Raynal glided into the Great Hall of the Keep. Food-laden tables were strewn throughout the room. It was Thanksgiving morning, and the feast at the Keep was almost ready. Massive roasted birds twice as large as the young Rewin Dragon were being lowered onto the tables next to piles of rolls, mountains of candied nuts and fruit, and a pudding-filled bowl the size of a bathtub. All through the Keep, creatures and magi alike were busy preparing for the festivities.
"Can I help with anything?" Raynal asked, landing next to a Gryphon. She knew that her offer would be treated with contempt, but she couldn't help but ask. She loved to help anyone in any way she could.
"No, you can't," the Gryphon sniffed haughtily, as Raynal had expected. "We only need useful creatures here. Go help your magi or something."
Raynal flew away sadly, sighing at the cruel joke. The Gryphon knew that Raynal 's magi had died six months ago on a journey. Since the magi's only other creatures had died with him, Raynal was now alone in the world.
Raynal was done with being picked-on, ignored, and unwanted. She was going to find a new home, where she'd have friends who would care about her. With a final look into the Great Hall, Raynal turned and began flying west.
As the afternoon sun was beginning to touch the horizon, Raynal made her way into a small, isolated village. The villagers were all in their houses, setting out food for their Thanksgiving meal. Though the fare here was not nearly as grand as that at the Keep, almost every house seemed to have plenty of food on its table.
One small, rickety house drew Raynal's attention. In the cracked window, Raynal could see two young boys and their parents sitting down to their meal. Their clothes were as old and worn as their house, and the whole family looked hungry and thin.
What shocked Raynal the most, though, was not their clothes, the family's house, or even their malnourished state. What shocked Raynal most was that the family's meal consisted of single small loaf of bread and three small fish, not nearly enough to feed a family of four. Raynal desperately wanted help them, but she couldn't figure out how.
A splashing sound made Raynal look up. A ways behind the house, well-hidden by weeds, was a brook. Raynal wanted to jump for joy. She could catch a fish for the family in the house! Raynal flew to the brook and perched on the bank, watching the dark water until a fish caught her eye. It was a beautiful silver and almost as large as Raynal. It was the perfect fish for the family.
Without hesitation, Raynal dove into the water, grasping the fish with both her jaws and her talons. The fish thrashed about wildly, until it seemed impossible for Raynal to hold on. Somehow, though, she managed to bring her prey onto dry ground and kill it. Raynal was exhausted, but she knew her work wasn't done yet. She had a fish to deliver.
As the sun was finishing it descent below the horizon, Raynal arrived at the house she'd seen before. Her work was almost done. She scratched at the door and squeaked, hoping that somebody heard.
After a moment, a burly man opened the door, his wife looking over his shoulder. The man scanned the horizon before looking down and Raynal and her catch. Raynal squeaked again and did her best to push the fish closer to the man.
"Is this for us?" the man asked. He looked surprised when Raynal nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. Gently, as though it were made of gold, he picked up the fish and turned towards the house with it. Then he paused, and turned back to Raynal.
"If you've got nowhere to go," the man said hesitantly, "would you like to come in?" It was a dream come true for Raynal. She squeaked excitedly, and ecstatically jumped around the man's heels as he walked into the house.
As the man came in with Raynal's gift, his two sons gasped delightedly first at the gigantic fish, and then at the Rewin Dragon that had brought it. Within seconds, the boys were fawning all over Raynal, cuddling her, stroking her scales, and talking non-stop about her. Even the boys' mother scratched Raynal affectionately behind the ears and fed her some scraps from the now-roasting fish.
As the family sat down to eat the fish, Raynal curled up in front of the hearth. She purred contentedly, letting the warm fire and the family's happy conversation lull her to sleep. Not only had she given a family a Thanksgiving they'd never forget, but it looked as though she's found a new home as well.
