Page 2 of Dragon Lord
Draknart especially admired her long, lean thighs.“Has the flood washed away your clothes?”
Her cheeks pinked, but she wasn’t distracted enough to lower the sword.“I wear my brother’s clothes.A long skirt with petticoats would snag in a fight.”
Practical.
She had more common sense than all the previous virgins put together, and more courage than most of the hired knights.
Draknart’s stomach growled, the ominous rumble filling the cave.He measured up the wee maiden.
Wee indeed.
Yet she’d be something to hold him over until he flew out and found a deer herd large enough to suit his appetite.In but a moment.He enjoyed her fire-spark eyes too much to rush.A long time had passed since he’d been able to converse with anyone.The virgins fainted in short order.The knights charged and died.
“How might you be doing it, then?”he enquired.
Her sword came up a notch, the metal glinting in the cave’s dim light.“Straight through the heart.”
He could not find fault with the plan.Nor with her execution.
She did not lurch into hasty action.She moved her gaze over him in a careful inspection.
Smart lass.“You know where the heart is on a dragon?”
She blinked.
Draknart pointed at the middle of his chest, halfway between the joints where his great wings began.
“Thank you.”She was nothing if not polite.
“You had training with the sword?”
“I had nine brothers.All killed in the war.”A soft vulnerability crept into her voice.She shook that off quickly enough as she edged forward, until she stood close enough to strike.
Draknart shifted into a half-hearted defensive position.He’d done this time and time again with the knights.He waited for her to charge, so he could capture and disarm her.
Instead, the wee lass darted to his side, vaulted onto his knee, then onto his back, ran along his spine as sure-footed as a tasty little mountain goat, and went for his eye.
Draknart shook her off with a surprised roar.Yet when she slammed against the rock wall with a most unpleasant thud, he regretted his haste.By the gods, he hadn’t meant to break her so fast.Also, as long as he was breaking bones, he preferred to do it between his teeth.He enjoyed the jolly way they cracked.
To his relief and to her credit, Einin bounced back, holding the sword in front of her, if lower than before, and with a tremble in her arms.Her gaze was unfocused.The blow had stunned her.But, tumble or no, she did not lose her courage.She shook off discouragement, steadied her arms, and, after a moment, she stalked forward again.
“’Twas a good effort.Didn’t see it coming,” Draknart consoled her, pleased to see the spark back in her eyes.“You’ll do better on the next try.”
He flicked his tail in anticipation.He was willing to stifle his hunger for the sake of a little sport.True entertainment rarely came into his life, and he found the maiden refreshingly unpredictable so far.
On her second attempt, the lass charged for the dragon’s heart and managed to prick Draknart hard enough to draw blood.
He grabbed her, pulled her sword away, then held the wriggling maiden up for closer inspection.
She struggled, caring naught that he might drop her on the stones.
Bold and brave and wild.
Her round breasts bounced in a most diverting way.
Draknart’s dragon blood stirred.
He nudged her with his snout.The previous virgins had been scented with lavender water, which always made him sneeze.He sniffed.
