Secrets in the Roots of Eastrop
by Freyja Rivett
Fur in eyes, wet and cold, I search for a shelter. Luckily, I am away from the road now but I still can’t see any shelter. My paws are aching and bruised from the hard ground. Drawn by the smell of old food, I nudge open a cold, creaking gate but the food’s already been eaten by a big, brown creature with a gaping mouth.
I look up and my tail wags droopily as I see a small wooden house. I clamber up the short spiraling slope. Exhausted from the long day I just had, I drop to the floor. As the stars wink down at me I close my eyes, but it only feels like seconds before rain drops start falling on my eye lids. There’s no roof.
I manage to get up, my fur wet and heavy, and run down the wet slope, through the gate and towards some trees, blinded by the pouring rain.
Hiding under a willow tree next to a small stream I whine as water stings my grazed paws. I rub at my eyes getting mud on my nose.
The wet ground is rich with the smell of wet leaves, mud and the sour scent of bird poo.
Blinking the water from my eyes, I see a small flying girl, no bigger than a butterfly, her yellow hair not getting wet from the rain, water splashing off her purple wings. Am I seeing things?
I shrink back watching her zigzagging round. Slowly I crawl out of my ball and bark softly. She whips rounds and grabs three sharp looking silver objects from her belt and flies straight for me. I run whining as she throws one, which sinks into my hind leg. Howling I run along the bank of the stream and hide under a small oak tree and lick at the silver sharp thing sticking out of me. In the roots of the tree, I spot a small red creature with wings. Growling I jump at the creature my claws out, frightened it too might attack me. My muddy paws collide with its scaly body.
“Ahh” the creature screeches. I growl worried they are friends with the flying girl. The animal struggles free and climbs up a willow branch, shaking out its wings.
“Why did you jump on me?” it asks in a quiet voice.
“Sorry I was just worried you were friends with the flying girl,” I say as I tug at the sharp object with my teeth.
“Did the water Fairies do that?” he asks, fluttering down.
“The what?” I ask intrigued.
“They are the guardians of the stream” he replies as he grabs the sharp object with his teeth and draws it out. “But I would stay away from them because they hate anything to do with humans.” ” He turn and walks away his claws scraping the hard stone floor.
“Wait, can you please help me? I need food and shelter do you have any?” I ask hopefully
At the roots of the tree, he turns his black horns sparkling but his ears low.
“I am sorry.”
“Wait” I call after
He stops, his tail rippling like waves.
“No, it is a sacred place.”
The creature disappears into the cave in amongst the roots, yellow sparks flying from his mouth. I hang my head low my tail dragging behind me.
Again, I hear a rush of wings. Two girls fly towards me, one has an axe and the other a bow and arrows, their hair flying behind them.
I jump back, slipping on the wet mud and tumble into the freezing stream; more and more fairies come.
They fire sharp thorns at me and hit me with rocks. I whine and bark but it does nothing. I struggle up the bank, bruised, bleeding and sad. Why do they hate me? “Humans have hurt me too,” I whimper but the fairies dive into the water and swim away like fishes.
I see the creature again. He’s watching me, perched on an oak branch.
“Hey, can you please help me?” I ask, really, really hoping he will say yes.
He looks down from his perch on the tree, his tail curled round a branch. The rain had finally eased, but I felt sadder than before.
“So the water fairies attacked again?”
I nod.
“I’m sorry but it’s the same answer. I asked the other dragons but they said no sorry.” He frowns as I sit down and lick my cuts. “Why don’t you leave? I told you the water fairies hate humans.”
“But I’m not a human and besides I’ve got nowhere to go,” I say looking up at the little dragon. “And to be honest I’m not a fan of humans either.”
“Why?” The dragons yellow eyes look curious. “I thought dogs were man’s best friend?” he says moving down the tree slightly.
I shake my tired head. “The problem was that the man didn’t like me. I tried to be so good but he always shouted and threw things until one day he threw me out of the house,” I say , my ears drooping.
I look up but the dragon has gone. I‘m so thirsty, my tongue feels like sand. I sniff about but now it’s light and the park is full of humans. Dodging people’s legs, I go to one of the lakes for a drink, but a duck shoos me away until my last option is the stream again. Slowly, I sneak along the grass towards the stream trying not to step on sticks but then I step on something sharp and small. I look down and see glass. I howl with the pain and hear the sound of the fairies laughter.
I stand, frozen, my head low, my tail between my legs. I have no one. I have nowhere to go.
Then I hear a woosh of air and the red dragon appears beside me, sending sparks towards the fairies so they duck beneath the water.
He zooms around me. “You can live with us!” He calls.
“Really?” my tail wags doubtfully.
“Yes! Anyone who has been treated badly by humans can stay with us!” The dragon roars, orange red and yellow flames pouring from his mouth. I follow him to the hollow in the roots of the oak tree. The arch begins to grow wider as the dragon walks in. Following him, I close my eyes. I can feel warm sun on my damp fur and smell the sweet smell of flowers and the rich relief of food and I can hear the sound of roaring dragons and the call of home.
by Freyja Rivett
Fur in eyes, wet and cold, I search for a shelter. Luckily, I am away from the road now but I still can’t see any shelter. My paws are aching and bruised from the hard ground. Drawn by the smell of old food, I nudge open a cold, creaking gate but the food’s already been eaten by a big, brown creature with a gaping mouth.
I look up and my tail wags droopily as I see a small wooden house. I clamber up the short spiraling slope. Exhausted from the long day I just had, I drop to the floor. As the stars wink down at me I close my eyes, but it only feels like seconds before rain drops start falling on my eye lids. There’s no roof.
I manage to get up, my fur wet and heavy, and run down the wet slope, through the gate and towards some trees, blinded by the pouring rain.
Hiding under a willow tree next to a small stream I whine as water stings my grazed paws. I rub at my eyes getting mud on my nose.
The wet ground is rich with the smell of wet leaves, mud and the sour scent of bird poo.
Blinking the water from my eyes, I see a small flying girl, no bigger than a butterfly, her yellow hair not getting wet from the rain, water splashing off her purple wings. Am I seeing things?
I shrink back watching her zigzagging round. Slowly I crawl out of my ball and bark softly. She whips rounds and grabs three sharp looking silver objects from her belt and flies straight for me. I run whining as she throws one, which sinks into my hind leg. Howling I run along the bank of the stream and hide under a small oak tree and lick at the silver sharp thing sticking out of me. In the roots of the tree, I spot a small red creature with wings. Growling I jump at the creature my claws out, frightened it too might attack me. My muddy paws collide with its scaly body.
“Ahh” the creature screeches. I growl worried they are friends with the flying girl. The animal struggles free and climbs up a willow branch, shaking out its wings.
“Why did you jump on me?” it asks in a quiet voice.
“Sorry I was just worried you were friends with the flying girl,” I say as I tug at the sharp object with my teeth.
“Did the water Fairies do that?” he asks, fluttering down.
“The what?” I ask intrigued.
“They are the guardians of the stream” he replies as he grabs the sharp object with his teeth and draws it out. “But I would stay away from them because they hate anything to do with humans.” ” He turn and walks away his claws scraping the hard stone floor.
“Wait, can you please help me? I need food and shelter do you have any?” I ask hopefully
At the roots of the tree, he turns his black horns sparkling but his ears low.
“I am sorry.”
“Wait” I call after
He stops, his tail rippling like waves.
“No, it is a sacred place.”
The creature disappears into the cave in amongst the roots, yellow sparks flying from his mouth. I hang my head low my tail dragging behind me.
Again, I hear a rush of wings. Two girls fly towards me, one has an axe and the other a bow and arrows, their hair flying behind them.
I jump back, slipping on the wet mud and tumble into the freezing stream; more and more fairies come.
They fire sharp thorns at me and hit me with rocks. I whine and bark but it does nothing. I struggle up the bank, bruised, bleeding and sad. Why do they hate me? “Humans have hurt me too,” I whimper but the fairies dive into the water and swim away like fishes.
I see the creature again. He’s watching me, perched on an oak branch.
“Hey, can you please help me?” I ask, really, really hoping he will say yes.
He looks down from his perch on the tree, his tail curled round a branch. The rain had finally eased, but I felt sadder than before.
“So the water fairies attacked again?”
I nod.
“I’m sorry but it’s the same answer. I asked the other dragons but they said no sorry.” He frowns as I sit down and lick my cuts. “Why don’t you leave? I told you the water fairies hate humans.”
“But I’m not a human and besides I’ve got nowhere to go,” I say looking up at the little dragon. “And to be honest I’m not a fan of humans either.”
“Why?” The dragons yellow eyes look curious. “I thought dogs were man’s best friend?” he says moving down the tree slightly.
I shake my tired head. “The problem was that the man didn’t like me. I tried to be so good but he always shouted and threw things until one day he threw me out of the house,” I say , my ears drooping.
I look up but the dragon has gone. I‘m so thirsty, my tongue feels like sand. I sniff about but now it’s light and the park is full of humans. Dodging people’s legs, I go to one of the lakes for a drink, but a duck shoos me away until my last option is the stream again. Slowly, I sneak along the grass towards the stream trying not to step on sticks but then I step on something sharp and small. I look down and see glass. I howl with the pain and hear the sound of the fairies laughter.
I stand, frozen, my head low, my tail between my legs. I have no one. I have nowhere to go.
Then I hear a woosh of air and the red dragon appears beside me, sending sparks towards the fairies so they duck beneath the water.
He zooms around me. “You can live with us!” He calls.
“Really?” my tail wags doubtfully.
“Yes! Anyone who has been treated badly by humans can stay with us!” The dragon roars, orange red and yellow flames pouring from his mouth. I follow him to the hollow in the roots of the oak tree. The arch begins to grow wider as the dragon walks in. Following him, I close my eyes. I can feel warm sun on my damp fur and smell the sweet smell of flowers and the rich relief of food and I can hear the sound of roaring dragons and the call of home.
