Chapter 20

"The dragon has been roaring and chasing Fraggles with a hungry look in his eyes," Blundig told the Princess quietly as they observed it from the safety of a rock column.

"So it really does eat Fraggles?" whispered the Princess.

Blundig smiled. "I've been watching it for a couple of hours now. It has been chasing and roaring – but I haven't seen it eating anything."

Princess Gwenalot patted her sword. "How do you want to go about this?"

Blundig frowned and glared at her. "We're not harming a creature we know nothing about."

The Princess returned the glare. "I didn't say we were. If he's hungry and he hasn't eaten anything, then it's obvious there's nothing here he … or she … can eat. We need to return it to its food source."

Blundig nodded cheerfully.

The Princess unsheathed her sword. "You figure out where that is, while I keep it busy." With that, she ran toward the dragon, screaming her head off, brandishing the brightly polished sword with glee.

The dragon perked up and stumbled backward, terrified of the creature and its weapon. It dashed along the tunnel floor, weaving in and out of the rocky spikes jutting up. Princess Gwenalot hopped nimbly onto a ledge and brought her sword down just in front of it, sparking the floor as metal hit rock. The dragon snapped its jaws, its bright white teeth gleaming. Princess Gwenalot circled around took a swipe, which only served to back up the dragon into a set of columns from which it would be hard to escape. It reared back, the red scales on its wrists glowing, and forcefully exhaled a strong bright orange flame.

"Oh, ho!" cried the Princess. "A fire-breathing dragon! A challenge I can relish at last!" She dusted her smoldering fur and acted like she was going to go around the columns to pin its tail with her sword. The dragon took the opportunity to run, but the Princess spun her heels and rejoined the dragon and thrust her mighty blade towards it. It clanged on a boulder as it nimbly dodged, though out of instinct more than will. That was too close, thought the Princess to herself.

The dragon screamed and whipped around and its tail managed to connect, sending Princess Gwenalot across the tunnel. She flipped and landed and rushed back to the dragon, who tried to dash towards the tunnel from whence the two furry attackers had come.

"Here!" cried Blundig.

Princess Gwenalot hopped and dashed and jumped clear over the dragon's head and spun around, kicking the dragon in its stomach with a large "oomph". She used her sword to herd it over to a tunnel that began to cast a strange green glow. The dragon stumbled backwards and disappeared in the tunnel.

Princess Gwenalot panted as she plopped down on the ground in front of Blundig. "Well, I think that's enough exercise today," she said happily. "What made you think that was the right place?" she asked, noticing that the dragon had not yet reappeared.

Blundig looked into the tunnel, which no longer glowed. "If the good Princess read more legends, she'd know these things," she teased.

The young royal Fraggle laughed. "That's why I have great Fraggle friends like you, Blundig."

Blundig's face fell. "The time has come, my Princess."

Princess Gwenalot stood and looked at her quizzically. "Don't tell me you're leaving."

Blundig nodded. "I request of my Princess that she tell Fishface that I will return someday, when he doesn't feel so threatened."

"Blundig," gasped the Princess.

"Please do this for me … Gwen."

The Princess held back her tears and nodded. "I will. I hope you return safely." As Blundig started to leave, she added, "At least take No-neck with you. He really wants to learn more about all of Fraggle Rock. And it's nice … to have great companions."

Blundig stopped. Without looking, she said, "Maybe Roughchin would like to come as well. I understand he's been isolating himself from the others lately. A little exploration wouldn't hurt." She walked away and Princess Gwenalot walked up a tunnel back towards the Great Cave.

Back at the Great Cave, Crooner met the Princess and hugged her. He sniffed and stood back. "What did you do? Jump into a bonfire?"

She smirked. "Your concern knows no limits," she teased. She turned to a bunch of waiting Fraggles and grinned, thrusting up her sword. "The dragon has been contained!" she proclaimed loudly, her words echoing throughout the tunnels.