The girl in the dragon skin

The strange creature slithered through the forest, but not as you might think. Its black scales would shift and bounce in an unnatural way as if its skin was detached from the body. The tail and legs hung limp and dragged along the floor. Its eyes were shut and its mouth gaped open.

If you looked close enough you could see a human face inside the mouth. Her eyes were a bright glittering green with miniscule flecks of gold. Her mouth was set in a grim line of concentration, her eyes fixed on her prey. A few strands of hair fell out of the dragon's mouth. Each looked like a peice of the sun had been spun into gold. Her freckled face, though slightly dirty from hours in the forrest, was as beautiful as the Day Flower of the Sun.

Crouched in the thick brush, the little hunter slowly raised her arms to draw her bow. She took only a second to aim. Her shot was strong and true. The arrow struck straight into the heart.

The girl stood and pushed back the dragon-head hood. The tail of the dragon skin cloak still dragged behind her as she walked towards her kill. She skinned and butchered the small buck. She packed the meat and organs inside the skin and bundled it up to create a bag. The antlers were placed around the outside and the entire thing was tied with a braided rope she had made earlier in the week.

She washed her hands and splashed a bit of the cool, crisp water on her face. Despite her size she was as strong as a mother grizzly, and, after fastening the dragon’s front claws to her own fingers, she lifted the heavy pack onto her back as if the bundle was as light ad a couple of mourning doves.

As she walked back into the forrest she paused at a low hanging branch to let her hunting hawk jump onto her shoulder. No head covering was needed to keep this bird tame, it loved his owner and was as loyal to her as the light is to the sun. All her animals were. She guessed that was because of her power.

Her ability to move silently through the forrest was not hindered by the long, trailing tail. Her feet made no noise as she picked up speed and began to run. The North African Goshawk that had been on her shoulder wove through the thick trees and branches as if the area were open air. Even with the wieght of her kill the Sun Girl still sprung forward gracefully and effortlessly toward her clan’s camp.

CHAPTER 1

Practice that day was as difficult as ever.