Claws and Kisses

One week passed.

One week of escaping into the forest with bandages and meat, wondering if today would be the day he’d swallow me whole. One week of gingerly tiptoeing around a pissed, injured dragon. One week of gentle, brisk cheek caresses.

At this point, after four weeks of taking care of him, we’d sort of fallen into a routine. I’d come late at night to find him curled in the corner, rumbling and snapping at anything that moved. I’d chirp hello and he’d bare his teeth at me in a threatening kind of way. After a few moments of coaxing, I’d get close enough to patch him up and redress his wound. We’d finish up and he’d begrudgingly thank me before snarling at me some more.

It was the most extraordinary week of my life.

Father was busy with work and my brother was too busy with tutors and books these days to care all that much for my presence. Only my nanny was there to look after me and even she didn’t seem to mind where I was most days.

So I roamed where I wanted during the nights. It was exciting, knowing I had a secret. A big, scary, I’ll-eat-you-in-your-sleep secret. And a dragon at that! Who else could say they spent most nights next to a dragon?

Yet as the days slipped by, I felt myself growing sad. His wound was healing up nicely. It wouldn’t be much longer before he was on his feet again, able to soar and fly above the cloud. Fly far, far away from here. I knew he’d be leaving soon but I couldn’t help feel a pang of hurt. I wasn’t too fond of the other kids in my village and would rather be with him than anyone else. Even if he did try to bite my fingers off from time to time.

When I sneaked into his cave yet again, the depressing thoughts of him leaving me filled my head. He was wide awake now and seemed to be waiting for my approach. I trudged forward, consumed with my musings. It wasn’t until I was at the edge of one of the rocky ledges that I noticed I had trekked too far. But by then, it was too late.

I stumbled over the rock, falling off the steep incline. The pond was directly below me but it was too shallow to provide a safe landing. If I was lucky, my neck would snap immediately upon impact. If it didn’t, I’d be reduced to a bleeding, paralyzed mess on the ground.

A scream was ripped from my throat as I plummeted down, head first into the air. Time seemed to slow down as I flung my arms over my face, preparing for the rising ground.

And just as I was about to land in the deathly waters, I was caught.

My body was flung sideways as something tugged me away from the pond and onto one of the smooth platforms below. A thick, midnight blue tail was wrapped around my waist, keeping me tightly in place. As soon as we were safely on the ground, the dragon laid me softly on the ground beside him.

Throwing my hands out to steady myself, I rose with widened eyes and quaking knees. The dragon was no longer laying down. Now he was standing to his full height, glowering down at me with such fury in his serpent eyes that I couldn’t help flinching at the sight.

“What are you mad at me for?” I accused, crossing my arms in automatic defense. “It wasn’t like I was planning to fall off the edge!”

At my raised voice, he didn’t hesitate to open his much bigger mouth and roar. He was truly horrifying now, with all of his teeth out and his wings flaring slightly behind him. The sound echoed in the cave and shook its foundations.

Instead of being afraid however, I only grew angrier. “Well if you’re so upset about saving me, why didn’t you just let me fall and die, huh? It’s not like I’ve come in here every day to make sure that you don’t die alone and bleeding!”

Wrong move.

In a flash, he had darted forward and knocked me backwards and onto my back with his giant snout. Before I could roll to the side and spring back up, he quickly placed his heavy body over mine, lowering himself so that I was locked into place. I struggled beneath him, using my childish might to try in vain to toss him off me.

“Let - me - go!” I shouted at him, furious.

The dragon glared down at me, flashing his teeth at me. I waited for him to bite off my head or do something equally dramatic. But instead, he only narrowed his eyes and increased his weight.

Don’t do that ever again.

His voice slithered into my head, thunderous and bold. It was so surprising and sudden that I gasped out loud. Anger forgotten, I squealed, “You can talk!”

There seemed to be a conflict in his eyes as he stared down at me with his tyrian gaze, tail swishing back and forth behind him. How perceptive of you.

“How are you able to speak with me?” I asked, ignoring his taunt. “I thought that only dragons can talk to other dragons?”

He lowered his snout to my neck and unabashedly sniffed me. His wet nose made me giggle uncontrollably, as it tickled me very much. The dragon eyed my laughing with a lightened eye. Silly girl, he said. We let humans think what they want. Their ignorance will only harm them in the end.

I frowned at the use of his big words, wanting to ask him what he meant but not wanting to appear ‘silly’ as he so nicely put it. So I kept my thoughts to myself and asked him something different. “Well if you can talk so good, why haven’t you said anything this past week to me?”

The swish of his tail died as his gaze drifted to the hole in the ceiling, staring up wishfully at the stars. I did not expect for my injuries to take this long, or for a human child to play doctor. After the first day, I thought you might not come back at all.

I bit my lip, shifting under him slightly. “So . . . you don’t want me to come back?”

His eyes turned away from the night sky to focus back on me. There was a knowing glint shining there. In all honesty, little tiger, you’re presence has proven entertaining these last few days.

Now I grinned, happy with his answer. “I knew you liked me!”

Hmm, he thought for a moment, easing his weight off my body so that I could move easier. I tolerate you. There is a difference.

He finally removed his weight so that he was no longer on top of me, but he still remained near so that his tail curled around my small frame. I sat up and crossed my legs, propping my head on a hand to smile excitedly at him. “Well, I’m glad you decided to talk to me. I think you’re fun too.”

The dragon’s mouth twitched, as if he was trying not to chuckle. Good to know, little tiger.

Ducking my head, I couldn’t help asking my next question. I knew he would think that I was stupid but I desperately wanted to know. “What is a . . . tigrar?”

Now the dragon did smile, baring his teeth in a rare grin. This time however, there was no malice. Just amusement. A tiger is a fierce beast who isn’t scared of anything. She wears courage like a second skin.

“Huh.” I rocked forward, falling a little bit over his winding tail. “And you think that I am like this beast?”

Yes. His answer was quick and honest. For a child, you seem to have an unhealthy lack of fear. Not many would walk into a cave knowing that they might never come back out. You should be more careful with your ways, little tiger.

His words gave me pause. “I don’t know. People in the village talk about dragons a lot. I think most of it are lies though. I mean, you didn’t eat me so that must be a good sign, right?”

Purple eyes glowed in the dark, leaning in closer. Not everyone is like me, little tiger. You are mortal. You should have more care when talking of such things.

I cocked my head, staring at him curiously. “How old are you then?

In human terms? He blinked slowly, thinking. I think your people would consider me to be twelve years of age.

“What!” I exclaim, now outright fumbling over his twitching tail in my excitement. “Why, that means you’re only five years older than me!”

He thumped his tail on the ground, bouncing me along with it. A shriek of delight escaped my lips from the movement, immensely enjoying the action. “Again! Again!”

Seven years old indeed. The dragon murmured, thumping his tail once more.

After he had humored me with his tail thumps, I settled back on the ground, still half on top of his tail. My eyes wandered to his face, interested in our talk. “There are many young boys in my village and none of them talk like you. In fact, some of them are so dumb that I worry they’d just about lose their heads if they weren’t already attached to their shoulders.”

The dragon mused over my words. Dragons naturally mature faster than human children. Our brains think differently than yours and are more complex.

While he had responded, I had started to absentmindedly play with the end of his tail, running the smooth scales over my palms. His eyes now zeroed in on my hands, watching as I toyed about.

“Well I think that you talk like a fifty year old man. Not that I mind. I think my village could do a little less with dumb boys.”

He seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes at my thoughts. After that, we were quiet for a few minutes. I played with his tail and he simply watched, not saying a word. It went on like that until I yawned in a very loud and very unladylike manner. My eyes began to droop with the weight of sleep and the yearning for my warm bed at home.

Alright, I think we’ve talked enough for today, little tiger. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his tail around my wilting form and drag me closer. I didn’t bother protesting as he quickly scooped me up and deposited me on his back.

“I’m not tired.” I argued weakly, already slouching forward on his scaled shoulders. “And . . . and I want to keep talking. Because if we don’t keep talking, you’ll be gone tomorrow and then I’ll never see you again.”

The dragon looked over one of his dark wings to eye me with a curious gaze. And why would I be gone tomorrow?

“Because,” I said, a little exasperated. “You’re all better now. You can fly home and be with your family again. But I want you to stay so we have to keep talking.”

Understanding shone in his tyrian orbs. I see. He turned back around and started to make his way out of the cage, leaping over rocks and ducking under the low rock ceiling. Do not worry so much, little tiger. I will still be here when you return tomorrow.

At his reassurance, the whole world seemed to brighten. “Really? You’ll stay?”

Yes, I will stay. We finally exited the cave, entering the hills full of stars. The moon was full today, and shone down with a kind of loving gaze. The dragon headed towards the direction of my village.

“Before I forget,” I yawned again. “I suppose we should properly introduce ourselves to each other. I’m Wendy.”

The dragon peered over his shoulder again, amused. Wendy, is it? For some reason, that suits you, little tiger.

I smiled faintly. “And what should I call you?”

He smiled in approval at my question.

Avel.