Nola Bastin

Dragons of Ash Valley

There weren't always dragons in the valley. Or maybe there were and we just didn’t know it. It was only a few years ago that Della Frye and her sister Bonnie had seen one land in the clearing near the edge of Cardstone Forest. Della was around eighteen at the time and Bonnie just thirteen. They’d been gathering whatever it is that girls gather in the forest, and felt the earth shake as the monster hit the ground. Bonnie had, unfortunately been visible from the clearing. Although from Della’s statement on the incident, Bonnie’s scream of terror most certainly would have alerted the dragon to her presence. In a matter of moments the dragon was on top of her, pinning her small form to the ground with its front claw that was as big as a cow. Bonnie’s screams hadn’t lasted long. They were silenced as a sharp talon as long as my forearm pierced her throat. According to Della, her sister’s body twitched for a few moments as her life’s blood soaked the earth beneath her.