Would she?! What a question! Hadn't she just wished she had wings so she could fly, too??

"Oh! I'd love to! Really?" She responded, her excitement bringing her to near bursting. She bounced up and down on the sleeping pad where she was resting, which drew some strange looks from the other elves - Elhaym among them. "But -oh! I'll have to ask somebody first!"

Annemari's eyes lit up on Elhaym, the only present "'sponsible" person. The young Shalonost grinned to herself. Elly wouldn't tell her no!

"Elly! c'n I go for a ride wit' th' dragon??" Annemari asked suddenly, and by the look in Elhyam's face, it was probably the last thing she expected to hear from the girl. 'Mari gave Elhaym her best "pouty and hopeful" face, letting her eyes get big and round as she gazed up at the oft-formidable bladesinger.

"Which dragon, Princess?" Elhaym asked, looking a little dubious.

"Khalendryos!" Annemari exclaimed, as if it should be blatantly obvious to everyone.

"Did you ask him already?" Elhaym still looked worried.

"Oh, well no, but he just offered! Can I can I?? Please? Pleasepleasepleaseplease??" Annemari stood up and hopped from one foot to the other in her excitement. Her twin braids bounced in rhythm with her feet.

"Are you sure he won't make a snack of you? I can't let my little 'lana get hurt." Elly was always suspicious! Annemari giggled.

"I c'n take food so if'n 'e gets hungry, he won't eat me." The girl offered. Elhaym seemed satisfied with the plan and created a few magic mushrooms for the young Shalonost. Scooping the mushrooms into her pouch, 'Mari thought-sent the Bronze again, "Elly sayed I c'n come!!"

"The Annemari will meet him at the dock in Arkane." Annemari nodded to herself and set out at once, running as fast as she could. When she reached the dock, she was glad the Dragon hadn't arrived yet, so it gave her a few minutes to catch her breath and re-braid her hair, which had become quite disheveled in the run.

Finally - but not quickly enough! - she saw his bronze scales glinting on the horizon. Within moments he glided to stand in front of her. He was gigantic! Annemari gazed at him dumbly, completely at a loss for words. Speechlessness was a rare thing for the normally chatty girl.

"The Annemari will get on, quickly." Khalendryos hissed, looking a bit impatient. 'Mari scrambled up on his shoulders, blushing. She clung to a ridge on his back as he took off into the air with powerful beats of his wings. The air rushed past Annemari's ears and she had to resist the urge to fling her arms out in the air.

Once they had reached a safe altitude, Khalendryos slowed slightly, gliding between air currents. Annemari leaned over his shoulder, looking down at the ocean, enchanted. She saw silver glinting in the water! Fish? She screamed over the wind so Khalendryos could hear. He agreed, they were fish.

Soon they came across a large, gray creature in the water. Well, it looked large to the young Shalonost but it was still dwarfed by Khalendryos. A spray of water leapt up in the air as the creature surfaced and then dove beneath the waves again. Annemari could still see its shadow through the water and she followed its progress with her eyes.

"What is that!?" Annemari asked, pointing and leaning out precariously over Khalendryos's shoulder. Of course, he couldn't see her pointing, but 'Mari didn't seem to take notice of that.

"What does the Annemari see?" The Bronze asked.

"Tha' thing tha's sprayin' water!" Annemari pointed again. Khalendryos swooped down nearer to it, following its progress in his flight.

"That is a whale."

Annemari would have asked what a whale was, but she was distracted when a pod of dolphins swam by, frolicking in the waves. Sea-kin! Annemari waved to them, but she didn't think they were taking any notice. She wondered briefly if they were any elfs she knew. Her thoughts were interrupted by the hungry grumble of her tummy. How long since she had eaten? She couldn't remember.

"Are you 'ungry?" Annemari asked, "Elly gived me some food for you so if'n you gotted 'ungry you wouldn' eat me!"

Khalendryos laughed a loud dragonish laugh. Annemari giggled.

"He would not eat the Annemari."

"Well, I know, bu-.. It made 'er feel better. Do you li' mush'ooms?" Annemari pulled the mushrooms out of her pouch. Khalendryos crinkled his long snout, which the young Shalonost found to be a quite amusing sight. She knew it wasn't polite to laugh at other people, no matter how funny they looked, so she contained the giggles that wanted to bubble out of her - displaying more self control than she had ever bothered to before.

"No, he does not care for them."

"Yea, they're yuckie. Mommy always mae's me eat funny vegatables." Annemari nodded her agreement and considered the mushrooms in her hand. "Do you think Whales like them?"

"He does not think so."

Annemari considered tossing the mushroom into the water to find out anyway but Khalendryos suddenly changed direction, leaving the whale to its merry - mushroomless - way.

"Would the Annemari like to see his home?" Khalendryos asked, beating his wings to gain a higher altitude where he glided easily among the scattered clouds.

"Oh! Can I???" Her curiosity about the whale's diet was chased away by the possibility of seeing the dragon's lair.

"The Annemari should hold its breath, and hold to him tight." Khalendryos warned before he dove suddenly, slowing slightly as he hit the water and came up through an underwater cave. When they came up onto a soft beach, Khalendryos settled his wings gently around his body and 'Mari climbed to the ground.

"Wow!" Annemari was drawn by a large pile of glittering treasure a few feet up from the shore. It was immense - she had not ever seen that many shiney things at once in her life! She poked around in it curiously, remembering the way the egg Elly had given her glittered in the moonlight. It occurred to her that the Dragon might not like her poking around in his treasure and she shot him a guilty glance. He didn't seem to be paying her much attention so she started digging around in her pouch. She pulled out a diamond and placed it in the pile with a satisfied smile.

"The Annemari should keep the jewel." Khalendryos said, settling himself into a lying position. His tail curled around his body and the end twitched enchantingly. Annemari tore her eyes from it to pick her diamond up again.

"Don' you wan' it for you pretties?"

"He has much treasure." Khalendryos assured her. He blinked and rested his long nose on his claws. "He tires and will nap now. The Annemari may stay."

Annemari surveyed the beach, quickly discovering there would not be much for her to do while the dragon slept. She didn't much like staying quiet, either. She imagined the Dragon wouldn't like it if she was noisy while he was trying to sleep.

"Oh.. I shoul' go 'ome so tha' Elly will know you didn' eated me." Annemari beamed brightly at Khalendryos and he returned her smile with a toothy one of his own. 'Mari had to resist the urge to take a few steps back when faced with the rows of very sharp teeth. "Have sweet dreams!" Annemari said before she prayed for transportation back to the temple of the Vallenwoods. She rushed home, impatient to tell everyone about her newest adventure.