwork, but they had no time to celebrate the small victory just yet. They were still in a very vulnerable place and morning was coming quickly; they would have to get out and find refuge quickly, before the morning workers came to find the eggs missing.


"Let's go," he encouraged, beginning to move towards the window they had came in through. "You first, I can help hoist you up," he explained, looking at the window that was several feet off the ground height. Being taller, and probably stronger than her, it would be easier for him to go through unassisted, "we'll have to make a run for it. Find a place to lay low for a few days. It feels like these guys are only a short while from hatching." While he was no expert, his book had mentioned how the strength of the egg beating reflected how soon they were to becoming hatchlings. Though, to be honest, Grayson didn't know the first thing about caring for dragons-- but... how hard could it be?

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie beamed back. She, of course, was never going to tell Grayson that she had just found the keys on a guard that was asleep, and that there was no real challenge of all. Nah. She would take the credit. He unlocked the cage and shoved the black egg towards her. Well, apparently this was hers now. It looked like he claimed the white one for herself. She didn't mind, really. Black was pretty. Winnie stared at the egg, listening to it hum, enjoying it's warmth. It was incredible. She was holding a little life in her hands.


"Okay," She mumbled, running a hand over the egg, caressing the leathery shell before rushing towards the window, listening to his instructions, his plans. She was happy to let him take the lead. Winnie knew he read a book. Therefore, he could be leader. "I'm ready." She said. Not ready to be hoisted up. Yeah, she was ready for that. But she was ready to do whatever it took to raise these dragons. Find a place. Find food. There was something so wonderful about knowing she would be able to raise one of her own.


Once Grayson had helped her out the window, she looked both ways for anyone that might be around, clutching the egg tightly towards her chest. Then gave a thumbs up to Grayson. "All clear." She said, but still quietly. "We could go to the forest, maybe? Or maybe past the village. I'm sure that we could find somewhere.." she mumbled.

 

[Mordecai]

Hoisting Winnie through the window, Grayson grabbed the windowsill and pulling himself through, landing on the other-side with a plop of mud that exploded from his impact. It was still raining-- heavier than before-- and the cool night air struck him with some ferocity. It was hard not to shiver a little, though he pressed the egg closer into his chest and let the warmth seep into him a little. It was a little victory to feel his boots in the mud, to feel the egg against his skin, to know they were out of the Factory, but they had miles left to go. People who surely be hunting them and the eggs down once they realized that they were missing.


Grayson listened to her options, nodding softly as he considered the options she explained. "I'm not sure," he finally concluded truthfully. He hadn't thought this far ahead. Hell, he hadn't thought they'd ever be able to get that far, but now that he had, he truly wished they would have had more thoughts laid down. "The forest, or the past the village," he echoed, still trying to digest the thoughts, "I'm not sure what is better. We're going to need to really lay low for a while." Though, he was sure she already understood that. He was just repeating it for his own sake now.


"The forest might provide more cover for us. It may be easier to hide there?" he suggested, edging away from the Factory now, just wanting to get it out of his sight before the sun managed to come up. "We will need to figure something out for the winter, as well."

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

The rain was beating down on them. Winnie pulled her coat over the egg, not wanting it to get wet or cold. She was so thrilled, her heart pounding. We got a dragon. I'm holding a dragon. Winnie grinned, beamed, enjoying the splashes of rain on her face. She felt triumphant. Winnie didn't let the fact that they still had a lot to go and to do bother her. To her, they'd already won. It was a dragon, for crying out loud! That was most certainly a victory in her eyes.


"If we go into the forest I don't know how long we'll be able to stay. We don't know what predators are there in the night." Winnie said, gnawing on her lip thoughtfully. "We still have time before winter. Think about now." She said. Sometimes Grayson could get a tad carried away. "The forest is alright for now. I hope with a dragon on our side we'll have better protection." Winnie giggled. "Do you think they breathe fire or ice?" Heh. Maybe Winnie could get a tad carried away, too.


The sun was surfacing now. Birds were beginning to chirp, roosters crowing. "Oh, shoot.. we have to go!" She squealed. Winnie began to rush in the direction of the forest.

 

[Mordecai]

Grayson's eyes brightened as a chuckle escaped them, "Yea, you're right. Let's just get away from the front lawn of this place. We can talk more as we walk?" he suggested, leaping over the fence and clattering back out on to the cobblestone street. It didn't matter where they went, they just needed to get away from the front steps of the Factory. Nothing would be any more obvious than the morning crew showing up to two children in the front yard and two missing dragon's eggs. As she continued to discuss the possibilities of the dragons below the thick, leather shells, Grayson found himself pondering the same thing. Dragons came in a variety of flavours, all with their unique powers, colours, shapes, and sizes.


They were not revolutionaries, though. There had been others like them in the past: people who held esteem for dragons, who had kept them hidden and raised them, kept them as pets and beasts of war. Grayson had always heard the old rumor that once you earned a dragon's trust, you had earned a companion for life. Whether or not that was true, he couldn't wait to discover. "I don't know, Winnie. I can't wait to find out though," he said, slipping down the street and heading towards the outskirts of town, towards the forest in pursuit of Winnie. He still wasn't sure where they were going, but anywhere away from the Factory was a start, seeing as the sun was less than a half hour from the horizon.


Breaking into a jog, he caught up to her side, glancing a happy smile in her direction, "Where are we headed?"

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

If she could choose, Winnie would probably pick ice. No, wait, fire. Maybe it blasted pure magic! Or.. or darkness! Or light! There were so many possibilities, Winnie's eyes were sparkling with wonder just thinking about it. What if these dragons were some sort of legendary, last of their kind sorta thing? What if they were destined to save them! To be the ultimate dragon riders! To bring the world to peace and love and-


Woah, woah, Winnie. What the heck happened to you? She smiled at the egg, still thrilled about what it could turn out to be. Maybe she would leave the saving the world and stuff bit for later. That would be fun though. Winnie only half believed in destiny. She liked to tell other people she believed that she was in charge of her own life, but sometimes it was fun to think that she was supposed to do something great. Something unbelievable. But then again, wasn't that up to her to decide too? Eugh. She always confused herself with these sorts of things. Made her own brain her hurt. Winnie snickered to herself.


"Forest, I think. Since it's light out I think we'll be safe there for now. You're right. It does provide a lot of cover." She nodded at him, then smiled back. "Are they going to hatch soon? Did your book say anything about that?" The egg felt like it was getting hotter. Or maybe it was just her. It's warmth was nice anyway, under the pooring rain, it kept her from shivering.

 

[Mordecai]

"I think so," he replied when she asked, though all the knowledge he had was from a single book. As nice and helpful as it was, there was a big rift between reading something and experiencing something. That, and dragons, even hatchlings, were unpredictable. The book had noted that young dragons could control their hatch time, to some extent, when conditions were most favorable. They were smart creatures, that much was true, and Grayson was both exciting and nervous at the very idea of caring for a dragon. His thoughts skirted around the what ifs for a while-- what if the dragons has no interested in being with humans? What if they tried to kill them? Or eat them? Even so, those thoughts were quickly quieted by the feeling of the heartbeat against his ribcage.


Arriving at the edge of the forest, Grayson was the first to dip behind the lines of trees. It was densely packed foliage, all bright green still, even with the arrival of early autumn. The smell of damp soil filled the air as the raindrops pattered across the canopy, preventing them, mostly, from getting rained on. It was no wonder people rarely ventured into the nearby forest. It was filled with thick brambles and ravines that tangled in his legs, causing him to trip periodically as he pressed deeper in, careful to make sure that they were deep enough in the forest not to be noticed.


"We should find some shelter and get warm. Later, we'll have to figure out the food situation..." he hummed, trailing off. He had gathered up some dried meats, granola, cheeses, and bread in his backpack, but that would only last for a few days if shared between them. If nothing else, it would get them started. In truth, Grayson hadn't really thought about the big picture until now. He hadn't considered what they would do or where they would go once they got the eggs. If everything worked in their favour, they could train the dragons to hunt... but that would be the best of circumstances. What if circumstances didn't turn out for the best? It made him dizzy just thinking about it. Grayson had always been pretty crafty, seeing as he had come from an orphanage where thrift was the name of the game, but surviving in the wild outdoors like this? That was a whole new playing field.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Hearing the confirmation from Grayson that the eggs would be hatching soon, Winnie let out a little squeal. She'd had a feeling he would say that, her egg was definetly getting hotter and she could feel it's heartbeat. "Wow!" She squeaked. Winnie pushed all the doubt to the back of her mind. A baby dragon could be so cute! And when it got bigger, she could fly. FLY! Could you imagine, soaring up past the clouds on the back of a dragon? Possibly breathing fire along the way? That would be so cool.


"Ow, ow, ow.." Winnie rushed through the bramble. Thorns scraped her ankles and she nearly tripped on her face once again. "I didn't expect it to be this thick!" She yelped, slowing down and trying to walk through the brush a little more strategically. The wet earth wasn't helping her out either. She was constantly slipping. Oh my god. What if I drop the egg?! Winnie gasped and tightened her grip on the egg, walking even slower now.


"I'm sure there are some big trees around.. or maybe hollow ones. I'm.. I'm actually kind of warm though, now!" She giggled. "The egg is really hot. Like, really really hot, Grayson." She said, unwrapping it from her coat to gaze at it closer. "Guess that means it doesn't breathe ice, heh?" She laughed.

 

[Mordecai]

After a few minutes of pushing through the thickets, Grayson slowed to a halt in the misty, mossy grove. Trees, absolutely massive in size, stretched into the sky, sheltering them from the rain and wind, while the shorter vegetation scraped at their ankles and knees. "I think this is as good of a place as any?" though it was clearly meant to be more of a statement, the words came out sounding like a question. "I, uhhh---" he began, setting his satchel down on the ground before beginning to rummage through it. "I have a flint and steel. I can try and get a fire started if you want to try and find a place for us to rest?" They were going to have to divide and conquer if they wanted to survive.


Unzipping his coat and tossing it on to the moist earth, be built a small nest from the damp fabric of his jacket before lying the egg down in it. It wasn't an ideal situation, and once he had placed it down, it felt as though all his body heat had been sucked from him. Already, he felt so attached to the ivory coloured egg and leaving it without his touch felt almost painful to do, but he had to scrounge through the small section of forest they had stopped in. He kicked up dead leaves and earth, collecting what little dried brush he could find. It wasn't much, but he managed to pull together enough kindling to be able to assemble a small fire. The eggs might have been giving off enough heat to keep them both warm, but he felt better having a going flame. If nothing else, it would fend off some predators.


"Are you hungry at all?" he asked, glancing over to her, rummaging through his bag for the flint and steel and coming across some of his packed food.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie stared up at the sky, gaping at the giant trees that seemed to touch the heavens. "Definitely better then I expected," She said, awe-struck. Grayson seemed to have everything. He was so well prepared. Winnie really wasn't. She'd just grabbed some random things. Another set of clothes. Some cans of food from the cupboard, a cloth. Really, anything that was on the shelves. She'd just stuffed it all in her backpack. Maybe the stuff she grabbed would prove to be useful at some point. Winnie nodded. "Okay." She set down her egg gently on the damp ground before heading off to find a place to rest, just like he'd said.


Winnie felt kind of.. empty without the egg clutched tightly to her chest. She was, first of all, cold now that she'd put it down, but also she felt like she'd taken off something she'd warn for a long time. It was a strange feeling. She hadn't walked very far when she saw a tree with some very low branches, almost already in a tent formation because leaves sagged off of it. They'd been so lucky today, Winnie was absolutely shocked. Sleeping guard with the keys on him. No other guards. Eggs right in sight. Unlocked window. It was so perfect!


"I found a really good spot!" She tried to hop over the brush in her way this time as she scrambled back to him. "You already got the fire going!" She beamed. "Uh.. sort of. Not starving, though. Maybe we should wait. I don't know what the dragons will need to eat, either." She said, putting a finger on her chin in thought.

 

[Mordecai]

With his hair sticking to his forehead, Grayson plopped down onto the dirt, making an attempt to pull the pesky locks from his face. The small fire burned before him, making soft crackles as it ate through the wood, and hissing when the stray raindrop splashed onto the dry wood. Winnie had already disappeared from his field of vision, scattering off amongst the underbrush to search out a refuge for them. Meanwhile, Grayon had picked up the egg again and rested it between his feet, tracing his fingers across the scales on the outside. The egg was a spherical, but lined with ridges-- something that could almost be described as scales, but fused down together to give an impenetrable hull.


"Did you?" he asked, glancing up with a smile curving into his cheeks, "Where?" he asked, though he made no move to get up. He was beyond exhausted and it was beginning to wear onto his features. It had been a long night and with the sun now brimming on the horizon, its warmth making an attempt to extinguish the last of the evening's storm clouds. The sun was beginning to peak through in bursts, warming the air again and beginning to dry out Grayson's clothing.


"Yea, you're probably right. Perhaps it is best that we conserve what we have. We can go explore, too-- you know, see what's around here. One of us can even go into town if the other stays with the dragons," he suggested. Eventually, they'd need more supplies: clothes, food, but that could be collected in time. He could go a few days without eating. It wasn't ideal, but nothing was going to be ideal in these conditions.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

"Just a few yards to the right. There are these really funny trees with branches and leaves that hang like a tent. It's just perfect for sleeping!" She giggled, sitting beside him and the fire. The dampness of her clothing had begun to settle in. She took off her coat and schooched closer to the fire, rubbing her arms to try and get warm again. Winnie picked up the black egg, half holding it to make sure it was okay and half holding it for it's warmth. She wondered what the dragons would look like. Cute, but cool, she hoped. Maybe it wouldn't breathe just plain fire, but laser beams. She kept on telling herself not to get carried away, not to get her hopes up. But she couldn't help it. She really couldn't.


"But," Winnie said, narrowing her eyes at him. "We're just saving our food and dividing it properly. Not starving ourselves, okay, Mister Heroic?" She punched him in the arm lightly, grinning. "We should be good for a little while. We can teach the dragons how to hunt, and then we'll be good. Survival skills!" She squealed proudly. The sun was now beginning to peek through the thick trees, warming her skin along side the fire. Winnie had been wearing a hair tie on her wrist. She took it off and put her hair up in a messy, free pony tail. The egg sat in her lap.


"Did the book say anything else?" Winnie said, running her fingertips over the egg, trying to understand the leathery feeling, trying to picture how the dragon would look. Black and scaly, probably. She smirked. "Anything important we should know? Don't feed the dragon this or that?"

 

[Mordecai]

Their little fiasco had clearly left him drained because, before long, Grayson had reclined back, resting on his elbows with his head tilted back and eyes closed. "Awesome," he replied, realizing it probably would have been a good idea to bring a heavier jacket or a blanket of some kind. While he wasn't cold now, he knew the air temperature would only continue to plummet over the coming days and weeks. "I might go and take a rest soon, actually," he admitted, though there was still too much adrenaline in his bloodstream to allow for proper rest just yet, though there was no denying he was absolutely exhausted. At least they were in a spot that was mostly dry-- already, he could begin to feel his hair and clothes dry out as a warm, end-of-summer breeze pushed through the trees, dragging with it the first rays of morning sunshine from the horizon. It was bound to be a warm and muggy day, he could just feel it in the air as he pulled in breaths.


"Of course," he cracked his eyes open and glanced over to her, "Do I look like I can go without a meal?" he asked, giving his stomach a pat. He was a pretty scrawny child-- tall, perhaps, but awfully skinny. It didn't matter if he ate all day, everyday, because he still wouldn't put on a pound. Resting a hand on the egg in his lap, Grayson let his head tilt back again, enjoying the rays of sun pressing against his skin. His tangle of sandy blonde hair tossed across his forehead and down his neck, beginning to curl a little as it dried.


"Mmm, I don't remember. It didn't say much about eggs and hatchlings. Most of it was about adult dragons," he said, trying to think back to the text of the book, "Most of them are strict carnivores, though there are breeds that are omnivores. I guess most of it we're just going to have to learn as we go, you know? Oh-- the book did talk about imprinting young to bond with them, but it didn't really explain what imprinting entailed."

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie wasn't tired at all. But she could see that Grayson was. She was hyped up, excited, filled with ideas and dreams and hopes for the little life she held in her hands. She couldn't possibly go to sleep, even if she wanted too. "Of course," She smiled at him. "Go ahead. I will hold down the fort!" She saluted him, grinning like a dork. It was hard to take Winnie seriously, even when she was being serious.


Winnie threw her head back in laughter, the golden rays of sunlight dancing on her face as she snorted and giggled. It really shouldn't have been that funny, but Winnie got really excited or overwhelmed with emotions she just started to laugh really hard. She was so terrified. Yet she was so excited and so nervous and, well.. she just kept on laughing until she started snort-laughing and then she managed to stop.


"Well.. I guess we'll be ready for when they're all grown up, then." She smiled, scratching the back of her neck, trying to recover from that moment of awkward laughter. "Carnivores, hmn. Squirrels. Lots of squirrels in the forest. And deer, maybe?" She glanced at the egg again. It was still very hot, and Winnie could swear she saw just the tiniest bit of a bright blue glow under one of the 'scales'. "Hmph.." She mumbled, but said nothing else about it.


"Imprinting?" She asked Grayson, her attention drawn away from the egg. "Maybe you have to get paint on your hand and mark them or something like that." She giggled, mimicking what she planned to do by stretching out her fingers and planting it on the ground, like a little kid might do with some clay. "Imprinting!"

 

[Mordecai]

"Nah, not yet," Grayson replied, angling his head back so he could see the small bursts of light exploding in-between the leaves in the canopy. Already, a thin film of sweat had collected on the back of his neck and between his shoulder blades as he reclined back against his elbows. "Soon though," he continued, his voice dissolving in to a pitiful yawn as his eyes fell closed as he enjoyed the warmth of the coming day. Already, the humidity was hanging in the air like a curtain. It might have been early autumn and the nights might have been chilly, but summer still had its stake in the daytime hours. A pitiful sigh escaped him as he forced his eyes open and his head lolled to the side to catch a glimpse of Winnie. The young lady next to him was radiant. She happily gleamed and giggled, like a diamond personified-- refracting and reflecting her internal happiness like a light that caused Grayson to crack a lazy grin.


He, himself, had never been the type of person to get overly wrapped-up in his emotions. So, even now, feeling nothing but unadulterated bliss, he still wore his cool bravado and self-possession like a mask. "I hope so," he admitted, lifting a head and spreading his fingers across the rough, scaled surface of the pearly white egg sitting in his lap. "I'm sure they'll be able to find food, don't you think? I mean, they're still wild animals and have survived without human help for... centuries?" Not that humans ever helped dragons. Once humans invented the resources to kill dragons, they did so, using their pieces for profit and rallying public support by accusing dragons of being dangerous, volatile beasts that would kill and eat man at their first opportunity.


Grayson chuckled a little, rolling his head back and closing his eyes again, "I don't think that is what imprinting means," he said, then again, he hadn't a damn clue what it meant, so she could be right for all he knew. His stomach interrupted the conversation by rumbling loudly, causing him to grunt as it clenched in hunger. He had almost forgotten how long he had gone without eating; he supposed the adrenaline of what they had done prevented him from feeling it until they finally had some time to sit down and relax a little.


"Man, I should have eaten something before I left the home," he murmured, placing a hand across his centre. He had gotten so wrapped up in packing his little bag he had entirely forgotten about feeding himself before he left.

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

"Okay. Whenever. I'll show you the sleeping grounds in a minute." Winnie nodded, taking a lock of hair between her fingers and beginning to twirl it in a sort of nervous fashion. He didn't seem phased by her awkward laughter, which she was kind of relieved about, but she still felt stupid for laughing so hard. Yet, somehow, he was grinning with her. Now she was just confused. Winnie gnawed on her lip and tilted her head at him.


"Right. It's not exactly like we've been giving them supplies or shelter," Winnie muttered, scratching her chin and gazing up at the bits of sky that she could see through the trees. "It's kind of mean, don't you think? The first thing we humans do when we see peaceful creatures is make weapons and armor and we just go and.." She trailed off, sighing. Winnie looked rather annoyed, even upset. It disappointed her, the way dragons were treated. Surely they weren't just going around, blowing up villages just because they felt like it. No, we had to provoke them because they were valuable.


"It could be." She mumbled, trying not to let anger consume her. "That would be easy." Heh. It would. Just slap some paint on a dragon. Yours forever. Then again, if it was that easy, we probably wouldn't have been killing them. "Hehe. You should've." Winnie grinned.

 

[Mordecai]

“Yea,” Grayson hummed in response to her rant, arching his spine until the satisfying crunch ran up his back. He collapsed back against the dirt with a comfortable sigh and lolled his head over to the side to exchange a look with Winnie. In truth, he hadn’t a clue how peaceful dragons were—hell, they might not be at all. Growing up, he had heard stories of great dragon riders of the past who had used their mounts to fly fearlessly into battle, but who was to say those were even true and not just made up fairytales? And even if they were true, what if they were tamed by means of abuse? Well, whatever the case, they’d be finding out in a few day’s time when the eggs finally hatched. The book hadn’t said much to ease his concerns, but it did spell out one thing: dragons, even hatchlings, were quite powerful forces to be reckoned with.


Grayson hoped the tinge of worry deep in his gut would not come to fruition. That he was just being over-hesitant. While he couldn’t say he regretted what they had done, because he certain didn’t, there was a small swirl of anxiousness mingling with his excitement. How could he not be? They were messing with large, powerful creatures that they had been told, their entire lives, were ruthless killers. It was hard not to be a little squirmy about that. Sitting up and dusting his hands off on the thighs of his trousers, Grayson set the egg aside and got up to his feet. He took a moment to stretch his arms above his head and yawn pitifully. “Well, anyways,” he continued, trying to ignore the pang of discomfort stemming from hunger, “maybe we should try and search out some water? There is bound to be a creek or something around here.”


They’d need access to fresh water at some point. A place to stop and refresh, to clean up, and to drink. Food, blankets, and everything else could be stolen or traded for in town, but fresh water was a commodity a little bit more difficult to just take. Plus, now that the humidity had gone up and the day had warmed, Grayson could use a cool creek to dip his toes into for a while and cool down.


“Well? Whatdya think?”

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Winnie furrowed her brow. She was slightly annoyed that all he had to say in response to her talking about how cruel humans were to dragons was 'yea.' Snorting a little bit in a frustrated manner, she stood up. Then she proceeded to dust herself off, grab the black egg (which apparently was officially hers, so) and marched off to the small sleeping area without saying a word about why she was upset or why she had left or anything at all. "I'll go look for some water." She called over her shoulder, clenching her teeth together and then letting out a sigh when she was out of his sight.


The fact that Grayson hadn't seemed as upset as she just made her angrier than she already was. She set the egg down and sat down with it, criss-cross applesauce, of course. Just like her father used to call it. Memories flooded her, filled her with nostalgia as she placed the egg in her lap, brushing her fingertips against it almost sadly.


"Daddy, Daddy!" She rushed to the entrance of the kindergarten, Winnie's hair braided into silly little pigtails by her father earlier in the morning and a giant grin on her face. She thrust her arms up, waiting for her father to pick her up. "Hello, sweetie." He covered her with kisses, causing her to giggle endlessly and squirm in his arms. "How was work, Daddy?" He let out a little sigh at this, rubbing his stubble. "Fine, Winnie." He set her down and held her hand as they began the walk home.


"Daddy, play with me?" She brought out a little toy car he had made from wood for her, and a doll that she'd had since as long as she could remember. It was missing an eye and some there was a hole where some stuffing leaked but she didn't care. He smiled weakly. "Alright, just a bit." She beamed and handed him the car, and she pretended the doll was walking around, guiding it with her small hands. "Now, you can't properly play unless you sit criss-cross apple sauce." Her father scolded, wagging a finger as he demonstrated. "Ohh. Sorry, Daddy." She giggled, attempting to sit like he but pretzeling herself. "Am I doing it right?" She squeaked. He laughed.





Winnie blinked, waking herself from her thoughts. I have to go find water. She mumbled to herself, standing up. Would she take the egg with her? Mnn.. best not. She piled some leaves to make a little pillow for it because she had left her jacket in a haste with Grayson, plopped the egg down on it's makeshift nest, and scurried off.