The Blessing of the Dragons

The Valley, 75th Year of the Dragons

“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley,” Dierdre said, rocking in rhythm with her handwork. “In those days, the Valley enjoyed peace, but not prosperity.”

Outside, the last autumn leaves stirred in the cool breeze, but inside the fire’s glow brightened and warmed the farmhouse. Dierdre sat beside the burning logs with a shuttlecock in her hands.

From a low stool at her feet, a wide-eyed girl watched the crone weave. The old woman’s fingers moved nimbly across the loom to create an intricate pattern with flashing threads.

Though humble, the room felt cozy and safe. Shelves of books lined the walls, and bundles of fragrant herbs hung from the rafters. The valley, preparing for the coming winter, lay quiet and still.

“Grandmother,” the girl pleaded, “tell me more about the dragons.”

Dierdre laid a wrinkled hand atop her granddaughter’s fair hair. “You have heard the story many times, Caoimhe.”

“I know, but it’s my favorite. Please, tell me again.”

The old woman smiled and set down her shuttlecock. “Very well, child. Seventy-five winters have come and gone since that time. Before the dragons, my father and brothers farmed and hunted in the forest. But, like everyone in the Valley, we knew the bite of hunger. We accepted hardship as our lot from the gods.”

Casting her gaze out the window toward the mountains, Dierdre said, “I was older than you on that day, but still so very young. And oh, what wonders lay ahead that I could not yet see.”

The Valley, 1st Year of the Dragons

Ominous clouds gathered on the horizon, blotting out the sun. Strong winds stripped the leaves from the trees and snapped branches as thick as a man’s thigh. The valley residents sheltered in their homes, but fear crept through the cracks and bolted doors.

What could cause such a terrible storm?

Then, from the mountains came a sound that stilled the hearts of all who heard it. A deep rumbling like thunder, but much louder—and closer. Out of the maelstrom flew dragons.

Great wings that spanned the width of the valley beat the air, sending up a tornado of dust and debris. The creatures were as long as three houses and as tall as two men standing on each other’s shoulders. They had thick scales the color of night, and their eyes glowed red like hot coals.

A single drake sought the earth, his razor-sharp claws gouging deep furrows in the land. In a booming voice that echoed off the cliffs, he said, “I am Tiberius. Who will face me?”

While her friends and neighbors cowered, frozen with terror, Dierdre answered the dragon’s call. The girl left the shelter of the farmhouse, walked into the raging storm, and approached the magnificent beast.

“I will face you,” she said, holding out her hand, palm up, in a gesture of peace and friendship. And to her amazement, the dragon lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss against her skin.

Tiberius’s touch felt electric. A jolt of pure energy coursed through Dierdre’s body, and yet she felt comforted, as if she lay cocooned in a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night.

Her life’s destiny arrived in the Valley on wings of storm and fire.

The Valley, 75th Year of the Dragons

“The dragons blessed me that day,” Dierdre said, “but they also blessed the people of the Valley.”

“How, grandmother?”

“In many ways, my child. The dragons brought fertility to the land. The fields became lush, yielding bountiful harvests. The forests thrived, and the game was plentiful. For the first time in generations, the people of the Valley knew no hunger in the dead of winter.”

“And the dragons brought magic, didn’t they?”

Dierdre nodded. “Oh, yes. They taught our healers mystical powers to cure the sick and injured. And they shared their knowledge of the stars, helping the people to chart a fresh course for our lives.”

“What did they want in return?”

The old woman’s face softened. “They wanted nothing, child. They asked only for our friendship and trust.”

“And we gave it to them.”

“We did. And it was the best decision our people ever made.”

Reflecting, Dierdre let her thoughts wander back. How had so many years passed? So much had changed, and yet the old woman still felt the strength of the heart bond she had forged with their dragon saviors.

“Why did the dragons leave, grandmother?”

“No one knows for certain. But I believe they left because we no longer needed them.”

“What do you mean?”

“We prospered under their guidance. We grew strong and thrived as a community. And so, in time, the dragons moved on to change lives in other lands.”

“Do you think they’ll ever come back?”

Once again, Dierdre turned her gaze toward the mountains, her eyes misting with tears. “I like to believe they will, child. But this will not be that day. No more stories for now. Play with your friends before the air grows too cold, and the snow comes.”

Caoimhe thought to hesitate, but then ran out the door. Dierdre watched the child go and smiled with quiet knowing.

The dragons would return, and soon, changing her granddaughter’s destiny as they had changed her own. But when they returned, would he be with them? And would he recognize her as she was now?

When they parted, he clasped her hands and said, “When you fear your time is drawing to a close, look for dragons in the skies. You will not face an end, Dierdre, but a new beginning.”

And so she waited.