As A Stranger Or A Friend?: The Swallow And The Drowned Sailor

Axtapor - 6 Sun's Dawn, 1246 A.D.

I woke up in something of a groggy daze and looked around slowly. Judging by the light coming in, it was nearly midday. I sighed as I let my head drop to one side and felt Mariel's arm twitch upon my chest. That tiny movement brought to mind the events from the night before, and I had the sudden urge to hit myself across the face just to be sure it was all real. I'd never experienced such perfect happiness in my life! The night had been filled with her laughter, unencumbered joy, and tipsy mutterings after having had just one too many cups of wine. And those few moments in that tent, when the air had become heavy and thick between us—oh, how I wished she'd given into me! It would have been a fitting end to what was, by all accounts, a perfect night.

But I suppose the fantasy had to end somewhere. Doing something like that out in the open would be far too dangerous, not to mention nerve-wracking for her, especially now that I understood how timid she was about that sort of thing. Instead, the night ended with her sleepy and drunken form in my arms as I brought us to an inn so she could rest without a care in the world. And rest she did. She'd only removed one sandal before she fell asleep in the chair I'd sat her in when we arrived at our room. I'd removed the other one for her and then put her to bed straight after, staying awake for another hour or so in case she needed to vomit at any point. But that never came to pass, so eventually, I crawled into bed beside her and fell asleep. Though now I was wondering if I should have at least dressed us down a little bit since I was properly tangled in my robes and imagined she would likely be wrapped uncomfortably in her clothes too.

I looked at her and saw she had her head nestled down into my chest, wearing the most relaxed look on her face as she slept. Her shift and dress were barely clinging to her shoulders, letting the patches of sunlight that came through the drapes rest upon her exposed skin. Her hair was now disheveled and nearly fallen out of its style but, somehow, still looked perfect in every way. The faint scent of wine and night air still wafted about her, like the aroma of a most sweet flower. Her tiny body, which was usually rather cold, now brimmed with warmth as she lay there among the many crumpled blankets and my own form. How could she just look like that? So lovely, so peaceful, so beautiful... She stirred for a moment, then opened her eyes with a sleepy frown to take in her surroundings. I wanted to greet her but thought I should let her get her bearings first since she was prone to startling quite easily.

"Good morning." She said after a few moments, letting her chin rest upon me to look at my face.

"More as 'good day', lass. We slept past the morn'." I replied with a sleepy smile.

"Yes...it seems like it..." She said with a happy sigh, turning then to look at the light coming in from the outside.

I stroked her hair and couldn't help but admire the gentle slopes of her face. She must be an angel; how else would her features be so soft and easy to look at? That fool god Orran definitely used all of his sense when he created her. She was perfect. I kissed the top of her head, then lay my own head back, closing my eyes again. It was quiet, and were it not for the loud growling that erupted from her seconds later, I might have fallen asleep again. I looked down at her and saw that she'd hidden her face shyly somewhere in my robes.

"I'm hungry..." She managed after a few moments.

I burst out laughing. "Ey up then, let's get ye fed."

She looked up at me, blushing just the tiniest bit, and began to sit up when she suddenly became very still.

"Be somethin' the matter?"

"I-I think there is a snake...in the bed." She said with fear in her eyes.

"A snake?" I asked with a frown.

"Y-Yes. It's wrapped around my leg, Axtapor—! By Orran, it's moving!" She shrieked.

"Settle down, ey? I will kill the wee devil." I reassured her, grabbing the blanket slowly, "Nay move."

She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut fearfully.

I sat up very slowly on one elbow, then threw the blanket off quickly, only to burst out laughing immediately upon seeing what she'd called 'a snake'. "Ye—! Ye be tangled in yer own clothes!"

"W-What? O-Oh!" She noted with an extreme look of embarrassment on her face.

I dropped back down to the bed, laughing riotously while she cowered under the covers. How had she mistaken her half-removed dress for a snake wrapped around her leg?! She must still be drunk!

"P-Please d-don't laugh!" She complained in a muffled fashion from her hiding place.

I rolled over, good-naturedly embracing the tiny lump she'd become.

"Aye, aye, wee cream puff, belay yer whingin'. There, there." I said, trying not to laugh as I patted her.

"Cream puff?" She asked nervously.

"Aye, be an insult, nay flatter yerself." I said indignantly as I cleared my throat.

"It doesn't sound like one." She responded after a few seconds.

"Aye, but it be because ye humans be weak. Ye pop as those wee breads do." I continued.

"I-I see..."

I grimaced inwardly.

I'd truly meant it as a playful slight at her, but I'd forgotten that she didn't know lizards insulted humans that way, so I guessed it was unsurprising that she would think it was a pet name or some other notion like that. But saying that as an insult to her really didn't sound like an insult at all... It was actually pretty cute and entirely suitable for her. She poked her head out of the blankets to look at me, chewing her lip as she usually did when she was nervous. I wished she didn't do that so much, though. Not because I was afraid she would hurt herself but because it got my blood flowing. Everywhere.

"So then, I am weak?" She finally asked in a whisper.

"Aye, ye be a wee cream puff." I said, trying the name out again to see what she might think.

She didn't seem displeased; in fact, her little ears turned a bright red, a sign that I'd done something very right.

"Can I call ye that?"

She nodded.

I found my way into the blankets beside her and pulled her close as she found my lips with hers. My hands glided over her back and through her hair gently, wholly enjoying the feeling of both things against my scales, but something about it made me sad. Her hair had been so long and smooth-looking once; might it have been more like petting a cloud if it were like that now? I wished I had some way of knowing.

"Ye must never cut yer hair 'gain." I remarked softly.

"I-I was following your counsel..." She replied with a confused expression.

I smacked my lips. "Oh, I aye, I know. I nay be admonishin' ye, simply sayin' as so."

"Do you prefer I wear it that way?" She asked nervously.

"On ye, I like anythin'." I nodded, then frowned the smallest amount, "But ye did look nice with it as so when ye came to me that night ye tried to seduce me..."

She blushed brightly. "I can start egg washing it then, I suppose..."

"Egg washin'?" I asked with a confused expression.

"Yes. It is a remedy my mother swears by, and I remember her hair being quite long." She remarked softly.

"Aye then." I nodded with my brow raised.

Perhaps I would come to find that humans were more strange than I'd previously thought. I'd never heard or read about this 'egg washing'; frankly, it seemed like an excellent waste of eggs. Humans were already pretty wasteful with those to begin with because they didn't even eat the shell. But I didn't have any hair to speak of, and if she insisted it worked, I could hardly argue against the practice. Besides, the thought of her smashing a few eggs over her head tickled me. I'd have to make it a point to catch her unawares whenever she did that since I was reasonably confident she would not let me watch her if I asked.

But before I could say more about it, she was kissing me again, and part of me wondered if she was hungry for food or hungry for something else. In any case, I didn't care. Taking bites out of her was far more enjoyable than taking bites out of any meal anyone might put in front of me. Unless she had been the one to cook it, of course.