I watch over Elle while Darish just strides on. She is an intriguing girl, facing off against the elf one moment and breaking down the next.

She looks up at me with a shy smile. "Sorry, I'm just having a meltdown."

I easily help her up; she is a delicate little thing compared to Dragonite women and cast my gaze over her. There are no signs of any melting and I hope that she is not touched in the mind.

Now, while I appreciate the female form, her attire is concerning for an innocent. There is an exposed a strip of bare flesh around her midriff where the ends of her shirt are tied up. Worse still, the strange blue material of her trousers clings tightly to her long slender legs and I am trying not to imagine them wrapped around me.

Zane, I hear my dragon chastise in my mind. If she is your ward, then those are inappropriate thoughts.

I scrub my face and wander over to a nearby stall, charming the female owner into giving me a colourful shawl.

"Here." I hand it to Elle. "Cover yourself. You cannot walk around in a state of partial undress, unless you wish to attract the wrong sort of attention."

Rolling her eyes, she wraps the shawl around her waist. "Better?"

Marginally, but I smile and put an arm through hers. "While Darish is sulking, let us get you some attire more suitable for a young woman."

After we have obtained several dresses, she gives an embarrassed little cough. "Er, could you direct me to where I can purchase some new underwear?"

I grin, I know just the stall. Once we get there I purposely embarrass her by holding up a skimpy lacy undergarment. "This is rather fetching."

As I expected, she blushes and insists, "No thanks. I would prefer something with a little more material."

"How about these?" I ask and mischievously hold up a pair of huge bloomers.

"I know that I said more material, but that is ridiculous."

The stall holder covers her mouth to smother a giggle and points Elle to something more sensible. As she is making her selection, I whisper suggestively in the woman's ear, causing a flush to her cheeks.

As we walk away Elle quizzes me, "What did you say to her?"

"I asked her to model her wares for me."

"Seriously?" Her tone is incredulous. "You just walked up to a stranger and said 'show me your underwear'?"

I shrug and smugly respond, "She agreed."

While we are getting her rucksack enchanted so that it can hold all of her new belongings, she touches her hair and grimaces.

"I could really do with a shower." At my confused look she explains, "At home we have this device where water falls from a pipe like warm rain and allows you to wash."

Recalling that the rather lovely elf who I spent last night with, lives just around the corner, I guide her to the terraced house. My lady friend opens the door and purrs out a greeting to me, but then her face falls when she sees the girl with me.

I languidly kiss her hand and whisper across her skin, "I would be ever so very grateful if Darish's ward could use your bathing chamber."

"Well of course. It is next to my bedchamber. You know the way."

Leading Elle upstairs, I open the door to the bathing chamber with a flourish and point to an enclosure, "This is a rain chamber. Water falls like warm rain and you can wash." I smirk, amused to be echoing her own words back to her.

After explaining controls to her, she practically pushes me out of the bathing chamber, even though I offered to wash her back.

I return downstairs and get comfortable on the chaise with the lady of the house. I do not have much time, so I nibble on her ear as it is a sure way to make an elf malleable.

It turns out that was a good move because it seems in no time at all that Elle is standing in the doorway looking ever so pretty in her new floral dress. Our host is too blissed out to make too much of a fuss when we leave.

Once we get outside, Elle tries to wring out her wet hair to stop it dripping on her dress.

I allow my hands to heat and they glow a muted red colour. "Here, let me help."

Elle backs away, her frame rigid and her eyes widening in alarm.

I try to reassure her, "I am a Dragonite. We have an inner fire. The power to burn or gently warm, is quite literally at our fingertips."

She relaxes and I stand behind her, running my fingers through her hair until it is dry.

"So, do you have a liking for big men?" I tease.

She blushes and flustered, tries to explain about the dwarves. She truly is an innocent. I laugh and ruffle her hair. "Only, teasing little one."

Roth, we are on our way back, I call out a warning to my dragon.

.....

The tightly packed houses thin out and the compressed dirt road heads off into the countryside. When we reach our camp in a field on the outskirts of the town, I hop over the rustic fence and easily lift Elle over.

There is no sign of Darish, but Roth is spread out along the front of the large, double peaked tent which is our home for now. Darish and I rattle around in the place, so a third will barely be noticed.

The dragon's iridescent red scales shimmer in the sunlight. Curved spines run from the top of his head all the way to the tip of his long tail, which is curled around his body like a cat.

Roth lifts a long graceful neck and turns a pear-shaped face towards us. Elle stiffens beside me. I guess if you do not know him then he might seem frightening and even without his fire could do considerable damage with his teeth and claws.

I reach up and scratch behind his slightly tufted ears. "Roth, this is our new companion, Elle."

Roth leans forward and gently sniffs at Elle's forehead and remarks, She bears the mark of a unicorn. You were right to take her in. She is special.

It is a relief that he approves. I hold open the flap to the tent, allowing Elle to enter. "Make yourself at home."

Patterned rugs of red, orange, yellow and black cover the floor. Against the back wall is a series of dark wooden carved cupboards and a low bookshelf filled with hard bound books. At one end of the tent is a basic kitchen area and the other end is sectioned off with brightly coloured hangings. Multi-coloured glass lamps hang from the ceiling giving it a homey feeling.

Darish is sat on a low seating area strewn with brightly coloured cushions and has already started sorting through the gems. There are several small piles of blue jewels on the table in front of him.

I flop down into one of the seats, put my feet up on a low carved wooden table and close my eyes.

"Zane, we have work to do," Darish admonishes.

I grumble, rubbing my face, "I was up late last night and early this morning."

Raising one eyebrow, Darish relays without words that that was quite by my own choice. Maybe if he got laid more often he might be less uptight.

"May I help?" Elle asks, surprising me and taking a seat near Darish.

Darish gives a slight shrug and sets her the task of packaging up the gems, while he starts work on a second bag, this time containing purple crystals.

As the pair work together, a sly smile creeps onto my face at how Darish is patiently explaining to a fascinated Elle how some gems have an inner spark of magic. He seems to be taking to her; I expected him to sulk for days. I make his favourite spiced tea and join them.

Her eyes sparkle, not unlike the emeralds we are now sorting and her voice is animated. "This is all so amazing. I come from a place without any magic. Elves, dragons and magical crystals only exist in books."

I cannot imagine a world without dragons, but then I bonded with Roth at birth.

"Elysium is a wonderous place and I have been travelling for ..." I rub my chin. "It must be ten solars now, for I left home not long after my thirtieth birthday."

"You're forty? Wow, you look good for your age," Elle compliments me.

"Why, thank you." I preen.

"Wait, how long is a solar?" Her brow crinkles.

She really is like a fish out of water, so I explain, "It is twelve moons or three hundred and eighty-four days if you will."

"Ok, so a bit like a year." I have no idea what she means, but am unable to query for she turns to Darish to ask his age.

The elf glances up from his work. "I am one hundred and thirty-seven solars."

"Are you winding me up?"

It is his turn to look perplexed. "I do not comprehend."

"I mean joking or jesting."

"'Tis not a jest," Darish responds coolly. I give him a stern look and he goes on to explain, "Elves can live for hundreds of solars and sometimes, millennia."

I rub my hands together. "As we have made such good progress, how about we go into town for dinner to celebrate our new partnership?"

...........