When she regained her balance she looked up, seeing a huge cave a few feet away. Aspen hurried over to the front of the cave and gasped. It was dim and dark in the cave, she couldn’t see much but it looked so big.

But Aspen was a curious girl, so when she heard a strange noise from deeper in the woods. How could she resist looking?

   She ran into the forest, gripping her sword tightly. She stumbled a bit over some old roots buried in the ground. When she regained her balance she looked up, seeing a huge cave a few feet away. Aspen hurried over to the front of the cave and gasped. It was dim and dark in the cave, she couldn’t see much but it looked so big.

     “Woah!” Aspen exclaimed, and heard her voice echoing throughout the cave. “Echo!” She shouted, hearing her voice trail off in tiny choruses of the word, she giggled to herself.

    Aspen stepped into the cave and walked forward, tiny pebbles were scattered all around the floor. She passed a tall pointy rock, which she was sure her mom told her the name of these types of rocks, but she had forgotten. Above that pointy rock was another one and dripped water onto the stone on the ground. She wondered where the water was coming from.

     “Woah!” Aspen exclaimed, and heard her voice echoing throughout the cave. “Echo!” She shouted, hearing her voice trail off in tiny choruses of the word, she giggled to herself.

    Aspen stepped into the cave and walked forward, tiny pebbles were scattered all around the floor.

     “Woah!” Aspen exclaimed, and heard her voice echoing throughout the cave. 

She passed a tall pointy rock, which she was sure her mom told her the name of these types of rocks, but she had forgotten. Above that pointy rock was another one and dripped water onto the stone on the ground. She wondered where the water was coming from.

    She continued on into the cave until she began to see a light. It was warm and bright, almost like the sun but there was no heat radiating off of it. Aspen ran towards the light.

    In front of her was the largest room she had seen, and at the top there was a hole that let in the light of the sun. But what caught her attention and made her gasp was what was in the cave. Piles and piles of gold and jewels decorated the cave, there had to be more riches here than in the king’s vault.

     Aspen ran to the pile of gold, grabbed an armful and threw the coins into the air. She laughed as the coins hit the ground and the pile, and she began looking for the prettiest jewel she could find.

     As she looked around a rumbling came from the mouth of the cave. It was probably nothing, Aspen thought. She continued her search for the nicest jewel through the piles of gold and valuables. The cave shook as the rumbling slowly came closer. 

    She continued on into the cave until she began to see a light. It was warm and bright, almost like the sun but there was no heat radiating off of it. Aspen ran towards the light.

    In front of her was the largest room she had seen, and at the top there was a hole that let in the light of the sun. But what caught her attention and made her gasp was what was in the cave. Piles and piles of gold and jewels decorated the cave, there had to be more riches here than in the king’s vault.

“Echo!” She shouted, hearing her voice trail off in tiny choruses of the word, she giggled to herself.

    Aspen stepped into the cave and walked forward, tiny pebbles were scattered all around the floor. She passed a tall pointy rock, which she was sure her mom told her the name of these types of rocks, but she had forgotten. Above that pointy rock was another one and dripped water onto the stone on the ground. She wondered where the water was coming from. 

    She continued on into the cave until she began to see a light. It was warm and bright, almost like the sun but there was no heat radiating off of it. Aspen ran towards the light.

    In front of her was the largest room she had seen, and at the top there was a hole that let in the light of the sun. But what caught her attention and made her gasp was what was in the cave. Piles and piles of gold and jewels decorated the cave, there had to be more riches here than in the king’s vault. 

   Aspen ran to the pile of gold, grabbed an armful and threw the coins into the air. She laughed as the coins hit the ground and the pile, and she began looking for the prettiest jewel she could find.

      As she looked around a rumbling came from the mouth of the cave. It was probably nothing, Aspen thought. She continued her search for the nicest jewel through the piles of gold and valuables. The cave shook as the rumbling slowly came closer.   

   Aspen raised her wooden sword, “S-stay back!” she shouted

   “Little human, I do not intend to harm you,” the dragon’s deep voice said, echoing off the walls of the cave.

   “You can talk?” she asked, her arms shaking and her heart pounding.

   “Indeed I can, and I would like to know what a small being like yourself is doing here?” it asked, in a calm, even tone.

   Aspen sniffled a bit, “I’m not small, I’m a big girl!”

   The dragon snorts, a puff of hot air leaving its nose. “To me, little one, all humans are small.”

  “Little human, I do not intend to harm you,” the dragon’s deep voice said, echoing off the walls of the cave.

  “You can talk?” she asked, her arms shaking and her heart pounding.

  “Indeed I can, and I would like to know what a small being like yourself is doing here?” it asked, in a calm, even tone.

  Aspen sniffled a bit, “I’m not small, I’m a big girl!”

  The dragon snorts, a puff of hot air leaving its nose. “To me, little one, all humans are small.”

   Aspen giggled as she lifted it up, but that’s when she felt a gust of hot wind on her back. She turned around to see a large, red, dragon staring her down. She screamed and dropped the stone trying to run for the opening of the cave. But the dragon just adjusted its positioning a bit and the exit was blocked.

  Aspen raised her wooden sword, “S-stay back!” she shouted

   “Little human, I do not intend to harm you,” the dragon’s deep voice said, echoing off the walls of the cave.

   “You can talk?” she asked, her arms shaking and her heart pounding.

   “Indeed I can, and I would like to know what a small being like yourself is doing here?” it asked, in a calm, even tone.

   Aspen sniffled a bit, “I’m not small, I’m a big girl!”

   The dragon snorts, a puff of hot air leaving its nose. “To me, little one, all humans are small.”

   She lowered her sword a bit, “I didn’t mean to come here dragon, I heard a noise coming from here, and I found this cave and there’s just so much shiny stuff here!”     

   “I am well aware, as this is my treasure and my cave.”

   “It’s a very nice cave!”

   She lowered her sword a bit, “I didn’t mean to come here dragon, I heard a noise coming from here, and I found this cave and there’s just so much shiny stuff here!”     

   “I am well aware, as this is my treasure and my cave.”

  She lowered her sword a bit, “I didn’t mean to come here dragon,     

   “It’s a very nice cave!”

   “Thank you, you say you heard a strange noise, what was your plan if you did find the source of it?”

   Aspen put down her sword and rubbed the back of her head, “I dunno, I didn’t think of that.”

   The dragon nodded its head, “And when you found my treasure, what did you plan to do when you saw it?”

   “I dunno, I saw a bunch of gems so I wanted to find the prettiest one!”

   “And once you found it?”

   Aspen shrugged, “I guess I didn’t think of that..”

   “Little human, I suggest you think things through more often. There are not as many kind dragons as I who will not harm you for stepping foot in their lairs.”

   “That’s what my mama keeps telling me, she always says I gotta be more careful.”

   “Your mother is wise then, you should heed her advice more.”

   “I’m sorry I came into your cave without asking, and that I went through your stuff,” Aspen sighed.

   “You are forgiven, small one, but please think ahead before you begin to do things,” the dragon moved, the opening to the cave now in Aspen’s view.

   “Thank you dragon!” she waved to the dragon and ran out of the cave cheerfully.

   “Thank you, you say you heard a strange noise, what was your plan if you did find the source of it?”

   Aspen put down her sword and rubbed the back of her head, “I dunno, I didn’t think of that.”

   The dragon nodded its head, “And when you found my treasure, what did you plan to do when you saw it?”

   “I dunno, I saw a bunch of gems so I wanted to find the prettiest one!”

   “And once you found it?”

   Aspen shrugged, “I guess I didn’t think of that..”

   “Little human, I suggest you think things through more often. There are not as many kind dragons as I who will not harm you for stepping foot in their lairs.”

   “That’s what my mama keeps telling me, she always says I gotta be more careful.”

   “Your mother is wise then, you should heed her advice more.”

   “I’m sorry I came into your cave without asking, and that I went through your stuff,” Aspen sighed.

   “You are forgiven, small one, but please think ahead before you begin to do things,” the dragon moved, the opening to the cave now in Aspen’s view.

   “Thank you dragon!” she waved to the dragon and ran out of the cave cheerfully.

I heard a noise coming from here, and I found this cave and there’s just so much shiny stuff here!”

 “I am well aware, as this is my treasure and my cave.”

   “It’s a very nice cave!”

   “Thank you, you say you heard a strange noise, what was your plan if you did find the source of it?”

   Aspen put down her sword and rubbed the back of her head, “I dunno, I didn’t think of that.”

   The dragon nodded its head, “And when you found my treasure, what did you plan to do when you saw it?”

   “I dunno, I saw a bunch of gems so I wanted to find the prettiest one!”

   “And once you found it?”

   Aspen shrugged, “I guess I didn’t think of that..”

   “Little human, I suggest you think things through more often. There are not as many kind dragons as I who will not harm you for stepping foot in their lairs.”

   “That’s what my mama keeps telling me, she always says I gotta be more careful.”

   “Your mother is wise then, you should heed her advice more.”

   “I’m sorry I came into your cave without asking, and that I went through your stuff,” Aspen sighed.

   “You are forgiven, small one, but please think ahead before you begin to do things,” the dragon moved, the opening to the cave now in Aspen’s view.

   “Thank you dragon!” she waved to the dragon and ran out of the cave cheerfully.

     After a few days, Aspen returned to the mouth of the cave, her hands behind her back. “Hello? Dragon?” she shouted.

   A rumbling came from the cave and within a few seconds the dragon’s head poked out of the cave. “Little human, what brings you to my home?”

    And thus the beginning of a wonderful friendship was born.

The End

The End

   The dragon’s eyes crinkled at the edges, she hoped that meant it was smiling. “Thank you, small child.”

    And thus the beginning of a wonderful friendship was born.

The End