Charlie stood transfixed, watching the purple dragon as she rose above the mountain tops.

The way she flapped her wings just enough to achieve height,
the way she bugled her triumph,
the way she soared,
the way she flew.

Suddenly, she spun and dove straight down, snatching a cow from a poor farmer's field. She beat her wings hard, eager to return home.

The dragon landed; soft powdery sand flew up from the impact.

Tenderly, powerfully, the mother dragon ripped a leg off of the cow and fed it to her newest hatchling.

Charlie could only watch in awe.