| Drake |
| Drake paced back and forth in the den they had placed him when they arrived at the Healing Den. "Dragoneers that are...bond to dragons of the opposite gender?" Drake muttered to himself as he paced. He had never been able to bring himself to say the word homosexual or gay or whatever other word everyone else used. That was because he knew that the words referred to him. He didn't know how to tell anyone, especially Nell. She had been there for him since they were toddlers. She'd never understand. "Drake?" Nell sighed, peeking into the room. "Are you all right?" |
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| "I'm fine, Nell," Drake sighed, sitting down on his bed. "I'm fine." "You don't look fine," Nell sighed. "You look like you're going to be sick." Drake shook his head. He should have known Nell'd be able to see right through him. She placed her hand gently on his thigh. "Drake, tell me what's wrong," Nell sighed. "We've been friends forever. You've always told me everything. Why can't you tell me this?" Drake gulped, "Because it involves you. It involves you too fully." "What do you mean by that, Drake?" Nell sighed. "If it involves me, I want to know." "Nell, you wouldn't understand," Drake sighed. "We've been friends forever, and you always told me everything," Nell sighed. "Why can't you tell me this?" "You'll hate me if I tell you," Drake sighed. "All of you will." "When you're ready to tell me, Drake," Nell sighed, "I'll be in my Den." Drake nodded as Nell left the room. He wasn't going to tell her, but she'd probably realize when the dragon he bonded turned out to be female. *** Drake sighed as he watched the sunset. Everything seemed twice as beautiful as it had at the Institute. Maybe it was just the atmosphere a Caer put off that made everything so beautiful. "There's my star," Telven shouted, sitting down next to Drake. "What you doing, son?" "Um, nothing, Telven," Drake sighed. "Good, I thought maybe you and Nell could come reherse. I'm going to see if I can convince the Caerlady to let us perform," Telven said, whacking Drake on the back. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning." Drake sighed and turned back to the Healing Den. He wasn't going to reherse again. Not while Telven was their director. *** Drake gulped as the candidates filled onto the sands, hoping softly that a male dragon would chose him. Telven smiled brightly, clapping him on the back as Telven's brown flit perched on his shoulder. "Well, my boy, today's the day," Telven laughed. "Yeah," Drake muttered. "Something wrong?" Telven asked. "Nothing," Drake growled. It was only several minutes into the hatching when Nell bonded, a large dragon that seemed to be anger at the world. Drake stared a bit as the large green glanced over at him. She's telling Nell that I'm not right, Drake thought to himself. She's telling Nell to hate me. Within the next hour or so, several dragons hatch. From the very middle of the sands came a brilliant mint-green dragon from Treyeth’s nest. She was obviously her father’s daughter, with the sure posing and confident way of flapping her drying wings. Drake stood in awe of this green beauty. Telven stood beside him glanced at Drake, then back at the green. His jaw went slack as Drake stepped carefully toward the green. “He is,” Telven whispered mostly to himself. But he said nothing more, as the blond actor reached out his hand to the stunning green. “Peilith,” Drake said, “I hope I haven’t made a mistake coming here...” Even though he was used to being on center stage he felt like he was going to whither under the gaze of his theater friends. They would know now... You have made no mistakes I know of... Why would you think it a problem? Oh, I see... It is not your problem, it is theirs. I think you and I will get along. Even if someone calls you a name. I will bite them. “You wouldn’t!” Drake said, stunned. Of course not! You see, I am a good actor too! Relieved, laughing, Drake turned to see Telven smiling faintly among his friends. So now it would be obvious, and suddenly he didn’t care. Besides, Raven’d bonded a big red-brown male! Neither of them were going to get any ribbing about it, for fear of getting on the bad side of their dragons! Nell smiled to him, her dark green glaring at him, as he tried to avoid Telven's gaze. Nell patted him on the back as she lead him over to where the food was. "Congrats, Drake. She's a beauty," Nell said, laughing. "Nell, you..." "Don't care. If you were going to say don't care, you're right. I don't," Nell said. "Biurtonth might, but I don't." The large green snapped at him as he reached for a bowl of meat. Peilith growled softly in her throat, I know I said I was kinding about biting, but if she does that again, I swear... "Peilith, forget about it," Drake sighed. "It doesn't matter what she thinks or does. Nell doesn't care." *** Peilith rolled about as Biurtonth glared at her. Nell laughed, whacking Biurtonth on her head, "Stop it. It's not like Peilith is diseased." She has a malerider. That's worse, Biurtonth growled, looking over at Drake. Nell sighed softly, "I'm sorry, Drake. Really, she just hasn't learned, yet. I'm trying to teach her." "Nell, it's all right. I don't care anymore," Drake said, laughing. "Peilith loves me, and that's all that matters." That's right, Drake, Peilith says. I love you, and Biurtonth can go bite her own butt if she doesn't. Drake chuckled as he piered down at his little hatchling, "Now, Peilith, be nice." I am being nice, Peilith said, grinning. You don't want to see me be mean. Continue... |