Page 79 of Upon Buried Embers
To my surprise, he pulls me in front of him, an arm banded around my chest, resting his chin on the top of my head.
“He’s being chastised for daring to challenge my dominance,” he says to me, almost softly as I feel his breath against my ear. Escor lowers his head, his own snarl forming but then his body goes lax after thoroughly being told off by an angry Drogonah.
“He’s still young, and will continue to test how far he can push. I will allow it for now as it makes room for growth, and maturity. However…” he trails off, and I shiver as his finger ghosts over the tip of my ear. “If he dares to look at you like that again, he will feel the blade of my axe putting him in his place, and then the teeth of Drogonah to finish the lesson.”
“You would kill him?” I look at the smaller dragon. He would still tower over me.
“No. Not for that. He’s reckless, pushy and full of ego. However, he would not kill one of my clan members, that would be his death. And as arrogant as he is, he knows that.”
Drogonah lifts his front leg off of Escor’s neck and stomps his foot in another warning before he turns toward us, not caring there’s a young, angry dragon at his back.
Drogonah is feared, I think to myself. Respected.
Rohan moves us toward him, with me still at his front as he reaches out a hand, rubbing Drogonah’s snout which I think is to calm him. The puffs of warm air caress my face, my eyes directly confronted by teeth that are bigger than my forearm.
“Let’s go.”
Rohan pulls me to the side and lifts me up to help me onto Drogonah, but the dragon steps back, moving out of the way.
“Drogonah,” Rohan snaps, “Not now.” It sounds like the dragon huffs, and begrudgingly, he lowers his wing for me. I grab on to one of the spikes at the end and put my foot on the leathery skin running between each bone. Steadying myself, I grab the spikes to help me up until I’m finally on the saddle.
Somewhere I absolutely do not want to be.
Rohan is quick to join me, his arm snaking around my waist, holding me steady as he gathers the reins that loop around Drogonah’s neck. Once again, I notice the hair braided at the ends.
“Hold tight,” Rohan says, and I grab the front of the saddle. “Fly.” Drogonah’s chest expands, then his powerful wings spread out to the sides, glistening in the ray of light from above before he tucks them back in and launches himself, vertically.
I scream, the force shoving me back into Rohan’s chest as I scramble to hold on. Rohan is an immovable force, hunkering us down low as we fly up toward the exit, the veins of ore here shining like small rainbows. We come out at the top of the mountain of the dragon’s den as Drogonah spreads his wings.
Fog curls around us, the light bouncing off the clouds below, and I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. It even shelves my fear for a moment, until Drogonah turns sharply, dipping left and I squeal, gripping onto the saddle tightly once more.
Rohan chuckles darkly, nudging the top of my head with his chin.
“So scared.” His hand moves, resting on my stomach and rubs in a circular motion that causes me to squirm. “But I wonder if we can change that in time, Little Whisperer.” The last words are a breath in my ear, and I slump back against him as we level out. Rohan releases a pleased rumble. “We have a lot to discover, you and I.”
“Like what?”
“Like what you can do to please me.”
“I’m not… I wasn’tthattype of slave,” I say on a quick breath.
“Don’t get it wrong. Anything I do to you, you will enjoy it.”
“What—”
“Hush,” he says, and I do, but I can’t help squirming at his hand still splayed across my stomach, possessing that area for his own. It confuses me as to why he would do this.
He doesn’t do anything else though. Just rests it there, rumbling in my ear and eventually, I relax again, looking at the clouds as we soar through them. Drogonah’s powerful wings flap with almost silent beats. He glides effortlessly for his size.
It makes me realize how truly magnificent this beast is.
Another rumble comes from behind. Drogonah’s answering growl follows, and I bravely turn to see two other dragons tailing us.
“Wildlings,” he says without me having to voice my question. “Drogonah is warning them away.”
“Will they attack?”
“Not if they don’t want to be hurt.”
