Chapter 21: An Unexpected Ally

Aeris hadn’t slept. With every noise she heard in the night, she snapped her eyes open and waited for several minutes before closing them again. In the brief stretches of silence, she had nightmares of waking up to find herself back in her room, wrapped in chains.

With some light filtering through the windows, Aeris could now see inside her current sanctuary. It was empty as she suspected. All of the cushions, the desk cluttered with papers, the shelf of various items, everything but the carpet was gone.

A piece of paper sat in the middle of the floor. Aeris walked over to it and saw it was addressed to her. The note was encrypted, but she recognized it as the encryption she had given to Cutter.

It didn’t take long to figure out what the note said.

Hey, Snowflake!

If you’re reading this, it means you missed me. Sorry to run without saying goodbye, but ever since that wedding, tensions between humans and dragons are stretched thin, so I need to move my business someplace safe. They may be whores, but they’re mine and I won’t let anyone hurt them. You’re not safe either, but I’ll explain when I come back for you. Until then, don’t you do anything stupid! Keep your fucking head down and avoid traveling alone.

Cutter

P.S.

We need to talk about your master when I get back. There’s something you should know.

Aeris stuffed the note in the satchel with her eggs. She didn’t understand, but the short version seemed to be Cutter was coming back for her. If she stayed put and kept her head down, she could leave with Cutter.

But Aaron would be looking for her in the meantime. The thought of him finding her first was frightening, and she had no idea how long Cutter would be gone. That Cutter felt the need to leave a note behind was proof enough she would likely be gone for a long time. Maybe even months.

There was nothing else to do. Aeris knew she needed to leave the city as soon as possible. Waiting for Cutter to return while Aaron turned the city inside out to look for her was too risky. She counted the coins in the coin purse Lilith had given her. She counted about twenty gold pieces, more than enough to barter for an escort to the next city. She placed the coins back in the coin purse and hurried outside.

A few passersby glanced in her direction, but no one paid much attention to her. She tried her best not to look too inconspicuous as she slipped into the flow of the crowd. A few dragons who walked past stared at her. Aeris tucked her head into the hood of her cloak and kept walking.

Near the edge of the city would be where merchants gathered their things to head to prepare for their next trip. Windor told her that once. He said it was where most dragons went to find work. That was where Aeris needed to go. She had never bartered in her life, but she had seen her former master do it plenty of times.

Hopefully, she could be the negotiator he was.

The loud rumblings of her stomach snapped her out of her thoughts. She hadn’t eaten her dinner the night she escaped, and she missed breakfast. Going so long without a meal was something Aeris was not used to, and she was already feeling the repercussions.

Not now. I need to find someone to escort us out of here. I can eat when the eggs are safe, she told herself. Her stomach didn’t want to hear it. It grumbled louder as if protesting the idea. A few people began to look in her direction. Aeris tucked her head and hurried through the crowd. It seemed she had no choice but to grab a quick meal before leaving.

As she drew closer to the nearest restaurant, a thought crossed her mind. She couldn’t risk going to a place where she might be recognized. Aaron brought her along on many business trips and many restaurant owners knew her by sight.

She needed a place where Aaron would never go. A place that served dragons would do nicely. The only place Aeris knew of was the restaurant where Windor brought her for their first date. The idea of going to such a place left a nasty taste in the back of her throat, but the loud noises coming from her stomach didn’t give her much of an option.

She made her way to the restaurant. Upon seeing it, Aeris felt that familiar tugging in her chest as she was reminded of the false memories she made there with Windor.

Pushing the memories from her mind, she walked in and found a table furthest in the corner. She sat down and tucked her head to hide her face from the few humans and dragons who sat there.

She heard Janine approaching before hearing the young woman's voice. "Hello. Now, what can I—Aeris? Is that you?"

Aeris raised her head to see Janine standing in front of her. The girl had grown since Aeris had last seen her. She was taller and thinner, and her hair had grown longer. But there was no mistaking her gentle voice and kind, green eyes.

“Hello, Janine. It’s great to see you. I’m in a bit of a hurry today, so could you bring me something to go. Anything, I don’t care what it is.”

Janine looked around as if looking for someone and asked. “Are you by yourself today? What happened to Windor?”

Aeris lowered her head so Janine couldn’t see her sour expression. “He’s…not coming.”

“Oh.” It was clear in her voice she understood what Aeris was saying. “Okay, wait right here, and I’ll bring you something.”

Aeris nodded and stared at the table until Janine returned with a small leg of lamb. The instant the plate touched the table, Aeris dove on it almost swallowed the leg whole, bone and all. Eating in such a manner was something she was taught to never do, but she was hungry and short on time. There was no one she had to impress anyway.

After stripping the bone clean, she looked up from her plate to see Janine hadn’t moved.

“Is something wrong?” Aeris asked.

“That’s what I want to ask you. You seem…different. Did something happen?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Janine moved closer and lowered her voice. “Aeris, you look like you ain’t slept a wink. What’s wrong?”

Aeris turned to Janine. It was true she hadn’t slept, and she would need sleep if she was going to travel. “I need a place to stay. Not for long. Just somewhere I can rest without worry.”

Janine’s expression showed she wanted to ask more questions, but she nodded and said, “I understand. You can stay with me. C’mon, I’ll show you upstairs.”

Aeris followed Janine, fighting the feeling of guilt building within her. She didn’t like the idea of putting the girl at risk to help her, but she had little choice. She needed sleep and Janine was the only one who could provide a safe place to do that. Asking any of the dragons she knew to help her wasn’t possible. They were all domesticates in the care of humans. And after the wedding scared them into obedience, it seemed unlikely any of them would give her shelter.

Janine led her upstairs. The stairwell was narrow and a bit of a tight squeeze for Aeris, but she managed to reach the top. Janine then led her down a short hall into a room at the far end.

“This is my room,” Janine explained. “You can rest here as long as you like. I have to go back downstairs, but if you need anything, come find me, okay?”

Aeris nodded and Janine disappeared behind the door into the hall.

Aeris found an empty corner and curled up for a nap. The bed looked inviting, but it would be rude to take it. It didn’t take long for Aeris to succumb to her exhaustion and fall asleep.

***

A door closing jolted Aeris out of her sleep and she jumped to her feet. She looked around frantically for her attacker but found only Janine standing near the door with a sheepish grin on her face.  

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Janine said apologetically.

Aeris shook her head and faced the window. Night had fallen and the streets were almost deserted. Her heart sank. “I slept the whole day?”

“Yes, you must’ve been very tired. I checked on you a few times, but you never budged. You mumbled a lot in your sleep though.”

Aeris flinched at the mention of her talking in her sleep. “How much did you hear?”

“Nothing that I could understand. I didn’t stick around to hear much anyway.” She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “We’re closed for the night, but if you want anythin I can head down and grab it for you.”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

After a moment of silence, Janine spoke again. “Aeris, what’s going on? What are you running from?”

Aeris sighed and carefully laid on the floor, making sure not to put any weight on the satchel.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to take that off?” Janine asked.

Aeris protectively curled around the satchel and growled at the young woman who backed into the wall. Aeris immediately cursed herself for her reaction. “Sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just I can’t afford to take the satchel off.”

“No worries. But why’s that so important to you?”

Aeris used the claws of her wings to open the satchel. Janine peered inside and her eyes widened in amazement. She squeezed her face and squealed softly. “Oh! They are adorable! Are they yours?”

Aeris nodded and closed the satchel. “Yes, and my master wants to take them from me. He wants to sell them.”

Janine’s smile vanished. “That’s horrible. But buyin or sellin dragon eggs is illegal. If he’s caught, it could lead to a war with the dragon clans. Why would your master risk doing such a thing?”

“I don’t know. I think he just likes the thrill of it,” Aeris said shrugging. “He always did like breaking the rules. I guess that’s why he used to visit me so often even though he had someone to lay next to.” Her claws scraped the floor at the thought of her master’s visits.

“What about the father? Can’t you stay with him for a while?” Janine offered. It was clear in her face, Aeris’ last statement had made her uncomfortable and she sought to change the subject.

Aeris hung her head. “When I told him about the eggs, he sent me away.”

“Oh. I-I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, it’s okay. It feels better to talk about it. I’m alone and scared, and I have nowhere else to go.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I thank you for your hospitality, but in the morning, I have to leave. I can’t stay here and put you at risk. I have to get out of the city as soon as possible.”

Janine sat on the bed in silence, her brow furrowed as if in thought. Aeris lay quietly on the floor and left Janine alone. Eventually, the young woman spoke again. “If you need to get out of the city, I may have a way. Just last week, we started shippin our ale to other taverns. My Pa has never been so happy. Our next shipment’s in three days. If you can wait until then, you can leave with them.”

“Really? Thank you so much! I don’t know how I’ll repay—”

 Her words were cut short when the door burst open. Aeris leaped in front of Janine to shield her. A single man came in whom Aeris recognized as Janine's father. He held a rifle in his shaking hands and pointed it at Aeris.

“You get away from my daughter,” he said.

 Aeris' tail wrapped around her. He had to have been standing outside the door, listening to them talking. That he was there instead of contacting her former master told her he likely didn't plan to turn her in, but she didn't want to take that chance.

Janine stepped around Aeris and placed herself between the dragon and the gun. “Pa, don’t! Aeris saved my life. It’s the least I could do to repay her.”

“I can’t let you do that, Janine,” her father said. His hands shook and sweat ran down his face. “This dragon is being hunted by the worst kinds of people. If we keep her here too long, they’ll come looking for her. She can’t stay here.”

“But—”

“I won’t put you in danger again!” To Aeris he said. “I’m sorry. I truly am. I am grateful to you for saving my daughter, but I don’t see how putting our lives in jeopardy makes us even. Even if you get away, we sure won’t. They’ll come knocking, and they’ll torture my little girl for your whereabouts or he could sink my business.”

“I understand,” Aeris said. This man was only doing what he thought was best to protect his daughter. She was doing the same for her eggs. She hated the idea of going back out into the night, but if that was what the man wanted, she would go. She could always spend the night in Cutter’s abandoned place.

Janine whirled around. “Aeris, no! You said it yourself, you got nowhere to go. You won’t last out there by yourself.”

“Janine, your father’s right. My being here puts you all at risk. You don’t know what kind of man my master is. If he thinks you know where I am, he will do whatever he has to for that information. I’m sorry, but I can’t put you at risk like that. I should’ve involved you.”

She turned toward the door, but Janine stood in her way. “No. I won’t send you out into the middle of the night with eggs by yourself.” She turned to her father standing behind her. “Pa, please. Just one night. We owe her that much. Can you really send a mother out with her children to sleep in the cold?”

Janine’s father lowered the gun. “Dammit, Janine. I…You know I just want you to be safe.” He sighed heavily and added. “Fine, you can spend one night here. But come morning, I want you gone.” Without waiting for a reply, he spun and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Janine wrapped her arms around Aeris’ neck but not pressing her body against the eggs. “I’m so sorry about him.”

 Aeris returned the hug as best she could while wearing the satchel. She settled for resting her chin on Janine's shoulder. "Don't be. He's just trying to protect his child. I would do the same thing."

 "No, you wouldn't. But I 'preciate what you're tryin to do. Come on. If this is to be our last night here, you can sleep with me. The bed's big enough for both of us."

 Aeris wanted to argue but decided against it. Janine wanted her guest to be comfortable, and it would be rude to deny her. Just as Janine said, the bed was large enough for both of them. It was a bit of a slight squeeze, and the bedframe groaned under their combined weight, but Janine assured her it was sturdier than it seemed. The mattress was a lot softer than Aeris thought it would be. It almost reminded her of her mattress back home.

She pushed the thought away. She didn’t want to be reminded of anything from that place. The bed was like everything else. Something used to keep her placated so she would be depended on her former master.

Never again. She thought. Never again would she allow herself to be used like that. To be tricked and manipulated into being someone’s pawn.

She kept that thought at the front of her mind as she drifted off to sleep, listening to the harsh sounds of Janine’s snoring.

***

Aeris awoke the following morning half-expecting to be staring down the barrel of a rifle. But even that dark thought couldn’t dampen her spirits. Last night’s sleep was one of the best she’d had in days. It was a shame knowing it would be weeks or even longer before she could sleep like that again. Janine’s father was nowhere to be seen although Janine was standing on the other side of the room, stuffing clothes into a small bag.

Aeris stretched and rolled off the bed. “Good morning. What are you doing?”

Janine jumped at the sudden sound of Aeris’ voice. She looked over her shoulder at the dragon and smiled. “Oh, mornin. I’m just packing a bag. Unlike you, I need to wear clothes to keep warm, and I doubt I’ll be buyin anythin new when we set out.”

“Uh…we?”

“Of course, silly. I’m goin with you.”

Aeris shot a worried glance at the door. If Janine’s father overheard that, he would come bursting in here with the rifle again.

“Don’t worry. Pa’s downstairs getting everything ready for today. We’ll slip out when the mornin crowd comes in. It’ll be hours ‘fore he realizes we’re long gone.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you doing this? If you feel guilty—”

Janine spun on her with a fierce, demanding stare. “Don’t you start that. You done did more for me than most folks I’ve known my entire life. I won’t send you out there alone with no idea how to survive in the world. It’s a far crueler place than you realize.”

“I know that. I’ve seen first-hand what becomes of trusting the wrong person. But you still don’t have to do this. This is my problem, not yours. If you feel you owe me for saving your life, don’t. You don’t owe me anything.”

“That’s not it!” Janine slammed the bag on the floor. “The day we met, you didn’t know me. Had no reason to care if I live or die, but you still put yourself at risk to save my life. Everyone else was just fine standin by and watchin those drakes torment me, but not you. You did somethin.

“Aeris, you taught me that as cruel as this world is, there is kindness in it as well. But that kindness ain’t gonna sprout outta the ground. It takes good people—and dragons—to stand up and make this world brighter. I plan to live by that motto for as long as I can. If I die because of it, then so be it. I’d rather die fightin for what I believe in than live betrayin everythin I’ve ever known.”

Aeris didn’t say anything. She knew there was no talking Janine out of this. She hated the idea of putting the young woman at risk, but she also hated the idea of traveling alone. Aeris knew next to nothing about the world even after all the lessons from Aubrey.

Janine finished packing and went to Aeris, helping her put the cloak back on and placed the hood over her head. “I’m all done. Now, if we wanna leave the city, we’ll need coin.”

“I have some. More than enough for both of us,” Aeris said. She fished the coin purse out of the satchel and dumped its contents on the bed.

Janine’s eyes widened. “You’re right. This is more than enough to get us outta here.” Her smile faded. “It’s too much in fact.”

“What do you mean?”

 "Aeris, I ain't no highborn noblewoman, and we can't have you lookin like you were raised in a mansion."

“But I was,” Aeris pointed out.

“Not the point. The point is, we go tossin gold like that around, and people’ll think we stole it.”

 Aeris's mouth hung open in shock. "That gold was given to me!"

Janine shook her head. “People don’t sweat details. They’ll take one look at us and call us thieves then call the city watch on us.”

“So what do we do? We need the coin to get out of here, but if people think we stole it, we can’t spend it.”

Janine scooped the coins into the coin purse. “Simple. We just trade the gold pieces for some silver and copper ones. No one’ll think twice as long as they don’t know how much we really have. Now you go ahead and wait for me out front. I’ll just go to the safe in the basement and trade in these pieces for the other ones and meet you.”

“What if you don’t come back?” Aeris asked.

Janine stopped at the door. She looked over her shoulder and said. “I’ll be back. You didn’t abandon me. I won’t abandon you.”

Aeris fell silent and followed Janine downstairs. Once down in the tavern, they went their separate ways. Aeris kept her head down and walked straight for the exit. No one had so much as glanced at her. Years of experience being treated like a piece of furniture had its uses. She could make her presence unnoticeable when she wanted. Once outside she moved across the street and sat down, waiting for Janine to join her.

A few minutes later, a young woman wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a small bag walked out of the tavern. Even without seeing the woman’s face, Aeris knew it was Janine. She did her best to hide her jubilation as the young woman approached.

“I got the coin. We all set?” Janine asked.

“Yes, let’s go.”

They started down the street. Aeris stayed close to Janine and followed the young woman’s lead. Janine avoided the side streets and stayed with large crowds.  Aeris suspected that would be the smarter move. It made them easier to hide in.

As they approached the gates, Aeris spoke, "Janine, I didn't say this before, but I think its best if we don't mention, the…" she let the rest of the sentence hang, knowing Janine would understand what she meant. She didn't want too many people to know she was carrying eggs. It was unlikely anyone would want to steal them with their sale and purchase being taboo, but she didn't want to take that risk. Also, Aaron would likely be looking for a female dragon carrying eggs.

“Don’t worry about that, Aeris. I know not to mention them.”

“Also, I don’t think you should call me by my name. It’s well-known among the nobles, and we can’t risk anyone overhearing it.”

“Fair enough. What should I call you?”

Aeris had to think for a moment. It only just occurred to her to keep her identity a secret; she hadn’t thought of a fake name. The only name that came to mind was the nickname Cutter had given her. It seemed appropriate. No one else knew her by that name except Cutter. “Snowflake. That will be my new name.”

“Snowflake?” Janine asked. Even without seeing the woman, Aeris could hear the skepticism in her voice. “Okay. If that’s what you want, Snow.”

“Should we change your name?”

“Nah. My Pa’ll be worried, sure, but ain’t nobody gonna be lookin for me. It’s okay if we use my name.”

They continued in silence until they reached one of the gates leading out of the city. There were several groups of merchants loading their wagons to take their goods elsewhere. A few of them even had dragons with them. Aeris scanned each group and weighed their options. She wasn’t sure how, but she could tell just by looking at each group how likely she and Janine were to barter passage with them. It seemed all of those years sitting in with Aaron on his business deals had honed her business senses.

Her eyes settled on a small group of men loading a wagon. The human giving the orders was a large man with a beard that covered most of his face and hung to his chest. Aeris had a good feeling about that man. He had kind eyes beneath the shaggy hair on his face. And there was no dragon with them which would likely improve their chances.

"I think we should go with that group over there," Aeris whispered to Janine.

“Them? Are you sure? I don’t know. That one with the beard looks a little shady to me.”

“It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Janine nodded and followed Aeris to the group of men. The bearded man noticed them first. He stroked his beard and asked, “Can I help you, ladies?”

Aeris flinched and fought the urge to run. The man’s voice was booming and terrifying. But she needed to do this. It was their only hope of escape. She swallowed her fear and inched closer to the man. “Are you leaving the city by any chance?” she asked in a brave tone.

The bearded man looked at the rest of the group then turned back to Aeris. “What business is it of yours?”

Aeris' tail curled around her legs. "Oh, I just wanted to know if we could journey with you."

The man’s brow rose. “Do you even know where we’re going?”

Aeris shook her head. She didn’t care where they were going. If it meant having several extra miles between her and her master, she would go wherever she had to. But she knew better than to say so aloud. The whole point of negotiating was to stay in a position of power, that meant not letting the other party know what few options they had.

Janine spoke up, “We need to get to Auruem. If you guys are headed West, we’d like to join you.”

The bearded man turned to the rest of the group and whispered something before turning back to Aeris. “We are going West, but we aren’t going all the way to Auruem.”

“That’s fine,” Aeris said. “We have other business to take care of anyway. How far are you going?”

“Strendor,” the bearded man replied. “Is that okay?”

Aeris turned to Janine for input as she knew nothing about any of the other cities. Janine took the hint and spoke, “That’ll be fine. We can make the rest of the journey ourselves from there.”

“You can come with us, but it’s gonna cost you.”

“How much?” Aeris asked.

One of the bearded man's companions approached. This one had long, scraggly hair and a jagged scar running down the side of his face. "How much ya got?"

“Excuse me?” Janine asked.

The man with the scar chuckled. “Let’s not play games. I can tell by looking at the two of ya that yer desperate. Yer likely runnin’ from someone, so me and the boys’ll need…hazard pay.”

Aeris felt her courage draining. They knew that much just from looking at them. She had no idea what to do in this situation. Normally Aaron would try to strike some kind of deal, but Aeris didn’t have anything to bargain with.

Her eyes settled on the cart the humans were packing, and she saw their bargaining chip. The wagon was close to falling apart; it had been patched up several times over.

“We didn’t come here to be—” Janine began.

Aeris cut her off. “If you’re going to try and take us for everything we have, we’ll try someone else. It’s a real shame. That cart of yours doesn’t look very sturdy. I suspect it only has a few trips left before it starts falling apart if it hasn’t already. A few extra coins could really go a long way toward buying a new one.”

She spun and motioned for Janine to follow.

“Hey, is it really all right to leave like this?” Janine whispered. “We ain’t got many options.”

“Don’t worry,” Aeris whispered back. “They’ll call us back.”

They walked a few feet before hearing a voice call out to them. “Wait.”

Aeris smiled at Janine and spun around, her face neutral. “Yes?”

The bearded man approached them, his gaze looking much softer than before. “I’m sorry about Dennis. He thinks he can talk business.”

“It’s fine,” Aeris said. “But don’t let it happen again. I don’t care how much coin we pay you, I will not have myself nor my friend insulted.” She was shocked by the firmness in her voice. But it was important to play the role of the tough, no-nonsense dragon if these humans were to take them seriously.

It seemed to be working because the bearded man suddenly looked nervous. Even a man of his size couldn’t do much if Aeris decided to attack. “I’m sorry again. Let’s discuss the price.”

“We’ll pay you ten silver now for each of us, and another ten total when reach Strendor,” Aeris said. “And I’ll knock off one silver every time your friend insults me.”

The human stroked his beard as he looked over Aeris and Janine. She could tell he was considering her offer, but little else. "I want ten each now, and another ten each when we get there," he said. "And you won't be knocking off anything."

Aeris narrowed her eyes. “Either I knock down the price or I snatch off a finger from your friend’s hand. And you’ll get twenty now and ten later.”

The bearded man smiled. “Honestly, I think Dennis could stand to lose a few fingers. But lightening his pockets would hurt him more. You got yourself a deal. We leave now, though.”

“That’s fine,” Aeris said. She nodded to Janine who counted out the coins and placed them in the man’s hand.

The bearded man stuffed the coins into his pocket and led them back to his companions. “The name’s Cecil. What do I call you two?”

“My friend is Janine, and I’m Snowflake,” Aeris said.

Cecil raised a brow. “Your name is Snowflake?”

“Is there a problem?” Aeris asked in mock annoyance, throwing in a low growl for good measure.

Cecil quickly raised his hands. “No, no. No problem. I’m sorry if I insulted you.”

“It’s fine, but the next time will cost you. Literally.”

Cecil nodded and became quiet.

“I can’t believe how well you handled that,” Janine whispered. “I’d love to have you negotiatin prices back at the Drunken Lizard.”

Aeris smiled politely. It pained her knowing Janine was likely never going home again. The smile on Janine’s face faltered indicating the same thought crossed her mind. It was easy to forget the danger they faced and that it wasn’t a leisure trip. Aeris didn’t have a plan for what she would do once she reached Strendor. Perhaps she would send a letter to Aubrey and ask for her help or maybe find a way to track down Cutter or Maggie.

After Cecil explained the arrangement to his two friends, the three humans finished loading the wagon. They walked until sundown, and it was easily one of the hardest things Aeris had ever done. Although Aeris made frequent trips into the woods near Aaron's estate, she was unaccustomed to traveling rough ground for so long with no break. Usually, she traveled in short bursts and took a break whenever she needed it. She dragged her legs and her muscles strained with every step. She kept to the back of the group to hide how tired she was. Janine stayed by her side. Every time one of them looked back at her or asked if she needed a break, she always put on a brave face and said she fine. She couldn't afford to look weak and make them regret taking her on. She didn't want to find out if they would leave her in the middle of the woods. She also wanted to put as much distance between her eggs and Aaron as possible.   

There was no measure of how relieved she felt when the bearded man gave the order that they would be stopping to rest.

Aeris would have collapsed on the spot if she wasn’t worried about the eggs. She and Janine stayed out of the way while the men set up their camp. Aeris had read about it, but she didn’t know the first thing about camping, so she watched them work, fascinated. They were in the middle of setting up a tent to sleep in when her head began to droop and her eyelids felt heavy.

***

Aeris smelled the savory scent of cooked meat and snatched her head up. The sky had turned black and glittered with the lights of billions of stars overhead. The surrounding trees were blanketed in darkness. The camp was set up, two tents sitting side by side in front of a large campfire, which the four men crowded around. Each one had a bowl and spoon in his hand as they spoke to each other in hushed voices. Aeris looked down and noticed a plate of meat had already been placed next to her. Janine sat next to her, already halfway through her share.

Aeris didn’t have much of an appetite, but she decided to eat anyway.

“We weren’t sure how you liked your meat, so I apologize in advance if it’s not to your liking,” Cecil said. “Most dragons I met like it rare, but I heard domesticates prefer it cooked.”

“What makes you think I’m a domesticate?” Aeris asked, trying hard to keep her voice even or her tail from wrapping around her body.

“You’re too clean,” another man said.

Cecil poked his companion with a spoon. “That makes it sound like dragons are dirty, Liam.”

Liam shrugged. “I meant what I said. She’s got no scars and her scales look polished. A bit dingy now, maybe, but polished. She doesn’t look like something that’s weathered from traveling a lot, but something new that’s been left unattended.”

Aeris frowned at the man. She understood what he meant, but she didn’t appreciate being compared to an object. Especially since her former master treated her like one.

“Besides,” Dennis said as if he didn’t see Aeris taking offense to his companion’s words, “Only a domesticate needs a human escort to travel between cities.”

“Plus, you were really lagging behind today, and you didn’t even carry anything,” Liam added. “Any other dragon in the city would be used to travel. And since we’re on the subject. How’d you two meet? No way a girl your age can afford to take care of a dragon. Nah, if you had that kind of coin, you wouldn’t need to bother us for an escort.”

Aeris started eating her food so she didn’t have to respond. If those men could figure out she was a domesticate so easily, there was no doubt anyone else would figure it out too, and that was a problem. Her unique appearance alone made her stand out, but it would be even harder to blend in with other dragons. She shot a glance Janine’s way to warn her not to say too much. Janine gave a subtle nod in reply.

“Ignore him,” Cecil said. “It’s none of our business whatever your reasons are. But I need you to be straight with me. Is there anyone after you?”

Aeris took one last bite of food and took her time chewing it. It was meant to buy time to compose herself, but she hoped the humans would see it as a sign of confidence. “If you were so worried, shouldn’t you have asked that before we left? No matter, the answer is no.”

Cecil studied her face for a moment, then said, “Fair enough. I just had to be sure. Anyway, we’ll be leaving at first light, so make sure you get plenty of sleep.”

 Aeris nodded and resumed eating. She noticed Janine was silently staring at her now-empty bowl. "You okay?" Aeris whispered.

Janine nodded. “This is the furthest I’ve ever been away from home. I’ve lived in Rubelan all my life. Whenever I left the city, it was always with Pa.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

 "Don't be. I meant what I said. I'll be by your side no matter what." She wrapped her arm around Aeris's neck.

Aeris smiled at the young woman. “Thank you, Janine. I promise I’ll never forget your kindness. You should get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us.”