As a young girl of 10yrs living in a small village just outside of Devon, Cornwall. I love wearing my best dress my mother has , It is a white chemise with a blue over dress and my boots are made of bull skin and dyed blue. Blue is my favorite colour, My red hair is tied back with a wrap. I love to stand on the cliffs overlooking the sea. I love the wind in my face and the smell of the salt in the air.
It is early 10th century. I am happy and carefree in a sense. I am out looking for herbs for my mother. I love to stand on the cliffs and watch the sea roll and twist. I also like looking for my father when he is out fishing with the other men in the village. I sit under my favorite tree and stare at the sea. My father is a fisherman in the village; his name is Elfin the fisherman. He is a hearty man with a lot of character in his face. Deep lines around his eyes from squinting, from being on the fishing boat. He has a deep laugh that makes you want to laugh. He is a short man with black curly hair, dark brown eyes. He tends the boats and nets with the others in the village.
I am Arganteilin filia Elfin the fisherman. My mother is the village healer. Her name is Argante . Anyone who gets sick or hurt, comes to her. She is a short woman with long red wavy hair; she is slight in build but firm. She has crystal blue eyes and her skin is lightly tanned and very soft. I hope to be like her when I am old enough. I have the gift as well and the sight. She has been teaching me my herb lore and healing. I am in training to be the village healer when I am older.
We have a small plot of land with three hens and a c**k, a cow and a pig. I am in charge of the milking and gathering the eggs and feeding all the animals. My mother and I take turns churning the butter and making the cheese and breads for the days meals. I like cooking and baking, I hope to cook for nobles when I grow older.
One overcast day; while I was out gathering herbs. I was watching the sea again and looked up to the sky when in a distance I saw an object, it looked like it was heading towards me. I watched the object get closer and closer. Till it was almost upon me, Hovering over me with great wings was a dragon, a small dragon with green eyes. I screamed in fright thinking I was about to be eaten. The dragon responded with a mighty roar and landed by me. I stood still with fright and was trembling with fear. It came over to me and started smelling me and then licked my face. I thought, "It is tasting me to see if I am okay to eat". Then he rubbed its head on me, like he was sad or very alone. I knew then he was a baby dragon and needed to be petted.
I patted his head and fell in love with him instantly. I will name him Emerald. His eyes are so green and beautiful. His scales are so soft as I rub my hands over them. He is multi coloured with browns, tans, and beige hues. He is taller than I and has a great wingspan. "That would come in handy on rainy days, I thought". As I stood there looking at the most beautiful dragon, I thought "How am I going to explain this to my Mother and Father?" They will be very upset that I have a baby dragon. He will frighten the
other villagers. Maybe I will find a place for him to stay until I tell my mother and father of my find. It was going to be hard to hide him. Another thought hit me, "What does he eat?" or worse yet "Whom will he eat?" Those questions would be answered soon enough, for as I thought them, Emerald started scratching at the ground by a rock. He moved the rock and started eating all the bugs and grubs. "This is great!!!! He eats grubs and grass and plants .No worries about him eating anyone in the village".
After Emerald feasted on some fat grubs and grasses. We walk together towards a small pond that ishidden by some brush. While Emerald drinks from the pond, I gaze and think he must have lost his mother and father along the way. I will care for him, if my mother and father will let me. I am so excited about this, a new friend I can have many great adventures with. I love adventures and now I have a new friend to take them with and see all that there is to see in the world.
"Now, how do I tell my mother and father of my great find?" I gathered the herbs my mother asked me to fetch and walk back to the village. Emerald walks with me, he was clumsy on the ground but very graceful in the air. As we get closer to home, I ask Emerald to stay put till I can tell my mother of him. He did for a bit. As I am trying to explain to my mother about this cute baby dragon. And how he is lost and needs a home. Here comes emerald clumsily walking around the corner. He is poking his big head through the door and into the cabin. My mother looks up and gives a scream. That also scared emerald, he starts to run but I talked to him in a calming voice and let him know everything was going to be okay. "Emerald, please do not run from me. I will not hurt you, I love you."
He settled right down and my mother got her composure. She looked at my dragon in awe. "He is indeed the most handsome dragon I have ever seen",She said. She patted him and he responded with rubbing his head on her, almost knocking her down. We chuckled at him. I asked my mother if I could keep him and care for him. I beg and plead She made no decisions with out my father. So I waited for my father to return home from a hard day of fishing. As soon as he returned, my mother took him out to the barn. They talked for a great deal of time.
I was getting nervous, this is taking to long. Finally they returned and sat me down. Then my mother went to get emerald. She brought him to the side of the cabin. While showing him to my father, Emerald greeted my father with a rub and almost knocked him over. My father just laughed his hearty laugh and said "well if you think she will care for him and he doesn't destroy anything. Then I give my permission for Arganteilin to keep him".
"But young lady he lives in the barn and not in the cabin with us." My father was very strict about where the animals lived. Some of the villagers let their animals in the houses during the winter It would get so cold outside that some of the animals would freeze to death, but we had a strong barn for them to live and that's where they stay. "I would do anything to keep my dragon. I love my dragon".
My mother is warning me that someday he will fly off and never return. He may even find his mother and father and leave with them. They maybe looking for him right now. I keep that thought out of my head. I just found him and thinking of losing him is unbearable. I take emerald out to the barn, it was almost suppertime and I have a lot of work to still complete. I hurried and completed my chores; I wanted to spend more time with Emerald. I settle him down in the barn.
Our village is spread out so not everyone could what you were doing on your land. But hiding an 8-foot dragon is going to be a challenge. But, I am up for it. I make a bed for him in the barn, I use hay and straw for bedding. He nestled himself right down and I sit petting him and singing to him sleeping songs. My mother always sings sleeping songs to me. When I cannot seem to drift off by myself it helps a lot. She will have to sing for me this eve, I am far to excited to sleep.
After supper I clean everything up and I go out to the barn to say good night to my dragon. Emerald is fast asleep in his bed of hay and straw. I lay with him for a bit till I get drowsy. My mother comes in to the barn to get me; I am fast asleep with emerald.
As she gazes upon us sleeping I am wrapped in his wings and laid my head upon his front leg. She carries me into the cabin and climbs up the stairs to my loft. There she laid me in my bed of soft down feathers.
I snuggled in for a good nights sleep and lots of dreaming about my new dragon.
I dreamt of flying around on his back and seeing the village from the sky. Flying to far off lands, Meeting people of different cultures and religions. Tasting different foods and drinking beverages that I was not used to. The whole thing aroused my senses. I wanted to learn everything I could and see everything and meet noble people.
I awake to lots of chatter outside. I hear my mother and father talking to others in the village. Some voices sound scared, some sound curious. But all are talking about my dragon, Emerald. I fear that they will want to get rid of my dragon or worse yet kill him. But to my surprise they like having him in the village. I am so happy for this. I thank my mother and father for talking to our village about our newest neighbor. The fear of dragons is not be found in our village. Everyone was petting and hugging my dragon, emerald loved it. "Still he was my dragon in my eyes". I quickly get my chores done so I can spend the day with emerald. My mother asks me if we can find a special herb for her. She needs a herb called "Devil's Claw" for a boy with bone pain that makes him hurt all over and cry. This herb grows in Wales.
So off we went I climbed on his back and with great force. His massive wings spread and lifts us off the ground. It feel very different flying on his back, It makes my stomach feel like it is falling. I point the way and we are flying so high. I see the village, like in my dream just beautiful!! The land looks so lush in greens and tans. The sea is so many different colours of blues and greens. The animals on the different farms look like small dogs from where we are. The trees look like dots on the ground. We are flying to Wales, which is where the herbs grow and we land in a large open field. I jump down and start looking for the herbs. Emerald takes a snack break, turning over rocks and digging in the ground. He has his fill and we lay down for a rest before returning home. The sun is warm and the air is cool, I snuggle under emeralds wing and drifted off to sleep.
(I dreamt of being one of the nobles in a far off land. I am Lady Arganteilin filia Elfin and Emerald is my dragon. We travel everywhere meeting Kings and Queens. Having tea with Dukes and Duchesses. Emerald protects the lands of Barons and Baronesses. The life we have is to be a good one, nothing to worry about. We always have good food and drink where ever we go. People will be happy to see emerald; they will be in awe of his size and gentleness'. He is a happy dragon wherever we go. As I get older I will cook for kings and queens. Emerald is the captain of the guard. As time passes I will take over the position of my mother as Village healer. I will heal the nobles and still cook for them. I will brew great drink and place my herbs of healing in them. All the nobles will ask me to brew and cook for them. I enjoy cooking; I like the flavors and smells. Emerald still likes grubs. We will travel to so many different places, Wales (a favorite of mine), Britain, Italy, Ireland and so on. I will meet a man who is a Moor and he Will teach me to make Saracen capons. What flavors and aromas it has, lots of fruit, but not a sweet dish. Very savory, I will serve it with yams and turnips in a deep glaze sauce. It will be a hit with the nobles).
I am awakened to a harsh noise, jolted from my slumber. I couldn't find where the noise came from, but knew that my mother will be displeased with my tardiness with the herbs. The day is almost complete and my mother needs the herbs. Emerald and I fly back as fast as his wings will go. My mother is waiting for us and not happy about how long it has taken. I give her the herbs and she rushes into the cabin to finish the tea. She hurries to get it to the ailing boy.
While my father is returning from a good dayof fishing, he is watching Emerald from the road. He sees emerald kicking over rocks in the field and watching him eat the grubs and bugs that live under them. It stricks him that the field is over run with many large rocks and emerald can move them for him. My father can not move them alone.
That way he could use more of our land for farming and grazing for the other animals. I finish my afternoon chores and go out to help my mother gather honey for supper and to make mead. I am learning a lot about my herbs from my mother. I told her of my terrific dream. She smiles at me and says "Someday you will achieve all your dreams. You need to believe in the Goddess. She will guide you always. She sent you emerald. Learn everything you can, it will make you a stronger woman when you get older. You will one day be a great healer in your own rite. I truly believe that". She says to me, "Now run along and fetch your father it is nearly suppertime". I dio as I am told and fetch him. My mother finishes gathering the honey from the hive in the tree by the barn.
As I look for him I see him talking to emerald, pointing to the field and shaking his head. "I think, oh no. He has done something to upset my father". But to my surprise he was asking him to do a chore that no one in the village can help with. The removal of the big rocks in the field. After supper I help clean up and get ready for the next days chores. I go out to the barn with emerald, He is settling down in his bed. Once again I snuggle with him and fall fast asleep.
My mother again finds me asleep under his wing. "I love my dreams; they are so real in my head". I go to other places and see terrific sights. The next morning I go to the barn to fetch emerald. He is not there! He was gone! I look everywhere for him. He is no place to be found. I start to cry and flee to the cabin yelling for my mother. "He is gone!!!!!" "He cannot leave, I love him so" "Have you seen him mother?" "Calm down little one" she says to me. "He is with your father. They left very early and emerald is flying him around looking for a good spot to put the rocks when they remove them from the field". My heart just sunk when I thought he was gone. But now I feel joy that he is still with me. After what seems like forever, they finally return home. I hug Emerald and tell him how much I love him.
Emerald is very hungry and starts kicking over rocks again. He is eating every grub in sight. I ask my father, "If we remove every rock from here, where will emerald have to go to eat?" "He is getting very large, and "I think he is going to get bigger by the time the moon cycles again," I say to my father. "Your right little one" my father says to me. "Lets see what can we do about that?" as he says that he is scratching his head.
In the far corner of the field is a large patch of grasses and rocks. My father thinks about it and decides to leave that for emerald. It has enough rocks for a growing dragon. Plus, he has all the grasses and plants. I am happy that my father loves emerald too. Soon it is emerald's naptime. I go to work with my mother on my healing lessons and herb lore, my father goes to the harbor to work on the boats and ready them for sail the next day.
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