Part 2:
For the second time in as many days, my eyes beheld a leaf-filled landscape.
Except now … I was overjoyed at the sight.
Dale had blinked us back to the cool shade of the glen.
And Rick's trusty couch!
Safe from the dragon’s ambush.
“Joacquil has a brother,” I sighed, my heart still pounding. “A brother.”
Leaves cascaded down upon our weary shoulders.
“Seemed kinda nasty,” Dale said. “Maybe bad blood between them.”
“Bad blood? It was almost our blood!” Rick squawked. “You’d think she would have told us.”
“They must be … what’s the word? Estranged. Yeah, I’ll bet they’re estranged.”
My brother still held the nest, the eggs secure and undamaged.
Even if our nerves were slightly cracked.
Win’s sword was also with us, now suddenly seeming much more relevant.
Except now … I was overjoyed at the sight.
Dale had blinked us back to the cool shade of the glen.
And Rick's trusty couch!
Safe from the dragon’s ambush.
“Joacquil has a brother,” I sighed, my heart still pounding. “A brother.”
Leaves cascaded down upon our weary shoulders.
“Seemed kinda nasty,” Dale said. “Maybe bad blood between them.”
“Bad blood? It was almost our blood!” Rick squawked. “You’d think she would have told us.”
“They must be … what’s the word? Estranged. Yeah, I’ll bet they’re estranged.”
My brother still held the nest, the eggs secure and undamaged.
Even if our nerves were slightly cracked.
Win’s sword was also with us, now suddenly seeming much more relevant.
I wondered if our spot was truly safe; the eggs seemed in increasingly high demand.
Who else might be looking for them?
In any case, it was a moot point.
We were here until Dale could blink again, or Joacquil and Winthrop returned.
We were forced to wait, whether we liked it or not.
It was merely a question of time.
But that question?
It soon had a definitive answer.
Three hours.
Just three hours.
Three hours until we'd been found.
“What is that?” I lazily wondered.
A green blur scampered over the land, coming straight in our direction.
“You see it?” Rick asked, pointing at the horizon. “Past that second hill?”
At first, we feared its identity.
Soon we resigned ourselves to its vengeance.
I reluctantly imagined having to face that thing again.
Who else might be looking for them?
In any case, it was a moot point.
We were here until Dale could blink again, or Joacquil and Winthrop returned.
We were forced to wait, whether we liked it or not.
It was merely a question of time.
But that question?
It soon had a definitive answer.
Three hours.
Just three hours.
Three hours until we'd been found.
“What is that?” I lazily wondered.
A green blur scampered over the land, coming straight in our direction.
“You see it?” Rick asked, pointing at the horizon. “Past that second hill?”
At first, we feared its identity.
Soon we resigned ourselves to its vengeance.
I reluctantly imagined having to face that thing again.
“That stupid dragon?" Dale wondered. “How did it find us? I sent us way out here.”
“It’s not your fault," Rick told him. “But we better think of something quick.”
“Winthrop befriends a dragon, meanwhile have to fight one? This is bogus,” he grumbled.
“The eggs might fit under the couch,” I said. “Come on, let’s try.”
I wedged the nest under the bottom and covered it with leaves.
“Maybe with luck I could get us to the river,” Dale said. “We could … bribe him? With fish?”
“No talking. No bribe. If he wants a battle, let’s give it to him.”
“You’ve got a plan?”
“When he gets here, you two start yelling as loud as you can. Distract him. Then I’ll chop his head off.”
Dale laughed as though Rick had told a joke.
“You’re gonna chop his head off?”
Rick grabbed Win's sword and held it high.
“Courage favors none, yet oft aids the brave.”
“Look, I’m not saying you can’t. But those knights are trained for this type of battle.”
“It’s not your fault," Rick told him. “But we better think of something quick.”
“Winthrop befriends a dragon, meanwhile have to fight one? This is bogus,” he grumbled.
“The eggs might fit under the couch,” I said. “Come on, let’s try.”
I wedged the nest under the bottom and covered it with leaves.
“Maybe with luck I could get us to the river,” Dale said. “We could … bribe him? With fish?”
“No talking. No bribe. If he wants a battle, let’s give it to him.”
“You’ve got a plan?”
“When he gets here, you two start yelling as loud as you can. Distract him. Then I’ll chop his head off.”
Dale laughed as though Rick had told a joke.
“You’re gonna chop his head off?”
Rick grabbed Win's sword and held it high.
“Courage favors none, yet oft aids the brave.”
“Look, I’m not saying you can’t. But those knights are trained for this type of battle.”
Questions of what-to-do-next soon vanished.
The dragon closed upon us within moments.
Then it slowed, sauntering the final little bit.
Hunched shoulders lurked menacingly, as if extra eyes peering out at us.
Its angular body leered in every direction.
“Tell me, can you do it again? Disappear? I’ll still find you. I can smell those eggs.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Rick snarled.
“Saves me the chase."
“I don't know what you're talking about," I said. “There's no eggs here."
“Did my sister warn you of nothing? Surely she knew I'd come.”
“Maybe she did," Rick told him.
“You do have me curious, though."
“Oh yeah?"
“How you came to be holding them. I can only imagine.”
“Your sister is decent. Kind. Not like you."
“I have a hunter's mentality."
“Me too." Rick brandished the sword overhead. “I’ll drink your blood.”
“And when he’s done," Dale shouted, “I’ll, uh, chew out your uvula."
The herky-jerky dragon looked at the lion.
“Uvula? The thing hanging in your throat? If dragons even have them. But if so, it’s mine!”
This threat failed to register with our foe.
It stood without a hint of concern or fear.
Not seeming troubled, in any way, by anything we had said.
Just biding its time for the kill.
The dragon closed upon us within moments.
Then it slowed, sauntering the final little bit.
Hunched shoulders lurked menacingly, as if extra eyes peering out at us.
Its angular body leered in every direction.
“Tell me, can you do it again? Disappear? I’ll still find you. I can smell those eggs.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Rick snarled.
“Saves me the chase."
“I don't know what you're talking about," I said. “There's no eggs here."
“Did my sister warn you of nothing? Surely she knew I'd come.”
“Maybe she did," Rick told him.
“You do have me curious, though."
“Oh yeah?"
“How you came to be holding them. I can only imagine.”
“Your sister is decent. Kind. Not like you."
“I have a hunter's mentality."
“Me too." Rick brandished the sword overhead. “I’ll drink your blood.”
“And when he’s done," Dale shouted, “I’ll, uh, chew out your uvula."
The herky-jerky dragon looked at the lion.
“Uvula? The thing hanging in your throat? If dragons even have them. But if so, it’s mine!”
This threat failed to register with our foe.
It stood without a hint of concern or fear.
Not seeming troubled, in any way, by anything we had said.
Just biding its time for the kill.