Jennifer did not believe in dragons. After all, it had been years since anybody in the village even thought about dragons.
Between taking care of the little cottage and the book store, Jennifer's life was full. Jennifer had inherited the store from her father, an errant knight who retired after having been accused of fixing a jousting match. Never proven, but enough to send him out of the League of Jousting Knights and into the brand new business of selling books.
And it was in those books that Jennifer first learned of dragons. Her father told her stories, but then, he told stories about a lot of things before he went to sleep one night and did not wake up.
Jennifer was twenty two years old. Old not to be married in medieval England, but she was happy. Jennifer was about five feet five, with long, blonde hair worn loosely down her back. She had long legs, solid breasts and a beautiful face highlighted by bright, blue eyes. She had a curiosity of life and a burning desire for new experiences. But, not in this little village.
Life was busy. Dull, but busy. Until that night when there was a scratching at the door. Scratching followed by a, well, best described as a whimper...."The cat" thought Jennifer. A second scratching and then another whimper. Finally, Jennifer got up from her bed and cautiously approached the door of the little cottage. Slowly, she opened it. There, stretched out on the stone walkway was what looked like an overgrown crow.
Jennifer looked closely and there, was, well, it had to be – it looked just like the pictures in the books and what her father had described to her. It was, ohmagod, a dragon! Had to be. But smaller. Way smaller. It wasn't breathing fire, it was barely smoking. It was obviously exhausted.
Here was a creature in which she did not believe – but there it was. And it was obviously in trouble. Then, it spoke! Spoke with a rich Scottish Brogue! "Just get me some water, please, and I'll be on my way."
"On your way where?" asked Jennifer. "Far as I'm concerned, you don't even exist!"
"Oh but I do. Are you going to do one of those run to the village things and come back with torches and catapults?" What to do. Here was a creature in which she did not believe, yet, here it was. And one look told her this, well, dragon, was obviously in trouble. Would be in even more, Jennifer thought, if the cat showed up. Or maybe, the next thought flashed through her mind, it was all a hoax. A pretty lively, snorting hoax. Nope, she thought. No hoax.
But then, it spoke! Actually spoke! Spoke with a rich Scottish brogue. "If you'll pardon me miss, if I could just get a bit of water, I'll be on my way."
"On your way?" Jennifer exclaimed incredulously, "on your way where? As far as I'm concerned, you don't even exist!"
The dragon sighed and a large puff of smoke escaped from his nostrils and hung in the air above the doorway. "Oh dear miss, but I obviously do. And now you see me and you know. Are you going to do one of those run into the village things and come back with an angry mob armed with torches and catapults?"
"Ah, we have no catapults," said Jennifer, her voice much softer now. "But from whence did you come? And why on earth have you landed here on our doorstep of all places?"
"Long story," sighed the dragon. "Now how about that water and maybe a roll or two? Then I'll be on my way."
"Water and a roll? What about that fire breathing and flying off with damsels and all of that my sister and the town people tell of?"
Again came the sigh and puff of smoke, smaller this time. "No more, I'm afraid. Besides, I'm a vegetarian. Got thrown out of the Dragon Guild for that."
Jennifer thought of her father and sighed. She went into the house, found some rolls left from dinner and the cat's water dish and fed the dragon. He munched reflectively, sighing and emitting the little puffs of smoke from time to time until he had eaten and drunk it all.
He looked up appreciatively. Jennifer looked into his eyes for the first time. They were a brilliant green and had no evil intent in them. "I thank you, m'am, for your kindness," he said in that deep brogue. "And now, if you will step back a bit, I will be on my way."
He started to flap a bit as Jennifer stepped back. Slowly he seemed to regain his strength, did some earnest flapping and finally rose from the doorstep, looked back and Jennifer believed, actually winked one of those brilliant green eyes. He rose in ever increasingly wider circles and finally disappeared into the night.
Jennifer stood in the doorway for a long time, staring into space. The cat came out of the darkness, sniffed at the burned spot on the doorstep. Arched its back just once and went back into the house with Jennifer.
The next day, in the store, Jennifer had a totally different take on the tales in the books on the shelves and those of her father. All because of those fleeting moments on her doorstep. Or perhaps it was just a dream. But the burnt spot on her doorstep was no dream.
As she blew out the candle next to her bed that night and put her arm around the cat, she could not get the glint in the brilliant green eye of the dragon out of her mid. She fell asleep hearing the rich Scotch brogue and seeing the figure circle into the sky. Soon she dreamed of the whimpering sound and the scratching. She dreamed until she realized her eyes were open, the scratching was real and the cat was gong crazy by the front door.
There he was again. This time not flat, but rather sitting properly with his wings folded, about five feet from the front door. Jennifer was surprised, the cat not happy. But having surveyed the size and look of the dragon, decided that discretion was the better part of valor and scampered into the woods.
"Still hungry?" Asked Jennifer. "Or do you want to try the carrying off damsels trick this time?"
"Don't be funny," said the dragon, without a wisp of smoke. "You were very kind last night and I wanted to thank you again. Jennifer thought for a moment or two. "You know, until last night I didn't even believe in you or your kind. Matter of fact I wasn't too sure you weren't just a dream. But, here you are and I am definitely not asleep."
