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I woke, my body already stiff, dreading the day ahead. The doctor cleared me but since I was still gaining strength I got switched to sheep duty. Just what I need to lift my spirits…feeding sheep knowing they will later become food themselves. I sat up when I heard a knock. “Hey, I wanna finish sheep duty before all the good pastries are gone. Move it or lose-...well just move it!” Ridoc. I couldn’t fault the guy for staying so upbeat, but I wish he hadn’t switched his chore to match mine. I didn’t need a pity babysitter. I needed my leg.
We approached the field and the sheep flocked to Ridoc as he filled the trough. I heard a loud bleat and a thunk. I looked around to see what happened and noticed a fluffy ball splayed out on the ground. It didn’t stay down long before getting up again and trying to make its way around the other sheep to the food. It kept stumbling around as if it had no control over its own limbs and that’s when I realized why…it was missing a leg. Just like me. “Yo Sawyer I just found the weirdest teal mushroom in the field over there and there was a HUGE toad on it…oh gods IT WAS A TOAD ON A TOADSTOOL! Get it? Hey, do you think if the toad ate the toadstool, he would turn into that Toad from Mario? Or would it just be a weird form of cannibalism…I wonder if-“ Ridoc’s nonsense faded into the background as I stood watching in awe as the sheep got up time and time again after every failed attempt, determined to push through. I was transfixed.
“That’s Vanth, she’s my favourite” came a voice to my right. I looked up and saw a third year make his way over to the trough and grab a handful of food. “She got her leg caught in the fence a few months back but she’s still a persistent little thing, isn’t she?” He walked over to her and held out his hand full of food that she greedily ate. “She hasn’t slowed down once since she fully healed.” He let out a chuckle. “Still the same troublemaker she was before the accident. Seems like most of the dragons are annoyed by her and won’t even get close enough to eat her so she’s kind of like the pet of the stable. Stubborn gal wouldn’t accept any help the first few days, but she came around.”
“She seems pretty useless now. Why not just put her out of her misery?” The question was out of my mouth before I had thought better of it, before I had realized I was talking about myself. The third year frowned and looked down at my leg briefly. I winced. “Just because she must learn to do things differently, doesn’t mean she’s useless. We are all growing and learning how to cope with new challenges. Hers just happens to be a lost leg. If you’ve got the right support system you can do anything. You just have to accept the help offered to you. She is still capable of great things; she just has to find the will to go on and adapt.” He met my eyes as he said the last sentence.
I looked over at Ridoc talking to the toad and shook my head. “Yeah…I guess you’re right.” Ridoc started hopping and I rolled my eyes. “HEY FROG MAN LETS GO! I think I want to start training after breakfast.” Ridoc beamed and I smiled back.