I'm Three Parts Of A Forest Fire

The village children came running when they spotted the stranger. There wasn't much excitement coming to this part of the world. Most travelers didn't bother visit villages that all were a day's travel apart with no town near them. But this time, the adults took note, too. The stranger was arriving at a time of need.

"Cooeeeeey!" an old crone called the traveler over. She was sitting on a stool in the garden in front of her house at the edge of the village.

The traveler returned the wave as they walked over, stopping outside the fence. "Good day to you."

"G'day to you, too," the crone said, standing up with a groan to hobble over to the traveler. "Whatever brings you to this part of the world?"

The traveler cocked her hooded head. "Not much yet. A couple of rumors, an indistinct feeling. Why?"

"You shouldn't go on," the crone replied, leaning in to whisper: "There's a dragon on the mountain ahead. Won't even allow us to chop trees for firewood. Frightens the hunters something fierce, too."

The traveler perked up. "But it doesn't attack?"

"Oh, don't go thinking you can slay the beast. It's smart. It'll eat you. It already killed the king's huntsman and a knight."

The traveler merely hummed in response.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

The traveler waved her hand. "You did. And I still intend to go. Good day to you!"

"You're a fool!" the crone shouted after her. "You'll get yourself killed!"

Talea brushed back her cowl as she entered the woods. This mountain was already just what she'd been looking for, forested, with chalk and sandstone below the soil. Birds were singing in the distances. The ones closer were whistling sharp warnings to each other in response to her presence. It meant that the dragon, too, would know soon. She just hoped it was the dragon she was seeking.

For now, she hiked on, uphill. From the distance, she'd seen bare rock near the summit. It was as good a place as any to start looking for a cave big enough to live in.

The hike itself was pleasant. The forest was full of rare species, be it plants, bugs, or bigger animals. She spotted more than one bird she hadn't seen in months or even years. When she stumbled over a rotting tree, there were a myriad bugs beneath, their carapace shimmering in every color in nature, from the deepest black to a veritable rainbow on a greenish-yellow background. Once, she slipped on some muck covering a rock, only to realize that it wasn't dirt or something worse, but some kind of algae. And that was all without mentioning the rare flowers and orchids blooming in every little shaft of light.

It all added up to Talea's conviction that she'd indeed found the dragon she'd been looking for.

As dusk was drawing closer, a wind started up. It rustled the treetops first, but soon the leaves were whispering all around Talea. She quickly took off her cowl and cloak and tied them into a bundle. Like that, she would provide the wind less surface to take hold of her. But the wind didn't stop. It already pulled at her chest and limbs, threatening to push her around. She threw herself flat on the ground, unable to think of a better strategy for now.

Something heavy broke through the branches above. When it hit the ground, Talea could feel the trembles. She didn't dare to look up yet, even when she felt the dragon's hot breath wash over her.

"Leave!" the dragon's voice boomed. All animals had fallen silent around them.

Talea slowly raised her face. The claw she first saw had the right color. She breathed a small sigh of relief. A bit faster, she rolled up into a sitting position. "Fabienne?" she asked, hopefully. She didn't know enough dragons to be able to tell them apart with any certainty.

The dragon sniffed her face. "Talea?"

Talea beamed at the dragon. "Yes."

Fabienne snorted, ruffling Talea's short hair. "Why are you here, bean?"

"I heard there was a price on a dragon's head." Talea shrugged. "So I came to have a look. Then I heard stories and thought it sounded like you."

"What sounded like me?"

"Attacking intruders for harming plants and animals." Talea beamed up at the dragon. After moment's hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Fabienne's neck. Or at least attempted to. She couldn't quite reach around. "I missed you."

Fabienne leaned into her, almost knocking her off her knees. "Missed you too, bean."

"So." Talea let go to catch her balance. She got up and dusted off her travel clothes. The wet, soft forest floor had left damp patches on her trousers. "How can I help?"

"Do what you do best." Fabienne flapped her wings, making Talea stagger backwards. It took her a moment to realize that it had meant to be a shrug. "Mediate."

Talea groaned. "I can try." The thought about it for a moment. "Did you really kill a knight and the royal huntsman?"

Fabienne scoffed. "Of course not! I flew them to the edge of the country and left them as far away from settlements as I could. I'm not killing fools."

"Right. Right." Talea started to walk up and down as she thought. "What about the fire wood?"

"What fire wood?"

"A crone in the village complained they can't fetch from fire wood from here."

"I said one time not to touch the rare trees! But the fools ran off without their axes." Fabienne's huff stirred up a bunch of dead leaves. "I'm fine with them cutting down a fir or two. But they'll have to help with the planting and care."

Talea nodded. "Sounds reasonable. I'll talk to the village people and the king. If they don't agree, you can just burn down castle."

Fabienne laughed. She bumped the tip of her snout against Talea's head. "You can run off tomorrow. Wanna see my orchid garden?"

"Would I ever!" Talea beamed.