Page 2 of Hidden Dragons

“Forgive me, sir. I didn’t know dragons communicated in this way. I have never met one of your kind before.”

The dragon’s head reared back as if in surprise, but he quickly recovered, zooming in to stare at her intently with his crystalline, hazel-green eyes. He blinked at her, looking her over intensely, but she didn’t mind his perusal. He seemed nice. So unlike the villagers who stared at her in hatred or fear. This dragon seemed intrigued, and almost…hopeful?

That couldn’t be right, but then again, Isabelle had never talked with a dragon before.

“You can hear me?”the dragon seemed to want to confirm what had just happened.

Isabelle gathered her courage and smiled at the dragon.“I can, sir. And I am honored to meet you, though I do not know your name.”

“Growloranth,”came the stunned reply in her mind.

She made her shaky bow again.“I am Isabelle.”

“She can hear me,”Growloranth spoke directly into his knight’s mind, shocking him.

“Are you sure?”Robert was amazed the small woman they had come upon in such a heartbreaking scene had hidden depths. Was this some kind of trick?

“Not only does she hear, but she speaks as if she has been doing it all her life.”The dragon was duly impressed and sounded just as surprised as Robert was.“Her name is Isabelle.”

“Isabelle?” Robert repeated out loud, and the woman turned. Her shy smile made him want to reassure her, but of what, he wasn’t sure.

“Yes, forgive me again, sir. My name is Isabelle, as I just told your partner, Sir Growloranth.”

She gave Robert the same little bow she had given the dragon and Robert was impressed by her manners. Most border folk in the small villages like the one they had just flown over were either afraid or overly obsequious when they met knights and dragons.

This young woman had a confident interest that was as refreshing as it was attractive. Everything about her was pretty, from the glint in her green eyes to her pale skin and long, golden blonde hair. She didn’t look like most border folk, who were usually dark-skinned and dark-haired. She had a bit of fey grace about her that made her stand out.

“No, I’m afraid you must forgive me, milady,” Robert finally said, aware that he had been staring at her a little too long. “It is a rare thing to find someone who can speak with dragons. How in the world did you learn such a skill, living out here on the border?”

“My mother could speak in that way, mind-to-mind. She taught me. Since her death, I have spoken to no one else. It is…nice…to be able to use the ability again without fear,” she admitted in a quiet voice.

“What do you fear?”Growloranth was instantly on guard, ready to defend her, it seemed.

“The villagers have never been very accepting of my differences. Even though we came here when I was young, we have always been considered outsiders. Now that Mama is gone, I’ve felt very alone, which is why I come down to the river…” she trailed off, looking at the spot where they had found her, crying.

“Your mother died?” Robert asked gently.

She nodded. “In the sickness that took half the town two years ago. It was very sudden.”

“And you have been alone since? Have you no mate or younglings?”Growloranth asked quickly.

“No, sir,” she answered in a quiet voice—out loud so Robert could also hear. “I have no mate or children. I live simply and work in the fields with the other villagers. I also tend the beasts when they are injured. For my work, I am given a small share of the community harvest. That, and my own small garden, is how I’ve survived these past years since Mama died.”

The dragon looked at Robert, the censure in his eyes for the villagers clear. Robert knew Growloranth felt as strongly about injustice as he did. While they didn’t have all the facts about this odd young woman yet, the picture they were starting to get didn’t look good.

“She should be in the Lair,”Growloranth sent to Robert privately.“Women who can speak with my kind are rare enough. I am certain we could find a place for her in the Border Lair. And our folk would treat her well. Many of the knights would try to court her. She would not be alone for long. In fact, why don’t you try your hand, Robert? I’d like to claim my mate sooner rather than later and you know I cannot do that until you and Bear find a mate to share. Lady Isabelle might be the one.”

Robert had already started thinking along those lines, but it wasn’t just up to him. While the two dragons already knew they were mates, they were prohibited from actually mating until their knight partners had a wife.

The sad fact was, if the dragons engaged in a mating flight, linked so closely to their knights as they were, the knights would need to be able to express that same bond of love, lust and ecstasy with their mate. Being bonded to a dragon meant sharing a mate, since only men were chosen as fighting partners by dragons and once chosen, they spent their lives bonded to their dragon. Only death could break the bond and while the dragon’s magic imparted an extended lifespan to most knights, the dragon would live on for many centuries after their knight had left this world.

Most often, the dragons of lost knights would go into a period of mourning for their departed bondmate. They would seek solitude high up in the mountains, living a simpler life for a decade or more. When they were ready, they would return to one of the Lairs and begin the search for a new knight to share their exceedingly long lives with, in defense of their shared homeland.

Any male who could hear a dragon speak in his mind, and was inclined to the life of a warrior, was eligible for a dragon to choose. The dragons had a way of seeing to the heart of a person, and once chosen, a partnership was for life, so they were very careful of their choices. Only the most noble and brave of men were chosen to fight alongside a dragon—and only those with the talent for speaking mind-to-mind.

Women with the skill were even rarer. Very few could hear or speak to dragonkind, and most were afraid. It was not easy to live with a dragon in the family—or two—which is how Lair families were formed. But certain special women made families with their knights and the dragons. Still, a mating in the Lair was a rare thing and something to celebrate.

If Isabelle could be a mate to Robert and Bear, it would be something incredibly special. And if not them, perhaps she would be a match for another pair of knights in the Lair. Her ability to speak with dragons, and her lack of fear of them, counted much in her favor.

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