The old dragon slowly raised his head and looked down at the young white haired girl before him. A tear came to his eye as he remembered seeing another such girl back when he was still a very young one. He then told her this tale.

There is much to tell. I have known your family a long long time. Let me begin with the first one I ever met.

It was a night that I shall never forget. Most of what I am going to tell you about that night I heard from others. My view was very limited. One cannot see very much while wrapped up in a net.

I so wish that I knew Mordell before he died that night. I have heard such good things about him since, because later his son became my best friend.

The night he died, he looked me directly deep in my eye and gained strength from it. Only a good man can do that, others would faint from terror. He gave his life to save me and his men.

That day Mordell and his men had finished a two day march. They had been sent there to set up camp and to scout the land to find what the Dryads were doing in that area. They thought they would get a days rest before they got to their assignment.

There was a stream with a waterfall where they camped and the men were enjoying the cool water. Even the ones doing guard duty were not wearing their armor, since the sentry point was at the top of the waterfall. When someone came to take their place, they ended their duty by taking a jump into the water.

Earlier that day during the march a boar had been disturbed and before it got far, it was dropped by the archers. The men gladly carried the boar the rest of the way and it was now being cooked over an open fire.

Night was falling and the men were relaxed. They were not expecting any problems since the scouts had found no sign of the enemy in the area. This was expected to be an easy assignment. After three weeks of heavy battle, this was going to be a nice break.

No one had their armor on and many had little clothing on at all. The ones posted on guard duty already noticed that I had been flying over the area. I had been the one that had noticed the Dryads in the area. Little did I know then, that was what they wanted me to be doing. A trap had been seat and that night they were ready to capture me.