There was dew on her snout when Aja cracked her eyes open. She was covered in the tiny droplets sparkling in the very first rays of dawn beginning to brighten the sky. Splitting her jaws she yawned widely and dug her claws into the rocky soil of the island as she stretched.

Standing up, she shook herself free of the collected water and spread her wings to shed the dew from the membranes. They cupped the air as she flapped them twice. The gentle sea breeze ghosted over the tops, like hundreds of tender little kisses, and Aja hummed. The rumble in her chest cavity lit her spark and she chuffed tiny whisps of flame off her flicking tongue. There was enough moisture in the air to snuff the tendrils a heartbeat after they left her lips and Aja relished the clash of cool and heat. Though the air tasted of condensation that threatened rain, when she dug her claws into the earth, her body thrummed with the warmth to come. The afternoon would bake with the heat of the high sun and she relished lounging on the rock and letting it roast her scales better than any blanket Lanna could wrap them in.

She kneaded the ground until she had churned up tiny pebbles and bits of root and clay. Just stretching her toes brought unbridled joy. Her scales rustled as she gave herself another shake. There were many things she wished to do, but for now, her belly was clenched within her and she ached to stuff her gullet full with fresh meat. She lifted her snout to the air and sniffed, but there were no game trails to follow. The island was a scraggy rock with no prey to track and hunt. Instead, she turned and trotted down to the sea’s shore where the water danced playfully against the rock, tapping it and drawing back, only to dart in for yet another kiss. Here, she would find a meal.

The small pebbles of the shore crunched and shifted as she sunk low and crawled to the edge until the waves were kissing at her talons. On this side, the water dropped sharply and she could see the swift shadows darting around beneath the skin of the ocean. Aja hunkered down and narrowed her gaze at the water. The fuzzed tip of her tail twitched, the only muscle to move in her otherwise rigid body.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she curled her lip and dug her talons in before bunching her muscles. She shoved off with her hindlegs and plunged into the water. It was dark and cold, with filtered light slipping away like shadows sliding under the light of a tiny flame. Aja spread her wings and beat them to glide through the water while whipping her tail and hind legs like a snake to guide her movements. A few sharp turns and she found her prey. Her jaws parted and she inhaled water before snapping her mouth shut around a fish. Her coned teeth penetrated its slippery hide and held it tight.

Kicking her feet furiously, she shot back up through the water and spread her wings wide to rise from the water and into the air. She glided back to the shore and spat the fish onto the smooth stone below before landing and shaking herself furiously. She poked the fish with a claw and her head reared back when it spasmed against the rocks. She dropped a paw down onto its body and bent her neck to tear its head free of the body. This way, it no longer flailed or felt its pain, and Aja pulled back to chomp and gulp down the fish head. The warm flesh of a land mammal was better, but the raw, salty tartness of the fish still had her preening with delight. Settling down against the salt-stained stones, Aja pulled her meal closer to enjoy.

As she finished picking the bones clean, Aja licked her lips and flicked her tongue between her teeth to catch any lingering scraps. The dawn had finally broken and the sun was beginning to rise above the flat of the horizon. Aja glanced up to the gnarled twist of branches above her. It would take little effort to leap, to dig her nails into the bark, and to climb to that jutted perch to watch the sun climb in the sky. It would make a lovely napping spot and then she could fly loops under the sun’s fiery gaze until she grew weary once more.

She trilled and whipped her tail through the air. Her wings shuffled on her back with the urge to take back to the air. Aja had crouched, ready to give in to the urge when she faltered. The sun was climbing higher and she had been out all night. While it did not bother her – she could spend several days on this rock before growing bored – she knew Heather worried.

A whimper built in her throat and she stepped from foot to foot. Her claws produced a sharp grating sound as they ground deep grooves into the rocky soil. She wanted to stay and play and breathe the water-logged air from the skies. It had not felt like enough time. But Heather and Carter would fret something had happened if Lanna did not go home soon. She did not want to frighten them. Aja loved the family deeply. She yearned to play with Ben and loved the cookies and the smells and energy of the bakery.

She sighed and turned away from the tree. Her human clothes had been left up at the crest of the hill, so she began trotting that way.

By the time she reached the top of the hill, Lanna was standing back up and pulling her cloak tighter over her shoulders. She rolled her neck and curled her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry, Aja,” she whispered. She felt tears sting in her eyes and her heart pounded against her ribs as she felt the restless pressure in her chest. “I wish I could give you more time. So much more.” It hurt to bury the dragon once more, but Lanna was also thrumming with satisfaction. It had been good, healthy to let go for a while. To feel safe and secluded enough to be who she was. It had been so long since Aja and Lanna had been in an accepting harmony.

“The bakery has been good for us,” Lanna murmured as she tugged on her clothes. They were crumpled and damp, and parts were crusted with dried salt, but they were wearable.

A warmth bubbled in her core as she made her way down to the opposite coast where the small boat was still stranded on the shore. She hummed as she walked. There was a time when her halves had been in tune with each other. They’d made the choice together to hide, to work towards going home, but over the years, Aja had struggled to stay buried and Lanna hated to deny her. It hurt and made her miserable. She loved the sky just as much and wanted to let Aja fly free. They’d needed this.

Lanna bent and placed her hands on the bow of the boat, and then began to cough. She brought a hand to her mouth and stood back up as she sputtered. Her eyes watered and she choked. Her head shook on instinct as she sneezed and hiccupped, and then smoke started pouring from her nostrils and lips. A few more puffs as it was gone, dissipating into the air as if it had never happened. It left a lingering mix of charr and raw fish in Lanna’s mouth that had her face scrunching up.

She smacked her lips and wiped the reflex tears from her eyes before she paused to consider what had just happened. She knew it could happen in the shift, a little extra smoke or flame in the windpipe. It wouldn’t hurt her, but she’d never experienced it before.

Lanna cradled her abdomen as she began to laugh. The horrid aftertaste lingered on her tongue, but it just felt so good to remember what her spark felt like that she couldn’t help but dissolve into hysterics at what had just happened.

When she regained control of herself, she shook her head and shoved the boat back out into the water before climbing into it. She slipped her flat shoes back on and picked up the oars. It was going to be another rigorous journey back, but the wind was pushing the waves with her instead of against her this time, and Lanna decided it was worth every burn and strain of her muscles.

***

Lanna stepped carefully as she slipped back into the bakery through the back door. She didn’t want to disturb anyone as she began creeping towards the back room the family had given to her. A change of clothes was her first priority, then she intended to ensure Carter didn’t need any help.

She had just reached for the door when she heard footsteps behind her. “Lanna!” Ben exclaimed. His footsteps grew louder as he ran over and then his weight was slamming into her as he threw his arms around her waist. “You’re home!”

Lanna chuckled and ruffled Ben’s hair. The young boy had far more energy than was good for him. “Good morning, Ben,” she greeted.

He craned his head and fisted his fingers in her shirt before fixing her with a wide-eyed look. “Pick me up? Please?” he begged.

Lanna rolled her eyes and turned to face him. “Alright, just once,” she agreed. She crouched and Ben lifted his arms up so she could grab him beneath them. Her arms were sore from rowing, but Ben didn’t weigh too much, so she had little trouble hefting him up high into the air above her head.

Ben’s peals of laughter echoed through the back of the bakery as she spun him around a few times before lowering him back down onto his feet. The way his face glowed made Lanna smile. She had not spent much time around children in a very long time. Not since she had been a very young child herself, though even then there had not been too many other hatchlings to play with. Her siblings were older. That hadn’t lasted very long, though. There had been little time for play once they’d been brought to this land.

Interacting with Ben had made her nervous at first. She had been afraid she would hurt him or that perhaps he might sense something off about her. Children tended to be more perceptive than adults. But he had not seemed put off so far and certainly had not said anything. Instead, he laughed and smiled and followed her around, and Lanna could not help being drawn to his energy.

He squeezed her waist again and then skipped backwards. “Thanks, Lanna,” he called as he darted around the corner towards the stairs. “Mama, Lanna’s home!” he called out.

Lanna tensed as she heard Heather’s muffled exclamation. The woman came hurrying down the stairs and before Lanna could step away, she had Heather’s hands on either side of her face, holding her firmly while her wide eyes searched her face. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Heather fussed. She forcibly craned Lanna’s head to one side as her gaze wandered up and down Lanna’s body, likely looking for injuries. “I tried to check in on you last night and then again this morning, and when you weren’t here, I thought something must have happened. Did the boat capsize?”

Lanna shook her head. “Everything was fine, Heather,” she assured her. “I’m unharmed, nothing went amiss, and I ran into no troubles.”

“Then what happened? You were out all night.”

“I intended to be,” Lanna replied.

Instead of calming Heather, this only seemed to work her up more. “Why? Where did you go? Where did you sleep?”

Lanna sighed softly. She lifted her hands and grabbed Heather’s wrists before prying herself free of the pregnant woman’s grip. “I did not sleep,” she lied. She continued to speak when Heather opened her mouth and seemed to get more frantic. “Heather, it is okay, I promise. The water was calm and I am a little tired, but unharmed. I did not mean to worry you, please calm down, okay?”

On a whim, Lanna leaned in and hugged the woman tightly. “I feel good,” she admitted. “Better than I have in a long time. I am so grateful to you and Carter for giving me a home; I have not felt like I have had a place where I feel safe in years; it means the world to me. But I am not adjusted to sharing a space like this. It is wonderful, truly, but I just needed to take a little time to be alone and remember. There are things in my past that hurt and it is not always easy to be around others. To feel like I could go and…and remember, but still be welcomed back instead of just constantly having to move on was exactly what I needed. I connected with a part of myself last night that had almost been forgotten, and I can only thank you for that.”

Heather’s embrace was so tight as she squeezed Lanna close, that Lanna’s chest tightened as the air was forced from her lungs. “I think that’s the most you ever confided, Lanna,” Heather sighed. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re coming out of your shell a little more. Just…tell me when you plan to be gone all night so I don’t have to worry, alright?”

“You would still worry,” Lanna countered.

Her statement earned her a few chuckles and a couple of shakes of Heather’s head. “I would,” the woman agreed. “But I would also have that annoying gnat of logic nipping at me, constantly reminding me that you said you would be gone and I only have to worry if you don’t reappear the next day.”

Lanna nodded. “I will remember that. I’m sorry I worried you; I didn’t mean to cause you any stress.”

Instead of responding verbally, Heather pulled Lanna close for another hug, and Lanna leaned into it and bit her lip so she wouldn’t purr. Heather would probably find that odd; if her behaviour hadn’t already. Heather was right. Lanna hadn’t meant to say as much as she did. It had simply come pouring out. She was usually much more reserved and cautious, but Aja’s night of freedom and fun had left her with a lingering buzz she could not quite control. In truth, she desired nothing more than to go back to that little island and stay there for several days. But she also wanted to stay in this embrace forever.

Though she wanted to blame Aja for that as well, Lanna knew she desired it too. She had been very young when she had been forced to embark on her own, and her people aged very slowly. She had been lucky that she had been far from civilization when Aja had caved to their human form because she probably would have been apprehended as an unsupervised child.

They had been alone for so long and Lanna hated that she couldn’t make it easier. Aja was her heart, her soul, and she had been withering for so long. She missed her mother. Lanna still remembered the warmth of her hide, sometimes hot enough to scald Aja’s scales, and her booming voice that Lanna once believed could have shaken the very mountains of their land. Her father, who was large and terrifying and powerful enough to squash her effortlessly underfoot, and yet was so tender and gentle with her. She missed them terribly and neither she nor Aja would ever see them again.

It wasn’t until Heather squeezed her more tightly that Lanna realized she had started to shake and hot tears were flowing down her cheeks. All the suffering, the fear, and the horrors of her past had come bubbling up to the surface and caused her stomach to flip. Her throat tightened as though she’d gotten a bone lodged in it. She choked and her breath escaped in a wheezing rasp.

And then she really couldn’t breathe as Heather pulled her closer and practically crushed the air out of her lungs. Her hand rubbed up and down Lanna’s spine and the woman hummed softly. “Oh, Lanna, it’s okay, hon. Please don’t cry. Why are you crying?” Heather gently pushed Lanna away just enough for their gazes to meet. Her face was scrunched in and her lips puckered as her eyes darted in her skull searching Lanna’s face as if she could see something there. Then her features softened and she embraced her once more.

Lanna knew she needed to get herself under control, but it seemed she’d released more than just Aja last night. Her mask was fracturing, and she couldn’t pick the pieces back up fast enough to regain control of her emotions. She gritted her teeth together as she tried to smother her sobs, but her shaking only worsened as a result. Despite her breakdown, Heather continued to simply hold her and rub her back, and it only made Lanna flounder further. She wasn’t sure when exactly she’d lost herself, but she had been existing in a state of burying herself for too long. It hurt to let it out again.

In response to her agony, Aja stirred in her chest, and Lanna felt a tingling rush race over her flesh as her skin tightened. Suddenly her cloak felt too warm. When she lost control of her emotions, her first instinct was to shift. It was hardwired into her being to feel safer in her dragon skin and Aja screamed to be let out.

Desperate to keep control, Lanna bit down on the inside of her cheek until her teeth sliced a thin sliver and blood swept over her tongue. The twinge of pain was enough to refocus her mind and she took several deep breaths. With each gulp of air, she composed herself a little more until Aja settled and her shaking lessened. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No,” Heather refused. “No, no. Honey, don’t be sorry. Are you alright? Do you want to come upstairs for a little bit? I’ll put the kettle on, and we can talk if you want. You know you can talk to me, right? What’s bothering you?”

Lanna shook her head. She carefully extracted herself from Heather’s hug before she broke down again. “I’m fine,” she assured the woman. She smeared her remaining tears with the palm of her hand and forced a smile. “Just tired. Heather…thank you for caring. I don’t remember the last time someone did,” she admitted.

Heather grabbed Lanna’s face. She pulled her in close and kissed her brow before releasing her. “I keep trying to tell you, Lanna; you have a home here. Why don’t you go get a little rest and enjoy the day off, okay? You’ve been working too hard. I’m just upstairs if you need anything, okay?”

Lanna nodded and took a breath. She’d had a moment of weakness, but she needed to keep better control from now on. Her life still depended on it. But for now, Heather was right. Perhaps a little rest would do her some good.