A New Place a New Life

Pernas sorted through some drawers for clothes.

He himself didn't need much variety in clothes. He just had what he wore, and if it got too smelly he could wash them himself. Or he could go on not wearing clothes (what's a dragon need those for, really?).

He had a few doubts as to whether or not he'd find anything. I mean, why would his father pack him women's clothing?

Don't answer that.

But after searching through the drawers, he did find something. A nice blue dress that seemed about the right size. If she wanted something else, she could look through... he didn't really have much of an idea of what she'd want to wear. So for now he just took the dress and made his way back to the bathing room. He stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Ready for me to come down?" he called.

"Yes," Vi called back. She was soon on her feet making sure the towel was secure and then picked up her old clothes. Wishing she could cover the jagged scars on her arms but knowing that was nearly impossible.

She looked up at him and instantly saw the blue dress. It didn't have sleeves and was quite plain but it seemed he would already see her arms so it would work. The fog was clearing now and the bath was draining noisily behind her. She almost wanted to tell him to just leave the dress on the stairs and have him go away.

Instead she bit her tongue and continued to watch him.

"Here you are." Pernas said, handing her the dress. "I'll leave you alone now. If you need me, I'll be tending the garden" he said, turning around and leaving.

Vi watched him go. He seemed so curt as if he didn't really want to speak to her. She sighed but was quickly dressed. She tried her best to get the worst of the knots out of her hair. Then she went up the stairs. Instead of going to him she went to walk the garden.

Her thoughts felt cluttered and she wasn't sure why. She liked him a lot and that was confusing. Trusting someone wasn't exactly the kind of thing Vi did.

Pernas sat down at a patch of flowers in the garden and began clearing away some of the dead folliage. Alar sat down on a flower in a tree.

"Good morning." he said.

"Hello, Alar." Pernas said, not looking up.

"So, you're, um..."

"Vi? She seems to be settling in well. At least, I hope she is." Pernas said, packing some dirt around an almost uprooted iris.

"Shouldn't you be with her?" Alar asked. Pernas looked up. "I meant no disrespect." he added hastily. "I just thought-"

"Maybe you have a point..." Pernas said. "I just... well, I don't want to be overbearing or anything."

"My apologies, sir." Alar said, flitting off.

***

A large gold-colored bird with a long tail was preening himself from one of the branches. He spotted Vi down below. So this was the new arrival he'd heard about. She seemed a bit nervous, unsure of the place.

"Good day." he called down in a friendly voice.

Vi looked up and spotted the beautiful bird, "Good day to you too." She sat down on a near by bench. Obviously Pernas hadn't been here yet as it was still ravaged by the cows. Though there wasn't a cow in sight.

"I'm Vi and you are?" She asked looking back up though her mind was elswhere.

Pernas was of course her thoughts. How could you not think about him? He was a dragon beautiful and she kept going back to her memory of it. She wondered what it would be like to fly. She had felt his scales but doubted that he would let her fly with him.

Self conciously her fingers rubbed over the white scars across her arms.

"Tamino." The bird said, bowing. He looked at the folliage, and sighed. "I suppose I can't begrudge them for wanting to eat, but I is a sad sight to see a garden in this state." he said, flying down and sitting next to her. "So, you're the new dragon?" he asked. "Or... not a dragon? I've been a bit confused with what I've hearing..."

"No, I'm not a dragon. I wish," Vi smiled suddenly, "I'm human. I can't do anything amazing."

Looking around again she sighed, "Seems a tad fitting for my arrival though. I'm not exactly in the best condition either." She chuckled with out humor. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"What does Pernas think about me being here though? He just seems to be tolerating me," She shrugged not sure if she should be thankful or not.

"Oh dear..." Tamino said, looking at the scars. "Well, you'll be better in no time." he said, ruffling his feathers. "Don't worry about Lord Dragon. Sometimes he's just a bit aloof is all. Sometimes he isn't." he chuckled.

"So... 'human.'" Taminos said, tilting his head. "So that's like a dragon... but without the scales and wings and such?"

"Yes, pretty much. What you see is what you get," She smiled but in a way wished that she could be a dragon so it disapeared quickly.

"These scars wont heal. They'll stay," She seemed lost for a moment but changed the subject, "Lord Dragon? He said his name was Pernas."

She paled suddenly, "Should I have been calling him that?" Had she been disrespecting him by saying just his name? That was probably why he had left suddenly as if if he didn't have to see her that she wasn't there.

Frowning she knew she was overreacting. He had been kind and accomidating. He was probably just wanting to get things done so that he would have time to speak with her.

"Er... yes. His name is Pernas..." Tamino said. "But most of us call him 'Lord Dragon,' save for the ones who are... I guess, less formal with him? Very few of the cows address him by his name. You... I don't know if you should or not. But it doesn't matter. I don't think he much cares how he's addressed." he said, preening his tail.

Vi shrugged not sure how to go on with the conversation. Maybe she should try 'Lord Dragon' it couldn't really hurt but she didn't want to speak to him quite yet.

"Do you know if there's a corral reef here?" She had been diving before with and with out a mask. As her father had a boat he had taken her out a few times before. Besides a corral comb sounded pretty and the tangles were getting bothersome.

As if feeling them she ran her fingers through it. Instantly being caught.

Pernas was strolling through the garden at this time. He didn't quite know what to do around Vi. Perhaps he shouldn't be so distant. Wouldn't that make her feel unwelcome? Maybe he should be a bit closer, help her settle in a bit more. In truth, he didn't really know how he felt. As of right now, he was just trying to go about the way he always had, but somehow that didn't feel right here. He felt he should be doing more.

She seemed to bed doing alright so far, but she was very shy. Then the thought crossed his mind - she's suffered a terrible blow, torn from the life and the home she knew. He hadn't asked her about that at all. He felt a bit foolish, like he had been inconsiderate.

***

"A coral what?" Tamino asked. "Never heard of one of those..." he said.

Vi started to laugh, "I'm sorry. I guess I just need to focus my mind on something. Just a little way at a time."

She stood but signaled the bird that he could follow by saying, "It's easy for you I guess. Sense your a bird but my life is gone and I don't know what to do."

Sighing she kept walking her mind had now officialy pressed with the matter of what she should do. Tears wanted to be forced out but she tilted back her head repressing them as she focused on the sky instead.

Tamino tilted his head to look at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "If you don't know what to do? Well... you could always explore. There are alot of things here. Even I still find new things from time to time..." he said. He didn't really understand what her problems were. How could he? He was just a bird.

"Good day, Tamino." Pernas said, coming up behind them.

"Good day, Lord Dragon." Tamino said, bowing.

"Now then..." he said, pausing, turning to Vi. "Are you... are you alright? Is there anything more you need?"

"I don't know if that will work," Vi stopped instantly when she heared his voice. Her face tilted away and she looked at the ground instead of at him. She felt like crying again but took a deep shuddering breath.

"Well, it doesn't seem very important," She didn't finish too much wanting to come out after that statment.

"I don't want to disturb you, Lord Dragon," Frowning she wasn't sure to bow or not and decided on the later.

"Oh, please." Pernas said, raising his arms. "There's no need for you to call me that. That's just something the cows and the birds started calling me... it doesn't sound right coming from another human." he said, throwing in an assuring smile. "I'm certain... if there's anything you need, it's no bother. No bother at all..."

Tamino walked off a bit. Alar flitted to a branch above them.

Vi just nodded not knowing what to say but she wasn't sure what to do. That knowledged pressed on to her that she couldn't hold back tears. She tried to wipe them away quickly but they kept coming, "I'm sorry I'm just not sure what to do. You confuse me and this island it's," she wiped at her tears not able to finish the sentence instead she kneeled on the ground not able to even let her legs take the weight as they turned to jelly.

"It's alright." Pernas said, holding her arm. "It's alright. I'll... you don't need to be confused about anything." he said. "Things just take time to get used to. And... if you don't like it here, maybe I can look in the books. See if there's a way to get you back home. If that's what you want. If that's not what you want, I can help you here. Don't cry."

As Pernas grasped her arm she had a brief battle with her self but something else snapped it. Standing briefely she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face in to his chest. Why she still wasn't sure on but it's what she did as she struggled to stop crying.

"I don't-don't want to go back," She managed as her tears began to still. The lonlieness was still there though so she didn't turn away from him.

Pernas was a bit taken aback by her sudden actions. But he couldn't really blame her. She was very troubled. Apparently, she wasn't doing okay so far.

"It's okay." Pernas said softly, putting an arm around her to comfort her, his hand on her back. "It'll all be okay. Come. Walk with me. It'll help you feel better."

Vi laughed despite her self but reluctantly moved out of his grasp. Looking at him she realized something else. She was going to fall in love with him. Perhaps it wasn't now but it would come and she realized she was scared of that.

"Okay, Pernas," Though she nodded her hands twisted in to the front of her dress in a bit of a nervouse manor, "I'm sorry for hugging you. It just kind of happened." She smiled a bit lopsidedly.

"It's alright." Pernas said. "I understand. Things can be... difficult, and when things are hard, you need something to hold onto. I know how it feels." he said, as Tamino flew up to the branches and started twittering something unintelligible to Alar.

"Come. Let me show you around the garden, where it isn't all messy."

Vi tried to smile but failed so instead she simply nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. Though she wanted to say that what he said wasn't true. That she wasn't just latching on to him. If it had been any one else, a human, it wouldn't have at all been the same.

"It's a big garden here, that I've liked to tend." Pernas said. "Sometimes it seems more like a forest than anything else, I suppose." he said with a chuckle. "I grow a large variety of plants. Like over there are some jacaranda trees." he said, pointing to a number of trees with light purple leaves, surrounded by large patches of lillies and iris...es.

Above them, the birds were watching intently.

"One thing I don't particularly enjoy." Pernas muttered. "The birds watching me like a hawk."