Dragonbound: Blue Dragon (23 page)

Denali paddled the
seal-skin boat toward the frozen shore. Choppy waves slapped the sides of the boat, and dark clouds crowded the sky. An arctic wind whipped tiny ice particles into his face. A storm was on its way, and Denali knew he had to get off of the water.

Only a few dragonfish flopped about in the net at the bottom of the boat next to his fishing spear. The dragonfishs' tails and wingfins were stumpy and deformed, and none of the catch were larger than Denali's palm. It wasn't enough to feed even his own family, let alone share with the tribe as custom required.

Denali scanned the faces of the fishermen who had come to shore before him, but could tell from their pinched looks that their catches had been the same.

A group of seal hunters approached the camp from the far side, their spears slung over their shoulders, their hands empty. The fluffy gray dogs slunk along at their heels. Denali's father, Kumar, led the seal hunters. If there had been any seals anywhere within a week's walk, Kumar would have found and killed them.

Denali drove a bone spike into the ice and secured the boat, then jumped out, hauling the net with him. He carried the fish into camp, past the thick hide tents that made up his people's homes. In the center of camp, they'd constructed an icehouse for storing the tribe's food. Denali climbed the ice steps to the top and emptied his net.

Atka, the best fisherman in the tribe and the man who had taught Denali to fish, climbed up onto the icehouse. He carried his fishing spear and two sea serpents. Their frosty white scales glinted in the Great North's perpetual half-light, but they were both shorter than his forearm.

Denali had seen Atka bring a whale to shore once that could have swallowed the whole village. The Tuniits had feasted on its blubber for almost a year.

Atka's face wrinkled in disgust as he dropped the stunted serpents into the icehouse. He pushed his fur-lined hood back and scratched his head. The cold wind tried to tear his shiny black hair out of its braid. "I don't know, Denali. We must have offended the sea spirit somehow. Almost all the fish and animals have gone. Those that remain are . . . well . . . like that." He gestured toward the hole.

Denali fished his last piece of blubber from the pouch slung over the shoulder of his seal-skin jacket. He twisted the greasy blubber in his hand. "We're going to starve to death, aren't we?"

Atka stared out across the frozen land. "No. We won't starve. We'll move. We'll search until we find what we need to survive."

"We've already moved the camp a dozen times this season. Every place we go hunting and fishing is worse." Denali shoved the blubber back into his pouch. His stomach rumbled with hunger, but he figured he better save the blubber. He might need it later.

Kumar strode to the center of camp and thrust his spear into the icy ground. "The dogs found no sea lions or seal holes. We'll have to move," he shouted. He needn't have bothered. The women were already starting to dismantle the tents despite the dark storm clouds overhead.

Denali climbed down to stand beside his father.

The senior members of the tribe gathered around Kumar. They had no official leader, but most often Kumar came up with the best plans and the tribe chose to follow his advice.

"We've hunted everywhere already," Kapik said. He was the oldest member of the tribe. Many of his great-grandchildren were Denali's age. He was as wrinkled and tough as hardened leather.

Kumar ran his fingers through his frozen beard, tugging off the ice crystals that had formed there. His skin was whiter than the rest of the tribe, and he alone seemed able to grow such a thick beard. "I think we'd better go to Illulissat. I know that the food the Southerners bring in their big boats won't make our people strong like seal meat, but it might keep us alive until the animals return. We have some seal skins we could give in trade for the food."

Tartok, who had been Kumar's rival for the love of Denali's mother, spit on the ground at Kumar's feet. "You are still a Southerner at heart. Of course you would suggest we go to Illulissat. But they will not help us. They think we are no more than animals ourselves."

Angry mutters broke out between the men. Soon shouting followed, until Kapik let out a piercing whistle and waved his spear in the air, forcing the men to silence. "Since we cannot agree, we will have to consult the women for a final answer."

The women heard Kapik's announcement and gathered around. It did not take them long to agree among themselves. For the sake of the children, the tribe would follow the coast down to Illulissat. They went back to their packing, securing everything in the boats or on the sleds and harnessing the dogs for travel.

The men broke apart to go help, except Tartok who shoved Kumar in the chest. "It's you. It's your fault. We should never have let you join us. The sea spirit is angry and punishes us because of your presence."

"That's not true." Denali kicked the butt of Tartok's spear, sending the weapon spiraling out of his hand.

Tartok grabbed the front of Denali's jacket, lifted him into the air, and shook him.

Kumar pressed the head of his spear against Tartok's throat. "Put my son down."

Tartok dropped Denali and walked away. Denali scrambled back to his feet, rubbing the ice and snow off his seal-skin pants. An angry heat burned his chest and face. "Why do you let him talk like that?" he asked Kumar. "He could turn the whole tribe against us."

Kumar snorted. "Nobody listens to Tartok, but you'd better stay away from him. Come on now, we've got to go help your mother pack. The tribe will divide the fish up when we're ready to go."

"Kumar!" Atka called down from the top of the icehouse. "I think you should come see this."

"What?" Kumar pulled his spear from the ice and bounded up the icehouse steps. Denali followed.

Atka pointed out across the ice. Denali squinted but couldn't see anything other than snow blowing across the ice ahead of the coming storm.

Kumar's hand tightened on the haft of his spear. "It can't be. I've spent twelve years hunting for a Great White dragon and found no trace."

"I think perhaps it is," Atka said. "And it's coming toward camp."

A column of snow condensed and spun along the ground in the distance. "That's a dragon?" Denali asked. It was said that anyone who caught sight of a Great White dragon would be blessed for the rest of their life.

Kumar sucked in a sharp breath. "Even if it is a Great White, it wouldn't come near us. They're too reclusive to bother the camp." But as he spoke, the swirl of frosty white sped closer.

Atka grabbed Kumar's arm. "The dragons live on sea lions and seal meat the same as we do. We haven't found any all season. Only the fish have kept us alive."

Kumar grimaced. "White dragons don't fish. Their wings are too fragile to dive below the surface."

"Right," Atka nodded. "The only thing available for the Great White to eat right now is us."

The swirl of snow stopped within range of the camp and burst apart, revealing a Great White dragon. Ice crystal patterns clung to its translucent wings as it spread them wide and reared up on its hind legs. It opened its jaws, revealing sharp icicle-shaped teeth. It roared, and the ground shook.

"Cover your eyes!" Kumar shouted. His hand wrapped around Denali's face, blocking his sight a split second before a bright flash lit his father's hand with a red glow.

Atka let out a sharp cry.

The light vanished. Kumar twisted Denali to face away from the Great White dragon and dropped his hand from Denali's face.

Water streamed from Atka's open eyes and froze to ice on his cheeks. "I can't see."

"The light has blinded him," Kumar said in a thick voice. "Help him down, Denali. Get your mother in the boat and leave. Don't look back."

Kumar's words sent icicles through Denali's heart. "What about you?"

"I'll follow with the dogs and sled. Meet you at Illulissat. Now go." He nudged Denali toward Atka. Behind him, Denali heard the crunch of the ice as the Great White dragon advanced on the camp. Cries of fear rose up from the tribe. The dogs let out terrified howls that subsided to whimpers as the dragon grew closer.

Denali grabbed Atka's hand and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Come on. This way."

"The crystal. So beautiful," Atka mumbled. "So bright. Like a star plucked from the sky and placed in the dragon's forehead."

"They blind their prey before attacking," Kumar called. "Nobody look directly at it. Just get out of here, everyone. Go quickly. I'll keep its attention on me."

Denali guided Atka down the steps of the ice house and over to his boat. Atka's wife and sons were already aboard with all their possessions. They helped him into the boat and shoved away from shore.

"Denali." Eska, Denali's mother, wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders and dragged him to their boat. He dropped to his knees and held it against the ice shelf, pulling his fishing spear out of the way as Eska got onboard.

"Come on," Eska said. "Hurry."

Denali stepped one foot down into the boat and pulled the spike free of the ice, ready to push off.

A roar like the sound of a glacier splitting off into the water made his ears ring. He glanced back and saw his father still on top of the icehouse, waving his spear, and taunting the Great White dragon with a shrill whistle.

The Great White shot toward him in a swirl of ice and snow. It towered above the icehouse so Kumar stood barely as high as its chest. At the last moment before the dragon reached him, Kumar threw his seal spear, but the Great White dragon flapped its wings, creating a gust of wind that sent the spear spinning away harmlessly.

"No!" Denali shouted. He lifted his foot out of the boat and used it to kick the boat away from shore.

"Denali," his mother screamed and tried to paddle back for him, but Atka's wife grabbed the side of her boat and held it while his two sons paddled with all their strength away from shore.

Denali raced back toward the icehouse. He couldn't let his father face the Great White dragon alone. The crystal in the dragon's forehead glistened with amazing beauty, catching Denali's eye and dragging his gaze up to stare at it.

Kumar drew his hunting knife, pressed his arm across his face, and half-turned away from the attacking monster. Denali remembered his father's warning at the last second. It took all his will to tear his eyes away from the beauty of the dragonstone before the blinding white flash split the sky.

The sound of ice crunching and scraping followed the flash.

Denali looked back and saw that the Great White had torn the front off of the icehouse. The tribe's pathetic catch slid out at the dragon's feet. Altogether it would hardly be more than a mouthful for the Great White. The dragon filled the air with another ice-rending roar, fixed its hungry eyes on Kumar, and sucked in an icy breath.

Denali skidded to a stop at the base of the icehouse. He whistled and waved his fishing spear to get the dragon's attention the way his father had done. The Great White dropped its gaze to Denali and shook its head as if it couldn't believe such a small boy would fight it.

"That's right, look at me, you monster. I'm not afraid to fight you!" Denali screamed. At the same time he threw the spear. Not at the dragon, but up to his father.

Kumar caught it, raced forward, and leaped off the icehouse at the dragon.

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Dragonbound II: White Dragon
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Books by Rebecca Shelley

Dragonbound Series