Part 1:
Winthrop and Joacquil departed at first light the next morning.
As we said goodbye, Winthrop presented us with a gift.
A magnificent, gleaming sword!
He'd carried two, we then learned, and loaned us one to use as needed.
Very cool.
And yet?
We sat dubious as to its potential usefulness.
Swatting flies?
Opening cans?
But it was a sweet gesture, and thus received with much gratitude.
We watched from the mouth of the cave as they headed into the dawn.
The knight and the dragon at last disappeared from sight, advancing forth with their strange yet sweet partnership.
Our job, by comparison, seemed easy.
Eggs don’t do a whole lot.
Unless they’re ready to hatch.
Which we were assured was not imminent.
Dale stared obsessively at them for a few minutes before reaching the same conclusion.
“Do you think maybe they can hear us?”
“I really don’t know. Give it a shot, try talking to them.”
The lion smiled and proceeded to sing eight rambunctious choruses of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
As we said goodbye, Winthrop presented us with a gift.
A magnificent, gleaming sword!
He'd carried two, we then learned, and loaned us one to use as needed.
Very cool.
And yet?
We sat dubious as to its potential usefulness.
Swatting flies?
Opening cans?
But it was a sweet gesture, and thus received with much gratitude.
We watched from the mouth of the cave as they headed into the dawn.
The knight and the dragon at last disappeared from sight, advancing forth with their strange yet sweet partnership.
Our job, by comparison, seemed easy.
Eggs don’t do a whole lot.
Unless they’re ready to hatch.
Which we were assured was not imminent.
Dale stared obsessively at them for a few minutes before reaching the same conclusion.
“Do you think maybe they can hear us?”
“I really don’t know. Give it a shot, try talking to them.”
The lion smiled and proceeded to sing eight rambunctious choruses of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Soon he curled up in a ball and dozed off back to sleep.
By noon we were ready for lunch.
Winthrop had left us a little food (dried fruit, bread and cheese) and we held an impromptu picnic.
Lunch went on with little fanfare.
Bored and antsy, I picked up the sword from its scabbard.
I pulled the blade free and discovered writing on the steel:
‘To Sir Winthrop, for selfless valor in the Brandolyyne Lowlands.’
On the back: ‘Courage favors none, yet oft aids the brave.’
Fencing with the air, I tried to imagine acts of selfless valor in the Brandolyyne Lowlands.
I slashed my way across the cave, piercing imaginary foes and cutting a swath through shadows.
“This thing is pretty heavy, heavier than it looks.”
“Can you be done?” Dale asked.
“What?"
“You’re makin’ me nervous.”
“Why?”
“Suppose you trip and stab yourself? Or hit the eggs?”
“When did you become such a worrier? All right, all right, I’ll put it back.”
By noon we were ready for lunch.
Winthrop had left us a little food (dried fruit, bread and cheese) and we held an impromptu picnic.
Lunch went on with little fanfare.
Bored and antsy, I picked up the sword from its scabbard.
I pulled the blade free and discovered writing on the steel:
‘To Sir Winthrop, for selfless valor in the Brandolyyne Lowlands.’
On the back: ‘Courage favors none, yet oft aids the brave.’
Fencing with the air, I tried to imagine acts of selfless valor in the Brandolyyne Lowlands.
I slashed my way across the cave, piercing imaginary foes and cutting a swath through shadows.
“This thing is pretty heavy, heavier than it looks.”
“Can you be done?” Dale asked.
“What?"
“You’re makin’ me nervous.”
“Why?”
“Suppose you trip and stab yourself? Or hit the eggs?”
“When did you become such a worrier? All right, all right, I’ll put it back.”
Everything calmed down.
For a moment.
Until?
A loud “BOOM!" smashed atop the cave.
Rumbles suddenly echoed overhead.
“The walls just shook!”
“Is it an earthquake?”
Another boom followed, causing silt to trickle from the ceiling.
“Let's get out of here! The cave could collapse,” Rick said, scooping up the nest.
We ran out into the light, quickly turning to survey the damage.
Our glance was instantly met.
By a creature atop the cave!
“There’s, uh … another one.” Dale whispered.
A second dragon stared down.
It was about the same size as Joacquil, but with manic eyes that flickered between us.
“Oh, my dear sister,” it laughed. “Leaving humans to defend your eggs?”
For a moment.
Until?
A loud “BOOM!" smashed atop the cave.
Rumbles suddenly echoed overhead.
“The walls just shook!”
“Is it an earthquake?”
Another boom followed, causing silt to trickle from the ceiling.
“Let's get out of here! The cave could collapse,” Rick said, scooping up the nest.
We ran out into the light, quickly turning to survey the damage.
Our glance was instantly met.
By a creature atop the cave!
“There’s, uh … another one.” Dale whispered.
A second dragon stared down.
It was about the same size as Joacquil, but with manic eyes that flickered between us.
“Oh, my dear sister,” it laughed. “Leaving humans to defend your eggs?”
“You’re … Joacquil’s brother? We’re friends of hers,” I said.
“She invited us to stay here," Rick added.
“You can ask her yourself,” Dale chimed in.
“I believe my sister is far away."
“True, but she'll be back," I replied.
The dragon seemed frazzled, agitated.
As if buzzing on ten cups of coffee.
Maybe our presence seemed shocking?
I tried to calm the situation.
“Can we introduce ourselves? My name is - "
“Relinquish the eggs. Now! And I might let you live.”
“No, it’s OK,” Rick told him. “We’re guarding them. You can stay and help, if you want.”
“Guard them? I intend to eat them.”
The dragon slunk into a sinister crouch.
Eat them??
Dale acted just as the intruder pounced, whisking us from the path of oncoming jaws.
We found ourselves, for the second unexpected time, back in the Falling Forest.
“She invited us to stay here," Rick added.
“You can ask her yourself,” Dale chimed in.
“I believe my sister is far away."
“True, but she'll be back," I replied.
The dragon seemed frazzled, agitated.
As if buzzing on ten cups of coffee.
Maybe our presence seemed shocking?
I tried to calm the situation.
“Can we introduce ourselves? My name is - "
“Relinquish the eggs. Now! And I might let you live.”
“No, it’s OK,” Rick told him. “We’re guarding them. You can stay and help, if you want.”
“Guard them? I intend to eat them.”
The dragon slunk into a sinister crouch.
Eat them??
Dale acted just as the intruder pounced, whisking us from the path of oncoming jaws.
We found ourselves, for the second unexpected time, back in the Falling Forest.