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My eyes slowly opened, I could feel something slightly sharp on the bridge of my nose. The first thing I saw as my eyes adjusted to the light, was the red eyes of Cranky. I jumped up in surprise and sent Cranky flying off my face into the wall. I was sitting up now and I rubbed my eyes and looked back at Cranky who shook his tail and wings to fluff up his knotted feathers.

"Oops." I said as I quickly slid my legs off my bed, then I stood up and walked to Cranky. "Sorry about that Cranky." I apologized and put my hand out for him to climb aboard, but instead he quickly pecked my finger and I drew it back to my chest. Cranky squawked angrily at me and I sighed in defeat. "I deserved that." I admitted and put my finger out again to see if he forgave me now. I was ready to move my finger this time, but luckily he climbed frustratedly onto my finger and shook his wings around.

I chuckled a bit before petting the top of his head. Cranky crooned happily and tilted his head like animals do when they're enjoying a pet.

A couple minutes went by, before I heard a loud knock on my bedroom door. Me and Cranky jumped a bit, turning our heads to the door.

I walked to my window and opened it up, putting Cranky gently down on the floor, and closing my window again.

"Coming." I said, walking to the door.

I opened it and saw my father standing on the other side. "What are you doing? Are you coming to the hunt or not?!" My father said hurriedly. My eyes widened as I remembered we were supposed to go hunting today. "Yes, sorry, I will there!" I quickly said and ran to my bed and grabbed the bucket from under it and dipped my hands into the cold water. I washed my face and hands hurriedly. I turned around as I grabbed my hair brush and began brushing my hair. My father waited at the door with an amused smile. "What?" I asked as I finished going through my hair.

It only took two seconds to brush. I'm sure every girl wishes they had my hair.

I grabbed my miswak which was actually something the people of my village have begun using lately.

About fifteen years ago a couple came past the village and traded us a few things for food and water. One was the miswak. It is like a toothpick or a toothbrush but is much healthier for the teeth. It made my teeth shiny and white.

I rubbed it along my teeth.

When I was done I grabbed my black seed oil. I used it every few days and it really helped. Black seed I have found to be good for everything. I rubbed it in my hair and on my face. I rubbed my hands together then got up and walked to my father. "Getting all fancy are we?" He said as he looked at my hands that shined with oil. I shrugged. "I need to stay fresh and healthy." I said.

"Just make sure your weapons don't slip out of your hands." He chuckled and I looked down at my shiny hands.

"I think I'll be fine." I chuckled and we walked out of the house together.

I think we had lost track of time until we saw the angry Chief waiting for us outside. "Hurry up you two!" He growled in frustration. I grabbed my bow case, which contained my bow and arrows and I grabbed my spear too, and my daggers were always on my belt.

Me and my father followed the Chief towards the other hunters who waited a few metres away. All impatiently leaning against their spears or the person next to them.

Once they saw us coming they quickly got up and straightened their clothes as if we'd think they had been waiting patiently the whole time.

The hunters walked for perhaps an hour.

We were heading to our most common spot to hunt, where we went last time. It was where the mammoths liked to hang out. My mind wandered back to yesterday. Maybe I'd visit Axel again?

He was her only friend, and she often felt very lonely.

She decided maybe that wasn't the best idea. People who spent too much time with other people, often get distracted from what really matters.

"Ssh" The hunters whispered to each other as we entered the snowy clearing where we'd wait for the mammoths.

I looked around for a mammoth. My spear was in my left hand and my right hand was free to grab it if I needed.

A minutes went by before a hunter whispered something to the hunter next to him, and he whispered to the person next to him, and the chain continued until the hunter beside me on my left whispered in my ear "Mammoth behind the trees."

So I leaned over the hunter on my right and whispered the same thing.

"Mammoth behind the trees."

We did this so we could be as quiet as possible but everyone could still hear us.

But the problem was, the message often got confused and changed from person to person. Like perhaps the first person said

"I wonder if mammoths like cheese."

And the next person said,

"I think mammoths like cheese."

Then the next one said,

"Mammoths like cheese."

"Mammoths like trees."

"Mammoths in the trees."

"Mammoths behind the trees."

And that's how I got the message of

"Mammoth behind the trees."

The first hunter could've just been asking if Mammoths like cheese.

We call this Hunters Whisper, because hunters are the only people who ever need to do it.

I looked behind the trees for any sign of a mammoth. We were hidden behind trees and rocks so the mammoth could enter the clearing without spotting us.

And it worked. The mammoth stepped out from the cover of the trees and into the snowy clearing. It wasn't that enormous. It was either a young male or an adult female. Its tusks were still dangerously large. If I was measured up beside its tusks it'd probably be the size of me. And from Its foot to its head was probably two of me.

The chief made a signal meaning "Ready?"

We all waited a few more seconds for another signal.

"Go!"

We all jumped out from our hiding spots and charged at the mammoth. I held my spear in my right hand, ready to throw.

The mammoth swung wildly at all the hunters. It used its tusks to hit them off the ground and into the trees or onto the ground. I backed away a bit as hunters almost flew into me.

There were only three of us left.

Me, my father and the Chief.

My father threw his spear but the mammoth sent it flying back at him with its tusks. The spear landed in the snow beside my fathers foot, but before he could retrieve it, the mammoth hit him with its tusks and sent him flying into the chief and they tumbled to the ground together.

I looked up at the furious mammoth.

Was it worth the risk? I held up my spear ready to throw but the furious mammoth charged at me. I stared at its pointy tusks. I swallowed a lump of fear- no, never. I held my spear out. It was all up to who's weapon reached who first.

If my spear reached the mammoth or if the mammoth's tusks reached me first.

I stood my ground, ready for what was coming.

But before the mammoth reached me, only three metres away, a giant, blue and white, snowy dragon landed between us, putting its front legs on the mammoths tusks, and stopping it where it was. Without the dragons head, it was only a bit taller than the mammoth.

The hunters gasped at the sight of the horrifying dragon protecting me from the mammoth. I too watched with wide eyes as the snowy dragon wrestled the mammoth. The mammoth used all its strength and pushed the dragon, the dragon struggling to keep its ground.

Its feet slipped across the snow, slowly.

But when it seemed as though the mammoth was winning, the dragon bent its back knees and pushed forward like a spring, sending the mammoth and itself two metres into the air.

Before the dragon landed, it opened its white and blue wings and took off, flying into the sky, while the mammoth landed with a crash on the snowy ground.

While I had the chance, I took it. I held my spear out and charged at the mammoth. The mammoth quickly got up. I admired its bravery and willpower.

But I noticed what caused these two actions as my spear was only a metres from the mammoths face, and her tusks only a metre from mine.

Two baby mammoths crawled out from the trees behind her. One hid behind her leg and the other stood between her two front legs and stamped his tiny feet angrily. I sinking feeling of sadness appeared in my chest. I almost killed their mother while they were watching...

I looked back at the mother who just stood there, waiting for me to make my move. And so I did. I dropped my spear on the ground and pushed it away with my foot. I rested my hand on its tusk, as a sign of peace. I didn't want to fight anymore. The mammoth lifted its trunk and rested it on my shoulder. I often saw mammoths doing this to each other as a sign of friendship or peace. I smiled. I couldn't kill a mother. And everyone knows mother mammoths are quite gentle creatures.

Suddenly, I saw the dragon had taken a large loop around us, and reached us again. With its huge feet and claws, it grabbed me from the shoulders. Its four front fingers wrapped around the top of my shoulders, and its thumbs under my arm. It pulled me off the ground and I yelped in surprise, swinging my legs frantically trying to find a solid object. I looked down, past my legs that dangled from my body. And saw the three mammoths looking up at me, before retreating back into the trees, completely forgotten by the other hunters who had gathered together to watched me being taken away.

There wasn't anything they could do.

And there wasn't anything I could do either. I thought that this dragon had spared my food. last time I saw him, but it turns out he was just delaying his meal. I was dragon food.

10/June/2019
BlueWhiskers1
Dragon Age
Chapter 9; Dragon Food
1824 words