[Abandoned] The Dragon That Is Most Certainly Not a Prince

In Which He Gets Confused

The voyage is nearly over when I finally figure out what the problem with Bellwyn was. Her skin turns blue and soft scales start popping out after she scratches the skin off her cheeks and arms, and gills are flapping on her neck.

Bellwyn herself is half-sea serpent, something nobody explains to Alice, but I understand all too well; there was a man back home with eyes the color of seaweed and he couldn't be out on open sea too long or else he would start to lose himself to the monster under his skin, the only thing he really took away from his father. These hybrids are rare, mostly because they usually die at birth.

She throws herself overboard the second night she exhibits the signs. Alice is asleep and holding tight to me unconsciously when I wake up to Bellwyn putting a webbed finger to her lips. I hear the splash when she disappears over the railing, and the hushed and worried whispers of the crew that quietly knock on the cabin door afterwards. Julika had taken to sleeping in her pants and shirt a couple of days before Bellwyn had started showing symptoms, and she rose and opened the door with little worry. Their whispers don't wake Alice, but one of the men standing outside the door sees my head sticking out over the edge of the hammock.

That morning Alice cries into her meal, and I end up eating most of it because she can't handle it. She sits up on deck, still holding me tight, while her tears dry and she watches over the side of the ship for any sign of Bellwyn. Nobody knows how to cheer her up, but they wait outside of our final destination for an extra night to let Bellwyn back on. Alice is up when Bellwyn, scaly and blue and dripping seawater, climbs back on board, accepting the towel and some clothes. Julika leads her back to the cabin, and the next morning she looks like Bellwyn again.

On shore, Julika abandons everyone else, taking me from Alice's head and getting me fit with a small harness, like they use on birds. It's uncomfortable on my scales, but not unbearable, and I nod when Julika asks if it's okay. Bellwyn eyes the new harness and leash with distaste until Julika offers the end of the leash to Alice, and I settle around the girl's shoulders, with no intention of flying anywhere except after the small party of adventurers. Gavin gives me more scratches before he finds somewhere that will sell us horses, then he ends up taking my leash and walking me around the stables to find horses that don't panic when I'm nearby. Somehow he finds three horses, and I'm given to Bellwyn, who lengthens the leash and ties it to the saddle-horn of her horse, while Julika and Alice take a horse together. Gavin takes the largest steed, a stallion that doesn't seem to like me all that much, and not in an I'm-scared-of-you way, either.

"We'll be riding for a few days to get to the capitol," Julika tells us as we ride out of the port town, supplies restocked and I have my lighter rain cloak on in place of my sea-faring cloak. Alice looks a little happier after performing the small act of undressing and redressing me (if it can really be called that when I currently don't wear clothes). "Remember to stay alert, and don't allow anyone to stray off the road. Stick together and whatever you do, darling," she adds to Alice, who is riding in front of her looking smug, "don't encourage Verdant to go flying off and you chase after him. We need the two of you to stay close, understand?"

"Yes, Mother," I catch Alice chirp before Bellwyn encourages our steed into a gallop, racing down the well-worn road and leaving the others behind. Twisting to look up at her face, I see a glint in her eyes that hadn't been there until just barely; the glint of excitement, the anticipation of an adventure.

Turning back to face forward and bouncing against her chest in a familiarly awkward position, I can't help but doubt this is going to be much of an adventure and more of "how much trouble can Alice and I get in without leaving Bellwyn or Julika."

The campfire is started with a little cough of fire from me, because all of Gavin's matches are wet and nobody else can find theirs. We all huddle around the flame, and Gavin takes the first watch of the night, sitting a ways off in the dark. After Bellwyn falls asleep, I pull my leash out from under her hand and trot over to Gavin, who happily starts scratching me and softly wraps the leash around his hand. I fall asleep in his lap while he watches the night, and I don't wake up until morning, my leash held loosely in his hand and his other arm wrapped protectively around me.

Maybe this might be a bit of an adventure, with how everyone acts skittish in the morning, more so than the horses.