SWNOVELS Chapter 7
Pup stayed at the door, curled into a ball.
Elric had prepared a bed for him years ago.
The hall was warm and familiar, vases of fresh flowers decorated the expanse. Mr. Finch loved flowers and had them changed every few days. She pressed her fingers to the dainty wallpaper, caressing it as she walked. The smell of old wood and flowers drifted in the air. She inhaled, closing her eyes in content. The sounds of Elric's footsteps, steady as he, were silenced by the elegant rug they had recently bought.
She had many memories of running down the hall with wooden swords, their footsteps loud and echoing as they had no grace. They would play fight for hours, all the while Elric would whine about how he was tired and wanted to nap. He was diligent to a point.
However, one of his lesser qualities was his love of sleep. In fact, judging by his slightly tossed hair, he had probably been napping before she arrived. It was endearing. When they were little, they would nap in some rather unconventional places. One time, they put their fathers in a panic when they had disappeared. The city guard ended up finding them huddled in a bush in the garden, sleeping soundly. Their fathers were pissed with them for weeks.
She couldn't help but smile at the memory.
She would have to return for him, at some point. They were best friends after all.
But that would be after she got stronger. Strong enough where the city could not punish her for rebelling against her brother's ownership.
Her arms wrapped around the rousing dragon. It made small chirping sounds, making her blink. What odd sounds. It sounded like a baby chick. What did it mean?
Hungry.
It was like the word popped into her mind.
She pulled out a piece of jerky and poked it into the pouch. The dragon nipped it, pulling it from her grasp. Ah, Yes. Hungry. She ripped more pieces and dropped it into the bag.
Then, they were in Elric's room. Books and scrolls were scattered about, and many kinds of swords lined the walls. The books were his calling, which is why his father spent outrageous amounts of money on them. Paper costed a lot, and books more so. Even the public library had less books then Elric's home. While the swords, it was mandatory for noblemen to learn swordsmanship. She was also partially responsible for his interest in swordsmanship. But, it was not like she forced him into it.
No, she definitely forced him into it.
She sat on his bed, while he sat in his desk chair. There was only a few feet space between the two. He preferred to roll out of bed and then go into his studies most morning. Or, after his naps.
His brow was furrowed, his lips taut. She tilted her head as he leaned forward and grasped her hands in his larger ones, her stomach doing a flip. She could feel her heart speed up at the seriousness in his eyes. He squeezed her hands, his thumb rubbing small circles on her knuckles. This was a first..! She watched his hands, which largely took over hers.
"Who is the father?" His tone was stern, his thumb continuing to rub circles.
She blanched.
Father?
The pouch that carried that dragon moved, and his eyes moved to it. He frowned for a brief second before clearing his expression. His eyes met hers again, and he did his best to express a look of concern.
Oh.
Oh!
Laughter bubbled from deep inside her chest, making him loosen his grip. He couldn't hide his look of concern as he watched her shoulders quake. However, she could not stop. He was the genius scholar her city was raising, yet he thought she had a baby?! Did he really think she would be able to hide something so huge from him? It was humorous that he thought she had sex with someone!
It was too much.
Finally, her laughter died. Little chirps could be heard from inside the pouch, which made him blink. He still held an expression of concern as she began to unwind the bag. It wiggled, and out popped a long white tail. His jaw dropped; his eyes suddenly owlish.
"Elric, you-you would never guess..." Out rolled the dragon, its muzzle open in a playful grin as it chirped happily.