fandomania | The Adventure continues...

I decided to call the baby Loysa. She seemed to like it.

After dinner, I deliberately spent extra time with my older children. What with taking care of two babies now and everything else that was happening, they were getting less and less of my time. I had to make time for them, so I told them all a bedtime story. When I tucked them in, one by one I gave them lots of hugs and kisses and I told them how much I loved them and what wonderful chIldren that I was blessed with.

Just before she fell asleep, my oldest, Celianne, asked if we were going to keep Loysa. I told her that we were going to have to look for her family and that when we found them, Loysa would have to go live with them.

"But, Mommy, what if we can't find her family?"

"Then we will keep her and raise her as part of our family."

"I'd like that. Mommy, would you let me help you take care of Jayzon and Loysa? You work so hard taking care of us and you always look so tired. Can I please help you?"

I gave my daughter a big hug and said, "Of course you can! I would love to have your help. But taking care of babies is a big responsibility and also can be very gross at times. Do you think you can handle that?"

Celianne thought about it for a minute and said, "I think I can."

I told Celianne how much I loved her and how proud I was of her. "I love you too, Mommy." Then she rolled over and went to sleep.

I walked over to the camp fire that Donal and Orlando were lounging next to and sat down in between them, preparing to relax. Jayson started to cry. I went over to his cradle and brought him back over to the fire. I tried rocking him for a while, but it was obvious that he was hungry. So I picked him up and started to feed him.

A couple of minutes later, Loysa began to cry. I sighed. But it was Donal who got up, saying, "My turn." He walked over to Loysa's makeshift crib and picked her up. "Well, young lady, I think you need to be changed." She looked at him and said, "Dada!"

Our hatchlings:

Our eggs:

The look on his face was priceless. "I wish, sweeting, I wish." As he changed her, she said "Dada" several more times.

Orlando was very amused. "IS THERE SOMETHING THE TWO OF YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME?"

Almost in unison, I said, "No!", while Donal said, "I wish..."

Donal finished changing her. He got up and went to dispose of the dirty diaper, leaving Loysa lying on the changing blanket. Quite adeptly, she rolled herself over and began to crawl towards Orlando. She crawled right up to him and reached up and touched his orange, scaly head and said, "Dodo!"

I have never seen a dragon so non-plussed before. He quickly morphed into his human form and sat down on the ground in front of her. Loysa took the transformation in stride, as if it were commonplace. Orlando picked her up and placed her on his lap. Loysa touched him again and said, "Dodo!"

"NOT ONLY DOES SHE RECOGNIZE ME, SHE RECOGNIZES ME IN BOTH OF MY FORMS. THAT IS ASTONISHING!"

Donal walked back into camp and addressed Orlando, "Is there something that you haven't told us, Orlando?"

Orlando chortled and said, "YOU'VE GOT ME THERE, DONAL. VERY GOOD!"

"But I don't understand why you think that she recognizes you. Your name isn't Dodo."

"ORLAN-DO. I DOUBT IF SHE IS OLD ENOUGH TO PROPERLY SAY MY NAME. DODO MUST BE THE BEST SHE CAN DO.

"BUT NONE OF US HAVE EVER SEEN LOYSA BEFORE. CORRECT?"

Both of us nodded affirmatively.

"IF SHE HAS THE POWER TO KNOW EVERYONE'S NAME, WHY HAS SHE CALLED YOU BOTH BY PARENTAL NAMES AND NOT AN ATTEMPT AT YOUR GIVEN NAMES? FOR A HUMAN CHILD THIS YOUNG TO HAVE ANY KIND OF POWERS IS UNHEARD OF. HUMANS DON'T NORMALLY GET THEIR POWERS UNTIL THEY REACH PUBERTY. I NEED TO EVALUATE THIS." Orlando held her and began to chant in Old Tongue. He did this for quite a few minutes before stopping.

He sighed. "SHE HAS A VERY POWERFUL PROTECTIVE SPELL PLACED ON HER. VERY POWERFUL AND ARCANE. IT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BEFORE; SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OR THE ABILITY TO BREAK. I AM COMPLETELY BAFFLED BY THIS. IF I HAD ACCESS TO MY LIBRARY, PERHAPS I COULD FIND AN ANSWER. OR I COULD SPEND THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS TRYING TO ANSWER THIS RIDDLE. I AM STUMPED."