FicWad

When at last Aellia was alone there was an uneasy silence. What would she do now? The forest air seemed un-wanting of her, and the banishment seemed to pour on her like heavy rain in a storm. There was little food in the forest, and what would she do when her dress wares down and she is in nothing but rags? Already the rich colour had begun to fade. The warm brown cloak was still draped around her shoulders. Such a rare kindness from a stranger; he had been so respectful of her, why? There is only one way to find out...maybe I can go with him...he owes me a debt, after all...yes, I shall accompany him till the debt is paid closing her eyes and pushing with her back, two pairs of lacey wings grew down until the very tips seemed to touch the ground. Opening her wide hazel eyes she rand up the trodden path and leaped. Automatically, he wings responded and beat at their own merry fast pace. With a high whizzing sound in her tipped ears, and hovering above the ground from several feet, Aellia took off in the direction of the dragon and his rider

Baldric's heavy padded scaly three clawed feet left imprints in the mud as they walked along the now larger path. The dragon's tail went from side to side, knocking over small trees, scraping the bark off old oaks, and squished grass and flower pants were as thin as stamps
Flamel rolled his shoulder blades as he sat on the back of his dragon "Agh, nasty, just nasty" the bruises he had on his back had turned blue, and his ankle was fat and pink. The constant movement of riding on a waddling Baldric did not help matters.
All morning, he had had the feeling in the back of his head he had met Aellia before, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. If Baldric could speak he could tell me. He must have known if he was so friendly to her....Aellia is strange, normally fairies demand something in return for helping them...I hope I have a spare cloak...he looked up, brown eyes searching for the sun; must be about eleven. I won't get to Andreum for at least a week at this rate. It was lucky that Baldric survived the fall, but his left claw does need attending to...
"Flamel!"
The call of his own name snapped him out of his thoughts. Wincing at the sores he turned around on the dragon's back. Baldric was too busy daydreaming about rabbits to pay much attention to his surroundings. Flamel kicked his leg with his heal "Stop" the dragon ignored him. Flamel pulled on his neck mane "Woo"
Aellia came flying aside him
"And what can I do for you?" asked Flamel. He hated long good byes.
Aellia's mind was blank, so the first thing that came from her lips was quite foolish "Do you want your coat back?"
"I said for you to keep it"
They looked at each other in silence. After ten seconds Flamel nudged the dragon with his foot and continued walking
"Wait!" the fairy cried
"Yes?"
She landed softly beside the pair and walked with them "I have aided you now, and it is only fitting you do also to me"
Flamel ran a hand through his hair. It was too good to be true. All fairies need to be paid back "but I gave you the cloak? Surely that paid you my dept for aiding me?"
"And what of finding and freeing your dragon, hmm?"
"Well...er..." damn females "Want do you want that is in my power?
Aellia spat it right out "I wish to come with you"
"No" Flamel, urging Baldric to walk faster
"Why not?"
"I have no time, nor enough supplies for a another companion"
"I can hunt, find food, and tend to your wounds. You cannot do any of this with your wrenched ankle, you have no choice but to let me accompany you" said the fairy, and with one flap of her wings she was perched on the crest of Baldric's back.
The dragon snorted at the sudden extra weight. Flamel's patience had worn thin now "You've never even lit a fire, fairies are vegetarians! They don't hunt and they're certainly not mending my abrasions! Get off!"
"Then I shall follow you to the sea and into the clouds until you have walked this earth with your last dieing breath and are nothing more then a stray thought or memory"
"No, you just want a way to get your magic back"
Aellia was shocked at the boldness of his remark "You have a debt to pay dragon rider, for without me you would have surely drowned in a puddle and been unable to track a fallen dragon. A piece of cloth covers very little"
Baldric, who could understand speech but not utter it, had smoke driving from his nostrils. Flamel wasn't pleased either why that ungrateful little pogsnosh, but, in some respect, she was right. Flamel did not know how to shake her
"So I am coming, am I not?"
Flamel grunted a swear word
"Excellent. Where exactly are we going?"
Flamel hesitated "To Andreum, in the city of Madras bullion"
"Into the east?" Aellia's angled eyes turned into a frown "But that is seven moons ride!"
"...and now that we have the extra company, nine days ride"
They walked in silence. Aellia turned and watched the path they had just come down. Indeed when she had been tracking Flamel it had not been hard. Baldric was a walking trail of destruction, leaving road signs everywhere of where they had been. Now, she was horrified of how much damage they had done to the ancient path. She confronted Flamel
"Does it not annoy you of the damage you are doing to the forest path? What of your dragon? Do you discipline him?"
"Facts of life" he said, dismissing the matter "Plants shall grow again, rain will fall, and death must pay a stop to every living creature...Baldric is just speeding up the process"
"What of enemies?" said the fairy, her fingers feeling the side of one of Baldric's back spikes; it was like a huge cream shark tooth "they would be able to track you easily"
"My enemies would have no interest in me now; their focus is on more important matters"
"Such as...?"
Flamel kept his silence. He did not want to share this information with the fairy...he was now unsure of the strength of her word and power of trust. He kept his silence
Baldric turned his scaly neck to look at his company. The dragon made a screeching moan in his neck, his burgundy eyes were pleading. Flamel immediately knew what he wanted
"Your dragon is troubled" stated Aellia
"If you are to address him, call him by his name. He is just as intelligent as you or I...maybe less" Baldric's eyes narrowed "Kidding" Flamel slapped him on his side playfully "He's only hungry. Know any rabbit holes about?"
Aellia was shocked. All her life she had been taught that every creature is equal in right. Now, he is asking for several to sacrifice their lives for one's own hunger. To a fairy, that was not right "Even I do I would not share it"
"That's okay. Baldric can smell them from a mile away" with that the dragon waddled of the path and went into the untamed forest; creating a new path along the way
"What are you doing?"
"'It's okay...this is just a short cut"