The Dragon and the girl

Charles and his younger sister Gina played in the meadow by their humble country cottage. Their father Marton just got home from working at the Mill. Their mother Heather sat inside the kitchen, staring absentmindedly at the water that was boiling inside of the kitchen cauldron.

Marton walked into the kitchen carrying a bag of Potatoes and a Fish.

"We need to talk..." Heather mumbled to her husband.

"Is something wrong, honey?" Marton asked his wife.

"Marton...I don't know how to say this, but...I'm pregnant again!!" Heather said, sobbing into her hands.

Marton gasped, and then froze.

"I...I...see....that's....that's news to me....One more mouth to feed..." he whimpered.

"How will we come up with the money to support another child? We can just barely afford Charles and Gina!" Heather said.

Marton stopped and thought. After a few moments, Marton said.

"I know what I'm going to do about this! It's not an easy decision, or even the right decision, but we have no other options to choose from. Tomorrow I'll take Charles and Gina to the Market and I'll sell them to anyone who is willing to pay the highest price for them...."

"Marton, you wouldn't dare do that, would you?!?!?" Heather gasped.

"What other choice do we have? Either we can raise one child on lots of money, or we can raise three children with no money at all!" Marton replied.

Little did Marton and Heather realize that Gina and Charles were under the kitchen window and had over heard every word they had just said.

Charles and Gina didn't want to be sold to a factory or a coal mine, so they ran away from home in two seperate paths. Gina ran across the meadow as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran and ran until she got to the Bridge over the River. Gina crossed the Bridge over the River and walked the path in the field until the sun went down. She took shelter and rested inside of a hollowed out fallen log. At the break of dawn the very next day, Gina continued on her journey away from home, jogging the field to the path on the foot of a small mountain.

Gina traveled over the small mountain, and when she crossed the small mountain, she saw another, slightly taller wooded mountain with a large castle in the forest on it.

Gina headed towards the direction of the Castle on the mountain until the sun went down, then she took shelter in and rested in a small cave in the forest.

The next morning, Gina traveled up the bigger mountain until she was standing in front of the Castle's front door. Gina was nervous about what could be waiting for her inside the walls of the Castle, and she was hesitant at first to take that risk, but on the other hand, it had just hit Gina that she hadn't eaten a bite in days, and she was ever so very hungry, so she deemed the risks of entering the castle worth taking if it meant some food to eat.

Gina knocked on the door.

Meanwhile Charles traveled to a village south after crossing the river bridge and headed to the city past the forest. He was trained as a city knight.

Gina knocked on the door. No answer. Gina knocked again, no answer. Gina knocked a THIRD time and STILL no answer. So Gina opened the door to see if anyone was even home. She entered the Castle and explored the halls. Just as she entered the courtyard, a Dragon had landed in the courtyard, holding a fresh-hunted Elk.

Gina shrieked.

The Dragon looked down at the girl "Welcome! How did you get in my castle? Are you lost?" He asked.

"I ran away from home. My parents were going to sell me into slavery..." Gina said.

The Dragon looked at the girl with compassion.

"Humans can be so cruel...You must be starving...I have many things to eat! Would you like to stay for supper?" The Dragon offered.

As if on cue, the young girl's stomach growled.

"Yeah, I would like to stay for dinner!" Gina answered.

The Dragon then used his fire breath to roast the Elk to perfection. "You eat until you're full, and I'll finish off the rest!" The Dragon said.

Gina ate some roasted Elk Venison until she was full, and the Dragon ate the rest.

"To the left there's a stairway that leads up to a guest bedroom. You may sleep there." The Dragon said.

"Thank you, Dragon!" Gina said.

Gina slept in the bedroom that night, as a thunderstorm raged outside the castle. The next morning, Gina woke up feeling rejuvenated. She walked into the Castle Courtyard.

"Good morning, Dragon!" Rina greeted.

"Good morning, Gina." The Dragon greeted back.

"Do you mind if I explore the Castle?" Gina asked.

"Feel free to explore as long as you like!" Answered the Dragon.

Six weeks passed.

Gina walked the halls of the empty Castle, and explored the Armory, compared the dates on the Wine Casks in the Cellar, read a few Books in the library, and looked out the window of a Castle watchtower, taking in the view of the horizon. The sun illuminated the forest and mountains.

The Dragon then returned with a wild Boar, he then used his fire breath to roast the Wild Boar.

After she was done exploring the Castle, Gina ate Roasted Boar until she was done and the Dragon finished off the rest. Gina then said to the Dragon "This Castle is amazing!"

"This Castle used to be in a kingdom that was razed by an army from a foreign land. The survivors who escaped founded cities and towns across the landscape." Explained the Dragon.

"Is there a city nearby I can move to?" Gina asked.

"There is a city south of here, if you want to go there, I will fly you halfway there tomorrow, but you must travel the rest of the way on your own." Offered the Dragon.

"That's fine!"

The next morning, the Dragon flew the young girl past the Mountains and into the open Woodlands halfway to the City.

"Continue traveling south, and you should make it to the City of Garmin by the day's end!" Advised the Dragon.

It was at that point that a knight in royal Armor rode up on horseback with his sword raised.

"Get away from that Fair Maiden, you accursed Beast- Gina!?!?" The Knight said.

Gina looked at the Knight.

"Charles?"

Gina and Charles embraced each other. "I thought you were dead!" Charles said.

"So you're a KNIGHT now!?!?" Gina asked.

"Yes I am. What are you doing with that Dragon?" Charles asked.

"That Dragon sheltered me in his Castle and took care of me. He's my friend!" Gina said. "But now I'm on my way to the City to start over fresh! Can you give me a ride on your steed?" Gina asked.

"Sure, hop on!" Charles said, taking her sister's hand.

Gina took a look back at the Dragon and said "Thank you for everything!"

"Good luck, Gina. Take care of her, Charles." The Dragon said.

"Don't worry, She'll be fine!" Charles said to the Dragon.

The two then rode to the City of Garmin. The Dragon flew back to his Castle.