Dragon Dreams Read Online Free

to try.

Chapter 10
The Dragon Caverns
    Yay! It’s time to board the carriages. I’ve got my notebook and my dragon kit, and I’m all ready. Rapunzel and I sit together. Everyone has noticed her hair, but Rapunzel is trying to make the best of it. I’m glad the field trip will help take her mind off it.
    The carriages are pulling up at theentrance to the caverns. The gnomes who are waiting for us sure look grumpy. I think they make even Lady Mary a little nervous. She clears her throat twice before reminding us of the rules for the field trip.

    “Now girls, remember to stay with your partners. Pay close attention to our guides,and
don’t
wander off in any of the cavern tunnels.”
    We set off. The tunnels twist and turn. Lanterns on the wall light the way, but it’s pretty dark in some of the passageways.
    Alex is right ahead of me. She whispers, “I would hate to be lost in here!”
    “I know,” I answer. But inside, I can’t wait to see the dragons.
    Our first stop is the hatchery. Even though dragon fire has singed some spots, I’m surprised to see how leafy the trees are and how lush the moss and ferns are here. The hatchery feels like a giant green pillow for dragon eggs. It turns out heat helps the eggs hatch. I make some notes and draw a picture of the hatchery in my dragon field guide.
    As the gnomes lead us farther into the caverns, it starts to get cooler. You can barely see the rock ceilings, they’re so far overhead. All of a sudden we come out into an open area surrounded by cliffs. I can see baby dragons peeking out of nests tucked into nooks. Bigger dragons fly overhead.

    I wonder how Lola and Harold would get along with a baby dragon. Or how Mom and Dad would. I pull the binoculars out of my backpack to get a closer look. But when I look through them, I see something I didn’t notice at first. The dragons actually look a little tired and faded—not bright and sparkly like they should.
    I want to watch for longer, but the gnomes start to lead us back into another tunnel. By the time I put my binoculars away, my group—Rapunzel, Moriah, Alex, and I—is the last in line. “Come on!” Rapunzel says. “We need to keep up.”
    My mind is busy. How am I going to figure out what the problem is? I need some clues. I’m so deep in thought, I must have stopped without knowing, because Rapunzelbumps into me. Moriah stumbles into her. Alex crashes into all of us, and my back-pack flies off and bangs against the lantern on the wall.
    CRASH!

    We all freeze. I feel around for my backpack and find the flashlight.
    CLICK.
    Everyone talks at the same time.
    “Ouch!” I say.
    “What happened?” Rapunzel asks.
    Moriah says, “Why on earth were you running, Alex?!”
    “How was I supposed to know you all were going to stop!” Alex says.
    I can’t help it—I start to laugh. We’re a four-princess pile-up.
    Rapunzel and Alex giggle. Pretty soon, we’re all laughing.
    “Uh-oh,” says Moriah. She looks around. “Where
is
everybody?!”
    The rest of our class is gone. Theymust have turned in to one of the other tunnels. But which one?!
    “What are we going to do?” Alex says.
    No one answers.
    “Um… I think we’re going to have to find a gnome to ask for help.”
    All eyes turn to me. “Wait a second! I said ‘we,’ not me!”
    “Come on, Emma,” Alex says.
    Even Moriah chimes in. “Please, Emma!”
    I’m pretty nervous about the idea of talking to a strange gnome, but I choose one of the tunnels. Rapunzel, Alex, and Moriah follow close behind me. There’s a not-so-happy-looking gnome coming toward us. I stop and take a deep breath.
    “Excuse me, Mr. Gnome, sir, but we’ve lost our way.”
    He mutters something about “interfering Royal Council and underfoot princesses,” and hurries past us. This is definitely
not
going to be easy.

Chapter 11
A School for Gnomes
    After a while, we come to a big stone building carved into the side of the rock. It has a sign that says
The Gnarly