I woke up in bed, covered with a soft, warm blanket. The room was semi-dark, the soothing murmurs of a thunderstorm coming from outside.

For a few moments, I just stared at the creamy ceiling, searching my fogged mind for something that would explain me being here, feeling light and drained... and the moment I finally remembered, a soft voice came from my left: "Well good morning, sleepyhead." It was Yasenka. She sat down by my side, smiling. "How do you feel?"

I didn't answer right away, just stared at her, still only half-conscious. "How's Siaril...?" I finally rasped.

She sighed heavily, giving the ceiling a resigned look. "If the first thing that comes to your mind after awakening is Siaril, then I suppose you're just fine..." she said sarcastically. "You should worry about yourself sometimes too, you know."

"But is he alright...?"

"He is, he was sleeping like a baby when I checked on him an hour ago. Can I get my answer as well please?"

"I'm fagged out..."

"Sounds adequate to what you were up to... Does anything hurt?"

I tried moving carefully. "No... there is just still a bit of numbness in my shoulder and wing... not as bad as it was though."

"Your fault for letting him get you like that... But I checked them, they're not damaged," she caressed the surface of my wing with her fingertips, sending a warm shiver up to my shoulder blade. "I still have some herbs, I should be able to conjure something that will make it better."

"Thanks..." I finally managed a small smile. I was so glad everything ended well...

"But I'd say you deserved it in a way."

"Excuse me?"

"What did I tell you about using anger as a source for the fire?"

I winced. "I didn't want to do that, I was just... irritated."

"Exactly. You have to learn to control your anger because I might not be so conveniently at hand next time. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am..."

She smiled, giving me a light flick on the nose, but soon returned to a serious expression again. "Tell me though... you said something about that man not really wanting to hurt us before you passed out... what did you mean?"

"Oh... well..." I turned my eyes to the window, gathering my still scattered thoughts. "I just had that feeling... he had so many opportunities to really hurt us... he was so powerful... If he wanted, he could probably have finished us off with just the flick of a wrist... but he didn't... It didn't feel like he was just playing with us for his own pleasure either... I admit, I was a bit blinded by rage and fear, but he... he did try to tell me something, and I never let him... And he said that there was another man who actually attacked Siaril, and my sirath didn't protest to that..."

Yasenka was quiet for quite long, her gaze fixed absently on the green of my bed sheets. Finally, the thoughtful look dispelled from her eyes and she sighed again, softly this time.

"I have a feeling it makes no sense to think about it now... we won't find an answer without having at least one of those men here. Say... would you have enough strength to get up soon?"

"Depends on what for..."

"I thought a warm bath would help against the numbness. Siaril could use some relaxation too..."

I smiled sleepily. "Sounds tempting."

"I'll go ask Light if we can organize some hot water then, and you try to collect yourself in the meantime," she got up. "I'll come get you when it's ready."

I nodded gratefully and closed my eyes again. After hearing the door closing silently, I stayed like this for a while longer, drifting away into a sleep as delicate as a spider web every now and then. But eventually I got fed up with lying in this bed. I've spent way too much time in it lately.

I carefully sat up, fearing some pain, but none came from neither my shoulder nor my wing. I got up, walked over to the dresser and started to search for the bath towel.

The moment I finally found it, a knock came from my door and Yasenka peeked inside after an inviting hum from me.

"Oh, you got up on your own," despite her earlier scolding, she seemed relieved. "You're not in as a bad shape as I thought. Do you need help getting down?"

"Don't exaggerate, I can do it."

She answered with a smile and disappeared. I took the towel and a fresh shirt with me and left as well.

What hit me immediately in the anteroom was some pleasant smell that hung in the air. I sniffed, curious. It smelled kind of like spruces, but I wasn't sure. There was something exotic to it that didn't exactly match my memory. I carefully went down the stairs and at first almost didn't notice Siaril with his pale skin among all that sandstone. His black hair was the only thing that made him distinguishable. He was sitting with his forearms crossed on the bath's edge, his chin resting on them. He seemed to doze, lulled by the water's warmth.

I smiled and did my best to make my steps quieter as I descended all the way down. There were three windows on the widest wall of the room: one tall in the middle, now slightly ajar to let some fresh air and the murmur of the leaving thunderstorm in, and two smaller ones on its sides, all looking out to the lake. Even with their help the room was semi-dark due to the clouds, but there were a few candelabras lit here and there along the other walls. I liked such weather sometimes, but only when I was on the safe side of the window. The invigorating scent of forest was even clearer down there and it seemed like the air has become cleaner from it. It somehow reminded me of the breath of the Silivren Forest. Yasenka must have added some sophisticated illathan extract to the water.

I hid behind a screen in the corner and tugged at the delicate leather bands underneath my wings. I liked this addition that Yasenka equipped my shirts with. It was simplistic by design, but if I bothered to bind them more fancifully, it could look quite elegant.

Tying the towel around my hips, I carefully stepped into the water, trying not to agitate it too much. It was delightfully hot and I felt my muscles relax almost immediately.

The moment I sat down on the ledge carved skillfully out of the sandstone, Siaril stirred and spoke, not even bothering to open his eyes: "It's not like I'll punch you if you make any loud noise, you know," his voice was amused, which brought another touch of relief.

"I thought maybe you're sleeping..."

"In water? I'm not you."

I laughed shortly and he opened his eyes. His stare was serious. "Are you alright? Yasenka told me that Canidralth wasn't very delicate with you..."

"Just a little numbness, nothing more... what about you?" my eyes wandered to his temple, where something like a thin layer of balm glistened around the closed wound. "What even happened...?"

"I took a walk to think... It wasn't going to be anything special, I wanted to be back for dinner. When I was close to the northern shores of the lake, a man walked out of the forest. He looked like a normal traveler, cloak, bag, a simple sword by his side... He didn't even say a word, just jumped at me with it."

"Just like that?" I blinked.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Just like that."

"You don't happen to have any enemies following you around, do you?"

"As far as I'm aware, it's just Sharish, and he would probably have used spells instead of a sword. It seems though that I lack something even in matters of swordplay..."

"We could ask Light for more practice. Plus, maybe he could teach us some tricks to defend against magic even if we ourselves can't really use it much?"

"That might be a good idea..."

I couldn't help but notice a gloom note in his voice. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's just... I felt rather confident in my skill until now. I suppose my pride took a bit of a beating... or the guy was just way too good somehow."

"Ah, I see..." I stared at the water for a while, thinking. "Was there anything peculiar about him? A buckle with a sickle, or maybe the scent of incense...?"

"That was suspiciously specific," my friend raised an eyebrow at me.

"I just can't shake off this feeling that someone is constantly there, someone we don't know but have met multiple times by now. That guy who attacked Tavris and took his magic, or that bard that spreads nasty rumors. Or they are the same person, I don't know anymore..."

Siaril suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"What?" I urged him.

"He didn't have any buckles with a sickle, but the cross guard... it was weirdly curved, and now that you said it, it might have been like a sickle."

I leaned back, letting out an exasperated sigh. "What in the world is going on..." I spread one of my wings slightly above the water, neutralizing the light's reflections on its surface, and took a close look at myself. "And this too..."

"What is it?"

"Why did my eyes change color...?"

"They did?" Siaril tilted his head slightly to take a better look. "I don't see any difference, they were always... no, hang on. They were brown when we set out from your village, if I remember correctly..."

"Exactly. It started the night when Canidralth first appeared..."

"No, I'm pretty sure they were like that already when you found me under the willow... and the day I fished you out of the lake too."

"Then why...?"

"I don't know..."

We both fell silent for a moment, the almost inaudible crackling of the candles replacing the echo of our words in the damp air.

"But since we're talking about that madman already..." the question I was afraid of for Siaril's sake had to come out sooner or later. "What do you plan to do about him?"

He looked me in the eyes briefly, but calmly, before turning his gaze towards the window, outside of which the rain has just stopped falling. "I'm not sure," he eventually answered. "And... honestly, I think I don't care anymore. I won't change what has already happened, and even if I take vengeance, it won't bring Sitriel back. I would just become as horrible as his murderer... maybe I should try to forget about it. It makes no sense to add to the world's suffering and torment myself with what might have been and what might never be... And... I kind of feel better with it."

A tiny sigh of relief escaped my lips. "The idea of letting him get away with it does sound weird... but I still think it's the right decision."

He gave me a soft smile. "And it's all thanks to you and Yasenka."

As if her name was a spell, we heard footsteps, and the young illathan appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying a wooden bucket. Steam was coming up from it. "Is the water a good temperature?" she asked, looking at us from above.

I wasn't able to hold back: "Oh yeah, it's like the atmosphere between you and Light even when you two do something as trivial as preparing bath water," I teased.

A small, devilish smile appeared on her lips. "Oh? I suppose you don't need this balm for your wing and shoulder? I guess I'll save it for someone else then," she turned back around.

"No, come back please, I humbly apologize..." I laughed.

She answered with a laughter of her own and came down the remaining steps. After emptying the bucket into the bath, she got a tiny flacon out of her pocket and kneeled by the edge. "Get out then and sit with your back to me you jokester," when I did, leaving my legs in the warm water still, she opened it. "Spread the wing halfway backwards, so that I can access the inner surface too."

She poured a bit of the thin, oily substance onto her hand and started to delicately rub it into the sensitive skin of the wing. The relief was almost instant. The oil had a subtle warming effect along with a flowery fragrance, and everywhere Yasenka's fingers met my skin, the numbness simply melted away after a few seconds. I couldn't help but sigh contently, closing my eyes and relaxing my muscles. She then tended to my shoulder as well, and before I could enjoy the treatment fully, she was done.

"Stay like this a moment longer," she said, moving towards my back. I glanced over my shoulder, but that just earned me another flick to the nose.

I felt her fingers spread some of the oil on my back rather randomly, before the soft chime of the flacon being put on the sandstone reached my ears. Then I think she rubbed her hands together slightly and they touched the base of my back, right above the towel. I didn't have much time to blush, because she moved them upwards immediately in a smooth, but firm motion, aiming between my wings in the direction of my shoulders. Before her fingertips touched the latter though, she spread her hands and stroked both leading edges of my wings as far as she could reach.

I don't know if it was part of some magic, or if she just pinpointed some nerve that only she knew about, but the sensation was disarming. A pleasant impulse ran across my back, relaxing even the parts the tension in which I wasn't aware of. If I could, I would have started purring.

"Thanks..." I breathed when she stopped after repeating it a few more times. "Good to know that the sensitivity of our wings isn't just a disadvantage."

Yasenka giggled silently. "Well, there are a few more good things."

"Like what?"

Instead of answering, she tickled the most sensitive part of all - the bottom side of my left wing right at the spot where it connected with the rest of my body. I wasn't able to hold back a laugh and reflexively flicked the wing, unintentionally striking the water's surface with the tip of it... and splashing a fair amount over unwary Siaril.

I froze at first, for some reason expecting him to get mad. Yasenka probably felt the same, as I heard her hold her breath briefly. But then a bewildering sound echoed through the vast bathroom.

Siaril's laugh.

It was so clear and bright I thought I was hearing things. Even the sun seemed curious about this sound, peeking from above the gloomy clouds and entering the mansion with its gentle light. I felt Yasenka's hand on my shoulder again, and covered it with mine, closing my eyes. We worked this miracle together...

I shouldn't have let my guard down like this though.

Suddenly, I felt warm water splashing me right in the face and Yasenka shrieked in laughter, hopping backwards and hiding behind the screen in the corner. I wiped my eyes and looked at Siaril, who was still holding his hands clasped together beneath the water's surface.

His innocent smile quickly became uneasy when I narrowed my eyes and sank from the edge of the bath into the water again. I lifted one of my wings but he immediately took a deep breath and dived. Smart. But not enough. I mimicked his movement and saw him turn around and swim away.

Unfortunately for Siaril, he had no chance with me using my wings to gain speed. I caught up to him in no time and started to tickle his sides. He squirmed away almost in panic and resurfaced, catching his breath. I followed again, but only stuck my head out of the water a little, giving him a look of the 'You asked for it' sort.

"You're cheating," he accused me, squinting.

"How so?"

"You're using your wings."

"Nothing stopping you from doing the same."

"I don't need wings to make you beg for mercy."

"Oh really... how about you first think about why Yasenka just hid behind the screen in the corner there?"

Siaril glanced over carefully, not allowing me to get out of his field of vision for even a second in case it was a trick. The young illathan was indeed hiding though, which caused a dark eyebrow to raise slightly. "Yasenka, are you alright back there?"

"Yeah, um..." I couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or just holding back a giggle. "Maybe get the towel?"

Siaril blinked and looked down to see it lazily floating away in my direction.

"What she saw is hers now," I commented, despite my brain telling me not to.

Siaril narrowed his eyes at me, the glimmer in them confirming what my brain said. "One second Yasenka, I'll dispose of this little idiot and make the view acceptable for a lady again."

I was about to protest against the 'little' part, but chose to turn around to flee instead.

But as soon as the motion of my wings moved the water around me, suddenly a weird sensation overcame my whole body. My breath came short for some reason and black spots started appearing within my field of vision...

"Sigrian...?" I heard Siaril's concerned voice.

I wasn't entirely sure what happened next. I think Siaril and Yasenka got me out of the water together and helped me sit on the sandstone, leaning against Siaril's shoulder. My mind started to clear up again very quickly as I felt some unnatural heat leaving my body. It made a suspicion rise from my fogged thoughts...

"The water was too hot..." Yasenka confirmed it with a silent statement.

"What?" Siaril seemed confused. "It didn't seem like that to me, I wouldn't have minded if it were even warmer..."

"Consider the wings. I actually experienced something similar in a hot spring in the Silivren Forest once. It's been a while, so I almost forgot... The wings are not much more than vast, thin membranes with a huge number of blood vessels. Imagine the amount of heat they absorb from the surroundings..."

"Oh... I guess we learned something new then..."

"But why did I have to be the example again...?" I whined weakly.

"Look at the bright side, you'll remember it best," Yasenka joked, spreading her own wings and starting to fan me with one of them. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

True enough, the air movement and the sandstone's chill finally evened the heat out. My heartbeat slowed down and I relaxed, which earned me a relieved sigh from Siaril. We both closed our eyes, praying a tacit thanks to our beautiful dragon health expert.

Yasenka folded her wing again after some time and stood up. "I'm going to disappear before I get accused of demolishing the bathroom," she gave us an amused look. "Oh and you can apply the balm again by yourself, since you so conveniently washed it off straight away. I'll be upstairs. Have fun."

"You're doing it," I gently nudged Siaril's stomach with my elbow when Yasenka left, humming quietly.

"Excuse me, you started it."

"Because of Yasenka."

"Want to tell her that?"

I pouted a little. "Fine... but I'll be kicking your butt during those extra lessons with Light for that."