author's note: I apologize profusely for the long delay on updates. I've been bogged down with work, and an early spring bug that landed me in bed for a few days. Please read and enjoy.
Chapter 33.
Saturday December 31, 2011.
"I'm really going to miss you, love," Charlie said through a mouthful of pasta, "if only for your cooking." He swallowed and asked, "what is this brilliant concoction?"
"It's called Fettuccine Alfredo. It's an Italian American dish, the sauce is made with cream and butter and parmesan romano cheeses."
"Wonderful, I am so glad you didn't want to go to the Ministry party tonight. This is so much better, you and me a plate of noodles."
"I'll miss you, too. I'll miss having a kitchen to cook in, too."
"I knew it," Charlie teased. "You only love me for my appliances and counter space."
"Nah," I assured him, with a grin. "You've got some other endearing qualities as well."
"That's comforting. Drew was a bit disappointed when I told him we were skipping that party tonight. He wanted to meet you, but I told him that since I've been dealing with his job for the last five months, three weeks and two days, he could bloody well represent the department at the next formal function."
"I'm sure that I'll meet him eventually, Petula says he's quite a character."
"That's one word for him." Charlie's 'boss' had been scheduled to return to London after the new year, but decided to come home early, after Charlie had owled him that the House Elf Act had passed. The Beings division was going to be extremely busy over the next few months, enacting and enforcing the new policies. Charlie told me that Drew wanted to get started on the work right away. Charlie neither wanted nor was qualified to lead the department through all the changes, he was absolutely delighted and relieved that Drew had returned to take his proper post.
We were almost done with the chocolate mousse I'd made for desert when there was a loud tap on the window. We both looked up, an owl who wasn't Ruby was at the window with a note in it's talon. "I'd better go see what it it," Charlie said as he got up from the table. After the visiting owl was attended to Charlie read the note. "Bullocks," he muttered.
"What's wrong?"
"The Reservation needs me for the night. The incubator furnace is down again, and six females dropped eggs, tonight."
"They can't use magic to heat the eggs?"
"Heating spells don't get hot enough for dragon eggs. We have to use the incubator furnaces, they're heated with magically enhanced coal, and hot water." Charlie got up from the table gain. "I'll be back sometime tomorrow," he said as he kissed me and went for his coat.
"Wait a second," I said as I stood up, "I want to go with you."
"You don't have to, love. It's not going to be fun."
"I want to. I've never seen your work. I don't know if I can be any help, but I really want to go."
Charlie looked reluctant, but he said, "get ready, I'll apparate us there."
The Welsh Dragon Reservation reminded me of an American kids summer camp, a safari ranger station, and a national park all rolled into one. We were met at the apparation point by a dark haired, dark eyed young man with Mediterranean features, and a wide smile. Charlie introduced us, "Glin, this is Anthony Goldstein, he's the assistant director here.
Anthony shook my offered hand, "so this is Glinda," he said with a smile, "it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," I answered him.
"Charlie," Anthony began to explain to entire situation. "We're having two major issues. The first being, we can't get the incubator furnace hot enough, second Gwennie got out of her nesting box and dropped her clutch out on the reserve,we can't find her or the eggs."
"Shit," Charlie muttered, "how long has she been missing?"
"Since yesterday, her wrangler didn't think she could escape, even with the broken lock."
"Stupid git," Charlie muttered, then he turned to me, "Gwennie's blind," he explained, "she's a rescue, the wizard who had her was using her as a guard, he didn't take proper care of her, she's undersized and blind. We weren't even going to breed her but she went into season and broke from her paddock."
"She's quite an escape artist for being so small and blind," Anthony commented.
"That poor creature," I said, I hated hearing about abused animals.
"Welsh Greens used to be one of the most numerous types of dragons in Europe, but over hunting and loss of territory reduced their numbers to less than two dozen until about thirty years ago.
The Dragon office opened the reservation and started the breeding program. We're up to almost two hundred greens, considering they only mate about every ten years, that's not half bad." Anthony looked so proud. "In the wild only one of five eggs actually hatch. We've gotten the hatching up to ninety percent."
"That's wonderful," I said. "What can I do to help?"
"Actually mam," Anthony said, "It's quite rough off in the reserve, I'm not sure a lady like you should..."
Charlie interrupted him. "Tony, for a Ravenclaw, you can be pretty dense sometimes."
Charlie immediately went to work on the incubator furnaces. I volunteered myself to help search for the missing dragon. Our search for the missing dragon led us through extremely rough territory. Welsh Greens prefer dense forrest as a habitat, and the reservation was set in a tract of nearly untouched forrest in the mountains on the central coast of Wales. We were broken into search teams of three people. I was grouped with two older Dragon keepers one named Sam the other Mac. We searched in silence for bout two hours, when Charlie joined us.
"How'd you find me?" I asked.
He just grinned at me and said, "I knew what trail you were sent on, I just followed you." He turned to Sam. "How's the search going?"
"We're thinking she may have made a nest for herself on the south eastern ridge, it's away from the wind, and I know there's couple of good caves there. With the snow coming in, I'm thinking she won't be able to keep all her eggs warm enough, we need to find her, and them soon."
"Charlie," I interrupted them, "I think that I heard something coming from that direction."
Sam looked skeptical, "there's no reason for Gwennie to go that way, there's nothing there for her."
"What did the noise sound like?" Charlie asked me.
"Slightly high pitched, like a whine, but not as sharp."
"Shit," Sam said, as he ran in the direction I pointed in.
Ten minutes later we found the missing Gwennie. The poor thing had laid her eggs in a pile of rotting leaves and pine needles. We watched as she would try to breath on one egg, then the next, until she appeared to run out of breath. The poor thing looked panicked, she was only about ten feet long, about half the size of some of the dragons I'd seen flying over head as we'd searched.
"We can't approach her?" Sam said, "she's in a panic, she won't let us close enough to put a tranquilizing charm on her."
"Can I try?" I asked, "The mother dragon in China let me near her hatchlings, maybe Gwennie will let me near enough to her to cast the charm?"
Mac and Sam looked as if they were about to protest but Charlie stopped them. "If anyone can, Glin can. But, if you get singed woman, I'll be pissed."
I approached the little mother, calmly but with out trying to be quiet, as I knew that the poor creature was blind, her hearing was likely keener to compensate for it. "S'alright Gwennie," I said, trying to gentle my voice. Gwennie's head lifted at the sound, she growled for a second. "Don't be afraid," I said to her. "I'm not going to harm you, or your eggs." I put my hand out for her to smell. "It's ok, pretty girl." After about five minutes of tentative movements she allowed me to get close to her. "Throw me that lead please," I said to the men watching me. Charlie tossed the harness and leash to me. I put it over her snout, petting her and muttering nonsense to her the entire time. "Come on," I said, we can take you to a nice warm nesting box. Don't worry about your eggs, the guys will help your babies." As I got the dragon out of the makeshift nest we saw that there were four eggs within.
I led Gwennie back to the reserve, as the guys followed us with her eggs.
We got Gwennie settled into her nesting box with her eggs., and Charlie led me into the keepers lodge. "When she's finally asleep, we'll pull the eggs and put them in the furnace for the night. Hopefully, they'll be all right," Charlie said, as he set a cup of hot cocoa in front of me.
"In near thirty years working with Dragons, I've never seen anything like it." Sam commented. "Charlie, you got yourself a dragon tamer there."
"I'm just a school teacher," I said. "One of the dragon keepers in china suspected that because of little bits of dragon in me that dragon's like the way I smell."
"Well, you my well have saved Gwennie's eggs my dear," Sam observed. "When can she start?" he asked Charlie.