Home Sweet Home...

As Dree was walking to his old home what both Awena and the Dowager had told him before the council meeting  finally broke up was still nagging at him. "Why did it have to be Dragons?" he wondered to himself.  It was still on his mind when he reached the entrance to the caves below the Baron's Mansion.  "Home sweet home," sighed the Moon Dragon.  

Upon entering the maze of the caves he instinctively knew where to go.  Soon he was back to the spot where he was born, or more correctly, where his egg had opened.  "Sigh... those were better days," he thought.  "All I needed then was someone to feed me when I was hungry."  It was that thought what made him start laughing... realizing the play on words... "When I was Hungry," he chuckled.  Hungry was his name before he had transformed from a Wish Dragon into a Moon Dragon.  "I wonder what Acorn, Dragonia, and Granny Flare are up to?" Dree thought.

"I thought you would be here sooner," a voice was heard from a dark corner of the cavern.  Dree spun around to see where it was coming from and finally spotted the house Brownie.  It was Granny Flare and it appeared that she had already cleaned up the cave.  "I have done a little cleaning while waiting for you.  The Dusty Mytes helped a bit by vak-u-ming the dust from the floors (and walls and ceilings, in fact it was everywhere actually)," she told the Dragon.   

"I even brought a few extra pillows for you, compliments of the Dowager, since I had heard your old one was either lost or a little ragged from it's travels."

Dree was so happy to see Granny that he forgot that she was not a hugger as he lifted her from the floor to give her a big one.  At first she thought of magically popping out but realized that might make the young Dragon sadder than he appeared, so she let him hug her and set her back down on the floor.  "My... you have grown a little since I have last seen you," she told him.  Blushing slightly (as only a Dragon can blush), he just stood there and looked down at the floor bashfully.

"I really came to tell you that if you need me, follow that tunnel," as she pointed to one of the many branches of tunnels from where they stood.  "My place is at the end.  Knock on the cellar door and I will let you in.  I will also have your meals ready for you so come when you are hungry," she finished.  Again, Dree was so happy that as he was reaching to give her another hug, he remembered and stopped himself this time.  "Thank you," was all he could say.

Smiling, Granny walked up to the Dragon and gave him a hug (surprising Dree even more).  "That's alright Hungry.  Oops, I meant Dree.  I have to go but you know where to find me.  Welcome home," said Granny as she started down the tunnel to her place.

"Home," thought Dree.  "Yes, this is my home and I need to help the others in protecting it," the Dragon thought.  "I know so little about myself.  How am I to help the people who raised and taught me everything I know against my own kind?  I don't know how..."

It was then that Dree saw the book that Granny Flare had left amongst the pillows.  Dree didn't know it, but it was the book that Granny had gotten from Atian's library before he had left on his trip.  As the Dragon picked it up and read the title, he knew that Granny must have left it for a purpose. 

​"Why would Granny leave me a book about Dragons?" he wondered as he started to settle himself down in the fluffy pile of pillows and start reading.  "So much better than a rock," he mumbles to himself as he turns to the next page of the book.