The Lazy Dragon and Bumblespells Wizard by Kath Boyd Marsh

see how that taller tree is shaking behind us? I bet Sir George is awake and pulling on that tree to get upright.” She turned to Cl’rnce. “How fast would you say he can run in that armor?”
    Cl’rnce looked over her head. “Good question. He’s been chasing me for two days, and I’m mystified at how he keeps catching up. Wait. Come to think on it, he did have a horse or two. Did you happen to see a horse or anything he could ride?”
    Moire Ain was impressed. Cl’rnce wasn’t just bragging about being a fast runner. If he could keep ahead of a horse and rider, he really was. Which made a new problem for Moire Ain. Her legs were pretty short, and she couldn’t run fast enough to keep up.
    She thought of page 125 in her book. There had been a picture of a flying wizard. Moire Ain could do that, couldn’t she? She’d made a rope out of her belt and crossed the river.
    â€œI can fly,” she said.
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œSee the picture of the flying wizard?” She pulled the book out of her pouch and flipped it open.
    Cl’rnce leaned close to the page. He ducked his head, peering underneath the book and then staring at the front cover. He said, “Just curious. But how far along are you in your
Magicks Mysteries
book?”
    Moire Ain pointed again at the picture, trying to picture herself in the air like she had pictured her river crossing. “Flying!”
    â€œYou’ve done this spell?” Cl’rnce looked skeptical. He was probably thinking about how her spell on Sir George had expired.
    She couldn’t lie. “Well, not yet. The words. I can’t—” Moire Ain started to say.
    â€œSo you can’t fly.” Cl’rnce turned and strode away like he was going to leave her behind. “We need to get out of here.”
    â€œI can too fly.” She couldn’t let him decide he didn’t need her, didn’t want her along. She ran and caught up with him. Jumping in front of him, she waved her arms to make him stop. “I can do spells, which means I can fly. It’s just another spell.”
    â€œI hate to bring this up. But your spell to make Nasty Sir George stay still didn’t really work. Are you sure you can do spells?”
    Moire Ain’s shoulders drooped, and her chin dropped nearly to her skinny chest. She couldn’t lie tohim, even if it meant this dr’gon was going to abandon her. “Not exactly.”
    â€œWell, then. Let’s do it my way and
RUN
!” He scooped her up and sped faster than Moire Ain had ever seen anything run.
    In no time they were so far down the road and past the forest that they were racing through fields. “Can you see him?” Cl’rnce panted.
    Moire Ain, from her position slung over his shoulder, answered, “Nope. No sign of him. You really are some runner. No wonder you don’t fly. Or are you some species of non-flying dr’gon?”
    â€œToo many questions. There’s a village up ahead. I’m going to put you down. You’re going to walk into the village and scout for a place for us to spend the night.”
    â€œWhy am I going alone? Why are we looking for a place for the night so soon? It’s still daytime.”
    Cl’rnce groaned. “Are you as naggy as my sister?” He slowed and stopped behind a very tall haystack. As Moire Ain slid to the ground, he sighed as if he was expecting her to keep on berating him.
    But she knew what it was like to hear nothing but negatives, so she cocked her head to one side and asked quietly, “Why is Sir George chasing you?”
    â€œBecause he kills dr’gons. According to my sister, he’s looking to kill a River Dr’gon, which I am. So he’s after me.”
    Moire Ain plopped down in the shade of the haystack. “I hate killers. Why you? Why not your sister? Pardon me. I didn’t mean anything against your sister. But why