To The Hand of Clawed Fingers

I had just finished wrapping my scarf around my head and neck when I heard a slow but loud thumping sound coming down the cave tunnel. From how distant it sounded I was sure I still had about five minutes before it got to the sleeping corridors to collect me.

Walking over to the mirror I had seen laying over by the iron bed. I sat it up and smudged off as much of the dirt as I could. my long hair was smoothed out to the best of my ability and my face and body were as clean as the wash bin allowed. I looked scared and my eyes were still the unnatural color silver with the determined look in them that always came forth when I was mad or unsure of something. But looking at myself in the strange attire I couldn't help but tell it fit me better than my old clothes seemed to, even though these didn't fit me perfectly either.

Sighing I turned around and walked toward the cavern doors (which really was just a small hole in the wall only humans could walk through) when suddenly I noticed I didn't hear the thumping sound anymore. Moving swiftly I stopped as I came into sight of the door and noticed a rather small and skinny man standing in a blue robe right in front of the door. All the girls who had came in with Laci were quickly pretending they were asleep, while the other girls who had woke up a little after me covered themselves as best they could while curtsying. The man seemed to be looking at the ceiling and ignoring the girls, but the moment I came into sight his eyes and head shot towards me without even looking around. 'How did he know where I was?' I thought as I walked over to him quickly and fell into something of a curtsy that the other girls were doing.

“Pathetic.” I heard him drawl as he grabbed my arm and a candle off a table at the same time.

“Come along. I'm suppose to get you the things you will need and the training that is required for what you will be doing.” I was half tempted to ask him what exactly is was I was suppose to be doing, but looking at his face all covered with distaste I could tell I would get nothing more than a snide remark. So I decided to keep my mouth shut.

Instead I began to look about the tunnels I had only been in during darkness. Looking at them in the new light of the candle I could tell my old fear had been for no reason. Each of the tunnels were made up of their own precious metals like the cavern my captor had brought us here through. They all sparkled when the light hit them, but the moment the light disappeared it was once again shrouded in darkness. The tunnels themselves were large, even larger then the biggest dragon I had seen (which had to be the black ones, hands down) and even with this size it didn't seem like the walls were far away.

After taking about half a dozen turns we finally ended up in a medium sized cavern adorned like a sleeping and living chamber. There was a fireplace and a pool of steaming water, along with an overly large cauldron and hot plates. All of this was scattered around the room, along with a small dresser about my size in the little room back room. The only thing I couldn't see was whatever was behind the large dark purple curtain that went across the whole back of the cave.

I was brought out of my gaze by the short man who proceeded to make a horrible cough, as if making his presence known. I couldn't even stop myself from rolling my eyes at him for how horrible it sounded. He finally stopped his hacking after giving me a dirty look.

“Your majesty I bring the human girl you asked me to acquire.” his told was the slimiest I had ever heard and I swear I saw a slime ball fall out of his mouth when he said human, as if he was more.

“Thank you Francis, you many go back to your usual obligations today.” A familiar yet still surprising voice said. I might have been slightly overwhelmed by the room but I was pretty sure the voice came from behind the curtain. Sure enough the curtain started to move and I waited for the white dragoness to appear. But it wasn't the dragoness who stepped out, instead it was a normal (if you call looking like a supermodel normal) woman. She looked familiar yet I couldn't place my finger on it.

Out of surprise and embarrassment I quickly tried to curtsy and ended up falling forward with an “oomph!” The woman let out a tinkling laugh and waited for me to get up.

“I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to see someone else, uh, I mean I didn't know there were grown woman , wait I meant, uh, oh never mind! Please forgive me!” I added at the end of my stammering while I quickly bowed my head. Yet she didn't speak hard words like my parents would have, nor did she try to make me explain myself. Instead, she just laughed.

“I'm sorry to have surprised you. I was sure you would rather be taught by someone who could move like you. If you do not prefer this form of mine I can surely go back to my dragon form.” she said with a fluent smile. Her bright blonde hair draped behind her ears and sweeping the floor. I stood there dumbfounded, slowly piecing together the fact this was the white dragoness. The moment it all came together in my head my mouth dropped from astonishment. Her green eyes danced with mischievous amusement and she walked over to me quickly and closed my mouth.

“I have brought you here to see me today, to teach you manners and etiquette.” She smiled when she saw my eyes harden at being told I had no manners, but she pressed on before I had time to open my mouth. “Knowing what you have been taught of manners in the states are good basics, but they will not help you at all among a royal court or family, as myself. Nor do you know what to say to keep on a dragon's good side.” Also we shall teach you some of our history and misconceptions along the way. Any questions?” She said looking at me with amused eyes as she looked at my face. It had to of been priceless, with my mouth agape again and my eyes the size of plates. I know I was a comical sight.

Grabbing a stick off the ground and pushing my jaw shut with it at lightning speed she gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Believe me,” She half sung through laughter, “ I know exactly how you feel.” At this she burst into a fit of laughter and I could already tell this was going to be the weirdest class I had ever been in.