The Witch and the Dragon

 Once upon a time (back in the last century) there a witch was born who was different than the rest of her family. You see this witch didn't want to ride brooms. 

It's not that she didn't like brooms but this witch wanted to ride dragons. 

She dreamed of dragons, read about dragons and drew them endlessly in her school books.  Her family thought she would outgrow it but she never did. 

And when she was old enough she began to learn about dragons and how to ride them.  

Mostly. She fell a lot. And had her foot stepped on a few times. 

But she never gave up. 

After years of searching she found her dream dragon. He was smart and inquisitive and devilish. 

They were just beginning to soar the skies when he died, leaving the, now much older witch, shattered and broken hearted. 

The dream of dragons did not fade and soon the witch found herself on a journey with a fellow dragon lover to search for a new dream.  

And she found one- a dragon who seemed as lost as the witch. So she brought the new dragon home and tried to pick up the pieces of her broken dream. 

The new dragon though was different. She was mistrustful and proud and not sure she wanted a witch at all. The dragon had lived in many places and felt that she could only depend on herself for safety. 

This dragon was difficult and the witch realized she was out of her depth.  She wanted so badly to build a bridge to the dragon but it was hard. The witch studied and learned from others and worked really hard. Some days it seemed hopeless and others there were signs of hope. 

Many other dragon riders tried to help the witch. Some advised her to find a different dragon, one that would be easier. And they weren't wrong. The witch considered it many times but in the end she couldn't do it.  

Other dragon riders shared their expertise. Slowly the witch learned some things. She found what worked and what didn't. Things got better. Some days were worse than others but still the bad days were what used to be the good days. 

No witch stays the same; her experiences all shape and cause her to change. To become more of herself and not at the same time.  The witch knew she was changing but wasn't sure how.  But she didn't worry about it. Her rides and approaches were different. She no longer was driven to get the perfect shoulder in or transition. Instead she was looking to help the dragon understand. She began to be clearer in her thoughts and in her directions. 

She stopped doubting herself and became okay with making mistakes. Mostly. 

It was the dead of winter and rides were less frequent. The ground was brown and frozen. Then one day the snow fell. the next morning there was a carpet of snow creating a fluffy universe. 

The witch decided to take her dragon and play in the snow. The witch followed the same routine as always.  In the field she waited for the dragon to come to her and then offered the halter. The dragon put her head in and stayed even when her pasture mate tried to get her to run. In the barn she offered the bridle and the dragon put her head in. 

Up in the ring the dragon dutifully lunged around the witch and then allowed herself to be mounted. The witch rode a few times around the ring and then things seemed to crystallize in her mind. She hopped off and stripped the tack off the dragon. The dragon used her freedom to leave the witch. 

The witch had no plan, she just wanted to be with the dragon with zero agenda.  Instead of being frustrated or upset that the dragon was doing her own thing. Instead she just enjoyed her beauty and delighted in the playing in the snow. 

The dragon was intrigued. No one was chasing her or sending out orders. And so the dragon began to look at the witch and come closer.  When she stayed the witch gently stroked the mare and then turned and walked away. The dragon followed until they were matching steps.  

The witch was thrilled. They walked softly around the ring with no other goal than being together. The witch then stood on the mounting block and held out her arm. The dragon knew that this was the signal to line up to the mounting block. But she was free and didn't have to. The dragon thought for a minute and then, slowly and carefully, lined herself up so that she was beside the mounting block. The witch patted and rubbed her in all her itchy spots. 

Now, if this was a fairy tale of princesses and castles the witch would have mounted the mare bareback and bridleless and they would have ridden off to the sunset. But this is not a fairy tale. 

The witch could see that the dragon was uncertain and worried. So instead of mounting, she rubbed her some more and then hopped off the block and they walked to the gate where the dragon slipped her head into the halter and the witch and the dragon walked quietly backed to the barn.