Anya and the Dragon: Chapters 6–11

by Sofiya Pasternack
While trying to capture a dragon to collect a reward and save her family's home, eleven-year-old Anya discovers that the dragon is friendly and also in need of being saved.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–20, Chapters 21–29, Chapters 30–39
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. patronize
    be a regular customer or client of
    She had turned her considerable home into a boarding house, which was normally patronized by lost travelers.
  2. pristine
    completely free from dirt or contamination
    The front door stood open, and Anya poked her head inside, surveying the mess that marred Widow Medvedeva’s usually pristine living room.
  3. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    He clambered off the ground as he glared at his brothers.
  4. expound
    add details to clarify an idea
    Anya took a deep breath, waiting for him to expound.
  5. conspiratorial
    relating to or characteristic of a secret plot or agreement
    Yedsha leaned closer, and in a conspiratorial whisper, he said, “This river valley has more magical creatures in it than anywhere else I’ve been.”
  6. cursory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    Anya gave the counter a cursory brush before she let the dough glomp out into a sticky heap.
  7. render
    show in, or as in, a picture
    He showed Anya a beautifully rendered drawing of a fairy of some kind.
  8. tome
    a large and scholarly book
    He put away the fairy book and pulled out an impressive tome, then opened it on the table between them.
  9. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    Ivan’s eyes shone with reverence.
  10. taxonomist
    a biologist specializing in the classification of organisms
    “There are actually a few schools of thought on dragons. Some of the old taxonomists thought they were all one species that just developed through different life stages, starting out in water, then moving to land, and eventually taking to the air.”
  11. swath
    a path or strip (also figurative)
    “We haven’t seen one flying around, and there aren’t swaths of scorched forest. So unless either of those things happens, we can assume we’re dealing with one that’s either still young enough to be confined to water, or a water dragon.”
  12. tributary
    a branch that flows into the main stream
    “There are cliffs. There are plenty of caves and crevices. Plus water. One of the Sogozha’s tributaries comes from up there.”
  13. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    The domovoi perched on her shoulder, still glowering at Ivan. Not that his dirty looks mattered, since Ivan couldn’t see him.
  14. trundle
    move slowly or heavily
    She trundled past Ivan, and the domovoi snarled soundlessly at the fool as they passed.
  15. underscore
    give extra weight to
    To underscore Babulya’s words, the house spirit stood up tall on Babulya’s shoulder and flicked his wrist at Ivan. A stray wooden spoon sitting on the counter flew up and hit the back of Ivan’s head.
  16. compendium
    a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work
    On the very center of the first page, it read:
    A Compendium of Dangerous Creatures

    Written and Illustrated by
    Ivan Vosmyorka Ivanovich Ivanov
  17. astray
    away from the right path or direction
    The leshy, a forest spirit that looked like a man crossed with a tree, who would lead travelers astray until they died.
  18. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
    According to Ivan’s description, a domovoi was a ghostly entity that would destroy the home unless appeased with sacrifices, and could shape-shift into a wolf or rat if it wanted.
  19. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    According to Ivan’s description, a domovoi was a ghostly entity that would destroy the home unless appeased with sacrifices, and could shape-shift into a wolf or rat if it wanted.
  20. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    Zvezda limped up to her, bleating loudly, with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
  21. temperament
    your usual mood
    They brought rain, but depending on the dragon’s temperament, it could be good rain or bad rain.
  22. herald
    foreshadow or presage
    Behind her, the long, orange sunlight heralded the approach of evening.
  23. impulsive
    determined by chance or whim rather than by necessity
    “Tzivyah was always impulsive and hotheaded. She would have left regardless.”
  24. strife
    bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
    “Well, there you have it! Now we know Anya gets her attitude from your side of the family! Miro was as even-tempered as they come. Not an ounce of strife in the boy, not ever.”
  25. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    Mama’s expression didn’t change, save for a subtle blink that was longer than usual.
  26. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    Tears burned the corners of her eyes, and Anya hurried out of the kitchen before she lost her composure altogether.
  27. amiss
    not functioning properly
    As she turned her head, she noticed something was amiss.
  28. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    The source of the mischief materialized on the other end of the hayloft on the railing.
  29. seethe
    be in an agitated emotional state
    Anya seethed for a few minutes. The house spirit wouldn’t ever have pulled a stunt like that if Papa were home.
  30. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Babulya picked at her slice with gnarled fingers.
  31. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    “Let’s get your older brothers married before we worry about you,” Marina said idly as she spooned more boiled eggs out of the cold water.
  32. exorcise
    expel through adjuration or prayers
    “We go where the tsar says we need to go. Or Papa hears about a demon that needs exorcising.”
  33. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    Whenever Anya complained about something, Babulya would inevitably swoop in with the story of her journey to Zmeyreka so many years ago.
  34. trill
    sing or play alternating with the half note above or below
    “Good morning, Vosya,” Marina trilled.
  35. oblige
    provide a service or favor for someone
    Yedsha wanted to explore the ravines and cliffs Anya had mentioned to Ivan the night before, and Anya was happy to oblige.
  36. incite
    provoke or stir up
    Those who use emotional magic can calm a foe, or incite a gentle creature to rage.
  37. enthralled
    filled with wonder and delight
    Anya had meant to get him talking as a distraction, but now she listened, completely enthralled.
  38. imbue
    give qualities or abilities to; endow
    “The great bogatyri are humans who are imbued with magic power,” Yedsha said.
  39. manipulation
    exerting shrewd or devious influence for one's own advantage
    “Manipulation of the right magic in the right way could alter the trajectory of fate magic ever so slightly, and cause far-reaching changes. Only fools can interact with fate magic directly, and only by accident.”
  40. wield
    have and exercise
    If they found the dragon up in the cliffs and it attacked, would fool magic protect Anya, or only the fools wielding it?
Created on Wed May 11 12:47:03 EDT 2022 (updated Mon May 23 09:16:02 EDT 2022)

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