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Stretching out her arm, legs wrapped around the branch, Saga managed to snatch the red and yellow fruit. She didn’t really care for mangos, but there were dozens of mangotrees in the woods.
Nobody would miss the missing fruit if she only picked a few. More importantly, the King’s men wouldn’t notice her theft.
Changing her grip on the tree’s high branch, Saga let herself swing a few times before dropping down, her boots hitting the forest ground with a soft thud.
Somewhere behind her, a brush rustled.
Saga’s bow was drawn within a second.
But it was a deer, its ears flicking against its head as it watched her curiously.
She wanted to shoot it so badly, could almost taste the meat in her mouth. They needed more than mangos if they were going to survive, and this deer would be a welcome change.
Saga closed one eye, and aimed.
She took a deep breath.
But then she remembered the executions at the castle. The King’s new law.
There was to be no hunting in the woods.
With a sigh, she lowered the bow and watched the deer run away.
Without any money,
and without the right to hunt,
how were she and her grandmother going to survive?
➳
It was like any other morning when she opened her eyes.
The sun was shining brightly through her tiny, round bedroom window, even though it was supposed to be autumn. It wasn’t supposed to be such a bright day.
How dare the weather be so bright when there was absolutely nothing bright about her life?
But.
Today was the day Saga would do something about it.
Taking care to be extra quiet, she grabbed the bag she’d already packed last night and sneaked out of her house.
➳
The villagers, the whole lot of them, were up and about on this sunny autumn morning.
Saga performed her best hide-and-duck maneuvers, yet she barely avoided the extremely nosy baker who always inquired after her health.
Always.
He did it so he could secretly boast about all the delicacies he was selling, knowing that Saga couldn’t buy a single thing.
Bastard.
➳
And then,
she was back in the forest.
Thank heavens.
It wasn’t a hard road she was supposed to follow, though she guessed that if you didn’t know the way,
it was.
Maybe that’s how it always was.
After a few minutes of walking, Saga entered the thicker part of the forest, where birdsong was quieter, more subdued
until it eventually
stopped.
Clutching her bag in one hand, she felt for the strap of her bow with the other.
Though she wasn’t a sharpshooter by any means, Saga knew how to kill a rabbit or two.
And maybe a nosy baker.
Or those royal tw-
Suddenly,
it seemed like a blanket had been placed over the forest, killing not only the birdsong, but sound altogether.
The quiet felt cold, and eerie,
and Saga wished she’d brought a coat with her.
But a coat wouldn’t help her with what she was going to do, so she continued walking until she finally spotted the entrance of the cave.
She didn’t give herself any time to stop walking or reconsider her idea.
She just didn’t have any other options anymore.
So Saga entered the one cave all the other villagers, and even her grandmother, had told her not to go into.
➳
Since it was a forest cave, it wasn’t as damp as the one near the harbour.
Which was great.
Didn’t mean it wasn’t still cold inside,
but being cold and damp would’ve been a hell of a lot worse.
The cave sloped downwards, so Saga had to mind her step, carefully picking out rocks that looked sturdy enough to stand on.
As she reached out to steady herself against the wall, her hand touched soft, green moss.
The cave wasn’t as dark as she’d expected it to be.
Looking up, she saw there were large gaps in the ceiling, causing sunlight filter in and brighten the entire cave, making it easier to see further ahead.
But Saga saw only more rocks.
Damn.
➳
Halfway through the cave,
or well, Saga just assumed she was halfway through the cave but she had no actual way of knowing this,
she stopped to take a break in a large, round room with an almost equally as large gap in the ceiling.
Saga could actually sit in the sun if she wanted to.
In the middle of the room was an enormous stone, and though it looked really comfortable...
The way the light lit up the stone,
making it glow in a magical way
gave Saga shivers.
What if it was the sacred stone kind?
Eyeing it skeptically, Saga chose to sit with her back against the wall instead.
Though she wasn’t raised an explorer,
nor cave dweller or adventurer,
she wasn’t stupid.
From her pack, she produced a mango, which she immediately took a hungry bite off.
The mango smelled sweet and fresh,
and it reminded Saga of-
She had barely swallowed her first bite of lunch when a low scraping sound came from somewhere to her right.
It sounded far away
but it also sounded
heavy .
Saga’s heart pounded in her chest as she quickly took another bite,
figuring she was going to need the energy, before crouching low on the ground.
She didn’t have to wait long.
From a hallway to the right of the circular room,
a massive shadow emerged.
It was walking slowly,
and each of its steps made the little stones on the ground tremble.
Though she’d told herself she wasn’t going to be afraid, as the form began to take shape,
its twisted horns scraping against the ceiling of the cave and its massive pearly wings unfolding,
Saga was
very
afraid.
The white dragon walked slowly towards the stone in the middle,
and again, Saga was entranced by how the stone seemed to glow,
like it was touched by the deities
or maybe inhabited by a mournful spirit.
Then, the dragon lied down on it slowly, which seemed to be how he did everything.
Slow.
It stretched its wings almost lazily, like a cat before taking a nap.
The pearly wings showed Saga an arrange of shimmery colours as they stretched, so wide they touched the walls of the large cave.
Saga was no expert on numbers, so all she could conclude was that this dragon’s wings
were
big.
And beautiful, she admitted.
In the autumn sun,
the white dragon’s scales were gorgeous.
Saga guessed those alone must be worth a fortune.
The dragon folded its wings again,
in a swift, smooth movement,
so out of sync with its previous way of moving that Saga gasped in shock when a harsh blast of wind flattened her to the ground.
Hell.
The dragon swayed its head towards her slowly, its nostrils flaring as it smelled, probably her,
and a forked tongue slid out of its large mouth,
tasting the air.
On trembling hands, Saga lifted herself up from the ground.
What should she do?
Should she talk?
Could it even talk?
Then she noticed that the dragon didn’t seem to be looking at her.
Hope flared through Saga as she thought that perhaps her charm had worked, and she’d escaped the dragon’s notice.
But she got bold as she stood up and her foot slid over a few loose pebbles, the awkward slip echoing through the mossy, sunlit cave.
The voice that sounded through the room, or was it her head? was low, and slow
and a little gravelly,
like the stones she so stupidly slid on.
‘ What goubermouch dare to disturb me? ’
Saga straightened herself, immediately grabbing hold of the string of her bow with a shaking hand, and cleared her throat.
First impressions were, according to her grandmother, very important.
‘I’ve come to claim your treasure.’
The dragon remained unmoving for a few moments,
its enormous head hanging still in the air.
Saga wondered if it was going to eat, roast or impale her.
She couldn’t decide which she’d prefer.
‘You would tell me the truth?’
‘I’m not a good liar,’ Saga answered.
‘But you are a liar?’
‘No,’ Saga said. ‘Not always.’
The dragon seemed to consider this.
Saga wondered why it wasn’t looking at her, but figured it’d probably be simpler to just present her with its teeth if it wanted to intimidate her.
‘ Unfortunately, human who is sometimes a liar, I cannot give you my treasure.’
Well, that was to be expected.
‘That’s a shame,’ Saga said, and her voice wavered the tiniest bit while she reached for her bow and an arrow.
This was part of her plan,
but now that she saw the enormous dragon in front of her, it was hard to actually, you know,
shoot it.
But.
‘I need your treasure,’ Saga said, and took aim.
The dragon remained unmoving.
‘ I cannot give you my treasure, human who lies.’
‘You forgot the “only sometimes” part,’ Saga murmured, squeezing one eye shut in concentration while she aimed at the dragon’s eye.
Which was just as pearly as its wings.
Blind,
she realized with a startle.
The dragon was blind.
And Saga found she couldn’t.
She couldn’t shoot it.
Saga sighed, and lowered her bow.
So much for her plan.
‘What am I going to do now?’ she asked no one in particular.
‘ Not lying would be a start, ’ the dragon answered,
and moved its head away from where she was standing and up towards the sun, like it was enjoying the warmth.
‘Mmm,’ Saga said non-committally, her mind racing, forming a new plan.
She would come back tonight, when the dragon would be asleep.
If she didn’t want to hurt it,
she’d just have to steal the treasure without it noticing.
Slinging her bow over her back again,
Saga resigned herself to delaying her plan.
But it was still going to happen.
She was going to make it happen.
If not today, then tonight.
She was almost out of the circular room, the dragon’s room, when she heard a voice ask,
‘ Will you return? ’
‘No,’ she lied.
➳
‘Catch anything today?’ the nosy baker asked her on her way back.
Heavens, she forgot all about avoiding him, so lost in her mind, busy planning how she was going to claim the dragon’s treasure.
‘No,’ she said shortly and stared at the ground, wanting to avoid a conversation but of course the baker would hear nothing of it.
‘How are you and your grandmother doing?’
‘We’re doing great,’ she lied and quickly moved past his outstretched arm.
‘Don’t you want to see what I’ve got for sale today?’ he called after her, but Saga was already far away enough to not have to answer him, or turn back.
And she’d almost made it through the village,
she’d almost made it,
but just like with the dragon, where she’d almost claimed his treasure,
almost was worth nothing.
‘Saga,’ sneered a guy’s voice. ‘What are you doing with a bow and arrow?’
‘Shooting,’ she said, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.
She knew they were beautiful,
just like he was beautiful
just like his twin sister was beautiful.
Stupid, beautiful people.
‘I take that didn’t go well?’ he jeered and looked pointedly at her empty hands.
Saga glared at him.
She couldn’t help herself.
‘What makes you think it didn’t go well?’ she asked. ‘Maybe I didn’t hunt.’
The golden eyes of Ask, the male twin, narrowed at her words, and a frown etched between his dark eyebrows.
‘What else would you do with a bow?’
Saga shrugged.
‘Target practice.’
‘Is that a threat?’ he hissed, taking a few steps forward into her personal space.
His beauty up front was terrifying.
But before he could bump heads with her, he was pulled back by a slender, brown hand.
‘Ask,’ said his twin sister, Ever, the movement causing her long, light brown curls to fall over her shoulder.
Unfair, Saga thought, as Ever’s silver eyes looked to her briefly before flitting away.
Like the sight of Saga was unpleasant.
‘Sorry,’ Ever said quietly.
Probably because she didn’t mean it, Saga thought, and stomped past them before she’d say something vile in return.
It was bad business to insult the Royal twins, especially with the recent trials.
A soft voice called after her.
‘Good luck with training.’
➳
After having checked if her grandmother was fast asleep, Saga left the house that night,
armed yet again with her bag and bow.
She’d also taken a torch with her this time, because navigating a cave at night didn’t sound like it’d be easy.
The dragon’s blindness would allow her to use the torch while searching for the treasure, even if it was sleeping in the same room.
To Saga’s surprise however, when she arrived at the mouth of the cave with its vines growing over the cold rock, it didn’t look dark.
Saga stepped inside.
It really wasn’t dark.
The moonlight was glowing in pearly beams through the gaps in the ceiling, making it easy for her to retrace her steps.
When she neared the circular room where she’d had her poor excuse of a lunch, Saga subconsciously held her breath, afraid she’d make
another sound,
another noise that would alert the dragon.
Using the soft, mossy walls of the cave as her guideline, she walked around the corner and
into the room, looking around for the dragon.
It wasn’t hard to find.
It was sleeping on the rock, in almost the exact same place as when she’d left it.
If she thought the dragon looked beautiful in the sunlight,
she hadn’t yet seen it in moonlight.
Its pearly scales were almost silver white in this light, and the shimmering form of the dragon looked ethereal.
Magical.
What looked even more magical to Saga however, was the glow of the rock it was lying on, which was a peculiar glow, more like a glisten really, and Saga knew that something that glistened was usually
gold.
Treasure.
She’d found it.
Taking quiet, careful steps towards it, Saga made it to the edge
and peered around the rock.
She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from gasping aloud.
It hadn’t been a sacred rock after all.
The glow she’d seen, came from the glistening and glittering of a thousand gold pieces, jewels, swords, goblets, and-
Saga’s eyes grew large as she saw it.
A so-called dragon egg,
glimmering gold in the moonlight.
She’d heard about dragon eggs.
The warmth of a dragon’s fire, let loose on all the gold it hoarded usually formed some of its valuables into a dragon egg.
It was the dragon’s treasure,
and the most valuable thing Saga had ever seen.
She needed it.
With every careful step she took towards it, she was afraid it would be her last.
Her heart was racing, hammering inside her chest,
as she stretched her arm towards it,
as she reached for what she wanted most.
‘You lied.’
The gravelly, slow voice startled Saga so badly she slipped over some of the coins on the ground
and fell hard.
It wasn’t exactly comfortable to sit on gold.
Above her,
the dragon slowly moved its head, and Saga saw its tongue slipping out again before moving more accurately towards her.
She gulped.
‘Only sometimes,’ she added.
Smoke
curled from the dragon’s nostrils.
‘There is no such thing as an honest liar.’
Keeping her eyes on the dragon, Saga got to her feet again, because if she was going to talk to it, she was going to do it standing up.
‘Why are you so bend on lies and truths?’ she asked.
‘They are valuable,’ the dragon answered, its head following her movement.
‘They’re worth nothing,’ Saga said. ‘But that treasure...’
She watched the millions of coins, the bejeweled necklaces, the swords and goblets, until her eye was drawn once again to the dragon egg.
‘That’s valuable,’ she said.
‘You will not get it,’ the dragon rumbled, more smoke swirling from its nose into the air,
and Saga thought she could see its stomach starting to glow red.
But the dragon didn’t understand.
She needed the treasure.
‘Can’t we make a de-’
She stopped herself before she’d use the forbidden word,
the word of demons and no turning backs,
of losing your soul.
‘Can’t we trade?’ she said instead.
‘ Trade? ’ the dragon repeated, its voice rising with interest.
‘I will give you something you want,’ Saga proposed, ‘If you give me the dragon egg in return.’
The dragon was silent for a while.
‘ What does the egg look like? ’ he asked her.
‘Like nothing much,’ Saga answered vaguely, knowing it was bordering on telling a lie.
But if the dragon thought it wasn’t a particularly important or valuable part of the treasure he was parting with, he might ask her for something less.
More smoke poured out of the dragon’s nostrils as it raised itself up on its legs and opened its mouth,
rows
and rows
of teeth appearing in front of Saga’s face.
The dragon’s hot breath blew over her face,
nearly scalding her skin,
like she was standing near a huge bonfire.
‘ A liar ,’ the dragon growled, ‘ is worse than a thief. ’
Saga could see flames rising in the back of its mouth,
so she quickly yelled,
‘Okay! Okay! You’re right, I didn’t tell you the whole truth. The dragon egg is actually a solid golden, and probably the most valuable thing in your treasure.’
As quickly as the burning flames rose,
they quieted down,
and the dragon lowered itself on the stone again.
The air still smelled like burnt trees.
‘ Solid, ’ the dragon mused slowly, and the rumbling of his voice made the ground beneath Saga’s feet vibrate.
‘Do you want to... trade?’ she asked again, carefully, taking a few steps back while doing so,
just in case.
‘ I don’t think you have anything valuable to offer me .’
Saga’s heart sank.
‘But-’ she started.
She knew there was little chance of her getting the dragon egg, or anything of the dragon’s treasure for that matter, if she had to fight it.
Proposing a trade was her only option.
The only option that had any possibility of succeeding.
‘But what’s valuable to me doesn’t need to be valuable to you!’ she said desperately, grasping at straws.
A low sound came from the dragon’s throat,
almost like purring.
‘You may take one coin,’ he said.
‘What?’ Saga asked, perplexed. ‘Just like that?’
The dragon merely moved its head away, and up towards the sky, towards the moonlight.
It wasn’t enough to be able to breathe easily, but Saga didn’t question it.
For now.
So she quickly grabbed a coin from the treasure and put it in her bag before the dragon could change its ancient mind.
Saga kept her eyes trained on the enormous shape of the white dragon as she started walking backwards, having had her fair share of dragon tonight.
She’d almost reached the end of the cave, was already turning around, when-
‘Will you return?’
Saga paused.
‘Yes,’ she replied.
➳
The following morning, Saga stayed in bed for five minutes longer than she usually did.
Damn sun was shining brightly again, like it didn’t care that it was autumn.
Just like the dragon didn’t care that it was supposed to make a deal with her, or propose a trade or just, well, eat her.
Saga thought it was strange how the dragon kept talking to her, hammering on about truths and lies, instead of getting on with it.
Then again.
She supposed not a lot of the villagers visited the cave.
She was fairly sure none of them did.
‘Saga?’
Her grandmother called from downstairs.
‘I’m awake!’
➳
In the morning light, the cave looked normal.
Saga supposed that’s how it always was.
From the outside, someone could look peaceful and calm, beautiful even, just like the cave’s rock, overgrown with green vines and small white flowers,
but inside.
Inside there could be a dragon.
➳
The dragon was still on its rock.
‘I’ve come to claim your treasure,’ Saga began.
The dragon moved its head towards her, following the sound of her voice.
‘How about we trade?’
Surprised, Saga opened and closed her mouth a few times before blurting out,
‘Yes!’
‘If I granted you one wish,’ the dragon began slowly, ‘What would your wish be?’
Expecting a trade proposal,
Saga slumped forward while she thought about the unexpected question.
‘Money,’ she answered truthfully. ‘Or the dragon egg.’
A deep rumble sounded from inside the dragon’s stomach, and a few rocks slid down the walls, clinking against the other stones as they fell down.
‘What does that sound mean?’ Saga asked. ‘Does it mean you’re happy?’
‘I would say it was more of a thinking sound ,’ the dragon replied slowly.
Which told Saga nothing much.
‘So,’ she scuffed her boot on the floor. ‘Does this mean there’s no trade?’
The dragon rearranged the wings on its back,
and it sounded a lot like the rustling of leaves in the forest.
Saga wondered what kind of dragon it was,
with its fire smelling like burnt trees,
and its wings rustling like leaves.
‘ You may claim one coin ,’ the dragon said.
Again.
But it was better than nothing, Saga thought, and it was more than she’d had yesterday, so she stepped towards the treasure and picked up a single coin.
Putting it in her pocket, she observed the dragon for a moment.
It had lost its interest in her and was looking up at the sky again.
Or well, she supposed it couldn’t look at the sky anymore. But it was leaning towards it,
towards the light.
Then,
Saga’s stomach rumbled.
Her eyes darted across the room, and back towards the dragon again.
Uh.
Could she eat her lunch here?
So far the dragon wasn’t proving itself to be malicious.
Just weird.
Saga sat down on a rock near the cave’s wall, producing another mango from her backpack.
The sweet smell of the fruit was as always lovely, and as always, reminded her of Ever.
Of course she smelled like mangoes, the fruit Saga loved most.
Saga started eating more angrily than she’d wanted to, all the while cursing the twins in her mind when she was interrupted by the dragon’s calm voice.
‘ That is a strange emotion for eating .’
‘I was thinking about someone,’ Saga grumbled, biting off another piece of mango.
‘Who? ’
‘The twins,’ Saga said mockingly, ‘And their gorgeous skins, and their gorgeous hair and their beautiful eyes and their beautiful voices.’
The dragon made the belly rumbling noise again and Saga felt the stones underneath her feet vibrate.
It tickled.
‘ Why are they beautiful? ’ the dragon asked her.
As if Saga hadn’t just listed all the reasons.
‘I guess it’s because they don’t have any flaws.’
‘ That is a lie ,’ the dragon said, but it didn’t sound angry at her. ‘ Every creature has its flaws .’
Swallowing another piece of mango, Saga considered this for a moment.
‘You’re right,’ she said eventually. ‘Ask has many flaws. He’s rude and entitled. And Ever thinks herself too good to talk to me or the others.’
‘ So are they beautiful still? ’
But that was the problem.
‘But you see, they are. Their skins are still flawless, and their hair is still perfect, as are their clothes and almost everything about them.’
‘You value appearances then ,’ the dragon said slowly.
Saga’s eyebrows shot up at the very untrue remark.
‘No!’ she exclaimed. ‘I don’t. Not at all.’
‘ Human who sometimes lies does not value appearances but holds great importance to it nonetheless .’
The dragon seemed to think out loud, but something about its statement irked Saga.
She rubbed her slightly sticky hands on her trousers then took another mango from her pack.
As she took a bite, it hit her.
Mouth full of mango, Saga replied almost more to herself than to the massive, pearly white dragon in the room,
‘Ish stupid. You’re right.’
She swallowed.
‘I think it’s more important to be a good person than a beautiful one. So no, I guess they’re not beautiful. Not by my definition anyway.’
She looked up at the dragon for its reaction or answer and sat frozen in shock as its spiked tail suddenly rose in the air
and swung towards her.
Saga’s heart stopped beating.
Was it going to kill her with its tail?
Strangle her?
The tail touched her hand briefly, the scales solid and smooth as they touched her skin,
before travelling up, up, up over her hand and towards the
mango.
Quick as an apple falling from the tree, the dragon curled its tail around the mango and pulled it from her hands.
Wide eyed, Saga saw her lunch disappear inside the dragon’s enormous mouth.
The low grumbling noise sounded again.
‘Hey!’ Saga said. ‘That was my food! You can’t just steal my lunch.’
The dragon swayed its head towards her.
‘I said a liar was worse than a thief, did I not?’
‘No fair,’ Saga huffed. ‘You can’t just place one flaw above the other.’
Her only answer was the contented rumble again, the entire cave vibrating and echoing with it.
‘Very well,’ the dragon said, its tail curling slightly. ‘You may claim another coin as payment.’
Something inside Saga wanted to laugh at the simple and human way it had resolved their dispute.
But she wasn’t sure laughing at dragons was smart, so she quickly pocketed another coin instead.
‘If you like mangoes, I’d be willing to trade them for treasure,’ she offered, though she wasn’t sure how much she had to gather in order to get the dragon egg. Tons, probably.
‘How many coins have you taken?’ the dragon asked, ignoring her proposal.
Saga reached inside her pack and produced the three golden coins, the cold circles clinking in her hand.
‘Three,’ she answered.
‘Then it seems I was worse today,’ the dragon replied.
➳
Saga kept returning to the dragon, proclaiming that she wanted its treasure,
and the dragon kept refusing her.
After this, Saga would eat her lunch in frustration as the dragon asked her a question, maybe two, which she always tried to answer truthfully.
In return she would get a coin.
Only when the dragon asked,
‘Do you have a family, human who sometimes lies?’
did she freeze up for a second before replying casually,
‘Not really.’
She left without a coin that day.
➳
On her way back, Saga forgot to avoid the nosy baker.
‘Saga!’ he exclaimed, ‘Come see what I have for sale. But first,’ he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards him. ‘How are you and your grandmother?’
‘We’re fine,’ she said, irritated, shrugging his arm of her shoulder.
‘Good, good,’ the baker smiled, like he was enjoying torturing her. ‘Can I interest you in some of my lovely delicacies today? I’ve got a beautiful banana bread, or perhaps some tasty mango tarts?’
Saga was just about to scream at the baker when another unwanted voice spoke behind her.
‘You’re wasting your time, simple baker. She can’t afford any of it.’
Saga knew it was stupid,
she knew it damnit,
but because Ask and probably Ever were behind her, talking horseshit like they always did, Saga put her hand into her pack and pulled out a golden coin.
‘Four mango tarts,’ she said, pressing the coin in the baker’s fleshy hand.
His eyes turned wide as he looked at the solid golden coin, like he couldn’t believe what he was holding, then stammered,
‘S-sure, coming right up.’
Still looking at her like she’d told him horses could talk, the baker handed her a bag with tarts.
Saga turned around triumphantly, secretly laughing inside when she saw the shocked look on Ask’s face. Ever didn’t look quite as shocked, but her eyebrows were raised nonetheless.
Grabbing two tarts from the paper bag, she walked over to the twins.
‘Here,’ she said, pushing the tarts in Ever’s hand, because out of two evils, she’d rather touch her hand than her brother’s. ‘Because you love mango so much.’
Ever’s cheeks flushed delicately, and she quickly looked down at her hands.
Though Saga wanted to walk away, now that she was standing so close she couldn’t help but watch Ever’s brown skin, which was the colour of warm autumn leaves, or perhaps more the glossy brown of small acorns.
Whatever it resembled, it was flawless.
Smooth.
Damn.
Ever’s silver eyes flitted up briefly, then she raised a hand like she wanted to shield herself against Saga.
‘Is there something on my skin?’ she asked quietly.
Irritating.
‘No, there’s nothing on your skin,’ Saga said, annoyed, and walked off with the bag of mango tarts in her hand.
Stupid twins hadn’t even said thank you.
➳
Saga put the mango tarts on the old table in the kitchen. The fire was on, making the kitchen the warmest place in the house.
Sitting down on one of the stools surrounding the table, Saga stared absentmindedly into the fire.
It reminded her of the dragon. The dragon in the forest cave, guarding its treasure and its dragon egg, while teaching her manners at the same time.
‘Saga?’
Her grandmother walked into the kitchen, nearly bent over because of the handwoven basket on her back, filled to the brim with mangos.
Saga quickly stood up to take the basket.
‘What are you staring into the fire for?’ her grandmother asked, sighing contently as the load on her back was lifted. ‘Are you mayhaps dreaming of someone?’
That wasn’t too far from the truth, so Saga ducked her head to avoid her grandmother’s eyes, moving away from the fire to put the mangoes into the kitchen cupboard.
She could lie, but... she hadn’t actually lied when she’d told the dragon that she wasn’t good at it.
Her grandmother chuckled and sat down on a chair.
‘You can choose not to tell me, Saga, but you know that grandma will find out eventually.’
Because her grandmother was the sweetest person Saga knew, it didn’t sound like a threat.
‘I may have a new... friend,’ Saga relented, sitting opposite her grandmother and grabbing the paper bag containing the tarts. She put one in front of her grandmother, who raised an eyebrow but decided not to ask about the tart,
but about the friend.
‘Do you want to tell me their name?’
Saga drew up blank, realizing she didn’t know.
She couldn’t exactly say “Dragon”.
To avoid suspicion, Saga quickly grabbed the other tart and stuffed it in her mouth.
➳
‘What is your family like?’ the dragon asked her again.
Saga wondered what it would do if she lied again, then decided she didn’t want to find out.
‘My grandmother is amazing.’
The dragon hummed in response, and took the mango she’d laid out for him with its tail.
‘She’s sweet, and kind, and loving, and she’s been taking care of me for almost all my life.’
Saga fiddled with the strap of her bow.
‘It’s a shame other people don’t see it that way,’ she muttered, dropping her hands into her lap.
It surprised her when a pearly white tail suddenly curled around her hand,
and Saga had to do her best not to jump back.
‘Why are you sad, human who sometimes lies?’
‘Saga,’ Saga blurted out. ‘My name is Saga.’
The low rumbling, vibrating sound that Saga had come to connect to contentment and indeed, sometimes thinking, echoed through the mossy, moonlit cave.
‘Well met, Saga.’
The tail wrapped around her right hand wasn’t too tight or uncomfortable,
and once again, Saga marvelled at the smoothness of the scales.
With her left hand, she traced a finger along the ridges.
‘What is your name?’ she asked, watching the scales move as the dragon curled the tip of its tail.
‘It has been a long time since someone asked for my name.’
‘That’s a rather long name.’
A puff of smoke swirled from the dragon’s nostrils, filling the air with the smell of burnt wood.
Almost like a campfire, Saga thought.
The tail uncurled itself again.
‘Sight is my name,’ the dragon answered.
‘Sight,’ Saga repeated. ‘I’m not sure it fits you.’
Another puff of smoke escaped the dragon’s nose,
and Saga wondered if it was amused.
‘ There are more ways to see than one .’
That sounded like something her grandmother would say.
‘I guess,’ she muttered.
For a moment, neither dragon nor girl spoke
and there was a peaceful quiet in the moonlit cave.
‘Well met, Sight.’
➳
A few days later,
the peace was interrupted by pounding on the front door.
When Saga opened the door, three royal guards stood waiting for her.
And they didn’t look friendly.
‘You’re under arrest,’ one of them barked, reaching out and grabbing her arm roughly.
‘ What? ’ Saga asked, perplexed. ‘For what? Why? I didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘You’re suspected to have stolen from the royal family.’
‘But I never visit the royal family! I never even come close to their house, you can ask the villagers. I always take the road towards the northern forest!’
‘Untrue,’ the guard holding her said. ‘You were seen talking to prince Ask.’
Anger burned hotly inside her.
That accusation was a load of horseshit.
Why would Ask accuse her of steali-
The golden coin.
The smugly given mango tarts.
The guard started pulling her outside, his grip on her arm bruising.
No, Saga thought. No, she couldn’t be locked up.
What about the dragon?
The treasure?
Though the golden coins were not nearly enough, they were the only income they had.
They needed it.
Her grandmother needed it.
Then, the strangest thing happened.
It was as if the dragon had breathed its fiery breath over her, burning her up, because with a strength that wasn’t her own, Saga managed to pull loose from the guard.
Before he could reach for her again,
she ran.
➳
The dragon was not on its rock as she entered the circular cave.
Exhausted and breathing harshly, she let herself fall down on the rock.
It was surprisingly warm to the touch, and Saga closed her eyes for only a minute but-
➳
The damn autumn sun was shining so brightly again, when was it going to learn-
Saga remembered,
and quickly opened her eyes in shock.
But she didn’t see her bedroom.
Above her, a pearly white fabric was hung, stretching out around and across her.
Its colours were magical.
Reaching out, Saga touched the fabric, and found it was warm and leathery.
The dragon’s wing.
Upon her touch, the dragon lifted its wing.
‘ Good morning, Saga. ’
Amazing.
She had slept next to a dragon.
‘Good morning, Sight.’
‘ Did you dream? ’
It would have been a strange question if her grandmother didn’t ask it all the time too.
‘Yes,’ Saga yawned, and sat up. ‘I dreamed about getting the dragon egg.’
The dragon curled its tail around her legs, like it was afraid she would run off and steal it now. Which she knew was nonsense.
The dragon would be afraid of anything but her .
‘ How did you get the dragon egg? ’
‘You gave it to me.’
The dragon hummed lowly, and sitting so close to it, Saga could feel the vibrations in her bones. It was a little weird and a whole lot tickling.
‘I’ve got to go back,’ she sighed. ‘Grandmother is probably wondering where I am.’
As soon as she said it, another thought hit her.
The soldiers.
Could she still go back?
‘ What is troubling you? ’
Normally, Saga would lie. Badly, but she would lie to avoid talking about her problems.
But to her own surprise, Saga found that the truth flowed over her lips as she described in detail what had happened.
The dragon listened intently to her.
She could tell by the way it sat as still as the stone it was resting on.
When she’d finished, it rearranged its wings in a rather agitated manner.
Saga wondered if it thought her problems petty
or entirely human.
But it surprised her yet again by asking her the question it hadn’t asked before, even though she’d come to claim his treasure many times.
‘ Why do you require the treasure? ’
‘Because we’re poor.’
‘ I would imagine there are better ways to acquire coin than challenging a dragon. ’
‘I know what you’re thinking. “Why doesn’t she find work? Why doesn’t she learn a profession?” But I can’t, okay?’
Saga crossed her arms angrily, the injustice of it all coming back to her.
‘My grandmother is a potion maker, a healer, a seer. Or a witch, according to the villagers and their stupid superstitions. That makes me the witch’s grandchild, and in their backwards minds as equally weird and untrustworthy as my grandmother. No one wants to teach me a trade or hire me for simple farm work.’
Saga slumped against the dragon’s side.
‘There’s nothing I can do anymore. We’re poor. We don’t have enough money for food, and my grandmother is getting too old to search for it in the forest. I don’t mind going in the woods, but we’ve got to live off of something other than mangoes for heaven’s sake. If only the royal family hadn’t outlawed hunting, then I could shoot some rabbits or even a deer.’
After her explanation, Saga felt drained.
She’d never complained about this to anyone, since she didn’t have any friends to complain to and she absolutely didn’t want to tell her grandmother.
It felt nice, however, to talk to someone.
‘Thank you for listening,’ she mumbled.
Then, the most frightening and wonderful thing happened.
The dragon slowly moved its horned head towards her,
and touched
her head with its forehead.
‘ Thank you for the truth .’
Saga smiled and closed her eyes, leaning into the comforting touch.
‘ You may take the dragon egg. ’
Her smile froze, and her eyes flew open.
‘W-what?’ she spluttered, looking into the dragon’s pearly white, blind eyes, not believing what she was hearing. ‘Are you- do you- Sight, please, don’t say you’re fooling me.’
‘ I may be a thief sometimes, but I am not a liar. ’
Saga’s heart was pounding in her chest as she simply couldn’t believe-
She couldn’t.
‘Why?’ she eventually asked.
‘ Does it matter? ’ the dragon answered in its rumbling, low voice. ‘ Is it not what you desired? ’
‘It is, but. I thought you didn’t want to give it up.’
‘ It has no value to me .’
The dragon moved its head back, away from her.
Dazed, like she was still waking up, Saga climbed down the rock and walked over the mound of coins. The dragon egg sat atop the pile, glimmering beautifully in the sunlight.
It felt forbidden to pick it up,
and to hold it in her hands.
She expected Sight to tell her no, to steal it back from her any minute, but it didn’t.
The dragon let her put the dragon egg in her pack, and let her walk towards the exit and beyond.
Dazed as she was, she didn’t notice the absence of their usual parting question.
➳
Her pack was heavy with the dragon egg, with what was now her treasure.
The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the autumn trees with their red and yellow leaves, making it seem as if they were
on fire.
When her house came into view, Saga sprinted towards it and all but burst through the front door, yelling for her grandmother.
‘In here!’ her grandmother called back, and from the sound of her voice Saga knew she was down in her workshop in the basement.
Loads of potions filled the shelves and herbs were hanging from the ceiling like ornaments.
When Saga entered the candle lit room, her grandmother stood up as fast as she could manage.
‘Darling, where have you bee-’
‘Grandmother, have there been any guards yesterday after I’ve gone? Or today?’
The concern on her grandmother’s face changed into anger.
‘Yes, there have. They wanted to take you away, for theft. The nerve! The nonsense!’
‘I will try to set it right, grandmother.’ Saga tried to calm her down. ‘But first, I have to show you this.’
Very carefully, she took the golden dragon egg from her backpack.
Its glow was less overwhelming in the dimmed light of the room, but it looked expensive and valuable nonetheless.
‘What on earth,’ her grandmother said slowly, eyes widening as she looked at it. ‘That’s a dragon egg. How ever did you get one of those?’
Saga smiled.
‘A friend gave it to me.’
Her grandmother seemed too stunned to answer.
‘But don’t you see, grandmother,’ Saga continued, ‘We don’t have to worry about money anymore. If I sell this in a city in the east, we’ll have coin for the rest of our lives!’
Before her grandmother could respond, somebody knocked on the door, followed by a heavy thud, like a body colliding with the wood.
Guards.
‘I’ll go,’ Saga said. She couldn’t escape this forever. ‘You hide the egg, grandma.’
She thrust the dragon egg into her grandmother’s hands before walking upstairs.
➳
The guards had her arms bound before she could so much as try to defend herself.
What followed then was a long walk through the village, people looking at her with disdain, like they’d all expected her to be taken into custody sooner or later.
Eventually they turned away from the northern path and the village, heading towards the eastern road that led to the castle.
Saga had never even wanted to talk to the royal twins,
and now she was on her way to their house.
➳
Inside the cold and spacious throne room, Saga was pushed on her knees to kneel in front of the dais with its three thrones. One made of dark wood, the others of light.
When she looked up again, she saw the disinterested face of the twin’s father, King Honor, looking down at her. His big, bushy eyebrows cast shadows over his dark eyes, making it difficult to see what he was thinking.
‘What brings you here?’ the King asked, not entirely unfriendly, but also not entirely interested.
‘Your guards,’ Saga spit out.
King Honor waved his hand to the guards beside her, who cleared away.
That left about ten others in the throne room, standing in a half circle surrounding the King’s throne.
Saga thought it was a bit excessive for such a small trial.
‘Father, if I may,’ came Ask’s honeyed voice. ‘I have accused this girl of theft.’
‘Theft, you say?’
Ask nodded.
‘Just this week, after threatening me in the village, she payed the baker with a golden coin. A golden coin she couldn’t possibly have had.’
‘And you say she has stolen it from you?’
Ask turned his beautiful golden eyes to Saga, which were shining with satisfaction.
‘I say she has.’
‘Very well,’ Sir Honor said. ‘Her right hand shall be cut off, as is the way with thievery.’
Saga’s stomach dropped,
and tears began to burn in her eyes as she thought about the consequence of having her dominant hand chopped off.
She would no longer be able to help her grandmother with even the most basic of tasks.
But it wasn’t necessary, she reminded herself.
They had the dragon egg.
Guards were already moving forward to take Saga away,
when.
‘No!’ a quiet voice called out.
Ever had stood up, her hands balled into fists.
‘You cannot condemn her when she hasn’t even defended herself.’
Sir Honor seemed not to care one way or another, but Ask glared at his sister.
‘That is pointless, Ever. She will of course lie, and say she hasn’t done it.’
‘I won’t,’ Saga said. ‘I’m not a liar.’
Ask sneered down at her.
‘Sounds like something a liar would say.’
‘I haven’t stolen it,’ Saga ignored him. ‘The coins were my own.’
Ask now stood up as well, pointing at her in rage.
‘You don’t have anyone who can prove the coin was your own!’
Saga narrowed her eyes in anger.
‘Just like you don’t have a witness to prove it was yours!’
‘Enough,’ King Honor said. ‘It will take us the entire day like this. Let us be done with the trial. Guards, take her to the cellar and remove her right hand.’
‘I haven’t stolen it!’ Saga protested, as the guards grabbed her arms. ‘I’m not a thief! Your son is lying! He’s a liar!’
‘She’s right,’ Ever said quietly. ‘Ask is lying.’
‘What?’
Ask sounded furious.
King Honor held up his hand to halt the guards holding Saga.
‘Explain, daughter.’
‘He wasn’t carrying any coins with him,’ Ever said, voice growing even quieter, and her hands were fidgeting. ‘I-I was. I knew I had fifteen coins with me that day, and not a single one was missing, because after Saga gave us the mango tarts, we visited the dressmaker, and I paid him fifteen coins for my new dress.’
Ever’s cheeks reddened, and she quickly sat down on her chair again.
Meanwhile, Saga was stumped.
She hadn’t expected Ever to stand up for her,
nor tell the truth in front of her brother and father.
‘Very well,’ King Honor said. ‘Let’s hear it from the dressmaker.’
➳
The dressmaker was brought in, looking a right nervous wreck at having been brought to the court by guards, and he immediately started apologising for not having finished Ever’s dress yet.
But King Honor halted his words and asked him when the twins had entered his shop and how much they had paid him.
‘Fifteen coins, your Highness,’ the dressmaker replied.
King Honor turned a look towards his son.
It was brief, and barely noticeable, but Saga saw the disappointment and anger in the King’s dark eyes.
Ask flinched under his father’s gaze.
‘Release the girl.’
➳
On her way back to the village, Saga rubbed her bruised, sore wrists. The guard’s rough handling and the rubbing of the harsh rope had left them looking red and swollen.
Someone called her name.
Turning around, Saga saw Ever walking, or more like an awkward sort of running, towards her.
What on earth did she want?
Saga crossed her arms and waited for Ever to catch up, and then to catch her breath.
‘I wanted,’ Ever said, looking at the ground and not meeting Saga’s eyes. ‘I wanted to say, ah, thank you.’
Saga raised her eyebrows in surprise.
‘For what?’
‘The tarts,’ Ever said quietly.
Of all the things.
Against her will, Saga started laughing.
‘I think you already said your thanks by defending me in front of your father.’
Saga waved her right hand in front of Ever’s face, who looked startled at her laughter.
Red blossomed on Ever’s cheeks, and Saga thought begrudgingly that she matched the autumn leaves even more perfectly.
But she had to admit she’d been wrong about Ever.
For the most part anyway.
She had to admit that Ever was a more decent and honest person than Saga had thought.
What Ever had done in the throne room… It meant something to Saga.
‘Thank you,’ Saga said, suddenly feeling a little awkward. ‘For standing up for me.’
‘N-no problem,’ Ever stuttered, fidgeting on the spot, her hands playing with the ends of her long, curly hair.
The uncomfortable silence lasted for a second or two too long, and not knowing what else to say or do, Saga briskly turned around and resumed her walk to the village.
After she neared the bend in the road, Saga turned around and saw to her surprise
that Ever was still standing on the exact same spot,
still watching her.
When their eyes met, Ever’s blush spread to her ears, but she raised a delicate hand and waved.
Saga smiled hesitatingly
as she waved back.
➳
The kitchen was positively toasty as Saga walked in,
the fire burning hotly.
Her grandmother was sitting at the old wooden kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea, but when Saga walked in, she immediately hobbled over and hugged her tightly.
Though in the end nothing bad had happened, tears still pricked Saga’s eyes,
especially when she heard her grandmother’s sniffles.
‘You’re back,’ her grandmother said. ‘I was so worried.’
She held Saga at arm length.
‘Tell me what happened.’
While her grandmother poured a cup of tea for her as well, Saga explained everything that had happened at the estate.
Her grandmother listened quietly.
‘Can you imagine Ever defending me?’ Saga asked incredulously.
Her grandmother chuckled.
‘I am a seer, darling. I have the sight. And I am not as oblivious as you are.’
Whatever that may mean.
Saga took a sip of her tea.
Even though it was toasty inside, she couldn’t help but shiver when she thought about the cold throne room where she nearly lost her hand.
‘At least we would’ve had the dragon egg.’
‘Darling,’ her grandmother said, reaching out and brushing a few stray hairs out of Saga’s face. ‘I would’ve given away the dragon egg if it meant I saving you.’
‘Why?’ Saga asked in surprise. ‘It would’ve made your life more difficult.’
Her grandmother’s eyes got all crinkly with wrinkles as she smiled.
‘You’re more valuable to me than gold, darling.’
As her grandmother’s words sank in,
Saga wondered if that was also why the dragon had given away its treasure.
Resolutely, she stood up.
‘I have to go somewhere, grandma.’
Her grandmother didn’t look surprised.
She merely gave her the dragon egg.
‘Of course you do, darling.’
➳
Stupid.
She was so stupid, wasn’t she?
Navigating the rocks, Saga climbed down swiftly, using the mossy walls to find her way through the cave.
In the circular room,
the dragon was perched atop its rock
head leaning towards the sky.
‘Sight!’ she exclaimed, running towards it.
Her pack clunked heavily against her back.
The dragon swerved its head towards her.
‘Saga,’ it said,
its normally calm voice sounding
surprised.
‘What brings you here?’
‘I’ve come to return the dragon egg.’
The dragon blinked.
‘ Why? ’
Why indeed.
Saga shuffled her feet on the ground.
‘Well, it is true that I need it. That we need it. But I think I preferred to come here every day, and leave with a single coin.’
‘It will take you longer to get coins,’ the dragon said.
‘Yes, that’s true, but... I could also visit you longer.’
The dragon remained silent for some time.
Utterly silent.
Its tail didn’t curl and uncurl itself,
nor did its wings rustle on its back.
Saga waited patiently.
A single wisp of smoke
curled from the dragon’s nose,
then another,
and another.
The low humming sound returned,
quiet at first but growing in volume.
‘ Saga,’ the dragon said. ‘ I am afraid you are quite stupid. ’
Saga blinked in surprise.
‘What?’
‘There is no need for you to return what has been given.’
‘But- I thought...’ Saga searched for words. ‘I thought you valued my company. My friendship...’
Now the dragon did rustle its wings, and uncurled its tail.
It moved towards her and wrapped itself around her torso,
picking her up
and putting her down on the rock next to the dragon’s left leg.
‘I value your friendship, Saga. But I do not want the dragon egg in return.’
‘What do you want then?’
A puff of smoke left the dragon’s nose as it huffed in amusement.
‘There is nothing as valuable as friendship, Saga.’
Saga thought about this.
‘I’ve never really had a friend,’ she muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed admitting this. ‘I still want to give you something in return. As a thank you. Isn’t there anything you want?’
The dragon moved its head towards the sky again.
‘ If you insist. I would like to fly again. ’
‘Can’t you fly?’
‘ I can. But with my eyesight gone, it is not sensible.’
‘Oh.’
Saga touched the dragon’s leg in sympathy.
Perhaps it would feel a little like losing your dominant arm.
‘At least you can protect your treasure, right?’ she tried to cheer it up.
‘ What use have I for a treasure based on beauty? Beauty I cannot see? No, I would leave this place if I could. ’
Something slowly dawned on Saga.
‘I asked you what I could give you in return… So how can I help?’
The dragon’s enormous pearly wings rustled,
then unfolded themselves with a force that threatened to knock Saga to the ground.
Saga’s breath left her in a whoosh as she looked at the magnificent wings stretched out above her head.
‘ How would you feel about flying, Saga? ’ the dragon asked.
‘I wouldn’t know until I tried,’ Saga smiled.
➳