Roasted Potatoes

Chapter 15: Dragon Caves

Oh boy was Svend in trouble. Gregory could see it the moment he arrived for their monthly check-in. He was listless and distracted and would randomly smile secretly to himself, regardless of the topic they were discussing. Finally, Gregory asked him directly if he had experienced a change of heart, or rather, if he had lost his heart.

“So, you’ve fallen in love with Mirabel then?” Gregory declared without preamble.

“Mirabel? What? Who brought up Mirabel? Of course I’m not in love with Mirabel! I mean, she is a lovely woman, but that’s it isn’t it? She’s a woman! And I am not a man. I mean, I am a man, but not just a man.” Svend sputtered and rambled and then blushed as he realized just how much his response had given away.

“Maybe it would be good for you to spend some time back home, amongst our kind for a little while. Some separation, or perhaps, some more fiery interactions would do you good. Yes, that’s just what you need. I’m prescribing two months back in the caves. You’ll leave in two days, plenty of time to make your excuses to the blacksmith and his wife, and you can come back after their wee babe is born.” Gregory was planning as he went but it sounded as good as any distraction. There were many female dragons at the caves this time of year, gathering together to stay warm in the colder months. Some of the female dragons were quite fun, perhaps Svend could find love with his own kind.

“Hmmm. I guess Leoric will be ok without me for a few months. He was planning on slowing things down anyway to have time for the baby. I will follow your plan. It has been a long time since I was around dragons anyway, so it will be good for me to go to the caves.” Svend was slowly warming up to the idea of leaving Mirabel for any length of time. He did see how futile it was to lose his heart to a human, she was just so irresistible. Distance would certainly help.

“Great, it’s settled, you can stay in my cave, I’m not using it. Say hello to the council while you’re there, as a sign of good faith that you’re keeping your promise. Try not to sound too enamored with the humans, or they might not let you leave the caves again.” Gregory wished he could go back with Svend, but his banishment was still in effect and he had no reasonable excuse to return early.

Two weeks later Svend was sitting at a council roast surrounded by the deep jewel tones of his fellow dragons. Most dragons spent all their time in their glorious dragon form, especially in their caves. So any gathering was quite the spirited event as dragons lounged all around the huge central cave, calling to one another from their various perches. Svend enjoyed the company, he hadn’t interacted with such a variety of dragons before in his relatively short life.

There was even a black dragon with ruby red wings and eyes. He was a little bit scary, if Svend was being completely honest. His name was Vlad Dracula and he was new to the council. Vlad was quickly gaining popularity for his anti-human policies. Vlad wanted the dragons to go on the offense against the humans and gain more land and wealth for themselves. Svend was, obviously, opposed to such aggressive tactics against his beloved humans and their delicious food but since he was young and a visitor to the caves, he kept his mouth shut.

The council roast was exactly what it sounded like, the members of the council, and their invited guests, would gather round and take turns adding fire to a great pit, with huge metal spokes around the sides. Each spoke holding a sheep or two that was slowly roasting over the fire. It was the best food the caves had to offer and Svend was grateful for the invitation. He was going through serious withdrawals from the lack of good food. His daily fare of burnt cow or sheep was not doing anything to help him forget the talented Mirabel with her warm bread and sweet treats. Thus far, his time away had done nothing to settle his heart, in fact, he was becoming more and more convinced that he would never meet a dragon as sweet, kind, talented, and beautiful as Mirabel. He still dreamed of her roasted potatoes, they would be an amazing addition to this roast. These are the potatoes that she makes.