Chapter 32: Giant Requests

            Walking to Torrin’s lounging spot took a lot longer than the distance seemed. As I got closer, I could feel (as well as hear) the deepness of Torrin’s voice. His lengthy, muscular tail swished behind him like a cat would. Zika was stood still, not being able to make his mind up as to what to do; he pounced from the battlements onto the grass and back again. Being the elder dragon, Torrin seemed to not be bothered by this at all but the constant pounding pattern was starting to frustrate me somewhat. Doran, as I noticed as I came up behind him, had his hands clenched behind his back; whether that was to do with Zika’s behaviour I could not tell.

            ‘Doran,’ I called out so he didn’t jump by my sudden appearance.

            Torrin turned to face me as Doran turned around. ‘Oh, hello. Why are you here? Not that it bothers me.’

            ‘Frain was still talking to Hydra and I have nowhere else to be. What do you want with Torrin?’ I asked, sounding rather suspicious though I didn’t want to. Once again there was a thump as Zika landed nearby. ‘Zika, would you please stop that?’ I asked rather loudly.

            He shuffled his wings and just laid down as Torrin was.

            ‘Just to ask why they are here but as ever, you can’t always get a straight answer.’ I knew the feeling very well. ‘I was just about to ask how long they are staying.’

            Torrin clearly heard that and he answered. ‘That is not part of our plans but hopefully not too long. Being away from here for so long allows for changes to be much more prominent yet there’s just that one issue.’ Whatever Torrin meant, it was definitely not distinguishable from what he said.

            Doran nodded his head slowly a few times and said his goodbye to the two male dragons. He headed into the city with me in tow. ‘Why are you back so soon?’ Doran asked me once again.

            ‘Frain showed me that strange dragon and there was a bit too much to just stick around that far west. It was best we came so here I am,’ I ended with a slight tilt of my head. ‘My stuff is in the house, I put it there whilst I was looking for you. Where were you then?’ It was my turn to ask questions.

            ‘Well, I figured if you were travelling around then it was only fair that I went too. I didn’t go far, just up to Itra and around that region. I also happened to bump into Ky whilst I was there.’ As he mentioned my very close friend, I suddenly blushed and pursed my lips. ‘Hmm, he asked how you were.’

            ‘And what did you say?’ I asked, perking up a little bit when he told me this.

            ‘The truth. He’s a good friend. And he wouldn’t say anything to me but I can tell he likes you.’ This was both awkward and rather fun; at least it was making us closer. Maybe I wouldn’t be as close to him as I would if he had been around but that would just be part of our odd relationship.

            As we reached home, I came up with a good excuse so I could just think on my own. We stepped through the door and I went to grab all my bags. Before Doran could offer any help, I swiftly clambered up the stairs with all my stuff. Once in my room, I shoved them onto my bed. It wouldn’t take too long to unpack but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to right now or not. Deciding that it would be best to get it out of the way, I took the first bag and shook out the contents. This one only had some clothes in it but they needed a wash. The smallest bag had my map, book and some remaining food in. It took only a few more minutes to unpack the third bag and hang up my un-used clothes in the wardrobe. I might have only taken three but they were rather big and bulky.

            That all sorted, I flopped onto my bed and had a good thirty minutes to myself to relax. I had drifted off to sleep so I actually had no idea how long I’d been in my room. The knocking on my door was what woke me and I was rather grateful.

            ‘Hello?’ I called out, stretching my arms above my head.

            Clearly, it was Doran. ‘Would you like something to eat?’ he asked.

            ‘Yes, please but not too much,’ I answered and stepped out into the hallway.

            ‘Have you been sleeping all this time?’

            ‘No, I just drifted off,’ I told him as I followed him down the stairs. From halfway down, I could smell beef and vegetables. Doran wasn’t the most experimental cook and his usual dish was simple stew. He didn’t make the same thing all the time but when he wanted to just put everything together, stew was a good choice. It was unusual for us to eat together but it was a nice change.

            When I’d finished and washed up, I was struggling with things to do. It was getting rather late in the day as well but I still felt very wide awake. ‘I’m going for a long walk,’ I informed Doran as I headed out of the front door. He might have said something but I wouldn’t know as I was running down the street as soon as the door was shut. There was a close beating of a dragon’s wings coming from above.

            ‘Carly,’ Frain called down as he glided ahead of me and then wheeled round to land in the street. ‘Where are you going?’

            Having run quite a bit, I waited to catch my breath. ‘How did you know I was outside?’ I asked, confused.

            ‘I was perched on the house.’

            ‘Oh. Well, I hadn’t really decided. Yes, let’s go flying,’ I added, wanting to feel the air. It never took him very long to get in the air, the more he flew, the stronger his flight muscles became and that was always a good thing in the view of a dragon. It was growing colder and I soon wished I had grabbed my jacket before leaving. The sun was beginning to set below the horizon and from up in the air, it was the most amazing sight I had ever watched. The sun looked almost red through the amount of atmosphere and the sky glowed in an array of oranges, yellows and pinks. Frain rose up above a small fluffy cloud, just missing it with his legs. Above us now was a large, slightly grey cloud forming a wavy ceiling over my head. Frain hardly flapped his wings but I could feel his back muscles wriggle as his tail flicked back and forth every so often.

            There was a moment of sudden wonder when he let out a jet of flame at the cloud base. The whole ceiling shimmered in orange and yellow; it was very magical and awe inspiring. It was just after that when I began to shiver more and more from the cold. I patted Frain’s neck and, when he looked at me, I pointed downwards to the ground. He soon landed with a few bumps and rustled his wings before furling them back in.

            ‘Thank you, Frain. Have you spoken to Torrin since last?’ I asked him and patted my hand along his neck.

            ‘No, he is busy sorting out the sentinels for the time being. Zika is talking to those who suffered from the thieves though I am sure he wouldn’t mind us going to see him.’ He dropped his hand down as I walked towards it so I could trail my fingers over his scales to his snout. ‘You are a good Tamer, Carly. And a good friend.’

            ‘Thank you, Frain. You are very good at helping me with understanding dragons. I’m glad I have you, though it was all a shock when I found out what I was.’

            He nudged his snout gently into my side. ‘Is it hard being the only one?’

            ‘Only one what?’

            ‘Tamer from outside of Dracona.’ I nodded my head. ‘You are one of them now. They do not care about that. Remember that I was a lost egg until you found me.’

            ‘You were not stolen though,’ I told him. ‘You might have been but then you came to the Harrisons.’ The sun was now touching the horizon and the dragons that came out at night began to soar into the sky. Frain and I stood and watched from the distance. ‘Do you fly at night at all?’ I asked my faithful dragon.

            ‘Sometimes, when I can’t sleep. Hydra still teaches me tricks but she is stronger to do them. I am still small to most of the other dragons.’

            ‘You’re growing quicker than most though,’ I told him. ‘I find that strange but aren’t you bigger than Jeta now?’

            He snarled at my mention of his nemesis and then followed it with a chortle. ‘Yes, I am and he does not like it. He is not that much smaller than me though.’ Just then, a curious dragon flew overhead, let out a flame and then flew off again. I looked confused and Frain explained briefly. ‘Just to check nothing is wrong. Are you cold?’

            I did find myself shivering a little. ‘Yes.’

            ‘Here.’ And he wrapped his wing over my shoulders but did not weight me down. ‘I hope that helps for now.’ He turned his head and looked back over to the flock of dragons above the city. ‘Torrin is watching over the gates.’

            I looked over and in the dimming light, I spotted a great black dot that must be Torrin curled up by the southern gate. ‘Why now is he so concerned?’

            ‘It takes a lot of hard thinking to get an old dragon to interfere. He is the oldest and to dragons that means he can tell anyone of us what to do.’ I understand a lot about dragons and respect. ‘After I told him of what had been going on, it took him this long to want to investigate. That is why now or even at all.’ His eyes shut and he placed his head on the ground next to my feet.

            ‘What is it, Frain?’

            ‘Torrin is not happy. And I don’t mean about the issues here.’ He lifted his head up again. ‘It has been twenty years since his Tamer died. Even after so long, he misses her.’

            ‘Her? His Tamer was a woman?’

            ‘Yes, not many people even know who she was. She was a private person, so Alba has told me and that is why Torrin spends so much time on his own.’ His tail swished from side to side and he sat down on his hind legs.

            I came upon a thought. ‘Does it make any difference when a dragon has a Tamer of the opposite gender?’

            ‘It can but it all comes down to personalities. I hatched for you because we fit with each other.’

            ‘Haha, as well as your scales matching my mark.’

            ‘Hmm, I remember your mark very well.’ I did blush, remembering I had changed my clothes many times in front of him though that was all before I knew he could talk or think so intelligently. ‘Do not think it matters to me,’ he continued as though he knew what I was thinking. ‘I am a dragon. Human physicalities make no impact on me.’

            Something clicked in my head. ‘Oh, so it that why you don’t like Ky? And how can you prefer Seb to him? Neither of them are Tamers.’

            ‘Seb is cunning yet he is wary of me. Ky was never that scared of me.’

            ‘Ah, so Seb knows he will not get away with hurting me which means he never will.’ His lilac eye swivelled to look into mine and he bared his teeth in a toothy smirk. ‘Oh, Frain, you have so much to learn about human relationships.’ I could not help but laugh and wrap my arms around his neck since it was outstretched in front of me. ‘I like Ky in a way I just don’t with Seb. He can deal with me going off for months on end and come and see him about once a year. Seb is now a distant friend who I probably won’t see again in a few years.’

            He grumbled though I knew he would not interfere even he did not agree to my choices. ‘Alright, I will not mention it again. Just so you know, I will not allow you to get hurt so don’t expect me to stay out completely.’ I laughed since I could only expect that of him. ‘You can make your own choices. I am just a faithful friend.’

            ‘Yes, you are. Do you think Torrin will mind if we visit him down there?’ He pulled his head and took his wing from around me and dipped his shoulders so I could clamber back on. It was a few seconds later that he glided down from the hill to the southern gates. ‘Torrin?’ I called out but he had already opened his massive eyes.

            ‘Hello, young one. I heard you coming from a mile away,’ he chuckled and licked his tongue across his lips. ‘What brings you here?’

            ‘I thought you might like some company.’

            Lifting his great head off the ground, he reached over and touched his snout to my left shoulder; maybe it was some gesture of thanks. ‘That is kind of you but I want to be alone tonight.’

            Not sure if I should mention it, I looked to Frain who was now laid down on the grass on the other side of the gate. Frain nodded his head and then curled his neck so it was under his wing as though to go to sleep. ‘It is never a good time when you’re missing a loved one,’ I said, sounding foolish.

            ‘No.’ Torrin huffed; his lungs were so big that it was more like a strong breeze and the grass swayed under his nostrils. ‘I have been alone for twenty years, Carly. For a dragon who has lost a Tamer, life is much darker and I find it hard to accept the company of others.’

            As he spoke, I sat down on the grass next to his left forepaw. ‘I am sorry, Torrin. Can I say something?’

            ‘Of course.’

            ‘Maybe now you are here, it might help you to accept that company more easily. You have been living with the other six for fifty or so years.’ I remembered the first conversation I had with Torrin which seemed to please him. ‘Seclusion will not be the answer to your loneliness.’ In a caring gesture, I placed my hand on his scaled leg; his did peer at for a second but I did not move my fingers, simply just lay my hand there.

            ‘Hmmm, how old are you, Carly?’

            ‘Twenty-one, nearly twenty-two.’

            Once more, he chuckled away as though it was amusing. ‘You are very wise for such a young age. You have many years to go until you can possibly understand why I feel like I do.’ He sighed again. ‘I suppose you are right. There is no point in sulking.’ His claws dug into the ground as he went to stand up. ‘How many dragons have you flown with?’

            ‘Pardon?’ It took awhile to re-hear what he had just asked. ‘Hydra was the first but that was with Doran. After Frain was big enough, I fly with him.’

            ‘I thought so. Frain,’ he said to my best friend who woke up immediately. ‘Can I borrow that blanket of yours?’ he asked. Since Frain and I never knew when we would fly, he always had a blanket and the leather straps around his shoulders. Frain had no time to answer; Torrin reached his head over and clamped his jaws onto one corner of the blanket and pulled it off Frain’s shoulder. Torrin then turned his head to me, blanket in mouth, and opened his eyes wide. He reminded me of a dog wanting to be taken for a walk or to be played with.

            ‘You are joking, Torrin?’ I took the blanket so he could speak.

            ‘No, I am not joking. I won’t fly fast, I promise.’ Fast to him meant so much faster than any speed Frain could reach so I had no idea what slow was to him. He turned his body so his side was to me. I looked between him and the blanket a few times and then I could tell he was being serious.