Pragamore-A New Beginning

   After breakfast, Richard found himself staring at the heavy wooden door leading to the stairwell of the cavern.  It was locked, and had been that way ever since the old wizard died. 

   If I'm to find out about my grandfather, thought Richard, this is as good a place to start as any. 

   Richard eased down the hall to his father's office and tried the handle.  It wasn't locked.  The heavy mahogany desk looked to be as old as the cavern door, and deeply carved with deer and oak leaves.  The lad fumbled through the drawers and the various things on the desk, but no key.  He paused for a moment, checking the hallway.  Silence - he was still alone.  Back to the desk, he soon discovered a small lever on the side and pulled it.  The wood made a popping sound revieling a small drawer.  The drawer was just big enough to hold the black metal key.  It had a polished brass handle the shape of a dragon's wing.

   "Now, If that isn't the key, it certainly missed a good chance," quipped the lad.

   Richard hurried back to the doorway and tried the key.  The lock clicked loudly and the door swung open.  The lad stepped into the dark of the stairwell and waited until his eyes adjusted to its darkness.  The light from the outside cave intrance offered little help, but he could make out a desk below on the far side of the cavern.  On reaching the bottom of the stairs, he detected a strong, tangy scent of pine.  The room smelled like the forest itself.

   Moving slowly from the stairway, he eased across the stone floor to the old desk, and now could see several bookcases behind it.  As he fumbled with an old oil lamp, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold - air escaping from a large set of nostrils.

   "Lord almighty!" he whispered.  "That can't be what I think it is."

   A cold shiver went up his spine as he froze in place.  Searching the darkness to pick out the slightest movement; he noticed the dust swirling in the beams of light from the doorway. 

   As he watched and wondered what to do, the wall beneath the stairway moved.  Backing slowly into the dark corner behind the desk, Richard considered his options. 

   If I run for the staircase, he quickly thought, the beast will have no problem cutting me off.  The cave intrance is no good.  It's so long he'd surely catch me. 

   The movement had stopped, but Richard's heart was thumping so hard he was sure the beast could hear it.  Straining his eyes, Richard tried to see the beast that held him captive, but the room was much too dark.

   Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a sliding sound in the center of the room.  The aroma of pine and moss was now so strong he felt like he was in the branches of the tree itself.  The lad shut his eyes and tried to breathe shallow, hoping it couldn't hear or smell him.

   The creature was close now.  At times, Richard could actually feel its breath move the hair on his face and arms.  A quick wind blew across his face as the great beast moved.  The lad braced himself for some sort of impact, but it never came.  Seconds later, the smell of the pine weakened and Richard opened his eyes.  The beast was now moving through the cave opening and away from the cavern.

   "It was a dragon!" he sighed as he heard the sound of great wings lifting the creature from the cliffs above Whitestone Creek.

   Richard gasped for air and wiped the sweat from his face with his shirtsleeve and wondered.  Why had the beast not attacked him?  Why had he not at least vioced his disapproval?

   With no answers to his questions, Richard cautiously made his way to the stairs.  He now had a new prospective on life - he'd learned how it felt to be hunted...