Something fluffy this way comes…
For anyone who needs cheering up or wants something easy and cute to read about, may I present this offering for your delectation?
A Courtship of Dragons is an M/M Romance tale (it could be short, it could be a novella, it could be any size, I have no idea) told in short scenes, between two young dragons, Estenarven kin Boulderforce Clan Stoneheart and Mastekh kin Rainstorm Clan Flowflight.
For regular readers, it fits into the Dragonlands series timeline between Dragonlands 1 (Blazing Dawn) and 2 (Storm Heart). For people who haven’t read the first book, I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum and introduce enough of the world for it to make sense without being too infodumpy. I’m not sure how successful I’ll be, but it is intended to stand alone.
I am posting this as I go along, writing in between my NaNo project, so edits are minimal and errors are likely. Some of it might not make much sense, but I guess that’s half the fun. Feel free to tell me what you think, feedback is always welcome.
A proper blurb will arrive at some point, but I need to get a bit further in first. For now, all I know is Mastekh + Estenarven = fluffy dragon cuteness. Enjoy!
1
The Daisy
Highstrike, Tempestfury Kinlands
2nd Storm Month, 579 Cloud Era
THERE WAS A flower on his pillow.
Mastekh kin Rainstorm Clan Flowflight paused just inside the narrow chamber he’d been assigned for this unplanned but necessary stay with kin Tempestfury. Beyond the narrow window slit, the Storm Season raged in all its usual fury, filling the sky with force and making it impossible for most dragons and skyships to fly. Safely inside and protected from the weather, Mastekh clutched his new recipe book to his chest and cautiously approached the bed.
It was narrow and carved from stone, in the traditional draconic style, but the blankets were thickly woven wool and the pillows were plush and soft and smelled like goose down. Not that he paid much attention to the furnishings as he reached out a cautious hand towards the flower.
Small and straggly, it was just a weed. A plain, common weed. Bright white petals overlapping and crowding around a sunshine-yellow centre. The whole thing was barely the size of his thumbnail, with a dark green stalk trailing forlornly below in search of roots it could no longer feel.
A daisy.
Mastekh pinched the stalk between thumb and finger and raised it slowly towards his nose. He breathed in deep: meadows, sunshine and Estenarven.
Sighing, he smiled and held the flower up before his eyes, twirling it first one way, then the other, thinking about the big, broad-shouldered Boulderforce dragon and the way his bright smile softened whenever Mastekh came near.
And who had once kissed him as though Mastekh was the very air he needed to breathe.
A kiss, a rescue. Wonderment and joy. Strength from weakness.
That had been ten days ago and there hadn’t been any sign of anything more since.
Estenarven hadn’t been ignoring him exactly, but he hadn’t sought him out either, and Mastekh had never been the sort to make the first move. Or any move really. They had both been busy and Mastekh had begun to think it was a one off, a mistake, a case of overexcited emotions overwhelmed by the moment.
He twirled the daisy again, this common little weed that flourished in strange, out of the way places and brought a splash of sunshine inside on this gloomiest of days. A little ray of hope.
Something bubbled up inside him and he tucked the daisy behind his ear, flopping onto the bed to crack open the recipe book and flip through the pages. So many delicious treats and delicacies awaited him inside, but he already knew what he wanted to prepare next.
Rock cakes.
Grinning, Mastekh brushed his thumb over the soft petals beside his ear and studied how best to begin wooing a Boulderforce.
I know I said I’d post the first two scenes today, but Estenarven rambled on more than expected and I haven’t got time to look it over right now. Not when yesterday was swallowed up by boiler repairs – leaving me behind on this and my NaNo project – and I’ve just wasted an hour looking up Celtic knotwork that I didn’t even use in the banner.
So, long story short, more on Monday.
Take care, everyone.
Becca Lusher 
Thanks for a great readd