Do you know what a hero is? Roci asked the cat.
It is not really a cat idea, said the cat.
Cory used to have heroes. Muri tells stories about them, and then I make them better. Do you want to hear one?
Very much, said the cat.
Do you see that mountain wall, over there? It looks like a wall, and you can see there's a big shadow, behind it. That is where the mountain elves live. They live in a great valley. There is a stream in the valley—it comes from way up in the mountain where there is nothing growing there but rock. The stream comes from great crystals that grow up there; and then they melt down down down into magic water. The mountain elves drink from the water to make them strong and healthy.
The valley has trees, with big round yellow fruit on the branches. The fruit shines, like small suns. The elves climb the trees, then pick the fruit and eat it. It has sweet juice that dribbles down their chins. They eat the fruit to make them happy.
The mountain elves have a 'heritance. The 'heritance is in a cave in the back of the valley. Leaves on long vines hide the door pretty good, so it looks just like part of the valley!
The 'heritance is treasure. It is all different colors—purple and red and blue and yellow and green and black and white and all sorts of different colors. Some are shiny and bright like stars. Some are deep and makes you stare in like a pool of water at night. The treasure fills the cave, in the back. It is the elves 'heritance.
The treasure is what makes the story serious. Even though the treasure is in the cave. Even though the cave is covered with leaves, so it looks like the valley. Some people are always looking for things like that. Some people are never satisfied.
Outsiders found the valley one day. They found the elves. Some way they found the treasure. They decided they wanted the treasure, and would take the elves too—why not? The story is very serious now—because of the treasure, and greediness.
But the elves have a dragon . . .
The elves have a dragon?
Yes. The dragon protects the valley. The dragon is red, and skinny, and long like the tree. She has great sharp teeth, and she flies. When she flies her long body wiggles like this, [Roci made a snaking forward motion with his hand] very slow and pretty. She is very pretty.
The dragon is a girl?
Yes, because otherwise if she dies there are no more dragons. Babies come from girls.
I did know that, said the cat. So the dragon is the hero?
I don't really think so. Dragons are born for to protect the elves and the treasure. They only have one thought in the mind. It's like they have to do it and just do it because that's what dragons do.
I think to be a hero you have to decide to do the thing. And it should be a very hard thing. Doing hard things on purpose is brave. When you are brave you are a hero.
But she is very loyal, and protects the treasure good, and it was sad when she died. She died because—because—I'm not sure why she died, but she had to, because that's 'versity. It's 'versity for the elves, because now they are helpless. 'versity makes a story more serious. Life is not too happy anymore, but the people must keep trying, and make it better.
But the dragon did leave an egg. That made them hopeful! The egg was very pretty. It was as big as my head, and red; with freckles in it like tiny stars and suns. If they could stay alright long enough, pretty soon there would be another dragon, and then they would be alright.
But it was getting very cold, up in the mountains. It is very cold up in the mountains. Eggs need to be very warm or they crack. When an egg cracks it is dead, and will never be anything, ever.
The elves have a friend. He used to be an Outsider, but he decided he liked the elves. He decided to stay with the elves. He decided to help the elves.
When the Outsider heard the mama dragon was dead, he ran to the cave. He picked up the egg and put it in his lap and hugged it between his arms and his [Roci pounded his chest].
The Outsider stayed all night in the cave with the egg. It was very cold in the cave, and the Outsider shivered, very bad. He thought he would never stop shaking. His hands and his toes were very cold, all the time. But he put his head down, and held his teeth together strong and waited.
Why not take the egg to a house? inquired the cat.
Because the elves do not live in houses. They don't get cold because they are magic, because they have a strong furnace inside, like you.
Another objection crept into the cat's mind, but he held his tongue. Roci answered it with his next comment, anyway.
It is important to have sakkyrifices. That is how you know somebody's a hero. They have to give something very hard to get something more better. They make the story more 'portant and gooder. He is a hero because it's cold, and it's hard, but he wants the elves' baby dragon to live; so he stays with it.
So he stays with the egg, though it's so very very cold in the cave. He stays with the egg for days and days. Suddenly, he feels the egg—shake a little; it makes a little jump in his arms. Then there is a taptaptap, like the baby dragon is knocking, saying, "I'm coming out; I'm coming out; I'm coming out!"
The Outsider looks at the egg with eyes so big, in wonder. The baby dragon goes taptaptap, taptaptap, taptaptap. Then her head bursts through the shell of the egg, and looks at the Outsider. The baby dragon's eyes are very pretty. They are blue like the sky, and she looks almost like she's smiling at the Outsider. The Outsider smiles back, very pleased.
The outsider carries the dragon in his arms outside the cave. His feet hurts very much, but he walks slow and steady. His hands hurt very much, but he holds the dragon high to show the elves it is alright. The elves clap and cheer. He hurts inside, all over; but he shouts to the valley, "You have a dragon, again!"
He raises the dragon high once more. It rises from his hands and begins to circle the valley, very slow and pretty. She gives them a hopeful feeling.
Then the hero goes to his home, to rest. He is very tired but is happy.
So the hero has a house, then? asked the cat.
Yes. He is a man. Men have houses.
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