The Calm Before the Storm

Rescued Dragon

"Fetch!" Bard yelled, flinging Smokey's favorite leather ball. Smokey barked excitedly and raced after it with Jess' litter right behind him.

"Get it Smokey!" Storm cheered as the four dogs and wolf playfully fought each other for the toy. Bard's daughter Lyssa giggled and clapped her hands as Smokey ran back to them with the ball in his jaws and dropped it at their feet.

"Good boy!" Bard chuckled, ruffling the wolf's fur and tossing him a small piece of meat.

"Yes he is my good boy!" Storm laughed as Smokey walked over to her and licked her face. "He's a good boy! A very good boy!"

"Good boy!" Lyssa giggled as the other dogs came running back to them.

"Ah Storm, you don't mind watching Lyssa do you?" Bard asked, standing up and brushing some grass from his pants. "I just remembered I had something to do and I can't bring her with me."

"Of course I don't mind! Lyssa and I are gonna have some fun while her daddy is gone, right?" Storm asked giving the toddler a little poke on her belly and making her giggle.

"Thanks, be sure to bring her home before midday." Bard instructed her.

"Bye bye daddy!" Lyssa called, waving her little hands at her father.

"Already getting rid of your old man huh?" Bard chuckled as he walked off with his dogs following him.

"Come, let's go watch the sheep." Storm said, scooping Lyssa up and calling for Smokey to follow her.

"Smokey?" She called when the wolf didn't follow. "Smokey let's go, we have a job to do boy!"

Smokey was staring at a grove of trees and gave a loud bark before rushing off into the grove. Storm muttered under her breath before taking off into the grove after the wolf.

"Smokey! Come back here!" She yelled as she ducked under low branches and tried to avoid getting Lyssa hit by them.

"Bad doggy!" Lyssa yelled.

"Smokey come back here!" Storm called again. When there was no reply or sighting of the wolf, she decided to turn back. "Let's get you back to your grandma."

Once she dropped Lyssa off at her home, Storm went back to the forest to look for Smokey. She was starting to loose hope of finding her wolf when she heard a loud and familiar howl. She ran towards the direction of the howling as it got louder and louder till she reached a clearing. Smokey stood at a ledge that led into a large crater and was barking and howling till Storm reached his side.

"You had me worried! What made you run off?" Storm asked grabbing his leather collar and started to try and pull him away. Smokey barked and tugged at his collar as if trying to tell her something. "Oh what is it now?" Storm groaned. Her question was answered when she heard a loud roar and looked towards the crater.

Inside were two dragons, a bright blue Spark Spinner (Typhoomerang- since people outside of the Archipelago would have a different name for them) and a Razorwhip who was on the floor and pinned under the Spark Spinner. The Razorwhip was screeching and snapping it's jaws at the larger dragon and thrashing it's tail angrily. Normally Storm would have grabbed Smokey and dragged him away from the fight, but something told her that she should go help.

'Gods help me, what I'm about to do is bound to kill me.' Storm thought as she gripped her staff and climbed down towards the dragon's as fast as she could.

"Hey!" Storm grabbed a stone and flung it at the Spark Spinner's head. The dragon's head snapped in her direction and hissed at her. "Pick on someone your own size you big bully!" Storm yelled waving her staff at the beast and picked up another stone.