Warding Song

Eleyna learned to swim in the harbour, and enjoyed diving off the pier into refreshingly cold water on the hottest days. Aunt Cat said she took after her mother, feeling a pull to the ocean. Eleyna was partial to the idea, and often daydreamed about sailing on the high seas.

One day she heard a voice shouting her name, and saw Pablo waving his arms about, gesturing for her to come back to shore. Eleyna didn’t want to get out of the water yet, but people were beginning to stare. With a sigh, she ploughed through the waves and hauled herself onto the pier. Pablo didn’t try to help her, of course. He just stood there.

“It’s about time! I was getting a sore throat, yelling for you.” Eleyna rolled her eyes and wrung out her dripping blouse. “I need your help,” Pablo insisted. This was so unexpected that Eleyna stared at him.

“Why? Where’s Javier?” she wondered, noting his absence at last. Pablo and Javier were inseparable – it was weird seeing them apart.

“That’s what I need help with. Javier is sick. He’s got a stomach ache, keeps barfing. Does your aunt have any crystals that can cure him?”

“She’s got aventurine. I think.” Eleyna wasn’t sure if her aunt had sold out, but there was nothing she could do about that. “Can’t his mum buy some?” People bought crystals to cure their kids all the time.

“She can’t afford them. Look, I just need one measly little crystal.”

“Sorry, Pablo,” she replied, “but I can’t get the aventurine for Javier.”

“What?!” he exclaimed. “What d’you mean? You live in that shop!”

“I live above the shop, and I can’t get the crystals for free, not unless I’m sick. My aunt gives me food and a bed, not her magic rocks.”

Pablo scowled. “Can’t you … ” He looked around to check nobody was listening, and leaned in. “Can’t you, y’know, steal some aventine?”

“It’s called aventurine, and of course I can’t steal from my aunt. I have to live with her, you idiot,” she scoffed. Pablo glared indignantly.

Then he seemed to wilt. “Eleyna, please,” he begged, surprising her; Pablo always called her ‘Ellie’ or ‘Ley-Ley’. “You gotta help me to help Javier. I don’t want him to be sick anymore. He’s my best friend.”

She’d never seen Pablo like this before. He was always so tough when he had Javier backing him up. Her gut twisted. “I can’t steal the aventurine,” she said slowly, “and I don’t have the money to buy any of it … but I might be able to get my aunt to give me some. Maybe.”

Pablo looked surprised. “Really? You’d do that for me, no tricks?”

“No tricks; but I’m coming with you to give it to his mum, so I know you’re not tricking me.” She spat on her palm and held it out. “Deal?”

He spat into his own hand and clasped hers firmly. “Deal!”

She told Pablo to wait in the alley, then shuffled into the shop, clutching her stomach. Aunt Cat looked up. “What’s the matter with you? And why are you all wet? Have you been in the sea?”

“There was a big wave and I swallowed some by mistake. Aunt Cat, I don’t feel so good,” she whimpered. “My tummy keeps hurting.”

“Drinking seawater will do that to you. Don’t worry, it’ll wear off.”

“Can … can I please have some aventurine? That will help, won’t it?”

“Eleyna, having a stomach ache isn’t pleasant, but it will pass. I don’t have a lot of aventurine, and it makes no sense to waste some if you’ll feel better in an hour or so. Just go lie down upstairs,” she advised. Eleyna thought hard. If Pablo didn’t get that crystal for Javier, after she’d made a deal with him, he’d bug her about it forever.

“Please, Aunt Cat? I only want a tiny little bit. My tummy really hurts.”

With a sigh, Catherine replied: “I said no, Eleyna. You don’t need it.”

“It hurts so bad … I think I’m dying,” she gasped, pretending to swoon. “I am, I’m gonna die. It’s the end. Goodbye, world … ”

“It can’t be that bad,” Cat insisted. “How much did you swallow?”

The response was a drawn-out groan. Catherine ignored her; a customer entered, a thin sallow man who looked like a stiff breeze would knock him over. “Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?”

He opened his mouth, only to cough into a handkerchief. “Sorry. I need some, uh … oh, what’s it called … the yellow crystal.”

“That’s it,” he agreed, coughing. “One scoop of citrine, please.”

Catherine went to the case where the citrine powder was kept. Eleyna implored the customer, “Mister, please … buy some aventurine. I need it … I’m dying.” She moaned piteously; he stared at her in alarm.

“She’s not dying,” said Catherine. “She has a tummy ache, that’s all.”

“Do you know her?” he inquired. Then he coughed again.

“She’s my niece.”

Eleyna bent double. “I’m gonna be sick,” she declared, making as if to heave. The man frowned. Cat sold him the citrine, assuring him that of course she’d take care of the poor child, yes, “have a nice day.”

When he was gone, Cat turned to Eleyna. “You’re making a fool of yourself, girl, carrying on like that, and now you’ve embarrassed me, as well. That man’s going to think I’m neglecting you.”

“You are neglecting me.” Eleyna pointed at the aventurine. “You have the cure to my suffering, and you won’t let me have even the tiniest sprinkle … ”

Cat was at her wit’s end. “You only act like this when you want something. So what is it you’re really after?” she demanded. “Come on, out with it.”

“Aventurine,” Eleyna insisted. “I told you. It’s an emergency.”

“What exactly has gotten you sick enough to need aventurine?”

“I swallowed seawater.”

“You must’ve swallowed a lot, then. Were you trying to make yourself sick?”

Her aunt looked sceptical. Eleyna was getting desperate. Pablo would be impatient by now; he’d think she’d gone back on their deal. Then he’d cook up some kind of revenge scheme, and she wasn’t in the mood for all that. Cat’s piercing stare rooted her to the spot. Her aunt was the one person she could never convincingly lie to.

“It’s not really for me,” she admitted, straightening. “It’s for Javier. He’s sick, and I told Pablo I’d get some aventurine to heal him with, but I can’t afford it and I knew you wouldn’t give me any unless I was sick.”

Cat raised an eyebrow. “Is that right?” she asked. “Where is Pablo?”

“He’s waiting in the alley. D’you want me to go get him?”

“Yes, and hurry up,” said Cat. Eleyna ran outside. To her relief, Pablo was still loitering in the alleyway behind their street, kicking at stones.

“You took your time,” he grumbled, holding a hand out. “Where is it?”

“I tried to pretend I had a tummy ache, but she didn’t fall for it. Come on, you gotta tell her Javier really is sick,” she insisted. They ran to the shopfront. “Go on then, tell her about Javier,” she prompted.

“Mrs Flanders, he really is sick. He keeps throwing up and – um, y’know, the other thing – and his stomach hurts, and his mum says he can barely eat nothing. She can’t afford to buy crystals, though.”

Cat was sympathetic, but even so … “There are cheaper ways to cure an upset stomach. Has Javier’s mother tried ginger or camomile tea?”

“Duh. That was the first thing she tried, but it’s not working! It helps for a bit but then it wears off. Javier needs to be healed. You sell healing crystals. If anything can cure him it’s this aventurine, right? Please, he needs some. I’m scared he’s gonna die if he doesn’t get it.”

“Okay,” Cat sighed, “if it’s to help a sick child, I suppose that’s worth using up a bit of stock for.” She spooned powdered aventurine into a pouch, then gave it to Pablo. “Your friend’s mother needs to boil a pinch of this in water and strain it into his broth every morning until he’s feeling better.”

Pablo hesitated. “It ain’t gonna turn him into a rock-head, is it?” he asked warily. Eleyna and Catherine stared at him in bewilderment.

“What’s a rock-head?”

“Like a corpse, but rock, except it moves and you can make it do stuff. When a man’s hanged, they’re made into a rock-head and enslaved.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re thinking of fossils, and nobody makes fossils move. Now are you going to take this aventurine to your friend or not, boy?”

He took the bag, mumbling a quick: “Thanks, ma’am.” Then he and Eleyna took the pouch to Javier’s house together. His mother opened the door. Pablo gave her the pouch full of crystal, explaining what to do. She was very grateful, and asked Eleyna to “give my regards to your aunt, won’t you?”

“Thanks for the help,” Pablo remarked, after Javier’s mum had shut the door. “I owe you one. Maybe you’re not so bad after all. For a girl.”

“Gee, thanks,” Eleyna scoffed. Still … maybe he wasn’t so bad either. “Does that mean you’re gonna stop calling me those stupid nicknames?”

“Hmm … nah. They suit you!” he grinned. Indignant, she started to count down from five, and he bolted. Eleyna ran after him. “Catch me if you can, Ley-Ley!” he yelled over his shoulder, laughing. Clearly some things weren’t about to change anytime soon … but then, Eleyna was having fun too.

Trill and her friends each stood in front of a firestone; the three that she’d taken from Stone Cracker’s hoard, and one from her parents’ small hoard. They would smash the stones and swallow the tiny pieces; then they’d be able to breathe fire, and sense other firestones or their fellow dragons.

“Is everyone ready?” asked Chirr-See. “Good. Ready, steady … stamp!”

Trill brought her paw down hard as she could. The impact jarred her bones and the firestone jabbed at her scales; she bit back a whimper of pain and pulled away to look at it. There was no sign of the stone breaking, not even a crack. Her wings sagged in disappointment, and she licked at her sore paw. Her friends were peering at their own firestones, purring and trilling.

“Mine has a crack in it!” Click-Coo yipped, pawing at her stone. Sure enough, a jagged line ran across it. Trill felt a bit envious, and stamped again on her firestone with the other paw. Then both her paws hurt, and still no crack.

Snort-Snarl boasted, “I chipped mine!” He stamped again, and cracks spread over the crystal. The young drake preened. Trill reared up and brought both paws crashing down on the firestone. It skittered between her claws, but didn’t break. Trill growled. She wasn’t strong enough. It wasn’tfair.

“Try making a hollow to put the firestone in,” suggested Chirr-See. “That’s what my dam always does.” His firestone had a crack in it too; only Trill hadn’t made even a scratch. She tried doing what Chirr-See said, and the stone didn’t move this time, but she still didn’t crack it, let alone break it.

“Don’t worry,” said Click-Coo, “You’ll get the hang of it one day.” Trill knew her friend meant well, but it didn’t make her feel any better. She wanted to get the hang of it now. This whole thing had been her idea, after Growl-Hiss boasted about how well he could shatter firestones now. Trill didn’t want him to mock her for being too weak and small to be able to smash a firestone.

Except that she was too weak and small. “It might take a while,” Snort-Snarl huffed, “because you need to get a bit bigger first. A lot bigger, really.”

Chirr-See swatted at him. “That’s mean!” he growled. “She can’t help it!”

“Of course not,” Click-Coo declared. “It’s not like she can help being a runt.”

Trill lashed her tail, and glared. “I can do it!” she snarled, determined. “I’ll prove it! I’m not just a runt!” She lifted her paw and stamped on the firestone with all her might. There was a crack – and Trill recoiled. She couldn’t put her paw down. “It hurts,” she whimpered, “I think it’s broken. Guys, go get help!”

Chirr-See stayed whilst the others scampered off as fast as they could. He whined and tried to give her paw a soothing lick. She flinched, batting him away with a wing. Curling her paw in close to her chest, Trill cringed and did her best not to move it too much. It felt like it was being crushed by an enemy’s jaws. At last, their friends returned with her sire and dam.

“Oh sweetling,” Fee-Bee crooned, nuzzling her gently. “How did this happen?”

Lightning noticed something on the ground. “Are those firestones?” he asked. The other fledglings ducked their heads in shame; they’d wanted to surprise their parents, so had not told any full-grown dragons what they were doing. “Is that how you hurt your paw? Trying to break them?” he guessed.

Trill whimpered and nodded. He told her friends to go home, and her dam helped her onto his back. Trill hid her head under her wing, embarrassed. She didn’t want to be carried … but she didn’t want to have to limp back to their nest, either. When her sire landed, Trill awkwardly climbed off and curled in on herself. Fee-Bee lowered her head. “Let me see your paw.”

Trill sat back and let her dam sniff at the injured limb. “I don’t smell blood or rot,” Fee-Bee said calmly. “You just stamped on the ground too hard. It happens. Keep purring, that will help ease the pain and heal it,” she advised. Purring was the last thing Trill felt like doing, but she tried it nevertheless.

“Why were you trying to smash firestones?” Lightning inquired, head tilted.

“To practice,” she replied, whining softly. “If I can’t, they’ll all make fun of me!”

His eyes narrowed. “Who are ‘they’? Who is making fun of you?” he asked, baring his teeth defensively. Trill knew he was cross at her bullies, not her, but she still flinched. He relaxed his aggressive posture and nuzzled her.

She disliked telling her parents about Growl-Hiss. He was higher-ranking; if her sire tried to make him stop, he’d complain to his sire, who might challenge her sire to a fight. Instead she answered, “The other fledglings. My friends can crack their firestones, but I couldn’t even scratch mine!”

“You’re young, dear,” Fee-Bee crooned. “Where did you even get firestones?”

Trill stiffened. She couldn’t tell them that. “You mean I’m too small,” she huffed, lashing her tail. “I know other fledglings have started breaking them, but I can’t. All because I’m a runt,” Trill growled. “I’m too weak. It’s not fair. I don’t wanna be a runt, I wanna be big and strong and breathe fire!”

Her parents glanced at each other in concern. They loved their daughter the way she was, but they knew it bothered her to be small. Fee-Bee nuzzled her. “You don’t need to be able to break firestones yet, sweetling. Besides, the first time you breathe fire will be so special, we want to be there for it.”

“She’s right, you know,” Lightning purred. “You have plenty of time.”

Trill had lots of time now. She wouldn’t be stamping on anything with a broken paw. The purring helped, but only a little bit. She couldn’t play or go far from the nest, except to relieve herself. As much as she hated to admit it, she was too small to smash a firestone, but she didn’t want to give up. She just needed to think about it for a while.

Pablo was waiting when Eleyna returned from swimming. He offered her a hand up. “Uh, thanks. What do you want?” she asked. “Is Javier sick again?”

“Nah, he’s off … doing something else,” he replied, then winked at her and asked, “So, uh, are you a siren? Because I saw you rise out of the sea!”

Eleyna stared at him. “Wow, you still have a pair of working eyes, well done you,” she said sardonically. Why are boys always so dumb? she wondered.

“D’you like dates?” he asked out of nowhere. “You and I could have one.”

What is he talking about?“You’re being weird. Either tell me what you’re really after, or go away,” she ordered, wringing out her blouse. Pablo stared at her. “And quit looking at me like that, you creep,” Eleyna scoffed in disgust, striding past. She’d been having a nice day, and then he had to –

“Wait!” He jogged after her. “Ellie – I mean, Eleyna! Wait up. I, um … ” She ignored him, until Pablo blurted out, “D’you wanna come to my house?”

It was such an odd question – coming from him – that she stopped and looked at him dubiously. Pablo fidgeted. “D’you wanna come round to my place and … and have dinner? My mum cooks a great spiced chicken.”

I do like spiced chicken … Eleyna asked, “You want me to come over for dinner? Okay, first, why didn’t you just say that, and second, why now? You’ve known me for almost five years and you’ve never invited me anywhere.”

“Okay, look, the truth is … I think I like you. I mean as in, like you, like you.” Her eyes widened. “I wanna go out with you. Or something. I dunno. So d’you wanna come round or not?” he asked, not looking her in the eyes.

“I … wait, you like me? You sure got a funny way of showing it,” Eleyna said scornfully. Pablo flinched. Maybe he was serious, or trying to be, at least. When Javier wasn’t around, he was surprisingly less annoying. “Sorry. I’m just … surprised. I guess … if your mum’s making spiced chicken, I can come over to yours.” Free food was free food, and it was one of her favourite meals.

“Really? I mean, uh, sure. We usually eat at seven. D’you remember the way there?” he asked. As kids they’d both followed each other home, to see if they could. Pablo lived in a different, just as rundown neighbourhood.

Eleyna nodded. “I’m gonna go … tell my aunt. See ya.” She ran off back home. “I’m having dinner at Pablo’s house tonight,” she announced.

Cat raised an eyebrow. “Hello to you, too. Had a good swim?”

“Yeah. Pablo was there when I got out, and he was acting really weird. First he asked if I was a siren because I’d got out of the sea – like, duh – and if I liked dates, and he stared at me like he’s never seen me before. Then he asked me if I wanted to come round for dinner. He thinks he likes me.”

Cat lips twisted into a wry smile. “All that stuff about sirens and dates sounds like he was trying to flirt with you. Poor boy must’ve been nervous.”

“Yeah, but why would he try to flirt with me now? Nothing’s changed.”

“You’ve changed, Eleyna. You’re not a little girl anymore. You’re at the age when boys will start to … notice you more, and you them,” Cat tried to explain delicately. When Eleyna looked confused, she decided to be more blunt. “What I’m saying is that your friend thinks you’re pretty. Which you are.”

“There’s no way he thinks I’m pretty, Aunt Cat. Pablo always picks on me.”

“Oh, that’s normal. Happens all the time. Boys always think they need to do something ridiculous to get a girl’s attention. Besides, you must have a bit of a thing for him too,” she remarked slyly. “You did agree to go to his house.”

Eleyna rolled her eyes. “His mum’s making spiced chicken. I’m going for the free food,” she insisted. Her aunt continued to smirk. “I don’t like him, okay?”

Still smirking, Cat said lightly, “You’d be surprised at how people can change. Pablo might seem annoying now, but he’s growing up, and so are you. Besides, first crushes never last anyway. I wouldn’t worry if I were you.”

“I’m not worried,” Eleyna declared, “and I do not like Pablo like that!”

That evening, she went to his house. Mrs Arintero welcomed her in. “It’s nice to see you. I’m afraid my husband is still out working,” she said apologetically. Her son rolled his eyes whilst she wasn’t looking.

After dinner, Pablo showed her how they could get into the attic, and from there onto the roof. It was a great view; they could see all the way from the Church of the Celestial Triarchy to the Imperial Hall, where the governor of San Nicolas ruled from. Pablo didn’t even pretend to push her off the roof. He was being nice to her, and it was unsettling. “Okay, we’re alone now. You can tell me what you’re really up to.”

“Why do you always assume I’m up to something?” he demanded. Eleyna folded her arms and gave a sardonic stare. “I’m not up to anything,” Pablo insisted. “Cross my heart. I … wanna date you,” he blushed. “Happy now?”

Eleyna felt a weird sensation in her stomach, like she’d swallowed a moth. “I don’t get why you wanna date me,” she admitted. “Is it because I’m pretty?”

“I guess … but don’t tell anyone I said that. Especially not Javier, he’ll think I’ve gone soft,” Pablo glared. She smirked at him. “I mean it!” he snapped.

“Okay, I promise I won’t tell anyone you think I’m pretty. Cross my heart.”

“Good. So … can I date you?” he asked. “I won’t call you Ellie. Or Ley-Ley.”

It was tempting, but Eleyna wasn’t sure. “I’ll think about it,” she promised, “and tell you at the pier tomorrow. So, uh, thanks for inviting me to dinner.”

That night she could barely sleep, wondering whether she should date Pablo or not. Eleyna woke for what felt like the thousandth time – or perhaps she’d never fallen asleep in the first place – and heard hushed voices outside her window. Her room became terribly stuffy if she didn’t leave it open a crack.

Eleyna crept across to the window, peering out into the darkness. A man was standing at the back door, delivering crystals; he was flirting with her aunt. Cat was flirting with him in return. Eleyna dismissed it; she’d seen this plenty of times before. Her aunt would get a lower price on the goods …

She paused. Her aunt flirted – with who delivered the crystals, with the customers – and if it worked for her aunt, why couldn’t it work for her? Maybe it’ll be fun to date Pablo, she figured. See what I can get out of him. I can always dump him if I get bored. First crushes never last. He'll get over me.

The next day, Pablo met her at the pier. He looked nervous and hopeful. “I thought about it, and I figured I might as well. So yeah, you can date me.”

“Yes!” he cheered, punching the air. “What do you want to do now?”

“How about we go and snag ourselves a couple of peaches? Y’know, for old times’ sake.” Pablo grinned. The two of them headed to get up to mischief.

It wasn’t long before they were both sitting on the pier, munching their ill-gotten fruit. “I’m going on a ship one day,” Eleyna declared, pocketing the peach stone. “Aunt Cat says my mum was a great sailor. When I’m old enough I’ll sail the high seas and become a world-famous adventurer.”

“You can’t,” he insisted, “sailors don’t let girls onto ships. It’s bad luck, innit?”

“I’ll dress up as a boy,” she shot back. “I am gonna be famous. You watch.”

“Famous for what? Slaying dragons? Coming back from Entedines?”

“It’s an island that’s so dangerous no one’s ever come back from it alive!”

“If no one’s come back alive, how do they know there’s an island there?”

“You can see islands from a distance, idiot. I’m not making this up. It means ‘forbidden isle’ … or was it ‘foreboding’? Either way, it’s real. Legend says there’s a monster there that eats anyone who enters its lair. Or it might be sirens; they lure you in and make you dive off the ship, then they eat you.”

“Sure. So where is this ‘forbidden isle’, anyway? And I’m not an idiot.”

“I dunno, do I? It’s not on maps because it’s forbidden. Obviously.”

“More like it’s not on maps because it doesn’t exist. But if it does, one day I’ll find it and come back alive. I’ll bring you back some proof. Deal?”

“We could go together,” he suggested. “Me, you and Javier. You’ll need someone with muscle out at sea.” Pablo flexed. Eleyna rolled her eyes.

It had been a week since her accident, and Trill was extremely bored. As she swatted rocks at a boulder, a pockmarked one shattered when it struck. Trill had failed to do the same to that firestone. Her injured paw was a constant reminder. It was so frustrating that she could break that rock, but not …

Her head tilted. Trill knew the pockmarked rocks were easily broken. Even she could crush small pieces under her paws, although other hatchlings could smash whole chunks. Rocks can break other rocks. Can a rock break a firestone? Trill wondered. If that was so, she’d have a way to shatter them.

First she had to figure out what kind of rock to use; the ones with little holes in them broke too easily. Trill found chunks of rock that were very hard; even when she dropped them off a ledge, they didn’t break. Trill borrowed a firestone from her parents’ hoard. If it didn’t work, she’d just put them back.

With her bad paw curled in close to her chest, Trill scraped out a dip for the firestone. Then she curled her claws around a rock, sat back on her haunches and stamped the rock down onto the firestone as hard as she could. When she moved it away, the firestone had a small but visible chip in it. Trill gave a delighted chirp and bashed it again, and then another blow.

Her foreleg was getting tired. The firestone was cracking, but it still hadn’t broken. It might be faster and easier if she dropped the rock onto the firestone instead. So she raised it once more, and let it fall with a thump.

Hardly daring to hope, Trill nudged the rock aside. Underneath were several pieces of firestone, not small enough to swallow yet; but she had done it. She smashed a firestone! She warbled joyfully, “It worked! It really worked!”

“What worked?” Fee-Bee inquired, padding over to have a look. Her dam’s eyes widened at the sight of the firestone pieces. “You broke it? How?”

The pain in her paw was forgotten as Trill purred. Her sire would want to see her clever trick. “Go find father! I want to show him too,” she urged. As it happened, Lightning was returning from fishing. He landed and Trill cried: “Look! I can break firestones now, I worked it out!” She picked up the rock again and dropped it. This time the pieces shattered into lots of tiny shards.

Her sire and dam were thrilled. “Well done, sweetheart! You’re so clever,” praised Fee-Bee, nuzzling her. “We’re proud to have you as our daughter.”

Trill was purring so much she trembled from nose to tail tip. She lowered her head and gulped the bits of firestone into her crop. The pieces made her cough. “Can I breathe fire now?” she asked eagerly, “can I try, please?”

“Go ahead,” her sire encouraged. Trill looked at the boulder and opened wide. She tensed her neck and belly, squeezing the shards in her crop. Gas in her belly rushed to her mouth, and some flowed out before a spark was made and – whoosh. A small, bright tongue of flame burst out of her mouth, scorching the rock. Trill flapped her wings and pawed at the air, excited.

“I did it! I breathed fire!” She threw her head back and did it again, the flames jetting up towards the sky. Her parents breathed fiery plumes of their own in celebration. Then her dam suggested that she try finding firestones as well.

“Close your eyes, and we’ll put a firestone near you.” Trill shut them tight and waited. Then she limped around, trying to sense where the firestone was. She felt a pleasant hum in her throat when she turned to the right, more and more until she opened her eyes, and the firestone was right in front of her.

She purred in delight. “Well done,” Fee-Bee praised her. “Remember, if you ever feel alone or run out of fire, follow the humming. You’ll find more firestones, or other dragons.” Trill couldn’t wait to show off this new trick to her friends; when her paw healed, she would never have to hurt it again.

A week after they started dating, Eleyna and Pablo had their first kiss. It turned out to be tricky to pull off; other people made it look easy. They spied on couples outside bars and brothels, trying to figure out the technique.

“Ow! You hit my nose!”

“You hit my nose! Okay, this time, tilt your head to the side.”

“It doesn’t matter! Just do it, okay?”

“Alright, alright.” Eleyna tilted her head to the left and leaned in, eyes closed … she felt Pablo’s mouth on the corner of hers. Their chins bumped.

“You tilted your head too much.”

“I didn’t, you did! How about I kiss you? Girls are better than boys, anyway.”

He rolled his eyes. “Who told you that? Let’s try again. Third time lucky.”

At last their lips met properly, and lingered for a few seconds before they pulled away. Eleyna felt strangely disappointed. She’d overheard other people talking about their first kiss like it was the most amazing thing ever, but that had just felt … weird. On the bright side, she managed to pinch a few tavos out of Pablo’s pocket. He’d done the same, she realised soon after.

They dated off and on, a back-and-forth of stolen kisses and stolen tavos. Often they’d pickpocket the same things from each other; it was all part of the game. Besides, it wasn’t all duping each other. Eleyna had a lot of firsts whilst dating Pablo. Her first beer, her first bet, her first smoke of a pipe, lit with a borrowed quartz lighter …

It all came to a head one night. They were hanging out in an alley, drinking from bottles stolen from a tavern, the Galleon O’ Rum. A nearby hatch led into the cellar; Pablo told her he and Javier snuck in there all the time. “It’s getting cooler,” she remarked, shivering slightly.

“Yeah, the sun is setting. My bedroom will be warmer,” Pablo suggested, draining his bottle and tossing it aside. Eleyna did the same and followed him. His parents had gone out for the evening, and they were home alone …

A dragon’s first flight was a rite of passage. It marked them as full-grown, able to hunt and fend for themselves. They had to climb to the rim of the caldera, where usually only the highest ranking dragons perched. All they had to do was fly across to the other side; if they couldn’t make it, they’d splash down into the lake or tumble down the slopes, unharmed.

The adults made it sound easy, but Trill knew better. If she failed, her bullies would never let her forget it. So she practiced. She flapped until her wings ached, climbed onto and leapt off of every ledge and boulder she could find.

At last, the day she dreaded arrived. The fledglings had to make their own way up; being carried was a sign of weakness. Trill felt out of breath; it was a very steep climb. She was behind the other fledglings, and couldn’t see the other side of the basin, or the lake they had to cross in order to reach it.

Trill wanted to reach the far shore, if nothing else. Even if she was the last one across, she’d get there or die of embarrassment trying. Adults watched from all sides; she craned her neck to look around, and spotted her parents hovering overhead, side by side. Trill wished it was only them watching; maybe then she wouldn’t be so nervous. When were they supposed to go?

Wings stretched, they braced themselves … a bellow rang like thunder, and the fledglings surged forwards. When she reached the edge, Trill pushed off with all her might. She flapped hard as she could, and to her relief, didn’t immediately fall out of the sky. Encouraged by her success, Trill attempted to glide; but quickly floundered and sank, flapping frantically to gain height.

She struggled to regain altitude; other fledglings soared on by. Trill began to fly forwards, hoping to cross even if she was lower than everyone else. Her wings were not as broad as theirs, nor as strong. The lake was too huge. Too close. She was growing tired already, and not even halfway there. The thought of Growl-Hiss making fun of her for it spurred Trill to keep going.

It wasn’t enough. She didn’t even make it halfway before she couldn’t stay in the air. Despite her best efforts, the water’s surface rushed up to meet her, and Trill splashed into it. She paddled to shore, aching and disappointed.

Trill climbed out. Curling in on herself, she watched the others cross the lake. A few of them faltered and made a break for the nearer shores, or fell into the water, but she had been the first to do so. Her sire and dam came to land on either side, lowering their heads to nuzzle her. She flinched away from the affection, startling them. “I’m not in the mood,” Trill growled.

Fee-Bee assured her, “It’s not your fault, sweetling. You did your best, we’re proud of you … ” She tried once more to nuzzle Trill, but again her daughter moved away. “Darling, we don’t care if you couldn’t cross the lake.”

“I care!” Trill snarled, tail lashing. “So does everyone else! That’s why they’re doing this. I was the first to fail. I tried as hard as I could, but I’m a weakling,” she growled, more at herself than her dam. “I’ll never be a good flier,” Trill declared, head hanging despondently. “Maybe I’ll never be able to fly at all.”

Her parents were at a loss for how to cheer her. They left the caldera and went back to their nest. Trill’s wings were hunched in close to her back; her tail dragged on the ground. Lightning and Fee-Bee rumbled in concern when she simply curled up in the shade of a boulder, head tucked under her wing.

Eleyna woke up slowly, feeling sore, but also … really good. Her head thumped. It could be worse … then Eleyna realised this wasn’t her bed. She cringed. Aunt Cat is gonna kill me. She climbed out of the bed and began to dress. Pablo stirred, and she froze. He rolled over and went back to sleep, snoring.

At the last minute she remembered her original plan. Tiptoeing to Pablo’s side, she searched for his money pouch and emptied the coins into her pockets. He owed her anyway. There was a tree outside his window; she edged out onto a branch, then climbed down and found her way back to her own house. Only when she reached her street did something occur to her, and she checked her own money pouch. It wasn’t there. “Now I’m really glad I stole his tavos,” Eleyna muttered to herself. At least he hadn’t nicked her key to the back door.

Slipping inside, she closed the door very quietly. Eleyna jumped when the door to the rest of the flat banged open. Aunt Cat glared at her, furious.

“Where,” Catherine hissed, “in the name of the Rogue have you been, girl?!”

Eleyna gulped. “I came down for a drink of water,” she lied, using the first excuse that came to mind. “I’ve been in bed, auntie. I don’t know what you – ”

Cat gripped her arm like a vice. “Don’t lie to me. You went out and didn’t come back all night. I've been worried sick, what were you doing?”

“I – ” before Eleyna could think of an alibi, her aunt grasped her chin and sniffed. She released Eleyna, who stumbled away, rubbing at her sore arm.

“You’ve been drinking,” Cat frowned, “and you didn’t come back last night … Eleyna, please tell me you and Pablo didn’t … have a brush, did you?” she demanded. The girl blushed crimson before she could stop herself, and Catherine bit back a curse. She hurried over to the herb cupboard. “It might not be too late. Sit down, I’m making the antidote for your … dalliance.”

“It’s not even the right time of the month for … that to happen.”

“If you think that matters, then you’re more naive than I thought,” she retorted, putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. “I swear to every deity in existence, girl, if you’ve caught, we are not keeping it!” Cat warned. “And you’re not dating that boy again, either. Not if this is the sort of mess you get into!”

Eleyna scowled. “That’s not fair! Just ‘causeyou don’t wanna sleep with a guy – ”

“That has nothing to do with it. This is about you being an irresponsible brat. How did you plan to raise a baby when we barely get by as it is? Would you get a job, or expect me to raise it? Did you think your boyfriend would propose and play happy families? Maybe you’d beg on the streets like – ”

“I get the picture!”

“Do you? Or are you just saying that?” Cat demanded, stirring herbs into the water. “Your actions have consequences. You never think things through. I’m telling you this for your own good.” She strained the herbs, and waited for it to not be scalding before making Eleyna drink the foul brew. The girl gagged. With any luck, the unpleasantness would make the lesson stick.

Pablo met Eleyna at the pier. Neither of them could meet the other’s eyes. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he held out her money pouch. Eleyna double checked it wasn’t empty (though if it had been, she would have simply kept some of his tavos). Satisfied, she gave Pablo his money.

“My aunt was really mad when she realised what we did,” Eleyna confessed.

“Yeah. So was my mum. She saw the sheets,” explained Pablo, wincing. “Boy, was she mad. Get this – she thinks you’re a bad influence on me.”

Eleyna scuffed her boot on the ground. “Aunt Cat says I can’t date you anymore. She doesn’t want us to sleep together, but … we can be careful. Like not drinking so much, and stick to kissing. I don’t wanna break up yet.”

“Yeah. It’s not like my folks or your aunt need to know we’re dating,” he said slyly. “We might have gone a bit too far last night … but I had a good time.”

Eleyna smirked. “Me too. So … you wanna hang out? Go on a not-date.”

“I promised Javier I’d hang out with him; you can come as well, if you want.”

She shook her head. “You go on; he’s your best friend. I’ll see you around.”

Pablo shrugged, and offered her a fist bump. “Yeah. See you around, El.”

Trill was nudged awake. She groaned and curled into a tighter ball. “We have something to show you,” her sire crooned, nudging her again. “You’ll like it, trust me.” With a reluctant grumble, she stretched with a yawn and got to her feet. Lightning crouched down and jerked his head at his shoulders.

Trill was about to protest that she was too old to be carried, then recalled that she couldn’t fly. Then again … it was early. No one was awake to see.

She scrambled on, trying to find room now she was bigger – but not by much. It was still easy for her sire to carry her off the fire-mountain and towards the ocean. Lightning rose higher and higher, towards the fluffy clouds. “Where are we going?” she asked curiously, looking around.

“Nowhere, really.” Fee-Bee flew alongside them, brushing her wingtip against his. They glided through the air. Trill felt jealous. Her parents made it look easy. “You can fly here. Jump off my back, and spread your wings wide.”

Trill squawked and dug her claws in. “I can’t! I’ll fall! Into the sea!”

“Don’t be silly,” Fee-Bee teased. “If you fall, we’ll catch you. Just try, dearest.”

Now she felt embarrassed; of course they’d catch her, and at least she couldn’t crash-land. So Trill stood up, and peered nervously over her sire’s shoulder. The wind was fierce, blowing past her – in the same direction that her parents were flying. Slowly, eyes wide, Trill raised her wings … and leapt.

For one heart-stopping moment she plummeted; but she flapped, wings outstretched. The current swept her along, held her aloft. For the first time in her life, Trill soared. “I’m flying!” she shrieked in delight. “Look, I’m flying!”

It wasn’t the same as flying on her own; but it was a start. Trill decided she would just have to keep trying. After all, she couldn’t stay grounded forever.