To Save a Dragon Part 1

To Save a Dragon is an original short story by me, Rebecca Kletzing. I hope you enjoy reading it!          

            My story begins on a bright and beautiful day during that time of year that can be called neither summer nor fall. The leaves had just begun to put on their autumn finery. The nights were cool, but the days were hot. It was the day that my father had promised me the privilege of accompanying him to town. This was a rare treat, for my mother could not often spare me from my chores for an entire day.

            I awoke that morning and dressed quickly in a shirt and pants, then raced downstairs for breakfast. There were chores that had to be done before we could leave, and I wanted to get them done as quickly as possible. I gave a quick wave to my father as he headed to the fields, then went into the barn to begin my chores. They were finished in what must have been record time. I raced into the house to change and wash.

             Stopping in front of the mirror in my parents' room, I rebraided my dark brown hair which fell below my shoulders. If I did not constantly keep it braided, it would tangle badly. When I was young, I did not want to take care of it, so it was kept very short; but now that I was sixteen, I enjoyed caring for longer hair.

            When I was finished I hurried out of the house, past the barn, and to the large round stable, calling before me as I went.

            "Agren!"

            I looked into the stable to find that Agren was not there. I was not surprised, for she spent a good deal of time in the mountains that bordered our farm to the east. I made my way over to the path that led up the mountainside to a clearing where we always met when she was off exploring, and started up it. It was a somewhat long climb, but not a steep one.

            When I reached the clearing, I called her again. No matter where she was she always heard me.

            I had only to wait a moment for her to come. A sound like gentle raindrops on a lake came to my ears, a sound I knew to be that of her wings, and I saw those silvery wings pass overhead. Another moment, and Agren stood on the ground before me.

            She was a dragon. Not a colossal giant like the dragons of old and of legend, but a meredragon, standing about three feet higher than a horse. For the most part she was silvery grey, but her underside and eyes were a deep rich purple. In greeting she breathed fire, a pale blue flame. I bowed my head to return the greeting, then spoke.

            "Today we are going into town with my father."

            "This is wondrous news, Gwynnethe! It has been long since we were in Drelle. I will enjoy this trip greatly," she exclaimed happily.

            I smiled at the sound of her voice. Dragons do not talk with a voice as humans do. A dragon's voice is a sound from nature and  Agren's voice was water. As she spoke, her words flowed from her like a rippling stream, lapping gently upon my ears.

            "I came up to find you because we will be leaving soon."

            "Very good," she said. "I will fly down and meet you at the stable."

            When I arrived back at the farm, she was already there. I saddled her quickly, then mounted and rode over to the barn where my father's horse waited. Father appeared on the porch a second later, a pack of food in his hand and my mother right behind him. When Mother caught sight of me, a frown formed on her pretty face.

            "I will not have you going to town in pants, Gwynnethe. Go inside and change your clothes," she commanded rather sternly.

            "But Mother, you know I can't ride Agren in a skirt," I reminded her.

            Mother looked me up and down, then sighed and pushed her thin blond bangs back off her forehead.

            "It will have to do," she sighed, then smiled. "Have a good time."

            I always loved being with my father. Perhaps it was because I was so much like him, not just in looks, for I had his thick, dark brown hair and brown eyes, but also in likes and dislikes and loving to laugh. Agren and I did not fly, but rode next to my father so that we could talk. The miles went by and before I realized it, we were riding into the outskirts of Drelle.

            Anyone we rode past looked at us strangely. They would look at Agren, then give me an odd glance. Once or twice I even thought I saw fear in their eyes. It began to make me nervous. In the center of town was a large tree, and nailed to it was a piece of parchment. Father and I dismounted so we could read it. In bold lettering it declared:

TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE KINGDOM OF ENDMERE:

TAKE HEED!

BY THE SUGGESTION OF QUEEN DARIS

AND THROUGH THE ROYAL POWER OF KING LUCHEN

A LAW HAS BEEN PASSED WHICH

FORBIDS

ANY DRAGONS IN THIS KINGDOM.

THOSE WHICH ARE FOUND WILL BE PUT TO DEATH.

=EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY=

            I stood still, shocked, feeling as though I had been punched in the stomach. A low rumble came from behind me, like an approaching thunderstorm. It took me a moment to realize that it was Agren. I turned and stared at what I saw. Agren stood there, every muscle tense, eyes glued to the notice. Smoke drifted from her nostrils and her purple eyes glittered dangerously. I had rarely seen Agren when she was angered. Father laid a hand on my shoulder.

            "I'm going to get the things we need and then we'll head home," he said quietly. "You and Agren stay here."

            I nodded silently and turned back to Agren. She was still staring at the notice. I went over to her and climbed onto her back. After a while she spoke.

            "So much death, Gwynn," she sighed, "so much death will result from this. You read the notice. All dragons in this kingdom must die. Why? For what purpose?"

            "I don't know, Agren. But I will find out if I can."

            My father came over just then. "If you're ready, we can go. I bought everything we need. As soon as we're out of town, we'll stop and eat our dinner, then continue home."

            And that was what we did. No one had much appetite, so it was a rather quick meal. Before long we were on the road home, each lost in our own thoughts. Mother looked surprised to see us home so soon. After taking in our long faces, she turned to my father.

            "What happened, Rodney? You're home early and you look like messengers of bad news."

            "We are at that, Anna," he said grimly. "I'll tell you over supper. I think Gwynn and I are going to try to get some more work done until then."

---

           Father told Mother about the notice while we ate. She looked as shocked as I felt. The table fell into silence when Father finished speaking. At last, when we had all eaten as much as we could, I could stand the silence no longer.

            "Father," I ventured, "do you know why this law has been put in place?"

            "Actually, I do, Gwynn," he said. He lit his pipe before turning toward me and continuing. "I talked to the storekeeper while I was getting what we needed. He said that the notice was brought to town and put up by two soldiers. They stopped at the store because they were running low on food. One of them was well-informed and talkative. He said that there was an incident at the palace a short time back. The queen was waiting for her most trusted advisor, a man by the name of Wallace, to come to her study. He was late, which was unusual. She decided to go in search of him and find out what was causing the delay. As she went, she could find no one around to ask about Wallace. She was nearly at the door which led out into the garden when she heard an awful noise coming from outside. Running to the door, she saw a terrible sight. Her own dragon stood beside Wallace, whom the dragon had killed. The queen started screaming, and the soldier claimed he was one of the first to arrive at the scene."

            "But why did the dragon kill Wallace?" I questioned Father.

            "I don't know. The soldier said that the queen refuses to speak to the dragon. Right now it is locked up in a cage in the middle of Endkelm, the capital city. It is to stay there until its execution. It will be the first dragon to die; then soldiers will go through the land and kill all the others."

            "And when is the execution?" I asked, a plan beginning to form in my mind.

            "In one week," he said.

            "I have to go to Endkelm," I announced.

...to be continued 

Something new is coming...

You know me as the blogger who reads a lot and writes book reviews. But that's not exactly true. Don't get me wrong-- I love to read and I enjoy writing the reviews. It's just not the whole picture.

I don't only read the works of other authors. I am a writer myself. Mostly just little bits and pieces of things that never get any further than random Microsoft Word documents on my computer, and a lot of stories that live in my head. But I've written some complete songs and poems and stories. And after giving it some thought, I want to share some of those with you. :)

And so, very nervously and excitedly, I am here to announce that I will be starting out by posting one of my short stories, a small segment at a time. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Prayers of a Stranger by Davis Bunn

Prayers of a Stranger, a Christmas Journey is a book to treasure. Its rich emotions and detailed descriptions draw you in and refuse to let go. I am always pleased and surprised when I come across a book that I want to reread as soon as I finish it, and this is one of those books.

A year ago, Amanda Vance suffered a personal tragedy. It caused her to withdraw from everyone she possibly could, to leave the job doing what she loved, and to become a shadow of the joyful woman she once was. And it caused a distance to develop between her and her husband.

Chris Vance keeps up a strong front around his wife, not telling her all the troubles and problems happening at his job. But the worries are constantly on his mind, as are his worries about Amanda and her inability to move beyond her grief.

Just weeks before Christmas, the opportunity suddenly arises for Amanda to travel with a neighbor to Israel for a week. Although somewhat reluctant, she accepts the invitation. Little does she realize the healing that trip will bring about. Unforeseen events and the prayers of a stranger give her the opportunity to return to the peace and joy she once knew.

This story has a way of getting into your heart. Amanda and Chris will begin to seem like people you know well-- or maybe you will even see a bit of yourself in them and the struggles they face. This is a story of the hope and joy only found in the loving arms of our Savior.

The rich descriptions only add to the pleasure of the read. All your senses will be filled with the sights, smells, and sounds of Jerusalem. You begin to get the feeling that you are there with Amanda.

Prayers of a Stranger is a book I would eagerly recommend to anyone, and not only to read at Christmas time. It is a book for all seasons, reminding us that the joy and hope of Christmas is not only for one day a year. It is for all time.

You can find the Thomas Nelson product page here: Prayers of a Stranger 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Rare Earth by Davis Bunn

Rare Earth by Davis Bunn is a story that moves quite quick in some places, and slow in others. But it is all-in-all a good story if you give yourself time to get into it.

On page one we meet Marc Royce, a man who has come to Africa to investigate some possible corruption in a relief organization. A man has been kidnapped, and the company Marc works for is suspected of doing the crime. Marc expected to simply come to Kenya to get answers for his company and possibly to find some for himself as well. He never planned on becoming a vital piece in a puzzle that is only now unfolding.

Tribes are being removed from their ancestral lands and sent to city slums for no apparent reason. They are promised new land, but it never materializes. Now, as the crisis grows, the elders begin to look to an unlikely hero for help-- Marc Royce.

In the midst of it all, Marc finds himself being drawn to the kidnapped man's sister, a nurse at the refugee camp where he is staying. She is a woman of many secrets, and Marc slowly begins to realize that her knowledge may be one of the keys to uncovering the reason for the tribes' displacement.

As I said at the beginning of the review, this book is slow-paced part of the time. Although the characters and setting are interesting, they did not draw me in quite as much as I would have liked. I still feel that the book was definitely not a waste of my time. It was only after I read the book that I found out that it is the second in the Marc Royce series. I think that maybe if I had read book one, Lion of Babylon, first, I might have been able to understand Marc a little better. So for those reading the Marc Royce series, I would definitely say that Rare Earth is worth reading.

I received this book free from Bethany House publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. 

Arms of Love by Kelly Long

Arms of Love by Kelly Long covers a unique subject: what life was like for the Amish during the Revolutionary war. When we think of the Amish, we think of them in today's times. But they were in America at the time of the Revolution, and life was very difficult for them since they refused to fight for either side. This book is a beautiful work of historical fiction that focuses on the lives of Adam Wyse and Lena Yoder.

Adam Wyse is a young Amish man whose inner turmoil mirrors the turmoil of the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. He wants two things but can't have them both: he wants to fight and he wants to marry his beloved Lena Yoder. To join the Patriot cause means leaving his faith and his love. But because of a promise he made, he may never be able to be with Lena anyway.

Lena senses Adam's pain, but he won't tell her what is on his mind, nor about the promise he made to her mother. He just ends their relationship. Left alone, Lena finds herself having to turn to Adam's brother, Isaac.

Will Adam's promise bring about the good results it was supposed to? Or will it tear apart families instead of bringing peace?

I found this to be a very well-written book with an intriguing storyline. The Revolutionary War is one of my favorite periods of American history, so I enjoyed learning something new about it. Readers of historical fiction and historical romances will enjoy this book.

To visit the Thomas Nelson product page for this book, click here Arms of Love product page 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Review of The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

I just had the pleasure of reading The Messenger by Siri Mitchell. As soon as I read the description of the book, I knew I had to get this book. I mean, for a person who loves historical fiction and romances, does it get much better than the Revolutionary War, Quakers, spies, and a sweet little love story, all in the same book? And let me tell you, The Messenger did not disappoint.

Hannah Sunderland is a Quaker young woman living in Philadelphia during the British occupation. She is content to obey the Quaker rules for living until her brother joins the Colonial army and is captured and thrown into jail-- and the Quaker faith forbids her and her family from visiting him. Even if she were allowed, she would need a pass in order to get in to see him.

Jeremiah Jones is a Colonial spy who desperately needs someone to take a message into the jail. If he can't get that message to the right men soon, the escape being planned by General Washington may for those prisoners may not take place. He decides to make a deal with Hannah-- he will get her a pass to get into the jail if she will carry messages into and out of the prison. Each is wary of the other and neither is prepared for the feelings they begin to develop for each other.

This book is an excellent read that I would recommend to everyone. The only thing that is slightly confusing when you first start the book is that it is written in the first person from both the perspective of Hannah and Jeremiah. One chapter is written through Hannah's eyes, and the next through Jeremiah's, and it goes back and forth like that through the entire book. But I love books written in the first person, and once you get used to being inside of both of the main characters' heads, it is thoroughly enjoyable.


I received this book free from Bethany House publishers as part of their blogger book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.