Rake 13 years old.

Full name: Drake Gardener Junior

His father called him Rake. His mother changed it to Drake because she thought it sounded a little more like a proper name.

Nicknames:
His family and friends all call him Rake.
Dragon calls him Gardener, Garden Boy and Dung Boy.

Job description:
To maintain the formal Royal gardens.
To grow exotic vegetables, fruits and herbs for the Royal table.

Rakes history:
His mother was the daughter of a fisherman and his father worked in the Royal gardens. Rake was born on a bright spring morning between a patch of pumpkins and a row of radishes. His mother had come to tell Rake's father that the birth was near, but it was nearer than she realised. Baby Rake was delivered into a seed tray and taken to the royal fountain for his first wash.

Rake's Grandfather was the Royal gardener to King Aldric and designed and established the main gardens. Rake showed promise at a young age and when he turned 6 years old his grandfather made him an apprentice.

Rake was brought up by his Grandfather. His father left to fulfil a dream of being a sailor and Rake gets regular messages from the fisherman about his parents who work together on a trading vessel.

His Grandfather died when Rake was eleven years old. The old gardener left Rake his leather waistcoat and seed bag and Rake took sole charge of all the Royal gardens.

Ambition:
Rake wants his compost to be famous throughout the kingdom. His greatest pride and joy is his compost heap, a steaming pile of rotting vegetable scraps, straw and dragon dung. Rake helps Smithy muck out the stables, and in return he gets all the manure he needs for this beloved compost heap.

Favourite food:
All vegetables. Rake believes vegetables are the source of everything good in life. And of all the vegetables he loves sweet baby carrots the best.

Favourite song:
Rake loves a good love ballad. While he works he whistles some of them, and sings to the plants if no-one else is close by. His favourite ballad is 'The tale of Betty Potter,' a love story about a potter's daughter who falls in love with a white heron.

Favourite pastime:
Cultivating exotic new plants brought to him as seeds by Jane and Dragon from their far off adventures.