"Yes, Mister Yhet," Ezra said politely, sighing as the cook continued to knit his flesh back together. The smallest hint of a smile danced at the corners of Ezra's face when Yhet said he wasn't bad, and although the sentiment was appreciated, it wasn't Yhet's approval the young Asha sought. Throughout the process of taking care of Ezra's hand, Master said nothing, he only kept his body atop Ezra, pinning him down, his face turned away from both Yhet and the Asha's bloody arm.<br/><br/>When Yhet was finished, Ezra quickly scrambled to his feet, mumbling a quiet thank you to the cook and rushing out the door as Reis opened it for him. The cool night air was a refreshing alternative to the stuffiness Ezra felt while panicking in Reis' home, the thick, choking air that gripped at him as he had tried his hardest to return to the dirt. He remembered the path Reis had taken him along earlier in the day and made his way to the most robust part of Reis' garden, carefully easing his way through the flowerbeds until he was standing on a small patch of unused dirt, in between a thriving red rose bush and a section of white and yellow flowers Ezra did not recognize. The foreign flowers all had six petals each, with a yellow bell-shaped protrusion emerging from the center. They were quiet flowers that didn't smell like much, but they were pleasant and friendly, and Ezra liked when he began digging with his uninjured hand, settling himself in the dirt and burying his free limb as deep as he could.<br/><br/>The dread he had felt earlier had dulled into a silent sadness, and although Ezra had a much better handle on himself now that he was outside, he still couldn't find happiness knowing that his master was displeased with him.<i>What am I to do? </i>the Asha asked himself, laying down and resting his tired head against the ground. He could hear the roots whispering to him, offering him advice. The rose bush told him to trust in his master, to listen to his heart and believe that Master Reis would soon see him as Ezra desired, but that route took patience and time, Ezra knew. What if Master never changed his mind about him? What then? The foreign flowers said this was a good thing. With preconceived notions about how their relationship was supposed to be shattered, they could build something new together, something that was unique theirs. Ezra did not understand what this meant. Why would he want to start something new? The keepers had told him so many stories, and so far each one of them had been wrong. If he started anew, what was he to do? How was he supposed to please Master Reis when everything he had tried so far had been worthless? The flowers didn't have much of an answer for this, only that he should listen when Master spoke, but didn't he already do that? What more was there to hear?<br/><br/>His conversations were interrupted when Master came, staring down at him as he was curled up into a ball in the dirt. Ezra quaked in the man's presence, though Reis wasn't intimidating in any sense of the word, but Ezra was still very much upset by how Master had spoken to him. When Reis shared his plans, however, Ezra perked up, and he looked up at his master with large, sparkling eyes that could be see even in the dark garden underneath the pale moonlight.<br/><br/>"A companion?" Ezra repeated curiously, sitting up and continuing to peer at the handsome man as he sipped on his glass of water. "And we get to go into town?" The Asha was intrigued. He didn't think Reis would want to take him anywhere after what had just happened. The pain in his chest eased when Reis said he wasn't bad, even though he had broken one of Master's windows. "I'm sorry I did that, Master," Ezra murmured gently, genuinely regretful for the damage he had caused to his master's home.<br/><br/>"I was scared they would take me away. They resell bad Asha who are abandoned by their masters. Or kill them, if no one wants them. I do not want to be killed."<br/><br/>He stood, dirt clinging to him. There was a silvery tint to the Asha's skin as he stood there nude, the pale light illuminating his body. "I want to go with you tomorrow, Master. To the town. I will be a good Asha. I won't break any more windows."