[Child of the 7th Age]

As Child walked onto the plank that led to the ship, she could see Angara sleeping on deck. The dragon was carefully hidden under a tarpaulin which Mithadan had prudently draped over her back.

Angara awoke and stretched out her gleeming body, the scales on her back catching the glint of the sun. Her eyes immediately sought Child's face. The dragon glared and then bellowed, "It has taken you long enough to return to me! I have finished the entire barrel of fish, and I am exceedingly bored. If you do not amuse me, I will undertake a short flight for my own entertainment to take in the views."

"Of course, unlike you, I have been to Minas Tirith several times and am quite familiar with the sights. I will know exactly where to go to drop in on a number of persons whose names we know well from the stories."

Child assured Angara that she would stay to read her poems and bring her treats, and otherwise tend to her well being.

Angara nodded her head and began preening her scales with her claws. "You know," the dragon said, "If you would listen to me, your trips to the library could be considerably shorter and much more productive. Once you finished answering the two riddles, you assumed that there was no reason to consult me."

"I regret to inform you," the dragon continued, "that your assumption was incorrect."

Child tried to weedle more on this subject out of Angara, but, beyond this, the dragon would add nothing. She sat on her haunches, blowing smoke rings through her nose, with golden-green eyes whirling like rings of fire.

[ July 07, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]