As the dragon ended his storytelling I ventured to ask a question; one that had been in my mind almost since he began the tale.             “Just who was this boy named Kellen?”             Ditri looked at me in mild surprise. “Did I somehow miss that part?” I nodded and the dragon sighed. “Got ahead of myself, I apologize. Kellen was a boy that Durant had found wandering through the forest a few years before this happened, much like how he had found you, although Kellen was not in danger of being executed. We took him in because he told us that all of his family were dead. Mainly we allowed him to stay because of the prophesy.”             I held up a hand before he could go on and hoped I was not being overly slow. “And what is this prophesy you keep talking about?”             “I have been hesitant to tell you about it considering what happened last time. Once Kellen had heard of the prophesy he changed. Maybe he truly believes that he is the fulfillment, or maybe he knew he wasn’t and didn’t want us to find him out.” Ditri raised his front feet in a shrugging gesture.             “The prophesy was told to me by my father, who heard it from the very mouth of the Maker Himself. In his mind, HolyOne spoke to him and said this,             At last a one The Maker sends             A child who our country, mends A shield that bears a story, untold A sword that carries an evil of old An army that bears the flag of peace A legend of Zandar’s cease Destroy the shield, bring back the peace Destroy the sword; that evils cease. This child shall the last blade wield When all things evil, their power yield. Life springs up from the dead of night For in utter blackness, may the wrongs be right. The battle won before second noon Arise victorious, beneath shadowed moon.   And this is what he told me on the day he died. One day is coming soon that evil will be but back in its place. It may only be for a short time, but Felmath will one day be rid of sin completely. That day is also coming soon.” I watched him for a minute. “Who is Zandar?” “Not who, what. Zandar is an ancient city, more legend and fairy tale than reality. There are some who claim to have seen it somewhere across the Beln seas -which are almost on the other side of Felmath from us- but no one really knows. I’ve asked the dragons over there if they had ever seen it and none had.” “There are other dragons?” I asked, surprised. “Of course there are other dragons. How did I get here otherwise? And I already told you of my father. I also have a brother and a sister, as well as a brother-in-law. As well as some cousins and such.” “Really?” The thought of other dragons excited me for some rather distant reason. Maybe because since meeting Ditri I had been filled with a sense of purpose. Or maybe it was simply because not a single person I knew had ever met a dragon and here I was talking to one about his immediate family and distant relations.             Ditri looked at me for a moment and then slowly shook his great head. “Lara, you have forced me completely off subject.” He paused as if trying to regain his train of thought. “Tomorrow we will talk more of this and how it includes you.” He said. “But now it is late and time for some much needed rest on your part.” I started to leave and wondered about the family of dragons I had just been told about. “Veilara, Grinl and Azteric,” Ditri called to me. I turned. “my sister, her mate and my brother.” He added with a smile. “In case you were wondering.” I smiled back and walked back to my little room of the cave. I gaped at what lay on the bed. A beautiful outfit of mixed browns and green was stretched there. I picked up the soft green shirt and durable tan vest, and then examined the split skirt type bottom that seemed to be designed to blend with the forest. At the foot of the bed lay a pair of long, moccasin styled boots. How did a dragon manage this? I asked myself. I looked down at my tattered dress, several rips were in its fragile material and it was definitely not suitable for rugged living, still it had been my toughest travel outfit and I had decided to deal with it for the time being. I looked again at the new outfit and figured that I could wait until the next day and a little bath before putting it on. Moving it to the rough cabinet in the corner of the room I lay it out then went back to the bed and collapsed into a weary sleep.       The next morning I tried to sleep in but something kept poking me in my back. I rolled over and pulled the offending object out to see. It was the dagger that I had packed when I first escaped, which I had placed under my pillow in case a need to use it should arise. Still drowsy I tossed it carelessly back to the floor and was almost back to asleep when a voice shook me awake.  “Human, Lord Ditri insists that you wake.” Waking was one thing. Waking to that particular voice was another. Durant called me two-legged, as if he meant I was deformed and Ditri called me Lara. Nariss the hawk and Catalee the vixen didn’t seem to care what they called me. Only one of them called me, simply ‘Human’. Faylin. “A ‘Good morning’ wouldn’t kill you.” I mumbled as I stood unsteadily. The wolf chuckled, a sound I had gotten used to that didn’t necessarily mean he was happy. Right now it meant he was amused. “So you say. Come, eat and then join me outside.” Heavy paws padded away. I did get up but took my own sweet time doing so; I ate some berries and various other plants that had been left outside my room. Then walked outside and found my way to a stream and washed as much dirt off as possible, brushed out my long black hair and then returned to the cave to dress in the new outfit. (Knowing that animals were intelligent I didn’t particularly want to undress in public.) Surprisingly both the dress and boots fit perfectly and went out to meet Faylin in the valley outside Ditri’s cave. Faylin was waiting near a large pile of grey stones. I smiled brightly at him and he grunted. “Your sword,” He said and nodded to a silver blade that lay in the grass. I stared at it dumbly. “Sword? What do I need a sword for?” He smiled, and then left. I growled under my breath and mumbled some very impolite things about the whole flea bitten canine race. I hefted the sword and hauled the thing after me as I followed. We finally stopped at a rough clearing about a mile from the cave. From there I could see the hill that Ditri’s home lay in. “Now what do I do?” I asked after a silence. Faylin regarded me with a cock of his scarred head. “I would assume that you would fight.” he said with no trace of humor. I looked over his lean, muscular frame. “Fight?” I asked. I wasn’t dumb as one might think; I was surprised. I had never heard any stories about or including a girl fighting a wolf. I was also wondering if this was under Ditri’s say-so and supervision or if the wolf meant to kill me. Faylin didn’t give me time to figure it out. He pounced. I yelped and ducked reflexively and his powerful shoulder glanced off mine with a force that knocked me to the ground. Before I could rise he came again, this time swerving away to leap at my unprotected back. With another exclamation I dug my feet into the soil and used them to push me into a roll. Again the wolf only brushed me. Again it was enough of a jar to temporarily knock the air from my lungs and again he doubled back before I had time to think. The next time though I wouldn’t be so lucky. Instead of taking another run the wolf leaped into the air and landed with jolt on my shoulders, his front paws shoving against me and forcing me to thud into the dirt. Stars and blackness swirled before my vision for a few dizzying seconds while I tried desperately to find a breath. At last I sucked in life giving air and sat up, rubbing a spot on my head where it had collided with hard-packed dirt. “Well this seems to be going well.” Ditri’s voice broke through my haze. I gingerly rubbed my head to clear my vision and only barely restrained myself from throwing a glare his way. He was still a dragon after all, no matter how gentle and intelligent he might seem. The green creature leaned over me with a straight face; his molten green eyes twinkled for a second. So short an amount of time that I wondered if it had actually been there. “Good morning, Lara.” I grunted. “That bad? I asked him to take it easy on you you know.” He shook his head. “You should see him when he really gets riled.” He turned and called to Faylin who was out of my vision. “Perhaps that’s enough for an hour or two, friend.” I heard the quiet but heavy footfalls as Faylin left. “He is a nut.” I gasped, brushing myself off, which reminded me- “Thank you for the clothes.” “Clothes? I assumed you had those in that little pack of yours.” He said.  I stared at him trying to figure out whether or not he was joking, decided he wasn’t and became confused. “You didn’t give me these?” “No.” He replied.” Perhaps You-Know-Who determined you needed something more sensible to wear.” “Does that mean he stole them?” I asked. “Faylin has his ways. Though I can’t imagine how he came by those. But no, I am positive that he didn’t steal them. After all, you two aren’t exactly the best of friends for him to go to so much trouble.” I realized how much sense that made and left it at that.  Ditri meant what he had said about the sparring being postponed for a few hours. After a lunch of yet more berries and greens –I was getting sick of them- we met Faylin in the clearing and it all began again. Charge, shriek, duck, focus on breathing, rub bruises, charge, shriek, duck… Only this time Ditri was there to give me pointers along the way.             “Duck!... Spin and bring your sword up…oh, ow. Don’t worry, we’ll get you a shield later… Watch it, spin and- oh. Are you alright?... Behind you now, grab his tail. That’s it! –Oh… Faylin, I wish you’d be a bit more careful… Lara you have to- no, not like that!... Oops, sorry, didn’t see that one coming…” and so on.             Finally I collapsed out of pure exhaustion on the grass and held up a hand. “Truce?” I asked, pleaded. Faylin considered this then nodded. “Until tomorrow then human.” I sighed with relief and rolled slowly over onto my feet. “Thanks.” I whispered, wiping sweat from my brow. He grunted; which I had expected and left.       I sat at the fire that night and rubbed a large bruise forming on my arm. Ditri watched me in silence, as if waiting for me to speak, so I did. “Why am I learning –or trying to learn- how to fight?”             Ditri looked into the fire he had created for a long time in thought. When he looked up at me the blaze was mirrored the black, catlike pupils of his eyes. “Because I fear that you may be the one to face Kellen.” He said quietly.             I knew I should have been surprised, shocked; angry even but I wasn’t. I couldn’t be, because I had expected this answer. Of all the things I had done in my life, this felt right. So I nodded and again it was silent. The fire flickered and eventually dimmed as I finished my meal. I got up to leave and then turned back. Ditri sat watching me, his eyes still burned with the intensity I had first noticed when I met him. His enormous green wings were bat-like and lay folded comfortably against his scales. His long tail twitched like a cats.             “Good night,” I paused, not knowing whether I should call him ‘lord’ or what. “Ditri.” I finished.             “Goodnight Lara.” He whispered.             I turned and walked into the darkness.       In my bed I lay, unable and unwilling to sleep, despite the tiring day. Then I heard singing.   “Summer sun fades away Taking hours of endless play So we go to bed tonight As the sun continues flight And shall we wake on rainy morn Spotting sunbeams through the storm-”   I got up and crept from the cave. The dark silhouette of a wolf, its head tilted to the sky sang out the words in a beautiful, strange but clear voice.   “-After day of water drips Watch the leaves the wind bids flip As the grass is bent by a breeze So the gales pass through the trees And when day breathes goodbye The forest stills and midnight sighs Summer sun fades away Fleeing with it; times of day”   I didn’t dare to breath as the wolf, which I was now sure was Faylin sat in silence looking up at the stars and the moon. The notes of his melody faded away into the forest night and the entire wood seemed to be frozen and still in the magic. The he stood, turned, and disappeared into the night.