Talk To Dragons

The house above the smithy was simple and effective. Two rooms made up the second floor of the building and it was more than enough space for one man. The room that the witch and dragon were to sleep in was the kitchen and eating area, where there was a table and a wood grill. The blacksmith had made a small bed for them out of a spare folding cot he had made some time ago. It wasn't very big, but neither were his guests.

"I only have this one blanket for you two to use, but it doesn't get cold in here anyway," the blacksmith told them. "I'll be asleep in the other room. If you aren't awake before me I'll wake you up."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Violet thanked him.

"Don't mention it," he answered. "It would have eaten me alive thinking that a child was sleeping on the street."

With a nod to his guests, the blacksmith went into his bedroom and closed the door. The moonlight that came in through the window of the kitchen gave a nice comforting glow to the room. Violet and Engel were laying down at opposite ends of the cot, given their short lengths.

"Things are going well so far, aren't they?" Engel asked.

"I believe they are," Violet answered. "We'll make our way to that elf city before we know it."

Bright and early, Engel had awoken to find the blacksmith making food on the wood grill with the nearby window letting in the orange glow of the day and the smoke out. The meal smelled heavenly to the little dragon and he immediately left the cot to go sit on a chair at the table.

"Well, you're a well-trained pet," the blacksmith said, before bringing over a plate of cooked bacon and eggs. "I don't know what dragons eat, but this is all I have anyhow."

Engel happily accepted the plate of food before him and began to eat. It was a wonderfully greasy meal that he had never had the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e of trying before, having been raised to hunt wild game and gather plants. The blacksmith set another two plates of food at the table before he sat down. As he poured glasses of water for everyone, he decided the little witch would join them.

"Hey, wake up!" he raised his voice. "Eat, before it gets cold!"

Violet raised her head in a confused panic. Her hair was a mess and mostly covered her face, possibly blinding her if she wasn't struggling to open her eyes from sleep. She reached forward without looking and tumbled out of the cot and onto the wooden floor with a thud. The blacksmith gave a sigh and went over to help the little witch, picking her up and setting her down at the table as if she were a doll.

"Good morning," Violet greeted them with a deep yawn. "This smells amazing."

"It's just bacon and eggs," the blacksmith replied. "Have you two been out homeless in the woods? Your dragon seemed plenty happy to have the food as well."

"He's been without home longer than I have," Violet answered. "And he's not my dragon. He's a friend I'm traveling with."

The blacksmith raised his eyebrows in curiosity but went to eating rather than questioning further.

"We didn't catch your name, did we?" Violet said, mouth full of food. "Or exchange ours. I think. I'm Violet and he is Engel. We're on our way to find an elven city he wants to visit."

"My name is Jack," the blacksmith replied. "And you're a long ways away from any elf city. You have a whole kingdom to cross before you even get on the right track."

"Oh, I didn't know," Engel said to Violet.

"It's okay," Violet replied. "Would you happen to know which direction we need to head, Jack? As soon as we have money to live off of, we intend to travel there. We don't have any other objectives right now other than that."

Jack finished his meal and looked at the two little things at his table. It was difficult to believe that a child and a large lizard were expecting to go so far on their own.

"Let me see how you handle this job with the rats and then I'll think about how I can help you two," Jack replied.