How to Tame Your Dragon

[StarGazer]

A wave of relief washed over him when he saw the dragon run to him. The adrenaline ceased running through his body and he collapsed against Alphonsus. "I thought you left... You kept acting like you wanted to leave and when I woke up you were no longer there... "Please don't leave without telling me. I'll worry. Where did you go so late at night anyway?" he asked as he looked into his eyes questioningly almost as if he was searching for the answer in them.

 

His hair was a mess, coming out of the fabric he used to tie it back. There was dirt all over his face, hands, and down the front of his cloths which had small rips from the thorns. There were even some small thorns stuck in his skin. Though he hardly noticed. He was just happy to see the dragon didn't leave him after all.

[LoneDigger]

"They were being cruel to her..."

 

Was the only explanation the dragon could come up with at the moment, he just didn't know how to explain it all right now. Besides, it was neither here nor there. Torin was distressed and hurt, it was all his fault to top it off.

 

He did his best to clean up Torin right there, licking the back of his hand and rubbing it against the dirt to wipe it off. As for the thorns he would need to see better.

 

"We should go back..."

 

Alphonsus muttered as he lead them through the first back to the cabin

[StarGazer]

Torin took a hold of the other male's arm and walked back along side him. His words echoed in his mind. They were being cruel to her. Being cruel to who and who were they? His answer only brought more questions, but there would be time for that once they got back.

 

When they finally reached the cabin, he headed strait over to the fireplace. It was quite chilly at night and in the confusion, Torin forgot to take his coat so he was quite chilled. He pulled a blanket around himself as he huddled by the fire. In the light it was clear to see his injuries were only minor scrapes and bruises. Luckily the thorns weren't very big and only stuck into his skin, not reaching all the way down to the muscle.

 

"You should come warm up too. It's really cold outside at night." He said he turned his head to look at him and opened up the blanket for him to get under as well.

[LoneDigger]

Alphonsus sat next to Torin by the fire, sitting in silence while they warmed up and gave them some time to settle before doing anything more.

 

"...You're going to need to take off the blanket and your clothing for a moment while I get the thorns out."

 

Flesh was so pesky, scales were better when it came to protection but humans were soft. Even his own skin was more sensitive like this, not used to being exposed.

[StarGazer]

Torin moved back defensively and mumbled. "I can do it." Even though he knew Alphonsus meant well, he wasn't willing to let him touch the thorns. Each time he moved he could feel the thorns in his skin and it hurt. He was afraid that the process of pulling them out would hurt worse.

 

Even still, he knew they needed to come out before his cuts became infected. "You can go get me some water from the stream nearby. I will need it to wash up afterwords." He handed him a bucket in hopes that if he was given a job to do, he would give up on being the one to take the thorns out.

[LoneDigger]

"No thanks."

 

He replied promptly, handing the bucket back to Torin quickly. It would seem he was being difficult or lazy refusing to do that job, but in reality the dragon was deathly afraid of water. A little stream shouldn't have been a worry, but he didn't know how to swim and with his wings how could he fly out? It was just too dangerous.

[StarGazer]

Torin huffed. He didn't understand why Alphonsus would refuse to do such a simple task. "Alright then. I will do it." He stood and put his coat on, but then quickly took it off. The weight of his coat caused the thorns on his arms to dig further into his skin causing more pain. "I'll be back." He mumbled before walking out, bucket in hand.

[LoneDigger]

"Be careful...."

 

Alphonsus warned as he curled back up by the fire since he wasn't being any help he might as well get comfortable and warm up again

[StarGazer]

Torin returned a few minutes later with the water. He set the tin bucket over the fire to warm up. He glanced at Alphonsus before moving to a dark corner of the cabin, not wanting him to watch.

 

He sat with his back to him before removing his shirt. Slowly and carefully he began to remove the thorns. After he had about half of them out, he stopped. The pain was just too much. He didn't want to continue even though he knew they needed to come out.

[LoneDigger]

Alphonsus dozed off for awhile, but soon awoke to the fresh scent of blood. He stretched a little before crawling over to Torin and without really offering he started to feel gently around for the thorns and plucking them out swiftly.

[StarGazer]

"No!" Torin cried out as he tried to move away from the other, but he had nowhere to go. He was backed into a corner, literally. The only way to get away from Alphonsus was to move past him, but he couldn't do that.

 

He whimpered pitifully, flinching each time a thorn was removed. "Stop it hurts." He whined and turned so he was facing him.

[LoneDigger]

"You've been through much worse than this and now you want to whimper? Honestly..."

 

Alphonso sighed, but continued to be firm in keeping Torin there so he could help him.

They would be done faster if the other would quiet squirming, but soon enough he had the last of them out.

 

"There, now you can hit me and cry all you want. We're done."

[StarGazer]

Torin sniffles slightly before shaking his head. "I won't cry.... and I won't hit you. You were just trying to help me" He leaned against him with a sigh. "That water should be warm enough by now, but I'm too tired to do anymore.... I promise I will be more cooperative now so would you help me?"

[LoneDigger]

"Very well."

 

Alphonsus sighed again, but he actually didn't mind helping the other since he had already tried to do so. He shuffled over to the stove and somehow with bare hands was able to pick up the kettle to pour the hot water onto a cloth so could clean his wounds

[StarGazer]

Torin was shocked and worried when he saw Alphonsus lift the kettle bare handed so when the kettle was set down he quickly grabbed the others hands. "Wha... how are you still alright?" He asked in amazement, hardly able to believe his eyes. "The kettle is hot. You should have been burned." His fingers glided along his hands lightly, amazed that they still felt cool to the touch.

[LoneDigger]

"Dragons like heat. What else can I say?"

 

Alphonsus chuckled gently as he pulled his hands away so he could use them for rubbing the cloth over the wounds. He didn't see how this would help, other than the heat and wiping away the blood. Normally he just licked them. But Torin probably wouldn't appreciate that.

[StarGazer]

"Are you able to breath fire? I've heard dragons can do that. What about your scales? Is it true weapons can't pierce them?" He was very curious about dragons and always wanted to learn more.

 

The warm cloth felt soothing on his wounds. He yawned since he hadn't gotten much sleep that night. "Looks like it's morning." He muttered when he saw the light shining through the cabin. "So much for getting back to sleep."

[LoneDigger]

"Of we can... though it's said the dragons on the other side of the world can't, or ones that live in oceans. Particularly nothing can break our scales... Though every dragon's is made of a slighter different material."

 

Alphonsus didn't know where to put the cloth now that he was done using it so he just layed it over the other's back. It was still warm anyway.

 

"Good, this is the proper time for sleep."

 

The dragon muttered as he curled up again by the fire contently.

[StarGazer]

"What do you mean, this is the proper time to sleep? It's morning. Time to get up and work while it's still daylight and you can see." Torin stood slowly, feeling a bit stiff. He didn't really want to, but things needed to be done like taking care of that meat and chopping more firewood.

 

He placed the cloth near the fireplace to dry before stripping right in front of Alphonsus. His cloths were dirty and needed washed. He then dressed himself in his only other set of cloths, a plain white shirt and a pair of jeans.

[LoneDigger]

Humans were weird, his favorite times were dawn and dusk. And sometimes being active at night was just better than the day, but he did tend to shut down easier at night since most of his warmth and energy was from the sunlight.

 

"Why don't you just rest awhile longer before getting started?"

[StarGazer]

"Because if I fall asleep I probably won't wake up until evening and if that happens I won't get anything done. There's firewood to collect, deer meet to deal with, I have to wash my cloths, and there's the horse to feed too." Torin groaned inwardly. There was so much to do that he wasn't sure he if he could get it all done by night time. He wasn't taking into consideration that Alphonsus was with him now and could help. After all, he had been living on his own for a long time and was used to doing things on his own.

[LoneDigger]

"Responsibilities of a human is so dull..."

 

The dragon grumbled, but there was one chore that interested him.

 

"Can I fed her? Please? She's such a nice beast and has the most interesting stories to tell..."

[StarGazer]

Torin laughed a little when he saw how eager Alphonsus was to feed the horse. "Yes you can. The grain is in a bag near the gate. You just give her two scoops of it in the bucket that's hanging on the fence. While you do that I will go wash my cloths."

 

He scooped up the dirty clothing and carried it outside to the stream. There he knelt down and washed his cloths one at a time against the rocks on the edge of the water.

 

When he finished, his hands were ice cold from the water. He shivered while carrying the cloths back to the cabin. Once he hung them up outside to dry, he went in to warm his hands by the fire.

[LoneDigger]

Alphonsus may or may not have been talked into giving the mare an extra scoop or two of oats as they chatted together for quite a while. Of course she had many things to say about Torin too that the dragon did not know, most of all were positive.

He patted her neck once again before wandering back over to the cabin. Wanting to see how the other chores were coming along, before he could ask he saw that the stack of fire wood was dangerously low outside, so he took it upon himself to find more, carrying the axe along with him. What would have taken a human hours the dragon was able to chop up more than half the normal amount of fire wood and carrying it back to stack neatly, all in one seemingly easy motion. He wasn't tired either or sweating, just the same as usual.

[StarGazer]

Once Torin was warm again, he stepped outside. "Wow.. You fed the horse and chopped the firewood in that short of time? And to think you said you'd cause trouble for me. You've actually been a great help. Thank you." He was very surprised and pleased. It would normally take him a whole day chop that much wood. He wasn't very good at chopping firewood and would normally have blisters by the time he was finished with the task.

 

"I guess all that's left now is to take the meat to market. Want to have some lunch before going into town with me?" He asked before picking up an arm load of wood and taking it inside to replenish the stack inside by the fire.