title: The Dragon and The Rose: Part 1: The Turning Point
author: Diane Hundertmark
description: The author was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. One of her first jobs after graduating from Katherine Gibbs School of Business was at the Providence Public Library, which provided an excellent opportunity to devour their wonderful collection of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She went on to study Anthropology at Rhode Island College. The author now lives in Maryland.
zlib_text: **PROLOGUE**
  
  “Dragons," said Mollander. He snatched a withered apple off the ground and
  tossed it hand to hand. "Throw the apple," urged Alleras the Sphinx. lie
  slipped an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bowstring.
  
  "I should like to see a dragon." Roone was the youngest of them, a chunky boy
  still two years shy of manhood. "1 should like that very much."
  
  And I should like to sleep with Rose\''s arms around me, Pate thought. Me
  shifted restlesslv on the bench. By the morrow the girl could well be his. /
  
  will take her far from Oldtoum, across the narrow sea to one of the Free
  Cities.
  
  There were no maesters there, no one to accuse him.
  
  He could hear Emma's laughter coming through a shuttered window-overhead.
  
  mingled with the deeper voice of the man she was entertaining. She was the
  oldest of the serving wenches at the Quill and Tankard, forh' if she was a
  day.
  
  but still pretty in a fleshy sort of way. Rosey was her daughter, fifteen and
  freshly flowered. Emma had decree