The Sugar Plum Bakery was his new favorite place (especially when they were cooking) to hang out.  He licked his lips in anticipation as he waited for the muffins to appear.  "Ah, the sweet smells of all of those goodies just waiting to be eaten," as he licked his lips once more. ​

​“Don’t worry,” Parsley told her as she stood and began to clear the table of dishes.  “We will be informed when they do, but in the meantime, our next step is to do a little magic of our own.  Finish up your tea and remember to leave just a little in the bottom so that we will see what the tea leaves tell us.”

​“Stay put Efem and finish your tea,” Parsley told them.  “I will be needing your cups shortly.  Think about the Dragon before you finish drinking.  That will help when I read your tea leaves.”  It only took a couple of minutes before Parsley had the table cleared and returned to her seat.  “Now, let’s see what we can find out.”

Parsley could see that Efem was getting concerned.  “Let me see if my cup can tell me more about the searchers."  Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on her teacup.  As she opened them, she turned the cup over and looked in.  "One of the searchers is not of the Fae nor of the land while One is the land.”

​“Parsley, I am confused,” Cornelia said.  “What does that mean?  One not being Fae nor of the land can only mean an outsider I would assume, but how can one be the land?”  “I don’t know,” replied Parsley.  “I am just as confused as you are.  Efem, any ideas?” 

Parsley stood and started to the cottage door.  "I'm going to run down Sprout!  He needs to join in here to help look too!"  Efem and Cornelia looked at each other.  "Who's Sprout?" they thought.

​“Please sit while I brew some tea for us to drink.   Afterwards we can see what the leaves can also reveal to us,” said Parsley as she motioned for Efem and Cornelia to sit at her table.  “I have a nice herbal tea here I would like you to try.  It is my own special blend I call Chameleon as it changes flavors as you drink it."

​​It is amazing how by not saying a word, volumes can be implied thought Efem.  Taking a calming breath and the hint, she sat down at the table to await the tea.

Parsley turned away from the sisters and stepped over to the stove where she had a pot of hot water already simmering.  She then took down her teacups from the cupboard and reached for her special blend.  This she added to the steaming water and stirred in a silent wish as she turned back around with the pot of tea.  Pouring the tea to everyone and taking a sip, she started the conversation.  “Now, from what you have told me of the young Dragon, you both think the first problem is to find him before anyone else does.  Is this correct?”

​“Yes, we need to find him right away before anyone discovers he is a Wish Dragon,” answered Efem, frustrated and impatient to be started and not sitting here talking.

​Cornelia continued to sip her tea and decided to try one of the muffins that Parsley has brought with the tea.  Efem looked over at her wondering why she was not agreeing with her.  Cornelia continued nibbling on her muffin and just smiled at her as she turned her gaze to Parsley.  "Parsley, these are delicious.  Mind giving me the recipe?  I am sure Nemmer and The CAT would love some of these."  Efem was starting to simmer and about to boil over from their apparent lack of concern, when finally Cornelia, taking mercy on Efem, asked Parsley "What do you think we should be doing?"  “Finally,” thought Efem.

​“Oh, I have already started.  The Mushroom Line has been informed to find the Dragon as a priority news item.  Anything involving the Dragon is to be reported immediately.  They already have a few reports but nothing substantiated yet,” replied Parsley.  “Do you really like the muffins?” she asked Cornelia.  “They are one of Mrs. C's recipes.  I just whipped them up for Sprout.  He really likes them.”

​​Efem was stunned.  These were just the things she needed to hear.  That everyone was  working together to help find the poor lost little Dragon.  She also realized that she truly had missed her old friend and started to glow with joyful feelings.

Parsley, seeing Efem starting to glow at her words, started to blush.  She too had missed her childhood friend.  To hide the blush, she lifted the pot of tea.  “I will get us some more tea.  Then we can see what the leaves also have to tell us about this young Dragon.​"

​Efem had been looking at her feet the whole time Parsley and Cornelia had been speaking.  Finally she lifted her head and looked at Parsley.  “Parsley, I know that it has been a long time since we last talked.  I know I have been a stubborn old oak  but right now we don't have time for chit-chat, we need your help.”

​“Does the Mushroom Line know where to find him?” they asked Parsley at the same time.  Slightly embarrassed, Efem nodded to her sister to continue, “We must find him. We think it is important that we become his first teachers.  At least that is according to the Sleeping Ladies and their Petal Post.  Otherwise great havoc will occur in all of the realms.”  Cornelia quickly explained to Parsley what they knew about the young Dragon and that they were aware that there were others now trying to find the young Wish Dragon too.  The Sleeping Ladies felt that this must not happen until he understood the consequences of his abilities.

​“I will help you both as this emergency affects us all,” decided Parsley.  "Now come inside so we can start making plans."  As they all entered Parsley's mushroom home, Efem did have something to say and knew if she did not say it now, it would not get any easier later.  ​“Parsley, I am sorry.  It never should have taken a Dragon to make me realize the friendship I lost through my obstinance."

"Efem, I regret that it took something as important as this to bring you here to my door too.  You don’t have to say anymore, let us focus on what needs to be done now."  Parsley wondered  if the Wish Dragon was already granting wishes for she had wished for a long time to have this misunderstanding end.

“Now then let’s get started, we have a Wish Dragon to find!” smiled Efem at Parsley and Cornelia.

As they continued on the trail, suddenly Cornelia realized that after all of these years of feuding, it was going to take a Dragon to get these two to talk to each other again?  Chuckling with that thought, she decided that she better start talking before Efem asked her what she was snickering about.

​​“This isn’t so bad,” she told Efem as they walked.  “I mean, after all, you probably don’t even remember why you and Parsley are still squabbling.”

​“That is not so,” retorted Efem, but as she said these words, she realized that all the time they had been walking she had been trying to remember what started the feud in the first place.  Her and Parsley were once the best of friends, the closest two could be without actually being sisters.  They grew up next to each other and did almost everything together.  “When did it change?” she thought.  She stayed silent - thinking, while Cornelia continued talking about the things they must do to find the young Wish Dragon.  Silent and only slightly listening she mused on what was it that had come between her and Parsley.

Suddenly she noticed it was quiet and that Cornelia had stopped talking.  She was just standing there staring at her.  ​“Okay Cornelia.  I will be on my best behavior.  I know that seeing Parsley is for the best and that we need her help.”  As they continued their journey, Efem decided that actually now she was wanting to see Parsley again after all of these years.  Smiling, she thought it might just be time to apply a little of "Cornelia's honey" to the situation and do a little healing herself.  Maybe it was time to swallow a little pride and put the past behind her. After all, everything tastes better with a little honey applied to it.

Cornelia only looked at her sister and worried about that smile. "Hmmm," she thought to herself and wondered why Efem was starting to glow?

​Efem nodded her head as she had to agree, for where ever a shadow lay - a mushroom was sure to sprout, and even though their ears don’t stick out they hear everything that is happening in the woods.

​​“What does having to be hungry got to do with going to school?” asks Nemmer.

​What was that?  Is the shadow in the bushes a bird? It should be a bird because it is what I expect it should be.  Often what I think I see right in front of me is what it really is.  Yet, like the blue jay that I just thought I saw in the bush, might it not also be him?

"Now I understand that not everyone wants to be aware.  I accept that, but how boring it must be to be  one of those..."  

​"One question I do get asked when I am first seen is why do I dress up to look like a bird?  Other than the fact that I think blue is my color, it helps with the secondary job I have.  It is my disguise so that I can keep away those little dusty mytes that steal away inspiration.  They are everywhere!"  ​​

​"I find that my bow and arrows are especially useful in swatting those pesky little creatures away."

​"Well, I have to get back to work, but now that you have seen me as I really appear, ask yourself this question.  Will you take  that extra second to look to see what was really there?  If you see me, then may you be hit by inspiration and not the dusty doo-doo of the mytes!  I'm off!!! "

“Yet to be named,” Granny heard in her mind.

​“What did I tell you?” Granny Flare glared at the baby.
​
“Hungry” replied the dragon out loud this time.  Acorn jumped back a little startled.  It was one thing to hear a voice in one’s head, but quite a different thing to see a dragon speak.

“Acorn, you go and find some coal oil or kerosene and the biggest bottle you can find.  Baroness, we will need something tough, like leather for the baby to suck on,” commanded Granny Flare.

Acorn started to argue but the look that Granny gave him helped him to change his mind and off he went.  “Remember, no one must know about the baby yet!” he heard her yell as he was leaving.

Looking at the Baroness, Granny Flare, being the house brownie that she is, continued “Now, what are we going to do about cleaning up this mess?”

“More importantly, what are we going to do so that the Village Council doesn’t find out about the baby?” replied Dragonia.

​“How would I know?” snapped the Baroness.  “It’s not like I have done this before.”