<hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/c/c0/Fd5e741b1b90361f6a2643d2aad8e6d3--felicity-jones-hair-photo-pro.jpg/450px-Fd5e741b1b90361f6a2643d2aad8e6d3--felicity-jones-hair-photo-pro.jpg)</div><strong>Name: </strong>Kirien Silverlark<br/><strong>Class: </strong>Cleric/Mage<br/><strong>Time: </strong>Patchwall 2, 577 CY, 9pm<br/><strong>Location: </strong>Gnarley Forest, Beratana Village, Kirien's cottage<br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>none<br/><strong>Content Warning: </strong>none<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/3/33/Bed-in-shakespeare-bookstore-in-paris.jpg/800px-Bed-in-shakespeare-bookstore-in-paris.jpg)</div><em>I am cold.</em><br/><br/>The words floated through the effervescent mind of the slender elven maiden reposing on a simple though well-constructed bed, surrounded by laden bookshelves in the tiny bedroom.  She sighed through delicate lips, drawing her verdant eyes from the spidery text of the small, open tome beside her, and looked up, towards the top of the small wooden ladder leaning against another of the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.  There, atop a carefully balanced stack of books, leaned a tiny dragon with shimmering silver scales that reflected the arcane globe of light suspended over the now-attentive elf woman.  The little beast had curled its tail--complete with miniature, pointy sting--around its trembling legs, and likewise enwrapped its opalescent wings around much of its body.<br/><br/>"You're always cold."<br/><br/>The elf brushed a lock of chestnut hair from her eyes, blinking away a single strand that had become entrapped in her long lashes.  "And we're far from Olve Minrith...where it's already cold enough for snows on the treetops at night."<br/><br/><em>We did not live in the treetops.</em>The huge eyes of the pseudodragon stared at her dolefully, unblinking.<br/><br/>That elicited a sniff and a crooked smile from the lovely Spellmaiden.  "I'm not wasting any more wood on the fire--it's stoked enough for the rest of the night."  She gazed on her familiar for several seconds more, but if there was any reproach in her heart, it was not reflected in her entrancing eyes.  Then she brought her attention back to her study of Lethchauntos'<em>Doors and Passages of Arcane Worlds</em>.<br/><br/><em>What if I die?</em><br/><br/>The elven woman paused in her reading once more, eyes glazed.<br/><br/><em>Will you weep for me?</em><br/><br/>And those elven lids with the thick, dark lashes closed, slowly.  A single soft breath was taken in...also perceptibly slow.  A slender arm raised, and a long, clever finger pointed towards the little creature, then curled back towards the palm of the hand that was outstretched.<br/><br/>The scaled complainer rose silently and quickly from its perch on paper-thin wings, darting with incredible speed and agility into the homespun blanket that lay over the elven woman up to her shoulders, landing and crawling up her arm, over her shoulders, until it was curled rather comfortably around her neck, with its little stinger-armed tail hanging down, over her exposed collarbone.<br/><br/>"Better?"  The outstretched hand now glided over the fragile-appearing wings of her familiar in a warm and delicate caress, and the magical creature shivered in pleasure, stretching its neck for more touches, which her mistress indulged her in.<br/><br/><em>I will not die tonight.  I think.  From cold.</em><br/><br/>The elf chuffed out a single laugh, feeling the essence of her familiar's emotions within her mind and spirit fully.  Despite its words, Kirien knew where her soulmate's concerns truly lay.  There was no anger possible with her little Teria.  She then continued her reading, turning another page of her book, engrossed in the wonder of what she would some day wish to explore: the realms of existence beyond her world...even so far as the lands the gods themselves abided in.<br/><br/><em>Brennisen likes you.</em><br/><br/>Kirien did not look up from her book.  "She is my friend.  I like her as well."<br/><br/><em>You should mate with her.  I am sure she would let you.</em><br/><br/>"Teria!"<br/><br/><em>And like it.</em><br/><br/>"Honestly, Teria..."<br/><br/><em>But you should be the one to take the first step.</em><br/><br/>"Teria..."<br/><br/><em>She is shy.  I do not understand your two-legs' feelings like this.</em><br/><br/>"My timid little Teria does not understand<em>shyness?</em>"  Another caress to the mini-dragon's neck and wings.<br/><br/><em>I am not shy.  I am prudent.</em><br/><br/>"Ahh...that's what you call it."<br/><br/><em>And Enastril.  You should mate with him, too.  But Brennisen first.</em><br/><br/>"I would not call it mating, with a female..."<br/><br/><em>You should couple with them, then.  And your other friends.  Yesqwyn would, I think.  And Pansy.  And her new friend, Taavia...</em><br/><br/>"You have quite a focus on coupling right now...is it your own mating season?"<br/><br/><em>It is always mating season for dragons, of any size.  Elves and humans are the same.</em><br/><br/>"But why have you not sought out a partner then?"<br/><br/><em>I love </em>you<em>, Kirien.</em><br/><br/>The elf maiden's heart was suddenly smattered then with countless shards of bittersweet affect, and her eyes became soft and glassy.  "Oh, my sweet flutterbug...you are<em>most </em>precious to me, as well."<br/><br/>The pseudodragon craned its neck, rubbing its tiny head against the underside of her mistress' neck and chin, large eyes closed in joy as she was stroked lovingly.  Then it paused, and opened the lids of one eye until it was fully exposed, and gazing up.<br/><br/><em>But you should mate with Brennisen.</em><br/><br/>Kirien sighed, short and breathy.<br/><br/><em>Why have you never mated?</em><br/><br/>This brought the elf woman up short of a response.  Why, indeed?<br/><br/>"I...I don't know."  There was no hiding anything from a familiar, and she'd never even attempted to lie to Tera, but she had never considered such a reason...<br/><br/><em>Your mind is so often filled with images of it...</em><br/><br/>"Teria!"  No indeed, there was no hiding<em>anything </em>from a familiar!<br/><br/><em>...so much that I dream of it often, as well.</em><br/><br/>"Do you?"<br/><br/><em>I am very curious.  I would like to know what it is like.  To share your feelings of it.</em><br/><br/>"Well, there would be no getting away from<em>that</em>, certainly, with our connection."<br/><br/><em>Will you think of it more?  To try it?</em><br/><br/>"I will...especially if you continually remind me of it."  A smirk, this time, appeared on Kirien's full lips.<br/><br/><em>And with Brennisen.  She is pretty.  And kind.</em><br/><br/>"I..."  Kirien cut short her annoyed retort, and considered, feeling Teria's emotions, which let her follow her own oft-overlooked feelings.  "She is very pretty."  She nodded her head.  "And very kind."<br/><br/>Teria fell silent for a few more moments.  Then her telepathic voice echoed in Kirien's mind one last time, as the pseudodragon slid towards sleep.<br/><br/><em>And the two of you in bed would keep me from dying of cold.</em><br/><br/>Kirien bit her lip, stifling the sudden giggle that threatened to startle her familiar back to annoyed wakefulness.  "Well...then it would be a great boon to all dragonkind."