In the morning Rhiann awakened to boisterous activity in Dry Creek. The Gnomes were making ready. A second wagon laden with foodstuffs and tobacco joined them for the journey to the mines. Two merchants from Dry Creek rode on the new wagon, which was pulled by a team of four strong halvsies. Additional guards from the garrison brought the strength to twenty. The road widened and began a steady incline shortly outside Dry Creek. Halvsies and phi gamms pulled the wagons nigh effortlessly. The area on both sides of the road had been cleared to about thirty paces, leaving no cover for an ambush. The downside was the wide clearing made travelers vulnerable to attack from above, but large airborne predators were rarely encountered. About two hours into the trip a young Copper Dragon with a ten-foot wingspan approached the small caravan. Copper Dragons got their name from their habitat in the Copper Mountains and their love of copper. Great veins of the element stretched through the range. The beasts began life with tan coloration and developed their characteristic deep copper tone as they ingested the metal over time until they attained the reddish-orange color as very old adults. The little tan dragon flew around the wagons and unnerved the beasts of burden that pulled the carts. p-Mayard and the merchant driving the second wagon steadied the beasts.
p-Mayard whispered, “Boss, why don’t you take care of this thing?”
Rhiann answered, “The Gnomes probably are wondering why you don’t.”
p-Mayard answered, “For the umpteenth time, I only look like you, Boss. You look like Rhiann, but both of you are sorcerers. Do something!”
The young copper dragon dove down toward the phi gamms. Mayard’s doppelganger pulled the reins and steadied the big lowing beasts.
Rhiann said, “All right, but I don’t like killing things.”
p-Mayard muttered, “Say what?”
Rhiann quickly added, “Needlessly!” and began a spell.
The second merchant on the wagon from Dry Creek stood and threw a large piece of copper ore into the air. The dragon quickly circled away from the phi gamms and snatched the piece of ore in midair. The beast cooed happily and flew off toward the peaks. Rhiann interrupted his spell and stared at the retreating dragon.
The merchant said, “Happens all the time. It was just hungry.”
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