Forewarned (BEING REWRITTEN)

I become Avery's little burglar

I raised a brow. “I’m pretty sure you’re not going to die.”

He stomped a paw and kept bawling.

I looked around. “Avery is going to kill me,” I said between grit teeth.

Caedmon nuzzled my hand, crying and shuffling his wings, making more scales fall off. Then when he saw them he started crying harder.

“Shh shh…” My eyes shiftily looked at the side of the barn where the hoses were. Usually a bustle of activity, it was too early for anyone to be up tending to their dragons. It was so weird when it was quiet. I sighed as I picked up the crying dragon and carried him out to the little post where I washed him off last time.

He sat there patiently as I walked to get the scale shine from the little closet. 

As I started to wash my little buddy off, I found black scales peppering my hands. Ugh.. why couldn’t they just shed like snakes and get it over with? He arched under my touch, rubbing back and forth against the hatchling cloth I was using. Soon, around his fat belly I was starting to see smooth black skin. Rubbing it with my fingers, I found his skin felt smooth and cool like leather. “Hmmm,” I ran my teeth over my lower lip as I washed him off vigrorously, taking off another few scales.

We’d made quite a mess of tiny black scales. One had even dug into my finger, giving me a little paper cut. I washed it off with one more squirt from the water hose before turning it off.

“Meep.” Caedmon said sadly. Now that he had lost so many scales, I think he felt a bit naked and cold. He shivered in the chilly Alaskan air and looked at me with those big purple eyes. I sighed as he got on his hind legs and held out his forepaws to me, his little body wracking with shivers.

“For the record it was your idea,” I pointed out.

He whined.

“Don’t pull this on me!” I said, pointing to myself.

He started to cry, big dragon tears welling in his eyes.

“Okay okay sorry.. I’m sorry.” I grabbed a towel and wrapped him up in it like a baby. I could feel him snuggling deeper inside as I pulled him to my chest to keep him warm. I shuffled to the door fast as I could. Avery was gonna be so ticked off at me!

Rushing down the hall, I was stopped by a quick zap to my left butt cheek.  “Ah!” I let out a squeaky yell, jumping.

“You’re late!” Avery poked me again on my side, zapping me.

“Ouch! Jeez lady!” I skidded to the side, away from her reach. “I’m sorry!”

“What is that?” she demanded, her golden eyes training on the squiggling bundle in my arms.

“It’s Caedmon,” I see the look in her eyes. “He was cold.” I said defensively. He nosed out of the towel just enough for his face to be visible. He stared at Avery like ‘you have a problem?’

Avery’s eyebrows almost went to her hair. “Okay…” she drawled. “Let’s get to the training room. Hurry- we’ve already wasted so much time.”

I exhaled in relief that she hadn’t shocked me and trotted after her to that weird little room again. She shut the door after me. “So what were you two doing?”

“He’s shedding-“ I started to explain.

“Molting,” she corrected. “Yeah I was wondering when he would start molting. So you gave him a bath and now he’s freezing..”

“Yeah,” I said, slowly sitting down on my bean bag. Caedmon played with my fingers as I dangled them over him, his tiny leathery paws brushing my skin.