User:Triskelelynx\Flight Chapter 1

Shay was sprawled on the grass of a woodland clearing, naked except for her boots and covered with blood. She had been hiking in the Rocky Mountains, when she had been assaulted by three men. She gave a good fight, landing some solid blows, but in the end had been overcome. As the other two pinned her to the ground, the leader cut off her clothing. Now, at least two of them were dead. The leader's corpse lay across her legs, decapitated by something too fast and too vast for her fear- and adrenalin-soaked brain to comprehend. One of his henchmen hung halfway up a tall fir tree, with a broken branch protruding from his throat. She didn't know what happened to the other one, but by the sound of his scream as he disappeared, she didn't really want to.

All she had was an impression of vast wings, and teeth as long as the the headless man's hunting knife.

It was the third day of her vacation. Two weeks in the woods to restore her soul before she had to go back and deal with the irate customers and her supervisor's cutting sarcasm. Being assaulted and nearly gang-raped didn't exactly restore her faith in humanity.

Something large and dark flashed in the corner of her vision. A rush of air and a booming of large wings in the clearing behind her made her turn around.

It took a few seconds for her brain to process what her eyes were seeing. Wings as large as her uncle's Cessna attached to a body similar in proportion. A long neck like a greyhound's supported a lizard-like head. And, yet, despite it's size, it exuded a predator's lethal grace, much like the orcas she had seen the previous summer. It even had similar coloring, dark grey above, and pale below.

Do not be afraid The words seem to echo inside her skull. She shook her head.

Two golden volleyball-sized eyes regarded her through slit pupils. Below them was a long snout. It was closed, but Shay was sure the teeth were in proportion to the claws.

I won't hurt you. Do not be afraid.

"Wh-wha ..." she stammerred. "You - you're a ..."

A dragon, yes. But you do not need to be afraid. I will not hurt you.

Shay sat, stunned, wondering if she should grab the dead man's knife. Not that it would do much good against such a large predator.

Apologies for the mess. There is a stream at the bottom of the hill, if you wish to clean yourself. After that, you are free to go. Or stay, for that matter. I'd welcome someone to converse with. All I ask is your word not to reveal my existence.

Glad of the excuse to get away, Shay scrambled down the ravine and washed the blood off her as best she could with the frigid water. She thought about making a break for it, using the ravine and overhanging trees to escape. Her pack was still up in the clearing with the dragon. Could she survive, without food, clothing or shelter? Even in summer, the mountain nights could be frigid.

She scrambled up to the clearing. The dragon was still there, waiting. "Um, okay, I promise not to tell anyone you exist, unless you are going to hurt me, my family, or friends."

Acceptable. In return, I will not hurt you or your kin, except in defense of myself, or of one whom I deem worthy and needful of defense.

Shay retrieved her pack, then looked at her rescuer. "I had always thought dragons were a myth," she said.

Centuries ago, we retreated deep into the wild lands, to avoid your kind, to survive. As far as I know, I am the last.

"You must be lonely!"

I am.

"Promise you won't eat me?"

By the shards of my mother's egg, I do so vow.

"Then I'll stay with you tonight. I'll need shelter anyway. It looks like my tent is ruined."

You are welcome to share my cave.

They walked back to his den. Shay didn't bother getting new clothes out of her pack, enjoying the feel of the warm sun and cool air on her skin. They talked long into the night. It had been a long time since Shay had conversed with someone as intelligent and articulate. By the light of the setting moon, she unpacked her bedroll and curled up to sleep, feeling safe and protected by her fierce companion.

She awoke to birdsong, looked out cave, and realized it was already late morning. The dragon was apparently asleep. It wasn't really surprising, since many animals with slit pupils are nocturnal. She lay still for a time, wondering if she should take this opportunity to leave. The dragon had given his word not to harm her, but could she trust it? It was bad enough knowing if she could trust someone from her own culture, let alone a different species. If different human cultures had different ethics and norms of behavior, how could she know whether to trust a dragon?

Her stomach growled, so she decided she'd think better with something in her stomach. She stretched, crawled out of her sleeping bag, and went through her pack. Luckily, her little alcohol stove was undamaged. A few minutes later, she broke her fast with some oatmeal and tea. She considered her options while looking at the sleeping hulk. Part of her thought she should leave. Just go home and spend the rest of her time off there. Another part wanted to hike back to her Jeep, find some place to replace her tent, and find a different back country area to explore. And yet, she found she wasn't sure she wanted to leave. How often do you get a chance like this? Apparently, she was the first person to have talked to a dragon in at least a century. Could she just walk away?