Cave Rat Mission...

"It's a good thing that I don't mind being underground," thought Drat as he was scurrying around in the caves trying to stall before having to meet with the Dragon.  "I know that Dree won't eat me," he grumbled, "but it's like wanting to shake the paw of a giant smiling cat.  Someone else may think it looks great, but those of us who are shaking the cat's paw don't."  Knowing that he had stalled as much as he could, Drat finally took the last turn into the area that Dree had made his home.

"I was wondering when you were going to come in," said the Dragon when Drat finally entered.  "I heard you when you first entered the cave but thought you already knew the way here or I would have come to meet you," Dree told him as he put down the book he had been reading.  Noticing that Drat was trying to see the book's cover, Dree turned the book so that it would be easier for the Troll King's minion to see.

"I am almost done with it if you would like to borrow it," said Dree.  "You will have to get it back to Granny Flare since she borrowed it from the library and loaned it to me."  It was then that Dree's sensitive nose caught the smells from the bag that Drat was carrying.  "Did you bring something from the Goodie's?  It smells like something they cooked for me once before on my birthday.  I won't take any, I swear, but they do smell good!" 

Drat first thought was that he was now going to be eaten, but then the realization of the situation hit him and he started to snicker.  "Here I am with a hungry Dragon and he is promising not to eat the sweets I have in a bag."  Trying not to laugh out loud, Drat bit his upper lip and then passed the bag to Dree.  "The Goodie's thought you might like something to snack on," said Drat but silently adding 'but not on me'.  "They are all yours Dree."

Dree politely took the bag and started eating one morsel at a time - savoring each one before starting on the next.  Soon the bag was empty and Drat realized that now was a perfect time to start his mission.

"You must be bored being down here by yourself," started Drat.  "Do you mind if I stay for a while and keep you company?  We could tell stories, play some games, even read a book or two together.  Whatcha think?"

Smiling, Dree folded the bag up so it could be returned to the Goodie's (hopefully for more treats) and placed it neatly on a rock by where he had set down his book.  Still smiling, he stared at Drat as if searching for something hidden on the minion.  As Drat started to get nervous and was just about ready to bolt out of the cave, especially from a Dragon smiling at you for too long, Dree spoke.

"Drat, I appreciate you bringing the sweets and everything, but I already figured out why you are here.  The others want to keep me away from the Dragon Herald until they can talk to him and find out what he is really doing here."  This admission caught Drat completely by surprise!

"How did you know?" stammered Drat as he kept one eye on the way out of the cave and thinking "I wonder how fast he is..."

"You don't have to stay," said Dree, no longer smiling.  "I understand the seriousness of the situation and promise I will not leave the caves until either Granny Flare or Griselda tell me it's time to come out.  I too want to know what the Herald really wants and if he won't tell the others, then I doubt he will honestly tell me either."

Dree's admission made Drat realize that this errand might have not been so bad after all and to the minion's credit, he decided to make the most of it - I mean it isn't everyday you get to sit and be friends with a Dragon.  "So Dree, what do you do for entertainment?  The council isn't expecting me to come back for quite some time and if you don't mind, I would like to sit and talk to you some more." 

That made the Dragon smile again as he dug out a board game that the Baron had left him.  "It's called Dragons and Dungeons, but since I live in a cave, let's call it Caves and Dragons..."