The dragon dropped Bird in the clearing before landing near the trees.  “Why did you save me?  You should have let me die with my cousins!”  The dragon growled at her then stamped its paw.  “Is this your revenge?  You want me to suffer, well you’ve won!” Bird sat down and began to cry.  The dragon came closer and delicately brushed her hair away from her face with a claw.  “You stupid dragon! Do you even understand me?” Bird said burying her face in her arms.  The dragon moaned and nudged her.  When she did not respond it nudged her harder until she fell over.  “What? What do you want, you stupid beast!  It must be so great to be a dragon and live as you please not needing anyone!”  The dragon began to shimmer before her eyes growing smaller.  Bird stared up at it in wonder as the dragon became a young man, a naked young man.  She rolled over and covered her face in embarrassment.

   “I know in situations like this people usually say ‘be not afraid’, but I think we’re passed that point,” the man said.  Bird heard movement by her left ear.  “You may look now.” Cautiously she peeked between her fingers to see a leather boot; her gaze immediately shifted up into the kind face of the man who was a dragon.  “Hello Lavender Blackbriar,” he said.  “Lavender Blackbriar, you have been named Witch and shall burn for your crimes,” the dragon said in Oliver Redfield’s voice mockingly.

    “What are you?”

   “Isn’t it obvious; flaming breath, scaly skin, large wings?” the man smirked.

   “I know you can be a dragon, but now you are human,” Bird said angrily.  The dragon was starting to get on her nerves.  He offered her his hand.

   “I can take human form, but I remain, as I ever was, a dragon.”  Bird took the proffered hand and stood up watching the man carefully.  “Are you hungry? I found the deer you caught for me.  I skinned and cooked it before I went to look for you.”

   “How nice,” Bird said bitterly as the man fed her the food he had stolen from throughout the countryside.   He chatted incessantly about the mundane things he had discovered while exploring the land that made up Woodbridge Province.  As he spoke more and more she realized he was trying to distract her from the day’s events and as soon as she realized this she began to cry.  Startled the man stopped talking.

    “Thank you, you’ve been so kind to me and I’ve been so cruel to you,” she sniffed as she wiped her eyes.  “May I have a hug?” Cautiously the man circled the fire, his face hard to read in the darkness.  He wrapped his arms around her.  “You smell like Applewood and smoke,” Bird sighed. “Can I call you that?”

    “Applewood or smoke?” the man asked as he felt the girl relax in his arms.

   “Apple…”Bird mumbled suddenly feeling tired.  She let her head droop and was soon asleep.

***

    In the middle night she had the first of her nightmares.

She saw the Hunter in a tavern talking to a cloaked man at a table in a corner. As she watched them talk the cloaked one suddenly paused and his head turned toward her. Green light filled the hood of the cloak illuminating a scarred and twisted face. Bird realized the glow was coming from the man’s eyes. “Seems we have a visitor Hunter,” the man said in a raspy voice. The Hunter turned in her direction.

   “I see nothing m’ lord.”

   “That is because she hides from you, she has yet to learn to hide from me.” The cloaked man lunged and Bird woke up screaming.

   A hand sealed her mouth and she bit down hard.  She heard a quick intake of breath and a whispered, “Ow”.  “Apple is that you?” she whispered.

    “No, I’m a bandit, of course it’s me.  You’re making enough noise to wake the dead, and believe me they can be really cranky,” Apple said.  He breathed a small flame into the palm of his hand then threw it into the dying embers of the fire pit.  “I found something for you, here.”  A book was shoved into Bird’s hands.  She felt her heart skip as she ran her fingers along the familiar uneven bind, tracing the archaic letters carved into the leather of the cover; it  was her mother’s book unharmed by the fire.

   Bird remembered her mother poring over the book in the evening after all the chores had been done.  When she had been old enough to read the two of them would practice small practical charms for warmth or seeking lost objects. “Never cast spells stronger than you,” her mother used to tell her until one day she found her dead in the garden, her father’s grave marker clutched tightly in her hands, her face still damp.

    Bird wiped her own tears away and looked up at Apple. “Why did you get it?”

    The man smiled and looked into the flames. “I felt it calling me.  My mission was to find this book and bring it back to my people.  The Oracle said I would find it, but honestly I never believed I would so easily.  We have searched millennia for this book.”

    “We?” the girl asked.

    “The Drakir, avatars of the forgotten god. “ Applewood pointed into the flames and the image of a golden man with a crown on his head formed in the sparks then faded.  “I can take you to the Oracle to explain more to you,” the man said turning back to her.  Bird waved her hand trying to draw images in the fire, but failed.

    “Can the Oracle teach me magic?” the girl asked looking back at the book.

    “All the magic you want, but the question is will you come with me?” Bird stared into Apple’s green eyes with grief that made her chest tight.  She had nothing left here in Woodbridge.  It would not take long for the Hunter to find her here if she stayed.  Images of her family’s death filled her mind and she held back a sob.

    “I’ll go, if you promise to protect me,” she said hurriedly.

   Apple smiled and touched her hand gently.  “Of course, Lavender.  We’ll leave tomorrow and meet up with my guard.”

    “Your guard?” She imagined the thought of more dragons flying through the air, their bronze scales glittering in the sunlight as they swooped over the tree line.

    “Yes, they’re the ones I gave your chickens and sheep to,” Apple said laughing.  Bird punched him in the shoulder and he stopped.  “Get some sleep child; we have a long way to travel.”

    “I’m 18, not a child,” Bird said staring the man down. He shook his head.

    “No. not a child, a young woman; get some sleep.”

***

    Bird woke to the sound of rain but she herself was not wet.  The sun had barely risen above the horizon as she sat up to discover that Apple had turned back into a dragon, his right wing shielding her from the rain.  The dragon sighed, his massive chest rumbling like gentle thunder.  Bird cupped her hands and stuck them past the wing to catch the cold spring rain.  It felt refreshing on her tear swollen face. Yesterday was still vivid in her mind causing her chest to ache.  She wrapped her arms around herself and cried silently.  For the first time in her life she was truly alone.  No more trips to the bakery or eating cake with her cousins on Soul’s day, her aunt buying her the occasional new dress when she out grew hers.  They were all gone, killed by her foolishness.

    Apple nudged her with his nose.  She smiled brightly to hide her grief then doused her face again. “Good morning. Are we going to fly in this weather or walk?  Well, walking would be a silly choice seeing as you’re a dragon right now.” The dragon snorted and made a wheezing noise.  “You’re laughing at me again,” Bird said.  In response the dragon dropped a rucksack into her lap.  She looked at his chest and noticed a second one tied around his neck with a thick rope.  The one in her hand was dry and when she opened it she found a weather treated cloak and a thick woolen sweater, underneath them she found cheesecloth bundles sealed with wax and twine.  “You want me to put this on?” Bird asked holding up the cloak, the dragon shook his head.  She held up the sweater, he shook his head again.  “Both?” The dragon snorted and bobbed his head.   After putting on the clothing, Bird opened one of the bundles and found hard cheese.  Breaking off a small chunk she sealed the rest and put it back into the rucksack.

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Apple stood up as Bird ate and stretched his wings.  He wheezed in laughter as the rain suddenly made contact with the girl’s head before she could put up her hood.  She glared at him and he turned his back on her.  After his stretch he mimed for Bird to climb into his arms.  Warily she approached him and he laughed again; the girl was full of pride but could be so timid around him. 

When she was situated snuggly in his arms he leaped into the air.  With powerful strokes he climbed above the clouds where the sun shone bright in the chilly air.  Apple could feel Bird cling tightly to him as the chilly spring air buffeted them.  Using instinct the dragon followed the invisible energy lines to his guards’ camp.  He looked forward to seeing them again though he doubted they would feel the same.

His thoughts were cut short when his spine tingled as he passed over his guard’s hiding spot.  He slowly descended into the clouds drawing gasps from the girl.  Suddenly all of his senses flared to life as they entered the small rain storm.  Bird began to grumble under her breath as ice clung to the cloak he had given her.  The rain hit them hard causing Apple to adjust quickly as he glided over the main river of the country.  He aimed for the small island half a mile from the shore, a large ancient oak surrounded by its offspring marking its center.  Landing gently he deposited Bird on the ground and approached the giant oak.

Bird stared at the ancient oak in front of her, its branches already holding new leaves.  The dragon was staring up into its branches when a man suddenly dropped down beside him.  “Well, well, if it isn’t our little hero back from the beyond.  Come back to admit defeat and beg for my help?” The man said smoothing back long black hair that fell to the middle of his back.  The dragon patted his chest and the man opened the rucksack hanging from around his thick scaly neck.  “Hmph, more food, but that doesn’t answer my question.”  Apple inclined his head toward Bird and she took a step back in anticipation clinging tightly to her rucksack.  The man stared at her with eyes as green as Apple’s.  He rubbed his chin then looked back at the dragon.  “Picking up strays now, are we?”

  “I am not a stray thank you very much,” Bird snapped.  She approached the two and put her hand on Apple’s shoulder.  The man looked surprised for a brief moment then smirked.

  “Oh, this one has bark. Does she bite too?” Bird felt her hand move before she could stop it.  The man quickly caught her wrist then kissed the back of her hand.  “So dangerous m’lady. My name is Lorcan and above us are Adwin, Elyseo, and Yena.”  Bird looked up to see three people tied to the branches of the oak.  A bubble of fear rose in her chest and she backed away from the man and dragon. Suddenly Apple shimmered and turned into his human form.  He put the other man in a headlock and mussed his hair.

  “Lore, don’t frighten the girl,” the dragon said to him then looked at Bird.  “Don’t worry, they’re merely asleep, Lore has cast a spell on them to keep them quiet.”

  “Are you man-eaters?” the girl whispered while clutching her rucksack tightly.  She kept her eyes closed as she backed away another step.  Apple laughed and released Lore.

  “The things you say,” he said.

  “Well I would think the same seeing that swinging from me,” Lore said chuckling.  Apple quickly dressed then cautiously approached Bird who stood hunched over her rucksack several feet away from the tree.

  “It’s safe to open your eyes now,” Apple said gently.  As she opened her eyes the dragon placed an arm around her shoulder and escorted her back to the tree. “Lore, I would like you to meet Lavender Blackbriar. She is a Witch.” Lore raised an eyebrow as he smiled.

  “Blackbriar, well she is quite prickly. I guess I should wake the others now,” Lore said.  He released the spell over the three people in the tree.  Slowly they came awake, shocked to find themselves in the tree.

  “Lorcan!” the tallest male yelled as he untangled himself from the ropes that suspended him in the branches.  In one swift motion the man dived at Lore, changing into a large red hued golden dragon in mid leap. He knocked Apple and Bird to the ground in his haste to reach the man.  Lore shimmered then turned into a much smaller brown dragon.  The two dragons locked claws and began snapping and roaring at each other until the much larger dragon pinned the other, one paw raised to gouge out the other’s eyes.  In a split second they were both men again, Lore on the ground smirking, the other scowling with his fist raised. “Stupid child, if I could cull your magic…” the larger man growled.

  Bird stared at the two men in shock as Apple helped her to her feet.  She had never seen such violence before he entered her life.  How stupid she was to think she would be safe among dragons just because one had rescued her.  The other two had already come down from the tree and the girl realized one was a woman.  The woman looked at her with hazel eyes that seemed to bore into her soul.

  “Elys, we have company,” the woman said looking the girl up and down.  The woman sniffed the air and crossed her arms. “She’s not a dragon.”  The tall man crouched over Lore looked up seeing Bird clinging to Apple for the first time.

  “You’re right Yen, it’s a human child.  What is such a weak thing doing here?” Elys said releasing Lore.  Bird bristled at the child comment and stalked toward the much taller man.

  “I am not a child, dragon!” she yelled poking him in the chest.  “What gives you the right to call someone weak and throw your friends about?” Elys stared at her sternly.  Suddenly Bird felt a warm breath on her neck and turned around sharply, ready to defend herself.  A fourth man stood behind her, his nose inches away from her hair.  His eyes were green like Apple’s but his skin was a dark olive like Elys’.  He grabbed her arm then turned her hand over revealing her life lines.

  “Elys, she smells of power, look at her hand, her growth pattern is well developed,” the man said.  Elys took her hand as well.  Angry that these strange men were handling her so rudely, Bird used a quick charm that sent sparks of electricity through their bodies causing them to leap back.  Waving her hand in front of her she created an invisible boundary about her.  The two men gasped in shock and Elys started to shimmer.

  Suddenly Lore and Apple were in front of him, blocking his view of the girl. “Elys, meet Briar. The fool here picked her up,” Lore said.

  “I am not a fool and the girl here calls me Apple,” Apple said punching Lore in the shoulder.  “She owns the book we’ve been searching for.”

  “Well then take it from her and let’s leave her behind.  Our people are waiting for us back home,” Elys said walking around the two men who watched him carefully.  “Return the child to her parents and let’s be off before we are discovered here.”

   Bird felt a stab of pain in her chest, but held her head high.  She would not show weakness in front these new dragons.

  “You are not taking my book, it’s my birthright,” she said staring Elys down.  The taller man growled a warning before Apple interceded.

  “Elyseo, she is without family.  I promised to take care of her and the book is really important to her.”

   Elys grunted.

  “Whatever then, do as you wish.  I will have a word with The Old One later,” Elys said striding back to the ancient oak tree.  The other two dragons followed him.  Apple let out his held breath and turned to Bird.

  “Please do not go charging Elyseo. He is much older and stronger than the two us.  In a few years he will be a Rose dragon,” he said dropping to the ground.  Lore joined him.

  “What is a Rose dragon?” Bird asked as she dissolved the barrier and rubbed her arms.

  “One that has lived over a thousand years,” Lore answered.  “I’m an Earth dragon and ‘Apple’ is a Metal.  As dragons age, our scales change color going from brown to bronze, then gold and finally red. Besides you, I am the youngest here.”

  “You called me Briar,” Bird said glaring at Lore. “I don’t like it.”

  “Then I shall continue to call you that,” the young dragon said smirking.  The girl huffed.

  “I have half a mind to-” Bird began before her words were cut short by Elys’ yell.

  “Everyone get ready, we’re leaving.  I want to at least make it to Northshire’s outer marshes before evening.”  Lore held up a bruised hand and waved it.  “What is it Lore?” Elys said drawing out the young dragons name in a hiss.

  “I thought Apple was leading this mission,” Lore said pretending to brush dust off his bare arm. Elys glared at him.

  “Who the hell is Apple? Oh, I forgot this human renamed him,” Elys grunted before turning his back on the three gathered together.  He shimmered, becoming a dragon faster than Bird could blink.  The girl was curious about their transformations, but what bothered her were their transitions into humans and their inability to manifest clothing.  Even now she kept her eyes carefully averted from Lore who still sat on the ground.  Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching intently, a faint smile on his lips.

  “Like what you see?”

  Bird jumped then tried to hide it by turning to face the river.  “Do not talk to me beast,” she said coldly.  Suddenly she felt warm hands on her shoulder.  Hot breath tickled her neck causing the hairs to rise.  The girl shuddered in fear.

  “I can show you what a beast is,” Lore whispered into her left ear.  She could hear deep pain in his voice that resonated with her own.  The young dragon was hiding his own hurt behind smiles and jibes.  Bird turned around quickly then ran into the trees to cry.