There was a time when the ice was ruled by nine bears….

And finally, I can’t close this section without bowing to the wishes of a huge number of fans who have begged to know why all the dragons’ names begin with a G. The answer is in Dark Fire, but for those of you who haven’t read that far yet, here goes. A little preamble from Arthur first, then the reveal by Gwilanna (she’s got to be good for something).

 

“When I was at the abbey, I had a dream. I saw the universe created from the outgoing breath of a dragon called Godith. Everything was born from the fire of that dragon. A white fire. Auma in its purest sense. You and I, this physical world we inhabit, came into being when the fire cooled down to a low enough vibration to produce ingenious combinations of atoms and molecules.”

 

Hy-dragon, rather then hydrogen, one assumes. Well, we humans nearly got it right!

 

“The letter G,” said Zanna, wishing more than anything she’d brought Gretel with her. The potions dragon would have been working on escape routes from the start. Moments to live? What was the crazed witch talking about?

“Not just any G,” Gwilanna drawled on. “A G curling into an isoscele. It represents the tail of their creator, the she-dragon, Godith. Haven’t you ever wondered why dragons copy it into their names? To have the sign of Godith on your breath is a mark of respect. Really, girl, you’re such a waste. You could have learned so much from me.”

So now you know.