lowered her large head over the children and stared Prospero directly in the face, "From now on, these children are under my protection from you as well. If you ever come near them again, or bother any of my dragons, I will make sure you regret it. Do you understand?"
Prospero and Herman nervously nodded, unable to even move in the face of such a terrifyingly large and angry dragon. Lady Moon nodded slowly and said, "It would be best if you left now, before I can no longer control my temper."
"Yes, your majesty," Prospero said quickly. "Anything you like."
" First of all, thank you," Herman said stupidly. "Uh, thank you for not eating us, or doing anything else bad."
"Go," Lady Moon said. "Now!"
Both the sorcerer and his assistant ran into the woods then, tripping over one another as they crashed through the branches and bushes and tangles of thorns, running until the sound of Prospero yelling at Herman to carry him was nothing but a distant echo.
"Well, all of you stand up and let me look at you," Lady Moon said.
Star pushed up from the ground and stood next to Alana. She put her hand on his neck and stroked his skin, as glad to see him okay as she'd ever been for anything in her entire life. James stood next to his sister, looking up at the huge dragon in amazement. Even Mister Six got in line. The mud was dry and caked onto his fur now and looked very uncomfortable, but the cat still sat up very straight when facing the dragon.
Lady Moon looked curiously at the cat and said, "Sir He-Who-Runs-In-Shadow, it is a pleasure to see you once more."
Mister Six yowled gently and nodded his head at the dragon.
"What did she call him?" Alana whispered.
"What brings you to the aid of the Sky Dragons?" Lady Moon said.
Mister Six yowled and purred several times, talking rapidly in cat-speak and looking up at James and Alana a few times as he did.
"I see," Lady Moon said. "So it was not for Star at all. How interesting."
"What's he saying?" James said.
Lady Moon said, "It seems the two of you are under the protection of the Cat Kingdom. You must be quite special indeed to have been assigned to someone as well-known and respected as Sir He-Who-Runs-In-Shadow."
"The Cat Kingdom?" Alana whispered.
James leaned down next to her and mumbled, "We need to stop complaining when Mom asks us to clean out his litter box, that's for sure."
Lady Moon nodded at Star, "Can you fly?"
"I think so," he said , stretching out his wings and shaking them.
"Good. We are leaving." The dragon turned to Alana and James, "The two of you have done the Sky Dragons a great service this day. It is something I never thought to see from any of humankind. This tale will be told around our sacred fire for many, many years." Lady Moon leaned back on her rear legs and bowed her head low to the children.
Alana and James both bowed in return, and even Mister Six did a little wave of his paw and lowered his head.
Just before they left, Star nudged Alana on the cheek with his snout and said, "I have to go now."
"Will I see you again?" Alana said.
A tear trickled down the little girl's cheek and Star wiped it away with the side of his face. "Of course. You're my best friend, and besides, who else would I call if I needed to be rescued?"
Alana laughed and wrapped her arms around the tiny dragon, hugging him as tightly as she co uld. Star stepped back and flapped his wings, several times, just enough to get himself up in the air. Lady Moon leapt up from the ground with a tremendous thrust and flapped once, sending herself immediately over the tops of the trees and heading straight up into the night sky.
"Goodbye for now," Star said.
Alana held up her hand and waved to him, watching her friend turn in the air and flap his wings, racing to catch up to the other dragon and go home.
James scratched his head as he watched the dragons disappear. He looked down at Mister Six, who looked back
Prospero and Herman nervously nodded, unable to even move in the face of such a terrifyingly large and angry dragon. Lady Moon nodded slowly and said, "It would be best if you left now, before I can no longer control my temper."
"Yes, your majesty," Prospero said quickly. "Anything you like."
" First of all, thank you," Herman said stupidly. "Uh, thank you for not eating us, or doing anything else bad."
"Go," Lady Moon said. "Now!"
Both the sorcerer and his assistant ran into the woods then, tripping over one another as they crashed through the branches and bushes and tangles of thorns, running until the sound of Prospero yelling at Herman to carry him was nothing but a distant echo.
"Well, all of you stand up and let me look at you," Lady Moon said.
Star pushed up from the ground and stood next to Alana. She put her hand on his neck and stroked his skin, as glad to see him okay as she'd ever been for anything in her entire life. James stood next to his sister, looking up at the huge dragon in amazement. Even Mister Six got in line. The mud was dry and caked onto his fur now and looked very uncomfortable, but the cat still sat up very straight when facing the dragon.
Lady Moon looked curiously at the cat and said, "Sir He-Who-Runs-In-Shadow, it is a pleasure to see you once more."
Mister Six yowled gently and nodded his head at the dragon.
"What did she call him?" Alana whispered.
"What brings you to the aid of the Sky Dragons?" Lady Moon said.
Mister Six yowled and purred several times, talking rapidly in cat-speak and looking up at James and Alana a few times as he did.
"I see," Lady Moon said. "So it was not for Star at all. How interesting."
"What's he saying?" James said.
Lady Moon said, "It seems the two of you are under the protection of the Cat Kingdom. You must be quite special indeed to have been assigned to someone as well-known and respected as Sir He-Who-Runs-In-Shadow."
"The Cat Kingdom?" Alana whispered.
James leaned down next to her and mumbled, "We need to stop complaining when Mom asks us to clean out his litter box, that's for sure."
Lady Moon nodded at Star, "Can you fly?"
"I think so," he said , stretching out his wings and shaking them.
"Good. We are leaving." The dragon turned to Alana and James, "The two of you have done the Sky Dragons a great service this day. It is something I never thought to see from any of humankind. This tale will be told around our sacred fire for many, many years." Lady Moon leaned back on her rear legs and bowed her head low to the children.
Alana and James both bowed in return, and even Mister Six did a little wave of his paw and lowered his head.
Just before they left, Star nudged Alana on the cheek with his snout and said, "I have to go now."
"Will I see you again?" Alana said.
A tear trickled down the little girl's cheek and Star wiped it away with the side of his face. "Of course. You're my best friend, and besides, who else would I call if I needed to be rescued?"
Alana laughed and wrapped her arms around the tiny dragon, hugging him as tightly as she co uld. Star stepped back and flapped his wings, several times, just enough to get himself up in the air. Lady Moon leapt up from the ground with a tremendous thrust and flapped once, sending herself immediately over the tops of the trees and heading straight up into the night sky.
"Goodbye for now," Star said.
Alana held up her hand and waved to him, watching her friend turn in the air and flap his wings, racing to catch up to the other dragon and go home.
James scratched his head as he watched the dragons disappear. He looked down at Mister Six, who looked back
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