Kaie awoke with a start.  Sweat poured down her forehead, making her dirty blonde hair stick to her face.  Her unusual indigo eyes were wide open with fright.  That was the third time this week she had that dream.  Although she didn’t know what it meant, Kaie somehow felt connected to it.  Like it had something to do with her, but how could something so vivid have something to do with her, who led such a tiresome life.  In exhaustion Kaie laid her head back on the straw stuffed pillow, hoping to catch a few more moments of precious sleep.  But try as she might, her eyes  would not succumb to tiredness.  That dream was . . . was . . . Kaie could not think of the proper word.         

     Suddenly the crow of a rooster flooded throughout the tiny shack along with the dawn.  Kaie quickly slipped out of bed and began getting her work clothes on.  The dream was still lodged in her mind.  Every detail was as fresh as the morning dew, but the faces were shadowy like a fog.         

      A blare from a dragon’s horn broke through her dream like a pebble through water.  Kaie burst out of the shack with great speed, threatening to break the door off its hinges as she swung it out of her way.  The rooster shrieked at her in rage, but Kaie didn’t notice.  She was late again.  Every morning she awoke with that dream still in her mind, and every morning she was late to the fields.  Her caretaker, Merlan, did not tolerate tardiness especially when it was repeated over a series of days.         

     As Kaie reached the wheat field, she saw Merlan waiting impatiently with a dragon harness in his hands.  Even though she was still about 15 dragon paces away, Kaie could Merlan’s eyes growing dark and cold.  Kaie wanted to slow down, but she knew Merlan would only scold her harder.         

     “Get over here you stupid girl!” Merlan yelled.  “We can’t wait all day!”  When Kaie reached Merlan he stuffed the harness into her hands yelling as if she was a mile away.  “I didn’t adopt you for nothing!  When I found you on my doorstep I was keen on making you a worker, not a lazy troublesome pig!  Sometimes I wish you never were born!”  At this, Merlan stomped off in a rage.         

     Kaie wished she had the courage to go over to Merlan and show him a piece of her mind.  But she couldn’t and she wouldn’t, not in a million years.  Like Merlan had said, Kaie had showed up at Merlan’s doorstep 16 years ago.  Kaie had no other memories of where she came from for she was an infant when she showed up at his door.  The only reason Merlan took her in was because of his dying wife’s wish.  Merlan later realized that she was right, because Kaie had shown that she would grow into a promising field hand.  But just as Kaie thought she had a loving family, she was thrown out to a little shack and was forced to work her “father’s” land. 

     Her only food was the food shared by the other field hands, not the scrumptious food that she had been fed while Merlan kept her under his roof.Kaie sighed at the memory and headed for the dragon stalls.  The dragon stalls were the most peaceful place for Kaie.  Many of the dragons were always happy when she came to see them, better than when Merlan came to literally whip them into shape.  Merlan wanted them to be in “good condition” whenever a group a dragon traders would travel into this part of the land.  And one of those traders was usually a Dragon Sparer.  Meaning they would buy dragons in order to put them to battle against another dragon.Kaie hated what Merlan did these poor creatures, but she couldn’t do anything about it.  She walked over to a lantern that hung from a beam in the stalls and lit it.  Then she put in some crushed flower petals into the flames and breathed in the aroma.  The Tenmu Rose always released a soothing aroma, one that would calm anyone considerably.Since Merlan gave her nothing to do for the day, Kaie decided to take a ride on White Flame, or Moriah as Kaie liked to call her. 

     Moriah was Kaie’s favorite dragon.  She was the most understanding dragon that Kaie felt ever existed.  Often when she was troubled Kaie would come talk to Moriah, even if Moriah couldn’t talk back to her.  Moriah was a beautiful pearly white dragon, which is rare in dragons.  It is for this reason that Merlan never let her out for exercise.  This time though Kaie would take Moriah out for a spin in the clouds.  For once in her life she would disobey Merlan.When Kaie reached the gigantic stall of Moriah the dragon inside started quivering with joy. 

     “Hey girl!” Kaie said cheerfully.  “Do you want me to take you for a ride today?” 

    Moriah’s eyes were shinning with the thought, yet she tilted her head in confusion.  Kaie understood the beast’s emotions perfectly. 

     “I know you think we’re not allowed, but I’ve decided to disobey Merlan for once. . .” Kaie paused as an idea suddenly came to her.  “Maybe we could even run away and live in the Silmar Forest.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful!”  Moriah vibrated with pleasure as Kaie rubbed her snot affectionately.  This would be the last night that they would do this fir a long time.