Dragon Dreams

Chapter 11: Runaway (3/3)

A while later, I went out in another direction to explore and find some fresh water. I followed the top of the ridge as it dipped and undulated with small valleys. Before long, I heard a rushing sound and tasted the crisp scent in the air as I crested a slope and saw a rushing stream. Following its course for a few minutes brought me to a small waterfall where I got an idea. I was still wearing my shorts, but the falls were the perfect size for a natural shower. Smiling for perhaps the first time all day, I took off my shorts and waded on all fours into the torrent. The cascade ran its invigorating coolness all over my scales. I splashed and played in the falls for a short time, losing myself in some childish fun. Before I got out, I stuck my snout into one of the ribbons of water and swallowed great gulps of water—the more I filled up my stomach, the better.

The trek back to my home rock gave me time to air-dry myself. I threw my shorts around my neck and strode through the forest, surprised by how much I enjoyed the feeling of walking quadrupedal and unclothed. "This is how a dragon should walk," I found myself thinking. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to go all the way. The human ways of doing things, the familiarity, I can't just turn my back on all that." So when I returned to my little nook, I put on a new pair of shorts and stood up on two legs once more.

I looked west. The coastal waters and sky were flushed with the burning hues of sunset. Heavy, reddish clouds dragged the sun down to the horizon where its strength dimmed and it finally gave up the struggle. Darkness crept over the landscape like an insidious fog. I felt like I had traveled back in time—the forest around me was bursting with a prehistoric, humming vitality, unspoiled by mankind. This night was a clear one, and the sparkling points of heaven rained their soft lights down through the trees. The etched band of the Milky Way stood out to me. It had been many years since I was far enough outside the city to catch this smoky streak. My dragon eyes helped as well. The stars were a stirring sight, humbling me with the vastness of time and space. I curled up again, exhausted from the previous night's lack of sleep, and soon I was enfolded in welcome silence.

Dreams passed me by that night without memory. The relief I felt on waking was euphoric. For one night, I had no intrusions. I wondered if Rofar had any more plans for me; he seemed to be keeping his distance for now.

The morning sun forced its way into my sleepy eyes as I grudgingly rolled over and banished sleep from my stiff limbs. The first thing that hit me was the hunger. I physically doubled over from the dagger in my midsection. "Time to find some breakfast," I thought.

First, I retraced the pine-scented trail back to the waterfall where I splashed some water on my face and quenched my thirst. I then decided to see where the stream would take me. Following the flow of water, I eventually came to a larger river. The current was flowing at the pace of a brisk walk, but the blue-green water eddied in pools near the riverbank that gave me an idea. "How about I try for some fish?" I had nothing to lose but my ravenous hunger. So, I surveyed the area from the thicket of trees—no company besides some songbirds—before pacing up and down the rocky water's edge looking for shadows in the water.

My instincts guided my gaze as I fixated on shapes gliding in and out of some nearby reeds. In my desperation for a meal, I sized up a dark, fish-shaped spot and plunged my open jaws into the water. Apparently the lunge was just fast enough, because I felt my teeth sink into a writhing form. I lifted my prize, a silver fish, into the air and carried it proudly over to a large rock before letting it drop. It slapped against the rock a few times before I grasped it with my paw and proceeded to dig in. My hunger-fueled dragon-mind overpowered any revulsion; I bit the top half of the fish off and swallowed whole.

I tried not to think too much about what I was doing, which let the draconic thoughts come through even clearer in my mind. There was a primal satisfaction washing over me as I tasted the sweet flesh and blood of my prey. The fish was gone in two mouthfuls, and I was already craving another one.

For an hour or possibly more (I lost track of time), I prowled the riverbank and ate my fill. I didn't always secure a catch each time I tried, but I ended up putting away about a half-dozen fish in all. I took a quick dip in the water to wash off my claws and muzzle and then went back to the ridge, feeling pleasantly stuffed. For some reason, my whole body was feeling heavy when I returned to my sleeping area. My brain was starting to feel foggy, and I lay down to rest for a while. After such a large meal, I was overwhelmed by drowsiness and soon dropped off for a long nap while I digested the bellyful of fish.

A long while later, I stirred and woke up, surprised at how long I had slept. The sun's high arc told me it was already well past noon. After a good stretch, I felt fully awake again. The waves on the beach far below harmonized with the wind in the trees, sounding as if the breath of life were animating the earth around me. I looked north—the last direction I had yet to explore. The mossy greens of the forest stretched out in front of me, and I set out to investigate the rest of my new territory.

I slipped in and out of the dappled shadows on a self-made trail through the woodland. It was more or less similar to any of the surrounding stretches of land. There were secluded valleys crisscrossed by small brooks that wound through rocks and ferns. I had stopped at one of them for a rest and a drink when I was suddenly pulled out of my reverie.

I had this nagging unease in the back of my mind; maybe there was a subtle scent that tipped me off. I couldn't put my finger on it until I heard the breaking of twigs close behind me. "Oh shit, I'm going to get spotted," I thought, turning around. But by then it was too late to run.

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