11. A New Pet

For the next few days, the cat and the baby dragon spent most of their time together.  The dragon was still stiff from his fall and didn't move much for the first few days.  In that time he came to realize that the two humans weren't going to hurt him and that the smaller of the two fed him.  It didn't take long before he would eat out of her hand.  Soon after that he found that he liked it when she scratched the ridges above his eyes.

          One evening, as they were relaxing by the fire, Talsha watched Brinn as she scratched and talked to the young dragon.  His head was in her lap and his eyes were closed in contentment.

          "You know," she said, "if he is going to be here for a while, and it looks like he might be, I think you ought to give him a name."

          Brinn looked at the healer and back at the dragon.  "I'll think about it."  She kept scratching the sleeping dragon.  "Healer, do we have enough food for all of us with him here?"

          "Don't worry," answered Talsha.  "We'll manage.  I am glad you have enough forethought to think about that."

          The next morning, when Talsha came in for breakfast, the dragon was following Brinn around as she got his breakfast ready.  "He followed me all the way out to the pantry and back this morning.  I'd say he's feeling better," Brinn told her.

          "I would say so!" laughed Talsha as the dragon gently butted Brinn when she wasn't moving fast enough for him.

          "Oh, by the way, his name is Regal," Brinn said as she fed pieces of dried meat to him.

          "That is a good name."  Talsha watched the impatient dragon nosing Brinn for another piece.  "All dragons have a regal manner about them, and he certainly likes to be pampered like a king."

          Regal took to following Mousy when she was hunting and soon the problem of dragon food was solved.

          "He's learned to feed himself, thank goodness,"sighed Talsha in relief.  "You may still give him a treat once in a while, but no more full meals.  I was beginning to worry, as fast as he is growing."

          He was growing fast, especially his wings.  It had only been a couple of weeks and already Regal had doubled in size.  His wings had been the size of Brinn's hands when they had found him.  Now, when he spread them out, they were almost as long as Brinn's arm.  He had been kicked out of the house and into the woodshed after  knocking over some things in the house.  Mousy still kept him company.  Brinn wondered if all dragons grew this fast or if Regal was different in size as well as having wings.  Only time would tell.