So many amazing things happened afterward that it still makes my head spin. The best was riding on the back of a Wyvern into the heights of death. I had to cast warmth, fresh air, and sticky paws on myself, all of which will slowly drain one's magic, but the view of the world from that high made me envious. The view while flying left me wanting my own set of wings.

As he flew me to his nest to heal his daughter, we talked about many things.

* Tell me about the dragons. * I wanted to know more about the wyverns losing their home.

* The red wyverns lived in the Bog Forest, which is two days of flying south of here. Five years ago, many dragons came and pushed us out of our home. The dragons were not as numerous as we wyverns but they are more powerful and we can not defeat them. Most red wyverns left the Bog Forest to find places with enough game to hunt. *

* Why here? I thought wyverns liked forests along rivers where the leaves turn colors and then drop off. *

* This is the third place we have made a nest since the dragons drove us off. We found game to eat here though this place is a bit cold for us. I do not like all these evergreen trees. They hide the animals we like to hunt. The trees of our home are spaced out so we could spot deer or elk or moose as they grazed or approached a river or stream to drink. *

* There is a forest where the conifers are spaced out between mountain ranges, * I told him. * It is to the east and just a bit north of here. The southern half is inhabited by goblins but the north half is empty of the two-footed peoples. Elves go there to hunt sometimes and there are friendly trolls. Trolls can speak to the two-footeds and also to magical creatures like us. I have hunted deer there. Keep it in mind because it might work for you though it is very cold in the winter. *

Father wyvern took me to see his injured daughter. Just as the snow started melting, the daughter was caught in something called wind shear. She lost control and broke the big bone that holds the wing up. The wyvern family built a nest around her and made that nest their new home. The nest was made of fir trees ripped out of the ground and piled in a large circle on a mountain ledge. Inside the circle of dead trees were pine branches and ripped-up grasses to create a soft and warm floor.

The first thing the wyvern told his daughter was that I was not food. The two sheep he brought were food for her. After she had eaten, I inspected the injury. The bone started to mend with a displacement across the break. I had to rebreak the fracture to set it correctly. It took me most of the day, but I did heal her. I wanted her to rest for a few days before using that wing, but I might as well have told her not to breathe instead. We flew back to Wiffleblatt just before the sunset.

* I was not sure of you before this, but now I believe all of what you claimed, divine beast. *

* Yes, I knew you were still wary. Trust is hard at the end of any war. I am curious, what changed your mind to give us a chance? *

* Because you insisted on a kind death even though the cruel death was easier. And my son was correct: we have very little left to lose. Why not take the gamble? *

* You realize that you may need to move again? *

* I would move anyway. This is now the place where my child and his mother died. We need to find a new place to go. Living with the two-footed races may be what we must do, at least for now. I am inclined to follow where you might go since you can talk to the two-footeds. We must be able to communicate with them for this to work. Perhaps your partner will be able to make a spell that works. I feel reluctant to lose you as someone who can speak to both sides. *

The wyverns chose to sleep on the peaked roof of the cheese factory It was a strange thing to look at, these huge hunting fliers balanced on their talons with their massive snouts full of sharp fangs tucked under one wing as they slept.

I dragged my tired self into the grammar school building and flopped onto Cat Rider's mattress. Using that much healing magic wore me out. I had closed my eyes and was falling asleep when Wren yanked my tail to get me up.

* Hey! I wish you would stop doing that, Wren. That hurts. *

"Everyone wants a report on the wyverns, Fuzz Butt." Wren looked pleased with the opportunity to torture me again. "They are waiting for you in the meeting hall."

There wasn't much more to say at the meeting. I updated folks on wyvern eyesight because the Compendium wasn't quite right: wyverns are farsighted . Their vision makes everything look blurry if it's under around 20 yards away but they can see prey just fine from far off. I also shared the intelligence that they don't use names. Father wyvern was "father" and the surviving kids were "second son" and "first daughter."

"How many wyverns lost their home, and how many dragons displaced them?" Willam wanted to know. "This explains why we've seen red wyverns where none have lived before."

* I can't answer that question, and the wyverns can't tell us. Wyverns don't count higher than eight. Once they hit eight, the next two numbers are 'more than eight,' and 'many more than eight.' Wyverns do not need to count, so their simple numbers meet their needs. *

I really enjoyed everyone's shocked looks when I told them that. On the other paw, I received my own shock. Lady Magrat and Generalissimo Gargle would arrive by tomorrow evening to negotiate with the wyverns.