The Last of the Dragon Riders: Chapter 2

I would actually really appreciate some feedback on this chapter as to whether the dialogue is understandable and if it all flows and sounds decent.  So if you have an opinion, please share!

Chapter 2:

Snow

Snow ducked her head against the freezing wind as she struggled with the swinging buckets of water.  Her neck and shoulders ached from carrying countless buckets from the spring to the storehouse.  She let out a sigh of relief as the large building appeared through the trees.  It wasn’t a long walk to and from the spring and storehouse, but the spring was tucked into the woods and walking back to the storehouse with two full buckets was tricky what with trying to avoid any deep patches of snow and fallen trees and branches.

“Coorie up, lassie!”

Snow looked up with dread.  Dranan, the head of the water team, was stalking towards her.  She could tell even from a distance that he was angry.  His eyebrows were bunched together and his face was redder than usual.

“Whit took ye sae lang?” he snapped at her.  “Th’ others ur awreddy dain.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she apologized.  “This is my last trip.”

“Well, coorie up, Ah dornt hae aw day,” he said, eyeing her disapprovingly.

“Yes, sir,” she said quietly.

Dranan watched her as she shifted the heavy yoke sitting across her thin shoulders and began slowly walking the remaining distance to the storehouse.  He shook his head disgustedly as she struggled up the short hill below the building.  He spat on the ground in annoyance and strode towards the girl who had momentarily paused to rest.

“Gie it haur,” he said impatiently, pulling the yoke from her shoulders with practiced ease and setting it about his own without spilling a single drop.  “Useless lassie, ah dunnae ken wa we keep ye aroond.”

The Last of the Dragon Riders: Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Autumn

            
The noon sun shone high in the sky, beating down on the tiny village that sprawled up against the great forest.  The heat of the day had driven the villagers inside, seeking relief from the burning rays of the sun.  Well, almost all the villagers.  In the meadow overlooking the village, a lone figure lay stretched out in the grass, soaking in the warmth, savoring the feeling of the sun’s rays on her face.  Autumn stretched out her long legs, enjoying one of the last warm days of the year.  Though the heat made it difficult to believe, winter was fast approaching and it wouldn’t be long before the cold took over.

Autumn opened her eyes and looked up at the sky.  It was an impossible shade of blue today without a single cloud to mar its beauty.  She sighed with contentment.  She loved moments like this when all was still and silent.  Everything seemed so much sharper and clearer during those moments:  the air tasted sweeter, the grass was greener, the ground softer.  A dog barked in the distance, breaking the spell.  Autumn sighed.  Those moments happened far too infrequently in her opinion and to have it disturbed by a dog.  She grumbled slightly as she got to her feet and began dusting off her dress.  The trees rustled as the wind raced through their leaves.  Autumn’s long red hair danced around her face as the wind caught at it.  She smiled.  This wind was playful, mischievous, not cold and cruel like the winds that often blew down from the mountains through the tiny village she called home.

The Last of the Dragon Riders: Prologue

“Retreat!  Retreat!  All Dragon Riders retreat!”

            The voice could scarcely be heard over the roars of dragons and the screams of their riders.  At the sound of it, however, about a dozen of these dragons turned in their flight and began flying rapidly back toward the base in the distance.  Their enemies pursued them, striving to bring them down as they fled.  One of the retreating dragons faltered slightly as a strong head wind hit it and in a moment the enemy had caught up to it.  The air was filled with screams and roars as the dragon and its rider strove to get away, but the enemy were too many and in moments a sword was plunged through the dragons heart and its rider was snatched up into the gaping maw of one of the dragons.  The disturbance caused the other riders to look back, but there was nothing they could do.  They pushed their mounts to even greater speeds, silently shedding tears for their fallen companions and for the hundreds of others who had died in that accursed war.  They had been so confident of victory in the beginning yet they had not realized how strong their enemy was growing over time.  From the eve of the war over twelve years ago, he had held the upper hand; still, they were hoping they could win.  Now after all this time, they were retreating once again.