There were a lot of birds in Nota. It was, after all, a town of traders of all sorts. This meant that apart from the usual street vendors, there were bars and cafe's all over. And that meant chairs for outside, for when the weather permitted people enjoying their meals outdoors. This, again, meant much leftovers for the birds who frequented the surrounding area during work hours.

And when it was closed?

Birds obviously love to sing, whistle and twitter in the early mornings. The reasons were mostly unknown. Some meant that it were males vying for the attention of the females. Others thought it was because they were laying claim to territory or feeding rights. There were others who disputed the different other theories.

Nina didn't care. She fought the urge to fly out and roast the lot of 'em.

She had been awake for about a minute, though she had yet to manage opening her eyes. That incessant squawking was grating on her patience and general good will. She had never been a morning person, and she certainly had no desire to start now. Apparently, whenever the birds weren't busy stuffing their faces, they were unable to keep some measure of silence.

She wished some of the restaurants would open soon, if nothing else, than to shut those birds up. She rose up and stretched. She had gotten a good nights' sleep at least. Well, almost a whole night. She glared towards the window at a solitary bird sitting at the window of the cafe on the other side of the plaza, looking for all the world like the smug bastard it was.

And then she sighed. Well, she had managed to open her eyes at least, the hardest task in the whole waking up business. She felt a lot better than yesterday -- or was it night? She looked down at the hand draped along the edge of the bed, and then she turned towards it's owner.

He had a lot more color in his face now, even considering the daylight entering the window. Nina felt a bit relieved about that. He was, at least, getting better. Actually, he had just been exhausted, but..

Exhausted from carrying you for several days.

She still looked at him, a bit sadly. She owed him so much, she wondered how on earth she was going to repay him. He was laying so still, she could barely see him breathing. She bowed slightly down, peering close to his face.

And he retracted his head, sniffling, his nose twitching as her whiskers came in contact with his face. She blushed a bit and looked around, hoping no one saw her. At least she didn't wake him, she surmised, still looking at his sleeping face.

She would talk to him when he woke up, she resolved before heading to the window. It was time to try the wings.

She hopped up to the window's frame flexing the wings experimentally. Not feeling any pain, she jumped outside and flew carefully around the temple towards the entrance.

"Good morning, little one."

She rolled her eyes. "My name is Nina."

"Very well... Nina. How is your friend?"

The question caught her a bit off guard. "Uh, he's not actually my friend .."

He's just the person who saved your life.

"I see..." Kaira looked at her, and Nina wasn't sure whether it was a smile or a smirk she saw in the priestess' face. She flushed, embarrassed beyond measure.

"Well, I guess I owe him pretty much." Nina found a sudden fascination with the ground outside the temple, scraping it with her white-socked paw. She hoped that the priestess didn't see her burning face. Inwardly, she hoped the ground would just open up, and swallow her right this instant.

"How is he?" the priestess repeated the question, making Nina's face flush even more.

"Uh, he's still sleeping. He looked a lot better now, though."

"Mmmmmhh!"

Quinn felt thoroughly rested. A little tired still, but well and truly rested. Opening his eyes slowly, the room swam into focus, and the sounds of the marketplace's hustle and bustle were floating in through the window. It was at least past the morning, then.

He discarded the blanket and tried to get up.

His feet hurt a little. Not particularly strange, considering what he had done over the past two days. That is, if he hadn't slept through the whole day before this one. He rose up and put on some light clothes, fully intent to find out. Having dressed, he stretched his arms to their full reach, not ending it until he heard the telltale popping of the joints in his shoulders and back.

Then, he headed for the door.

The temple was in full activity, he noticed, appearing in the back door. A few of the people present turned for a few seconds, acknowledging his presence, but soon returned to their prayers. Most of the priests looked at him, a few talking among themselves, nodding in approval. He had obviously been told of by that priestess taking the night shift last night.

One of them came over.

"Ah, it's good to see you up and about. No permanent damages done, I see. Good, good."

"Uh..." Quinn hesitated. "No, I don't think so. Was I asleep for long?"

"Just since last evening. Kaira told us about you and your predicament. Feel free to use the room in the duration of your stay here in Nota."

"Thank you. I'll probably be on my way tomorrow."

"Very well."

The sun had returned -- that much he could see from the room he was currently residing in inside the temple. And now, having gone outside, he could tell that it was just about the middle of the day. Not really needing anything in particular save for a meal later, Quinn started looking for a quiet place so that he could do some Katas in the art he had been taught as a child, from when he lived near Horam. It would not be easy -- the streets and plateaus were particularly crowded today -- but he knew of a few places he could check out. The need to practice, to feel the calmness of applying the focus of its philosophy into his soul, pulled at him. It was the best way to relax as far as he was concerned.

Heading a little higher up the mountain walls the city itself rested against, climbing the occasional walls, he came upon a flat area that would serve his needs just fine.

He took the wide legged stance so often used in the art, one hand lifted in front and the other forming a fist at the side of his body. Then, he let his mind focus on the task ahead, remembering the lessons he used to have, his master overseeing from a distance, usually playing his flute, but occasionally imparting the wisdom he had himself obtained under his own study.

And in that instant, as before, he would hear his masters words in his mind.

Focus the mind .. cleanse the soul .. keep sight on your target .. Concentrate.

Separate darkness and light .. Mind and body as one.

Give birth to yourself.

He opened his eyes, and started moving.

Nina had been spending most of the day just flying around Nota, watching the people mill about, and just enjoying the weather and life in general.

Considering it had almost come to an abrupt end two days ago, as she would probably never forget, she enjoyed it all the more for it. She enjoyed the sight of people, busy as they were buying, selling, haggling over prices and whatnot. She enjoyed the smells that came from the cafes, the stalls and the wildlife, sparsely as it were in the cliffs just outside town. And she enjoyed the sounds of people bartering over goods, enjoying their food, complaining about "the nasty weather yesterday" and the occasional shouting from the merchants to get any potential buyers attention.

Not the birds though. Definitely not the early-birds. Those she could do without. She didn't hear them now, of course. Oh, no. They were far too busy now, stuffing their beaked faces.

She startled a bit when she noticed someone trying to climb the wall up to her little vantage point on the cliff. She headed for the wall, to a little cleft in it where she could hide if necessary.

And she nearly gasped when she noticed who it was.

It was her savior -- as it were -- clad in a light gray tunic and bluish-gray pants, but otherwise bare feet. She had still to learn his name. That had to be amended soon, but now... she was curious of what he was climbing up here for. There was, after all, nothing of any value up here. Nothing but the peace and quiet she realized, gaining some sort of understanding, promptly compounded when he appeared to take on a martial arts stance of sorts.

He stood like that for a long time.

When he started moving, it was mostly slowly at first, looking like a dance of sorts. Tai-Chi; Nina's memory told her. And he did rather well, it would seem.

Nina thought about it. Hadn't that been that weird old man's style ? That old man who refused to take the students who came asking for his tutelage in the martial arts? Her father had told her all about it, how he had refused everyone, but later had taken in a young, white-haired boy as a student. It couldn't be him now, could it?

Her mind returned to the practicing boy. He had picked up his speed now, doing rapid punches, breaking off for impressive flip kicks or roundhouse kicks, before following suit with another barrage of punches. His eyes were closed occasionally, when he slowed down his movements, only to snap open as he cut loose again.

She had, by that time, lost herself completely to the task of watching the show. And that meant disabling all unnecessary stuff like speech and movement.

After a while he had stopped, apparently satisfied with the workout. Stretching a bit, and looking straight over...

...at her.

She gulped and shrunk a bit. But he didn't look annoyed at the prospect of seeing her there, probably looking like she was spying at him. He actually smiled.

"Hello. I'm glad to see that you are well."

What?

"You are?" she eyed him questioningly. "You're not angry for me watching your practice session?"

"No, no. I came here to get away from the general crowds. I didn't mind you watching at all," he said, slowly approaching her. "As for the 'being well' part; you were so badly hurt, I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time." He bent over to pick her up. "I'd feel really bad if you didn't survive."

She didn't resist when he did pick her up, and she became a bit surprised when he put her on his shoulder.

"I... I..." Nina stuttered a bit, unsure what to say. "I don't know how to repay you for that. I would have..."

"Nonsense. I couldn't just let you bleed to death."

"Well... perhaps not, but I made you walk for what... almost two days and nights?"

"I didn't do that just because I had to. I did it because I wanted to."

Nina didn't say anything, but she leaned her head against the side of his for a while.

"Well..." he broke off, "time for some food. You hungry?"

"What!?" she said, surprised at the offer. "I can't accept you buying me food, after all you've done for me."

"Of course you can. It's not like food is particularly expensive around here. Come on... my treat."

Nina didn't have the strength or resolve to decline. And together, they made their way down the cliff wall.

Quinn entered the cafe with Nina still sitting on his shoulder. He looked around for a waiter.

"Excuse me, but pets are not allowed in this establishment," an indignant and, as Nina thought, rather snooty voice said.

Quinn turned to the person talking, giving him one of his icy glares. Nina just looked put off, and considered teaching him the literal meaning of what a "burning sensation" felt like.

"She's not my... 'pet'." he stressed the last word, putting quite a strong tone of sarcasm into it. "She's my friend, and what's more, she's hungry, so..." he paused to judge the facial expression of the waiter, or whatever the hell he was. He looked a bit offended.

Quinn finished the sentence. "...would it be possible to get something to eat in this place, or do I have to go somewhere else, where the clientele is a bit less... rude."

Quinn took on a rather smug, self satisfied grin, giving the waiter an arched look.

The waiter himself looked like he was about to throw a fit, when a booming voice came from the kitchen area.

"Just sit down, boy, and we'll see to it in a second."

Nina's head turned to the kitchen door in an instant. Quinn just grinned widely. And out from the kitchen came a somewhat rotund fellow -- not strange, Nina thought, what with his job mainly centered around test-tasting food all day -- who headed straight for the table they chose to occupy.

"Hello, Quinlan," the cook started. "Who's your friend?"

"Well, it's..." Quinn turned to Nina, a questioning look in his eyes. "What is your name, anyway. I've completely forgotten to ask," he added, looking a bit sheepish, as he scratched the back of his neck. Probably a habit of his when he was nervous, Nina thought.

Nina almost giggled at that as she turned to the cook. "It's Nina, sir," she added, bowing her head a little.

"Now, now. We'll not have any of that 'sir' stuff to me." The cook looked a bit amused. "Frey is my name, and Frey is what I want you to call me."

He turned back to Quinn. "So, how's your grandpa?" Then, he just thought of something. "Say, weren't you here just four months ago? What are you doing back here so soon?"

"Well, gramps is doing just fine. Yes, we were here on our yearly tour four months ago, but..." he hesitated. "I'm heading for Vane now. I have some business there."

"Well, I'll just take your orders, then..." Frey returned to work-mode, waving a thumb in the direction of the offending -- and offended, by the look of it -- waiter. "You'll have to excuse him. Good help are so hard to find these days."

The snooty waiter huffed at that and left the room. Frey rolled his eyes.

"Well," Quinn said, the first to make up his mind. "I'll have fried duck with rice."

Frey noted it in his sketch pad, and turned to Nina.

"Fish." She grinned as wide as the Blue Star.

"And what kind of fish would you like?" Frey added, putting a menu down in front of Nina, conveniently opened on the seafood pages. "Oh, and don't worry about the prices," he added, "this one's on the house."

Nina's eyes grew to twice their size.

Having been fed, and rather well at that, the two guests paid their respects and compliments to the cook before heading for the main street. Mostly, they would just walk around the city taking in the sights, occasionally leaving for a stroll in the nearby forest or along the lake close by. In general, anything to pass the day.

"There's one thing that has been puzzling me. Mostly because it didn't occur to me before now." Quinn sounded far more serious now than he did when she had been noticed watching the training scene. The frown he had didn't make Nina any less nervous.

"What?" She almost squeaked, cursing her nervousness. "Uh, what?" she repeated, her voice a bit less shaky.

"Oh, nothing more than the fact that you were travelling the Madoria plains alone." he continued, looking no less stern, "Forgive me for saying so, but it was an incredible reckless thing to do. And it's not as much the fact that I had to carry you to Nota, than the fact that it was just stupid luck that I happened to be travelling in the same area. You have no idea how lucky you were. Do your parents approve of this? Do they know? You do have parents, don't you?"

"Well, I..." she was at a loss for words. More so because he was right; she had been lucky beyond the meaning of the word. She looked over at him. He was still wearing the same frown, marred only with concern. And she felt so shamefully sad.

"I... I'm sorry. I was going to see the carnival. My mom don't know about this. I usually stay with her, but occasionally I get to go by ship to Meribia to visit my friends. I was just gonna go to the carnival."

She sounded like she would go into hysterics any second, so Quinn calmed down so as not to frighten the dragon more than necessary.

He sighed. "Well, alright, but still... to travel alone. By the goddess, you were almost killed."

"I know." She did calm down a bit, as he had hoped. "But I was just going to fly there quickly, and back again. They wouldn't find out. I just had to see the carnival. Mom and dad almost never take me anywhere exiting." Her voice took on a very parental tone, as she probably tried to impersonate her mother. "'You can go gallivanting all over Lunar when you get your dragon powers,' she always says."

She sighed.

"I just wanted to see something new. Minea sea is a boring place, let me tell you that. Sure it's 'safe'," she said, the deeper tone in the voice in "safe" telling Quinn that it was yet another mother-to-daughter talk. He'd had enough of them himself, so he could relate... sort of. "...but there's nothing to see or do there. I know... mom told me about how dangerous the eastern lands could be, but I always thought that it was just talks to scare me from going off on my own all the time, and I figured that if push came to shove I could out-fly them. It was just going to be for one day."

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your parents' fears were well founded. I think you'd best fly back to Meribia, and not try any stunts like that until you have gained your dragon powers."

"But that's three more years," she said.

"It could have been never! You are in no position to take care of yourself in situations like that, and you have the mark on your right flank to prove it. Remember, healing magic does nothing more than heal the wound. It does not remove scars. You're going to have a hell of a time explaining yours, because it's quite easy to see it."

"I know. I'm going to be grounded for years." Nina hung her head low.

Seeing that it was no point lecturing the dragon any more than he had done, he dropped the frown. "Alright, let's talk no more of this. You've endured rather a lot these last days. But promise me you'll head straight for Meribia."

"Alright.." she said sulkily. When she didn't say any more, Quinn went over and picked her up.

"Come on," he said, the sternness in his voice completely gone. "Let's get moving."

"Alright." she replied, "But we ought to return to the town. It's getting late... Jeez, this day has certainly gone by really fast, hasn't it ?"

He smiled at that. "It has, that's true. But it has been well spent." Nina landed at his shoulder, and they headed back to town.

"Speak for yourself." she retorted, the smile returning to her face. "All I got was a lecture."

With the room at their disposal, they got themselves another good night's sleep. And, as morning came, they were both awake at the sound of birds chirping outside.

Nina were the first to mumble her disapproval. "That's it! Those birds are toast."

"I'll have mine extra crispy," Quinn grumbled, rubbing his sleep-induced eyes. Nina giggled at that.

"Got it!" she said, and headed out the window. A few seconds later the chirping intensified, and the sounds of flapping wings could be heard. A lot of flapping wings.

And then there was silence. About a minute later, Nina reentered the temple through the window, a very satisfied grin plastered all over her face.

"That was very therapeutic," she told a still surprised looking Quinn, who then started snickering.

And with the morning exercise done -- at least in Nina's case -- Quinn started packing his sack. He looked a bit morose, though.

When done with the packing, they went out the front, thanking the priests and priestesses for the use of the room, and reminding them to thank Kaira as well, when she came back to the temple. Apparently, he knew her as well. Not surprisingly, Nina thought, seeing as he often came with his grandfather on his trading trips. Anyway, Quinn punctuated it all with donating a generous portion of his money to the temple.

And then, they both went out.

"Nina."

The dragon turned around and looked at the smiling Quinn. She noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes." she had to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Now, promise me..." he said, sternness back in full force, "straight back to Meribia!"

"Uh... sure." She looked at the boy she had known for mere hours and wondered why her sight was blurring ever so slightly. "I'll see you again, sometime, won't I?"

"Of course." And again, as fast as it had appeared, the sternness disappeared. "When you're not grounded anymore, I suppose it's a possibility."

If she didn't feel as ashamed as she did, she would do something about that smirk. But as she looked up, it had changed into a slightly sad smile.

"Goodbye, Nina. It has been a pleasure getting to know you."

Looking at the little dragon struggling with her composure, he held his smile as he turned and headed towards the north exit to continue yet again on his journey.

And still sitting on the large rock, Nina, the baby red dragon tried to collect herself. She sat for several minutes, not moving at all.

Time to get home and face the fire, girl.

She sighed heavier than she could ever remember having done. Then, she spread her wings and took to the air, a determined look appearing on her face.

Quinn kicked a rock, watching as it skipped a few feet along the ground. He felt sad, and it had nothing to do with his illness, serious as it might be. It had everything to do with a little, red, mostly jovial being he was leaving behind.

He would miss her, of that he had no doubt.

He sighed. He had done that a lot in the last fifteen minutes. Nota was beginning to reach small proportions from his point of view, as the distance between him and the city grew. He turned his face north and tried to concentrate on his next destination, which was Tomari, the city of ice, snow and the everlasting night, and also the only way to reach Meribia from Nota. He would be there in about a week, he figured.

And then, flapping sounds could be heard from behind him.

He turned around, and to his big surprise, Nina came flying in his direction, apparently a bit winded. As Quinn stopped, she landed on a nearby tree's branch, trying to catch her breath.

"I... *pant* I'm sorry. I'm afraid I *pant* can't keep the promise."

Quinn's look changed from blank surprise to a bemused, arched grin. "Really now. And might I know the reason for that?"

"Well, I was thinking... I mean, I don't think I'll be going in that direction. I was... " Nina did, yet again, struggle a little with her words. "Can I go with you? Please? I promise I won't be a bother. Please?" The pleading look in her eyes made Quinn's grin reach face-splitting proportions. He did not say anything for a while, but made a great show of making it look like he was considering her request, to the point of putting his hand thoughtfully under his chin.

This prompted her to babble more. "Come on. It would even be safer for me, technically speaking. And I'd be going to Meribia in any case, so the promise is at least kept... sort of."

"Well..." he said, still sounding like he was taking the request into great consideration. "...alright. But no wandering off, you hear?"

She practically shouted with glee, as she flew toward him, and placed herself, shoulders high, on his shoulder.

"So where are we going?"

"Tomari."

"Well, then," she said, with great flourish, "lead the way."

And he continued on his way, together with his new friend.

Back to The Pain of One.

Back to the Library of Vane.

Back to the Shrine to Ghaleon.