Adonis (part 2)

After the whole ordeal with Bly nearly killing Xander, I was surprised when everyone decided we should go back to sleep. I didn’t feel tired after all that noise especially because of the dream I had been having. I sat there leaning against a tree, thinking about how I was dragged into this mess anyway, and without realizing it slowly drifted off to sleep.

I woke with a start, realizing I had fallen asleep.  I looked around at my companions. Bly was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face, like she was dreaming of something happy. Then her face contorted into a pained look as if the dream took a wrong turn. Xander was laying flat on his back his hand touching the hilt of his sword, he seemed passive about what was happening in whatever he was dreaming about, but his whole body was tense.  I turned to look at where Nairi had been sleeping. She wasn’t there anymore. I looked around to see if she was nearby, but I couldn’t see her anywhere.
I arose to go look for her. We were out in the open out here and there could be king’s guard anywhere, plus the forest was equally as dangerous.
She shouldn’t be alone out here, and she knows it.  So where in Incantevole did she go?
Then I heard the sound of running water, and I walked toward it
Then, I saw her leaning against a tree next to a river.
I didn’t even know there was a river here. I thought
I walked up to her. “Hey.” I said before getting near her. I didn’t feel like scaring her.
She jumped a little, but didn’t try to kill me. I guess that’s a good sign.
“Hey.” She didn’t look to see who I was but turned her head the opposite direction and wiped her eyes.
I backed up a little, Please tell me she isn’t crying. I don’t know how to deal with girls crying.
“Um, uh, are you ok?”
She looked at me, her eyes red. Oh no, she really was crying.
“Hey Adonis, what’s wrong? Did you need something?”
“Um, no. It’s just I woke up and everyone was asleep…but you weren’t there so I just thought you might be bored, so I came to find you.” I smiled. That was the worst excuse ever.
Nairi smiled. “Thanks.” She moved over making room for me to sit. I wasn’t sure if I should, but not taking the offer would probably make her sad again, and she looked like she needed company, so I sat.
There was this awkward silence for a long while then Nairi spoke.
 “You know,” She paused like she was contemplating whether she should tell me or not, then she spoke again. “You know…My brother…he was killed by the king.” I was shocked. I really hadn’t expected her to tell me this. I could tell something terrible must have happened to her to make her want the king dead so badly. But I really didn’t think I would be the person she told.
“We were out in the fields playing around…I was having a really bad day…and...And Nuvole always seemed to find a way to cheer me up.” She paused and I looked at her. She looked so sad-her face full of pain. “That same day we had found out our dad had died.” She laughed,  a strained laugh, like it was just put there to fill silence. “Nuvole took me out to the fields to play…I loved it out there. Nuvole was the best in our class at using ice.” She smiled. It must have been a fond memory. “I would sit there and he would make ice sculptures, but not just normal ones, He would make them look so stupid.” She laughed, a very pretty laugh, full of life. “But then…” Her smile died and her eyes took on a pained look. “But then King Felix came. I knew something must be wrong because everyone was going into their houses. But I didn’t know what. I was only eight, how was I supposed to know.” She started crying again.
Oh no what do I do? I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do when girls cry! I was about to say something when she continued.
“Nuvole, h-he told me we needed to go, but, but it was too late the king was already coming. I didn’t know what was going on, but I think Nuvole tried to protect me. He stepped in front of me so the king didn’t see me.” She stopped for a second then continued. “The next thing I knew Nuvole is being dragged off by the king.  I never saw him again. I learned later that he went to talk to the king about leaving our people alone.” Her crying turned into sobbing. “Then just a few years later a note came that they had killed Nuvole. They killed him! Just for asking! All he did was ask!” She put her head down and cried into her hands.
I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should console her or make a joke. I don’t know why but I hugged her. It seemed like my best bet. “I’m sorry.” I told her.
She actually stopped crying. I let her go and the look on her face was a mix between happy and surprised.
“Now dry those tears.” I said poking her in the forehead. “It isn’t cute when girls cry, Shor-…Nairi.”
I got up and started to walk away.
 “Hey!” She got up and chased after me. “Did you just, back there.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Shorty.”
“I knew it! I must have been hearing things.” We walked for a while, but right before we got to camp Nairi grabbed my sleeve. I looked down at her. She looked like a small child “Thank you,” It was all she said, but I could tell she really meant it.
I was about to say something but I was interrupted by Xander. “Where were you two? We need to go.” He looked around. “We have lost some time.”
“Sorry.” Nairi looked at him, a smile back on her face. “We needed to talk.”
Xander sighed. “I guess it’s all right as long as you’re here now.” He looked at the forest. “We may have to cross the forest a ways.”
Bly looked terrified. “B-but we-we can’t…I-it is too dangerous.”
“It might be safer if we ride the horses.” Xander looked thoughtful.
“Um, Horses don’t really like me.” I said rubbing the back of my head. I don’t know why they don’t; maybe it is because of my dragon blood?
“Well they may let you ride them. They are, as you know,” he smiled, “different.”
I shrugged. “I guess I will try.” I walked up to them. “Which one should I ride?”
Xander pointed to the one on the right. “That’s Ciar. If you don’t mind ride her.”
“All right, but I’m telling you it probably won’t work.” I climbed onto her back. She shifted under my weight, but she didn’t throw me off. “Whoa.” I patted her on the neck. “No way. She didn’t throw me off.” I was really shocked. Every time I had ever tried to ride a horse they would throw me off immediately.
“All right then. Bly, if you don’t mind could you ride with me. Nairi, you can ride with Adonis.”
I looked over to Nairi and she looked petrified. “No. No, no, no, no, no absolutely not.” She crossed her arms in an X shape. “There is no way in all Incantevole I am getting on that horse, especially with him driving.” She glared at me.
“Now come on, Shorty, that’s just mean.” I smiled at her.
“I don’t care…I’m not riding a horse.” She looked away from me. Was she blushing?
“Ah, I see now. You have never ridden a horse have you?” I smiled. This was hilarious. To me anyway.
“Nairi, I’m sorry but you really have to ride him.” Xander looked like he truly felt sorry for her.
I sighed. “Come on, Shorty.” I looked at her. “It isn’t that bad.”
“Yes, it is! Trusting your life in the hands of an animal that can run super fast and crush you like a bug if it wanted too.”
“Oh come on. I’ll be with you.”
“That makes it worse.” She made this face like she just ate something bad.
“What, come on, I won’t let you fall.” I smiled at her. And at the thought of falling she turned a sickly pale.
I saw Xander walking up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Nairi.” He really did look sorry. “I hope you can forgive me.” With that he hefted her up and placed her behind me. As soon as she realized what happened she shuddered, and grabbed onto my waist so tight it knocked the air out of me.
“Nairi,” I gasped. “You don’t have to hold on so tight.”
“Yes I do! I’m not letting up any till I’m off this thing.” I could hear her voice trembling, her body too.
Why is she so scared?  I wondered.
Xander hopped onto Rudy and helped Bly onto the back of him in one fluid movement. “Ok, let’s be off then.” He took off galloping near the edge of the forest.
“All right, Shorty. Here we go.” I galloped after him and heard Nairi take in a sharp breath.
“I’m going to die. I’m going to die.” She kept repeating that over and over again. And she was still choking the life out of me. “Please get me off this thing.”
“Hey don’t worry.” I tried reassuring her. Maybe she would stop hugging my stomach so hard. “I won’t let you fall off. Ok?” She didn’t stop gripping me but she stopped repeating she was going to die.
We caught up to Xander and Bly. They had stopped at an opening in the trees. It seemed perfectly safe, everything still, and quite. But we all knew that wasn’t the case. This forest is probably going to eat us alive.
“We have to go in here. I think it would be our best bet.” Xander looked like he really didn’t want to go into the forest. I understand why. I heard Nairi draw in a sharp breath.
“The trees, they are moving, and the winds not even blowing.”
“I know.” I would have looked at her but it is complicated when someone is sitting behind you. “So,” I said smiling. “Shall we face the impending doom?”
“I guess we shall.” Xander rode into the forest.
We got about a quarter through the forest before we started noticing that the trees seemed to be changing. “Adonis,” Nairi whispered behind me. “This place gives me the creeps.”  I could feel her shift behind me.
“Ya, me to.”
She might have said more, but before she had a chance I interrupted her.
“Stop,” Xander stopped and looked at me.
“What is it?” He said.
I sniffed the air just to be sure. And I was. “I smell another dragon.”
“W-what?” Bly looked frightened behind Xander.
“How do you know?” Xander looked at me, trying to get as much information as possible.
“I just told you, I smell it… It might be better to walk.”
“Thank goodness.” Nairi let out a huge sigh.
“But then it would be equally as dangerous.” Xander looked me dead in the eyes.
“It seems we are at a standstill.” I shrugged. “I have an idea. We could leave the horses here and scout ahead a ways. If we see nothing, come back, and continue onward.”
Xander sighed. “I guess we should. If there really is a dragon up there somewhere we really would want to know before getting toasted.”
Xander headed off deeper into the forest. “Hey wait up.” I ran to catch up. By the crunching of leaves behind me, I knew the girls were following.
We walked carefully threw the trees, trying not to make too much noise, then I heard something. “Wait.” I said urgently, they all stopped in their tracks. I listened very carefully, then I heard it a voice.     'They are slow, we could have been there by now if we would have just left them behind,'
I looked up at my traveling companions. “Someone is coming.”
We hid in the underbrush so they hopefully wouldn’t see us. We weren’t going to suddenly attack them or anything, just make sure they didn’t pose a threat. Suddenly two girls in black, a boy, and a huge dragon, came out of the trees. Apparently the underbrush we were hiding in wasn’t a very effective hiding spot. We could tell they saw us because almost as soon as they came out of the trees the girl screamed, and the dragon snarled.
We stepped out of our hiding spot and stood back to back. The dragon looked me dead in the eyes. I smiled, ‘Why hello there, I have a request. Please don’t hurt us. We have no intention of hurting you.’ I whispered into the dragons mind. The dragon looked at me. I hoped it worked. Full blooded dragons can communicate telepathically. But I’m not a full blooded dragon.
 Suddenly another girl and a boy came running out of the bushes.
I heard Nairi whisper behind me. “Ya Adonis great idea, now we have a massive dragon and five people that could be working for the king surrounding us. Thanks for that.”
“No problem.” I said sarcastically. Though it was true, I just hope these people are friendly.