The Storm Dragon Read Online Free

sneeze. Sophy stepped back to avoid the burst of flame and the puff of smoke that followed. She wafted the smoke away with her hands and slipped into the pantry, closing the door behind her. “Cloudy, what’s wrong?”
    “Oh, Sophy!” sniffled Cloudy. “I’ve been a very bad dragon.”
    “You mean because you ate the chocolate cake?” Sophy searched around in the dark and found a tear-stained Cloudy huddled next to a sack of porridge oats. She knelt down and putan arm round him. “Don’t worry about that. You’ve had a terrible day – hurting your wing and everything. No wonder you were hungry!”

    Cloudy hiccuped. “It’s not just the cake! I was naughty to go flying by myself. My brother told me I should wait till I was bigger but I didn’t listen.”
    A swirl of wind whisked around the pantry, rustling the bags of flour. Sophy patted Cloudy comfortingly, hoping to calm him down.
    There was a quiet knock on the pantry door. “Sophy, it’s me – Tom.” The door opened and Tom’s face peered round. “Is the dragon here? Wow! Isn’t he small!”
    Sophy hugged Cloudy, who was trying to hide behind her. “Don’t be scared. It’s only my friend, Tom. He won’t hurt you.”
    Cloudy looked doubtfully at Tom, and then crept over to sniff his shoes. “What is the freckled boy saying?”
    “Can’t you two understand each other?” Sophy handed Tom the hollow stone with the purple crystals inside. “Here! All the magic began when this stone broke into two pieces.”
    Tom looked at it curiously. “Hello, Cloudy, I’m Tom. Can you understand what I’m saying?”
    Cloudy wrinkled his little face and looked confused. It was clear that he didn’t understand at all. Sophy felt a fluttering inside. So the magical stone only worked for her. That was even more amazing!
    “Are you trying to trick me?” Tom gave Sophy the stone back, frowning.
    “No, I’m not – honestly!” she told him.
    Tom still looked doubtful.
    Sophy turned to the little dragon. “Look, there isn’t much time. Mrs Ricker could come back any minute. Cloudy, I’m taking you somewhere safe until I’ve thought of a plan to get you out of the castle. Wait here a second.”
    Sophy dashed to the laundry room. She grabbed some of the sheets and clothes folded neatly on the side and stuffed them higgledy-piggledy into a large wicker laundry basket.Then she hurried back to the pantry.
    Tom went out to check the corridor. “There’s no one here,” he called back. “I’ll clean up the cake crumbs. Go quickly before someone sees you!”
    “Thanks, Tom.” Sophy put down the basket and lifted up the clothes. “Hop in, Cloudy. You’ll be completely hidden in here.”
    Cloudy climbed in and curled up, and Sophy arranged the sheets and clothes over the top of him. “Just try not to make any flames,” she added nervously.
    “Yes, Sophy!” Cloudy’s voice was muffled by the sheets.

    Sophy checked every bit of the dragon was covered. Then she picked up the basket. It felt much heavier but she could carry it quite easily. She left the kitchen and took the spiral staircase used by the servants. She met Mrs Ricker at the top of the steps and her heart sank.
    “Oh, Sophy! I need to speak to you.” Mrs Ricker glanced at Sophy and then frowned at the laundry basket. “Keep out of the garden for a while. The guards are searching for some dreadful beast that’s invaded the grounds. They’re saying it could be a dragon.”
    “Yes, Mrs Ricker.” Sophy tried to edge past. She could feel Cloudy wriggling in the bottom of the basket. The sheets on top of him started to quiver.
    The housekeeper put a hand on Sophy’s arm. “Be very careful!” She lowered her voice. “This beast must have some deadly plan. The queen has given orders for it to be locked in the dungeons when it’s found.”
    Sophy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. As soon as she turned the corner, she began to run, the basket bumping against her knees. She reached her