CHAPTER 20
The next sunrise Raef woke and did the New Leaf washing at the washbasin. He ate some bread and put on his robe before his father got up. As the rest of the family began to wake, Raef left to meet Keeper Dimmel. He was tired after being up late and was still yawning when he entered the Keep. Raef could see Dimmel meditating in the next room, but the key was in the entry hall on a small table. Raef took the key, left the Keep and went to the Ceremonial Lodge to unlock the door. The other Keepers would arrive soon and sunrise homage would begin. Raef picked up a fir branch from inside the lodge and waited for the other apprentices to arrive from the dormery.
After homage Raef followed Dimmel to the apothecary, which was really just a separate room off of the kitchen. The herbalists were mixing up something for the Healing Lodge. When they were finished, Raef carried the ceramic bowl of herbs and oils as Dimmel lead the way to the Healing Lodge. One of the healers took the bowl from Raef as Keeper Dimmel began to bless each of the infirm. Raef waited until Dimmel moved on to the next bed and then he waved a single small fir branch over the patient. Raef did not know any of the infirm men or women in the Healing Lodge. They were all Laborers save for one Merchant. It appeared that most of them had suffered accidents with large cuts on their arms or legs. He knew them from ceremony but had never spoken to any of them. Dimmel acted as if he knew each individual well, smiling kindly as he blessed them, but Raef knew the Keeper did not know them any better than he. After spending quite some time at the Healing Lodge Dimmel went to meet with the other Keepers, instructing Raef to make more perfumed candles. Raef went to the kitchen. Melting wax required fire and fire was restricted to the kitchen so as not to burn down the Ceremonial Lodge or the Keep. Raef hung the candle pot over the fire with a hook, trying to stay out of the way of the kitcheners. He waited for the wax to melt, then began dipping string into the wax. He noticed the wax was not very fragrant, so he added some spice to it.
He did not finish until time for mid sun meal. He left the candles in the kitchen to harden and went home to eat. After eating Raef returned to the Keep to find Keeper Dimmel.
“Have you finished with the candles?” asked the Keeper when Raef entered the Keep.
“There are enough for next ceremony at the end of the cycle. I can make more now if you like.”
“No, that will be fine. Will you be off to the stables then?”
“Forgive me, Keeper Dimmel, but the stables are really quite tiresome.”
Dimmel smiled, then stood and walked to a window to look out.
“You are near Youngling’s End, are you not?” asked Dimmel.
“Yes, Keeper Dimmel. I am to be a greenling in only four sunsets.”
“You have given up three seasons of playing with your friends after mid sun to be an apprentice. Perhaps this afternoon you should go play. To be a youngling while you still can.”
“Really! Can I?”
Dimmel turned to face Raef again.
“Yes, go and play.”
Raef turned and started for the door.
“Just leave your robe here,” said Dimmel, “you can get it again next sunrise.”
Raef threw his robe on a bench and ran out the door. He ran down the street to Domik’s house. Domik would be done with lessons and have finished mid sun meal. He found Domik sitting under a tree in front of his house, wearing a blank expression.
“Ho, Domik!” Raef said.
“Ho, Raef.”
Raef plopped down next to Domik and looked at his friend.
“Keeper Dimmel gave me the rest of the sun off. I can play if you want!”
“Alright,” Domik said, with a shrug.
“Come on, then,” said Raef, getting back up.
Domik slowly rose and Raef started down the road towards the north edge of the village. Raef kicked a pebble as they walked, kicking it again every few steps and trying to keep it on the path. Domik paused.
“Where are we going?” asked Domik.
“Just to the forest,” said Raef, “there is nothing to do here.”
Domik hesitated, but then followed. They reached the edge of the forest and walked into the trees. Raef meandered through the forest, moving farther from the village until they came across the old secret path. Domik stopped again.
“What is wrong?” asked Raef.
“Where are you going?”
“To see Rail, what did you think?”
Domik looked at his feet.
“I do not want to go there,” said Domik, “not any more.”
“Come on, Domik, what else is there to do?”
“I dunno.”
“But, why do you not want to see the dragon?”
Domik looked back toward the village. “We should not be going there. We are Intercessors.”
“But we’ve gone a hundred times!”
Domik looked at Raef. “We were younglings. You are a greenling in four sunsets and I will be next cycle.”
“But you went just a few sunsets past!” Raef said.
“I know, but…I do not want to now. It does not feel right.”
Raef hung his head and scuffed his shoe on the ground.
“Come to the square with me,” said Domik.
“Nah, the square is dull,” said Raef.
There was a long, awkward silence between them.
“Well, I need to go,” said Domik.
“Wait,” said Raef.
Domik walked quickly away, and Raef followed. Raef had to walk fast to keep up. They entered the village again, and Domik turned to walk west, away from their homes.
“Domik, where are you going?”
“To the square. Maybe we can find someone to play ball.”
Raef stopped, “I already said I didn’t want to go to the square.”
“Then don’t go,” said Domik, walking away.
Raef slumped to the ground, sitting on the edge of the road.
“I am almost a greenling,” he said out loud, “I have one sunset of freedom, and my best friend abandons me.”
“Ho, Raef!”
Raef looked up to see Nilo walking toward him.
“Damn the spirits,” Raef mumbled to himself.
Nilo sat on the ground next to him, looking up and grinning.
“How come you are not working with the Keepers?”
“They gave me the rest of the sun off.”
“Oh, then maybe we can do something!”
“Nilo, I am almost a greenling,” said Raef, standing up.
Raef turned and headed back to the forest.
“Where ya going, Raef?” Nilo asked.
“Into the deep, dark and dangerous forest,” said Raef.
“I wanna go,” said Nilo.
“You are too small. Besides, your mother would not want you out in the forest.”
“She would let me, if I was with you.”
Raef ignored the youngling and continued into the forest. Nilo followed him. They walked a ways into the woods and Raef sat on the ground, his back against a large tree. Nilo plopped down next to him.
“What do you wanna do?” asked Nilo.
Raef closed his eyes and imagined himself flying off Rail’s snout. It was something new he had discovered last season. It was more fun than anything. But he was not even sure the dragon would come this early after mid sun meal. It was not their usual time to meet. Raef usually visited Rail after last meal, just before dark. The dragon visited other people in other secret places, Raef knew. Still, Rail might come. But first he had to get rid of Nilo.
“I need to go somewhere…alone,” said Raef.
“Let me come, please!”
Raef sighed, “Nilo, it is too scary for you, okay?”
“I will not be scared, I promise.”
Raef looked down at Nilo and tried to imagine the youngling with the dragon. Raef had been frightened the first time he saw the dragon, but then, he had only six seasons. Nilo had eight. At eight seasons Raef was visiting the dragon regularly.
“Nilo,” said Raef, “what do you know about the dragon?”
“Well,” said Nilo, very matter of factly, “it is supposed to be dangerous, and we are supposed to stay away from it.”
“Have you ever seen it?” Raef asked.
Nilo shook his head.
“What if it is not dangerous? What if our parents just don’t want us to see it?”
Nilo shrugged.
“Would you be scared to see the dragon?” asked Raef, “I mean, if you could hide behind something and watch it.”
“I dunno, maybe.”
“How about if I was there with you?”
“No,” said Nilo, “I would never be afraid if you were there.”
Nilo sat still and squinted his eyes as if in thought. Then he leaned close to Raef to whisper.
“Have you ever seen the dragon?”
“Maybe,” said Raef.
Nilo’s eyes grew wide, “Can you show me?”
“Shh,” said Raef, “not so loud.”
Nilo grew quiet but fidgeted in apparent excitement.
“I have a secret place I sometimes go,” said Raef, “I will show you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
“Of course I promise!” said Nilo, jumping up.
Raef stood up and headed for the secret trail. Nilo stayed close to Raef’s side. When they dropped down into the ravine Nilo began to look nervous.
“This is really far from home,” said Nilo.
“Kind of,” said Raef, “are you scared?”
“No, no, no. You are with me, so I am okay.”
They approached the clearing, and Raef could see that Rail was not there. He walked out into the middle of the clearing.
“I never knew there was a meadow way out here,” said Nilo.
“This is nothing,” said Raef, as he gazed into the sky.
Raef’s heart skipped when he spotted a black dot way up in the sky. He waved and it seemed to circle back toward them.
“Come on,” said Raef, “we can hide back here.”
Raef led Nilo behind the same clump of fern that Raef hid behind many seasons ago. Nilo seemed confused at first, but when he finally noticed the dragon flying down out of the sky he ducked down and grew silent. Rail landed in the center of the clearing and stretched its wings out nearly touching the trees on either side of the meadow.
“Look at it!” Raef whispered into Nilo’s ear.
Nilo gasped.
“Is it not amazing?” asked Raef.
“It is more amazing than I ever imagined!” whispered Nilo.
The dragon craned its neck skyward, then yawned wide, baring its long teeth. Then it lay down and stretched out its claws, showing off its black talons.
“It is more huge than I thought,” said Nilo.
“You wanna know a secret?” asked Raef.
“Okay,” said Nilo.
“The dragon is nice.”
“Nice?”
“Yes, it is nice, kind even, especially to younglings.”
Nilo gave Raef a confused look.
“Nu-uh,” said Nilo, “I don’t believe you.”
“I am telling the truth.”
Nilo peeked through the fern again. Raef observed how the youngling peered keenly at the beast, calming a little and making no move to run.
“Okay, I will prove it to you,” said Raef.
Raef slowly stood up and walked around the ferns into the meadow. Rail looked at him, and Raef held a finger up to his mouth. The dragon winked its huge eye. As Raef approached the dragon lowered its head to the ground and lifted its wings. It looked like it was bowing to Raef. Raef turned to face the ferns and motioned for Nilo to come. After a long pause, the youngling appeared at the meadow’s edge.
“It won’t hurt you,” said Raef, “come stand by me.”
Nilo walked slowly up to Raef. He was shaking, and his eyes were wide, staring intently at the dragon behind Raef.
“Remember you said you would not be afraid?”
Nilo gave a timid nod.
“Then show me you are not afraid. I will walk up and touch the dragon and then come back here. If it doesn’t do anything to me, then you have to go next.”
“You would really touch it?”
“Yes, but if I do you have to do it next.”
Nilo’s eyes opened round. He nodded slowly.
Raef held out his hand and stuck his thumb out, “You gotta promise first.”
Nilo gave a nervous grin and pressed his tumb against Raef’s. Raef turned back to the dragon and walked slowly up to its neck. As dramatically as he could, he slowly reached out and placed his palm on a large shiny scale. The dragon gave a low snort and shivered like a horse. Raef heard Nilo gasp behind him. Then Raef returned to Nilo’s side.
“Okay, you wanted to come out here, now it is your turn.”
“You have to come with me.”
“Okay.”
Raef put his hand on Nilo’s shoulder and walked him to the dragon’s side. Raef reached out and put his hand on one of Rail’s slick scales.
“Go ahead, it’s okay.”
Nilo looked up at Raef, still grinning weakly, then reached out and placed his hand firmly on the same scale. The dragon snorted softly and shivered again. Nilo giggled.
“It let me touch it!” Nilo said.
“I told you. Here, let me show you something else.”
Nilo followed closely as Raef walked up to the dragon’s snout. Raef put his hand on the edge of one nostril.
“Feel this, it’s soft right here.”
Nilo carefully reached out and put his hand next to Raef’s.
“It is soft. And it isn’t even trying to hurt us or anything!”
Raef nodded to Rail.
“I would never hurt you,” said the dragon.
Nilo jumped back, but Raef held his shoulder to keep the youngling from running away.
“It…it talked!” said Nilo.
“That is another secret about the dragon.”
“Amazing!”
“Rail, this is my friend, Nilo,” said Raef.
Nilo looked up at Raef and smiled broadly.
“Hello, Nilo,” said Rail.
Nilo stuck his hand out to the dragon, “Ho, dragon!”
“Rail, its name is Rail,” said Raef.
Rail held out a talon and Nilo held it.
“Ho, Rail,” Nilo said.
Raef laughed, he had never seen anyone address Rail this way.
“Watch this!” said Raef.
He ran to Rail’s tail and threw a leg over its midpoint. Rail arched its tail upwards and Raef slid down the end to the ground.
“I wanna try!” said Nilo.
“It goes kind of high,” said Raef, remembering being a little afraid to do this when he was younger.
“I don’t care,” said Nilo, who was already climbing up to where Raef had sat.
Rail arched his tail higher than before. Raef was a little worried, but Nilo grinned and slid all the way to the ground, laughing.
“That was fun!” said Nilo.
“Okay, watch this!”
Raef walked to the end of Rail’s tail, lay on it, and hung on.
“Go slow at first,” Raef said.
Rail lifted his tail until Raef was nearly as tall as the fir trees surrounding them. Then the dragon began to move its tail in circles through the air.
“I wanna try!” yelled Nilo.
“Faster!” yelled Raef.
Soon he was being spun through the air at dizzying speeds. Nilo got on next and was brave enough to go quite fast, although not as fast as Raef.
“Okay, if you can do that, watch this!” said Raef, removing his shoes.
Rail lowered its huge head, and Raef climbed onto its snout. Raef lay flat on his back along the dragon’s long snout, the top of his head nearly between the dragon’s eyes. This was probably too scary for Nilo. Raef had only done this for the last season, but it was now his favorite game. He could at least
show Nilo.
“Go!”
Rail flicked its head up and Raef flew into the air, half as high as the tallest trees. Raef did a somersault in the air, then fell and the dragon deftly caught him on the top of its furry head.
“Higher than that, Rail!” said Raef.
Raef slid from between the beast’s spiny ear spikes down to the dragon’s snout and lay down again. Rail tossed him higher, and he cleared the tops of the trees. Raef spread his arms as if he were flying as he fell. The dragon lifted its head to meet Raef half way down. When Raef contacted the dragon’s furry head, the beast quickly lowered its head with the youngling on top, then gradually slowed the decent until it stopped just above the ground.
“That was really high!” said Raef.
“Woah-ho!” shouted Nilo, “that was amazing!”
Raef slid off Rail’s head onto the ground.
“Do you want to try it? Maybe just a short jump?”
“Okay,” said Nilo, biting his finger.
Nilo removed his shoes and Raef helped him climb up on Rail’s snout. Nilo lay flat on his back, his legs and arms twitching.
“Just let the dragon do everything,” said Raef, “you just let go.”
“Okay,” said Nilo. He covered his eyes with his hands. “Ready!”
Rail gave Nilo a small shove and the youngling flew several spans into the air. Nilo shrieked as his arms and legs flailed in the air. He landed with a flop face down on Rail’s head. Nilo sat up and laughed loudly.
“Again!” he shouted.
Nilo took two more turns flying off Rail’s nose, going higher each time, finally reaching the very top of the tall firs. Nilo then slid to the ground and lay flat in the grass, breathing hard and smiling.
“You are very brave for just eight seasons,” said Raef.
Nilo smiled.
“I would love to stay,” said the beast, “but I have others to see before sunset.”
“Thanks, Rail,” said Raef.
The dragon bent over the two, lowered its tongue and licked the top of Raef’s head.
“Rail!” Raef said, wiping his hair with his hands. He did not like it when the dragon did that.
“My turn,” said Nilo.
Nilo sat up, and the dragon licked his head. The youngling giggled.
“It kind of smells bad,” said Nilo.
“Not to me,” said Raef, “but I still don’t like it when it licks my head.”
Nilo stood up and the two youngling stepped back as the great dragon lifted its wings high. Raef braced himself as Rail threw its wings down and shot into the air. The wind blew Raef’s hair back but knocked Nilo to the ground.
“Wow, it makes a lot of wind!” said Nilo.
“Yes, it does.”
They put their shoes on and returned to the trail. Nilo stayed close to Raef’s side as they walked up out of the ravine. When they reached the end of the secret trail, Raed stopped and searched Nilo and himself for any stray dragon hairs that might still be stuck to them. Nilo became unusually quiet.
“Well?” said Raef.
“I suppose I kind of liked it,” said Nilo.
“You suppose? You were laughing the whole time.”
“Well, yes, but…it was the dragon. Will we be in trouble?”
“No, no,” said Raef, “lots of younglings visit the dragon.”
That was not entirely true. At least, Raef did not know if it was true. Nilo looked a bit worried.
“Nilo, don’t worry about it. No one will find out. Come on, we should get home.”
Nilo followed silently as Raef led the way back to the village. Nilo was never silent.
“You wanna come out here again?” asked Raef.
Nilo shrugged without looking up at Raef.
“You could come with me if you want.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Well, I would go again, if it was with you.”
Raef put his hand on Nilo’s shoulder as they walked. Nilo finally looked up at Raef and smiled. Raef walked him home.