A Good Friend

I followed the girl named Rill along a well-worn path through the undergrowth, a sign that indicated she had been making almost daily trips to the pond for years. It was only a few minutes before I caught sight of a homely cabin made of thick logs, with a stone and mortar chimney pumping out a thin line of blue smoke.

“Here we are,” she announced, bounding up to the front door and spreading her arms wide in a prideful flourish. Rapping her knuckles against the thick wood three times, she swung it open and gestured for me to follow, calling out, “Gran? I’m back!”

The interior of the shack was one large room, lit in a flickering light by the orange coals lying in the open hearth and two candle lanterns hung upon opposite walls. I was immediately hit by the faint smell of woodsmoke and the overpowering scent of whatever was cooking in the large pot that hung suspended from a metal rod over the hot embers, which elicited a hungry grumble from my belly. The air was warm from the fire, but considering that the current season was still late summer, it was surprisingly not overbearingly so.

Rill did not seem to mind the warmth either, entering without pause and hanging her bow and quiver on a hook by the door, along with her hooded shawl. I closed the door behind me as she went straight to the far corner of the room, where upon a mattress made of straw rested an ancient-looking woman; one whom was watching me with a stare that made my hackles rise.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Rill said as if she did not expect it, sitting in a wooden chair at the bedside and plumping up the old woman’s feather pillows in an effort to make her more comfortable.

I paused halfway across the room, a deep-set instinct telling me to tread cautiously. The air around the crone was filled with a strange pressure that radiated out across the space between us. There was something about her that spoke of danger, despite her age and appearance.

Pointing the wooden spoon she held in a white-knuckled grip in my direction, she exclaimed in a raspy voice, “Rill, stay away from him! He might wear the face of a man, but that is unmistakably a dragon!”

I exchanged a look with Rill, the expression on her face telling me that she was equally as confused as I was. This was the sort of reaction I expected from people, but that was when I was blatantly in dragon form. Just how had she seen through my disguise? It was Rill that broached the subject, laying a gentle hand on the woman’s arm and telling her, “Relax, Gran. I’m well aware of what he is, but he’s not evil or anything. I met him down at the pond. He’s…” she cast an uncertain glance at me before finishing, “…a friend.”

The woman’s eyes rocked back and forth between us dubiously before she visibly relaxed, allowing Rill to take away the spoon she held like a knife and sinking back into her pillows, the sensation which had filled the air shrinking along with her. In an almost defeated tone, she conceded, “Well, if you say so. There’s not much these old bones could do about it anyway.”

I let out a breath I had not realized I was holding, and closed the distance to join them. Just what was that? I wondered as I greeted her, “I am called Leolyn, ma’am. If I might ask, how did you know I was a dragon by just looking at me?”

She scoffed, waving a dismissive hand towards me. “I felt your presence before you ever reached the front door. Woke me right up from a nice little nap, let me tell you! I’m not sure what you’re playing at, but if you want to walk the world like a man, you should learn to suppress that draconic aura of yours. It’s an instant giveaway.”

My aura? I wondered. I was aware that most creatures had auras that could be sensed, mostly indicating their strength or killing intent. As a dragon, mine was normally enough to send lesser creatures running for their lives, but that was only when I wanted to make an impression. I had not realized that the effects were still lingering even after I was transformed, nor that others could so easily sense it. It was possible that this woman was especially attuned to such things, but it might also explain a bit about the imps’ initial reticence towards me, now that I thought about it. So, was that strange sensation just now her aura? If so…just what might she have been like in her prime?

“Granny, manners!” Rill scolded, waving the wooden spoon at her. “I invited him here for supper, so that makes him our guest. Be nice.”

The woman scrunched up her face, showing what she thought of the suggestion, but instead of making a fuss, she said, “Oh, alright. Leolyn, was it? You can call me Hedrya. Now, come and sit, and tell me how you’ve managed to beguile my granddaughter in the hours she’s been away.”

Rill rose to give me her seat at the bedside, winking at me as she went to check on the contents of the cauldron cooking in the fireplace. Meanwhile, I explained what had happened, how I had not noticed Rill bathing in the pond as I circled down from above.

“Really, it was my fault,” I admitted, “And from there, things just kind of…happened.”

The woman, Hedrya, let out a chuckle, nodding along with my story. “Yes, that sounds like my granddaughter. Strong-willed and free-spirited as always! But to invite a dragon to dinner, of all things. I guess what they say is true, after all; if you live long enough, you’ll see everything!”

Rill smiled as she stirred the contents of her pot, trying not to make it too obvious that she was eavesdropping on our conversation. Curious, I changed the subject, “So, that trick you did to suppress your aura. Could you teach me?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, chewing her gums in thought before cautiously responding, “I could. But, first I need to know why you are so intent on trying to pass as a human.”

That makes sense. Of course she won’t teach me something so useful until she knows I don’t intend to use it for nefarious purposes. I was beginning to understand that Rill’s reaction to meeting me really had been as unusual as I had initially suspected, judging by the cautious manner her grandmother was using to deal with me. It seemed that her age had done little to dull her wit, her dark eyes sparkling attentively in the lambent light. I had a feeling that she would be able to tell if I were lying, but luckily, my intentions were pure, or so I thought.

I took a deep breath, and explained, “I’ve lived my entire life in hiding, afraid that if I were discovered, dragonslayers would come to kill me. But now that I’ve managed to figure out how to transform into a human, I want to travel and see the world. I’d also like to learn why humans and dragons have such animosity towards each other, and do what I can to heal the rift between our peoples in the process, if it’s at all possible.”

She stared at me for a time, likely trying to gauge whether or not I was telling the truth. At length, she said cryptically, “You’ll find that most conflicts in this world stem from misunderstandings, and I’m afraid this is no different, although I cannot say the exact cause.” The look in her eyes spoke volumes, as if she knew more than she was letting on, but I had no time to challenge her as she quickly kept going. “But, I can tell that what you’ve told me is the truth. A dragon who seeks peace instead of revenge…you really are an odd one, aren’t you, Leolyn? Very well, I’ll show you how to suppress your aura, but don’t be upset if you can’t master it right away.”

Then, she released her hold on her own aura, and the air seemed almost to thicken around us, a sensation that instinctively put me on edge. It was not threatening this time, but still spoke of a strength which her physical form belied. “Listen closely,” she continued, “The prana that fills your body is a force, and it reacts to your emotional state. The stronger your prana becomes, the more that it can be felt by those around you. But for those of us with particularly strong auras, it can be quite a nuisance to others. There’s also some value in hiding your strength, so, we suppress it. Start by stilling your mind, and your heart. Calm yourself, and imagine drawing your prana deep into your body. Compress it down, still there, and still just as strong, but made dense, and hidden deep inside you.” As she spoke, the pressure in the air gradually lessened, until at last, I could sense nothing from her at all. “It may take some time, but eventually keeping your prana controlled like this will become second-nature.”

I nodded as she gestured for me to try it for myself, and closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling of the prana inside me. Thankfully, my transformation had taught me a lot about it, so I already had some experience. I did as she said, drawing the prana deep into my body, pressing down upon it like I was molding a snowball, compressing it into as small a space as I could manage. When I opened my eyes, Hedrya was looking at me, obviously impressed.

“My, my, you’re a quick learner!” She laughed, and Rill returned, watching us with a bemused expression.

“Wow, Gran! I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you speak so highly of anyone before,” she teased with a smirk, “See, I told you he wasn’t a bad guy.”

“Bah,” the old woman scoffed again, defiantly turning her head aside.

A smile crept onto my face as I watched their interaction. “Thank you for teaching me,” I said to Hedrya, bowing my head to her slightly as a sign of respect.

She blinked, grinning at me in a devilish manner, and I could suddenly see the very clear resemblance between the two as she mused, “Oh, and he’s polite, too! What a unique one you’ve found, Rill. I suppose your intuition was right on the mark, yet again.”

Rill laughed nervously and changed the subject, telling us, “Supper’s ready, by the way. Leo, can you help me move the table over? I don’t really use it when it’s just the two of us.”

I nodded, rising to help her drag the tiny wooden table away from the wall where it stood out of the way, and bringing it closer to Hedrya’s bedside. Rill scooted a chair under one end and motioned for me to sit, as she returned to her pot and hurriedly ladled out three clay bowls of soup. One, she set in front of me, and another she carefully handed off to Hedrya, with warnings that it would still be hot. The third she claimed for herself, taking her place across the table only after we were all set, pulling up the chair I had been sitting in earlier. Smiling at me, she said excitedly, “This is the first time anyone else has ever tried my cooking. I hope you like it!”

“I’m sure it will be great,” I assured her, my mouth already watering from the smell alone. I grabbed the wooden spoon sticking out of the thick potage, stirring the contents to investigate exactly what it was that I was being fed. The tiny strips of meat appeared to be some sort of fowl, mixed with various vegetables I did not recognize. Dragons were technically omnivores, but my diet had always consisted solely of meat, save for my brief stay with the imps. There, I had discovered that some vegetables were the same or similar to those I was familiar with on Earth, but there were also some that I had found to be entirely foreign in both name and taste.

Rill was watching me expectantly, waiting for me to take my first bite with bated breath, while Hedrya wasted no time scooping the scolding hot liquid down her gullet. I raised a spoonful to my lips, entirely unprepared for the explosion of flavor that was about to follow. My mouth was immediately filled with a sensation the likes of which I had not experienced at all in this world so far, that of seasonings! The imps had used salt sparingly, and even that had been a delight compared to the raw meat I had been living on for a hundred years. But this! This was an entirely different experience altogether.

My mind went blank, and before I knew it, I had scarfed down the entire bowl, scraping every last drop of liquid from the bottom. Realizing it was all gone, I sighed wistfully at the sight of the now-empty dish, still savoring the aftertaste of the unfamiliar herbs and spices as they danced on my tongue. I looked up to see Rill beaming at me, waiting for a review that I thought was probably obvious.

“Well, it certainly looks like you enjoyed it!” She chortled, seeing that I was finished.

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the heat that was rising in my cheeks, embarrassment from my momentary lapse of propriety. “I’ve never eaten anything like it,” I told her honestly, casting a forlorn glance towards the bowl in front of me, “but it really is quite good.”

Rill was generous enough to allow me a second helping, which I ate more slowly, chatting with her as we both shared stories of our lives up to that point. I purposefully neglected to mention my reincarnation, or the eggs I had left in Enki’s care, but otherwise gave her the broad strokes of what my life in this world had been like. In return, she told me about how her grandmother used to fight off the beasts of the wild in her younger years, something I had no trouble believing after bearing witness to the force of her aura. We laughed as we talked, sharing tales of a more lighthearted nature, and after a time that could have easily been hours, I had to admit that I had become rather comfortable around the girl.

Hedrya fell silent after finishing her meal, settling back into her pillows and watching us with a light smile on her lips and a thoughtful glimmer in her eyes. Interjecting into a lull in our conversation, she spoke up for the first time in hours, saying softly, “Leolyn…all my life, I thought that dragons truly were enemies of mankind. I can’t say that you’ve changed my mind on that, but I can say that, dragon or not, I see the good within you, the humanity inside of you. And it warms my old heart that my granddaughter has found such a nice, authentic friend. I’m afraid I didn’t give her many opportunities to meet people or forge friendships over the course of her life, and I’ve always feared that she might end up alone, like myself, because of it. I couldn’t bear the thought. But before I could do anything to change that, my body decided to grow old, and feeble. Travelling became a flight of fancy, and Rill has been forced to watch over me instead of walking her own path in life. Leolyn, please continue to be a good friend to my dearest granddaughter, won’t you?”

I shared an embarrassed glance with Rill, who smiled and bashfully averted her gaze. “Of course I will,” I told her, not fully considering the implications of what I was agreeing to. Turning back, I saw that she had closed her eyes, an expression of utter peace having settled upon her wrinkled face. I smiled, watching her for a few seconds, before the realization struck me.

She was not breathing.

“Hedrya?” I asked hesitantly, half-rising as my mind struggled to accept what was happening.

When there was no response, Rill’s expression turned to one of horror as she shot out of her chair and gently shook the woman, calling worriedly, “Granny? Gran!”

I gritted my teeth and looked away as Rill buried her face in Hedrya’s chest, bawling loudly, “Wake up, Gran! Please wake up! Please…”

But there was nothing that anyone could do. The woman named Hedrya had spoken her last words with her last breath, and passed away in peace. Rill’s anguished wails filled the otherwise silent cabin as the reality of the situation sunk in, and I clenched my fists in frustration.

I understood her pain all too well.