Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

fiercely.
    'Oh, dragon . . . dragon!'
    'Julia? What's wrong, Julia?'
    'Nothing. Nothing's wrong, now that you're back.'
    The dragon looked at Rupert, and his eyes widened slightly.
    'Rupert,' he said slowly. 'You're back. How long have I slept?'
    Two or three months,' said Rupert, smiling. 'Welcome back, dragon. It's good to see you again.'
    'It's good to see you again, Rupert. Julia and I were getting rather worried about you. Did you say months?'
    'That's right,' said Julia, releasing him. The Darkwood has fallen over the Castle, the demon horde is battering at our gates, and any moment now they could all come swarming over our walls and slaughter the lot of us.'
    'Nothing changes,' said the dragon, yawning widely. The High Warlock studied the hundreds of gleaming teeth, and was visibly impressed. 'I don't suppose you brought me anything to eat, did you?' said the dragon.
    'Dragon . . .'said Julia.
    'I know,' said the dragon mildly. 'We're all in imminent danger of being killed. But I've been asleep for months, and used as I am to hibernating for long periods, right now I'm hungry. Very hungry. Several roast chickens for starters, I think, and then maybe a cow or two. Or three.'
    'Dragon,' said Rupert. 'We need you to fly us over the Darkwood, in search of the Demon Prince. Will you do it?'
    'Of course,' said the dragon. 'Right after dinner.'
    The Warlock looked at Rupert and Julia. 'I always knew there was a reason why dragons never caught on as pets.'

    Ice formed on the inner castle walls, and the cobblestones became treacherous underfoot. A dozen wrought-iron braziers burned fiercely in the courtyard but did little to dispel the bitter cold that hung about the Castle like a numbing shroud. The wounded had all been taken inside the Castle, where some
    warmth was still to be found, and the dragon sat alone in the middle of the courtyard, eating his way steadily through a large pile of assorted viands. A few guards and men-at-arms were busy strengthening the barricades at the main gates, looking like slow clumsy bears in their huge fur cloaks and gloves.
    Outside the Castle walls, the endless night was still and silent.
    Rupert and Julia stood at the bottom of the main entrance steps, wrapped in thick fur cloaks, talking quietly together. They stopped talking, and moved closer together, as King John appeared suddenly from the main entrance and made his way down the steps to join them. Rupert and Julia bowed formally, and the King nodded briefly in return.
    'I like the eye patch,' said King John. 'Very piratical.'
    'Now don't you start,' said Rupert. 'So help me, if one more guard asks me to sing him a sea shanty, I'll flatten him.'
    'Never mind, dear,' said Julia soothingly. 'When all this is over, I'll buy you a nice glass eye.'
    'I can hardly wait,' said Rupert coldly.
    King John decided it might be a good time to change the subject. 'How long before the dragon will be ready to fly?' he asked quickly.
    'Shouldn't be long now,' said Rupert. 'We've just about run out of meat.'
    'The Demon Prince,' said Julia thoughtfully. 'What does he look like?'
    'Nobody knows,' said the King. 'No one's ever met him, and lived to tell of it.'
    'Great,' said Julia. 'Just great. How are we supposed to find him, if we don't even know what he looks like?'
    'Thomas Grey will lead you to him,' said the King. 'Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment...' He bowed quickly and walked away, heading for a nearby brazier where the Astrologer and the High Warlock were warming their hands and quietly exchanging trade secrets. The Astrologer looked up when he heard the King approaching, and then murmured something to the High Warlock, who immediately bowed politely and moved unhurriedly away to talk to the dragon. The King nodded brusquely to the Astrologer, and moved in beside him to warm his hands at the glowing coals.
    'Thomas, we have to talk.'
    'Of course, John.'
    'The dragon's about ready. It won't be long now.'
    'Good. Every hour I think it can't get any colder, and every hour it does.'
    'Thomas ...' The King gazed steadily into the brazier, as though looking for inspiration in the crackling flames. 'I never imagined it would come to this. The Land in ruins, the Castle under siege, so many dead, and all because of us.'
    'Don't blame yourself, John. How could we ever have imagined anything like this?'
    'We should have.'
    'We did what we thought was best.'
    'And my brave Champion is dead. If he hadn't made that stand on the drawbridge, the