Fight or Flight

Chapter 12

"Quite sure. If you need a fire that badly, that cloak of yours seems flammable enough."

A look of horror came over Simon's face, and I tamped down my grin as the human glanced nervously towards the cloak presently draped over the cart. "I don't think so."

"Are you certain?" Despite myself, I had been unable to keep from noticing that Simon seemed a little attached to his cloak, and I felt far too giddy at teasing him over it. "It seems like a fire from it would be steady and constant. You could wrap it around the pot while it burns."

"The wisdom of burning up my wardrobe aside, that cloak was a gift from my parents. I might enjoy coffee, but I don't think any cup could be worth that loss." Simon continued to watch the cart for another heartbeat or two... then he looked back at me, and I could see the curiosity in his eyes. Great – my teasing had caused him to think of a question to bug me with. "Do you have anything like that? Gifts from your parents, or from other dragons?"

"No. Dragons do not do such things." The magedebt wouldn't really let us – outside of a rider or a mate bond, any gift would create an obligation to repay it. Which defeated the purpose of a gift. Though it was probably for the best – even if Cess seemed determined to find a way around it, the issue of added magedebt was probably all that stood between my parents sending gifts to 'rescue me' with. "We are able to get whatever we need on our own."

I did not enjoy the new direction the conversation had taken and tried to nudge it back to teasing Simon. "Could you not simply ask your parents for a new cloak if you used it in your cooking?" I tried to remember what Simon had told me about his parents. I was sure he had mentioned them, though I had paid little attention at the time. "They are still alive, yes? It may be best to ask them for a replacement in any case – I do not consider myself an expert on human clothing, but it still looks to me as if you have had it for some time now."

"They are still alive." The normally cheerful and annoyingly positive tone in Simon's voice faded a little, and he turned away to adjust the horse's gear. "But I don't see or talk to them much anymore. So I appreciate you sharing your wisdom, but I think I will decline the suggestion of burning their gift. I am sure I can find some other way to find a proper cooking surface for my coffee." Simon's hands paused in their work, and some of that excessive cheer came back into his voice. "Or a spell."

Hmph. Back to that again. "If you cannot handle life out here without your 'coffee', nothing is stopping you from staying at that town after you drop those crystals off." I glanced at the flimsy cart holding the crystals, then extended my wing to nudge it a little.

The horse made a nervous nickering sound and took a careful step backwards.

Simon sighed once more and followed after the horse, giving it another soothing stroke along the neck. "Maybe I'll just ask whatever court mage gets sent to pick these crystals up. I'm sure they'll be happy to do what they can to keep the crystal miner happy."

I snorted at that, and only partially to startle the horse. "Good luck with that. I doubt you will see a mage at all while you are there, much less have one take the crystals from you. Unless one is being punished for screwing up, I suppose. Being around you would be much too uncomfortable an experience."

"Well that's just rude. Are you trying to tell me that I smell?" Simon ducked his head back towards the horse, but I caught a half-roll of his eyes before he looked away. "I'll be sure to take a bath when I get to the city, don't worry."

"You do smell. But I was not trying to tell you that, no. No human with any decent mage sense will want anything to do with you. No matter how much you scrub yourself in a tub. Though I will, of course, be happy to dunk you in the lake before you go." I extended my wing again to poke the cart, but the horse did not react this time. I felt a bit of disappointment at that – the game had been fun, but it seemed like it was coming to an end. "Just in case you would like to test that theory."