Free Dragon Kiss by E. D. Baker

another roc far off in the distance, heading in the same direction. Audun didn’t have much time. He focused on the nest ahead, and put all his strength into going even faster.
    “Climb on!” Audun shouted, as he reached the boy. “Hurry, the other roc is coming!”
    At the sight of a dragon, the baby birds squawked and fluttered to the other side while Owen scrambled onto Audun’s back.
    “Hold on tight!” ordered the dragon. He beat his wings and flew as fast as he could until they were well over the desert.
    Audun had slowed to a more comfortable pace when Owen finally tried to talk to him. “Where are you taking me?” he asked.
    “To the town where your aunt lives. It’s where I dropped off your brothers and sister. They said it was where you were headed when the roc took you.”
    “I don’t know how to thank you,” said Owen. “I still can’t believe a dragon is helping us. Why are you here, anyway? I’ve never seen a white dragon like you before.”
    “I’m from the Icy North. I’ve come looking for a desicca bird.”
    “A what? No, wait! I’ve heard of them, although I don’t know very much. They’re really rare, even more rare than rocs. The only place they’ve ever been seen is around oases. I guess that’s where you should look. I wish I could tell you more.”
    “Actually, you’ve helped a lot. I’ll head for an oasis as soon as I drop you off.”
    “It will be night by then. It gets awfully cold in the desert at night.”
    “I know,” said Audun. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Seven
    W hen Audun woke the next morning the sun was already up and the sand was uncomfortably hot. As he flew over the desert, the light reflecting off the sand made his head hurt, but he’d already used up an entire day helping the children and didn’t want to lose any more time.
    Audun’s head was pounding when he finally saw an oasis, small, yet with a glint of water, and an islet of stunted trees. He licked his dry, cracked lips, but despite the pain in his head and his ever-growing thirst, the young dragon was reluctant to land for fear that the oasis was either a mirage or a trap. The water looked so tempting, and the shade so inviting, however, that Audun circled the oasis, high enough that anything on the ground would have difficulty seeing him, but low enough that he could see if something moved.
    When the oasis didn’t disappear and he didn’t spot anything dangerous, he flew down until he was close enough to see an ant waving its feelers from the tip of a nodding leaf. Audun settled to the ground and sniffed the water. It smelled as clean and pure as it looked, so he took a chance and sipped. The water was warm, but delicious. As it trickled down his throat, he gave up all caution and submerged his head, taking one enormous gulp after another. Fortunately for Audun, the pool of water was small and he had emptied it before he drank enough to make himself sick.
    With water in his belly and the shade of the trees cooling his back, Audun would have been happy to stay and rest, but he knew that his blue and white scales would stand out against the gold and green of the oasis and were sure to frighten away the bird he had come to find. Spreading his wings again, Audun took off. Perhaps he’d find a desicca bird at the next oasis.
    For the briefest moment Audun wondered if the desicca bird might not exist and if the king and his councillors were just trying to get rid of him. He might have given the thought serious consideration, if his grandmother hadn’t promised to help him. Even if she wasn’t happy with his choice, he knew that she would never betray him in such a way. And certainly Owen would have had no reason to lie. If the boy said the bird existed, Audun was sure that it did.
    The sun was still high in the sky and Audun was beginning to feel thirsty again when he spotted something flying in the distance. Because it didn’t move quite like a bird, Audun grew curious and swerved in