Thistle the Dragon: Part Four

The last part of this story... :( But don't worry, there's more! :D If you missed the beginning, go here, but otherwise, read on and enjoy! :)

Chapter Four:

Once Thistle lost sight of the island on which his home and the village he had promised to protect were, he changed courses and set of in a more easterly direction. Several islands floated away beneath him, but none seemed to suit his purpose.

Finally, another island loomed in front of him, and this did satisfy his tastes. Circling, Thistle dropped through the sky, landing in the middle of a wood. Gently, he set the chieftain next to a stream, close by was a bush covered in ripe berries.

Now, it happened that Thistle knew that this island was the home to a distant cousin of his. He decided to drop by her cave on the way back since the chieftain was dealt with now.

Away Thistle crept, through the wood and over a field of grass waving in the wind. It was on the opposite side of this field that his relatives cave stood. Upon discovering it, Thistle let out a roar, for a dragon’s roar is how another dragon can identify them. Thistle’s roar showed the distant cousin that Thistle was a relation of hers and a friend.

The scraping of scales on stone told Thistle that his relative had heard, and that she was on her way to meet him.

The other dragon came out, blinking in the bright sunlight and taking time to let her eyes adjust to it. “Thissstle!” she exclaimed. “Thisss isss a sssurprisssse! Pleassse, won’t you come in?”

Thistle thanked her, but told him he would have to decline. “I merely stopped by to greet you briefly and tell you that I left a guest here for you to watch. He needs a dragon to make sure he stays out of mischief.”

Brier, for that was the name of the other dragon, looked puzzled. “Guessst?” she asked. “You left a guessst here? On my island?”

“Thistle nodded. “A bad, greedy man. He bothered some friends of mine, and on top of that, he tried to steal treasure from my cave.”

“Aren’t you a hermit dragon?” she asked dubiously. “I thought hermit dragonsss didn’t hoard treasssure.” 

“I don’t.” Agreed Thistle. “But for some reason he didn’t know that. He put me through a lot of unwanted work, and so I sent him into exile.”

Brier had started sharpening her claws on a handy rock, but now looked up at her distant cousin again. “Wissse, very wissse to put him in exssile. But why tell me thisss?”

Thistle smiled, as only a dragon can. “He’s a greedy man, and he might try to take some of your treasure if he can find it.”

Treasssure?” Asked Brier innocently, and then added more slyly, “What treasssure?”

Thistle just looked at her in the eyes. “You and I both know that you have treasure, so don’t bother acting like you don’t.”

Brier sighed. “Very well, ssso I have treasssure. Isss there anything elssse to tell me about my guessst?”

Thistle thought for a moment. “Well, he does tend to have violent tempers, and I wouldn’t recommend going near him while he is having one of his fits, because he tends to use frightful language.”

Brier smiled. “I promissse to exsscersssize causstion.” She said.

Thistle sighed and glanced up into the sky worriedly. “I should start back before it gets to dark.”

Brier nodded understandingly. “Come again sssoon!”

Once again, Thistle soared up into the air, flying back to his home.

As he landed in front of his cave, a delicious aroma greeted his nostrils. A smell he had almost forgotten through all the business of the last week. It was the smell of cooking sheep.

Thomas was standing over a fire inside his cave, a happy smile on his face, and a spoon in his hand that he had been stirring with. As Thistle came in, licking his chops, Thomas looked up at him.

“Welcome home Thistle, welcome home.”

 

How did you like this story? Are you looking forward to Thistle the Dragon 2?