Status: Complete, with a possible alt ending going up
Dragon Fire
Chapter Four
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. —Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse.
The dragon padded toward the library, intent on getting his book and retreating again. Surely, the girl would be gone from the library by now. It was after dark already—nearly nine in the evening. He knew she was still in the castle because he’d seen her little carpetbag in one of the many rooms of the castle, sitting forlornly by the bed. The location of her quarters had surprised him, left him mildly disconcerted. They weren’t in the guest wing, to the southeast, but closer to his tower and to the library.
The library doors were still open, so it was easy enough to slip in without making a sound. He shook his head irritably at his own foolishness. Why should he have to sneak around his own home like a thief? With an irritable rumble, he padded over to where he’d left The Faerie Queen. He paused at the head of the aisle, framed by shelves on either side, and simply stared in exasperation. Down the row, beside the book he wanted, the girl lay sleeping, completely motionless save for her breathing.
The dragon’s eyes narrowed on the sleeping form, irritation clouding his eyes to a light gold. There was no way he could move the girl to her room without waking her, no way he could take another dose of the silent brand of rejection she appeared to favor. With a disgruntled shake of his head, he turned again, and left the library, heading toward her newly cleaned and fresh-smelling room. This is where she should be sleeping, a particularly nasty side of him muttered sullenly. Not in my library.
He pulled a blanket and pillow from the large four-poster, ignoring the petulant thought, and padded back to the library with them. He stalked to her side, not pleased with her or himself, and dragged the blanket over her prone form. Next, the pillow. With the delicacy of a surgeon, he slipped his paw beneath her head, lifting it off the cushion she’d made of her arm, and pushed the pillow beneath, holding his breath as he slid his talons away from her silky skin. The dragon stared at her for a moment, gazing bemusedly at the child that had invaded his sanctuary inside this granite prison. With another mystified shake of his great head, he picked up the book, and turned away to retreat back to his tower. Something told him that he would spend far more time than customary in that bleak cell than he had ever done before.
The dragon padded toward the library, intent on getting his book and retreating again. Surely, the girl would be gone from the library by now. It was after dark already—nearly nine in the evening. He knew she was still in the castle because he’d seen her little carpetbag in one of the many rooms of the castle, sitting forlornly by the bed. The location of her quarters had surprised him, left him mildly disconcerted. They weren’t in the guest wing, to the southeast, but closer to his tower and to the library.
The library doors were still open, so it was easy enough to slip in without making a sound. He shook his head irritably at his own foolishness. Why should he have to sneak around his own home like a thief? With an irritable rumble, he padded over to where he’d left The Faerie Queen. He paused at the head of the aisle, framed by shelves on either side, and simply stared in exasperation. Down the row, beside the book he wanted, the girl lay sleeping, completely motionless save for her breathing.
The dragon’s eyes narrowed on the sleeping form, irritation clouding his eyes to a light gold. There was no way he could move the girl to her room without waking her, no way he could take another dose of the silent brand of rejection she appeared to favor. With a disgruntled shake of his head, he turned again, and left the library, heading toward her newly cleaned and fresh-smelling room. This is where she should be sleeping, a particularly nasty side of him muttered sullenly. Not in my library.
He pulled a blanket and pillow from the large four-poster, ignoring the petulant thought, and padded back to the library with them. He stalked to her side, not pleased with her or himself, and dragged the blanket over her prone form. Next, the pillow. With the delicacy of a surgeon, he slipped his paw beneath her head, lifting it off the cushion she’d made of her arm, and pushed the pillow beneath, holding his breath as he slid his talons away from her silky skin. The dragon stared at her for a moment, gazing bemusedly at the child that had invaded his sanctuary inside this granite prison. With another mystified shake of his great head, he picked up the book, and turned away to retreat back to his tower. Something told him that he would spend far more time than customary in that bleak cell than he had ever done before.
♠ ♠ ♠
THANK YOU SO MUCH for commenting. Arigato to the power of...5000. And equivlent internet baked goods. ^_^ The dragon accepts all hugs through commenting.