She stared at the creature in awe. It was massive. The girl had never encountered something so big. The creature was bigger than any horse she had encountered. It had razor sharp claws that led to spindly legs. It had a hide of scales that were a shade of purple so dark that they were almost black. Its teeth were as long as her forearms and as sharp as a fresh sword.
  These features weren’t what shocked her. She was shocked by the intelligent look in its cat-like eyes. This creature was looking at her like she looked at it, with a gaze of curiosity and awe. It sat back on its haunches and seemed to be taking in her appearance. She dared not to release her breath lest she scare it away. She stared at this great creature and knew that it was not going to hurt her. It was not going to eat her whole and leave her bones for scavengers. She saw the gentleness behind the ferocity, the kindness behind the harsh look in its features. She looked at this creature and saw a friend.
   She took a step forward, releasing her breath. The creature allowed it. She took a few more, and still, it sat there. It wasn’t until she was a mere foot away from the creature that it looked skeptical. She extended her arm to see what it would do. The creature shied away, but she was persistent. Finally, she was able to place a palm on its purple hide. It was warm and reassuring, strong and flexible. She knew at once that they belonged together.
    She held her breath as the great creature took a few steps back. The seams on its back that she noticed while petting it grew. It wasn’t until it was off the ground and high in the sky that she understood what the creature was. A dragon. She had just met a dragon. Its wings blew a soft wind across her face as if saying goodbye. She couldn’t help but smile and wave to the dragon as it took off, for she knew she would see it again when she needed to.