The Broken Scale (The Dragon Riders of Arvain) (20 page)

             
Hayden reached out and lightly touched the surfaces of Drake’s right wing; the bones that opened them seemed thin and the membrane that made up the wing felt so fragile underneath his fingers. Draek’s wings looked like they were made of solid silver, smooth and unblemished.

             
“Don’t worry; the wings will get thicker and stronger as he grows. They cannot carry him for a few more months, but when they can they will feel as thick as his scales.” Estraken had moved to watch Hayden oil Draek and he had seen the look of concern cross his face.

             
Hayden wasted no more thought on it and went to oiling Draek’s now dry skin. He noticed immediately that the scales began to shine brighter then they had and Draek was telling him how all the itching had gone away. It still took them a while before Hayden was sure that he had completely covered Draek in the oil, he himself being oiled from the elbow down.

             
Hayden had been careful to not get any sand in the healing wounds on his hands. The oil seeped through his thin bandages and as he finished cleaning Draek Hayden noticed that his hands felt amazing, as if they had never been hurt.

             
“All right, that’s enough for one night, you will return tomorrow, and don’t worry your dragons will have something to do to occupy their time away from you.” Estraken turned and led Cass and Shaylin away without another word to them.

             
Well are you ready to go back to our room?
Hayden asked Draek.

             
I guess I am, but can we come back tomorrow night?
he asked in return.

             
“Ha ha, of course we can, we can come whenever you want to!” Hayden responded out loud to Draek. They walked out the door with Shane and Rilora following right behind them. They walked through the corridors using their dragon’s memories of where their rooms were to get them back.

They noticed that Sebastian and Giles had both stayed back
, but that was for the best as far as Hayden was concerned. As they walked they discussed what they had learned about cleaning, and what some of the things their own dragons liked and things that they did not like.

             
“Well Draek was extremely itchy around his shoulders, I had to rub the joints down with a wire brush two or three times before he could let me finish. He really liked the one brush that was covered in the metal bristles, that one was his favorite.”

             
“I know what you mean; Rilora’s wings were bothering her the most and I have noticed that Draek is bigger than the other silvers, but Rilora has the largest wings.” Shane looked proudly at Rilora.

             
“Of course her wings are the biggest, if they weren’t how would she carry you? HA HA” Hayden had to jump ahead as Shane threw a friendly punch at his arm. They were both laughing as they came back to their rooms.

             
“Something that did strike me was just how dirty they had gotten in such a short time, they are almost glowing now that they are clean, but they were filthy before.” Hayden nodded his agreement, but before he could respond Draek spoke out to him.

             
We have done many things since we have hatched and it is only natural for us to become a little dirty. You both smell worse than anything I have had the chance to smell in my short time with you. You both are need of a good bath.
Hayden wanted to argue, but before he could he took a second to smell his under arms and quickly lowered his arm as he realized Draek was right.

             
“Before we continue on I think it would be a good idea if we cleaned ourselves up real quick.” Shane agreed and went back into his room. As Hayden entered his and Draek’s room, Draek had one last thought before
Hayden went to his personal bathing room.

             
Would you like me to go back and get the metal brush for you, it cleans really nicely?
Hayden just shook his head, grabbed the clean grey clothes that were lying on his bed, and walked into the washroom and closed the door without looking back.

             
Hayden undid the bandages on his hands to inspect the wounds before he cleaned himself. He was pleasantly surprised to see most of the redness gone and the burns themselves almost healed up. He knew that they had not looked as good before he had cleaned Draek so he accounted the change to the oil he had used. He threw the dirty bandages on the ground and did not plan on picking them back up.

             
When Hayden had finished washing up and putting on his clean clothes he walked back into the large open room and found Draek sniffing at a pack that had not been there before, and he also noticed his silver shield that he had left in the Hall of Stories was laying flat on the bed.

             
“Were did all my stuff come from?” he asked Draek as he made his way to his pack and opened it up to find that all of his belongings were still in there and perfectly intact, just as he had left them back in Fendrel’s house.

             
A servant came and brought them to us, he also said that you could put all your dirty clothes in one of the large baskets on the wall, he said one was for clothes and one was for trash.
Draek was lying down but had his head held high and Hayden could feel his pride at delivering the message so well.

             
“I am so glad they brought me my stuff. I know it’s not much, but this is all I have ever owned that was worth saving, I would have been upset if I had lost it all.” Hayden wanted to show Draek all that was in his pack but there was a knock on the door before he could pull out the first item.

             
It is Shane and Rilora; she would like to come in now,
Draek informed Hayden before he could ask who was there. The door opened and Rilora burst through and started wrestling with Draek. Shane laughed and went to sit by Hayden on the floor. Hayden could not help but notice a copper sword hanging from his hip as he maneuvered it to sit.

             
“I see they brought you some of your stuff; they left all mine in my room too. They must have done it while we were out today.” Shane was able to look around and have a conversation without staring at his sword, but Hayden noticed that he never took a hand off of it.

             
“They did, my bag and shield were here when I walked in. It’s strange having all my stuff here now though, it actually feels like this is home now.” Hayden observed the walls and what scarce furniture there was in the room; which was still nicer than his old room in Erskine.

             
“This
is
our home; at least until we finish our training, then all of Arvain will be our home.” Shane threw his arms up to emphasize what he was saying. “I wonder what our training will be like; no one has mentioned anything about it yet.”

             
“They have to be secretive about it I guess, to try to make us nervous.” Hayden really had no idea what to expect, Fendrel hadn’t told him about any of what would happen after the egg hatched.

             
Hayden, Cass and Shaylin would like to know if they can come down and see us; I would like to see them.
Draek didn’t stop wrestling with Rilora when he spoke to Hayden. He looked at the mess of shiny scales and laughed; if it wouldn’t have been for their different colors then he would have been unable to see where one started or the other ended.

             
“Of course they can come,” Hayden replied.

             
“Who can come where?” Shane asked with a puzzled look on his face.

             
“Oh, sorry, I forgot that you cannot hear Draek. He said that Cass and Shaylin want to come see us.”  Shane nodded his head and before either of them had time to say anything further; there was a soft nock on the door. Hayden did not have to ask Draek if it was Cass and Shaylin because before the noise from the last nock had faded, Draek had already quit wrestling and was heading to the door.

             
“Come in.” Hayden wanted to open the door for them but Draek was standing right in front of it so Hayden could not reach it. The door opened and Shaylin came through first, walking elegantly and effortlessly like a cat. Hayden noticed that Cass had done an amazing job cleaning her; even though he had just gotten done cleaning Draek, Draek’s scales seemed dull and lifeless compared to Shaylin’s. Hayden watched as Draek and Shaylin slowly closed the distance between them, moving slowly but sure footed and never taking their eyes off each other.

             
Hayden could feel Draek’s nervousness through their connection; it was a strong enough emotion that his own stomach began doing flips. Hayden became frozen with nervousness as he watched Rilora, who had been left behind when Draek had made his way to meet Shaylin, run and jump clear over Draek, just as Draek and Shaylin’s noses were only inches apart, and landed on top of Shaylin and tackled her to the ground.

             
Hayden and Draek were thinking the same thing, nothing. They both just stood there with their mouths hanging open, wondering what had just happened. Rilora rolled off of Shaylin and stuck her chest out and opened her wings slightly, ready to play with Shaylin. Shaylin stood up slowly, as if a king or queen had just been tackled, and looked at Rilora. Draek and Hayden both held their breath and waited for her response to the ruff, unasked for, playing.

Shaylin took in a deep breath and bugled out her delight, then jumped at Rilora and the two began wrestling and play fighting just as Rilora and Draek had done moments before. Draek was still dumbfounded
, but Hayden was able to break free from his trance and laughed a little at what had all transpired.

“Well
, Draek, are you going to let them have all the fun without you?” Cass’s voice came through from the other side of the threshold. It seemed to snap Draek out of his trance and he belted his challenge and jumped onto the tumbling metallic blob that accepted him with earnest, the three rolled into the larger part of the room where Draek would sleep when he was larger.

Hayden closed the door after Cass had walked in; as the door shut he watched Sebast
ian walk back into his own room; he never turned around but Hayden knew it was him.

“So w
hat have you guys been up to… this your room, Hayden?” Cass only walked a few feet in and stopped to look around, she did not walk around but just turned her head and leaned one way or another to get the best view.

“It sure is, do you like it?” He had never had such a large place to call his own, he was proud of it.

“HAHA! Do I like it? This is nothing compared to my room.” She leaned up against the wall next to the door and put her hand over her mouth as she laughed at the two men that looked from her back to each other, trying to figure out what was going on.

“What are you talking about,
aren’t all the rooms the same?” Shane asked.

“Actually no; I thought they all would be until I saw the room they put me in since there are five of us. The rooms for full riders are much larger; I actually have a separate room just for my bed. They are decorated and I have a small room with a table and book shelves where I can have books and food delivered. The opening to where my dragon will be able to fly in is the same
room, but I also have my own washing stall so I don’t have to share when I wash Shaylin.” Cass tried not to laugh anymore while she spoke but it became harder and harder as more words came out.

Hayden could not believe what he was hearing, and by the look on Shane’s face he felt the same. He had thought that his room was am
azing, almost a castle unto itself, and now he just found out that he was living in a cleaning closet compared to the riders. At least the other
three were in the same boat as him though; and it would only be a year till he was a full rider and he could have the good rooms.

Listen to me think
, Draek, it was only a few minutes ago I was thinking about how lucky I am to have such a nice place to live. That it was better than any other place I had ever stayed at and now I am complaining because others have better than I do.
Hayden thought it was funny at first, but it quickly made him sick to know that.

Don’t worry about it. It is natural for you to want the best for you and to be a little upset knowing that they are holding something back from you. Just don’t let it become the reason for you doing something.
Hayden was still amazed at how smart his little dragon was, for just a few days old it was already giving good advice to him.

The three friends stayed up late into the night talking about each other’s past, they all seemed excited and interested in Hayden’s because it was so different from their own. Cass was the first to leave
, but Shane followed soon after her, they had to wake the dragons because they had passed out all tangled up together.

After they left
, Hayden went and put out some of the torches that hung on the walls that had lit up the room. He liked to have a little light so he left one glowing. He hadn’t been laying down long when he heard Draek move slow and sluggishly to the bed and flop down on the cool metal floor, with his head laying against Hayden’s side. Hayden fell asleep right away with a smile on his face, just as he had for the last few nights.