themselves. Due to their reputation, quite often they only had themselves for company. “Cannot leave you here to freeze. Cannot take you home.” He shook his head from side to side. “How do I get myself into such predicaments?”
Farloft positioned himself where he could get a comfortable grip on the boy. He reached out with one immense foot, picked James up and sprang back into the air.
- LAVAL SEES A CHANGE -
Laval made the level space outside the dragon’s den just as Farloft emerged after depositing his burden in the cave. Both wizard and dragon were surprised at the others appearance.
“What are you doing here, Wizard?” Farloft demanded in a gruff voice.
“I have come to ask you once again for a portion of your wing. I will beg if need be. My daughter is ill.”
Farloft remembered the child when she was born and how happy her birth had made Laval and his wife. He remembered Laval’s wife’s death and the comfort the child gave him through those times. He remembered her as a toddler, unafraid of a huge dragon. He delighted in speaking with her and being on the receiving end of the good healthy scratches she gave him between his shoulder blades. He remembered the young lass with the lovely, raven hair. He often caught her out gathering herbs for her father’s potions and ointment. They would spend a lazy afternoon together those days, after her father and Farloft no longer spoke - after a dragon was no longer wanted in the presence of humans.
“Megan is ill?”
“Yes, the plague has reached the castle,” Laval replied. “Please, Farloft, put whatever is between us aside and let me save my daughter and anyone else I can.”
Farloft looked up into the sky. “You will have to run your steed hard to make it back to the castle before it snows.” His decision made, he spread his wings out wide. “Take a piece from each wing, close to the body and the same size on both sides. Perhaps you will not mis-balance me and I can still fly, after a fashion.”
Laval extracted his knife and with precision took a small piece from each wing.
Farloft thought about sending the boy home with Laval, but he doubted the boy could live through the cold trip on horseback to the village. And besides, it might be condemning the boy to death if Laval carried the disease from the castle. He decided to keep the boy until he was fit to travel.
Laval bowed to the dragon.”Thank you, Farloft.”
“I sincerely hope Megan recovers, Laval.”
Laval bolted to his horse’s back and was off.
- THE DRAGON’S LAIR -
James awoke in a cave. He saw no sign of the dragon. He found himself lying from the waist down in a pool fed by a warm spring. The water felt as comfortable as bath water, and James realized his feet and legs were no longer numb from the cold.
He was surprised to find the cave well lit, without the benefit of any torches James could see. He puzzled on this miracle for a moment before he noticed several small, natural rock, cone formations which rose from the floor perhaps as high as his waist. From their depths came a soft golden glow and long pillars of steam. This glow then reflected and refracted off the ceiling of the cave which was completely covered with a naturally formed crystal deposit.
James slid further into the pool, letting himself float as he studied the huge crystals in the ceiling. After he satisfied himself on this wonder, he flopped over and scrubbed at the caked mud in his hair and on his face. The clear water of the pool took on a dark brown shade where James worked away at the dried bog stuck all over him. He shed his simple garments and scrubbed them on a rock by the edge of the pool until the water from them ran clear and clean. He prudently dressed again, just in case he needed to make a quick escape should the dragon return.
He noted the cave’s two adjoining tunnels. The one large entrance would undoubtedly be the way out. The other smaller tunnel leading off in the opposite direction was darker and would probably lead him only further into the cave’s depths.
Reluctant to leave the pool’s warmth, James knew he had to. His clothes needed to be dry before he tried to get home. Going out in weather like today’s, while wet, would surely mean his death by freezing.
He climbed out of the pool to investigate the glowing cones in the floor of the cave. He leaned over the side of one surprised to see it contained boiling water. The cone’s sides were studded with crystals like the ceiling and the crystals glowed red hot with the heat of the water. James warmed himself in the heat from the steam rising off the surface of the bubbling liquid. He would have fallen asleep but for his growling stomach.
James was startled by the approach of the dragon, the scraping noise of his mighty claws on the rock floor of the cave and his humming announced him. It surprised James that dragons sang. It surprised him even more to find he recognized the ballad the beast was humming.
The huge dragon came around the corner, tossed something in the nearest steaming cone, and proceeded directly to the pool where he stepped in with both front feet, seemingly oblivious to James’ presence.
“Feeling better?” Farloft asked over his shoulder.
“Yes,” James answered hesitantly.
“What is your name, boy?”
“James,” he replied.
“Oh no,” Farloft began. “You cannot possibly be a James. I have known several James’ in my time.” He shook his massive head and clucked deep in his throat. “No, no. The James’ I have known were all big, strapping lads with broad shoulders. You are much too small for a James. I shall call you Jamie.”
Farloft finished paddling in the water. He sat back on his haunches holding his wet front feet over a cone to dry. “A dragon must stay clean,” Farloft explained his actions. “Dirt affects buoyancy, you know.” His eyes fell on James.
James stood with his hands on his hips in a defiant pose. “My name is James. My father’s name was James and his father before him.”
Farloft snorted in disdain. “Perhaps they grew to be James’, but I doubt they were James’ all their lives. No, I shall call you Jamie.”
“And what is your name?” James demanded in a not-too-friendly tone.
“I am called Farloft,” the dragon replied with dignity.
“Then I shall call you Far,” James pronounced in a sarcastic tone. If Farloft shortened his name, then he would shorten the dragon’s.
Farloft’s brow ridges lifted in surprise at the boy’s impudence. The lad was willing to take on a dragon over his name. The dragon’s expression quickly changed to a smile. “Very well then, it shall be James.”
“And I am pleased to meet you, Farloft.” James bowed to his huge captor. “May I ask why you brought me here?” If he was to be the dragon’s next meal, he hoped he could talk him out of it. For now that Farloft was in the cave, James could see there would be no getting away from him. His huge bulk blocked the entrance completely.
“No ulterior motive, I assure you,” Farloft replied. “Now for supper.”
James would have run but for Farloft blocking his path. He closed his eyes, fell to his knees, and prayed for his death to be quick.
Meanwhile, Farloft reached into the cone and removed what he threw into it upon entering the cave. When he turned back he found James kneeling before him. He waited politely for James to finish his prayer.
When the dragon failed to seize him, James opened his eyes.
“Hungry?” Farloft asked with a friendly snaggle toothed grin, as he held up what he pulled from the cone.
James saw it was a very large elk, the fur scorched off and the flesh cooked to a pale white.
“Poached elk,” Farloft announced, as he placed it on a rock slab between James and himself. “I usually do not go to the trouble of cooking my meat, but I know you humans prefer it that way.”
Farloft yanked a full hindquarter off the elk and handed it to the boy. “Bon appetite, James. That is French for eat up.”
James sighed in relief. He was not going to be the dinner, he was invited to dinner. He swallowed his fear of the dragon and dove into
the first piece of meat he had seen in months. However, that was not an easy task. He could not lift the leg, it was too large. He attempted to pull some hot meat from the bone, but it burned his fingers.
“Do you not own a knife?” Farloft inquired between mouthfuls, when he noticed James’ difficulties.
“No, sir.”
The dragon pointed with a leg bone toward the other opening in the cave wall behind James. “Go through there. Help yourself to whichever one you like.”
James obeyed the dragon’s instructions. He went down the tunnel off the cavern to find a treasure trove of articles at the end. There were knives, and swords, and gemstone studded goblets, and gold plates, and chests full of an array of lovely, sparkling jewels with strings of pearls, and filigreed crowns, and scepters of gold, and....and....and.
James’ eyes were dazzled by all the shine. He chose a dagger close at hand with a jewel studded hilt and dragon heads on the guards. He turned to go back to the main cave to eat, when he spotted a ruby. Its sparkle lured him like worm to a fish. He picked it up off the pile of mixed gems and jewelry, surprised to find it warm in his hand rather than cold. James held it up to let the light reflect off it. Its deep red surface was so large he could see the better part of his face in it. It seemed to talk to him; “Take me. Take me for your own.” He had no use for a ruby, especially a ruby this size. He could never show its beauty to anyone, they would know he stole it. He could never sell it, for