Dragon Dreamer by S. G. Ricketts (ereader for android .TXT) 📕

The queen paused, making Steephi look back at her. And not all greens and blues!

she finished.
Steephi grinned at her dragon. You would fear that, wouldn’t you? Well, the green minis are good. They clutch much more often, and you know how the rulers get about their minis. Always in demand!

The gold glared at her. But we are much more useful. None of the rulers will allow their children to come to the hatching. And you know how they hate it when we flame over their City Towns.

The mind voice changed to the high-pitched squeal of Siani City Town’s king, Trint. Our servants can’t clean up all that char. It makes the city dirty!

Steephi laughed. “Yes, Love. I don’t like the rulers either. But another thing that minis are good for. They help with the clean up.”
By adding to it. I still think that there should be no minis. They get in the way. It was the best way to take care of them.

Her dragon looked quite flustered, and Steephi soothingly began to scrub her hide. At that, Talarth seemed to relax.
The rider thought over the gold’s words. Anyway, where did you learn how to mimic Trint? I thought you dragons were too stupid to remember things like that?

The head swiveled around again, the eyes spiraling into red. Excuse you? I can remember things very well, thank you!

She splashed around in the water, sending waves up over Steephi. I can remember the day that I first met you…

A vivid picture of her hatching day flashed in front of Steephi’s eyes. And I don’t need your memories to remind me!

‘Kay, that explains your memory, but what about that little speech! Stars above, I didn’t know you knew that much about Trint!

Launching into the air, Talarth said, Bomarth told me about it last week while you and Terevoor were talking at dinner. Ragul doesn’t talk much to me. I think he’s embarrassed.

Gracefully, she swooped in the air. But Bomarth does. And he teaches much to me.

The golden wings beat lightly on the air, and the wedge-shaped head swiveled around slowly. By the way, here they come…

The gold dragon let out a welcoming bugle and Steephi screamed. You had to wait until just now to tell me?

she accused. Scrambling up the beach, she grabbed her dress and underclothes, and ran into the forest. Once she was far enough inland so that the bronze rider couldn’t see her, she struggled into her dress. “Curse that stupid dragonet!” She muttered under her breath while she struggled with her buttons. “Just because she’s a queen, she thinks she’s so funny! Oh heavens! The stupid button!” The girl sat holding her dress as a button rolled off into the underbrush. A golden flash flickered over by where the button had disappeared, then was gone. “Great! Now I’m seeing things!” A chirp followed her words as if to affirm her sight, and she cried out in surprise. “And hearing things!” She sighed wearily and shrugged on the rest of the dress. “Why can’t I just wear plain old trousers! It would be so much easier!” she muttered. The top button of her dress was the one that had popped off, and the top of her chest was shown off. “I hope Bryan isn’t like that cursed Misson,” she growled, stomping onto the sands.
You know he isn’t,

Talarth reassured.
“Sure!”
“Hey, Steephi!” The dragonrider was just sliding off of his dragon. “What were you doing in the forest?” His eyes drifted over her frame, and Steephi protectively crossed her arms. “Lost a button, I see,” he laughed as she frowned at him. “Don’t worry so much! I’m not going to hurt you.” At her expression, he grinned. “Stars above, child. All I wanted to do was have a swim. Bomarth suggested it. Didn’t know you were here. Honestly!” The bronze dragon bent his head, and Bryan removed the harness. He glanced over at her, and then saw the riding leathers she had strewn across the rock behind her. His eyes took them in, but he didn’t say anything.
Snorting, Steephi spoke to Talarth, You told Bomarth we were here, didn’t you? You knew that Mari stole my clothes! You cheeky little quidah!

The quidah in the trees shrieked, and the girl jumped a bit, as did her dragon, but then ignored it in her anger. I can’t believe you would do something like that! You do know that now we can’t ever come back here unless some dragon comes to pick me up! Ergh!

She strode over to the water’s edge. Get out! We’re going home NOW!

She grabbed her riding gear off one of the rocks and shoved her jacket and helmet on, not caring anymore that Bryan would know that she had flown here by herself.
You just didn’t want him to see you!

Talarth teased. He is your mentor. What’s so wrong with that?

But, she humbly pulled herself out of the surf. You aren’t any fun!

Smiling over to a bewildered Bryan, she fluttered her eyelashes. “Sorry to leave you both so soon. I need to talk to Mari about fixing this dress.” The rider blinked and looked into the sky, and she continued, trying to think of another good excuse. “And it was too cold to go swimming anyway! I’ll need to hurry back in time for Mari to look at this before dinner.” Turning on her heel, she swung up onto Talarth. “Bye, boys!”
“Wait!” Bryan called. Talarth hovered in mid-air. “If it was too cold to swim, then why is your hair all wet? And why were you changing in the forest.” Even twenty feet above him, she could see the amused look in his eyes. “And, how old is that queen. Six months, right? There was no dragon to come and take you!” The amused look had turn to worry and fear.
“I—uh—”
The picture that Talarth had shown her earlier flashed in front of her eyes, and she lost her grip with shock. “Talarth!” she yelled, unable to see past the picture. Her head exploded with a fierce emotion, and she felt blinded. “Stop it!” Her fingers slipped from the golden ridge, scraping against the hide as she tried to stop herself.
I can’t. I’m not doing it!

Then, Steephi fell, her scream echoing off the waves.

The image was gone, but so was her sight. Blinking furiously, she tired to clear her vision. They felt like they were full of sand or salt, and she couldn’t move. A smooth object butted her, and she realized that it was a couple of stellena, with Catri at the front. “Help!” she tried to say, but bubbles escaped her mouth and she started to choke. Two smooth heads shoved themselves under her arms and began to swim to the surface of the ocean. Her vision had begun to clear, and she could see the sunlight filtering through the water a couple feet up, but she felt like she had been under for so long!
Finally, her head broke the surface, and she gasped in breaths of the sweet ocean air. Her eyes were burning from the seawater, and as she turned her head, she felt herself grow dizzy and felt the painful blackness start to cover her again. “NO!” She couldn’t pass out! What would happen to Talarth? Where was she? Forcing her eyes open, she turned her head. A head bobbed up out of the water and grabbed her around the waist. The Stellenas squeed and followed them a couple of feet, then disappeared into deeper waters.
Catri chittered to Steephi, and she turned to face her to her rescuer. “Talarth! Where’s Talarth?” Her voice was weak and raspy, and she could feel her strength failing. Bryan nodded towards the beach, and Steephi had barely a glimpse of golden hide before the darkness consumed her.

The sun heated her face and she rolled over, curling up against someone. Their body was warm and salty-smelling, and she opened her eyes. Stifling a squeal of surprise, she sat up and fell backwards, her head pounding. What had happened? Talarth? Where are you? What—What happened to me?

A different voice answered her, deeper and more mature than her own dragonet’s. You fell off of Talarth. Something startled you, and you fell.

It was the same voice that had spoken to her at the Hatching, and that had spoken to her at the meeting to choose a mentor! Talarth won’t tell me what happened, but she fell, too. Because of your connection to her, she experienced your terror and helplessness. She didn’t fall into the water like you, but would have landed on the rocks if I hadn’t caught her.

There was pride in the voice, and she looked around in confusion. As if the voice knew her question, it answered, I am Bomarth, Bryan’s dragon. I have been talking to you since you first came to the City.

The bronze dipped his head, and Steephi stared at him in confusion. The great cat eyes blinked, and the shadowy depths swirled from the placid blue to a worried yellow. I caught a bit of whatever it was, but I didn’t get much.

Bryan had pushed himself up from next to her and his hand rested on her arm as she stared in dismay at the bronze. By now, her head had cleared and she looked past Bryan’s worried face to the pair of dragons. Bomarth blinked serenely at her, his eye whirling slightly blue among the yellow as he calmed himself. You were talking to me? Why?

Steephi was confused. How could Bryan’s dragon talk to her? Wasn’t it supposed to be that only Talarth could bespeak her?
The dragon’s first eyelid drooped, then shut. That doesn’t matter. You are safe.

Talarth is safe. We need to get you back to the City so that you can get better.

The eyelid lifted, and all the yellow was gone, leaving just the normal blue-green dragon eye. He turned his head away from her now and rested it on the queen’s golden side, his wingtips touching hers.
“Are you okay?” Bryan’s voice broke through her thoughts. Her eyes still drifted on his dragon, but she nodded to him.
She felt much better now, but Bomarth had confused her. “Yeah, your—”
Don’t tell him yet!

The dragon’s head was up now, his eyes red and swirling, pupil dilated. Don’t—tell—him—yet! Even Talarth sat up in surprise, blinking sleep from her eyes.
Okay, okay! I’m not a little kid!

Sighing, she turned to Bryan. Clearing her throat, she finished. “You’re all wet! What happened to you? I thought I was the one who fell into the water, not you!”
Bryan laughed. “Yeah, me too!