Blood and Water (♠ Blue Suit ♠)

He didn't quite gave her the time to actually think about it. The baby dragon was placed on her arms and she couldn't help it but shiver. A skin like that... she had never really touched such a skin. Soon though, she felt her gaze warming up, even more at the way the baby was looking at Tome. You like him, don't you? She thought to herself as she brushed her fingertips against its skin lightly. Lifting her stare to Tome, a soft smile crept over her own lips "Well I understand why you do" She said out loud.


(Oh crud! Forgot! But yeah, I was gonna suggest boy :3)
 
Tome frowned a little even as he got out of the tub, shaking his leg off a bit even as he grabbed a towel to dry his arms and legs. "Why I do what?" He asked, though he didn't really expect an answer, as she'd gotten some sort of daydreaming look in her eye. He shrugged it off and just pulled off the shirt he was wearing once his arms were dry. "Here, wrap him in this. It's clean enough." He did his best to dry his pant leg enough that it wouldn't drip, then just walked out into the rest of the room to get new clothes to change into. And to strip the bed sheets away since they weren't usable anymore. When he was changed, Tome hung his clothes to dry in the bathroom and held his hands out for the baby again. "You can give him back now." He wasn't sure how comfortable she would be holding a dragon, even a tiny one, and it seemed to want him back anyway.
 
"Why I do what?" Mia glanced up at him and shrugged "Oh, not you. I was talking to the baby" The last word came out with an affectionate tone and she even cradled him a bit as she got used to the skin and the weight. Both, her and the baby watched Tome as he seemed to clean up the mess. When he told her she could give the baby back, she did so almost immediately, because she knew that's where the dragon wanted to be.
 
Tome took the baby dragon back, and it started to get sleepy as soon as it was settled against his body heat, eyes closing with a yawn that exposed a small maw with tiny, useless teeth inside. They weren't even very sharp yet, and Tome thought that they would have a hard time with teething for something like a dragon - but he wasn't supposed to think that far. He wasn't even supposed to have it while it grew up, and things were changing in ways he didn't like.


Shaking his head, Tome turned and walked out to start packing one-handed while the baby drifted off in his other arm, calling back to Mia. "If you'd like to bathe, I suggest draining the tub and doing so now. We'll leave as soon as you're ready." He'd bathed just the night before and didn't see a need to do it again. He just wanted to be on the road again and closer to the hatchery.
 
"Oh, right" Mia nodded and, taking one of the towels she had tossed on top of her bed some time before with her, she got into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. He was really a rather calm person. Even in that, she could just see a hint of panic on his eyes a couple of minutes ago but now he was just being... proficient. She drained the tub and got the water running again. Not much like her... He was really different. And the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't ignore the difference and how she had found herself growing used to that.


Sometimes she felt him quite distant, as if he was completely out of her reach. He could be quite self-sufficient, but then again she thought of how he had behaved when Fawn died, how vulnerable he had turned out to be. Now that he had someone else depending on him, he was really behaving as he used to do before. And she... What was that? Small but strong, tiny but growing, she could feel it, something she had not felt a long time ago blooming on her chest.


It could be a mistake because there was no reason for her to feel that way. Still, it gave her a warm and tingling feeling she could't deny. And it had been there for a couple of days. When he saved her again and when he took her in his arms. For the first time, she felt her heart pounding against her chest and she felt how her face started to feel hot. If it had not been because something within her had told her she had been plenty enough on the tub perhaps she'd have given that more thought. She pushed herself up quickly and dried her hair with the towel as she dressed up with the help of just one hand.


"Ready" Getting out of the bathroom, she declared as her hair dripped some water on the floor.
 
It was a bit difficult, putting on and lacing up his shoes while sitting down and awkwardly bending over the baby so it wouldn't get squished, but the scaley creature didn't wake for that. It did, a bit, when Tome had to switch it from arm to arm to get on his cloak, but only fussed a little and drifted off again. By the time Mia came back out of the bathroom and packed, he was sitting and rocking it gently, without much thought.


"We'll head out now, then." He said, getting up and walking over to her. "Here, hold him a moment." He handed her the dragon, which began to squirm a little in its sleep, and quickly put on the same makeshift carrier they'd used for the egg, putting the baby dragon in it when it was on. It fit relatively well, and all but its wingtips were covered from view. "All right. Let's go." He glanced at the bed and the fluid sinking into the sheets in the corner of the room, and made a face. "We'll leave a bit extra to cover that, but let's not stick around until they find it." No one would be happy.
 
Well what was 'left' hadn't been exactly... pretty. But it was no different from the mess a real human baby would've made if he had been born there, right? It was never pretty for those who had to clean afterwards, that was for sure. She could say that with absolute confidence because she had been one of those. And of those who had helped to deliver a baby. Now, people could always say it was the most beautiful thing in the world, the miracle of light right before your eyes and such. It sure was, but not everyone had the stomach for it. Mia, for instance, didn't. That was at the beginning though, grew used to it later.


"Do you know where the hatchery is?" She asked him as they exited the inn. Now that the baby had been born, there was no 'danger' anymore. It had hatched already eithernway.
 
Tome nodded. "I've a vague idea. Once we're close enough we can begin asking locals, but not until then. I assume we would see larger dragons flying about, since they don't stay hatchlings forever. . . We'll need to get some milk and a bottle on the way out." He added, glancing at her as they paid and left, a protective arm over the baby's little pouch. "We've really nothing else to feed him with, unless he eats fruit or nuts." He was too little to be eating meat. That much was certain,even if Tome didnt know all that much about baby dragons.
 
Mia didn't know about baby dragons, so she could not really say if they would be capable of eating either fruits or nuts at that age. Babies, human babies, couldn't that was for sure. They needed milk, right after they were born actually. If that applied to the dragon... She didn't really know where to get the milk. Even more, could it drink any kind of milk? Or a special one was required?


Also, she guessed locals would be able to tell them where the hatchery was easily. Come on, she doubted there was more than one on the village. Though... She couldn't take that for granted "You think he'll sleep for long?" Hopefully, if they did, they could get there before the baby dragon woke up.
 
Tome made a little bit of a face as they got the horses, strapping their bags up and starting to walk rather than ride. "I don't know. That's the problem." He shook his head, glancing around as he moved towards the market. "I don't know enough. The hatchery will know and will be able to take care of him." If he doesn't fight my leaving, tooth and claw.
 
Would the dragon let Tome leave though? It was pretty obvious he was attached to him already. She considered saying it out loud, but somehow she could guess Tome knew about it already. As such, she chose to keep those thoughts to herself as she made her horse go at the same pace as Tome's.
 
When they reached the market, Tome left Mia with the horses for jaut a few minutes to purchase a tittle and milk, then brought it back and packed it in their supplies. The mounted up, after that, and started out of the town. It was hours later before the baby finally woke up and immediately began squirming and squeaking at him. He stopped their horses to free it from the pouch and glanced over at Mia. "Can you take the milk and the bottle out? If we just stop for a few minutes, I can feed him. Unless you needed to take a break now. We can stop and sit for a while." He didnt want to be riding while the baby ate. He didnt have enough hands for that.
 
"I'm fine" Mia waved her hand before hopping down and taking out the milk and the bottle "Here it is" Holding both of the stuff for him to take, she said. Actually, she was fine, didn't really need to rest. Not that she got tired that often, she could keep going.
 
Tome thought, then just slipped down off the horse to his feet, cradling the baby carefully to shield him from the impact of it, and looked at Mia again. "We'll just stop long enough to feed him. Down here is probably the best option. Will you help me pour it into the bottle?" He thought the bottle with the rubber top that human babies used was probably best. Anything else and the pour thing would probably drown itself trying to drink.
 
"Sure" It was something she could easily do. After having done so with Elliot and with a couple of other little kids, she was quick and precise when it came to pour water into a bottle like that. She didn't spill and fortunately was able to do so properly. Before it reached the top completely, she stopped and closed it "Here"
 
Tome nodded and took it from her. "Thank you, Mia." He said quietly, and just shifted the baby into the crook of his arm, resting the bottle against its mouth and rubbing gently to get it to open. He murmured soft nothings to it until it finally stopped crying long enough to latch onto the bottle and start sucking. After the first few swallows it tried putting its clumsy little paws around the bottle, but Tome just held it steady. "Well. . . He likes it, at least. That's good."
 
Mia gave a nod accompanied with a small smile when he thanked her. Mia He didn't really use her name a lot. Actually, rarely. Well sort of almost never. It was... Nice. Hearing it from him, that is. Oh what in the world was she even thinking about? It was just her being silly. Caring about stuff like that. Her previous masters had actually never really said her name before. "Well. . . He likes it, at least. That's good." Snapping out of it, she glanced at the dragon " 'He'? Is he a boy then?"
 
Tome looked at the dragon a moment, thoughtful, then just sort of shrugged. "He sets.to, I'm not entirely sure. It's not like looking helps." Dragons didnt have external . . . private parts. They were kept hidden to avoid vulnerabilities. "We'll find out when we get there, but for now I just started calling it a he." He frowned slightly at his own thoughts but spoke them anyway. ". . . Calling him an 'it' felt wrong."
 
Mia glanced up at him and then back at the dragon "Well he's bigger than I thought it'd be" She declared as she laid her cheek on top of her hand. The egg was big by itself, that was for sure, but she didn't actually believe the dragon would pretty much be the egg's size. Perhaps a bit smaller to say the least.
 
Tome made a face, slightly amused. "Well, it was a tight fit, but he was all curled up in there, so he fit. I wonder how fast he'll grow." He blinked down at the little creature in his arms, still watching Tome with bright awareness shining in its eyes. ". . . I don't think he's going to let me go." It was an almost mournful tone, one of certainty but regret, and a hint of nerves. He couldn't care for a dragon. He'd failed at even caring for a little girl. . .


((Night :) ))
 
"I don't think so either" Mia replied almost immediately and without giving it much thought. Come on, it just took a look. The dragon looked at Tome as if he depended on him and he quite did actually. Tome was acting like his mom anyway. It was clear Tome was not looking at that possibility with good eyes.


(Night! :>)
 
Tome sighed and leaned against his horse's shoulder, just waiting for the baby to be finished. "That's not going to go so well. . ." He shook his head. "It's possible we might be stuck with him, and if we are it means the hatchery is going to get stuck with us." He needed to know how to try and care for it, at least. If it was going to happen,he couldn't just give up.
 
"I guess. For how long would you believe we'll stay then?" Either way, she thought of it as a good thing. There was no need to be locked on the house all the time. And, if they were to stay on the new town, she might as well take walks from time to time. It's like, she didn't mind to live in the woods, but sometimes it was nice to know you were not living isolated from people.
 
Tome shrugged, uncertain, and leaned his head back against the horse, watching the skies. "I suppose until we know enough to care for him, should that be the case. I don't know how much we have to learn, so I don't know how long it will take." They hadn't packed enough, that much was for sure. They had only enough for a few days' trip. By the time they reached the hatchery they would run out of supplies, and would need to wash clothes or buy new ones.
 
"If... If we are to keep it, can't we name it?" They knew it wouldn't allow Tome to leave him behind, so they could as well name him, could they not? Better if they called him by a name.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top