Hermonia was suddenly wide awake and staring expectantly at her grandparents.
“I can only imagine how exciting and scary it must have been for Norman to talk to Buttercup for the first time.” Roland said, still in awe of the fact all these years later.
“He said that it was thrilling like the first time you do something you desperately want to do but are scared to do all at the same time. Do you want to hear about that first conversation?”
Hermonia was bobbing her head so vigorously it would easy to believe that her head would fall off. Her face was upturned and all of her attention was focused on Rachel.
“Norman stood there, warming from the sun and trying very hard not to stare at Buttercup. She was beautiful and dangerous but Norman knew no fear, only a sense of contentment that he had never felt before in his life.”
Buttercup decide to break the ice and her deep rumble was warm and filled the meadow with the sound of her voice, “What made you decide to stand on that cliff today Norm and why are you so different than the other two-legged creatures like you?”
Norm looked at Buttercup and thoughtfully answered, “I have never been scared of dragons but I’m not sure why that is. Today when all my family and the villagers went to hide in their homes I decided I was tired of hiding and so I went to the cliff. I don’t think my family or the villagers would even notice if I had fallen off the cliff.”
Norm saw Buttercup arch an eyebrow when he said this, “Why would the people in your village not miss you?”
“Because they do not understand me, they call me Norman the Strange. I plan on leaving the village as soon as I can. I want to explore the world and learn all that I can. I want to live my life not hide because others don’t understand me.”
And with those words Norman started to cry, great big heavy sobs filled with raw emotion. Buttercup, for the first time she could remember, felt helpless. The tiny creature was in great pain and all she wanted to do was ease his pain. She waited until his tears were spent and then she spoke, “Would you like to fly away with me and together we can explore the world?”
Norman heard her softly spoke question rumble through the trees and he nodded his head in agreement without a second thought. “No one will miss me. I will miss my family but they don’t understand me and don’t know what to do with me.”
Buttercup listened and waited patiently. Time and experience had taught her that dragons needed to work problems out for themselves and she assumed that same principle applied to tiny two-legged creatures too.
“I would love to go with you Buttercup for as long as you would have my company.” Norman said with all the sincerity and earnestness that comes with being seven years old. As he said this, the tears disappeared and a lightness and joy entered his eyes and heart. He knew that he had just made the right decision.
Norman ran to Buttercup and flung himself around her neck. His small arms not even coming close to encircling her neck but he hugged her with all the love and longing in his body. Buttercup let him hug her and she too knew a measure of peace and contentment she had never experienced herself.
“Whenever you want, climb up and we’ll be off.” Buttercup said softly. And before she had finished speaking, Norman was climbing up and snuggled into his spot on her long beautiful neck.
Hermonia stared up at Rachel, a far way look in her eyes. “Grammy then what happened?”
“That my darling girl, is for another day. It is lunch time and you need a nap. I promise we will share more stories about Great Grandaddy Norman as you grow up. Now climb up onto Grandaddy’s shoulders, and lets go home.”
Hermonia scrambled up onto Roland’s shoulders and the three of them walked back to the house. Roland felt Hermonia squirm on his shoulders and twist her little body as she waved goodbye to the skeleton of Buttercup.
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