He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Thank you, Winter. That means a lot to me." She bounced gently and he was reminded of a precocious child--but her body, and at times her mind, were undeniably womanly.

He listened to her story intently--not just because of the magic, although that was a treat in and of itself. He always loved hearing about magic in faraway lands or in this case, done by entirely different beings. The race of Dragons was close to magic in a way that Humans weren't and possibly could never be. Anything they did was likely a marvel in Human magic, no matter how mundane it was in their society.

"It must have been nice having siblings," Gareth mused. "I'm jealous. I was an only child and always thought about having an older brother or sister."