Page 12 of Bonds of Fire


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  Waking should have been a slow process, his bones and his thoughts felt it, but it was a series of chirrups and annoyed whines that woke him and only then because he recognised their owner as Baby D. His body felt heavy and Drekken opened his eyes to vision that was just blobs of colour, but he recognised his Grey Wing and a small, moving, white bundle that had to be her tiny charge among a selection of other human-sized blobs. His tongue was sticking to the roof of a very dry mouth, so he did not try to speak, but he forced one arm to move with some difficulty and reached out towards his dragons with mind and body. D's response was a shrill whistle of delight and Drekken thought he smiled as Miri moved towards him.

  D landed on his chest, placed there gently by Miri and he was then nuzzled under his chin by a tiny, spiny head and on his cheek by a large snout. D purred at him, even though he couldn't co-ordinate his arm to bring it up around her, and she settled quickly into the space just under his chin. Miri remained close and, with his reason for waking gone, Drekken felt the heaviness taking over.

  'Sleep, My Human,' Miri whispered in his thoughts and Drekken obeyed.