I woke up in the back of a cart, as it traveled along a bumpy road. Bleary eyes opened up, seeing the trees and rocks moving just past the wooden cart wall. One of the other passengers noticed me lifting my head, it seems, as he called out with an accent I couldn’t quite place. Something northern, perhaps?
“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.” He said it with a bit of a friendly smile on his face.
I squinted my eyes, thinking maybe this was a weird dream, but then I remembered that just this morning, Master and I had boarded the cart that was setting out for Winselton. The early morning and the rocking motion had caused me to drift off to snooze, it seems. I rose to my feet, stretched, arched my back, curled my tail, and spread my wings. The other passenger hadn’t expected much of a response. After all: I’m a dragon. If he knew I could actually talk, he might have expected a response. Then again, if he knew I could actually talk, he might react badly to having such a “strange monster” sharing a cart ride with him. Better not to chance it, no need to risk causing trouble.
I settled back down onto the cart, my head resting in Master’s lap, as he started petting my head and neck. “Yeah, she was a sleepy girl, I guess. To be fair, we did have to get up earlier than our usual.”
“It’s my first time seeing a real live dragon up close. Just how, ah, tame is she?”
“Oh, very. If you let her sniff your hand first, she might even let you pet her. Hmm? What do you say, Princess?” Master said it in that playful tone one uses when talking to a creature that can’t actually understand your words, like a dog. I huffed slightly, blushing under my scales, but I went along with it. I was more used to being ignored when out among others, rather than teased about my status as a pet. I’d have been more upset, if it wasn’t for the fact that it gave me a bit of a strange thrill to hear that tone in his voice.
The passenger held out his hands like he was told, so I dutifully sniffed at them, making a big show of hesitating while deciding. Of course, there was no actual doubt, and soon I leaned in to push my head into his hands, showing that I would allow it. He seemed delighted by the warmth in my scales, since dragons can use our innate fire to warm ourselves to… well… I actually don’t know the limit on that, but each bit more takes even greater energy and strain than the last. But it makes us just about immune to heat or cold, since we can match any heat without issue and can run an internal furnace to ward off cold. The downside of that is that it eats up a lot of energy, so doing it a lot would build up quite the appetite. Much easier to use my breath to start a campfire, if that’s an option.
His fingers traced along my smooth horns, the pair swept back from my skull. After that, the twin ridges that ran down my neck, between my wings, and all the way to the arrowhead-shaped spade at the tip of my tail were next to be inspected. They were made of stiff cartilage-like material, somewhere between a human’s earlobes and the bridge of their nose, which made them somewhat pliable rather than dangerous in any way. Next his hands traced along my wings, as he seemed fascinated by the long, finger-like ribs that ran through the webbing. In structure, my wings were built a lot like his arms were, just with thick leathery membranes between the “elongated fingers” and my body, as well as a little between what would be the elbow on a human arm. Somewhere along this process, I had found myself purring and I honestly didn’t see a reason to stop. It was a nice way to pass the time, while Master answered questions the man had about dragons.
Eventually, the wagon pulled to a stop in front of the city gates, so it was time for us to disembark. Master climbed down and I hopped to the ground beside him. The other passenger left to his destination and we parted ways. When it was our turn to pass through the gates, I couldn’t help but curl my tail between my legs a bit, as the place had brought back some rather unpleasant memories. Last time I was here, I was in a cage while a Captain of the Crown Guard eagerly discussed the share she’d get from the sale of the various bits that could be butchered from my body… It wasn’t all bad, this was also the city where I legally became Master’s property, even if I wasn’t accepting the idea of actually being a pet at the time.
I couldn’t help but look around constantly. All the smells of so many people, all the movement, all the signs and colors and shapes and everything were just so overwhelming. A few times, I found myself falling behind, having to quickly catch up to Master, slinking between pairs of legs going this way and that. At least I was large enough that I didn’t have to worry about getting stepped on or kicked by accident, claws clicking on cobblestones as I kept close to Master’s side.
As far as I knew, Master had only been here twice, so I’m not sure how he knew where he was going. Perhaps he’d gotten directions beforehand, perhaps he got them when I wasn’t paying attention, perhaps he was simply better at remembering city layouts than me. Either way, we soon found ourselves at a nice-looking, stately building with a fancy entranceway. Master pulled the heavy door open, and I slipped in with him before he closed it. The smell of paper and leather hit my nose heavily, so strong it almost felt like I’d been bopped on the snout. Even here in what looked to be some kind of entrance room, with chairs for waiting and a large desk, the smells of so many books from the back rooms were strong.
The person at the desk, quite a stern-looking man with ornate spectacles, looked quite displeased at my presence. I can’t imagine why someone in charge of a building full of dry paper objects would prefer not to have a creature notorious for its ability to breathe fire wandering around, no. Still, Master approached and began to speak with him.
“Good day, sir. I was hoping you could help me. I’m looking for reference material on the subject of enchantment magic, and I understand you have an impressive library. I must say, seeing it in person is quite wonderful.” Yeah, this was the kind of guy who looked like you’d have to lay it on thick to get anywhere.
“I’m sorry, you’re going to bring a dragon,” the word dripped with such disdain that even I flinched, “into my library? And you’re just going to ask for rare tomes on magic?”
“Er, yes? I mean, Princess is absolutely safe, she won’t even so much as scratch your floors. You have nothing to worry about on that regard. And those are the tomes I’m in need of, so I don’t know what else you expect me to ask for. I’m not familiar with the specific practices of your library, but I’m willing to pay for access and follow whatever rules you wish me to.”
“Very well. First, you’ll need to sign the guestbook. I’ll need your name, as well as which branch of the Magic Guild you are with. Then…” He looked the two of us over with an appraising look, mostly lingering on me. “…I’ll need a deposit in order to allow you access to the books. Unless someone at your branch is willing to accept responsibility.”
Master’s hand stopped with the quill hovering over the page. “Ah, and… if I’m not… with a Magic Guild…?”
At that question, the librarian seemed genuinely shocked. “You’re asking for access to magical tomes… but you’re not part of the Guild? Who exactly are you?”
“Oh, my name is Tola. Of Hammerfell, I guess? I’ve been serving as the town mage the last few months, but I don’t know anything about a guild.”
“‘Serving as’…? Oh, goodness, you’re that… scrubbrush weed of a caster, aren’t you? I’ve heard of an unregistered magic user in the area, I never thought you’d be so bold as to just march in here. Why don’t you run along before you blow yourself up trying to cast a light spell?”
“That’s… quite the rude way to phrase that. But I’ll have you know I’ve actually been making significant progress in my studies. The folk of Hammerfell are quite happy with my services, and I intend to keep providing whatever I can to help.” Master was bristling, but he was making an effort to keep from sinking to the librarian’s level.
“Yes, I’m sure to people who know nothing, even someone such as yourself can be wondrous. Well, I’m sorry to report that we have nothing at all that would be suitable for someone as unskilled as yourself.” The wrinkled hand tried to wave us off the way one would shoo away an annoying fly.
“Ah, but I know for a fact that you recently purchased several tomes. I have the receipts with me that shows you acquired them for quite a low price from the collection of the Wizard Elimaio.” I enjoyed the look on Master’s face as he produced copies of the paperwork he had been given when he took over the tower. I didn’t realize he’d actually gone through them in such detail, but he’d been more prepared than even I expected. “Now, I’m willing to decline to contest that sale, if I can be granted access to them. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to contest that. If I informed the Crown that you lied about the actual value of the books you bought from them, books that were to be my property, I’d be curious how they’d react.”
The librarian’s eyes narrowed even more, which was an impressive feat. Sure, I can heat myself enough to make the air shimmer, but I thought for a moment that his head would burst into flames. “You… have done an impressive amount of research indeed. Sir. Very well, but DO try to avoid exploding within the building from trying to channel energies you have no business handling, would you?” Typical bully behavior, trying to sling one last barb after they know they’re defeated. Too bad for him that Master’s mood was too high thanks to his victory.
He led us into the back rooms, selecting two books from the shelves and gingerly handing them to Master. Next, he led us to a table, selecting one that he’d have a clear view of from his desk. Probably a last-ditch attempt at a power play, but we were getting what we wanted, so there was no need to twist the knife any. Master set up with his book of notes on one side, and the library’s book on the other. Unfortunately, this part of the work was the most boring from my point of view, as Master read through the book and muttered to himself, referencing notes he took from the volume he still owned, and making new notes as he worked to put the pieces together.
I woke up as a foot gently nudged me, blinking and yawning. I looked up at Master, who had collected his notes and the two books. “I think it’s high time we took a break. We’ll have to be back tomorrow, though.” I grumbled softly but nothing too loud, shaking myself the rest of the way to being awake. As we moved to leave, we stopped at the desk, handing the library’s books to the librarian. “Here you are, though I’ll need to be back tomorrow to finish studying them. As you can see, they remain in perfect condition.”
The man at the counter seemed almost disappointed that Master similarly was in perfect condition, and hadn’t done anything so foolish as to give him grounds to banish us from the premises. “Yes, indeed. I… look forward… to seeing you again tomorrow, sir.” The words came through almost gritted teeth, as he placed the books on a shelf under the desk since there was little point returning them to their original position just yet.
Master had returned his books and papers to the satchel he carried, a bag that reminded me of the messenger bags from Earth. Slung over the shoulder with room for a few books, pockets for other supplies, and probably a few other compartments. We picked our way through the streets, the setting sun casting long shadows. This time, it wasn’t hard to pick out a building that was a local inn. Between the traffic, the size of the building, and the smells coming from it as they prepared the evening meal, it was clear this was the building we wanted. We found ourselves entering shortly after night had finished falling.
The voices of the people fell silent as we walked inside, my head dipping a little at the attention and stares. I did what I could to try to hide behind Master a little as he approached the bar. People kept their distance, which was probably for the best. This place had so many smells all at once, each one trying to demand my attention, and the tugging in so many directions was making me feel a little on edge.
The man behind the bar regarded us with an expression I was beginning to get tired of seeing, the wary displeasure of seeing a potentially dangerous animal walk into a place where they’ll be responsible for dealing with any damages or cleaning. Rather than actually ask anything, he simply stared at the two of us instead, like he expected us to get the hint and go elsewhere. Like even just our entrance was an unforgivable burden to place on him. My tail curled tighter around my legs as I sat next to Master, but I did my best to stare back.
“I’d like to ask about renting a room, good sir?” Master broke the silence, and around the room others began to return to their conversations, in low tones at first.
“I don’t have a stable for your beast,” came the curt reply.
“I don’t need a stable, she stays with me. Do you have a room for rent?” Master’s tone was a little curt as well. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one getting tired of this treatment.
It took a while before the man replied. “I’ll need a deposit. Twenty sovereigns deposit, plus three for the room itself.”
“And what would cause me to lose the deposit?”
“Eh? If it rips the beds. Claws the furniture. Starts a fire. Craps on the floor.” I did my best not to bristle at the accusations. “Anything real serious, and the Guard’ll be here to collect what I need from you.”
“There’s no need for threats, you know. I’ll put down your deposit, but I can tell you she’ll be better behaved than most of your guests. How much for a pair of meals as well?”
“I don’t have feed for animals.”
“She eats mostly the same things I do. I’ll pay for a full meal. She’ll skip the bread portion, though.”
“You want to feed my roast to it? Fine, if you want to throw away your coin, I might as well take it off your hands. Two per meal.”
Master counted out the demanded coins, spreading them out on the counter for inspection. Once the innkeeper produced the key, Master took it and slipped it into his pocket. “Thank you, I look forward to the comforts of your establishment,” Master said, with as much politeness as he could muster and with as little strain as he could manage.
We sat at an open table, Master in a chair and me at his side. With nobody paying too close attention to us, he could lean over and mutter loud enough for me to hear. “Ugh, that guy. ‘You want to feed my roast to it?’ Keep it up, buddy, and I’ll be feeding you to her instead.”
I smirked, or at least as well as I could. This wasn’t a face really made for showing expression, you had to really pay attention to my eyes.
“Actually, no, I wouldn’t want you eating something as foul and toxic as him. Princess gets only the best.” With that, he reached down to fuss with the top of my head, and I let my tail wag a little.
The plates came out shortly afterwards, the innkeeper setting both on the table, seeming to be pointedly ignoring my presence. I thought about climbing up into one of the chairs and eating at the table, just to bug him, but he seemed like the kind of jerk that’d throw a fit if he saw me doing that. Master simply took mine, which was a tray of meat slices, and set it down on the floor for me. Once I had sniffed it and started daintily eating, he knew that I had given it the okay, and so he started on his own meal.
It felt nice to have gotten something warm and tasty in my stomach after spending so long in the library, and the meal passed without incident. Seemed like none of the other patrons were brave enough to throw a fit about the unusual visitor. Thus, we got up and headed to the room.
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Once inside the room, with the door closed, he sat down heavily on the bed. “Maybe tomorrow we can find someone who isn’t a rude jerk, girl.”
“I’d be happy to find someone who doesn’t act like you’re insane for letting me follow you around.” I sat down in front of him, putting my chin on his knee comfortingly. His hand came down and started petting my head, so I quietly purred, happy to have a bit of time to just relax.
“I swear. You’d think none of them ever heard of owning a pet before.” The satchel dropped to the floor as Master flopped onto his back, and I scooted it out of the way with a paw. That way, I could perch my front half on the bed, and lay my chin on his chest, getting pets and scritches all along my neck. My purring grew louder.
“Well, to be fair, not many of them try to own pets with such giant claws or the ability to breathe fire… I’m closer to a mountain lion than I am a dog, I think. Not a lot of pet mountain lions around, from what I’ve seen.”
“Bah, the way you wag your tail, you’re such a dog.” Master grinned as he scritched behind my horn, and I couldn’t help but demonstrate the wagging in question. “No cat would ever actually let their owner know she was happy to see them.”
“Nnrrf!” I huffed a little, but I was still wagging my tail, pushing my head up to give his cheek a gentle lick. “Yeah, well, I can’t help it. I’m always happy to see you. I mean, sometimes I’m worried I’m going to wake up and all this will have been a dream, because it feels too good to be true.”
“You flatter me. Surely there’s a lot of down sides to all this. I mean, you’ve lost so much… I know you said you wouldn’t go back even if you could, but you can’t tell me there’s nothing you miss about your old life?” He gave me a questioning look, a serious tone in the undercurrent of his voice.
“Hrrrf. I mean, sure, there’s some things, but… Why bother even thinking about them? I’ve got you. I wouldn’t trade you for all the video games on Earth.”
“There you go, I knew there was something.” He teased, scritching under my chin next, making me tilt my head up and give a throaty purr.
“Aurrrh, well, what about you? Would you give up magic to go back to a world of cars and smog?”
“There’s more to it than cars and smog. …But, no, I don’t think I would.”
I was silent after that. I couldn’t think of anything that needed to be said, I was just happy to be here, with his warm hand stroking along my scales. My tail swung from side to side, thumping against the leg of an end table next to the bed. We sat like that for a minute or so, before Master patted the bed next to him with his other hand. After a moment, he did it again, so I tilted my head to question him.
“C’mon, up, girl.”
“But it’s… It’s the bed. I… What if I tear a hole in it, or something?” I hadn’t thought about it until just then, but aside from my night as a human, I hadn’t actually been in a bed since I changed.
“He’s already got his deposit. I half expect him to make up damages to keep it regardless of how well you behave. So, try not to tear it, and what happens happens. If you do, then it’s not that big a deal.” I must’ve shown my hesitation, either in my face or my body, because Master patted my neck softly and continued. “C’mon, get up here. There’s no pile of bedding for you to nest in, and I’m not going to make my Princess sleep on the hard floor. You’re allowed on the furniture.”
That last bit made me blush more, and grumble slightly, but I climbed up as carefully as I could, stepping over him to tuck in against his side. I was pretty sure I’d avoided poking any holes with my claws, too. He yawned and I couldn’t help but copy it, tucking my nose in under his chin. With a wing draped over him, he must have decided he didn’t need a blanket tonight, and we both drifted off to sleep shortly afterward.
I woke up in the morning, when I felt Master move. My paw had been resting on his chest as I had pressed against his side, and I guess he didn’t realize I was awake because he seemed to be trying to carefully extract himself without waking me. Which was sweet of him, but I gave a soft “Mrrrrhp” sound and curled my paw lightly, as if trying to pull him back in, and licked his cheek lightly. “Good morning, Master.”
“Ah, morning, Princess. Did you sleep well?”
“I mean, it’s a little strange being in a bed after so long, but yeah. You?”
“Well enough, yeah. Maybe I’ll have to look into getting a bigger bed when we get back home.” He stretched, tugging his clothes to fix them back in place. He’d been tired enough that he hadn’t bothered to take them off before falling asleep. “Hm, not sure what this place is going to have for a washroom. Might just have to deal with it when we get back. Hope I’m not too stinky for your nose.”
I was still sitting on the bed, lounging as he gathered himself and his satchel. Once he made for the door, I hopped down, turning my head to check the mattress, which seemed to be perfectly fine. One probably couldn’t even tell I had been on it, since I didn’t leave a bunch of hair around like other pets. “Eh? You smell like you always do, just more so. Why would you be stinky?”
The conversation had to end there, since we were opening the door and that meant facing the public again. We headed to the bar down below, waiting on the innkeeper to show his face again. Instead we got a woman, perhaps the man’s wife, who greeted us with so much delight that we were caught completely by surprise.
“Oh, good sir! You wouldn’t happen to be that mage fellow from out near Hammerfell, would you?”
“Ah, uh, yes, actually? I’m Tola, of Hammerfell I suppose?”
“I knew it! My husband said we had a bloke what had a dragon with him, and I thought who else could it be? I’m friends with Maifen, she’s told me so much about you two!”
“Maifen, you mean the woman that runs the inn there?” Huh, I didn’t know her name, but Master must have. It never occurred to me to ask. Now that I think about it, names in general didn’t really seem like as big a deal as they probably used to. I mostly just thought of people by their scent, or the sound of their voice, or things they did…
“Aye, yeah! Is it true your dragon’s friendly? Maifen says she even gets to pet the thing, I’ve been ever so jealous!” The woman was already coming around the bar and kneeling to get a close look at me. I leaned back a little, not sure what was about to happen.
“She’s definitely friendly, but don’t startle her. Let her at least smell your hands, get to know you, that sort of thing. You wouldn’t like it if a stranger suddenly started grabbing you, would you?” I swear, it sounded like Master was amused by this.
Still, it slowed the excited woman down, which was helpful. She held out her hands, like she almost expected me to try to bite at them, but instead I gave them a dutiful sniff. I guess she’d been preparing the next meal, because they smelled a lot like food, and before I even thought about it my tongue flicked out and tickled her fingers. That got a giggle, though, and she started patting at my head and rubbing at my neck.
“Oh, goodness, she’s warm! Mai said she was, but I didn’t think it’d be like this! I mean, scaly and all, I thought lizards were cold-blooded!”
“Well, she’s not a lizard.” Master pointed out the obvious. “Dragons have innate fire magic, it keeps them warm.”
“Still, I can’t believe you actually have a trained dragon! You must be high up there in the Guild, eh? What tricks does it know? Shake?” The woman held out a hand expectantly, and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to make her think Master didn’t have me under control, or that I was something dangerous, so I placed a forepaw in her hand, blushing under my scales.
“I, ah, I mean, she… knows a few? Her name is Princess.”
She pumped the paw a couple of times before letting it go, giggling wildly. “Roll over?”
Again, I didn’t want to make Master look bad, so I tucked my wings in close and rolled on the floor, blushing a bit brighter. I didn’t know how much my scales would hide, but I had to hope it would be enough. Especially when I heard a soft chuckle come from Master…
“Sit up? Beg?” The innkeeper woman was so completely tickled by my performance, but I was in too deep at this point. The only way out was through. I sat up, and then raised both paws up to my chest.
“Ah, now she’s going to be sad if you don’t actually give her a treat, you know.”
“Oh, you’re right! Sit pretty, dragon! I’ll be right back!” She disappeared into the back, but came out with a fairly large piece of fresh, raw meat. I was still in the “begging” pose, but my face had to be deep purple by now. If it was, she didn’t seem to notice, tossing me the small slab and clapping in joy. I caught it out of the air and dropped back to all fours, grateful for the distraction and hoping that could be the end of the performance.
“Yes, well, we still have a day in front of us, I was hoping I could return the key and get my deposit?” Master held the key up to remind her that there was still business to be done.
“Oh, my husband said something about that. I hope you understand, but I do need to check the room first.”
“Not a problem, I expected as such.” We followed her up to the room and handed her the key, letting her go inside. The room had been pretty much exactly as we found it, though, and she didn’t bother with more than the most cursory glance.
“Oh, good. I wanted to beat him upside the head when he told me about that deposit, but I promised I’d at least look, you know? Just in case?”
“As I said, it’s perfectly all right. I can’t blame you at all.”
It was a few more pleasantries, in which she apologized again for her husband, and made us promise we’d come back to see her whenever we were in town. It was only a few minutes, but it felt like it took an hour to tear ourselves away and get out of there, all twenty sovereigns returned.
We were out on the street, so we weren’t free to talk, but Master was definitely smirking at me, after that performance. I could only dip my head lower and slink along at his side, huffing.
Arriving once more at the library, we took a moment before entering. From his demeanor, the librarian had clearly been hoping we wouldn’t come back, but to his credit he didn’t complain out loud. Not more than a long-suffering sigh, anyway, as he produced the books from under the counter. “Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t find yourself kicked out of town, walking around with that beast.”
“Pleased to see you as well.” Master took the books and headed to the table without another word.
It was another day of studying, and while I couldn’t really talk, Master was able to talk at me, if not quite talk to me. It helped the day be less boring, at least. “You certainly showed off to the innkeeper. Was it because I said you act like a dog last night?” He chuckled a little. “You seemed happy enough, so I didn’t interrupt.”
I huffed softly again, blushing and looking away. “Rrer.”
“I’ll have to remember you know tricks. Maybe I can even think of ones to teach you.”
“Rrrh… Aurh…” This time I had a bit of a whimper mixed in. I… didn’t want to admit that falling into the role was coming so easily to me. That it was kind of exciting to see people so happy with me. Maybe it’s good that I’m not free to talk right now, since the librarian refuses to take his eyes off us for a minute.
Hours passed, and most of the rest of the talking Master did was thinking through the process out loud. Mostly to himself, but it helped him a couple of times. After all, they say the best way to learn something is to teach others, so explaining what you’re doing to someone can be a helpful way to keep track of what you’re doing. Good old Rubber Ducking.
I found myself pacing around the table, or sprawling out on my back, or seeing if I could find something interesting without getting too far away and risking the librarian getting upset. I’m sure it was a much less boring day for Master, but for me it was stretching the bounds of my ability to endure.
Finally, Master stood up and stretched, flipping through the pages of the book he’d been writing in. Full of diagrams, smelling strongly of ink and paper, I couldn’t follow anything in it even if he’d been going through it slow enough for me to try. He seemed satisfied with himself, though, and closed the book. With that, he began packing his things into his bag, bringing the two books from the library up to the counter.
“Here you are, safe and sound. Thank you for your assistance, I think I have everything I need for my project now.”
“Everything except proper training. I still say you should think twice about this… ‘pretending to be a mage’ business of yours. For your own good.” The librarian flipped through the pages of the books quickly, looking for signs of damage that he was sure were there, in spite of his watchful eye.
We left, and the rest of the day was spent at a couple of the local shops. As Master said, the first stop was a bookbinder’s shop where he purchased a stack of blank books and more paper. We still had time to kill until our ride back home, so we stopped at a street vendor for a snack, grilled meat skewers and dried fruit. I mostly stuck with the meat, but I did take a piece of fruit when it was offered. It tasted all right. I was surprised at the lack of sweetness. It was there, but very muted. Maybe that’s just another difference between a human tongue and a dragon tongue, though.
The final stall we stopped at was a small one, selling various carvings and paintings. I think Master mostly just was looking to kill time. He picked up a small carving, kneeling down to show it off to me. “Look, Princess. It’s a little dragon. What do you think?”
I suppose the combination of Master’s nicer-than-average clothes and the use of a royal title got the attention of the person who had been minding the stall. Quickly he approached, eager to make a sale, but he wasn’t prepared for me to be the one looking up at him. The confusion on his face was quite amusing. “Er, um, that’s… that’s a dragon. You have a dragon. Like, a real dragon.”
“Yes, her name is Princess. It’s not going to be a problem if I shop here with my pet, is it?”
“No, not a problem! Is there anything I can help you find, or is there perhaps something you’d like to commission?” He folded his hands together, nervous of offending a customer.
“Well, I don’t know yet. I’m waiting on a trip, but this caught my eye.” Master offered the dragon figurine to the artist.
“Oh, a fine eye you have! I was brought to the Mages’ Guild for my skills, and during the trip, I was able to study some of their animals. I carved that based on one of the dragons they had there. Quite a sight to behold! Though, er, I guess you already know all about that, having one yourself. None of theirs were blue, though, are you from another branch of the Guild or something?”
“Ah, I’m actually not… affiliated with the Guild. Certainly have been hearing the name a lot today, though.”
“My apologies, I just figured, what with… the dragon, and all.”
“No, it’s fine. Maybe I should be on my way, though…”
“So soon? But the figurine? I carved it myself from the finest marble! Surely you wouldn’t want to leave without it, I doubt it would still be here on your return if you pass on it now.” Ah, the sales pitch.
“Of course, right. You haven’t told me the price of it, though.” Master crossed his arms.
“For you, how about… fifteen Sovereigns? I’d normally ask for twenty, but it would bring me such a warmth to my heart to know I did a good enough job to catch the eye of an expert.”
“Hm, well… I admit, it’s quite well done. All right, I can do fifteen.”
Coins were handed over, and Master took the small statue, roughly the size of his fist. Lacking a proper way to store it, he just held it tucked under an arm. After all this, we headed to the spot to meet the wagon back to Hammerfell and the tower.
“I had fun. I mean, aside from the library. It was nice to get out of the tower, see new faces and stuff.” My tail wagged a little. We were early, so there was nobody around.
“I’m glad. Yeah, the library had to be pretty boring for you. I’m proud of you for being such a good sport about it, though. I was worried you’d start throwing a fit or something with nothing to do.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you.” I leaned in against his side, nudging at his elbow lightly with my nose. He was still holding the dragon statue he picked up from the artist’s stall.
“Yeah, you’re a good girl. Still, next time, I want to make sure we do something that’s more fun for you. Maybe we’ll plan a longer trip, figure out things to do ahead of time, that sort of thing.” Master looked around to see if he could spot the wagon approaching.
“Ooh, like a vacation? That could be pretty neat. I bet there’s lots of things we could do in a larger town.”
“Well, I suppose it would be like a vacation, now that you mention it. Might be hard to find things to–Oops, here they come.”
“Aw, okay. Time to be quiet then. Master?”
“Yes, Princess?”
“Love you.” I wagged my tail, purring quietly to myself, as he simply stared in my direction. If he had a response, he knew he couldn’t say it in front of someone without having to explain why he was talking to a dragon. It amused me a little to have him be trapped the same way I was so often.
With that, we would be headed home, the trip taking a good portion of the night. It was a nice trip, and we got a lot done. If Master was correct, he would have everything he needed to start putting minor enchantments into objects, which would surely prove useful later when it comes to bringing in revenue. I spent most of the ride home curled up across his lap, dozing off, just happily living in the moment. Tomorrow would be another day, and there would be a lot to do coming up, but as long as I could be at Master’s side, I felt like I would be happy.