SOMD 40: Return To The Hatchling (Patreon)

Before Alice set out, she stopped by the saloon to ask if they had any raw vegetables ready to buy. He suspected they would, since they had finely chopped them and included them in the meat pies she had purchased earlier.

Sure enough, Matilda’s eyes gleamed. “We do, but what do you need something like that for? You do eat a lot for such a bitty thing.”

Alice had a lie prepared. She was, unfortunately, becoming very good at deceiving people. “I’ve been looking into purchasing a horse and cart to carry goods from the port. I heard a ship is coming in soon with some horses, and there’s nothing easier to make friends with a horse than vegetables.”

Matilda blinked. “Trust a merchant to know their business. Well, as it happens, we do have some celery, carrots, and such in the back. They’ve all gone a little off—you know how long it takes to get ships across the water to her, and I was thinking of making them into pies. No, I won’t give you a line on our supplier,” she added, shaking her finger at Alice in mock severity.

“You got me,” Alice said, deadpan. “But I’d be willing to buy from you… at the right price.”

That seemed to be something an apprentice merchant would say, and Matilda must have thought so too because she gave a laugh and led Alice to the back.

The vegetables were more than just a little wilted. Alice thought she must be becoming high and mighty indeed because, as a General Laborer, she wouldn’t have thought twice about them if there were some not-slimy bits she could eat around.

Now she didn’t like the idea of feeding anything questionable to her dragons, or herself. But while the vegetables were wilted, the carrots bendy, and many of the apples were brown on one side, there were no spots of mold. It was good enough for her purposes.

She started her negotiation, but Matilda was surprised.

“You mean you don’t want the whole box?”

“No, I only want enough to fit into my carry sack.” She showed off a large over-the-shoulder sack that Fixie had made for her the night before. “Oh, and I’ll need some of those beets as well.”

Matilda gave her an odd look. “I’m surprised you’re not going to sell them at your store. When is that opening, anyway? I know your little sale was interrupted, but…” she trailed off meaningfully.

Alice paused. She had a feeling Matilda was one of those people who, when she knew something, the rest of the town would soon know. It wouldn’t hurt to spread the word.

“It will be a little bit until the store opens. At least a week or more.”

“Oh?”

“I have to go back to the city,” Alice said, throwing out another store she had pre-prepared. “And let Sim know about… everything. The mining company,” she added to Matilda’s blank look.

Matilda’s eyes widened. “But you’re not leaving, are you? Oh, please don’t! Our town really needs a general store.”

Alice opened her mouth, but Matilda continued.

“Really, the mining company isn’t too much of an inconvenience. They only come through for a few hours every other week or so. Besides, sometimes the guards and people of importance come down to spend their own coins here. So, on balance, the Miners bring in more than they take away.”

Alice wondered if she knew about the people who were practically enslaved up there, or if she was willing to turn a blind eye.

Pointedly, she asked, “And if they’re ever short on labor, do they come looking for it here?”

Matilda was silent for a telling moment. “You don’t have to worry about something like that, as long as you keep your head down and aren’t stupid when they come through. They’d never take a fixture of the town, and the fact that you have a store…” She shrugged. “They only take people who don’t do anything useful with their System-given classes. Lay-abouts, apprentices who can’t cut it at their trade. The extra chaff. You do understand, don’t you?”

Alice put on a fake smile. “I understand.”

****

She left with her carry-bag bulging with vegetables.

Prim had been hidden on her shoulder the entire time, of course. As soon as she was well out of hearing range, Alice murmured. “I don’t think I like Matilda as much as I used to.”

Prim made a mournful sound and rubbed the side of her head over Alice’s cheek.

The rest of the dragons, save for Fixie, joined her once she was outside of the town.

Alice took the road toward the harbor, opposite to the direction of the mining camp. There was no one within sight, so Alice felt comfortable speaking openly to her dragons.

“I highly recommend against this plan,” Iggy rumbled. “It is too dangerous. Spark and I should go in your place.” He added, “In fact, perhaps it would be best if you created another sub-aspect for me. Something that can easily scout out that which is hidden.”

“I don’t have another sub-aspect token,” Alice said. “Though you’re welcome to keep on leveling, and then I’ll consider it.”

“You already have a sub-aspect, Iggy,” Prim said. “And you should not question Alice’s plans like this, though…” She sent Alice an apologetic look. “I do wonder if your plan cannot be improved.”

Numi butted in from her place, scuttling by Alice’s ankles. “How do you plan to bring the wood dragon in as one of your aspects, when you couldn’t the last time? That is what you’re doing, right?”

Alice shook her head. “No, you’re right. I tried that before and failed. Though… we’ve all grown stronger since then, through our leveling. I feel like I’m on the verge of another level. But I’m not sure I would do it even if I had a token.”

She blinked her buggy eyes up at her. “But the parents gave you their permission.”

Alice shook her head. “That still doesn’t make it right. Those two were under all sorts of compulsions because of those horrible chains. They may have felt they had no choice. They’ve never even met their own hatchling, so I don’t think they get to speak for it. Iggy,” she added, “tell me when we’re close to the clearing.”

Her last few words were a firm end to the conversation. The other dragons must have sensed it because none of them objected. Iggy just gave a sigh. “We will have to travel back up this ridge through the brush. The clearing is on the other side.”

Alice nodded sharply to herself, repositioned the pack of vegetables so it sat more easily against her side, and started up the steep incline. She was still quite tired from the events of the night before, but if all worked well, she would have the opportunity to catch up on her rest within the next few days.

****

She found the clearing over the ridge. Immediately, Iggy and Spark flew forward, searching intently. After several circuits, Iggy flew back to Alice to report.

“It is not here.”

“Well, it may have been scared off after our last encounter. Let’s search around, though. This may still be its territory.”

Her two dragons did as she asked. Leaning against a nearby tree, Alice shut her eyes, feeling slightly dizzy with pending exhaustion. Forcefully, she pushed any thought of sleep away. Instead, she reached out for that odd feeling in her chest, the one that told her when dragons were near. To her surprise, she felt it answer. She raised her arm and pointed directly to the right. “That way.”

The area she indicated was across the clearing and down another small slope. Soon, Alice heard bubbling water. There was a fresh spring here. It wasn’t much, but it drained into a little pool, and beyond that, a creek. And several dozen feet down the creek... there was something not quite right about the bushes. All were green and leafy, except for the last, very close to the water, which only showed woody branches as if it were still caught in mid-winter.

“There it is,” Alice whispered, and then looked at her dragons. “I want all of you to stay back. Yes, Iggy, you as well.”

She didn’t wait for her dragons to respond. She pulled out a carrot and held it out in front of her as she stepped forward. “Hello?” she said in what she hoped was a friendly tone. “Wood dragon? It’s me again. I’m Alice. Do you have a name?”

The shrub seemed to shift and alter in shape and form before her eyes. Within a moment, instead of a woody shrub, a juvenile dragon sat, looking very unhappy with its teeth showing at her.

She thought it had been her memories playing tricks on her, but now she saw the dragon again, it—she—was very different from her parents.

She still had the woody looking scales, but what looked like living grass sprouted from her back. Her budding horns had pink and white flowers threaded around them, and her legs grew darker toward her feet, like they were rooted in mud.

Was she different because she was still a hatchling?

“It’s okay,” Alice said. “I’m here to be your friend.”

The wood dragon was less than impressed. Head down, teeth bared, it stepped forward.

Alice gulped and held up the carrot as if it was a shield. “Oh no you don’t,” she said, putting a little chastisement in her voice like one would to a naughty puppy. “You can have the carrot, but not me. I wouldn’t taste nearly as good.”

Before she had become She of Many Dragons, Alice had always assumed that dragons ate a diet of meat. The rawer and bloodier, the better. But Numi and Fixie proved that false. Those two mostly ate coins and were happy about it.

She was willing to bet that a creature like the wood dragon had an unusual diet as well.

The wood dragon stopped. As a reward, Alice lobbed the carrot towards it.

The dragon flinched, and the carrot fell with a thump a couple of feet in front of it. Slowly, it bent down to sniff the carrot, though its suspicious gaze never left Alice. It must have liked what it smelled because it took the rest of the vegetable. The moment it crunched down, the rest of the carrot disappeared a few seconds later.

“Yes, carrots are tasty, aren’t they?” Alice said with a smile, remembering her first taste of well-baked bread in the noble’s kitchen estate.

Keeping her movement slow and steady so as not to be seen as a threat, she reached into her bag again. “How about you try some celery?”

She tossed it over. This time, the dragon didn’t flinch. It sniffed the celery, too, and ate it, but not quite as enthusiastically. The beets were much the same. It was clear that carrots were the winner, which was a good thing because Alice had more of those than anything else.

The wood dragon visibly relaxed as it ate. It was not nearly as suspicious as a wild animal usually would be, and Alice got the impression that it was rather lonely.

Her dragons, for their part, sat nearby, watching the interaction but not getting in the way. She was so proud of them.

As the wood dragon ate, Alice spoke softly of how she had met its parents and how she was a friendly human, but not all people were. The dragon didn’t show much of a reaction to her words specifically. Since she had been alone since it hatched, no one had taught her language.

Yes, her own dragons had hatched from the egg knowing how to speak, but they were aspects and not naturally born. Also, in Alice’s opinion, they were rather exceptional.

Finally, Alice reached the bottom of the bag—celery, beets, and apples and all. She opened it up and tilted it to show that there was nothing left. Then she gave the wood dragon a smile.

“I have to go, but I will be back within this many days.” She pointed to the sun and then spread out both of her hands to show ten.

The wood dragon blinked at her.

Alice turned and walked away. It didn’t follow her like a puppy would, but the little sound the dragon made as Alice left the clearing, a mournful hoot, was enough to make her waver in her convictions for a moment.

She could easily imagine going back to the saloon and buying boxes of more vegetables. Let Matilda be suspicious. It didn’t matter what she thought.

Alice could live out in the woods and teach the wood dragon language and the value of friendship. But then what? Alice needed society as well. And truly, the wood dragon needed its parents.

With her heart breaking, Alice did not turn back. “Iggy, find me the way back to town.”

Prim fluttered back to her shoulder and looked at Alice, confused. “Why did you go through all that trouble if you’re not going to make it your aspect?”

“Sometimes creatures need a bit of kindness, and,” she took a breath, “I needed this to remind myself why I’m about to take this risk. Saving Dolly is one thing, but this mining company is doing far-reaching harm in other ways. The next few days might be a trial, and I needed to remind myself of what is at stake.”

The baby dragon needed its parents, and that meant Alice needed to find help. She couldn’t do this alone.