The sky broke open about an hour before sundown. Before it came the chill and the wind and the scent of rain. This did little to distract Zera from staring out the window at whatever had been holding her attention most of the day.

  “She’s not going to come out with you staring at her like that,” I said, tossing a pecan at her. It bounced off the back of her head, breaking her concentration.

  The pecan vanished quickly once she found its landing spot and she trotted up to me, laying at my feet to wait for more treats. Her eyes kept drifting towards the window, though, and I couldn’t blame her. I was curious too.

  “Has she made herself known to you in the time since we met her?” I asked. Zera nodded, looking just a little guilty.

  “You’re not in trouble, and she’s not either. I am assuming she hasn’t tried to take you against your will? Just tried to lure you away.”

  Zera nodded again. I tossed her some more pecans. She snapped half of them out of the air, then crawled around to find the others on the floor.

  “Next time we cross paths I'll have a conversation with her. I'm sure she means well, whatever it is she's trying to do.”

  There was a flash of light, quickly followed by a fearsome crash of thunder as the storm started to truly rage overhead. The locals warned me that the weather could turn severe and stay that way, and the travelers I’d spoken with said it would make going outside unsafe.

  That's around when I decided to buy some more books, music, and some craft projects to keep myself entertained. We already had enough food to last a few weeks, and I could access some rainwater through the window if we needed more water. We had all we needed. All we had to do was wait for the storm to pass.

  “You know what, I think I am going to get the fire going. Warm the place up a bit.”

  Zera watched me as I stood, stretching out on the floor before standing herself. Half of her dinner remained in its casserole dish, which I used for its sturdiness and its size. She also had a wide bucket full of water, which she drank from as I got the fire going.

  I started small, not wanting to delve into the pile I had stacked up against the wall this early. It took a while to find that much deadfall and get it hauled back to the house. I didn't want to have to start over from scratch to restock before winter.

  Zera let out a half growl, half purring noise as she stared out the window. How she could see anything through the darkness and the rain, I had no idea, but something had her attention.

  “I think I’m just going to invite her in,” I grumbled. “Pretty sure she’ll stay out there all night unless I do something. Do you want to go nest in my room or do you want to stay out here?”

  She plopped her but on the ground and stared at me, daring me to challenge her decision. I knew she wouldn’t just leave me to face our strange friend on my own, but I had to offer.

  “Alright. Time to go invite a stranger into my home. My mother would be so proud.” I grabbed the lantern off the counter, increasing the brightness to the maximum, and I went to the front door.

  I could see nothing through the darkness and hear nothing through the rain, but I stood in the doorway and held up the lantern anyway. Minutes ticked by before I caught my first glimpse of movement.

  “I know you don’t like me very much, but its storming,” I said, speaking loud and firm. “Storm could last a day or two. I have a warm shelter. I have food. I have space. You are welcome to stay until the rain lets up.”

  She slowed, almost stopping, but a flash of lightning made her reconsider. It was the same woman we had helped out of the hunting trap. I couldn’t tell if she wore the same clothing due to the way it clung to her shivering frame, but I tried not to judge. It had been a few days, after all, and right now the only thing that mattered was the fact she needed help.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  I stepped to the side, giving her plenty of space to step inside. Zera started to come investigate but I gestured for her to stay back. The woman entered cautiously, not taking her eyes off me and not relaxing until the door was closed behind her.

  “There are some clothes and towels in the washroom, down the hall and to the left. You can just hang your clothes on the tub to dry. Zera should leave you alone but if she comes to investigate, don’t worry. She’s curious but she's very friendly and she's well trained.” To demonstrate my point, I gestured for Zera to approach me. She stood and walked towards me until I made the gesture for her to stop. Then I gestured for her to back up, making sure our guest could see what I was doing.

  The woman said nothing but she nodded, quickly disappearing into the washroom. Zera stared after her for a few seconds before coming to join me in the kitchen. I filled the kettle and set it on the stove, arranging a few options for tea on the counter before fixing my own mug.

  After a brief consideration, I started to warm the stew as well. While I wasn’t particularly hungry, I had a feeling my guest might be. I had more mixed in the fridge, ready to be combined and cooked. If we finished this off, I could easily make more.

  “You hungry for warm food, Zera? Or do you just want to sit by the fire?”

  Zera shook her head, trotting over to her food bowl to snuffle around for some tasty bits.

  I caught the woman’s approach out of the corner of my eye and turned to face her, making sure to keep my hands where she could see them.

  “Does she not know how to hunt?” She asked, glancing at Zera.

  “She knows how to hunt and does so often,” I explained. “I raised Zera from around when she weaned, and I've worked with drakes for most of my life. The things I feed her help round out her diet, but I keep most of it things she would find out in the wild. Sure, she is domesticated, but she knows how to take care of herself and she gets plenty of chances to hone her instincts.”

  The woman moved to get a closer look at what Zera was eating, earning an odd look from the curious drake. Whatever the woman was looking for, she either accepted the fact that it was there or managed to see it around Zera’s admittedly skinny head.

  Her arms remained firmly wrapped around her stomach as she shifted back into a corner. I had yet to convince her I was trustworthy. I shrugged, pouring the boiling water into my mug. The tea would chase off the touch of chill that lingered after I stood by the open door.

  “The stew is vegetables and potatoes, and it was made with chicken stock. I've also got a few herbal blends that will help chase off the cold,” I explained, gesturing as I spoke. Her gaze felt wary, unsure.

  “You are my guest. I am offering you my hospitality. There is no expectation of repayment. You don’t even have to talk to me if you don’t want to,” I continued. This took some of the edge off her nervousness.

  I turned down the heat on the kettle and the pot and walked away, leaving her to have the kitchen to herself. She eventually helped herself to some food and some tea, sitting on the end of the couch farthest from me. I let her take the spot where she could see Zera and me.

  “Who are you?” She asked after several minutes had passed in awkward silence. “Why are you here?”

  “You can call me Mara. I used to train drakes at the academy. Now I am retired. Came out here for some peace and quiet, hoping to find something new to do. I adopted Zera when she was declared too small for official training. Figured I could give her a better life and ended up with a best friend.”

  “She does seem rather fond of you,” she muttered. “I have seen others who claimed to tame drakes, but you are different.”

  “I like to think so. I always try and do my best by Zera.”

  Zera chose this moment to come and lay her head in my lap, demanding attention in a way that was too cute to ignore. I rubbed my fingers over the top of her head, pressing my thumbs into the ridges. A purr rumbled deep in her chest as her eyes drifted closed.

  “Petra.”

  “Pardon?”

  “My name. Petra.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Petra. How is your arm healing?” I asked.

  The conversation continued to unfold slowly, flowing in fits and starts like a game of cat and mouse. Petra ended up sleeping the night on the couch, and Zera slept in the door to my room.

  I talked Petra into letting me check her arm. She had done a good job of splinting it and from what I could tell, it was healing well. I rebound it, offering her some pieces from my medical kit out of habit.

  She politely refused the help and left about an hour after the rain stopped. Zera almost seemed sad to see her go, moping by the door and staring out the window.

  “I’m sure we will see her again, Zera,” I said, patting her on the head. She sighed, continuing to stare at the spot where our new friend had disappeared hours before.

  She didn’t usually get attached that quickly, but something about Petra struck a harmony with Zera.

  It probably had something to do with the almonds Petra kept feeding her when she thought I wasn’t looking.