The Dragon's Coveted Wife

Its scales glittered in the afternoon sun, sending sparks of light shimmering down from the clouds. It swooped around, its talons brushing the treetops as it searched for its quarry. The dragon's large head swept side to side. There! The hooded figure was dashing through the trees below, its black cape billowing out behind it as it ran through the thick forest. With a roar, the dragon dove, its claws outstretched toward the figure. Branches slapped against its thick hide as it broke through the canopy, but the dragon barely noticed. It would soon have its prey. The cloaked figure suddenly disappeared, seemingly into thin air. The dragon slowed its descent and came to a rest on a large branch, the bough sagging beneath its weight. It lifted its head and sniffed the air deeply, a few tendrils of smoke trickling from its nostrils. The scent had disappeared with its own. The large beast let out a frustrated growl. It had been hunting this…thing for over a week now and this was the clos

"I noticed that I was suddenly able to do things that the other children couldn't do. I could run faster, jump higher, that kind of thing. The first time I shifted, I thought I was dying," he said with a laugh. "That would be very frightening," Saffron agreed, desperately wishing to sketch this in her journal. She kept the thick book with her. She used it to document and press herbs and flowers and their medicinal properties. She also had a section for creatures she encountered. She was heavily interested in natural history, despite it being forbidden for women to learn. She learned in secret instead, borrowing books from her father's library late at night. "Do you know how you came about these abilities?" she asked, her earlier trepidation gone in light of her fascination. His face looked pained. "That part of the story I do not wish to tell," he said, almost apologetically. She understood even though she was brimming with questions. "What about you? How did you come to be a…M

The carriage bumped and rattled along the road that was carved with deep ruts from the recent autumnal rains. Saffron was thrown into Elric, nearly landing on his lap. With a laugh, he helped steady her, but he left his arm around her shoulders for a moment longer than what was necessary. She was vividly aware of the close proximity of his body to hers. Inside the coach was warm and dry but Saffron felt a different heat flood her body as she reluctantly moved away from the handsome stranger. His hair was different today than when she first saw him. He had braided the top half while the rest hung loose. Most men in her village wore their hair short but she was finding that she found his longer locks rather attractive. "So, I suppose the proper thing for me to do is tell you where we are headed," Elric said, smiling at her. She returned the smile. "I would assume Runswick," she replied, absentmindedly rubbing her wrist which was still a bit red from the ropes. She looked back down

Saffron's breathing had turned ragged as Elric pressed her hard against the bedpost. It dug painfully into her back, but she barely noticed. All she could feel was his lips and hands on her body. She had never been kissed quite like this before. She was right, she noted as he bit into her neck, he was rather experienced. Distantly, she knew this should bother her. That she wasn't his first but probably one of many but the way he was making her feel rendered the thought moot. She noticed his breathing had increased as well as his temperature; he was nearly hot to the touch. She ran her fingers down the back of his neck and felt…scales. Her hand froze. He pulled his head back to look at her. His eyes were the same…but not. They were more vivid green. Less human than a few moments before. He saw the startled look on her face and pulled back slightly. He adjusted the collar on his shirt and made to pull it closed. Her hand stopped him. "It just took me by surprise, that is all. It do

"My apologies, I did not think that would take as long as it had. My Captain wanted to give me a full brief of what is occurring along the border," Elric said as they left the dining hall. Although he smiled at her, she could see the concern in his furrowed brow. "Are we at war?" she asked, realizing how far removed from the happenings of the capital she was in Gilramore, despite being only a day's journey away. "Not yet, but I believe we will be soon. No matter what my father says, there is unrest in our towns. There have been rumors of Udril soldiers raiding our villages," he said, his mouth pressed into a grim line. Saffron had heard of the fearsome soldiers of their neighboring country to the north. They were said to be a brutal country, carving out a life in the harsh frozen wasteland. Stories were told about these raiders to scare children into being home by dark. Saffron felt the familiar pang of fear listening to the real account. "That's awful. Will you have to fight?" s