“You may wish to stand back-” Aimu was cut off by a mob by children hugging her. She expertly wrestled them. Her tail snaked through the kids and shortly she had them trapped, tangled and pinned.

An older man coated in a fine layer of sawdust came out to see the disturbance. He didn’t even look at her. Focusing on his children wrestling a dragon. On seeing Urial he made a bit of a start. “Oh, thought you were- nice to meet you ma’am? What can I do for you?”

Aimuzjon rose. In a curious wave motion she pushed the children out of her tail into a giggling pile and looked at Chris, “Could you call off your brood.”

“Children! That’s enough playing. Adults need to talk!” He punctuated the statement with claps, and the children obediently went back into the house.

Urial stared at astonishment. Very rarely had she seen children so well behaved. “I’m-”

Aimu interrupted Urial, “This is Urial, she and William are coupling.”

Christopher looked like he fell. He bent over at the waist and had his hands on his knees laughing, “-Aimu! It’s called dating! Dating!”

“What? They are a couple?” Aimu’s cheeks puffed, “coupling.”

“Please, use dating instead. Please.” He gasped giggling, “Oh I am sorry Ma’am. Terribly sorry. Dragon manners are strange.”

Urial blush slowly cleared at Christopher’s assurances. He seemed to know Aimu well. “Yes I have noticed...”

Chris waved them in through an open door of the odd house. The roof was high and the beams thick. Hanging from the beams were ropes and various items. Chris pulled up a chair for Urial, a table for Aimu and a simpler chair for himself. “What can I do you ma’am?”

“William’s cart broke and-”

He swung his hands upwards into a big ‘X’ “Nope, gonna cut you off there, I can’t fix it. What broke this time?”

Urial ticked her fingers, “The wheel, the axle, the thing holding the axle to the cart, the handle and a wall. But I don’t want you to fix it.”

Christopher froze, then pointed at Aimu, “Good choice eh?”

Aimu nodded, “Yes. I approve of them cou-dating.”

Urial’s jaw dropped “Excuse-”

Christopher grabbed her hand, “Thank you! Will’s an idiot and you seem nice. What do you- oh I keep interrupting you.”

“Yes, I want to get Will a new cart.”

Chris smiled thoughtfully, “Yes, I can do a simple tray for one gold. A cart with a sign for two. But if you can give me three gold I can make it really nice!”

Urial froze and thought hard on it. “One log is a gold, you gotta buy or work the planks, and-” she turned to Aimu who was staring intently at her. “I’m sorry Aimu, that’s a really good price, but I can’t afford it. Can Will?”

He nodded, “Yaa, I’m giving it to you almost at cost. William’s a good friend, and Aimuzjon of course!” He gestured, “But I got kids to feed. A lot of kids to feed...” he added darkly.

Aimu smirked. On a dragon, she exposed her teeth, “Will can’t afford three gold coins.”

Christopher seemed a little defeated. “Feel bad, I know that cart’s your home too Aimuzjon.”

“It was my home. I’m too big now, can you make it large enough for me to fit?”

Chris nodded. “For three gold I was intending to include a spot for a real firebox. Now I can’t make a firebox, but I can make sure you have the-” he traced a square with his finger, “place to put it. You need an ironworker, or a mason for that.”

Urial sighed, “Okey Aimu, we know what it costs we can talk to Will-”

Aimu made an unpleasant sound, somewhere between clearing your throat and vomiting. Her cheeks puffed and she opened her mouth to expose her tongue and rolled out three gold coins. Aimu had surprising dexterity with her tongue. She didn’t usually show it as it always bothered the humans. She flicked one coin one onto the table and displayed the other two. Proving she could pay him when the work was done.

The coin hit the table and rolled to a stop. The air wavered above it as if it was hot. Chris held his hand over it waiting for it to cool down. “I’ll take that as a down payment. Thank you Aimu. thank you Urial.” Chris bowed and showed them out of his shop.

“Kids! We got work!”

The duo took their leave of the eager carpenter.