This introduces my one of my favorite characters, Shpardith the dragon.And of course, any Enchanted Forset-style story has to have a few annoying wizards here and there.

Shpardith gazed dejectedly at the wizard when he did arrive.

"Took you long enough," she growled, as the wizard cowered in the corner. "All of you are alike, you wizards. Run your own time schedule, I suppose."

The wizard stood up and raised his staff, chanting.

"No, none of that, wizard," Shpardith warmed, glaring at her visitor. "What's your name, anyway?"

"My name is Yakika ke Alfshonish," the wizard bragged, glowing himself up importantly, like a puffer fish. "Best wizard in all Phnorshlf."

"Phnorshlf?"

"Phnorshlf. Do you have a problem with that, dragon?"

Shpardith didn't answer. She was laughing too hard to talk.

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The next day dawned like an orange being thrown into the sky. It was probably the fasted sunrise in the history of Druni. Erith awoke slowly, though, and stirred the campfire very reluctantly. Denii was not awake, so Erith went over to her and shook her. Denii did nothing. Erith tried everything she could think of, but Denii was an impossibly heavy sleeper. Finally, as a last resort, Erith took a scoop of the batter that was going to be made into breakfast and flung it in Denii's face, while yelling, "PANCAKES!" as loud as possible.

Both horses and T'shebak jumped, frightened, but Denii just yawned and sat up slowly. "What's for breakfast?" was the first thing she said.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen of the cave, Shpardith had gotten over her laughing fit and was questioning the wizard.

"So," she said demandingly, putting her elbows on her knees. "Your brother said something about a stone or something along that line when I talked to him last week. What did he mean?"

"Er, well you see, dragon, it's kind of a long explanation. The wizard king, Eshribia ke Dellidaniki told it to me, long may he live. Do you know all his formal titles? Of course not. Well, he's the King of Peggle, the Duke of Thethet, and Lord of my very own beloved Phnorshf. Besides, he's also…"

"Get on with it," Shpardith growled, throwing a dishtowel in his face, "You're just stalling."

"I was just getting to the important stuff," Yakika spat angrily, "Truth is," his face softened into a sheepish grin, "It's kinda a family secret."

Shpardith roared.