and springy. Taking off the feathered coat, she lay down and pulled the blankets up around her, taking in her new surroundings. This place was awful. It smelled damp and musty, as if nobody had slept there for a long, long time. Why, oh why had she ever befriended that strange old woman and believed in her? Tears welled in Mia’s eyes as she remembered her blue-and-white gingham bedroom at home, filled with her toys and books and clothes, her family asleep in their rooms beside her.
Through her tears, she was suddenly aware of movement from the discarded flying coat thrown across a chair in the corner. Trig peeped out, his bright green eyes blinking.
‘Trig!’ she whispered.
The small blue dragon twisted and turned, trying to free himself from the entangled feathers. Then, for a few seconds, he remained totally still, his nostrils and long snout quivering as he sniffed the chilly air. After some consideration, he trotted towards Mia, his claws tapping on the bare floor. She patted the bed. ‘Up, Trig! Up!’
The dragon jumped up on to the blanket beside her. She could see he was trembling, he was as scared as she was.
‘It’s all right, Trig. Don’t be afraid!’ she tried to reassure him. ‘You can sleep on the bed tonight.’ Her hand reached out to touch his leathery skin. ‘You’re cold, poor thing!’ she said, pulling the blanket over him. ‘This will warm you up.’ The small dragon stared at her as she patted him, his skin growing warmer under her touch as he stretched out beside her.
‘It’s all right, Trig!’ she said yawning. ‘We’re together, you and I, and I won’t let anyone harm you.’
When Mia woke the following morning, sunlight was stealing through the window. At first she didn’t dare open her eyes, hoping that the journey and the castle were just a bad dream. She thought hard about her own home trying to make it real. Finally, she opened her eyes and harsh daylight revealed her worst fears – Bella was standing at the foot of her bed, staring intently at her.
‘I hope you are refreshed, Mia. You have been asleep for such a long time. I’ve brought you some milk and some fresh bread, just out of the oven. Time to be up! The sun is high inthe sky and there is much work to be done.’
Mia sat up. With a heavy heart she realised that nothing had changed, she was in the same room and the same hopeless situation as the night before.
‘Eat your breakfast and then dress yourself,’ ordered Bella, ‘I’ve left some warm clothes there on the chair for you. Come downstairs when you are ready and bring that dragon with you. You’re spoiling him!’
Mia ate quickly. She hadn’t realised how hungry she was. She gave a piece of the crust to Trig who snapped at it greedily, his sharp, white teeth sending crumbs all over the place.
The young dragon then closed his eyes and snuggled up beside her, ready to doze off again. Mia stretched and moved him out of her way. She’d better get up quickly if she didn’t want to annoy Bella. A jug of water and a heavy washbowl stood on a small stand in the corner of the room. Half-filling it, she splashed water on her face and washed herself lightly. Trig watched her as she began to dress in the strange clothes left out for her. Her tracksuit had been taken away and the flying coat was gone. In their place was a heavy, dark green skirt that fell to her ankles, the material rough but warm, a cream linen shirt topped by a heavy, knitted over-vest of the same colour that laced up the front, and a pair of oatmeal-coloured stockings. But her own trainers were still there and she put them on, at least something was familiar. A bone-handled bristle brush and comb lay on the dark wood dressing-table and she pulled the brush through her long hair, which was fullof tangles from her flight through the wind. Finally dressed, she opened the door and Trig jumped off the bed to follow her.
‘Come on, Trig, we’d better go downstairs. We don’t want to
Through her tears, she was suddenly aware of movement from the discarded flying coat thrown across a chair in the corner. Trig peeped out, his bright green eyes blinking.
‘Trig!’ she whispered.
The small blue dragon twisted and turned, trying to free himself from the entangled feathers. Then, for a few seconds, he remained totally still, his nostrils and long snout quivering as he sniffed the chilly air. After some consideration, he trotted towards Mia, his claws tapping on the bare floor. She patted the bed. ‘Up, Trig! Up!’
The dragon jumped up on to the blanket beside her. She could see he was trembling, he was as scared as she was.
‘It’s all right, Trig. Don’t be afraid!’ she tried to reassure him. ‘You can sleep on the bed tonight.’ Her hand reached out to touch his leathery skin. ‘You’re cold, poor thing!’ she said, pulling the blanket over him. ‘This will warm you up.’ The small dragon stared at her as she patted him, his skin growing warmer under her touch as he stretched out beside her.
‘It’s all right, Trig!’ she said yawning. ‘We’re together, you and I, and I won’t let anyone harm you.’
When Mia woke the following morning, sunlight was stealing through the window. At first she didn’t dare open her eyes, hoping that the journey and the castle were just a bad dream. She thought hard about her own home trying to make it real. Finally, she opened her eyes and harsh daylight revealed her worst fears – Bella was standing at the foot of her bed, staring intently at her.
‘I hope you are refreshed, Mia. You have been asleep for such a long time. I’ve brought you some milk and some fresh bread, just out of the oven. Time to be up! The sun is high inthe sky and there is much work to be done.’
Mia sat up. With a heavy heart she realised that nothing had changed, she was in the same room and the same hopeless situation as the night before.
‘Eat your breakfast and then dress yourself,’ ordered Bella, ‘I’ve left some warm clothes there on the chair for you. Come downstairs when you are ready and bring that dragon with you. You’re spoiling him!’
Mia ate quickly. She hadn’t realised how hungry she was. She gave a piece of the crust to Trig who snapped at it greedily, his sharp, white teeth sending crumbs all over the place.
The young dragon then closed his eyes and snuggled up beside her, ready to doze off again. Mia stretched and moved him out of her way. She’d better get up quickly if she didn’t want to annoy Bella. A jug of water and a heavy washbowl stood on a small stand in the corner of the room. Half-filling it, she splashed water on her face and washed herself lightly. Trig watched her as she began to dress in the strange clothes left out for her. Her tracksuit had been taken away and the flying coat was gone. In their place was a heavy, dark green skirt that fell to her ankles, the material rough but warm, a cream linen shirt topped by a heavy, knitted over-vest of the same colour that laced up the front, and a pair of oatmeal-coloured stockings. But her own trainers were still there and she put them on, at least something was familiar. A bone-handled bristle brush and comb lay on the dark wood dressing-table and she pulled the brush through her long hair, which was fullof tangles from her flight through the wind. Finally dressed, she opened the door and Trig jumped off the bed to follow her.
‘Come on, Trig, we’d better go downstairs. We don’t want to
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