A Dragon's Tale Ch. 14

The tears still kept silently falling.

She closed her eyes and let her mind drift. Strangely, it drifted to what Luminar Kossel had said. He'd said the person who killed her and then saved her life twice would be her best chance for having a true friend.

She couldn't believe it.

It just wasn't possible.

Not a dragon.

Anyone or anything but a dragon.

If the message really was from Illuminar, why in Saidow's Lair had He chosen a dragon? What kind of despicable torture - what kind of cruel joke was that? What kind of God would want her to be friends with adragon, especially after everything those foul beasts had taken from her?

She pulled the heavy blanket closer and tighter, trying to wring some comfort from the weight. It didn't work. Her bed was just as empty as her heart. She couldn't bear it anymore and pulled the blanket up over her head. There, under the covers she tried to feel safe.

That didn't work either.

Unbidden, the dragon's eyes came to her mind. The care and concern in its eyes when it asked about the elf were just... just...

There were no words.

She wished that someone - anyone - would care about her like that. That if she ever found herself as helpless as the wood elf, that someone - anyone - would come to her rescue like the dragon had come to the elf's. She wished someone cared enough about her to threaten to tear anyone who hurt her 'limb from fucking limb'. She utterly despised the idea of being helpless, but to have someone care about her that much...

Despite the fact that he was a dragon, he truly seemed to care about the elf.

As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that this was the first time she'd ever thought of a dragon as a "he", not an "it". She was too tired to consider it much, but it seemed important.

That was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ethan looked around, trying to figure out what had touched him as Alana looked on in concern.

"I know something touched me. Maybe it was..." He looked around.

No one was there.

He frowned. "If whoever just touched me is the same person who saved my life earlier, say something.

Silence.

"Maybe they can't speak?" Alana suggested as she climbed back down.

"Okay." He nodded and said to the general area. "If whoever is out there is who saved me earlier, tap my shoulder twice. If not, tap it once."

There was a brief pause, then he felt two taps on his shoulder: Tap, tap.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

"Right, you can't speak." Ethan mused. "Do I know you?"

Tap, tap.

He and Alana looked at each other.

*What's going on?* He said telepathically.

*I don't know. Maybe try asking more questions?*

"Do you know Alana?" He said aloud, indicating the wood elf.

Tap, tap.

"Do you have a name?"

Tap, tap.

"You said I know you, do I know your name?"

Tap, tap.

"Hmm, you can touch but not talk." He mused. "Can you write your name in the dirt?"

Tap, tap.

A moment later, Ethan saw the dirt in a grassless patch of earth nearby begin to move, as if someone was writing in it with a finger. They seemed to be having trouble though. It took them a couple tries to make a vertical line. Not long after, it took them a few more tries to make a loop at the top of the line.

"P? Your name starts with P?" Alana guessed. Moments later, Alana looked up and said "One tap means no right?"

He nodded.

"Okay, not 'P' then."

They both watched as a capital 'B' was formed, followed by a capital 'E'."

"Wait a minute." Ethans's jaw dropped. "No, no it couldn't be. Is it..." He looked at Alana.

"What, do you know-" Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. "Oh dear Illuminar in heaven." She breathed, seemingly too stunned to say anything else.

AS they stared at the 'BE' that was written in the dirt, another vertical line started forming next to it.

"Beth?" Ethan breathed in disbelief. "Beth, is that you?"

Tap, tap.

This time, the taps were more forceful, as if the person making them was extremely excited. He look at Alana and his mouth fell open.

"She's alive." He breathed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

***I've decided to release these on a set schedule so my amazing readers - that's you - always know when the next chapter is coming out. My schedule works best to submit them on Wednesdays, so they're usually published by Friday or Saturday (after the review process). I'll aim for the last Fri/Sat of the month. So if you don't see a new chapter on the last Friday or Saturday of the month, check my profile page and I should have an update/reason/predicted publishing date.

Thanks again for all the support and comments. I always appreciate seeing them. :) ***