If I Were a Dragon
"If I were a dragon, I wouldn't have to peel any potatoes, ever again." The boy declares, and when the burly man standing a few feet away ignores him, he kicks his foot against the counter from his perch on the stool. "Don't kick my counter," the cook answers mildly. "If I were a dragon, I'd be a mighty hunter. And only eat the tastiest of fish." Albyn says, putting down his paring knife and the potato he'd been working on, and making hand-shadow-puppets of fish dancing on the light reflected on the galley wall. "I don't know much about dragons, my boy, but if you don't finish peeling those potatoes, you'll be going to bed hungry when you don't get any supper." "Sunny!" the boy abandons his shadow creatures to spin around, aghast. "You always say I'm a growing boy!" "That you are, Albyn, but one missed meal here and there won't kill ya. But Gil might, if he finds out there are no mashed taters at supper because you didn't want to do yer chores." "You'd tattle on me?" The boy sounds shocked, and his eyes glisten in a way that definitely tugs on Sunny's heartstrings, "and leave me to Gil?" "Let's not find out, hm?" the cook answers, his voice gruff. "Finish that peelin', and maybe I've got a bit of lemon pastry left."
"If I were a dragon," the boy declares, "I wouldn't have to learn any maths." Unfinished papers are scattered across the table, and the kid is laying half on top of it, making no effort to start on the next problem. "That's probably true," the mage sitting at the end of said table takes an unbothered sip of caffah. "But you aren't a dragon, Albyn, you're a librarian's apprentice. Some math is required." "I know how to read," the boy rolls his head towards the ship's mage. "And I know my numbers. Why do I gotta know this other stuff?" There's something in the kid's voice besides just his normal mid-math petulance. Corio looks up, studying him, and then stands. "Alright, get up, let's go." "Where are we going?" Albyn gives him a cautious glance, but doesn't hesitate to jump to his feet. Better anything than his math work! "You'll see, kid." The boy follows along willingly enough until they reach the half-deck, and he realizes that's their destination. "Wait, Corio!" he hisses, "I'll do my work, really. You don't hafta tell Tully." "We're not going to talk to the first mate, kid. We're here to talk to Gil." "I'm not sure that's better," Albyn mutters, but Corio ignores it, just like he ignores the boy's attempt to sit down and anchor himself, lifting him to the top of the steps with no effort at all. "Hey Gil," the mage greets the sailor with a smile as the man turns, arching a questioning blue eyebrow. "Albyn here is pretty frustrated with his math lessons. I was hoping you could show him some of the ways you use math in your job everyday," The younger man says, guiding the boy over to where Gil is standing with maps and compasses. He ruffles the boy's curly hair. "We're a small crew, kid. Everyone's got to multitask. Especially since you're not a dragon," he winks, and abandons his charge to his new tutor.
"If I was a dragon," the boy declares, "I'd be too slippery for you to carry. I'd swim away!" Davin thinks that's a bold statement, from a boy hanging over his shoulder. There'd been a brief tussle, but Albyn had been unable to free himself. At least he hasn't tried biting or kicking - today at least. "If you want to be slippery, we can put bubbles in the bathtub." "I don't want a bath!" the boy squirms frantically, and the ship mage clamps an arm over the back of his legs so he doesn't slip as he climbs the stairs. "If I was a dragon, I wouldn't have to take baths!" "I think it could be argued," Davin maneuvers them through the crew quarters and heads for the bathroom, "that sea dragons are perpetually in the bath. Bubbles or no bubbles, monster?"
"If I were a dragon," the boy declares, "I wouldn't have to study." "What's that, Albyn?" "If I were a dragon," he repeats himself, "I wouldn't have to study this. I'd just know all the languages." The oldest member of the crew peers at the youngest, and then taps the translation she's set him to work on. "Even dragons have to learn things from their elders," she says, "and you probably should keep learning so you can impress one, if you ever get to meet them." "Verity, have you ever met a dragon?" "Hm. Finish your work, and maybe I'll tell you."
"If I were a dragon, nobody would mess with my hoard," the boy declares, standing in the middle of the room with his arms over his chest, trying to look bigger. "Right now, your 'hoard' is all over the crew quarters, Albyn." The sailor says calmly. "You need to get it cleaned up." "Dragons don't have to clean up their hoard!" "When you're a big adult dragon, with his own ship, you can do as you like with your hoard." Gil says drily. "But little dragons who live on this ship need to keep their toys put away." "Giiiiiiiiiiil," the boy whines, dropping his arms. "Corio said he'd take me swimming." "You can still go swimming with Corio, kiddo - after you get your things put away."
"If I were a dragon," the boy declares, at the top of his lungs, "I'd eat you!" "There's no talking in the corner, little boy." It's quiet for a minute; Tully glances up from his book to check on his miscreant and he's still facing the corner, though his foot kicking back and forth is getting dangerously close to hitting the wall. Well, no harm no foul yet. He returns to his chapter. "Dragons don't have to stand in corners," Albyn says after a few moments, sulkily. "Dragons wouldn't have been hiding while the whole ship looked for them." He gives up on the book, setting it aside and focusing all of his attention on the boy. "Hiding for hours, until everyone was afraid they'd fallen overboard." "We were playing hide and seek." "I know you were playing with Laora and the boys. Did you think it was funny to keep hiding when we told you the game was over?" Albyn peeks over his shoulder and meets Tully's eyes. There's something in his gaze that makes the first mate pause, and pay attention. "Alright, talk to me, little boy. What were you thinking?" It's the wrong thing to say. The kid clams right up, glaring at him before he swings back to the intersection of the two walls and goes back to almost-but-not-quite kicking it. Tully sighs, and lets him stew for another couple of minutes. When he finally speaks, it's almost too quiet to hear - but his hearing is excellent. "I fell asleep." Everything is suddenly as clear as the surface of the sea on a dead wind day. "Aw, kid, why didn't you just say that? C'mere." "Sorry I scared you, Tully. A dragon wouldn't have fallen asleep," the boy mumbles, but he comes willingly enough to Tully's embrace. "A dragon might not have," Tully has to laugh. "But tired apprentice librarians are allowed to."
"If I was a dragon," the boy declares, "I wouldn't need anyone." Madoc has heard all about his son's sudden fascination with dragons while he was away, but he's still bemused to find the boy sitting on the couch in his quarters, declaring such an outlandish thing to his stuffed sea dragon; the one he pretends not to care about during the day but can't seem to sleep without. The one that happens to be the first thing Madoc had ever gifted him. "Is that so?" he pushes off of the doorframe and walks in, as the boy spins around in his seat, gray eyes wide. Coming to sit down next to him, he adds, "I think everyone needs somebody, even dragons." "No, if I were a dragon I'd be big, and strong, and have my own hoard, and I'd never get in trouble." Albyn says confidently. "And I wouldn't miss anyone." There's a stubborn glint in the boy's eyes and his chin is lifted, braced for a fight. "Hmm." Madoc runs his fingers through the boy's curls briefly, and struggles to keep a straight face. "Well I'm big and strong, and someday you will be too. And I sure hope someday you don't get in trouble anymore, but right now, you're a little boy and it's okay to make mistakes. But Alby, can I tell you a secret?" He gets a slow nod in response, so he pulls the boy and the stuffed dragon into his lap. "Well, no matter how big and strong you get, you'll still miss people. If you were a dragon, I'd miss you something fierce." Albyn seems to chew on this information for a while, quietly, until he finally speaks. "Papa?" "Yes, Alby?" "Did you miss me while you were gone?" "Yes, I did." "Papa?" "Yes, Alby?" "Maybe I don't want to be a dragon after all. I think I would miss you too." It's late, and they've been working on getting Albyn to sleep in his own bunk and not on the coach in Madoc's quarters. But Madoc thinks it would be a shame to disturb the sleeping boy out of his lap, especially when all reports indicate he hasn't slept or rested well since Madoc left several days ago. He knows, too, that his boy has been quite the troublemaker while he was gone and they probably need to have a good chat about it, but for now, he's happy with 'safe' and 'sound'.
Entry for Moonlight Bard's If I Were A Dragon Challenge
The Cast
Albyn, Madoc, Verity, Davin, Corio, Tully, Laora, Gil, and Sunny.Read more about them in the Discovery article.
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