Amid the sound of cricket chirps, a soft sigh lingered in the deep night. Essa was exhausted. She stretched her aching back and shoulders attempting to ease the fatigue that knotted her muscles. Snuggling down she curled into a tight ball. Her heavy eyelids sank lower, and her mind slowly drifted towards sleep’s sweet embrace.

A light click… click… click, the sound of claws padding across uneven rock, jerked her senses alert. She listened with keen ears, straining to detect the slightest sound. Craning her neck towards a whispered movement, she spotted green eyes glowing in the darkness.

“Ayen, what are you doing out of your nest? I’ve already put you to bed three times this night.”

“I can’t sleep, Dragon Mother.”

“Nor can I, it seems!” She lumbered towards her offspring, cocking her head, her eyes set with a reprimanding glower. Golden wings unfurled as she swept her wayward dragonling back toward the mound of soft grass-reed.

Ayen knew Dragon Mother’s glare all too well. She meant business. He clambered back into his nest and snuggled down into the sweet smelling grass. As he burrowed deeper, a few of the feathery blades tickled his nostrils. “Aah… Aahhh… Aahchoo!”

Lit by the fiery sneeze, a thin tendril of smoke curled above the glowing spark smoldering betwixt the reeds. Essa’s claw quickly snuffed out the struggling flame.

“Thank goodness grass-reed, fresh and green, doesn’t burn well.” She brushed curved nails against her horned brow with exasperation. “What am I to do with you, My Little Scamp? You really must learn better control of your fire.”

Stalling his bedtime, the youngling questioned, “Dragon Mother, why do we have fire?”

Aware of his tactic, a smile splayed across her maw. “Little One, don’t you hear night’s darkness calling?”

“Please, Dragon Mother, just a bitty story. Make up one small fable and I promise to stay abed.” Innocence washed over his features as he pleaded, “Please… Please! Pleeeee___.”

“Enough, you little sleep stealer! Hush… and I will tell you…” She paused, her long talons tapping together as she thought. “Ah,” she said, “I will tell you, the Legend of Fire Dance.”

Elated with his triumph, a joyful squeal echoed in the deep recesses of the cavern, until an admonishing talon wagged back and forth in censure. “Shhh… you’ll wake your sister!”

Pulling strands of loose grass-reed, she tucked them tightly around his scaly, emerald haunches before she began her tale.

“Once upon the heavens, the twin suns, Fire Dance and Bright Flame commanded the skies. Rays in shimmering strands shone forth from their glorious faces. All manner of flora and fauna who looked upon__”

“What’s flora and fauna?” he interrupted.

“Plants and animals. Let’s just say everything beneath their warm gaze fell in love with them.”

“Would I have fallen in love, Dragon Mother?”

“Why yes, My Little Darling, and no doubt them with you. Now, hush and listen.”

Attempting to stifle his energetic wiggles, he wildly ruffled his wings before hunkering down amongst the reeds.

Amused, Essa hid a broad grin behind sharp claws. She patiently waited for the seemingly endless squirms to subside before beginning anew, “In beauty, the sister suns were identical, except for a small sunspot upon the edge of Fire Dance’s mouth. Their natures, however, were far different. Fire Dance’s kindness and purity rivaled her comeliness, and drew suitors like butterflies to the smell of honey-bells. Though equally beautiful, Bright Flame’s invidious and cruel nature drove all her suitors away.

“What’s in-vi-dous mean?” Ayen blurted.

“Invidious,” she corrected. “Let’s just say she wasn’t very nice.”

“What does-?”

Chucking him under the muzzle she said. “I grow suspicious, Little One. Your delays cannot stave off the depth of night or your bedtime much longer. It is time to just listen.” Hoping to calm her fidgety charge, she continued in a soft, melodic voice. “With every passing day, Bright Flame became more bitter, cold, and envious. She grew to hate her sister.”

“I don’t like Ada.” The youngling wrinkled his nostrils and snorted two little puffs of smoke before adding, “She’s a pest.”

“Ayen Jade Swiftwing, I do not want to hear you talk about your little sister like that again! Perhaps I best revisit the meaning of invidious, my little green-eyed monster!”

Hearing his full name, he knew he angered Dragon Mother. “Well, she is a pest. She ate one of my long-tailed scampers. I caught them and they were mine.” Shrouding his underbelly, his iridescent wings crossed in pout. “They were mine!”

“Ayen!” Her eyes spoke volumes.

He knew the folktale and his bedtime hung in the balance. “Sorry!” he said lightly.

“Now, where was I? …Oh yes.” She settled back on her hindquarters before resuming her narration, “Renown of the twin suns’ radiant splendor spread throughout the universe. When Dragon King heard these grand praises he came seeking a mate worthy of his hand. Quite handsome, as all dragons are, both sisters desired his heart. However, it was Fire Dance who won his love. Shamed and jealous, Bright Flame devised a plan to steal her sister’s betrothed.”

“Just like Ada stole one of my long-tailed scampers. It wasn’t hers!”

An exasperated sigh filled the stony hollow. “Cranky One, I think it’s past your bedtime.”

His claws wrapped around his jagged jaws, clamping them tightly shut. “Nooooo!” he mumbled. “I won’shay ‘nother w’rd,”

“One more interruption, and the story is over,” Dragon Mother threatened. Narrowing her eye, she dared him to emit even the smallest of peeps.

Finally she continued, “Bright Flame went to her sister with false tears. Decrying her loneliness, she begged Fire Dance to give her the small sunspot. You have Dragon King’s love and I have no one. Surely you can spare me your beauty mark. A gentle soul, Fire Dance couldn’t stand to see her sister suffer. Gladly she gave away her swirling dark spot.”

“You think I should have shared my long-tailed scampers with Ada,” Ayen stated, though it sounded more like a question.

Essa made no reply. Hoping for him to draw his own conclusion, she tilted her scaled head and eyed him with a look that only a Mother possesses. Seeing a contrite sulk cross Ayen’s features, her soothing voice shortly followed, “No sooner did the spot dance at the corner of Bright Flame’s lip then she ran to her sister’s pledged. Falsehoods spilled from the twin sun like river torrents flooded by seasonal rains. Save me! Save me, my beloved Dragon King. My sister has grown covetous of our love, and intends to kill me. You must stop her; devour her before she claims my life.”

“That’s not nice!” Ayen spouted loudly.

“No it wasn’t. I guess that is the type of thing can happen when siblings don’t get along.”

“Well…” Ayen hesitantly spoke, “I guess I could share a couple long-tail scampers with Ada.”

“I think she would like that. She looks up to you, you know.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He wrinkled his snout before adding, “But, she is a pest.”

Suppressing a grin, she wagged a long curved nail, signaling for silence. After her youngling settled back into the feathered grass-reed she began again, “Bright Flame begged, you must swallow her quickly for her words can drip honey. She will magically turn you against me. Do not let her speak. Fooled by the beauty mark, Dragon King agreed to the plan. Sneaking up behind Fire Dance he swallowed his espoused with a big gulp.”

“Noooo…,” the dragonling interjected.

“Just listen,” Essa said. Hoping to calm him, she brushed one of his long curved horns, before her voice continued her tale. “Fire Dance’s love was so pure that he could feel it burning in his throat, and he immediately knew he had been tricked. With a deep, hard cough, the Dragon King choked and set her free. The Dra-”

Ayen clapped his hands in glee. He piped loudly, “I knew he wouldn’t eat her.”

“Yes, My Little Rascal.” Dragon Mother patted his scaled head, “yes, I’m sure you did. Now, if we can just forgo your interruptions… I might get this bed-time tale finished, before the dawn’s light comes creeping. Quiet now, for it is almost over.”<p/> <p>A spiny brow rose over her eye as she tested the silence. Answered only by the soft chirp of crickets, Essa continued with the legend, “The Dragon King was furious at Bright Flame for her deception and threatened to swallow the impostor. But, Fire Dance would hear none of it. Being of such sweet nature, she forgave her sister that very day. And her twin, benefitting from the kindness, learned the value of compassion and goodness. From that day forward, Bright Flame treated all with naught but gentle word and consideration. The relationship between the siblings grew to be very close, and they lived quite happily ever after.”<p/> <p>“Maybe I ought to forgive Ada.”<p/> <p>“Maybe,” Dragon Mother simply replied.<p/> <p>“In the morning. I can do it then.” Ayen said with complete earnestness.<p/> <p>A smile hid at the corner of Essa’s jaw. “Yes, perhaps that’s best, seeing as she’s sound asleep at the moment. Now, if only the same could be said for you, My Little Sleep Thief.”<p/> <p>He wiggled, flapping his wings, getting comfortable, delving deeper into the long blades of grass-reed. His head settled on the brim of his nest, as though he finally might be getting tired. Suddenly his head snapped upwards.<p/> <p>“Wait… you still haven’t told me. How did we get fire?”<p/> <p>“Oh, that’s right.” She paused and tapped one of her long talons against her jaw in thought. A smile sparkled in her eye as the words rolled off her forked tongue, “Ah, it’s simple really. When Dragon King almost swallowed Fire Dance, a spark of her passion stayed with him. And, since that time, he and all of his offspring gained the ability to breathe fire. That spark of love ignites in our throats to this very day. It’s a sign of unending devotion… just like your mother’s.”<p/> <p>The soft lick of a kiss brushed the tip of his muzzle. “Now, I will have my promise, to bed with you, and not one claw out.”<p/> <p>Weary, Essa trudged back to her niche and slowly curled up, resting her head upon her tail. Drinking in the silence, she wallowed in the pleasant peace of night. Her eyelids began to droop.<p/> <p>“DRAGON MOTHER, I’M THIRSTY!” Ayen yelled, being ever so careful not to step from his nest.<p/>