The Snowager's Story.

     Beth had a long story. She had had several owners over the years, and times had been hard. One of her owners had been the Snowager-she had been forgotten in its cave as a tiny child. She didn't know why it didn't just eat her or blast her, but what she did know is that her blanket was left inside the cave when her next, cruel owner picked her up. But now-Tallulah was a wonderful owner, who loved her and was loved by her. She even risked her and one of her other pet's lives to pick up Beth's cherished childhood blanket from the Snowager's cave! Happily, Beth walked out of terror mountain with her and the rest of the pets.

      ***

     "I wonder why it didn't just eat her on the spot," Tallulah said. She and Seaglass, her Kougra, were talking about Beth's childhood. "I wonder what all happened when she was in its care?"

     "I guess we will never know," Seaglass said. "After all, nobody could know."

     "Nobody except-" Tallulah was thinking.

     "Oh no. No way. You're crazy!!!" Seaglass said. "There is NO WAY we are doing that! the Snowager can't even talk, and besides, purposely waking him up? that's just reckless!"

     Tallulah was always hungry for information. When she couldn't find it, it nagged at her until she did. It was impossible to get her of the trail of information when she was on it. Seaglass sighed. "Nothing I can say will change your mind, will it?" she asked. Tallulah shook her head.

      ***

     Tallulah and Seaglass had been to the cave of the Snowager ten times. Every single time it had blasted them with ice, tried to eat them, and all sorts of other things. Tallulah was frustrated. "I don't know what to do!" She said one night. "Why is the big snake so angry???" Bethy overheard her.

     "Why don't you take me instead of Seaglass?" she said. "It didn't frost me once, maybe it will be merciful this time, too."

     Tallulah agreed.

     The next morning, Tallulah and the rest of her pets journeyed over to Terror Mountain. The hike was long and arduous, but finally, they made it to the ice caves. Tallulah and Beth stopped at the Snowager's cave. They took a deep breath and went inside.

     The big, icy serpent was coiled around mounds of gold and neggs and all sorts of things-from the tear of Thyora to a rainbow pearl, it was all there. The creature of all this treasure was staring right at them, unnervingly. It reared up and opened its mouth, then looked at Beth, who was shaking behind her wings. The Snowager closed its mouth and lowered its head to their level and looked closely at Beth. Then it put its head right on the ground in front of her. Cautiously, Beth touched its head. Then something amazing happened-the Snowager smiled!

     "Shara!" the voice, unmistakably the Snowager's, boomed in their heads. The nuance of it did not sound like a bloodthirsty serpent-it sounded more like that of a mother who has been reunited with her daughter after many years...the Snowager called again. "Shara! it's you!" she-for the Snowager was unmistakably a female reared up, seeming to wiggle up to the ceiling. Then she came down and scooped Beth up onto her neck. "Oh, thank you for returning her to me!" she called out to me.

     "But wait!" Beth called. "Wait! she's my...owner."

     the Snowager frowned. "But...you don't want to be with me?" she asked.

     "I... don't remember my time with you..." Beth said.

     "of course, you were only a wee little child at the time..." the Snowager said. "But...why did you come here then?"

     "We wanted to know about Beth's time with you," Tallulah said.

     "Beth?" the Snowager looked quizzically at her. "You mean Shara?"

     Tallulah's brow furrowed. "If by Shara you mean the Shoyru on your neck, then yes, but..."

     "Oh, right. I should have known that you humans would have renamed her." the Snowager said. "The name I gave her was Shara."

     "Shara...I like it" Beth said. "It's so much better than Beth." the Snowager smiled.

     "So, you want to hear about her time with me?" she asked Tallulah, as she put Beth back next to her.

     "Yes, please," Tallulah said.

     "To tell her tale I must first go back very far, to the beginning of mine..." and so, the Snowager began.

     "I loved sparkly things. I collected lots of things, braving the heat of the lost desert to the sickeningly sweet air of Faerieland. I stole things from everyone-maricite coins from king Kelpbeard's parents, rare items from the hidden tower of Faerieland, neggs from the negg faerie. I kept taking and taking and taking until my cave here was absolutely filled with all the treasures I collected. When I finally ran out of room, I created a little cave in the back of my cave to contain more and more treasures. The citizens of Neopia started to get worried-what if I stole everything? -so they sent their best wizard to put me under a sleeping spell so that I would be dormant."

     "The wizard entered my cave just as I was swallowing my lunch- a few neggs, nothing to be mad about-and he raised his wand. I knew he was going to cast a spell and reared up. I was scared, and just as he said the magic words, I encased him in ice! unfortunately, the spell was not quite stopped, so I was halfway under his spell-as I will always be, for eternity. I laid down, feeling very sleepy, and slept."

     "For a while I slumbered undisturbed. Then that fool of an Aisha entered my cave and woke me! I was grumpy at being awoken and wanted to be left alone! I ate him and have regretted it ever since. After that, many Neopians visited me. Either they awoke my fury by waking me up unwarranted, or they were after my treasure which I was so protective of. Over time, I had a feeling that something was missing. I couldn't place it, except that, unmistakably, the thing that was missing was missing in me. Then I met Shara. She was left in my cave by some careless adventurer, and was fast asleep, curled up in a little ball. At first, I thought she was after my treasure, but her tiny fists were empty, likewise, no other part of her had any trace of my treasure on or in it. She looked very peaceful in her sleep, and I thought, that there was no harm in letting her stay until her owner came back for her, as I was sure they would. Tucking her into my tail, I had a feeling-or rather, a feeling left, that missing piece feeling I had had before. I named her Shara."

     "Shara grew quickly. Very soon I was surprised to find that she no longer fitted into the small coil of my tail, when she had slipped in so well the night before, too! the sleeping spell was wearing off very much- I was often more awake than asleep during the day.

     Then, one day, I woke up to find Shara gone! at first, I thought she had gone into my other cave-she often did so to snack on the neggs sometimes stored there-but she wasn't there. I searched for her everywhere, but couldn't find her, until at last, I had to assume she had been taken in the night.

     After that I was always upset. No Neopian who entered my cave was safe, and since I had gotten used to sharing Shara's body heat at night I slept fitfully. I missed her.

     Five years I have not seen her-five out of the six years that I knew she existed. to see her again has been a blessing, but also a curse, because she has grown out of me." having completed her tale, the Snowager lowered her head sadly.

     "We'll bring her to visit you," Tallulah said.

     "Really? you'd do that for me?" the Snowager asked.

     "Yes, I would. maybe we could even let her sleep with you some nights" Tallulah smiled. "You have more claim to her-it's the least I can do."

     the Snowager smiled. "Thank you, thank you so much!" she said.

     "Do you have a name?" Tallulah asked her.

     "Yes, I'm Shanoah," the Snowager said. "And you're..."

     "Tallulah," Tallulah said. "it's nice to meet you." Shanoah smiled.

     "it's nice to meet you too," she said.

     from then on, Shanoah and Tallulah were good friends. Tallulah kept her word and often took Shara to visit Shanoah, and sometimes she stayed to chat with Shanoah as well. and so, this story draws to a close.

     The End.