"It's not worth it, Jenny. If she catches us, we'll be supper!"
Jenny flipped her long black ponytail, and laughed. "You worry too much, Mia. She's bigger than our house. It's like a tiger trying to catch a fly, she couldn't get near us in a million years."
Mia studied the faded pattern in the worn rug while she wrung her hands. "Summerscale is still a dragon. She can smell us, and if she does get a hold of either of us, we won't have a chance."
Jenny glared at her sister, then at the clean but shabby living room. "Don't you get it? There's no food in the kitchen for supper. Even Dad can't find anyone who wants to hire him. Most of the shops have closed, since the mill shut down."
Mia dabbed her eyes. "We'll figure out something. Let's gather some wild plants to eat. At least we'll be alive to see another day."
Jenny gently took Mia's shoulders, and looked deep into her eyes. "We've been eating nothing but wild plants for over two weeks. How much longer do you think we can survive without real food?"
Mia nodded. "My stomach has been hurting for a few days. But I'm scared of Summerscale. If we go to her cave, she's going to kill us. Anyway, stealing is wrong. Dad always said it's better to starve than steal."
Jenny looked away, her face becoming beet red. "I - I think he meant stealing from other people is wrong. Dragons - they aren't people."
Mia walked towards the door, a cloth bag hanging on her arm. "It's still stealing. And she's not like an animal, she's smart like a person. And she can talk. Let's go picking."
Jenny sighed. "Alright, we won't steal anything. That would be wrong, I guess. But let's go look at her treasure. We can hide and talk to her. Maybe she'll let us do some work."
Mia frowned. "I'd rather not go anywhere near her. She eats people."
Jenny rubbed her chin. "I don't remember anyone actually saying that, do you? And she doesn't hurt people from town or anything..."
Mia stood in silence for a few seconds. "I remember once Grandpa said that Summerscale killed a thief who tried to take some jewels. He didn't say if she ate him, though. I guess I just assumed it. She is a dragon, after all."
Jenny shrugged. "It doesn't matter anyway, we aren't going to steal anything. We'll just go see if we can do some odd jobs or something."
Mia shivered before she opened the door, and walked out into the warm sunlit day.
Jenny led the way, passing several of their favorite picking spots without slowing.
Mia suddenly stopped. "What are we doing? We're desperate, but not desperate enough to risk dying today," she whispered.
Jenny walked on, unaware that her sister was no longer lagging behind her. "What do you think we should offer to do, Mia? I thought maybe we could dust? All that stuff sitting around for centuries must really need a good cleaning."
"Mia? This is no time to daydream," she said, before turning around.
Jenny sighed, then trotted back to where Mia was waiting. "Look, I'm going. I think if we both go we have a better chance. But I'm going to eat a good meal tonight."
Mia's eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't want to have to go back and tell Mom and Dad that they'll never see you again. And I don't want to live all alone in our room, either."
Jenny took Mia's arm, and guided her forward. "Nobody is going to die, we're just going to talk. Let's go!"
Soon the two girls stood in front of a large cave. Jenny put a finger to her lips, then firmly dragged Mia in.
"This place has even more treasure than I thought. Just look at that chest full of rubies!" whispered Jenny.
Mia grinned. "And look at all that dust on them. They'd be beautiful the way the sun's shining in here, if not for the dust."
The two girls crept further into the cave. Jenny stopped when they reached the back. "There are two chambers here. I wonder which way we should go?"
After a few seconds, they heard rumbling snores.
Mia shook. "How about the way out?"
Jenny began dragging her sister. "Be glad I'm not taking you into her bedroom," she muttered.
"I can't see, it's dark back here," complained Mia.
Jenny sighed. "Stop being a baby. There's a light ahead, it looks like a torch. We can at least look around while we wait for Summerscale to wake up."
Mia's eyes widened. "W-w-wake up? Let's go!"
Jenny tightened her grip, and felt her feet sliding across the smooth stone floor. "Relax! She might not wake up for another hundred years," she hissed, and dug in her feet.
Soft footsteps echoed in the chamber, and the light began to move towards them. Reflexively, Jenny clamped her hand over Mia's mouth.
She put her mouth next to Mia's ear. "It's just one person. There's no reason to run - or scream and wake the dragon."
After she felt Mia nod, she released her from the hold, but kept a firm grip on her sister's arm.
An elderly woman approached. Her leathery, wrinkled skin seemed out of place with her strong, lithe build and steady pace.
She stopped about three steps away, and smiled. "Hello, children. What brings you all the way out here today?"
Jenny briefly explained. "I'm very sorry if we disturbed you. We didn't know anyone lived here except for Summerscale."
The old woman slid the torch into an ornate gold holder, and stepped forward. "It's not a bother, I rarely have any visitors. I shall enjoy your company. I am called Razelle."
Razelle touched a rough spot on the cave wall, and a side chamber opened.
Mia gasped. "It's beautiful! I've never seen such a room. Are those crystals glowing? Surely the furniture came from a mansion, or castle!"
Razelle laughed, delighted by her reaction. "I've had quite a while to get things just the way I want, I'm glad you like it. Come, sit and have tea with a lonely old woman?"
The two girls entered the room, and Razelle touched another spot on the wall. The door slid shut.
Mia sank into a plush chair, as if she'd been running all day. "Aren't you afraid of the dragon?"
Razelle raised an eyebrow. "Summerscale? She can't hurt me. Now tell me the truth, why are you two here? To my knowledge, nobody has ever come asking a dragon for work."
Jenny shrugged. "I already told you the truth, we need work. I did think about taking a little something, but changed my mind. Stealing is wrong."
Razelle studied them for a few seconds. "There are open chests of gems close to the entrance. Wouldn't taking a few handfuls and running be the safest thing to do?"
Jenny stuck out her chin. "Maybe, but it wouldn't be right. I know I wouldn't like it if someone took things from my room without asking."
Razelle beamed. "I wouldn't like that either! I think we can work something out."
Mia and Jenny looked at each other, then at Razelle.
Razelle rose and touched the stone again. The three walked out into the chamber.
Jenny held the torch for Razelle. "Do you think Summerscale will listen to you?"
"She won't object to my decision," Razelle replied.
Jenny glanced over her shoulder as they walked away. "Mia isn't coming."
Razelle chuckled. "She's perfectly safe. She can come or stay."
Soon the two were in the main chamber. Suddenly, Jenny pitched forward, and almost dropped the torch. She whirled. "Mia! You almost made me fall on this burning torch," she whispered.
Mia blushed. "Sorry, I got scared when I realized you were actually leaving me there."
Razelle gently took the torch. "What kind of work did you two have in mind?"
Mia stepped forward. "Uh, I saw a lot of dust earlier. Do you think she would like her jewels cleaned?"
Razelle studied both girls for a few seconds. "Can you keep a secret?"
They nodded, eyebrows up.
Razelle sat on an ornate throne, its plush red seat still vibrant. "Summerscale isn't really herself any more. That is to say, when she's awake I'm her."
Jenny cocked her head. "Huh?"
Razelle gazed towards the dragon's rumbling snores. "About five hundred years ago, I was traveling between two cities. I'm a sorceress, you see. Many kingdoms depended on my prophecies. I stopped at a cave, and before I realized it was already occupied, Summerscale came diving from the sky."
Mia closed the lid on a nearby chest of diamonds, and sat. "Were you scared?"
Razelle nodded. "In addition to their size and fire, dragons possess powerful magic. I knew I wouldn't have a chance if she decided I was there to take her treasures."
"What did you do?" asked Jenny.
Razelle laughed. "I did what any sane person would do around an angry dragon. I hid!"
Both girls giggled.
"I hid in a crevice near the cave. She saw, and tried to get me. While she was digging at the rock, she caused a rockslide. A boulder landed on her head, and pinned her."
Mia's eyes widened. "That was lucky!"
Razelle nodded. "I found out later that quite a few people had tried to raid her cave recently. She wasn't in a very good mood. Once I was sure she was unconscious, I got my horse ready for travel. But I couldn't just leave her. I pried the boulder off, and camped a couple of hills over, in a thick forest."
Jenny found her own chest to sit on - one filled with many different types of coins. "It wasn't your fault that she got hurt. Did she wake up on her own?"
Razelle bowed her head. "Unfortunately she never awoke. Oh, she's still in there. I talk to her sometimes in her dreams, and guide her into her favorites. But when she is out and about, that's me. I keep her body alive, in hopes that one day she will awaken. I can't stand the taste of raw meat, so I use her fire to cook the cows or sheep that she needs. Let me introduce you to her."
Before either girl could object, the old woman went limp. A few seconds later, the snores stopped. A head the size of an elephant peered out of the chamber, quickly followed by the rest of Summerscale. The dragon posed, turned around a few times, then sat calmly before the sisters. "What do you think?" asked Summerscale.
Neither girl moved for a long time. Mia was the first to compose herself. "She's beautiful. Is she really safe to be around?"
The dragon snorted. "If she actually woke up? Probably, unless she felt you wronged her. She knows me well enough now that she no longer thinks of people as lower beings, like she does cows and sheep."
Jenny began to stir. "Her scales look like rainbows. May I please touch one?"
Gently, the dragon's tail slid in front of the girls. "Some of the scales are loose. Find one you like, and take it."
They each selected one, and thanked her.
"I think I'll put her back to bed now, unless you are curious about anything else?"
The girls looked at each other. Jenny stood, and looked closer at the huge form. "Thank you for introducing us, Razelle. Summerscale, if you can hear us, I think you are magnificent." She then bowed to the dragon, as if to a human queen.
After Summerscale was back in her chamber, snoring soundly, Razelle slowly opened her eyes. She smiled. "I'm glad you like her. Feel free to come here any time, for more work or even just a visit. Now about that work you mentioned. Could you please start with the artwork? I've always loved looking at it, but there's just too much for me to keep clean. I'll pay well, of course - on behalf of Summerscale."
Both girls beamed, and jumped to attention. Razelle produced two rags out of thin air, and tossed one to each of them.
Cover image made in Canva Pro using an image generated via Bing AI image generator