to him. “So I took a walk, thinking that once I was off the land I could come back and tell them all what I’d found. I’d be considered this great adventurer and all would hail me.”
It had been his dream for days after he’d thought about it. He’d even packed him a meal or two and gotten a blanket, so he could stay the night somewhere. Casdon had sat at the table that morning thinking how things would be different when he returned. That everyone would treat him like a king. The morning he’d deemed to be the first day of his life had nearly been the last.
“There were four men out that day. All of them were hunters…I saw the bows and arrows they had. The knives that hung low on their belts, and even the fur, bloodied and fresh, on their backs from their catch. I wasn’t really afraid of them. I was just a kid, I thought. No harm to them. I thought I’d stepped off the land not ten minutes before, so I stayed hidden.” Casdon closed his eyes, thinking of the events that had changed him so much that day. “The first man saw me and he grinned. At the time, I thought I was safe; they were men, I was but a child. And I was a dragon too should I need him. What harm could they do to one such as me? But as they drew closer, their blades now drawn, I took steps back. Too quickly and clumsily. I knew then that they only wanted to murder me. Not because of me being part dragon, but because I was alone and they were bigger.”
He’d fallen on his ass. The men loomed over him and he knew that he was going to have his head removed. The men, taller and stronger than him, were going to end his life and no one would be the wiser. All his adventures had gotten him, he remembered thinking, was to die here in the other land with no one to mourn him.
“Something came out of nowhere. I had no idea at the time what it was or who. But as soon as the men fell back, I got up and ran all the way back to the house and to my room.” He smiled then, thinking how terrified he’d been and that he’d not even used his dragon. “I wasn’t off the land as I had thought. Days later I took Elam out there with me…for moral support, I guess…and realized that I’d been about an inch, just a mere inch, from stepping onto land that wasn’t our own. Where I fell and where the men had been wasn’t the same property.”
He knew later what had come for him. Elbert, as his dog. He’d been following close behind him, knowing, he told him later, that he was up to no good. Casdon didn’t think he ever told Sally or Jacob. Had he done so, Casdon would have been in trouble, more than likely would have taken his first trip to the dreaded wood shed. He told Elam a few days later, when he didn’t feel like the world was coming to get him.
Elam had made him promise that he’d never do anything like that again. Never leave him. He’d been so afraid that he’d told him he wasn’t going to. He’d told him that he knew that the two of them were connected, but even if they weren’t, he loved him with all that he was and he’d not want to live without him there. Casdon had made and kept that promise.
He talked to his mom for another few hours, telling her things about his life, the woman that he’d hurt, and how much he wished he could find her. As he was leaving the deep cavern, a small brownie buzzed his head and he nearly fell back trying to dodge him. It was Ariannona’s friend, and Casdon was glad to see him.
“You must come with me.” He said that he was going to look for Ariannona. “Yes. Good. But I must speak with...with the queen. Come and.... You will watch over me so that I come to no harm.”
He started to turn him down. He had to leave now before it got too much darker, but the urgency of the little guy’s voice, the posture of his body, made Casdon go back down the long deep corridor again. As they reached his mom’s body, the little brownie—he thought his name was Izic—told him to come closer.
“I do not wish
It had been his dream for days after he’d thought about it. He’d even packed him a meal or two and gotten a blanket, so he could stay the night somewhere. Casdon had sat at the table that morning thinking how things would be different when he returned. That everyone would treat him like a king. The morning he’d deemed to be the first day of his life had nearly been the last.
“There were four men out that day. All of them were hunters…I saw the bows and arrows they had. The knives that hung low on their belts, and even the fur, bloodied and fresh, on their backs from their catch. I wasn’t really afraid of them. I was just a kid, I thought. No harm to them. I thought I’d stepped off the land not ten minutes before, so I stayed hidden.” Casdon closed his eyes, thinking of the events that had changed him so much that day. “The first man saw me and he grinned. At the time, I thought I was safe; they were men, I was but a child. And I was a dragon too should I need him. What harm could they do to one such as me? But as they drew closer, their blades now drawn, I took steps back. Too quickly and clumsily. I knew then that they only wanted to murder me. Not because of me being part dragon, but because I was alone and they were bigger.”
He’d fallen on his ass. The men loomed over him and he knew that he was going to have his head removed. The men, taller and stronger than him, were going to end his life and no one would be the wiser. All his adventures had gotten him, he remembered thinking, was to die here in the other land with no one to mourn him.
“Something came out of nowhere. I had no idea at the time what it was or who. But as soon as the men fell back, I got up and ran all the way back to the house and to my room.” He smiled then, thinking how terrified he’d been and that he’d not even used his dragon. “I wasn’t off the land as I had thought. Days later I took Elam out there with me…for moral support, I guess…and realized that I’d been about an inch, just a mere inch, from stepping onto land that wasn’t our own. Where I fell and where the men had been wasn’t the same property.”
He knew later what had come for him. Elbert, as his dog. He’d been following close behind him, knowing, he told him later, that he was up to no good. Casdon didn’t think he ever told Sally or Jacob. Had he done so, Casdon would have been in trouble, more than likely would have taken his first trip to the dreaded wood shed. He told Elam a few days later, when he didn’t feel like the world was coming to get him.
Elam had made him promise that he’d never do anything like that again. Never leave him. He’d been so afraid that he’d told him he wasn’t going to. He’d told him that he knew that the two of them were connected, but even if they weren’t, he loved him with all that he was and he’d not want to live without him there. Casdon had made and kept that promise.
He talked to his mom for another few hours, telling her things about his life, the woman that he’d hurt, and how much he wished he could find her. As he was leaving the deep cavern, a small brownie buzzed his head and he nearly fell back trying to dodge him. It was Ariannona’s friend, and Casdon was glad to see him.
“You must come with me.” He said that he was going to look for Ariannona. “Yes. Good. But I must speak with...with the queen. Come and.... You will watch over me so that I come to no harm.”
He started to turn him down. He had to leave now before it got too much darker, but the urgency of the little guy’s voice, the posture of his body, made Casdon go back down the long deep corridor again. As they reached his mom’s body, the little brownie—he thought his name was Izic—told him to come closer.
“I do not wish
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