screw the turbines

Tara stared into those dark, alien eyes for a few more moments. She had always thought, from the first moment she looked into Serryah's eyes that there was something more there. it wasn't like looking at a dog, or the hares the villagers sometimes caught in cages. Of course it wasn't like looking at a person either. For starters, each eye was the size of Tara's head, and the snake-like slits were like pitch-black chasms where only a very daring rock climber would venture to seek a hand-hold. To be honest, Tara had been very afraid the first time she looked in Serryah's eyes, and Tara wasn't afraid of much. It was obvious that Serryah could flatten Tara or any human with a careless twitch, but that was only cause for caution. The intelligence and cunning in her expression was cause for true alarm. Tara had been relieved when Serryah proved friendly, but disappointed when she did not strike up a conversation. So she was surprised now, but also not.

Tara looked back up the hillside towards the village, the last inhabitants of earth, and then back at the looming dragon with its lashing tale.

"Screw the turbines. Let's go get your birthright."

With a roar of raw delight, Serryah started to toss Tara onto her back again. This time Tara was ready for her, and she danced away from the eager claws. "First I think we should go over some riding etiquette!" she yelled up to Serryah. "If we're going on a long journey, I'm going to need to be more comfortable than I was getting here."

Serryah took a step backward and arched her neck. Undeterred, Tara went on, "I mean, if you need me, you'll want me functional when we arrive, so we're going to have to make some kind of arrangement. If you know so much about humankind, haven't you ever had a rider before?"

"No, I never allowed myself to be Found before this," Serryah replied, rather haughtily. This was also, perhaps, part of why she had survived.

"Allowed yourself to be found?"Tara asked, incredulously.

"Yes, well, did you really think you just happened to catch me unawares after keeping all of this" (she swept her nose expressively towards her great bulk, with a little flourish to indicate the spiked end of her long tail) "hidden for hundreds of years?"

"Oh, well, I . ." Tara scuffed her toe in the grass self-consciously. She had rather thought that, yes.

Serryah seemed mollified by Tara's discomfort, so after a moment, Tara ventured to say "All right then, let's see what we can do."