I can understand dragons... But others can't... How is this possible?

The guy who fixed my leg came over and gently squeezed my hand bringing me back to the present from the depths of my own mind. "Let's get you to bed." He said. I nodded and slid off the table, gently I took a step forward. But as soon as my foot touched the floor my thigh burned in pain..! I grasped it in my hands. "Just as I thought... I didn't fully heal it." His wife sighed and exited the room and after a moment came back with a wooden pair of crutches.

"Here me dear." She said handing me them, I took them nodding thanks. "Let me escort you to a room." She has a odd accent...it's interesting and all. But I never been addressed in quite a manner as she does it, she seemed from this area. Tan skin, long hair, and strength. Unlike me... Pale... Short haired... And not strong enough to protect myself from attacks... Her strength seemed to come from framing possibly.

I followed her walking form with a little bit of difficulty. As she led me I noticed they had a very nice home, pictures on the walls, many rooms, good lighting. She turned to the right showing me a guest bedroom... More like a master bedroom... The Queen sized bed was draped in green shrouds of silk that came down from the ceiling, and had plush pillows with beautiful embroidery swirled all over them. The walls were painted with a forest setting, and in the corner was a little waterfall, and I mean literal a real waterfall... It flowed into what appeared to be a chiseled out section on the floor, then that branched off into little streams that flowed around the room in spiraling patterns then retuned into the wall... Then there was an elegantly carved wardrobe standing next to a full length mirror in the same fashion. And finally a window seat that overlooked the village, then farther away the forest, and in the background... The mountain...

I turned to the woman, "I don't need to sleep here, I could just sleep on the floor in the kitchen-" Or somewhere simpler, this seemed fit for a princess! And am no Royal, as much as that prince wants me to be.

"Nonsense me dearie," she interrupted, "You will sleep in here." She smiled, closing her eyes with the gesture.

"Oh but I'd hate to be a bother..." I replied, I'm filthy and that cloth has to cost them a fortune! I'd hate to ruin that, and there is no way I could buy another!

"Believe me, my dear it's no trouble at all." Something in her tone indicated there was no room for discussion, Vlik used it sometimes as well... Vlik... I miss your voice...

"Thank you ma'am." I replied quickly to the older woman, trying to hide my sudden burst of grief. She seemed grateful to have avoided a argument.

"Your welcome me dear, and please, call me Melanie. Might I ask, what is your name?" She asked.

"Natalia." I answered, my voice felt different somehow... Like my throat was closing in on itself...

"Well Natalia, you are welcome to stay as long as you like, there is spare nightgowns and dresses in the wardrobe. I will show you the washroom in the morning. Sleep well me dear." I forced a smile at her, trying my darn hardest to show my gratitude.

"Thank you... Melanie." She smiled and turned away leaving me in the room. I carefully stepped over the swirling design of the stream while making my way over to the wardrobe. I opened it to reveal... Dresses, and more dresses, and guess what else... Dresses! "Oh my goodness..! This is a little too girly for me... Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers." The dress I wear was short and showed the knees, it used to be dark blue put is now faded over the extensive years of use, it was simple and made of cotton. I opened a drawer at the bottom to revel nightgowns. Silk nightgowns... Joy...

)()()()()()()()(

The next day I walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, Melanie had already showed me the washroom and boy it was one of the best baths I ever had. Then I got dressed into one of the simpler dresses, it was gray with black swirling patterns around the hem. Simple yet elegant.The smells of freshly cooked ham, eggs, bread, and many things that I haven't had in years. I entered recalling the most excellent night of sleep I've had in years... Probably because I cried myself to sleep...

God I miss that dragon! I feel like he tore something valuable from me... Something irreplaceable... I miss his presence... I miss his humor... I miss his warmth... I miss my hero in scaly armor... He's been so kind, so friendly...

Melanie noticed my entrance and smiled at me. "I hope your hungry me dear. I made nearly a feast for nearly the entire village." She presented the table that could have seated sixteen... Loaded with food... Fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, nuts, anything you can think up in this century was on this table.

"Oh my... You didn't have to do this..." I said as my mouth watered slightly at the extravagant feast before my eyes.

"Nonsense me dearie, it was no problem at all. I've always had a natch for cooking meals. Please help thyself. I'll join in a bit." I walked over to the table and sat myself at one of three placemats set out. It was kinda difficult getting the crutches to stay beside my seat, the ends kept slipping on the smooth floor.

"Where is your husband?" I asked, as I finally found a notch in the pattern that it could hold as an anchor.

"He will be here shortly me dear." She sat across from me, loading her plate with a wide variety of food. I followed her lead and started to overfill my plate, I was hungry. "Me dear," I looked up at her from my eggs. "I suggest you lie to Drew, or else I am afraid your friend will have no choice but to flee from the mountain he calls home."

"Vlik would never flee!" I shouted, my eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Unless it was the only way to save you me dear, believe me, me dear he considers you more than a friend. I watched from the balcony of me house, he wasn't doing it out of friendship." He wasn't? Then what else could he have been doing it out of? "So I suggest if you care for him, then my you my dear, must lie."

"But what if he figures it out?" I asked, scooping up a bunch of berries into my mouth.

"Believe me he won't." She said with a laugh. "He's dumber than two turnips in a barrel. He appears intelligent but beneath that, brain dead." I laughed.

Her husband, the wizard I think? Walked through the doorway and then seated himself. "Hello Natalia, hello dear." He got up and kissed his wife on the forehead.

"Hallo Janus. How was gathering?"

"Poor, I found little to no herbs of use." I watched as they continued to talk, discussing thinks past my knowledge. I looked down eating my mutton as they continued. "I believe I did find information about our guest though when researching though my spell books." I lifted my head.

"What me dear?" Asked Melanie.

"You understand how a person with power like me can't cast certain spells on creatures with higher status than me such as dragons, griffins, and their sorts of creatures?" She nodded, I slightly understood. "Well I believe she might not be all human."

"Um I'm right here you know? How am I not all human?" I said making my presence known to him.

"Oh dearly sorry about that. Its just a hunch. But anyway what if her bones are human and..."

"Her flesh is not..." Finished Melanie. I shook my head in confusion, what on earth are they talking about? I'm human, not something else. Right? "Maybe Dragon? Maybe that's how she can communicate with her friend?" Suggested Melanie.

"Maybe, but we don't know if other creatures can communicate with dragons either. Can they?" He directed the question towards me.

"I wouldn't have the slightest clue." I answered.

"Um... Visions?" Asked Melanie.

"Of corse! Natalia dear have you ever had visions, like flashbacks or dreams? Or even really weird scars that you don't remember getting?" Asked Janus.

"Um I do have a strange scar on my back, and I did have a strange dream about me having wings.... Blue wings...."

"What sort of wings?" Asked Melanie.

"Um... blue ones?"