Dragon Riders of Etrea 2—Chapter 22

Isobel was an early riser, just like Henrik. He was used to sharing a bed with Anslie, so when he and Isobel woke at the same time, he hugged her against his chest tightly and kissed her forehead.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” she said, pushing herself off him.

Henrik blinked, finally waking enough to remember where he was. He looked down at Isobel’s mess of red hair—she was a bit of an active sleeper, and her ribbon had come loose sometime in the middle of the night.

“I suppose we should start our day,” Isobel said. She stifled a yawn on the back of her hand, then groggily crawled over him.

Henrik was once again mesmerized by the sight of her body. She looked like an athlete, a goddess, someone from a dream. He didn’t think it was even possible for a woman to be that beautiful.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her bottom pressed against him. “Hand me my brush, please,” she said, pointing to the small table that was well within her reach.

Henrik reached over and grabbed the brush, then handed it to her.

She began methodically brushing out the tangles in her fiery red hair, starting from the ends. Once she was done, she stretched her arms over her head, then reached out and handed Henrik the brush instead of putting it on the table.

Henrik bit back a laugh and put the brush away, then watched her as she stood and walked across the room. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, trying not to stare at her too much. Fetching his pants, he pulled them on, then walked over to the kitchen area.

“Is this another test?” he asked with a smile.

“I’m not testing you, Henrik, I already told you that,” she said as she prepared breakfast. She turned and bent over, grabbing some oats.

“Well, you’re naked,” he said.

Her green eyes flashed a look of caution. “I don’t feel like getting dressed yet.”

“It’s a little chilly in here,” Henrik pointed out.

“No it’s not.”

“Your skin is pebbled.”

Isobel looked down, noting the goosebumps on her arm. She frowned, clearly trying to think of another way to torture him. “Are you saying you don’t want to see me naked?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned slightly, facing him, and placed a hand on her hip. 

Henrik looked down at her perky breasts, each a perfect handful, then let his eyes move down her flat stomach, past her hips, to the fine red hair between her thighs. He took his time, enjoying every second.

“I actually rather like you being naked,” Henrik said, taking a few steps around her so he could openly stare at her backside. “I like it quite a bit. But, I don’t want you to be cold.”

“Fine,” she said, but he saw her lips turn into a smile as she walked away.

What a strange woman. She said she wasn’t testing him, but it seemed every hour she was pressing him in some way, seeing what kind of man he was, what he was made of. He wondered how far she would push things.

She pulled on a long sleeve shirt that covered her to the middle of her thighs. Henrik stepped up to her and kissed the side of her head while slipping his arm around her waist.

“Someone’s affectionate this morning,” she said.

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, then put her knife down. When she turned to him, her emerald eyes were full of sincerity.

“I’m sorry, Henrik. The only people I’ve spoken to in nearly a decade are Anslie and Meriel. The dragons are good company, but it does get lonely out here, and I suppose in some ways I’ve forgotten how to deal with people.”

“It’s okay,” Henrik said, wrapping his thick arms around her. She stiffened for a moment, then returned the hug, gently at first, then tightly. “I’m here now, and I’ll make sure I talk constantly and keep you entertained.” 

“Oh, stop,” she said, laughing against his chest.

Henrik brought his hand up to the back of her head, pressing her against his chest. Something about her just felt right. Perhaps it had something to do with their magical bond, although it could have just been because she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. 

“This is nice,” she said, adjusting slightly and making herself more comfortable. “I like it here, in your arms. I feel safe.”

Henrik didn’t know how to reply to that without saying something corny, so he simply bent down and kissed the top of her head. Best to keep things simple.

They stayed that way for several minutes, neither one of them saying anything, just enjoying the moment. Henrik loved how she felt; the combination of hard muscle and soft curves was mesmerizing. 

At one point she looked up at him for a moment. He thought she was going to kiss him, but she just leaned her head against his chest again. That was fine. Henrik could have stayed there all day.

Eventually, she pulled back. She looked up at him again and smiled, a beautiful smile. Then, they both prepared breakfast.

“So, what’s our plan for the day?” Henrik asked while they ate.

“Well, I need to tend to several things around here,” she replied, popping a fresh berry into her mouth. “Most of my time is spent caring for the garden and the orchard. Cazeth helps as well.”

“She helps tend the garden?” Henrik asked. He got a sudden mental image of a dragon struggling with a shovel and nearly laughed out loud.

“Of course,” Isobel said, as if it was obvious. “Her magic brings life. In fact, we call this little area the ‘bowl of life,’ on account of its shape and how green it is compared to its surroundings.”

“That makes sense,” Henrik said. “So, she controls plants?”

“Among other things, yes,” Isobel replied, eating another berry. “She can make trees sprout from dry ground. She can make the grass grow several feet in a matter of seconds. She can also do the opposite, and basically melt everything.”

Henrik blinked. “So, a giver and taker of life?”

Isobel laughed. “I guess you could say that. She can summon acid out of the air and cover her enemies with it. It’s rather…disturbing, to be honest. I prefer to see the lifegiver.”

“I’ll bet,” Henrik said. Acid? He wondered if she used magic to create the acid or simply vomited stomach acid on things. Either one was equally frightening.

Henrik took a moment to send a message to Calduin. His dragon was always excited to hear from him, and replied like a loving toddler that hadn’t seen his father in a week. Affection rolled through their bond, and Henrik could tell Calduin missed him.

I miss you too. I’ll be home as soon as I can, he sent through their bond.

He also tried to send something to Anslie. It wasn’t as easy, but he sent as much love and affection through their bond as possible. He felt a warm feeling in return, like Anslie smiling on his very soul.

Henrik watched as Isobel cleaned up. She had finally donned on a pair of pants, and he suspected she had chosen that particular pair on account of their tightness. They showed off every curve of her magnificent backside. Henrik took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day.

After that, he followed Isobel outside, into the bowl of life. They each carried baskets and picked fruits and vegetables that were ripe, trimmed off any dead branches, and put any dead plants or rotting fruits they found into the compost pile.

Working outside brought back memories of Henrik’s childhood, of being a slave on the farm. They weren’t pleasant memories at all, but he pushed through them and focused on working.

She didn’t give him a word of warning.

Well, technically she did, but it was literally just a single word.

“Catch,” Isobel said.

Henrik’s head snapped around just in time to see her throw a sword, hilt-first. For all his size, he was a quick man, so his hand closed around the hilt and he spun it around, ready in the blink of an eye.

Isobel had a sword as well, but hers had a black blade. Henrik knew that meant he had a limited time before her sword cut through his.

She tossed her red waves over her shoulder. “If you think you can be my partner, you had better be good with that thing,” she said, pointing at his sword with her own. “So, I’m going to do my best to take your head off. And if you draw a single drop of my blood in return, Cazeth will eat you.”

At the mention of her name, the great dragon stepped out of her cave, her bright green eyes bearing down on Henrik. She exhaled sharply, sending a gust of hot wind at Henrik.

“Well, what am I supposed to even do?” Henrik asked. “Wait on you to get tired?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Isobel said, giving him a lopsided smile while she casually spun her blade in lazy circles. “But if you think I’m going to submit to a man too weak to figure that out…. Well, then I’ll just make short work of you.”

“You and your tests,” Henrik muttered as he took his sword in a two-handed grip.

“I told you, I’m not testing you,” Isobel said with a look of mock innocence. “I’m merely going to try to kill you, and you’re not allowed to harm me in any way. It’s really quite simple.”

Henrik frowned. Her tests were fun at first, silly even, but this one already grated on his nerves. In the time it took for him to process that thought, she closed the distance between them and swung her sword.

Her final test had begun.