I tip toe to the entrance, taking much longer than I would have if I had just ran, and I reach the heavy wooden door. The thick bar keeping the door closed is stuck, and after trying to turn it quietly I finally give in and give it a good push. It creaks and I stop, listening to the silence, sure that the noise would've woken Duke up. After a few tense seconds, I come to the conclusion that he was still sleeping. I give the lock another push and the door opens. I close it behind me and stepped out into the bright sunlight, squinting at the brightness.
It must be noon, the hard dirt feels hot underneath my feet, and the sun is high in the sky. I'm a lot higher than what I thought before, I crawl onto one rock and look over the edge. It's steep, very steep, my breath catches in my throat as I look down. I swallow and brush my hair away from my face. This time I did not have the chance to grab the blanket, but perhaps it's better this way, I don't want to get caught on any branches. Besides, there's no one looking anyways.
It's very rocky here, and I have to be careful not to cut my feet on the small shards that are everywhere. As I slowly meander my way down the mountain, I can tell it's going to be a very long time before I can get anywhere close to the forest, if I went any faster I could slip, and fall...it would be a long fall indeed...I try not to look down and focus on putting my feet down on solid areas.
The sun beats down relentlessly on my exposed skin, I'm sweating profusely and my hair is sticking to the sides of my face. I look to my left to see Duke perched on a large rock looking at me, an unmistakably big grin on his face.
"How long have you been standing there?" I complain as I clutch the rock in front of me.
"A while, not too long." Duke kneels down to look at me. "You know, if you wanted to go home, you could've just asked. Nicely." He looks over at the distance nonchalantly.
A trickle of sweat makes its way down my cheek and I grit my teeth. "Fine, can you take me home? Please." I force out. He smiles an infuriatingly obnoxious smile.
"Of course. But wouldn't you like something to eat first?"
I pause. Now that he has mentioned it, I am really hungry, I haven't eaten last night and now my hunger comes back full force. I walk over to him and he takes me in his arms, flying us back up to his lair in a matter of seconds.
**
I smell the food before we even get back inside, my mouth starts to water as the rich scent of cooking meat fills my nostrils.
"Where did you get this?" I ask once we're in his kitchen. The large pig roasting over a spit in the fire is enough to feed at least a few grown men, and there is a large copper bowl of fruit, a bottle of something with two cups and a large loaf of bread with a cube of butter on a carved stone table with benches next to it.
"Well, let's just say that there are some people that still follow the old traditions and believe that dragons are sacred, and offer ritual sacrifices." Duke says, stretching his wings importantly. I scoff and for a second his expression changes. I'm afraid I've insulted him until he starts chuckling.
"I didn't say it was true. There's a water basin in the washroom over there if you want to freshen up. "
