taruca directed them towards the island 's southern end , where a broad hillside cut with terraces rose up from a series of storehouses at its base , and at the summit a great courtyard where a truly immense dragon slept : longer than kulingile even , and perhaps near him in weight , although that was difficult to tell beneath the feathery scales ; she was burnt orange and violet in her markings , but the scales were faded along their length and nearly grey at the tips , and her eyes , opening as they landed before her , were filmy with age .