From the very beginning it was all Toad's fault. A blundering, quick-talking thief, he was the one who cut a deal with the dangerous Edward P. Owl: track down the ingredients to the Seeking Solution, or else. Twenty-five thousand gorents, he'd said...
Toad couldn't stop gibbering over the roc talon and Melena couldn't stop grinning. Becky left shortly after the end of game, snatching up her umbrella and closing the door with a loud bang, making Joe jerk out of his daydream and look around in surprise.
"Is the game over?" he asked. "Who won?"
"I hope we didn't upset her too much," Melena said to Izzie.
"Don't worry about Becky," said Izzie as Becky's silhouette marched further from view through the window. "She'll get over it. Eventually."
As if the Shards were celebrating too, the morose clouds blew clear, sunlight streaming through the windows. But Hazel was impervious to it all and the sight of the dragon still silent, still sickly, dampened Melena's happiness.
"How much longer?" she asked Izzie, bending over the fireplace.
"I can't believe it!" Toad cheered behind them, holding the talon aloft. "I can't believe it!"
"It's been almost three days," said Melena, growing worried all over again. "Can you tell if she's getting better?"
"I said it would take time," said Izzie unhelpfully. "But her scales aren't so pale anymore. What was her color originally?"
"Emerald green. But how much time?"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
"Maybe we should change the dressings again?" Melena offered.
"I CAN'T—"
"Toad!" Melena snapped, losing patience.
Toad spun in a circle, arms in the air, jubilation etched all over his face when he stumbled, mouth open in a silent exclamation. He pointed frantically at the fire. Melena whipped around.
Hazel was awake.
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Melena couldn't imagine feeling more happy than she was right then, watching Hazel sniff her bed of coals in an exploratory fashion. The little dragon didn't attempt to rise from her cocoon of cloth, instead shimmying more comfortably into its depths with a soft yawn. No longer were her scales bleached white, but a light pea green.
Melena felt as if her heart had swollen three times its size. After Izzie assured her that Hazel was in a much better condition now that she had awoken, Melena happily joined Toad in exploring the traps Izzie had set up for crabs in the shallow, rocky pools along the beach.
The path that led down to a strip of white sand was just ten minutes from the cottage and its vine-covered roof was in clear view from the shoreline. They took off their shoes and dug their toes into the warm sand. Toad rolled up his pants and together they splashed through the shallows. Twenty minutes later, Izzie joined them on the beach with Hazel in her arms, still wrapped in her protective cocoon, though smelling the salty air with interest.
