“Who’s Markhor?”

Urial froze chewing slowly on the beans that were a staple of the couple’s diet. She swallowed. “Sorry what do you mean?”

“The guard, seemed to be in charge? He asked about you.”

“Oh you know guards, kinda nosy and...”

Will kneaded the bread he was working on, his blows were a bit more forceful then necessary. “He knew about Sapo. On a first name basis”

“Oh pfft well that... could’ve been anyone.”

Aimu shook her head, “Nope.”

“Well you know I...”

“You and Markhor lived together for along time.” Will jabbed, “According to Aimu.”

Aimu flicked her tongue in emphasis, nodding enthusiastically.

“You are jealous.” Urial grinned ear to ear.

“Yes, I mean no. I don’t want a jilted ex guard snooping around my life. That’s how you end up dead for resisting arrest.”

“He’s not my ex.” Urial smiled.

“Brother.” Aimu nodded, “defiantly brother.”

“Aimuzjon!” Urial scolded

“He said you didn’t write to your mother. He said there is a bounty for your return.” Will continued.

“Well I don’t know anything about you! You are just a baker, with a flaming dragon!” Urial rose jabbing an accusatory finger. “Oh he’s Will” she mocked in another persons voice, “He’s a baker! No I don’t know where he is from. Always a baker. Just showed up.”

“Urial-” Will pleaded.

“Why do you care! What is it to you Will?”

“Urial-”

“Why don’t your write a letter to your mother if it means so much to you!” Urial screamed.

“My parents are dead.”

He covered the dough in a towel, turned and walked towards the back. “Will- I didn’t!” Urial pleaded to his back as the door shut. The room sat in awkward silent

“You. Have a temper.” Aimu commented, “Might want to work on that.”

Urial lashed out, her fist pounded down on Aimzujon.

Aimu tilted her head slightly. Urials fist collided with her horn. As Urial cried in pain Aimu locked eyes with the enraged woman. “Well now. Your pathetic blows won’t affect me.”

Urial chanted her fist glowed and her second hit collided with the dragon, sending the scaly mass across the room.

“Aimu! Urial stop fighting.” Sapo yelled flung clear of Aimu who he had been resting on. He landed gracefully on the floor like a cat.

Aimu scales flared out, she swelled changing from dull coal black to a dark red. “Well, better go three for three.”

Urial’s eyes widened as Aimu’s body lowered, the dragon’s head bobbed side to side, and her butt and tail wiggled, “waaaai-” Urial turned to run but Aimu pounced. Claws held back the dragon wrestled the woman to the ground and quickly bound her in her tail.

“Let me go!”

“Magic.” Aimu nodded, “Powerful magic from a simple laundress. The dragon moved the tip of her tail over Urial’s mouth. “shhhh human.”

Urial bit the tail. Hard. Then groaned as her teeth did nothing to the armoured tip of Aimu’s tail.

“Let me tell you a tail. I have know William for as long as I have been alive. My first memories are him gently warming my egg with his own body. Wondering what was inside, and hoping I would be nice.”

“Wait your remember being in an egg?”

“I hatched in the sun as he built a fire. He tried to pull me from the fire as I warmed by body in the flames.”

Urial stopped resisting and grew silent.

“We walked a country road together. Alone, weeks we frolicked in the summer sun until we came to a village.” Aimu paused waiting for Urial to interrupt, but she remained silent.

“We lived at the farm for a number of years. Will would’ve eaten them out of house and home, if not for the fact that Will could make bread. Within several years he was a better baker then the farmwife.” Aimu slowly released Urial who sat on the floor in rapt attention.

“The farmer and his wife had a daughter, and before long they longed for another child. They couldn’t feed that many mouths and William agreed to leave. We walked to the city. Dragging that cart, baking bread for travellers until we reached the city. That is how William showed up in this city one day.”

Urial cried, more from pain and exertion then the story. “Aimu I’m sorry.”

“pff, you can’t hurt me. Will however is a bit more fragile.”

Urial stood up and walked out the backdoor to apologize.