This is such a beautifully powerful story. The characters are so well formed in their own right, yet still hold the hint of a greater metaphor. I just adore the idea of the last forest being the last forest of all these creatures, those of legend, hunted to the brink of extinction. A true to life fantasy, I hope creatures like the Tasmanian Wolf have found a place to live beyond the deliberate destruction of man. There is so much meaning in this, and yet the story itself is just so enchanting. The gargoyle, his history and the loss of his friend, his acceptance of death and headlong rush towards it, only to find himself spared, and changed for it. Mored has a depth that makes it hard not to feel for him, and then finding the injured dragon, something so different to him - yet the same for it. The ending has such impact, the shadow of fear, the looming threat ever present on the horizon, the gratitude for another night of peace knowing it could end at any moment. This hinges so very well with eating a meal, the value found in the place he has, his meal, for all that has been lost. It carries a hint of how easy it is to take things for granted. And it's all so wonderfully told <3