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The Woodland Visitor Ch 17:

A Beautiful Gem

I ran as fast as I could down the street to where it lay. My suspicions were confirmed as I looked from the long neck to the broken and torn wings to the tail that lay curled off to the side behind it. I was looking at a Dragon, and a critically injured one at that.

Without a second thought I ran up to it's neck where there was a gash that was bleeding very badly. Stripping off my shirt I placed it on top of the wound and pressed on it hard. The dragon turned its head and stared at me.

"It's alright, I'm here to help. I need to stop the bleeding before you get too weak."

When it spoke to me I wasn't very surprised, after all it wasn't supposed to exist in the first place.

"It's already too late, I've lost too much blood." It said in a distinctly feminine voice.

"Then let me help you."

"I am not meant to stay in this world for much longer."

"I won't let you die, I'll help you."

"Then help me in this way."

She slowly lifted her body and I saw her front paws curled protectively near her chest. Thinking that it was another wound I was getting ready to rush over to examine it when she slowly held out one of her paws. Looking closer I saw what appeared to be a baby dragon curled up and shivering in fear.

"Take care of my daughter, she is too young to survive on her own and there is no one else left to help me."

I slowly walked up to her and ran my hand over the neck of the dragonet. She opened her eyes and looked at me then backed up. I could feel the fear radiating from her mind. Without hesitation I concentrated on thoughts of safety and friendship. Her mother tilted her head down and I could tell she was talking to her daughter.

Soon the dragonet looked at me and took a hesitant step in my direction. Reaching down I picked her up and held her to me like I would a child. She wrapped her tail around my waist and laid her neck across one shoulder to rest her head upon my other shoulder.

I started thinking thoughts of safety to her and felt her dig her back claws into my pants, gripping my belt... And missing me, thank god... while her front claws gripped my arm and shoulder.

I watched her mother drop back down to the road struggling to stay awake.

"There is one more thing you need." She said as she lifted her arm. Extending one single talon she dipped it into the blood coming from the wound on her neck. Extending it towards me I watched as it began to glow right at the very tip. She reached out and placed the claw right in the middle of my forehead and instantly a burst of light flashed inside my head. A flash so bright I instinctively closed my eyes. In less than a second millions of images and knowledge flashed through my mind.

In another instant it was gone and she withdrew her talon from my head. Everything I needed to know about raising a dragon... in fact everything I ever wanted to know about dragons was stored inside my head.

I watched her talon drop to the road and in a weak voice she said, "Please take care of my dear daughter for me."

I walked over and knelt down beside her head. Placing one hand on her bloody muzzle, I looked her in the eye.

"I will raise her as if she were my own child. I will also never let her forget the kind and caring soul her mother was. She will be safe with me for I shall guard her with my life. Your spirit can rest in peace for upon my honor, I shall teach her the ways of dragonkind so she may continue to bring you honor as you have brought her honor by giving life to her, and I shall continue to bring you honor as you have brought me honor by placing this trust upon me." I said, reciting the ancient dragon chant without knowing how I knew it.

"It is you who has brought honor to me by accepting my flesh and blood as yours to raise and teach. Any honor you bring to me shall be my daughters for I leave this world for her."

I watched the dragon's eye close and heard the dragonet I held cry out. The dragon's body began to glow and then broke apart into a million points of light. I was too shocked at what happened to react and just sat there and watched as the points of light circled and then were absorbed by my hand, flowing into my body. When it was gone the only thing I saw around was a capsule shaped black polished stone about the size of a golf ball lying on the ground and the blood that covered my hands.

* * *

I found myself standing in the middle of the street holding the crying dragonet. All around me I saw the Wolf Pack with weapons drawn scanning the area and watching me intently. I could feel the sadness and fear the dragonet felt in my mind. Reaching up I lightly stroked her eye ridges and sent thoughts of love, safety and caring out to her. She shifted her head and lightly rubbed it against mine in a gesture of acceptance.

"Tom!"

I turned to see Sienna standing there a look of worry and concern crossing her face. Indeed I could even feel her emotions for me. I held my handout to her. A hand that was free of blood, and watched as she hesitantly came over and took it. Pulling her to me I wrapped my arm around her and held her tight.

The dragonet looked over at Sienna and slowly moved her head closer to sniff her. Then she wrapped a wing around Sienna and rubbed her cheek lightly against her.

Sienna hesitantly reached up and rubbed the top of her head and the dragonet leaned into her. Smiling she rubbed the dragonet with a little more confidence and soon was lightly scratching her eye ridges to the contentment of the young dragonet.

Rayven came running over and without taking her eyes of the dragonet asked for further instructions.

"Have the pack do a sweep of the area looking out for anything unusual. Report back to me when you're done. I'll be at my house awaiting your return. On second thought, have the pack assemble at my house when you're done."

Turning, I carried the dragonet back to our house.

* * *

I was oblivious to the fact that Duvole and Sienna stood just inside the front door with their assault rifles while Tamanae waited outside with the children. No one knew what to make of the little dragonet as I tried to set her down on the couch.

The dragonet had other ideas and refused to let me go. Clinging to my belt and starting to dig her front claws into my body to hold on.

"It's alright. You're safe now, nothings going to happen to you." I said in as gentle of a voice as I could.

The dragonet started crying again while gripping me even tighter. "No, no, no" was all she would say. For some reason, I wasn't surprised to hear her speak. It was if I somehow suspected it.

"Why don't you want to let go, little one?" I asked her.

"You'll be gone, just like mommy."

"I'll be gone?"

"I let go of mommy when she asked, now she's gone." She began to cry harder.

With one hand I rubbed her back right between her wings and the other hand stroked her head. "I'm not going anywhere. I promised I would take care of you. I can't do that if I'm gone now can I?"

I felt a slight sake of the dragonet's head and could tell her crying was slowing down. "Promise you won't go away like mommy?" She asked in a little girl's voice.

"I promise that I will not go anywhere, Ok?"

I could feel her claws slowly relax their grip on me. Patting the couch beside me I finally got her to lie down, but she never let me go. Laying her head across my lap I watched her stare across the room at Sienna.

Sienna just stood there in shock as she listened to the dragonet speak. It took me several tries to get her attention before the look of shock left her face.

"Where's Natasha?"

"Tamanae is watching her."

I looked down to the dragonet, "Would you like to meet your sister?"

The dragonet jerked her head up and looked at me. "S... Sis... sister?"

"Yes, sister."

"Is she like me then?"

"Well... she's younger than you, and very curious." I said with a chuckle. "She looks just like her mother, and just as beautiful." I added, looking up at Sienna smiling.

"She sounds pretty." The young dragonet replied.

Sienna turned quickly to hide the blush she was feeling at the unexpected praise.

"Can you bring her in? I'd like her to meet her new sister."

"Umm... well... umm..." Sienna stuttered.

"Sienna, what's wrong?"

"It's just that... do you think it's a good idea?"

"Sienna, come here." I said.

I watched her hesitantly come over to where we set. I could tell exactly what was going on in her mind. She was Ok with the dragonet earlier when she thought of her as just like a pet. When she found out the dragonet could talk and seemed to be more like a child than a pet, well that threw her for a loop. Grabbing her hand I pulled her down on the couch beside me.

"Have I ever broken a promise?"

Sienna quickly looked up at me. "No you haven't"

"I don't intend to start either. I made two promises, and I intend to keep them. One was to this little ones mother, that I would raise her as my own daughter and care for her. The other was to you. I said that I wouldn't let anything happen to either you or Natasha. I don't intend to break either one of them... Now or ever."

Sienna bowed her head then slowly leaned over to me wrapping her arms around me. I put my arm around her shoulder just as I heard her quietly say "I'm sorry."

"That's Ok, I just wish I could let you see half of the knowledge that her mother gave me. It would make things a lot easier."

Sienna picked her head up and looked at me. "What do you mean? What did her mother tell you?"

"She didn't exactly tell me anything, when she placed her claw on my forehead. It was if she magically transferred everything I needed to know about dragons into my head." Her eyes grew wide when I said this. Reaching up I placed my hands on each side of her cheek. Pulling her close, I kissed her, "I now know the truth about dragons, not some fairy tale someone made up about them. I just wish you could know it too."

Leaning forward I rested my forehead against hers hoping she would understand. Suddenly I felt... I don't know how to describe it except a strange feeling. It was like nothing I ever felt before. It lasted for only a couple of seconds then was gone just as fast as it came. I heard both the dragonet and Sienna both gasp at the same time and felt Sienna pull back.

She placed her paw up to her forehead and stared at me wide eyed. "I know. But how..."

"What do you know?"

"I... I know about dragons. I mean, it was as if a giant light flashed and then there was a flash of colors or pictures or something, all in my mind. When it was gone I knew. I know that she's just a hatchling, just like Tasha is and that... that..."

Sienna moved over, kneeling on the floor in front of the dragonet and wrapped her arms around her neck. I could hear her crying into its neck as she softly cried out, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

The dragonet looked up at me with a confused look on its face before she turned her head and gently began nuzzling Sienna's face. It was a few minutes before Sienna recovered enough and slowly pulled back from the little dragonet.

Duvole cleared his throat, "Umm, is everything alright?"

"I believe it is now my friend."

Sienna turned to me. "How did you do that?"

"I really don't know. I didn't do anything. What you described was what happened when the dragoness gave me the information. I mean I saw a bright light, and within the light I could see millions upon millions of pictures flashing by so fast I really didn't understand them. When the light vanished, I just knew everything about dragonkind. It's just like I know about humankind. I mean if I think about something, I just remember the answer as if I was taught it. Actually it seems more like I lived it."

"That's exactly what I saw. When it cleared, I realized how wrong my thoughts of her had been. I thought she was a vicious animal, not the innocent little child she actually is. She acted so much like Tasha would have, I can't believe I didn't know. How could I have thought what I did about her?" Reaching up, Sienna gently caressed the side of the dragonet's face. "I'm so sorry little one, can you ever forgive me?"

The dragonet looked at me confused for a second before she turned her head and began rubbing up against Sienna's cheek. Sienna smiled and continued to caress her. "I don't know what I'm to forgive you for, but I do."

"For the mean thoughts I had about you."

"You don't have mean thoughts about me, do you?"

"Not any more, I'm just sorry I had them at all."

Rayven and Ronshia stepped into the house with Doc Travis and Kelah right behind them. Slowly standing up I went over to them. "Did you find anything?"

Rayven pulled her eyes away from the dragonet and shook her head. "We found nothing yet. We should be done searching in about thirty minutes though."

"Alright, have everyone meet here when you're done. We'll discuss further actions at that time." I watched as her and Ronshia left, then turned to Kelah and the Major.

Doc Travis was the first to speak, "They weren't shitting me when they said that you had a dragon."

"I believe it would be physically impossible for me to have a dragon. I don't think it would be physically possible for Sienna to have one either. Only a dragon could have a dragon. I just sort of adopted her as my own at her mother's request. Being a doctor, I thought you already knew that." I said quickly in an exaggerated tone of voice.

Doc Travis hit me on the arm while Kelah laughed. This got the attention of the dragonet, who had crawled off the couch and slowly made her way over to me and clutched at my leg hiding her head behind me. Reaching down I scratched behind her ears and then prying her arms off of my leg, I picked her up. She hid her head again acting like a shy little kid.

Taking a hold of her head, I moved it around to the front of me where she wedged it under my chin and opened her eye to watch the new people. I reached own and scratched under her chin. "Honey, these are two of my friends." I said to the dragonet. "This is Doc Travis, he makes sick people better."

Doc held out his hand and said, "Hello little one."

I felt her shift as she reached out and quickly shook his hand, then just as quickly pulled hers back. Doc Travis smiled and reaching out he scratched the bottom of her jaw as he said, "You're such a cutie, you know that?" She just curled up closer to me.

"And this one is Doc Kelah, he also makes sick people better."

She again reached out to briefly shake his hand. "I'll have to agree, you are a very pretty little thing."

I made my way back over to the couch, motioning for the two doctors to take a seat. Setting the dragonet back down on the couch she curled up and again laid her head across my lap and gripped my pants leg with one of her clawed hands.

"So little one, are you feeling better now?" I asked her in a gentle voice.

"I miss mommy."

"I know you do. I wish I could ease your pain." I said as I watched a tear slide down her cheek.

Suddenly Sienna stood up and walked out of the room to the confusion of both myself and the little dragonet. The dragonet looked up at me with a confused expression on her face before she turned and stared at the door that Sienna just went through. We just stared at it for a minute and I was just about to say something when Sienna came strolling back into the room. In her arms was Natasha, looking around in wonder. I saw a smile appear on Natasha's muzzle when she saw me on the couch. Sienna brought her over and handed her to me before sitting down beside us.

Natasha jumped when the dragonet lifted her head from my lap and moved it towards her. Cringing and clinging to me, Natasha buried her head into my shoulder when the dragonet spoke. "Is this?"

"This, little one is your little sister." I said to her.

The dragonet looked back at Natasha and moved her muzzle towards her. Natasha cringed and tried to bury her head further into my arm. Drawing her head back, she had a sad look in her eyes as she looked up at me. "She doesn't like me."

Reaching over with my free hand I pulled the dragonet's head up and kissed her right between the eyes. "Your wrong, she just doesn't know you yet. You're a stranger to her. Give her some time to know you and I'm sure she'll like you."

"Really?" The dragonet asked hopefully.

Rubbing her neck I smiled at her, "Yes really."

I saw Natasha watching me rub the dragonets neck then look back at her. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched the dragonets nose and yanked her paw back. A few seconds later, Natasha again reached out, this time touching the dragonet a few seconds longer before pulling her paw back. Turning she looked up at me and I just gave her a big smile. She looked back and started to reach her hand out again when the dragonet moved her head just a little and licked Natasha's paw.

Natasha jerked her hand back and looked at the dragonet, then looked her hand over as if to make sure it was alright. It took her five more minutes before she again reached out to touch the dragonet. When she couldn't reach, the dragonet tilted her head down and moved forward until Natasha could rub the top.

Natasha rubbed across the top of the dragonets head until she saw her horns. Her hand went instantly to one and grabbed it. Before she could pull on it I stepped in.

"Natasha, be gentle now. You don't want to hurt her."

She released the horn and looked up at me, then looked back at the dragonet. I watched the dragonet move her muzzle over towards Natasha and as Natasha was pulling back, nuzzled her side making Natasha giggle. She nuzzled Natasha several more times making her giggle and push her muzzle away with her tiny paws each time.

Everyone thought that was the cutest thing until several minutes later.

The dragonet looked up at me then looking right at Natasha she said, "Sister."

Natasha smiled and leaning over to the dragonet, kissed her right on top of her muzzle. The dragonet's eyes opened wide as she slowly pulled her head back in surprise. Natasha then squirmed over further and gave the dragonet a big hug right around her neck. The dragonet was just as shocked as the adults and just reached up with her claw and hugged her back.

When Natasha released the dragonet she fell back and landed right on my lap. Looking up at me she smiled and then looked back at the dragonet.

The dragonet looked down at Natasha and said, "I'm Amber. I guess I'm your new big sister."

Everyone in the room went silent when Natasha reached up and placed her paw on Amber's nose and said, "Bur... m... bur..."