Come morning the three waited patiently by the caravan, Leoric curiously on the lookout for a hungover and worn out dwarf. They had things to tend to that day, and he sincerely hoped that he was not stuck as the permanent babysitter for the infant dragon and her childlike servant.

Baldir did not disappoint Leoric’s assumptions. Scritch had long been awake that morning, zipping about the cart and sniffing for ‘signs of danger’ that were plentiful in the crowded streets. Leoric had to move the cart a bit for market stalls as scritch rooted around farmers carts for the odd rat for herself and Blast. Blast was indignant, but had set her eyes on a stray tomcat that sat indignant, preening itself on a window ledge of a nearby building. Scritch watched her curiously as blast stood stock still and slowly crept over the side of the building.

“What’s she doing?” Leoric asked as she began to scale unkempt brick. Scritch seemed unphased but attentive.

“She’s gonna eat it,” Scritch said proudly.

“Eat a cat? That’s probably someone’s pet,” Leoric said, stunned as the cat lazed about, unaware of the danger that crept up on it. It lifted a back leg majestically and did as all cats were bound to do when observed. Leoric politely turned his head. Scritch watched with fascination and adopted a similar pose to the cat, curiously lifting her back leg high up by her head.

“If you do that, I will never give you happy grass again,” Leoric said pleadingly.

Scritch froze with her tongue sticking out of her mouth, leg raised, eyes wide.

“Okay!” she said before turning her attention back to the slowly ascending Blast and resumed a normal pose.

“That’s a cat! It’s a pet,” Leoric argued.

“What’s a pet?”

“It’s when humans raise something and don’t eat it, usually for enjoyment. They groom them and feed them, clean up after their messes,” Leoric explained.

Scritch thought about it for a moment. Blast was within striking distance of the cat, maw open, tail in sight. Blast was about the same size as the cat and her freshly shed scales glistened a slightly brighter red than they had the day before.

“So, blast is my pet!” She announced, proudly.

Blast turned her head with whiplike speed, anger plastered across her reptilian features. Her eyes were wide with indignation.

“I AM NOT A PET!” they heard hissed in shrill and unkind tones from where Blast was, poised before the balcony ready to take a bite out of the cat.

The cat stopped his undignified self-grooming and peered curiously over the edge of the balcony. His hackles were raised high and fur bristled. Blast looked to him, panicked, opened her mouth ready to spit fire and received a pawed slap to her face that sent her tumbling to the ground below.

Draconian swears of a colorful and somewhat rare variety spilled from blast’s lips. Leoric raised a brow and listened intently, making mental notes for future reference.

“- children sobbing-,” she said, muffled as she grumbled to right herself. Scritch raised her hands to cover the parts of her head where Leoric assumed were her ears.

“AND INTO THE VERY DEPTHS I WILL-“

Leoric’s eyes went a bit wider.

“-with a pillar of flames!” Blast finished, huffing deep breaths before retreating back to the safety of the cart. The cat went back to grooming itself almost mockingly.

“I don’t know what half those words meant,” Leoric said, impressed.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Blast said menacingly before sulking in a basket lined with gold coins and a soft cloth for her.

“I know what they meant,” Scritch said very quietly.

The cat above stretched out languidly and yawned. A quiet growl was heard from somewhere within.

Baldir showed up not too long after, head clutched in one hand and a rucksack in the other. He was walking with a tender gait.

“Have fun last night, lad?” Leoric asked.

Baldir had a black eye, a fat lip, several marks that could have been bruises or love bites, knowing orcs, and half his clothes were disheveled and torn.

“Every damn time I swear I won’t and like a charm, six tankards in, and I always leave with the orc,” He grumbled.

“Seems like you have a type,” Leoric mused.

“Sturdy,” Baldir said with a leer before hopping up into the cart.

“Let’s get going before she figures out I’m gone. I don’t want to hear her lamenting,” Baldir said proudly. Leoric cut his eyes.

“Not a chance. We’re getting to the temple today for our sheets,” Leoric said as he coaxed the mule into gear with a few choice words.

“If it’s all the same to ya, I’d like to skip on getting my sheet,” Baldir said with a yawn.

“Why?” Leoric asked.

“I’m a stonemason by trade and I never know when some king is going to see my registry and pull my sober ass into some silly war building forts to protect people that I literally care nothing about,” Baldir grumbled.

Leoric shrugged and pointed them off towards the temple.

-

They traversed the distance in almost no time flat. Leoric grumbled helped scritch pack up anything valuable into the enchanted pack before hopping down and looking up at the grand expanse of a building.

“Think they’re compensating for something?” Baldir asked as he stared up at the enormous marble pillars towering skywards into gold-leaf plinths.