for #LineByLineTime : “Euphoria”

“Hurry! Hurry!” Hannah threw Gerald’s winter furs and boots at him over her shoulder as she dug furiously through his storage chest.

“Why? What?” Gerald stammered as he automatically pulled the furs on and stomped his feet into his boots. His eyes ran over the furs she already wore, her hood up and snugged. Bestia flapped her wings as the girl bounded out the door. The dragonette’s claws clutched the carrier straps on Hannah’s back and her tail wrapped tightly around her waist. She cawed shrilly as she twisted her head back to stare at Gerald as if urging him to follow.

Gerald dashed after Hannah, looking around frantically for someone, anyone! to explain what was happening. The courtyard outside the stables was empty. Everyone else was out flying or at the meal.

“What are we doing?” he yelled as he chased her around the building. He stumbled to a stop as he almost ran into the giant black dragon crouched just beyond the corner. “Th-that’s the Hordemaster!” he stuttered.

Hannah whirled around and beamed a smile at him. “Yes! Bestia’s father is going to show us how to fly today! Isn’t it great?”

Gerald’s jaw dropped. “But, but, Bestia can’t fly! Her wings…and neither of us has ever been on a dragon! Much less the Hordemaster! Only the Dragonlord is allowed to fly him!”

Hannah waved her hand. “We’re not flying him. We’re just riding him. He’s going to show Bestia and me how to exercise her wings and get stronger! He said you could come along. Are you coming or are you going to pass up this chance to touch the sky?”

“But, but how do we even mount him? He’s enormous!”

The Hordemaster rested his chin on the cobblestones. His fangs gleamed as his mouth stretched as if he smiled. Hannah giggled and ran over to drop a kiss on his scaled nose before scrambling up and over his head, slinging her leg between the spines on his shoulders. Straps looped through holes in the spines behind went over and around her and she quickly tightened them.

“Coming or staying? He won’t wait forever!” she yelled.

Gerald whimpered with indecision, but couldn’t bear to look a coward in front of a little girl. He stepped slowly up to the massive head and climbed carefully onto its nose. Before he could try to climb up to Hannah’s perch, he found himself sailing through the air as the dragon swung his head around to the spines behind the child. Gerald tried to remember to breathe again as he almost fell into the space open between the big pointed bones.

“Hurry! Get your straps tied! He’s ready to take off!”

Gerald almost screamed with terror as he felt muscles bunch beneath him. He snatched at the straps and gasped for air as he struggled to make himself safe before the beast exploded into the air with a roar. Huge wings snapped open and caught the wind. Gerald felt the Hordemaster’s lungs expand and his wings beat furiously.

“Woo-hoo!” Hannah screamed. “Higher! Higher!” Bestia squawked her best attempt at a dragon’s roar.

Gerald looked down cautiously and almost fainted. The castle and town were already shrinking into toy size. He dragged his eyes back up and realized he could see for miles, further than he had ever gazed even from his father’s tallest tower. He stared in wonder, his desperate breaths slowing as he took in the sight. The Hordemaster leveled his flight and began to glide in huge circles, riding the air currents. A low rumble shook Gerald’s bones.

“Bestia! Grab my wrists!” Hannah yelled. “It’s time!” She stretched her thin arms out and the dragonette grabbed her wrists over the fur sleeves. Both females leaned forward and the wind snapped the dragon’s wings into full expansion.

Gerald grabbed their straps as they began to rise from their perch, gliding just like the Hordemaster. “Look out!”

Hannah laughed. “We’re flying! We’re flying, Gerald! Bestia is flying! It’s wonderful!” Bestia tried to roar again, her joy obvious. The crippled dragonette was finally able to feel the wind carry her body.

Gerald found himself smiling. Their joy was so clear. He looked around, taking a deep breath. His fear blew away. He felt safe for the first time since he had come to the dragon-hold, which was strange since he was so high he could barely see the ground, he was freezing in the wind, and only thin leather straps kept him from a fatal fall. But he discovered he trusted the Hordemaster to keep him as safe as his daughter and Hannah. He let go of them and flung his arms up too. “We’re flying!”