They brought the sandwiches back to happy soldiers, who were content to eat before starting out.  The park was full of people anyway, out enjoying a rare warm day in winter, so there wasn’t any rush.  Children played football, couples shared smooches on blankets, and students studied out of doors in groups and by themselves.           As the day wore on, more people began to arrive.  They came in groups, with heavy blankets and looked as if they meant to stay awhile.  Dakari, bewildered by the behavior, gave up and went to take a nap under a tree.     Curious by nature, Maggie set out on

 The emergency meeting on the beach was in stark contrast to the one the day before.  Gone were the happy feelings and hopeful outlook for the future.  Those feelings had been replaced by dread, fear, and anxiety.     Katalea stood before the Pride and delivered the premonition. Somber faces listened as she told what transpired in her dream. The weredragons would be attacking by nightfall.  It was time to come together and make sure everyone knew the plan.  They had been over this scenario so many times before, the difference was, this wasn’t a drill.  Some of them wouldn’t see the sun rise in the morning. Others would lose a loved one.  No one questioned the authenticity of her dreams, she had never been wrong before.  It was time for the prophecies to play out.&nb

    Katalea stood, her heart in her eyes, looking at Dakari.  Grandfather smiled when he recognized the look.       “Dakari, welcome to the family.  You two found a hell of a time to find each other.” He chuckled at the irony.  “You will have time to develop your mate bond later.  Now, we need to see to our injured.”     Dakari only had eyes for Katalea.  She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.  How had he missed it?  He thought back to her school days and laughed at her early attempts at conjuring.    

    Dakari and his team took off at first light.  The air was crisp and cool, visibility at its best.  They gratefully accepted another boost from Mr. Toma, and they arrived back in Ireland in less than an hour.  Penny had wanted to join them but her body wasn’t up to the task yet.  The blast of electricity had done far more damage than anyone expected.       Without Penny’s invisibility cover, they actually flew the helicopter right to the cliffs.  They pretended to be watching the ocean churn below, when in fact they were watching to see if there were still dragons about.     Thirty minutes later, Dakari was satisfied that eve

             The Hunt for Knowledge“The journey is the treasure.”  Lloyd Alexander~~~“The true secret in being a hero lies in knowing the order of things.  Things must happen when it is time for them to happen.  Quests may not simply be abandoned; prophecies may not be left to rot like unpicked fruit.  The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.”  The Last Unicorn~