Attanya

Dirik

Melody            

             The weight of deceleration pushed her body forward against the Dragons long lean neck. After a pause, the weight in her belly told her they were no longer slowing so Melody untied herself, the fear of falling off made her legs clench tightly to the saddle. The cold wind was only an afterthought that reminded her that she was only wearing a light sweater, and her backpack was still tied to the saddle. It will be soaked in moments after touching the snow. Her light gray sweater and jeans were hardly good cover for snow.

            A smirk crossed her face; at least I won’t have to turn in my homework.

            Melody pushed away the thought, and she tried to think about what a main character would think and homework wasn’t that. Kaleigh stationary position prompted Melody to swing her leg to one side and shove off the Dragon’s back before she lost her nerve. Free fall grabbed her for a moment, not long enough to let out her pent up scream before she hit the ground with a crunch.

            Somehow that was the release from her fears, everything felt right. Melody was in the right place at the right time, doing exactly what she was supposed to do and jumping in the right direction.

            Hip deep in snow that filled every open crevice, she laid there half-buried. Momentarily she caught her breath but Melody quickly rolled her head and tried to unbury herself from the snow with swinging arms and wiggling hips. A laugh bubbled out of her, somehow this was enormously hilarious. She was like one of those crazy blow-up toys that constantly waved their arms.

            While Melody gained her footing in the deep snow, she looked around to see what surrounded her. However the snow blinded her so Melody could only see a few feet away. For a few moments she just sat there and laughed then whispered, “Well that’s not as fun as I thought it would be.” Melody finally was able to trudge to the nearest tree but she couldn’t help but snicker.

            A little more than two yards away from her a voice spoke from behind her closed eyes. “I can’t say I blame you, that looked like it hurt.”

            Her eyes flew open, nearly blinding her. She threw up a hand to cover her eyes; with her sleeve as a shield Melody slowly opened her eyes. Before her was a guy not much older than Melody, maybe even her age. However she just barely registered his face and body, it was his eyes that drew her attention. They were brighter blue-green than a lake and quite possibly the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

            Next was the air around him, the boy felt like royalty? His shoulders were set back in a way that made it look like no man was above him, but his smile said that no man was below him either.

            “Hello.” When Melody looked at him again, she realized he was oddly familiar. It was like she had met him before but she couldn’t place where.

            A gentle laugh escaped his lips as he stared at her. “Hello to you too.” His head tilted back as he searched for something in the sky. “So, where did Kelly go off to?” When Melody didn’t move he took a step forward. “You’re her Rider correct?”

            Now that she was left alone with him, Melody wasn’t quite sure what to do. “Yes.”

            He stared at her a moment, it gave her time to look him over. The boy wore clothes that dated back hundreds of years but they were all shades of dark blue with a fur vest that covered his chest. He then took a step closer to her. “And?” His light brown hair draped in front of his face slightly above his eyes. His eyes were soft, nothing but curiosity lived there. Melody waited and realized that when she looked at him she was able to feel his nature; his heart was like a small fire.

            Melody pulled apart her glued lips and mumbled. “Kaleigh mentioned something about someone being down here.” Melody tucked her hands into her pockets then quickly realized from the shock of cold that snow found its way into there as well. “I’m afraid I don’t know where she went though. She kept flying when I jumped.” Melody forced her voice to remain friendly while she spoke.

            He turned his head to the side, like a puppy did when he hears a strange sound.  “For now I’ll take you somewhere you can get warm. I’m sure Kelly will be waiting for you there.” When Melody didn’t react he stepped into deeper snow and sighed. “I’m Dirik. I’m a Dragon apprentice too.” Dirik held up his arm and pulled up his bound sleeve to reveal a mark the same as Melody’s traced up his lean but muscled arm, the only difference was his was a glowing gold rather than white. “Ivria’s around here somewhere, I’m sure you’ll feel better when we find her.” Dirik waved his gloved hands around the air showing what he was talking about. When she stared at his shirt, he pursed his lips in confusion. “Are you just going to stand there all day?”

            That caused Melody to c***k a smile and take a step forward, toward the tree. In a way it reminded Melody of a pine tree but there weren’t needles instead there were thick leaves that pointed downward. “I’m tempted but no.” She stepped around him and walked back the way he came.

            Dirik turned when Melody walked pass him. “Do I get a name?”

            She stopped and looked up at the frozen trees. Melody felt so different however never so much at home as in this white land. Melody looked back at him, hair getting stuck to her lips as she said, “Melody. You can call me Melody.” Abruptly she turned around again and followed his tracks. Snow found its way into her sneakers and up her pant legs. The man called Dirik left a trail that followed the shallower areas of snow.

        “I can call you Melody, but is that your name?” Dirik crunched behind her.

            Melody didn’t look back this time. It was easier if she could look at where to step rather than at those blue eyes of his. “That’s a good question. I hardly feel like the girl I woke up to this morning.” The movement kept her from thinking about what just happened, the ache of whatever that was slowly ebbed from her limbs while she walked.

            “You’re still the same person even if something huge has changed.” He hums with laughter at some untold joke. The softness of his tone nags at her, it’s like he’s accustomed to talking to people with anger issues.

            “Maybe.” She mumbles under her breath as she follows the paths until they overlap each other. Tracing the lines with her eyes she slumps her shoulders before glaring at him. “I don’t know where to go, your trail is too wild.” Looking at him again she sees now that his shirt was two different colors, the majority of the shirt a deep blue while the collar and wrists a faded green blue. “What were you even doing out here, playing with a kid?”

            He laughs under his breath before nodding. “In a way I was.” With a slight air of superiority he spoke to her as if he knew so much more than she did, irking her in the process. Towering over her only greaten the sense he held. “My Dragon’s a hatchling, unlike Kaleigh. She won’t be close to her size for a cold season.”

            Irritation burns up some of her nerves, looking at him she clearly sees freckles lining his once broken nose. Craning her neck she asked, “How big is she?”

            Leaning down he holds a large and skinny hand to his knee. “She hatched a few 1st days ago. Five I think. Fast growers, Dragons are. At least at first.” As if he just realized they were no longer walking he points to their left. “Follow the sun.”

            Pacing away, Melody hides her confusion with walking. What is a 1st day, is he talking about a regiment of time or the growth rate that his Dragon is growing at?

            Fresh snow breaking under her steps, she walks as quickly as the ground would allow her. Glancing up she tries to  come up with what time it was by how high the sun was in the sky, after a moment she realized it was close to setting. Perhaps two hours at most. Telling the time by the sun was a habit she formed as a child, it was a firm rule that she had to be home before dark but she was fond of walking the back forty so she would have long walks home. There were times she had to walk miles to get home. Glancing back she nods. “Thank you.” Her tone neutral as she tried to set a speech barrier around herself, keeping her tone formal though it was only from years of habit.

            I wonder if this world rotates counter clockwise like earth dos or if it is like Venus and rotates clockwise. She puzzled while keeping the lessening glow of the sun in front of her. If that’s the case and it’s like Venus then the sun should be setting in the east and rising in the west. Internally rolling her eyes she tries to avoid all of the things she is going to have to get accustomed to, one of them change.

            Dirik walking close behind her makes it impossible for her to keep that barrier up, an uncomfortable feeling nagged at her until she is forced to kill the silence. “What is she like, your Dragon?”

            A sheepish grin filled his face, though she only just saw it from the corner of her eye. “She’s beautiful. Her scales are gold, unlike any color I’ve ever seen. Prettier than any other Dragon I’ve ever seen.” He radiated with pride as he spoke.

            Watching the ground she attempts to hide her lack of knowledge by getting a little information from him. “How many Dragons have you seen?”

            “Including Kaleigh, seven.” Shrugging he laughs. “My town being so far from Celcine we don’t get many teams out that far and when they relay news they’re normally gone pretty quick.” After huffing for a moment he continued. “Flint’s a small village close to the border, most people don’t even know it exists but raiders have to be fairly strong to get rid of it.” Holding up a hand with three fingers raised he looked pleased. “Three fires over the seven moons and only nine died. If that many fires happened at the Capitol hundreds would have died.”

            “Wow.” Her voice low, as if disinterested, barely made it to him. A nudge to the shoulder follows.

            “Would your town have such a good record?”

            Shrugging she doesn’t make eye contact; Kaleigh didn’t say it would be ok to talk about home. She might have been ok with Melody being from a different world but nothing assured her that everyone else would be as welcoming. “I don’t recall, I didn’t get out too much so I don’t remember the death rates for the fires.” Without knowing it, she set off alarm bells for her other worldly friend.

            “Oh? Count yourself lucky.”

            Clearing her throat she glances at him again, as the minutes pass she gains courage to look at someone that is in the same boat as her. Although they were far from the same, she felt some relief at being with someone that is doing something they aren’t familiar with either. “Can she talk at such a young age?”

            A slight movement from her peripheral vision tells her yes. “In a way. She uses images she learned to talk though she has some words. All Dragons have mind-speech so they learn language faster than we do although that means they don’t need a verbal language like we do.” He holds a feathering branch so she could walk unobstructed before pointing to their left. “It’s easier this way.” Without looking at her he explains. “There’s a steep incline that I doubt you can climb.”

            Before Melody could respond a rustle from a small purple bush precedes a flash of gold. A little ball of shinning scales jumps out and raced for them. Pattering against the snow reflects the size of the animal. After crashing into Dirik’s chest, almost sending him sprawling on the ground, Melody could make out what it was. From first impressions it looked similar to Kaleigh though on a very miniature scale. Her tinny frame wiggled constantly, although her body was properly proportioned she looked like a snake with a body attached to its head and tail.

            Holding her to his chest, though struggling to do so, he looked at Melody with a huge grin on his face. “Ivria, this is Melody. She’s Kal’s pair.” Mentioning Kaleigh stops her constant movement, shoving herself away from Dirik’s chest she lands elegantly on the ground and slowly walks toward her.

            Mesmerized by the golden glow of her body Melody stared deep into eyes of copper, a sharp pain at the back of her head startles her. Melody’s hand jerks to the pinpoint of pain as a picture of Kaleigh flashes through her head, completely disregarding her sense of sight she could only see that image.

            Dirik stood by gaging her reaction, silently pending an odd question. “Sam says that it’s supposed to be uncomfortable at first when other Flyers touch your mind. Only your Flyer is really supposed to talk with you at first but it’s normal to have others try to talk to you.”

            “Oh?” Contemplating the notion that other beings would talk to her with their mind made it scary, it was remarkable that this could be considered normal.

            “Is she the first hatchling you’ve seen?”

            Nodding lightly she kneels down, an urge to touch her forced Melody to her knee. Holding out a hand, Melody waits for a reaction.

            Without hesitating, the child Dragon takes her hand under a silky wing. The pain in Melody’s head increased slightly. :New friend?: A high pitched child’s voice rings through her head.

            Meeting Dirik’s eyes, only to see him nod. “She talked.”

            He smiled, almost anticipating her reaction. “Come on, we should get going.” Stepping closer, he offered her a hand which she ignored and stood up.

            Brushing off her knees, Melody waves a red hand at him. “Lead the way.” She glances down at the dog sized Dragon before following him. “Yes I’m a new friend.” It would have been rude to not answer her, though she could only be considered a child.

            Responding please the child as she kept close to Melody’s heels. :Kal come?: Her voice was that of a child asking when her mother was going to be home, though behind the voice was a variety of pictures that were hard to catch. One was of the glistening of Kaleigh’s scales and the sound of her wings catching the air.

            “She’ll be here soon.” Glancing at his back, she tried to discern what he was thinking.

            :Play with us?: Another set of pictures flashed through her head, this time a still frame of the three of them, Melody’s face blurry, running while throwing snow at each other.

            A slight laugh tells Melody that Dirik was listening. “Maybe later.”

            He doesn’t know that I’m not from here though it shouldn’t be hard to figure out that I’m not. Should I keep it a secret or just tell him? They walk in silence for a long time, only the sound of their foot falls or the random tree discarding some of its snow filled the air. Although she didn’t think it was a big deal, she forced herself to think about it so she didn’t make another rash decision.

            Ahead of her Dirik jumps on top a root piercing the ground that was up to Melody’s chest, a gray cloak hang off a branch not too far above it. Dirik grabs it, jumps down and holds it out to Melody. “Here, you look cold.”

            She was about to refuse but stopped when he gave her a look that told her that he knew she would be lying if she said she didn’t need it. “Thanks.” She reached out to grab it but he instead throws it around her shoulders, before she can flinch he is fumbling with the clasp at her throat. It takes a few moments but he gets it hooked then takes a step back.

            The cloak was really long and rests on the ground slightly. “It’s going to drag.” She doesn’t look at him, feeling awkward as she toys with the hem near her hands. The material is solid between her fingernails, clearly made for harsh winters. Her body heat already warming her inside her cocoon.

            After looking her up and down he shrugged and turned around to continue walking. “Alright. It would with my sister too but that didn’t stop me from making her wear it.”

            Mumbling a reply she follows her again, Ivria finds her way under the cloaks tail and walks beside Melody. The feeling of content from the little creature eased some of Melody’s nerves. They walk for another half hour without talking, The woods seam to grow as they walk, before it felt like it would end at the next tree but now it gave off an eerie feeling of going on for forever. The only sound was their footsteps and their breathing. Using this chance she watches him again, every movement he made told her things about him. How his personality was reflected in the way he walked or the tone he used when clearing his throat.

            Shy, but protective, strong but peaceful in nature. Amused at how contradictory he was, she could barely contain her giggles.

            When a fallen tree appeared before them, it being too big to walk around without a pointless amount of effort, the man hops up and offers a hand to Melody. The sight of him caught her off guard for a moment, his light brown locks dangling just in front of his eyes making it impossible to not meet his gaze. Grabbing his hand, she finds a root for footing before climbing up with his help. A flood of emotions cross through his hand, it was amplified to the point that Dirik was aware of it. Never before was she able to feel emotions of another person so clearly.

            For a moment she panicked, his emotions so loud in her head that she holds her breath to clear her head. When she stands atop the shoulder height tree he jumps down to the other side. Turning around Melody looks down to see if the small hatchling would need help only to see her small frame fly pass her head. Though she flew carefully, her landing was nothing but a tumble and flurry of snow. A laugh escapes her lips before she sees Dirik waiting with his hands open to her. “You really don’t need to help me. I can manage.”

            Motioning with his hands for her to jump, he waits patiently to catch her. “I don’t mind. It will go against the Riders way if I didn’t.”  It was as if it were common knowledge to help strangers through the woods.

            Sighing she sits down and push off from the log. He caught her around the middle, keeping her from falling to her knees like she would have. “Thank you.” Again.

            He nods and continues walking, other things clearly holding his attention than this walk. “Of course.”

            She walks a few feet behind him for a while. An irresistible desire to talk nags at her until she concedes. “How do you know so much about Dragon Riders when you just got picked?”

            Glancing back at her she smiles. “Why would you think that I know a lot about them? I’ve hardly said a thing about them.”

            Looking at his reactions she decided to tell him the truth, though her nerves have her pulling the cloak closer to her body. “By the way you hold yourself. When you mentioned them you stood taller. When you gave me your cloak you were thinking of them too, trying to be how you thinking them to be. Strong and kind from my guess.”

            Raising an eye brow he smiles. “You got all of that with a few sentences?”

            She shrugged and told him the truth again. “I don’t talk much back home but I had to know what people were thinking so paying attention to the body was to quickest way.”

            That answer clearly surprised him however his only response was a mumble. After a few minutes he asks. “Can you tell me about yourself?”

            Nodding slightly she agrees. “What do you want to know?” Her voice was quiet, curiosity keeping her body from tightening up.

            Smiling he motions to her clothes. “For starters you can tell me about the strange garments you wear.”

            Surprised she laughs. “What’s wrong with them?”

            With big eyes he tilts his head to the side in confusion, clearing not expecting her to be offended by his question. “They’re not normal. I’ve never seen clothes like that before.”

            “Not normal?”

            Nodding he stares at her strangely. “Yes, I’m only saying they’re different.”

            She resists the urge to raise her eyebrows and respond with a sarcastic answer. “Different.” Her tone flat as she speaks.

            He huffs a sigh. “I feel that this is the women trap that all of you do to give yourself a reason to get angry at men.”

            She waits a few moments before talking again, ignoring his last comment. It sounded so normal that it was comical. It was a relief that some of the comments from this world are the same as at home. “So where are we?”

            “In the Southern forest just southwest of Celcine.”

            “Where’s that?”

            A frown creases his brown. “Attanya. Where else would you be?”

            Realizing she was close to a topic she wanted to avoid before talking to Kaleigh she nodded. “Oh, yeah of course Attanya.” She chewed over the words, the foreign nature surprisingly pleasant on her tongue.

            Unable to keep in down anymore, he sighs. “Where are you from Melody?”

            Meeting his eyes she says, “A small town far from here, it’s very different there.”

            “A small town? Where?”

            Smiling she shrugs. “Really far from here. I doubt you would know of it, so drop it.”

            Understanding that I wasn’t going to talk about it he continues walking, suddenly the time was dragging out. Changing the subject he brushed some fallen snow from his hair. “That reminds me of a story my grandfather told me once. Back when he was a Rider.” He paused but continued when a bird called out. “He was a Rider for half a johini before his Pegisi was killed in the war. Long after that he had my father and his sisters. Long before I was born. When I was growing up he would tell me stories about his life and there was one in particular that I had him tell me over and over.

            She walked close to him, enamored by his words, wondering where he was going with it.

            “He told me about a magic that only one person could ever perform. He was a student at the College when he was young. He met a woman that was unlike anyone he had ever met, he said if I had known her I would have been friends with her. There was just something about her even though she acted strangely she was constantly sought after.”

            “You act like you knew her.” She responded in a way that made their conversation normal.

            “In a way I think I did.” He shrugged but looked back at her, something about the look told her that he wanted to be close to her. Like he was sharing a secret story no one knew but him. While looking at her, sunlight bounced off his face revealing a pleasant softness covering sharp features. “She saved more lives than can be counted. While she was here, she changed people. She fixed things that we didn’t know needed fixing.” Reaching out he dusted snow from her shoulder, reminding her that they were only a foot or so away from each other. “She disappeared without a word, after a few years she was called the Mist of the forest.”

            Going along with the mood she smiled. “I must admit that it sounds like a bed time story.”

            Sighing he walks again. “We’re almost there.”