An Officer & a Dragon by Caylen McQueen

Author:Caylen McQueen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: steampunk, steampunk romance, mute heroine, sweet romance books, sweet clean romance stories, romance with an elven prince, fantasy with dragons
Publisher: Caylen McQueen
Published: 2022-09-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Ludo unwound the bandage that had been haphazardly tied around Barbadu's broken wing. As soon as the strip of cloth fell away, Barbadu fluttered his wing, as if to shake off the decay of disuse. He howled, stretched and shook his head, like a dog waking up after a long nap.

Himiko bit her lip as Ludo opened the stall door and his dragon stomped out. “You know, as much as I love dragons, the thought of riding one is... terrifying,” she confessed.

“You don't need to be scared. Barbadu is actually one of the most docile dragons I've ever met,” Ludo claimed. “When you were taking care of him, wasn't he a calm and tolerant patient?”

“Y-Yes, I suppose so.”

“He's the same when he's airborne. He doesn't want your ride to be a bumpy one. He tries to make it as smooth as possible.”

“So you say.”

Barbadu bent his head toward Himiko. She wasn't sure what he wanted, so she gave his forehead a gentle rub.

“You told me how long it takes to reach town on foot. Based on that, I would say it'll take us roughly twenty or thirty minutes to get there,” Ludo guessed. “Do you think you can handle twenty minutes in the sky?”

“I think so.” Her hands were shaking, so she hid them behind her back. “This might sound like a strange request, but when we're on the dragon, do you think you could keep your arms wrapped around me?”

“Absolutely. I had already planned to, unless you protested,” Ludo said. “I want to keep you safe.”

Naturally, Ludo's human caregivers had no dragon saddles, reins or bridles, so he had to make do without them. He led Barbadu outside, which was easy, because the dragon had a tendency to follow him wherever he went. Barbadu laid flat on his belly, making it easier for Ludo to mount. When he was on the dragon's back, he offered a hand to Himiko, who was standing nearby, still chewing on her lip.

“You look so nervous!” Ludo exclaimed. “It'll be better when we're airborne. You'll see. After a minute or two, you won't be panicking quite so much.”

“I'm not so sure about that,” Himiko disagreed.

Despite her reluctance, she tiptoed toward the dragon and offered a hand to Ludo. He seized her arm and pulled her onto the dragon's back in front of him. Ludo wrapped his arms around her; he held her so close, he could smell vanilla in her hair and the lavender scent that had been dabbed on her neck. She smelled delightful. Ludo nearly told her so, but he didn't want to say anything that could potentially make her more uncomfortable than she already was.

“Do you feel safe?” Ludo whispered.

She shook her head so fast, she nearly dislodged her messy bun. “Not particularly, no.”

“If I tell Barbadu to take off, do you think you'll be alright?” he asked. “No passing out in my arms or anything like that?”

“I think I'll be fine,” Himiko said—but under her breath, she added, “Maybe.”

Barbadu answered to voice commands, so when Ludo told him to take off, he took off.

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