Roughing It #3
Done dealing with me, he made his way back to the fire.
Irritated with how he kept treating me, I stuck my tongue out at him but sucked it back in quickly when he looked over his shoulder.
He raised an eyebrow at me, letting me know I hadn’t been quick enough.
This time I just sniffed at him, turning my back and hoping he would trip and fall over something.
I lifted the meat stick to my nose, sniffing it once again, but I couldn’t smell anything other than the smoke from the fire.
I tore a small piece off and nibbled on it carefully.
I was surprised at the flavor and quickly shoved the rest of the chunk in my mouth.
It was then that I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning.
No wonder Vasin was hungry, and he’d been the one doing all the work.
I finished the meat quickly and still felt hungry, so I wandered over to the campfire and sat down with the others.
Everyone went silent as I settled myself, watching me with interest. I felt I needed to break the silence but didn't know how.
“Did you get enough to eat, Lady Cassarah?” Richard asked casually.
“Yes, thank you,” I lied, since asking for seconds was highly improper. “Could you tell me what that was? It was delicious.”
The men all grinned and chuckled a little, looking at each other. I had a feeling I was going to regret asking this question.
“I’m glad that you liked it. Rat is an acquired taste for most,” Richard answered.
Instinctively, I covered my mouth to keep from retching up what I just ate.
This caused all the men to laugh heartily at my expense.
I smiled, knowing I’d reacted just as they expected a noble lady would.
It lightened the mood considerably, and the men relaxed and started to tell stories about other strange things they’d eaten.
I laughed as they took delight in telling me all the gruesome details of their experiences. Cole was the only one who sat outside the group and kept silent the entire night, but no one seemed to try and include him, either.
All the men abruptly sprang to their feet, holding knives they’d pulled out of various places. I looked around to see what caught their attention, but I couldn’t see anything. Then I heard the strong wing beats of a dragon coming from above.
“Vasin, is that you?” I asked silently.
“Yes, I have returned.”
“It's all right. It’s just Vasin coming back from hunting,” I shared.
They seemed to relax a little at this news but were still on high alert as he landed on the far edge of the reservoir.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be used to having a damn dragon around,” one of the guys commented.
“I feel blessed. Seeing the black dragon with my own eyes is a rare occurrence. No one alive can say they’ve seen one,” another stated.
“I’m just glad that fucking monster is on our side,” I heard someone mutter under their breath.
I whipped around, anger pulsing through my veins as I searched for the man who’d just spoken. Unable to pinpoint who it was, I stood up, getting everyone’s attention.
“Listen up, assholes, I will only say this once. That thing over there has a name. It’s Vasin.
I expect you to treat him with the utmost respect.
Talking to him is like talking directly to me.
I know everything he knows and hear all he hears.
Trust me when I say you don’t want to be on the receiving end of our wrath. ”
The shocked men glanced between me and Vasin, who’d silently moved to sit near us, the fire giving his scales an eerie glow.
It seemed my words had made their point but killed any chance of returning to the friendly atmosphere.
Deciding it was better to leave, I walked over to Vasin and hugged his snout, rubbing my cheek against his scales.
“I think you may have gone a little too far, Cass,” Vasin chided as he settled for the night.
“I will never let anyone disrespect you, ever,” I grumbled, feeling guilty for lashing out.
Vasin just hummed a little in response. I felt his happiness that I’d stood up for him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I was yet again surprised by how soft and smooth his scales were.
“They will harden as I age, becoming so strong the sharpest arrow will bounce off. Sadly, that will take years. Right now, I am at my most vulnerable. I can’t even breathe fire yet,” Vasin shared, picking up on my thoughts.
“Then why is your chest so warm?” I asked, letting go of his snout.
“That is the heat from my embers where the fire comes from. When we are young, the embers are small and not strong enough to ignite the gas we produce. I may look fully grown, but I have much to grow into.”
I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Vasin playfully snapped his teeth at me, letting me know he was done talking. He then nudged me with his head toward his raised wing.
“Are you telling me to go to bed?” I laughed.
Another gentle shove and an approving croon told me I was getting the right idea.
I noticed he’d already made a pile of leaves for me to sleep on.
I smiled at him and scratched under his wing joint he couldn’t get to very easily, and he hummed in pleasure.
Snuggling into the leaves, I curled against his warm chest and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.