Fantasy Fiction posted April 30, 2018 | Chapters: | ...14 15 -16- 17... |
Nyla takes a ride on Dyster
A chapter in the book GULBRANDR- God's Sword
Dyster and Nyla
by Roxanna Andrews
Background A child is born to a Dark One, one who is thought to be cursed by her people. The child will grow up to a champion for his people and led a vast army against a great evil. |
Joshua went to ready Dyster for the trip home and found Father Bart and Fiona's three children had located his hiding place. For a beast of his immense size and ferocious looks, he was gentle. Little Anna sat on his back, while Bart the Second and Abigail stroked his neck and scratched behind his ears. Dyster purred like a kitten.
"Are you being spoiled, boy?" Joshua asked, as a very contented Dyster looked his way.
The children jumped not knowing anyone was about. "We have found a dragon in the woods!" Bart told Joshua.
"He is most beautiful," said little Anna who was just three.
"Yes, he is my dragon and he is a handsome fellow," said Joshua.
"Where did you find him?" asked Abigail
"Can we go for a ride?" asked Bart.
"I found him in the mountains and I do not think your mother and father would like you riding on dragons."
"We will ask!" The children were off before he could stop them. He did not want the townspeople to know a dragon was in their woods. He was not sure how he would explain it.
The children were back shortly looking very disappointed. "They told us to quit being silly. They said there are no blue dragons. We told them to come see, but they would not. They do not believe us," Anna told Joshua with tears in her eyes.
"I am heartily sorry they do not believe in Dyster. I will come back some time from now and show him to them myself. Right now I must go to my home."
Nyla joined him and though he had tried to prepare her for Dyster, she was rendered speechless.
"I swear to you, you will be safe. I will hold on to you the whole way. You will not fall and Dyster will not harm you. See, he would not harm a child," Joshua said pointing to the children.
"He is beautiful," she said. "I never knew there was such a thing."
"We never knew either," said Bart. "I do wish we could ride him."
"Maybe one day, but right now you must stand back," said Nyla.
The dogs had followed Nyla and she asked the children to hold on to them and keep them from under foot. The dogs were as large as the children and she doubted they would do a good job of keeping them back.
Dyster bowed low on Joshua's command and he helped his mother mount. He wrapped a fur blanket around her and another around Dyster's neck to keep him warm.
Nyla smiled at his care for the great beast.
"Dragons do not like the cold. They have to have a fire all winter and sometimes into summer. They even have a blanket to sleep with." He spoke this to the children as he got into the saddle behind his mother.
"Goodbye children, I will see you soon," said Nyla.
The children waved, holding on to the dogs. Ren and Habil barked and broke free from the children. They ran at Dyster, and leaping, managed to get a foot hold on Dysters side and climb up. The children laughed with delight.
"They want to go for a ride, too," Little Anna said. A huge smile on her face and her cheek pink from the cold.
"No!" Nyla said. "Get down!"
The dogs whined and refused to move. They resisted Nyla's attempts to push them off and dug in, Habil wrapped her paws about the saddlebag, refusing to let go.
Nyla could not help but laugh. "You are mad!" She told Habil. The children laughed too.
"Let them be," Joshua said. "They can come. You hold on to one, I will hold the other."
"Up!" Joshua commanded and Dyster began to run, spreading his mammoth wings, he left the ground.
"Tell your mother and father I decided to take the dogs," Nyla called to the children.
The children nodded and waved, running under Dyster trying to keep up.
"Farewell Dyster!" They called as they ran.
"They will have a tale for their friends," Nyla said, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might leave her chest. Joshua saw her hands shaking. "Do not fear, the fortress is not far."
"I am not afraid, just excited. It is an amazing thing to see the world from so high." The scene below her mesmerized Nyla. The snow covered countryside was stunning.
The huge dogs obscured Joshua's forward view, but Dyster knew the way and needed no guidance. The dogs seemed to love every minute of the flight. They sat with tongues hanging out as if they had a smile on their faces and whipped their heads from side to side to see all they could. Joshua and Nyla had to laugh at them.
"Mad dogs," Nyla said.
Dyster came down in the courtyard outside the barn and the dogs jumped to the ground. Nyla slipped from his back with Joshua's help. He put an arm around her, "Are you well?" he asked.
Nyla nodded. "I think maybe I am meant for dragons. I would never think in all my life I would ride one."
Lyse came running to help get Dyster unsaddled and back in the barn. The dogs ran to her and almost tripped her as they wrapped around her legs.
"Mother, this is Lyse," Joshua said.
"I have heard much of you. I am told you are a wonder with dragons and with dogs as well it seems."
"I have heard much of you also." She knelt to pet the dogs. "They are beautiful." The dogs placed their paws on her knees and licked her face.
"Ren! Habil! Get down." Joshua pulled the dogs off Lyse.
Lyse laughed. "They are most friendly," she said. They walked Dyster to the barn, Lyse gave him water and a snack, then she and Joshua closed the huge doors. The dogs ran around the grassy courtyard, wrestling with one another, and then walked beside Lyse and Joshua as they showed Nyla were she would stay.
Nyla linked arms with Lyse as they walked. "We must talk more and get to know one another," she said.
"Are you being spoiled, boy?" Joshua asked, as a very contented Dyster looked his way.
The children jumped not knowing anyone was about. "We have found a dragon in the woods!" Bart told Joshua.
"He is most beautiful," said little Anna who was just three.
"Yes, he is my dragon and he is a handsome fellow," said Joshua.
"Where did you find him?" asked Abigail
"Can we go for a ride?" asked Bart.
"I found him in the mountains and I do not think your mother and father would like you riding on dragons."
"We will ask!" The children were off before he could stop them. He did not want the townspeople to know a dragon was in their woods. He was not sure how he would explain it.
The children were back shortly looking very disappointed. "They told us to quit being silly. They said there are no blue dragons. We told them to come see, but they would not. They do not believe us," Anna told Joshua with tears in her eyes.
"I am heartily sorry they do not believe in Dyster. I will come back some time from now and show him to them myself. Right now I must go to my home."
Nyla joined him and though he had tried to prepare her for Dyster, she was rendered speechless.
"I swear to you, you will be safe. I will hold on to you the whole way. You will not fall and Dyster will not harm you. See, he would not harm a child," Joshua said pointing to the children.
"He is beautiful," she said. "I never knew there was such a thing."
"We never knew either," said Bart. "I do wish we could ride him."
"Maybe one day, but right now you must stand back," said Nyla.
The dogs had followed Nyla and she asked the children to hold on to them and keep them from under foot. The dogs were as large as the children and she doubted they would do a good job of keeping them back.
Dyster bowed low on Joshua's command and he helped his mother mount. He wrapped a fur blanket around her and another around Dyster's neck to keep him warm.
Nyla smiled at his care for the great beast.
"Dragons do not like the cold. They have to have a fire all winter and sometimes into summer. They even have a blanket to sleep with." He spoke this to the children as he got into the saddle behind his mother.
"Goodbye children, I will see you soon," said Nyla.
The children waved, holding on to the dogs. Ren and Habil barked and broke free from the children. They ran at Dyster, and leaping, managed to get a foot hold on Dysters side and climb up. The children laughed with delight.
"They want to go for a ride, too," Little Anna said. A huge smile on her face and her cheek pink from the cold.
"No!" Nyla said. "Get down!"
The dogs whined and refused to move. They resisted Nyla's attempts to push them off and dug in, Habil wrapped her paws about the saddlebag, refusing to let go.
Nyla could not help but laugh. "You are mad!" She told Habil. The children laughed too.
"Let them be," Joshua said. "They can come. You hold on to one, I will hold the other."
"Up!" Joshua commanded and Dyster began to run, spreading his mammoth wings, he left the ground.
"Tell your mother and father I decided to take the dogs," Nyla called to the children.
The children nodded and waved, running under Dyster trying to keep up.
"Farewell Dyster!" They called as they ran.
"They will have a tale for their friends," Nyla said, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might leave her chest. Joshua saw her hands shaking. "Do not fear, the fortress is not far."
"I am not afraid, just excited. It is an amazing thing to see the world from so high." The scene below her mesmerized Nyla. The snow covered countryside was stunning.
The huge dogs obscured Joshua's forward view, but Dyster knew the way and needed no guidance. The dogs seemed to love every minute of the flight. They sat with tongues hanging out as if they had a smile on their faces and whipped their heads from side to side to see all they could. Joshua and Nyla had to laugh at them.
"Mad dogs," Nyla said.
Dyster came down in the courtyard outside the barn and the dogs jumped to the ground. Nyla slipped from his back with Joshua's help. He put an arm around her, "Are you well?" he asked.
Nyla nodded. "I think maybe I am meant for dragons. I would never think in all my life I would ride one."
Lyse came running to help get Dyster unsaddled and back in the barn. The dogs ran to her and almost tripped her as they wrapped around her legs.
"Mother, this is Lyse," Joshua said.
"I have heard much of you. I am told you are a wonder with dragons and with dogs as well it seems."
"I have heard much of you also." She knelt to pet the dogs. "They are beautiful." The dogs placed their paws on her knees and licked her face.
"Ren! Habil! Get down." Joshua pulled the dogs off Lyse.
Lyse laughed. "They are most friendly," she said. They walked Dyster to the barn, Lyse gave him water and a snack, then she and Joshua closed the huge doors. The dogs ran around the grassy courtyard, wrestling with one another, and then walked beside Lyse and Joshua as they showed Nyla were she would stay.
Nyla linked arms with Lyse as they walked. "We must talk more and get to know one another," she said.
The dragon picture is from Google.
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