As the last bite of the dappleberry disappeared, an awkward silence settled between us. The air seemed to thicken with a hint of embarrassment, a tangible pause as neither of us knew quite how to proceed next. There I was, a dragon, lacking the ability to communicate through words, and she, a girl from who knows where, sitting beside a creature she thought would eat her just earlier.

Breaking the silence, the girl cleared her throat gently, her voice barely above a whisper as she introduced herself. "I'm Ryone," she said as she finally raised her eyes to meet mine. Admitting her name with a timid voice, I couldn't help but feel a connection forming between us.

Ryone huh… that’s a pretty name.

For a moment, I wondered what tales she held within her, what paths had led her to cross mine.

She kept looking at me with an intrigued gaze. “You understand my words?”

I gently nodded my head in acknowledgement.

Then, almost to herself but loud enough for me to hear, she began to ponder aloud. "What are you, though? Not a gemtail, that's for sure..." Her voice trailed off as she contemplated, her eyes scanning me from head to tail, taking in my scale-covered form.

At the mention of 'gemtail', a flicker of offense sparked within me. My snout wrinkled into a sneer involuntarily, my pride as a dragon momentarily wounded by the comparison. I didn’t know why being called a giant lizard triggered me so much.

I guess turning into a dragon really did change the way I think…

To be mistaken for a mere creature of the forest when I carried the legacy of dragons in my very bones was, admittedly, a slight I could not ignore.

Ryone's eyes snapped up to mine at the change in my expression, realization dawning on her. "Oh, you're not... I'm sorry, I just assumed because... Well, I've never seen anything like you before," she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And you don't have a gem on your tail..."

Her words hung in the air, an acknowledgment of her mistake and an apology wrapped into one. I let the sneer fade from my lips, understanding the genuine confusion and curiosity behind her assumption.

Seeing her so earnest, I decided to let the misunderstanding slide. After all, how could she have known what I was without a proper introduction? Not that I could offer one in the conventional sense, but her realization that I was not a gemtail, based on the lack of a gem on my tail, was a start.

Honestly, why does everyone confuse me for that creature? Our differences are quite stark…

As silence returned between us, Ryone suddenly grimaced, a soft but unmistakable noise of pain escaping her lips. My attention immediately shifted to the source of her discomfort, her wounded leg, which I had hastily bandaged the night before using a mash of healroot and a large leaf.

As she examined the makeshift bandage, I moved closer, with curiosity and concern. My sudden approach seemed to startle her momentarily, but her focus quickly returned to her injury.

"Did you... do this?" Ryone asked, her eyes lifting to meet mine once again. I nodded, hoping my gesture conveyed the care and intent behind my actions.

A look of gratitude washed over her face as she observed the wound. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice laced with sincerity. Though the bandage was now dirtied with blood, it seemed the healroot had begun its work. The injury, while still present, appeared less dire than it had the day before.

I didn’t know much about wounds, but it looked like replacing the bandage would have been necessary, given how dirty the old one had gotten. Pulling out another healroot from my satchel, I deftly mushed it into a pulp between my claws. Next, I prepared another leaf to serve as a new bandage, laying it flat on the ground beside me.

With a gentle thought, I commanded a few vines to assist in removing the soiled bandage.

She reeled back, startled by the sudden movement of the vines around us, but she faded into a look of fascination and trust as she realized my intent was only to help.

“You don’t need to do this, I can take care of it on my own…” She said while attempting to stand up, only to let out another growl of discomfort as she dropped back onto the grass.

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Silly girl, just let me help you already.

I gave her an intense stare of disapproval until she finally relented, exposing her wounded leg towards me.

“Alright then…” She trailed off, her gaze now looking away in embarrassment.

The vines moved with delicate precision, unwrapping the old bandage without causing Ryone any further discomfort.

Once the old bandage was removed, I used another set of vines to apply the fresh healroot paste directly onto the wound. She flinched as the paste was being spread on her flesh, but she seemed to understand that it was a necessary discomfort as I noticed her gritting her teeth.

After a few moments, with the same careful motion, the new leaf bandage was wrapped around her leg, secured in place by the natural adhesives within the plant material and small thin vines to wrap it up.

Ryone watched the entire process with wide eyes, a mixture of awe and relief etched onto her features. As the final vine retreated, leaving her with a cleanly bandaged wound, she flexed her leg experimentally, a soft sigh escaping her lips at the reduced discomfort.

“... Thank you.”

Ryone eventually rose to her feet, testing the strength of her newly bandaged leg with a cautious step. She glanced at me, her eyes lingering with a sense of gratitude before shifting back to a more serious expression. "I have to leave this place before they catch me," she confessed, her tone dropping to a whisper as if the very trees might be listening. "I'm on the run from a group of slavers from Kyrekeep, they are probably looking for me as we speak…"

Her words hung heavily between us as I considered her situation.

Slavers? So slaves are a thing in this world, and this little girl is one of them…

As she started to gather herself, a look of determination set on her face, I found myself at a crossroads.

Kyrekeep huh… it doesn’t sound welcoming.

My initial exploration journey had no specific direction, driven by curiosity and the desire to witness the world beyond my forest. And yet, the idea of visiting a settlement, learning more about this world and its cultures, intrigued me. There was also Ryone, with her fugitive situation… If the slavers were from Kyrekeep why would she want to go back there?

After some further deliberation, I figured I had too many questions still begging for an answer, and my curiosity could not be sated by going back into the forest.

As I stood up, shaking the leaves off my scales, Ryone cast a puzzled glance back at me.

“Thank you for saving my life, but I have to go back to Kyrekeep to retrieve my belongings.” She looked at me with a thoughtful gaze before continuing, “If I ever see you again I promise to pay back your kindness.”

After a moment she let out a sigh and nodded to herself before turning around and taking a few hesitant steps. I followed suit behind her until she suddenly stopped, turning to face me with a bewildered expression. "Why are you following me?" she asked, the confusion clear in her bright eyes.

I don’t know, maybe we’re just going in the same direction.

She seemed to read my mind as she started walking again, this time in a different direction.

I matched her pace, my large dragon form moving silently despite my size. A few steps later, she halted once more, whirling around with an even more puzzled look on her face. This time, her bewilderment was mixed with a hint of frustration.

"Are you... are you really following me?" she demanded, hands on her hips. The sight was almost comical, her small stature attempting to assert authority over me.

I nodded, a playful glint in my eyes, unable to convey my reasons but finding amusement in the situation.

She huffed, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite her attempt to appear stern.

"This isn't how it works, you know. You can't just decide to follow someone without... talking it over first!" Her words trailed off, realizing the absurdity of her statement given our inability to communicate.

She decided to try a different approach, pointing in a random direction and saying, "Okay, I'm going this way now," before briskly walking off.

I continued to follow, the corner of my mouth twitching upwards in what could only be described as a dragon's attempt at a smirk.

She walked a few more steps, then spun around abruptly, almost colliding with my snout. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" she accused, her frustrated tone almost making me chuckle.

Once again, I nodded at her remark.

“You can’t come with me! How am I going to explain… you.” Ryone's frustration was evident as she tried to comprehend my silent insistence on accompanying her. Her hands were still on her hips, an expression of disbelief crossing her features as she stared up at my considerably larger form.

I sat down, trying to look as harmless as possible, despite the scales and claws. Maybe if I appeared less imposing, she might reconsider. I tilted my head to one side, attempting to convey my non-verbal plea to accompany her.

Ryone sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You really don't get it, do you?" she muttered, more to herself than to me. "You're not exactly... subtle."

Her gaze lingered on me, analyzing, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

"Fine," she said, throwing her hands up in surrender. "If you're coming with me, at least try to be discreet. I’ll figure out a way to justify your presence on our way there."

I dipped my head in agreement, the beginnings of a plan forming in my mind. As we set off together once again, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for the adventure that lay ahead.