Page 54 of Dragon Valley
Dusa’s eyes widened as he spoke to her directly, then let out a small snort that sounded like a thanks.
“Look at you, my man,” I grinned at Jast. “Talking to the beasts already.”
He shrugged but I didn’t miss the slight blush in his cheeks. “You said they were intelligent and can understand speech, my Lord. Seems disrespectful to not address them directly if that’s the case.”
“It is,” I assured him. “It’s just like having another person around. A very big, scary fire-breathing person.”
A soft, collective laughter rose from the other soldiers. After helping me with Nadiyah’s man, they began setting up camp for the night. Some sat around and looked at the dragon curiously. It was good to see them feeling at ease already.
Dusa stretched out her neck to sniff the unconscious man. She nudged his head as gently as a dragon could, then laid her head on the ground next to him like a protective watchdog guarding a baby. I watched her concern and gentle interactions with utter fascination.
“Is he from Dragon Valley too?” I asked.
A soft growl was my answer. I rubbed my chin, wondering how best to communicate with her.
“Does that mean yes?”
Another growl. Same answer as the first question.
“So… growl means yes?”
The dragon lifted her head and shook it from side to side.
“Growl means no?”
She nodded her massive head up and down.
“Sorry for being so human, but it’s much easier for me to understand you with head movements,” I said sheepishly. “I know it’s not natural to you but you mimic our behavior well.”
This time her lips pulled back to reveal rows of sharp teeth as long as my head. A dragon smile?
“Forgive me, but if that’s a smile it’s utterly terrifying,” I said with a nervous laugh. “But then again, so are some human smiles.”
Her jaws parted as she let out a series of huffs that could only be described as laughter. Never in a million years would I have believed I’d hear a dragon laughing.
My men got a fire started and began heating up meat stew, making sure to save portions for our new friends. They offered me wine with dinner but I refused, wanting to keep my head clear as I watched the dragon hover protectively over the two humans like a mother hen. I had so many questions that would have to wait until Nadiyah woke up.
“My Lord, do you need to sleep?” Jast asked over the crackling of logs.
“Not yet. I’ll take first watch tonight. You and the men relax.”
“Not sure how much I’ll be able to, honestly.” His eyes flickered over to Dusa.
“Think of her like a big watchdog,” I chuckled. “If she hasn’t roasted us by this point, I’m inclined to believe she likes us. Or at least tolerates us. Those humans are the most important things to her and we saved them.”
That answer seemed to pacify him as he murmured a goodnight and made his way to his tent. I returned my attention to Dusa, who appeared to spend an equal amount of time checking on Nadiyah and the injured man. It was curious to me because everything I read indicated that dragons bonded to one person only, and that was their Rider. But Dusa seemed equally protective of both.
Nadiyah’s sleeping face was almost as beautiful as her waking one. Jast had washed her face of the soot and combed ash and debris out of her hair. I was too focused on the man to think about it then but now a perverse jealousy ignited through me. He had touched her and I didn’t. Washing someone could be seen as intimate and I wanted to be the one to do that.
I shook my head and stared at the flames. What was wrong with me? It was completely unprofessional to get jealous of my own man giving someone medical treatment. It wasn’t like we never treated attractive women before. But Nadiyah seemed to wrap around my mind like a dragon’s claws and wouldn’t let go.
We spoke so little to each other so far, but the few words we did exchange only made me want to know her more. What was her relationship with the injured man? That information was probably the least useful, but it was the answer my heart burned to know the most.
A hand shook my shoulder before I realized I dozed off.
“Just me, my Lord,” Jast murmured. “I’ll take watch. Your turn to rest.”
I would have done just that if only my eyes hadn’t fluttered open to see Nadiyah, awake and alert as she laid on her side next to her injured companion. She smoothed her fingers over his hair as if touching a baby, then lowered a small kiss to his forehead.
