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"Two dragons at once," the professor translated "Which ood luck for our monastery and the valley! Did it all turn out as the prophecy foretold? Has the return of the dragon rider brought us the return of the dragons?"

Ben climbed off Firedrake’s back and went over to the professor, a shy sons will coone forever"

Barnabas Greenblooorously Guinevere s felt happier in his life -- or ether," he staon-fire!" Sorrel slipped off Firedrake’s back "With ho, human reason, an aviator-ace rat, and even the help of a dwarf, although that wasn’t exactly what the dwarf intended"

"It sounds as if you have a great deal to tell us," said Vita Greenbloo his hands, Barnabas Greenblooed a feords with the laons "The people here love a good story," he said "Do you think there’ll be time to tell them yours before Firedrake sets off on the journey hoed glances before they both nodded

"Would you like to rest a little first?" asked Barnabas Greenbloo to eat and drink?"

"Sounds like a good idea!" cried Sorrel and Burr-Burr-Chan in unison

So the two brownies had mushrooms to eat, while Ben polished off a whole iven him Now that all the exciteons lay down on the wooden floor at the far end of the hall, with Firedrake resting his head on Maia’s back In the light of thethe hall, they looked as if they had just climbed out of one of the pictures on the wall Then the laht of the dragons rooted the the columns

Only when Firedrake raised his head and the professor beckoned them forward did the monks approach, slowly and with hesitant steps They squatted on the floor at a respectful distance froest ones to the front, where they could kneel close to the creatures’ silver claws

The Greenbloo and Lola, sat on the crests of Firedrake’s and Maia’s tails

When all was still in the hall, and the only sound was the rustling of the an to tell the story -- in the language of fabulous anie that everyone can understand

As the an its daily journey across the sky, he told the tale of his quest fro His words filled the hall with pictures He spoke of a clever white rat, enchanted ravens and mountain dwarves, sand-elves and Dubidai As he went on with his story, the basilisk fell to dust once more, and the blue djinn opened his thousand eyes The sea serpent swareat roc bird snatched Ben away Finally, as the sun outside was sinking in the sky, Nettlebrand clion-fire, and a toad hopped out of his mouth

At last, Firedrake fell silent, stretched, and looked around him

"The story ends here," he said "The story of Sorrel and Ben the dragon rider, of Firedrake and Nettlebrand, the Golden One, whose servants were his dooins I don’t yet knoill end, and I will not tell it to you until I do"

Then the lama rose, bowed to Firedrake, and said, "We thank you We rite down all we have heard, and ish you luck on the journey that still lies ahead of you Noill go and leave you to gather strength for the journey honal, the monks rose quietly to leave the hall At the door they all turned to look oncebetween the coluain in their lives be fortunate enough to see a dragon

"Ben," said Barnabas Greenbloom, when the hall was empty and only the lama was still with them, "we’ll have to leave toin I ondering," he continued aardly, running his hand through his gray hair, "if the dragon rider decided what to do yet?"

Ben looked at Firedrake and Sorrel and Twigleg, as sitting on the floor next to Lola "Yes, please I’d like to come, too," he said "With you, IBen’s hand so hard it almost hurt "Hear that, Vita? Hear that, Guinevere?"

Vita Greenbloohter smiled