Kathar -- Last of the Dragons

For more than two years, the battle raged on, neither side gaining a clear advantage over the other. Two years of learning, falling and getting back up for the young Lord-Commander of the Knights. Though, the men preferred to call her Lady-Commander. Alexandra learned, she had to, if she wanted to keep her oath as a Knight. In time, the men started to respect her even more. She was still young, yet she showed how it was to lead in a fair manner, just like her father had done before her. It was hard at times, especially when she lost men, but she gave them the honours the deserved and moved on. She not only learned to know the men, but also the dragons. In the past, she had been kept away from them, but know she had to command, she had seen them. Witnessed their power and even their beauty. Yes, they were strong and could kill a men without any effort, there was something behind all that brute force.
It was a couple of weeks after her father had died. She went riding into the valley when she happened to find them. At first, she was taken back, not really knowing what she had to do or how to act. But it seemed the older dragons so no treat in her and even the young once were not afraid. However short the encounter, every time she went out riding after that, she had the feeling that the forest was looking at her with eyes she could not see. From the reactions of her horse, she could tell if they were near, but never did she did anything that could cause them harm or could lead them to believe she wanted to hurt them. Weeks turned into months and little by little, she started earning their true trust, more than any commander before her. It was like they had a bond with the young woman, more than with any men who had been before her.
One night, her horse gave up on her. The old mare could go no further and she was trapped, hours from the castle and with no aid. She felt sorry for the animal. For years they had been friends and now she was about to lose her, just like she lost her father. Sighting, she kneeled beside her mount. “I’m sorry girl.” With soft word she stroked the animal along her neck. “I should have known better.” Regret sounded in her voice. “Please forgive me for what I have done and have to do.” While talking, she had drawn the dagger she carried with her. “Run free girl. You’ll be in a better place than here.” Without taking her eyes from the animal, she ended her suffering. Leaving her like that would had done nothing but hurt the animal more and prolong the time before she was really dead. Silently she rose and when she looked up, she knew she was not alone. On the other side of the clearing rested a dragon, his head on his paws, clearly not the least alarmed by her presence or what she just had done.
His scales where a pale colour. Snow white where the sun touched them. When she was about to turn and walk away, the creature looked up. She could swear she heard a voice right there and then, calling out to her even if no other human being was there. “So, you know the gift of mercy, Kathar.” Confused, she looked around. “Don’t be so surprised. I know you can hear me, just as I can hear you when you speak your human tongue.” Frowning, she looked to the dragon. Could it be? “It’s you who are talking to me.” It was more a realization than something else. “But I’m not Kathar.” Saying it herself, the word sounded strange, totally different then when the dragon had said it. “Yes you are. Kathar means friend of dragons in our tongue.” Slowly he rose to his feet. Of all the dragons she had seen, he must be the biggest one yet. “I have kept my eye on you, little lady. Wondering, how a woman could be the leader of men in a world where they are normally doomed to cook and clean.” He had a point. She really was different from other woman. “I’m a knight, not a woman. Men or woman makes no difference in our order. It’s what you do that tells others who you are.” Somehow she felt threatened. “Anybody can take an oath, but only a small few can keep themselves to it. It takes a special kind of human to do such a noble thing as to never break the oath you took. That you let your men took.” Alexandra was stunned. Did he know she was Commander? How? “I seem to have confused you, Kathar.” Apparently he thought it funny. “I know who you are, what you are, for I have seen your heart.” He nodded at the dead mare while he walked closer. “Your heart is special. You know mercy, yet you are not weak. You know when to act and when to wait. You lead and still you listen to others for advice. You have put everything aside to keep my kind safe while we could slaughter you without any effort.” While he spoke to her, she understood why she wanted to protect these beings. They were not what the Hunters told they were. The voice she heard carried great wisdom and kindness. “It’s easier to kill what you don’t understand then to take the time to learn and know it.” “You are very right, little one. Yet you have done so. I saw you ride amongst us. Keeping your distance, yet coming close enough to see who we are. How we are. You have seen our youngsters in these woods. Our warriors on the battlefield. Respected the living and honoured those of us who have fallen like your own men.” She really could not understand why the Hunters hated them. Yes, perhaps there were bad dragons, but there were bad people as well. You didn’t murder out all the humans because of one bad person, so why do it to the dragons? She still could not understand. “And now, I have come to see you with my own eyes.” He towered high above her when he stood before her. “I’m honoured.” She guessed. What else could she way actually. “You should be, for I am Vonatril, Master of Ice. Oldest of dragons and like you, the leader of my people.” He seemed to nod when he introduced himself. “I have seen your heart, Kathar, and you are no human.” What did he just say. She could have sworn she was human. It was not like she was as big as he was, could breathe fire and had wings, so how could she not be human? “Perhaps you do not understand now, but in time, you will.” No indeed, she did not understand. What was he talking about? Could he see something she had missed about herself? She was really sure she could have no other heart than the one she was born with, so how could she have no human heart? “You will learn.” While he left her pondering, he lied down on the ground. “I do you this honour, Kathar, because you have shown mercy to a dear friend and helped her get peace instead of letting her suffer. But I will do this only once. Hold on close.”
It was so that Alexandra had found herself flying back to the castle that night on the back of a dragon. No other Knight before her had been granted that honour and no one would ever again. Not soon after, the Hunters renewed their attacks, harder and more vicious then before. She saw more dragons die in those months, but the white dragon did not appear again. And every night, she pondered on what he had said to her. The fact that she was Kathar, the cryptic words about her heart not being that off a human. She rarely kept something from the men, but she kept this from them. Some things were better not known. They had enough to worry about with the war going on, let alone be trouble by her personal problems. She hoped time would tell her the answers, just like she hoped that the end of the suffering would fast come.