The puppy lay her head next to Edward, the dragon of the lake. She closed her eyes and started to snore until Edward growled. The puppy opened one of her eyes at Edward’s soft roar.

“Sleep tight little puppy. I’ll most likely eat you in the morning, but you’re safe tonight.” Edward remembered a line like the one he said to the puppy. Something from a former life. A line from a book. Whatever a book was.

Now, before I go much further, I must say that most dragons do not talk to puppies. Or to anybody for that matter. But I know that Edward spoke to his puppy. I know because he told me. And I believe him because he is my brother. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Why would I trust what any dragon says?” All I can say is that you should hear the story before you make any judgment about whether dragons talk or not.

Edward did not eat Willow, the puppy, the next morning or the next. In fact, Edward kept the puppy around for a long time. Or at least a long time for a puppy.

Willow would wake up in the morning and Edward would let her do whatever it was she wanted to do. And what she wanted to do was play fetch. In reverse.

Edward sat on his pile of booty, because that is what dragons do. There was silver and gold. Plates and goblets and jewelry and all sorts of other treasure. Willow would pick a piece of the treasure and trot out of the dragon’s lair. And Edward would just watch. He might have even smiled as he watched the puppy leave with a piece of treasure. A piece of his precious treasure. Then Edward would just close his dragon eyes.

Willow would take several pieces of treasure out of the lair each day. And at night she would come back with some bits of food. A bone, a piece of meat, or even a carrot or two. And Willow would always share with Edward whatever she brought back. It was not much for a big dragon, but it did not matter. Edward was a content dragon.

Yet Edward would still tell Willow each night, “Sleep tight little puppy. I’ll most likely eat you in the morning, but you’re safe tonight.”

***

Then, one day it finally happened. Willow passed my den with a large bone in her mouth. I followed her to the entrance of the cave above the lake. I paused. Then, I entered the dragon’s lair.

I entered the lair and saw an amazing thing. There was Edward, the dragon of the lake. But he was smaller than any dragon I had ever seen. Smaller than he was when he ravaged the countryside. He was about the size of a man. And unlike any dragon I had ever seen before, he had no treasure. No treasure except a ring laying on the ground in front of him. He seemed to take no notice of it. But he noticed me.

Edward, the dragon of the lake, looked from the ring on the ground to me. Several times. And if dragons can recall things, he seemed to remember. He looked at the ring one more time. Then, he looked into my eyes and spoke.

“Please take the ring. It is the ring that our father gave to you when you came of age. It was the last thing I stole. All the other things were stolen under the guise of taxes, but I just took your ring because I could. Because I was stronger than you. Because I was heir. Because I was Edward, Earl of the lake. And when I stole your ring, I became a dragon. Like the dragon in another story. A story I heard long ago.”

I was speechless and frozen.

I watched as a tear came into Edward’s eye. He reached his front claw out to grab the ring as best he could. Then, he presented it to me. And as he did, his rising foreleg became the arm and hand of a man. My brother was back.

***

We walked back to the castle. Edward and I talked the whole time, and Willow followed behind.

“I’m glad that you sent little Willow to rescue me. I fear that if I had kept my treasure any longer, I would have been a dragon forever.”

I shook my head. “No, brother. I think Willow was sent to me so that I might not turn into a dragon. For my counting room is full of ill-gotten gains. Gains that I must return. Lest I become a dragon like you did.”

“Do you think that Willow is a magical beast?”

I shook my head. “No. Except that she loves like we do. Perhaps not all animals do, but Willow loves us. And I would venture that she knew your heart. She knew that you had lost your way. But now you are found again.”

***

Edward took his place again as Earl of the lake. I rid myself of the ill-gotten gains and even paid people back four times as much as I had taken so that they knew I was contrite.

Then, I was seated next to my elder brother so that we might rule our realm with wisdom. For who has more wisdom than one pulled back from the depths of the abyss and one pulled back from the brink? Perhaps a puppy, loyal and true.