The Equen Queen by Alyssa Brugman Page B

Philmon asked.
    ‘It's …’ She tried to speak through the lump in her throat. ‘It's Melprin.’
     



On the Edge of the Savannah
     
    Tab jumped out of the vessel before it had even landed. Her feet sunk into the soft surface. When she sprinted across the sand she swung her arms, trying to haul out her half-buried feet with each step. Warm sand slid over the tops of her boots and slipped in between her toes.
    Tears poured down her cheeks. She grunted, trying to breathe, but her chest felt full and heavy.
    As she drew nearer she could see two shapes. The larger was Melprin, but tucked in underneath the dragon's wing Tab could see the hatchling. It trilled a welcome in her mind, but she could feel that it was weak. The trip to the world below had taken a lot of energy. It rested its head on its mother's shoulder so affectionately that Tab almost choked on her tears.
    There was a spear through Melprin's neck, and several arrows buried in her rump. Tab knelt down next to her friend, trying to blink away her tears so that she could see.
    She looked over her shoulder to see Verris approaching cautiously. Back in the vessel the others waited and watched. Verris drew his sword.

     
    ‘Put that down!’ Tab shouted. ‘How could you?’
    ‘Dragons are hard to kill, Tab,’ he said gently. ‘And if she isn't dead …’ He paused. ‘Maybe it would be better for her if she were.’
    ‘Get away!’ Tab screamed. ‘I won't let you!’ She fell to her knees and collapsed into sobs.
    Melprin's scales were warm under Tab's fingers. She pressed her cheek against the dragon's side. She should have come down here sooner. All this time her friend, who had saved her life three times now, had been lying in the sand, alone and slowly dying. Tab had done nothing to help. She'd been having a picnic and gorging herself with thickleberry tarts. It was all her fault. She had been selfish.
    >>>Not
    Tab sat up. ‘Did you say something?’ She put her hand on her friend's side and felt it rise a little.
    >>>Not alone. Hatchling … most beautiful
    Tab laughed. ‘You're alive!’ She called over her shoulder. ‘She's alive!’
    >>>Name her
    ‘Her?’ Tab called over her shoulder again. ‘The hatchling! It's a her! A she. I mean, it's a girl!’
    >>>You really want me to name her?
>>Goodness! I don't know. It needs to be something strong. Let me think
    >>>Don't think
    >>>Aventurine
    >>>Aventurine
    Melprin rolled ever so slightly.
    ‘I can take those arrows out,’ Verris said. ‘But it will hurt. At least it would hurt a human. Can you tell her that?’
    Tab translated Verris's offer.
    Melprin inclined her head.
    Verris put his sword back in its scabbard and drew out his dagger. He reached into his waistcoat and pulled out a flask, pouring the alcoholic liquid onto the blade. ‘She'd better not torch me,’ Verris added.
    Tab crawled around to the front of Melprin and placed her sand-encrusted snout on her lap. ‘There now. If anything happens it will happen to me.’
    She looked back over the sand to where her friends stood next to the scout's vessel. Fontagu was gesturing wildly, hopping up and down. Eventually Amelia punched him in the arm. Tab faintly heard her shout, ‘Fontagu! Shut up!’
    Verris crouched down over Melprin's wounds. He started to press and dig, gingerly at first but then with more vigour. Melprin's breath was hot on Tab's arm, making her sweat. The dragon made the sound like glass in a barrel again, which Tab remembered meant that she was hurting.
    ‘Let me tell you about when Aventurine hatched,’ she began. Then she told Melprin about how the roofie had caught the egg and taken it to the council chamber. She laughed out loud when she thought the part about Tash Morley scrambling away as the egg rolled toward him.
    Tab felt a rumbling in Melprin's throat. She hoped she was laughing too. Verris had extracted one of the arrows. He was examining the tip. Blood dripped from his hands and down Melprin's