1
The Dragon
“Elizabeth,” a voice called from the top of the hill. Elizabeth turned back at the sound of her mother’s voice, spotting her mother standing on top of the hill near the castle wall. She raised her hand over her head, waving it so that her mother could spot her.
“Over here mother,” she yelled back to her.
Her mother briefly looked around trying to decide where her daughter’s voice was coming from before spotting her in the field below. She cupped her hands to her mouth, yelling back in a stern voice, “Elizabeth, I told you to wait for me!” adding, “Stay there, I’ll be right down.”
Elizabeth sighed and stood in the tall emerald grass waiting for her mother to make her way down the sloping hill to where Elizabeth stood. Elizabeth wished that her mother would stop watching her every move. Wasn’t she going to be sixteen in a few days? Couldn’t she even go down to the garden without an escort?
Elizabeth tried to be fair and understand her mother’s point of view. She was her mother’s only child and she supposed that if she had had siblings then her mother could have divided her maternal fussing, but the up side was that she had always had her mother’s undivided attention. And to be honest, weren’t many of her fondest memories times that she had spent with her mother? It was her mother who had taught her to ride a unicorn when she was eight. Elizabeth’s father had protested saying that she was too young, but her mother had just smiled as she put Elizabeth on the very sedate unicorn’s back, explaining to him that she had started riding unicorns when she was six. Elizabeth had become an expert rider by the time she was ten. She and her mother had enjoyed many a ride together through the forest to the village, several miles from the castle.
But she wasn’t ten any longer and she’d like a little credit for being able to take care of herself. Elizabeth looked up to see her mother still making her way down the hillside. Getting tired of standing and waiting like a scolded child she yelled to her mother, “I’ll meet you at the garden,” scurrying off toward the garden in the next field down before her mother could reply.
Elizabeth had not gotten very far when suddenly a loud clanging sound could be heard coming from the castle. She turned, looking toward the sound of the clanging, spotting her mother still part way down the hill. Her mother too had stopped, turning to look in the direction of the sound. The noise was coming from the large bell in the castle’s bell tower. Elizabeth glanced back at her mother who had now turned toward her daughter, a look of terror on her face that Elizabeth had seldom seen. The clanging bell was the dragon alarm.
The fairies lived on constant guard against dragons. Not the small green dragons that flew in flocks, landing in bodies of water to feed on small fish, or the larger, lumbering, flightless brown dragons that preferred to eat fruits and insects in the forested areas. No, it was the predatory red and white dragons that were to be avoided. For the most part, these more dangerous varieties of dragons lived in the wild areas, making their homes mostly in the rocky mountainsides to the north, only occasionally venturing near the villages in search of food. Traveling between villages though could be very dangerous, especially in the outlying areas. Elizabeth had heard tales of travelers being picked off by dragons as they raced from the cover of one forest to the next. She had even seen a large dragon flying in the distance over the forest a few years ago. That was the last time the dragon warning had sounded. Elizabeth remembered thinking then that she would like to have seen the dragon a little better than she had. She could not even tell what color it was. She had no such desire now.
Elizabeth looked up into the sky, scanning it for any sign of the dragon. After a few seconds, she spotted it. There it was flying over the forest, very fast, heading straight for the castle. Elizabeth stood there for a moment just watching it, and then she realized that her mother was screaming at her.
“ELIZABETH!” “RUN”! Her mother screamed over and over again.
“Oh my gosh,” Elizabeth uttered to herself and then she started to run.
Elizabeth ran as fast as she could toward her mother. She could see her mother standing where she had stopped when the alarm had sounded. She was looking up at the sky. Elizabeth realized that her mother was watching the progress of the dragon rapidly moving toward them. As tempted as she was to glance up and see how close the dragon was to them, she knew that she could not spare even a moment. When Elizabeth was just about to her mother, her mother closed the gap, pushing Elizabeth to the ground as she threw herself on top of her daughter. Elizabeth felt the breeze generated by the dragon’s great wings as she and her mother were covered by the dragon’s shadow as it sped overhead. The dragon had been tracking Elizabeth and had planned to snatch her from the ground, but its plan had been thwarted by Elizabeth’s great speed and her mother’s protective valor. Elizabeth’s mother glanced up as they both still lay on the grassy hill. The dragon, having missed its prey, could not slow down fast enough and was now over the field on the other side of the castle. However, it would soon correct itself and be back in a matter of moments. Elizabeth’s mother leapt up off the ground, pulling Elizabeth up and forward in one motion, yelling to her over the still ringing dragon alarm. “Run to the castle, don’t wait for me!” Elizabeth didn’t bother to respond, running as fast as she could toward the castle gate.
When Elizabeth had reached the safety of the gate, only then did she turn to see her mother still running toward the castle. Elizabeth looked up to see the dragon already coming around again; its talon’s lowered, ready to snatch her mother from the ground. Elizabeth’s mother had never been a fast runner. Elizabeth knew she would never make it. She tried to think quickly what to do? Should she run to her mother and try to speed her progress? She had to do something; the dragon was almost within reach of her mother. Just then, she heard a yell from overhead. “FIRE!” hollered a voice from atop the castle wall. A shower of rocks from the series of catapults situated atop the wall as part of the castle’s defenses now pelted the body and outstretched wings of the dragon. Startled and disoriented by the flurry of projectiles, the dragon stopped its forward motion, giving Elizabeth’s mother enough time to make it inside the castle gate.
“Mother!” “Oh, mother!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she threw her arms around the out of breath figure, tears running down her face, a mixture of terror from coming so close to losing her mother and joy at having her mother safe.
Her mother put her arms around her, the two of them standing against the wall inside the castle courtyard, rocking gently back and forth.
“Elizabeth,” her mother said softly, waves of relief rolling over her. Not wanting to dwell on the terror of the moment she pushed Elizabeth away from her slightly and then looking at her daughter, half-serious, half-smiling, she said, “Next time, wait for me please.”
Looking at her mother’s face, Elizabeth started laughing, “Yes mother,” she said in her most obedient voice as they both laughed together, hugging again.
“Eve, Elizabeth,” a husky voice cried from across the courtyard. Elizabeth and her mother both looked up to see Elizabeth’s father hurrying toward them.
“We’re okay, Lifiel,” Elizabeth’s mother called to him. When he reached them, he put an arm around each of them, giving them a quick squeeze, before stepping back to look at them both.
“You’re sure you’re alright?” he was still shaken by their close call.
“Yes, father we’re fine,” Elizabeth reassured him.
Elizabeth’s mother took her father’s hands in her own and looked into his eyes. “Yes Lifiel, we’re both fine, just a little dirty is all.”
Eve and Lifiel stood for a moment gazing at each other. Elizabeth looked at her parents. Her father was much older than her mother, she being his third wife. But he was still strong and handsome. He wasn’t tall for a male, only slightly taller than her mother. His eyes were an amazing bluish-purple color. His hair was a dark brown color, which was most common to fairies, with streaks of white in it. He wore it as he always did, two braids in the front, with the back hair flowing long, half way down his back. He wore leggings tucked into his calf-high, dragon leather boots, along with a knee-length, green tunic, no shirt under the tunic as it was a fine spring day out, belted at the waist with a scabbard and sword. On the front of the tunic was the royal family crest, a golden dragon with a golden crown above it. He looked very commanding. On his head, he wore a simple crown of silver, with a moon stone set in the center. He always wore some sort of crown, being the King of the Fairies. Her mother looked slight in comparison to her father’s massive build. She was tall for a female, almost as tall as her father was. Although soiled from their ordeal, her dress ripped; it didn’t matter, her mother was the most beautiful fairy Elizabeth had ever seen. Every part of her was long and slender, her neck, her arms and legs, her fingers, her long slender ears curving up to perfect points. Her skin was creamy white. Her facial features were classic and perfect. Her eyes were the bluest blue that Elizabeth could ever imagine. She too had dark brown hair, parted in the center, flowing long down her back. Her hair was usually held in place by one of her many circlet crowns, but today’s circlet was now missing from her mother’s head, probably lost in the field somewhere. Her mother always wore a circlet, unless the occasion warranted a crown. Her mother wore a soft, simple green sleeveless, knee length dress, tied at the waist with a silver sash. On her feet, she wore soft dragon leather, tall, lace-up boots. She preferred them to fancy shoes, which she only wore when she felt it was absolutely necessary. “Me too,” Elizabeth whispered to herself. Overall, Elizabeth thought, staring at her parents at that moment, that there couldn’t be a better mother and father than hers, or for that matter, a finer king and queen.
An all too familiar shadow crossing the courtyard broke up the trio’s happy reunion, the three all looking upward simultaneously. Elizabeth pointed to the dragon, now high up in the sky moving over a nearby field. “Look! It’s the dragon!”
“I want to get a better look at it,” she decided, running to one of the nearby doorways in the castle’s wall which would lead to a stairway ending at the top of the fortification.
“Daughter!” the king called after her, but too late, she was already through the doorway. The king turned to his wife, “I’ll go after her. I have to get back up there anyway. I just had to make sure that the two of you were okay. Go inside the castle. I’ll make sure she follows you there.”
“No Lifiel,” Eve shook her head. “I’ll make sure she gets inside the castle myself,” and with that they both headed through the doorway leading to the top of the wall.
***
When Elizabeth had made her way up the inner stairway, breaking into the daylight at the top of the wall, she found it to be bustling with activity. Armsmen were scurrying all over. Catapults were set up with armsmen moving baskets of rocks next to them. Others were carrying armfuls of arrows, readying them for the archers that were now getting into position. She spotted Lord Wendell, Dragon Castle’s Chief Armsmen, just as he spotted her.
“Milady Elizabeth,” he cried out to her in horror. “I don’t think your father, the king, would approve of you being up here.”
He stopped what he was doing and moved toward her to direct her back down the stairs. Elizabeth liked Lord Wendell; he had been her father’s Chief Armsmen since before she was born. He was as loyal a servant as any king could ask for. He knew every inch of the castle, the village and the surrounding countryside. He knew everyone in the castle and the village. Lord Wendell just knew, well everything. He drilled his armsmen regularly against every conceivable threat. If anyone was ready to deal with this dragon, it was Lord Wendell. Elizabeth though was determined to get a good look at the dragon before she was shuffled off into the castle.
Just as Lord Wendell reached her, her parents appeared from the stairway.
“It’s okay Wendell,” the King told his Chief Armsmen. “Her Majesty will take Lady Elizabeth below.”
However, before they could take a step, one of the armsmen on the wall yelled, “Here it comes again! There it was, circling around the forest to make its way over the fields and back toward the castle again.
“It’s so big!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “And red!”
Elizabeth knew that there were different types of dragons with correspondingly different colors. Some could fly, some could not. Some breathed fire, “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “Do red dragons breathe fire?” “Yes, they do!” She looked up at the dragon a little more apprehensively.
“Wendell,” her father spoke, forgetting about Elizabeth for the moment. “Give me an update on our situation.”
“Well, Your Majesty,” Wendell began, “We’ve pelted it repeatedly with the catapults, but it’s having little effect. It must have spotted game here from a distance and thought to pick itself off an easy meal, but everyone is under cover and all the animals are also inside, so there’s nothing for it now. I think it’s just frustrated and hungry. I’m getting the archers into place along the wall so we’ll be showering it with arrows next. I hope that sticking it with some arrows will send it on its way. We have to be careful with our timing though, and hit him while he’s over the field and not too close to the castle.” “You know… in case he flames,” explained Wendell.
The King opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Wendell spotted the dragon in perfect position over the field. “Archers, NOW!” Wendell bellowed.
The archers positioned along the wall on this side of the castle let loose a shower of arrows. The dragon stopped in midair, having been struck multiple times.
“Any chance of bringing that dragon down?” the King asked Wendell.
“Not likely Your Majesty. It would be a million to one shot. The arrows can’t penetrate the hide far enough to hit anything vital. You would have to shoot the beast straight through the eye and into the brain.”
“I see,” the King rubbed his chin, disappointed there was no easy solution.
All eyes were on the dragon. It hovered over the field, unsure of what was happening.
“AGAIN!” cried Wendell and the archers let go another flurry of arrows. Then it happened. The dragon, wounded and confused, stretched out its neck letting out a deafening cry and then it flamed. The dragon’s flaming was brief, but it set the field below on fire.
“Oh no!” cried Eve. “The gardens on fire.”
The King turned, just now remembering that his wife and daughter were still beside him.
“I want the two of you in the castle, NOW!” he said firmly.
“Yes husband,” Eve replied, turning to go back down the stairway.
“Yes father,” said Elizabeth, glancing over at the burning field before turning to follow her mother down the stairway. Elizabeth sympathized somewhat with the hungry dragon, but they had worked so hard on that garden. They had been growing the vegetables in that garden to give to the village and the dragon had turned it into ashes within seconds. Also, hadn’t the dragon tried to eat her…and her mother as well? Elizabeth decided that she had had just about enough of this dragon. She made her way through the passageway in the castle wall until they reached the corridor leading into the castle. Several of her mothers’ ladies were anxiously waiting for them.
“Your Majesty!” “Lady Elizabeth!” They all spoke together. “We were so worried.” “Thank goodness you’re both well!”
Elizabeth did not wish to waste time with all this fussing. She put her hand on her mother’s arm. "Mother, I’m going up to my chambers to wash up and change.”
“Very well, daughter. I’ll send your ladies up to you.”
“No mother!” Elizabeth stopped, not wanting to sound too dismissive. “I just need a few moments alone.”
Her mother smiled at her. “Of course my darling. Come back down when you’re ready.” Her mother smiled and then turned, walking off with her ladies who were waiting patiently.
***
Elizabeth hurried down the hallway leading to the stairs going up to her chambers.
Elizabeth’s chambers were in a tower on the far corner of the castle. Elizabeth had begged her parents for the chambers in the tower when she had turned thirteen. She loved her tower chambers. The rooms were spacious and their location made them more private than any other quarters in the castle. Elizabeth had loved to wander up the stairs to the tower and play in the rooms when she was little. She liked to imagine that she had escaped from whichever ladies or armsmen were watching her, although she knew that they were really sitting on the stairs just below listening to everything she did. She also knew now from her mother, that after her first escapade to the tower, Lord Wendell had the entire tower regularly inspected for any dangers. She also knew that her mother had instructed her “keepers” to let her “give them the slip” and have some time “alone” in her tower. Elizabeth didn’t mind. She understood her parents desire to protect her and she appreciated those hours she had spent in her tower.
Elizabeth had been surprised when her parents had agreed to move her chambers to those in the tower for her thirteenth birthday. Of course that was the same birthday that they had given her a pet selleck. Sellecks are large, catlike creatures about the size of a panther. They have long, sharp teeth and razor sharp claws that are deadly. They are also highly intelligent, extremely loyal, and will only attack in protection of their master, their kits, or while hunting food. They are also nocturnal. Elizabeth’s selleck stood guard next to her bed every night while she slept. If anyone got past the armsmen that stood guard each night at the bottom of the tower stairway, they would not get past Nule. They would likely never even see him. He was black as the darkest night and as silent as the grave. A very efficient bodyguard.
Elizabeth’s mother had offered to let her redecorate her tower chambers anyway she would like, but Elizabeth loved them as they were, so her mother had everything repaired and freshened up so that when Elizabeth moved into the chambers, her childhood playground became the storybook tower that she had longed to have. Plus, the view from the tower was the best in the castle and that view is exactly what Elizabeth was interested in now!
When Elizabeth reached her rooms, she quickly ran into her sitting chamber and looked around. It didn’t take long for her to spot her bow and quiver of arrows leaning against the bookshelf where she had left them. She scooped them up heading into her bedchamber. She spotted Nule still asleep on his bed against the far wall.
“Geezz,” Elizabeth shook her head. “I swear that selleck can sleep through anything.”
She trotted briskly across the room and opened the doors leading out onto the small tower balcony. From the balcony, Elizabeth had a tremendous view of the fields below, as well as, the village and forest off in the distance. As the tower was higher than the castle wall, she could also see some of the activity happening on top of the wall. But right now, the only sight Elizabeth was interested in was the dragon. Elizabeth spotted it over the forest. The big red beast had its massive wings outstretched, powerfully thrusting them to pick up speed as it headed back to make another pass over the field near the castle.
“Foolish dragon,” Elizabeth spoke aloud. “There’s nothing there for you to eat anymore.” Elizabeth made herself ready on the balcony. At this height, she would be directly parallel with the dragon as it flew by. She raised her bow, pulling back her arrow as the dragon approached. She judged her timing and released her arrow.
***
With the departure of his wife and daughter, King Lifiel turned to his Chief Armsmen to voice a question now pressing on his mind. “You don’t think that it was calling its mate do you, Wendell?”
Lord Wendell, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the flight path of the dragon, replied. “No, Your Majesty, from what I know of dragons they are never far from their mates and red dragons nest in the mountains to the north. This dragon must be some kind of rouge, driven out by the others perhaps?”
“That would explain it being this far south.” The king thought it a plausible explanation. “Being pushed out of all the normal dragon hunting grounds, it could have ended up here.”
“Not very comforting,” added Wendell glancing over at the King.
The King nodded. If the dragon population was growing again, it could mean more rouge dragons to deal with. The King sighed at that thought, but there was no time to dwell on that as they had an immediate problem to deal with.
“So, Wendell?” The King spoke loudly to be heard over the constant noise around them. “What do you suggest for a plan of action now?”
“Well, Your Majesty, I suggest that we continue our present course of action. I’m of the opinion that the dragon will tire of it and move on to another area to hunt.”
“That would be good and bad,” replied the King, “For I fear when it leaves here it will end up over one of the other villages and we have no way to get a message to the Noble Lords to warn them.”
“Your Majesty, when the dragon was spotted I sent riders out to all the surrounding castles,” Wendell informed him, never taking his eyes off the dragon in the sky.
“Well done, Wendell,” the King replied appreciatively as he too watched the progress of the dragon.
The King continued his vigil on the wall as Lord Wendell had his armsmen ready the catapults and prepare the archers.
“This time,” shouted Lord Wendell to his armsmen, as they moved about getting ready while they listened to his orders. “When the dragon comes around, I want archers to hit him first. Then when he pulls up, I want to shower him with the catapults. Everyone get ready and wait for my signal.”
Lord Wendell watched as the dragon flew over the forest and approached the castle. He had his hand up, ready to signal and yell at the same time, the moment that the dragon was close enough. Almost…almost,” but as Wendell gave the signal, he realized that the dragon had already stopped beating its wings and was slowing down.
***
On Lord Wendell’s signal, a hundred arrows soared toward the dragon. As the armsmen saw the dragon pulling up, they let loose the catapults, showering it with all manner of rocks. After the last catapult had been released, they waited to see what the dragon would do. It was an unbelievable sight. The dragon was dropping from the sky. It fell and fell, and then with a thunderous thud it hit the ground. The armsmen on the wall started jumping up and down cheering and hugging each other in celebration. The dragon had fallen into the field below the castle that had been set on fire by its flame. The weight of the dragon hitting the ground caused a cloud of dirt that quickly put out the fire still burning in the field. At the sight of the fire being extinguished, the armsmen started cheering even louder.
The King could not believe his eyes; the dragon had been brought down. He stood a moment staring down at it laying on the ground and listening to the joyous cheers of his armsmen.
“Ten gold coins to the archer who made that shot!” the King cried out.
The armsmen cheered all the more. The King turned to find Wendell, wanting to congratulate him on his great victory. When he found Wendell, Wendell was not looking at the dragon, nor was he cheering; he was looking up in the opposite direction.
“What are you doing?” the King asked. “Your armsmen brought down the dragon. And you said it couldn’t be done!” the King added as he slapped Wendell on the back.
However, Wendell was still glued to some unknown object. “Not my archers,” Wendell told him, as he lifted his arm and pointed to the object that so held his attention.
The King turned to look and so did all the armsmen, as one by one they noticed their leader pointing and the King also staring off in the other direction. The deafening cheers became a silent awe as all eyes were focused on the balcony of the castle tower and the slender figure poised there, still holding the bow in hand, her golden hair blowing behind her in the breeze. Then as suddenly as it stopped, the cheering started again. This time Wendell slapped the King on the back. “Unbelievable,” he said still looking at the figure on the balcony.
“You best get everyone down there and start working on that beast,” the king gestured toward the massive dragon on the ground. “Get the villagers up here too, although I suspect they’re already on their way to see it. There’ll be plenty of meat to go around. Make sure you get all the teeth, especially the eye tooth, and bring them to me”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Lord Wendell, taking one last glance at the balcony before turning to get his armsmen started on their next task.
The King remained on the wall, still staring up at the figure on the balcony. The figure must have recognized him, raising a hand and waving to him. He raised a hand, waving back in reply, only one word escaping his lips, “Elizabeth.”
The Dragon
“Elizabeth,” a voice called from the top of the hill. Elizabeth turned back at the sound of her mother’s voice, spotting her mother standing on top of the hill near the castle wall. She raised her hand over her head, waving it so that her mother could spot her.
“Over here mother,” she yelled back to her.
Her mother briefly looked around trying to decide where her daughter’s voice was coming from before spotting her in the field below. She cupped her hands to her mouth, yelling back in a stern voice, “Elizabeth, I told you to wait for me!” adding, “Stay there, I’ll be right down.”
Elizabeth sighed and stood in the tall emerald grass waiting for her mother to make her way down the sloping hill to where Elizabeth stood. Elizabeth wished that her mother would stop watching her every move. Wasn’t she going to be sixteen in a few days? Couldn’t she even go down to the garden without an escort?
Elizabeth tried to be fair and understand her mother’s point of view. She was her mother’s only child and she supposed that if she had had siblings then her mother could have divided her maternal fussing, but the up side was that she had always had her mother’s undivided attention. And to be honest, weren’t many of her fondest memories times that she had spent with her mother? It was her mother who had taught her to ride a unicorn when she was eight. Elizabeth’s father had protested saying that she was too young, but her mother had just smiled as she put Elizabeth on the very sedate unicorn’s back, explaining to him that she had started riding unicorns when she was six. Elizabeth had become an expert rider by the time she was ten. She and her mother had enjoyed many a ride together through the forest to the village, several miles from the castle.
But she wasn’t ten any longer and she’d like a little credit for being able to take care of herself. Elizabeth looked up to see her mother still making her way down the hillside. Getting tired of standing and waiting like a scolded child she yelled to her mother, “I’ll meet you at the garden,” scurrying off toward the garden in the next field down before her mother could reply.
Elizabeth had not gotten very far when suddenly a loud clanging sound could be heard coming from the castle. She turned, looking toward the sound of the clanging, spotting her mother still part way down the hill. Her mother too had stopped, turning to look in the direction of the sound. The noise was coming from the large bell in the castle’s bell tower. Elizabeth glanced back at her mother who had now turned toward her daughter, a look of terror on her face that Elizabeth had seldom seen. The clanging bell was the dragon alarm.
The fairies lived on constant guard against dragons. Not the small green dragons that flew in flocks, landing in bodies of water to feed on small fish, or the larger, lumbering, flightless brown dragons that preferred to eat fruits and insects in the forested areas. No, it was the predatory red and white dragons that were to be avoided. For the most part, these more dangerous varieties of dragons lived in the wild areas, making their homes mostly in the rocky mountainsides to the north, only occasionally venturing near the villages in search of food. Traveling between villages though could be very dangerous, especially in the outlying areas. Elizabeth had heard tales of travelers being picked off by dragons as they raced from the cover of one forest to the next. She had even seen a large dragon flying in the distance over the forest a few years ago. That was the last time the dragon warning had sounded. Elizabeth remembered thinking then that she would like to have seen the dragon a little better than she had. She could not even tell what color it was. She had no such desire now.
Elizabeth looked up into the sky, scanning it for any sign of the dragon. After a few seconds, she spotted it. There it was flying over the forest, very fast, heading straight for the castle. Elizabeth stood there for a moment just watching it, and then she realized that her mother was screaming at her.
“ELIZABETH!” “RUN”! Her mother screamed over and over again.
“Oh my gosh,” Elizabeth uttered to herself and then she started to run.
Elizabeth ran as fast as she could toward her mother. She could see her mother standing where she had stopped when the alarm had sounded. She was looking up at the sky. Elizabeth realized that her mother was watching the progress of the dragon rapidly moving toward them. As tempted as she was to glance up and see how close the dragon was to them, she knew that she could not spare even a moment. When Elizabeth was just about to her mother, her mother closed the gap, pushing Elizabeth to the ground as she threw herself on top of her daughter. Elizabeth felt the breeze generated by the dragon’s great wings as she and her mother were covered by the dragon’s shadow as it sped overhead. The dragon had been tracking Elizabeth and had planned to snatch her from the ground, but its plan had been thwarted by Elizabeth’s great speed and her mother’s protective valor. Elizabeth’s mother glanced up as they both still lay on the grassy hill. The dragon, having missed its prey, could not slow down fast enough and was now over the field on the other side of the castle. However, it would soon correct itself and be back in a matter of moments. Elizabeth’s mother leapt up off the ground, pulling Elizabeth up and forward in one motion, yelling to her over the still ringing dragon alarm. “Run to the castle, don’t wait for me!” Elizabeth didn’t bother to respond, running as fast as she could toward the castle gate.
When Elizabeth had reached the safety of the gate, only then did she turn to see her mother still running toward the castle. Elizabeth looked up to see the dragon already coming around again; its talon’s lowered, ready to snatch her mother from the ground. Elizabeth’s mother had never been a fast runner. Elizabeth knew she would never make it. She tried to think quickly what to do? Should she run to her mother and try to speed her progress? She had to do something; the dragon was almost within reach of her mother. Just then, she heard a yell from overhead. “FIRE!” hollered a voice from atop the castle wall. A shower of rocks from the series of catapults situated atop the wall as part of the castle’s defenses now pelted the body and outstretched wings of the dragon. Startled and disoriented by the flurry of projectiles, the dragon stopped its forward motion, giving Elizabeth’s mother enough time to make it inside the castle gate.
“Mother!” “Oh, mother!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she threw her arms around the out of breath figure, tears running down her face, a mixture of terror from coming so close to losing her mother and joy at having her mother safe.
Her mother put her arms around her, the two of them standing against the wall inside the castle courtyard, rocking gently back and forth.
“Elizabeth,” her mother said softly, waves of relief rolling over her. Not wanting to dwell on the terror of the moment she pushed Elizabeth away from her slightly and then looking at her daughter, half-serious, half-smiling, she said, “Next time, wait for me please.”
Looking at her mother’s face, Elizabeth started laughing, “Yes mother,” she said in her most obedient voice as they both laughed together, hugging again.
“Eve, Elizabeth,” a husky voice cried from across the courtyard. Elizabeth and her mother both looked up to see Elizabeth’s father hurrying toward them.
“We’re okay, Lifiel,” Elizabeth’s mother called to him. When he reached them, he put an arm around each of them, giving them a quick squeeze, before stepping back to look at them both.
“You’re sure you’re alright?” he was still shaken by their close call.
“Yes, father we’re fine,” Elizabeth reassured him.
Elizabeth’s mother took her father’s hands in her own and looked into his eyes. “Yes Lifiel, we’re both fine, just a little dirty is all.”
Eve and Lifiel stood for a moment gazing at each other. Elizabeth looked at her parents. Her father was much older than her mother, she being his third wife. But he was still strong and handsome. He wasn’t tall for a male, only slightly taller than her mother. His eyes were an amazing bluish-purple color. His hair was a dark brown color, which was most common to fairies, with streaks of white in it. He wore it as he always did, two braids in the front, with the back hair flowing long, half way down his back. He wore leggings tucked into his calf-high, dragon leather boots, along with a knee-length, green tunic, no shirt under the tunic as it was a fine spring day out, belted at the waist with a scabbard and sword. On the front of the tunic was the royal family crest, a golden dragon with a golden crown above it. He looked very commanding. On his head, he wore a simple crown of silver, with a moon stone set in the center. He always wore some sort of crown, being the King of the Fairies. Her mother looked slight in comparison to her father’s massive build. She was tall for a female, almost as tall as her father was. Although soiled from their ordeal, her dress ripped; it didn’t matter, her mother was the most beautiful fairy Elizabeth had ever seen. Every part of her was long and slender, her neck, her arms and legs, her fingers, her long slender ears curving up to perfect points. Her skin was creamy white. Her facial features were classic and perfect. Her eyes were the bluest blue that Elizabeth could ever imagine. She too had dark brown hair, parted in the center, flowing long down her back. Her hair was usually held in place by one of her many circlet crowns, but today’s circlet was now missing from her mother’s head, probably lost in the field somewhere. Her mother always wore a circlet, unless the occasion warranted a crown. Her mother wore a soft, simple green sleeveless, knee length dress, tied at the waist with a silver sash. On her feet, she wore soft dragon leather, tall, lace-up boots. She preferred them to fancy shoes, which she only wore when she felt it was absolutely necessary. “Me too,” Elizabeth whispered to herself. Overall, Elizabeth thought, staring at her parents at that moment, that there couldn’t be a better mother and father than hers, or for that matter, a finer king and queen.
An all too familiar shadow crossing the courtyard broke up the trio’s happy reunion, the three all looking upward simultaneously. Elizabeth pointed to the dragon, now high up in the sky moving over a nearby field. “Look! It’s the dragon!”
“I want to get a better look at it,” she decided, running to one of the nearby doorways in the castle’s wall which would lead to a stairway ending at the top of the fortification.
“Daughter!” the king called after her, but too late, she was already through the doorway. The king turned to his wife, “I’ll go after her. I have to get back up there anyway. I just had to make sure that the two of you were okay. Go inside the castle. I’ll make sure she follows you there.”
“No Lifiel,” Eve shook her head. “I’ll make sure she gets inside the castle myself,” and with that they both headed through the doorway leading to the top of the wall.
***
When Elizabeth had made her way up the inner stairway, breaking into the daylight at the top of the wall, she found it to be bustling with activity. Armsmen were scurrying all over. Catapults were set up with armsmen moving baskets of rocks next to them. Others were carrying armfuls of arrows, readying them for the archers that were now getting into position. She spotted Lord Wendell, Dragon Castle’s Chief Armsmen, just as he spotted her.
“Milady Elizabeth,” he cried out to her in horror. “I don’t think your father, the king, would approve of you being up here.”
He stopped what he was doing and moved toward her to direct her back down the stairs. Elizabeth liked Lord Wendell; he had been her father’s Chief Armsmen since before she was born. He was as loyal a servant as any king could ask for. He knew every inch of the castle, the village and the surrounding countryside. He knew everyone in the castle and the village. Lord Wendell just knew, well everything. He drilled his armsmen regularly against every conceivable threat. If anyone was ready to deal with this dragon, it was Lord Wendell. Elizabeth though was determined to get a good look at the dragon before she was shuffled off into the castle.
Just as Lord Wendell reached her, her parents appeared from the stairway.
“It’s okay Wendell,” the King told his Chief Armsmen. “Her Majesty will take Lady Elizabeth below.”
However, before they could take a step, one of the armsmen on the wall yelled, “Here it comes again! There it was, circling around the forest to make its way over the fields and back toward the castle again.
“It’s so big!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “And red!”
Elizabeth knew that there were different types of dragons with correspondingly different colors. Some could fly, some could not. Some breathed fire, “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “Do red dragons breathe fire?” “Yes, they do!” She looked up at the dragon a little more apprehensively.
“Wendell,” her father spoke, forgetting about Elizabeth for the moment. “Give me an update on our situation.”
“Well, Your Majesty,” Wendell began, “We’ve pelted it repeatedly with the catapults, but it’s having little effect. It must have spotted game here from a distance and thought to pick itself off an easy meal, but everyone is under cover and all the animals are also inside, so there’s nothing for it now. I think it’s just frustrated and hungry. I’m getting the archers into place along the wall so we’ll be showering it with arrows next. I hope that sticking it with some arrows will send it on its way. We have to be careful with our timing though, and hit him while he’s over the field and not too close to the castle.” “You know… in case he flames,” explained Wendell.
The King opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Wendell spotted the dragon in perfect position over the field. “Archers, NOW!” Wendell bellowed.
The archers positioned along the wall on this side of the castle let loose a shower of arrows. The dragon stopped in midair, having been struck multiple times.
“Any chance of bringing that dragon down?” the King asked Wendell.
“Not likely Your Majesty. It would be a million to one shot. The arrows can’t penetrate the hide far enough to hit anything vital. You would have to shoot the beast straight through the eye and into the brain.”
“I see,” the King rubbed his chin, disappointed there was no easy solution.
All eyes were on the dragon. It hovered over the field, unsure of what was happening.
“AGAIN!” cried Wendell and the archers let go another flurry of arrows. Then it happened. The dragon, wounded and confused, stretched out its neck letting out a deafening cry and then it flamed. The dragon’s flaming was brief, but it set the field below on fire.
“Oh no!” cried Eve. “The gardens on fire.”
The King turned, just now remembering that his wife and daughter were still beside him.
“I want the two of you in the castle, NOW!” he said firmly.
“Yes husband,” Eve replied, turning to go back down the stairway.
“Yes father,” said Elizabeth, glancing over at the burning field before turning to follow her mother down the stairway. Elizabeth sympathized somewhat with the hungry dragon, but they had worked so hard on that garden. They had been growing the vegetables in that garden to give to the village and the dragon had turned it into ashes within seconds. Also, hadn’t the dragon tried to eat her…and her mother as well? Elizabeth decided that she had had just about enough of this dragon. She made her way through the passageway in the castle wall until they reached the corridor leading into the castle. Several of her mothers’ ladies were anxiously waiting for them.
“Your Majesty!” “Lady Elizabeth!” They all spoke together. “We were so worried.” “Thank goodness you’re both well!”
Elizabeth did not wish to waste time with all this fussing. She put her hand on her mother’s arm. "Mother, I’m going up to my chambers to wash up and change.”
“Very well, daughter. I’ll send your ladies up to you.”
“No mother!” Elizabeth stopped, not wanting to sound too dismissive. “I just need a few moments alone.”
Her mother smiled at her. “Of course my darling. Come back down when you’re ready.” Her mother smiled and then turned, walking off with her ladies who were waiting patiently.
***
Elizabeth hurried down the hallway leading to the stairs going up to her chambers.
Elizabeth’s chambers were in a tower on the far corner of the castle. Elizabeth had begged her parents for the chambers in the tower when she had turned thirteen. She loved her tower chambers. The rooms were spacious and their location made them more private than any other quarters in the castle. Elizabeth had loved to wander up the stairs to the tower and play in the rooms when she was little. She liked to imagine that she had escaped from whichever ladies or armsmen were watching her, although she knew that they were really sitting on the stairs just below listening to everything she did. She also knew now from her mother, that after her first escapade to the tower, Lord Wendell had the entire tower regularly inspected for any dangers. She also knew that her mother had instructed her “keepers” to let her “give them the slip” and have some time “alone” in her tower. Elizabeth didn’t mind. She understood her parents desire to protect her and she appreciated those hours she had spent in her tower.
Elizabeth had been surprised when her parents had agreed to move her chambers to those in the tower for her thirteenth birthday. Of course that was the same birthday that they had given her a pet selleck. Sellecks are large, catlike creatures about the size of a panther. They have long, sharp teeth and razor sharp claws that are deadly. They are also highly intelligent, extremely loyal, and will only attack in protection of their master, their kits, or while hunting food. They are also nocturnal. Elizabeth’s selleck stood guard next to her bed every night while she slept. If anyone got past the armsmen that stood guard each night at the bottom of the tower stairway, they would not get past Nule. They would likely never even see him. He was black as the darkest night and as silent as the grave. A very efficient bodyguard.
Elizabeth’s mother had offered to let her redecorate her tower chambers anyway she would like, but Elizabeth loved them as they were, so her mother had everything repaired and freshened up so that when Elizabeth moved into the chambers, her childhood playground became the storybook tower that she had longed to have. Plus, the view from the tower was the best in the castle and that view is exactly what Elizabeth was interested in now!
When Elizabeth reached her rooms, she quickly ran into her sitting chamber and looked around. It didn’t take long for her to spot her bow and quiver of arrows leaning against the bookshelf where she had left them. She scooped them up heading into her bedchamber. She spotted Nule still asleep on his bed against the far wall.
“Geezz,” Elizabeth shook her head. “I swear that selleck can sleep through anything.”
She trotted briskly across the room and opened the doors leading out onto the small tower balcony. From the balcony, Elizabeth had a tremendous view of the fields below, as well as, the village and forest off in the distance. As the tower was higher than the castle wall, she could also see some of the activity happening on top of the wall. But right now, the only sight Elizabeth was interested in was the dragon. Elizabeth spotted it over the forest. The big red beast had its massive wings outstretched, powerfully thrusting them to pick up speed as it headed back to make another pass over the field near the castle.
“Foolish dragon,” Elizabeth spoke aloud. “There’s nothing there for you to eat anymore.” Elizabeth made herself ready on the balcony. At this height, she would be directly parallel with the dragon as it flew by. She raised her bow, pulling back her arrow as the dragon approached. She judged her timing and released her arrow.
***
With the departure of his wife and daughter, King Lifiel turned to his Chief Armsmen to voice a question now pressing on his mind. “You don’t think that it was calling its mate do you, Wendell?”
Lord Wendell, keeping an ever-watchful eye on the flight path of the dragon, replied. “No, Your Majesty, from what I know of dragons they are never far from their mates and red dragons nest in the mountains to the north. This dragon must be some kind of rouge, driven out by the others perhaps?”
“That would explain it being this far south.” The king thought it a plausible explanation. “Being pushed out of all the normal dragon hunting grounds, it could have ended up here.”
“Not very comforting,” added Wendell glancing over at the King.
The King nodded. If the dragon population was growing again, it could mean more rouge dragons to deal with. The King sighed at that thought, but there was no time to dwell on that as they had an immediate problem to deal with.
“So, Wendell?” The King spoke loudly to be heard over the constant noise around them. “What do you suggest for a plan of action now?”
“Well, Your Majesty, I suggest that we continue our present course of action. I’m of the opinion that the dragon will tire of it and move on to another area to hunt.”
“That would be good and bad,” replied the King, “For I fear when it leaves here it will end up over one of the other villages and we have no way to get a message to the Noble Lords to warn them.”
“Your Majesty, when the dragon was spotted I sent riders out to all the surrounding castles,” Wendell informed him, never taking his eyes off the dragon in the sky.
“Well done, Wendell,” the King replied appreciatively as he too watched the progress of the dragon.
The King continued his vigil on the wall as Lord Wendell had his armsmen ready the catapults and prepare the archers.
“This time,” shouted Lord Wendell to his armsmen, as they moved about getting ready while they listened to his orders. “When the dragon comes around, I want archers to hit him first. Then when he pulls up, I want to shower him with the catapults. Everyone get ready and wait for my signal.”
Lord Wendell watched as the dragon flew over the forest and approached the castle. He had his hand up, ready to signal and yell at the same time, the moment that the dragon was close enough. Almost…almost,” but as Wendell gave the signal, he realized that the dragon had already stopped beating its wings and was slowing down.
***
On Lord Wendell’s signal, a hundred arrows soared toward the dragon. As the armsmen saw the dragon pulling up, they let loose the catapults, showering it with all manner of rocks. After the last catapult had been released, they waited to see what the dragon would do. It was an unbelievable sight. The dragon was dropping from the sky. It fell and fell, and then with a thunderous thud it hit the ground. The armsmen on the wall started jumping up and down cheering and hugging each other in celebration. The dragon had fallen into the field below the castle that had been set on fire by its flame. The weight of the dragon hitting the ground caused a cloud of dirt that quickly put out the fire still burning in the field. At the sight of the fire being extinguished, the armsmen started cheering even louder.
The King could not believe his eyes; the dragon had been brought down. He stood a moment staring down at it laying on the ground and listening to the joyous cheers of his armsmen.
“Ten gold coins to the archer who made that shot!” the King cried out.
The armsmen cheered all the more. The King turned to find Wendell, wanting to congratulate him on his great victory. When he found Wendell, Wendell was not looking at the dragon, nor was he cheering; he was looking up in the opposite direction.
“What are you doing?” the King asked. “Your armsmen brought down the dragon. And you said it couldn’t be done!” the King added as he slapped Wendell on the back.
However, Wendell was still glued to some unknown object. “Not my archers,” Wendell told him, as he lifted his arm and pointed to the object that so held his attention.
The King turned to look and so did all the armsmen, as one by one they noticed their leader pointing and the King also staring off in the other direction. The deafening cheers became a silent awe as all eyes were focused on the balcony of the castle tower and the slender figure poised there, still holding the bow in hand, her golden hair blowing behind her in the breeze. Then as suddenly as it stopped, the cheering started again. This time Wendell slapped the King on the back. “Unbelievable,” he said still looking at the figure on the balcony.
“You best get everyone down there and start working on that beast,” the king gestured toward the massive dragon on the ground. “Get the villagers up here too, although I suspect they’re already on their way to see it. There’ll be plenty of meat to go around. Make sure you get all the teeth, especially the eye tooth, and bring them to me”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Lord Wendell, taking one last glance at the balcony before turning to get his armsmen started on their next task.
The King remained on the wall, still staring up at the figure on the balcony. The figure must have recognized him, raising a hand and waving to him. He raised a hand, waving back in reply, only one word escaping his lips, “Elizabeth.”