Breath of Fresh Air

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When Nel's weight changed a bit, Soot realized his clothes held water the same way a lot of animals' fur did. He was extra careful to make sure Nel got on his back safely; he wouldn't want him to get too tired and sink below the water. He chirped happily in reply when Nel thanked him multiple times.

Then he floated off down the river, using his tail to keep himself centered in the current. He glanced back when Nel mentioned Naydra, and his ear fins perked forward. Another dragon who liked the water? Maybe she would make a good friend!

He chuffed and poked his head underwater, trying to spot her if he could. If she liked water, maybe she would like rain, too, and maybe she could even help convince Chaital that rain was good.
 
Naydra was a very dark blue dragon, and from above the surface when it was not well lit outside could easily camouflage on the riverbed, so Nel wasn't sure that they would see her, but smiled anyway when Soot ducked his head down to look.

"Don't stay under there too long," he said with a soft laugh, eyes roving about as they drifted downstream in case he spotted any sort of trouble. "She might even be on land today, maybe. . ."

Eventually, when they were beginning to reach the point where Nel intended to get them out of the water, Soot would spot her lying peacefully at the bottom of the river. She was three times as long as he was, but her body was proportionately thinner, and her head wasn't much larger than his. She opened her eyes when she sensed him coming, and as he got closer pushed herself up off the bottom to drift almost lazily higher until she rested at the surface, looking not unlike a crocodile while half submerged.

"Oh!" Nel jumped a little when she popped up, then laughed a little at himself and gave her a smile. "You are here. Naydra, this is Soot. Soot, meet Naydra. Don't worry, we were just about to get out." He wouldn't stay in the way of her swimming for very long.

Naydra rumbled low, something that could be felt through the water more than heard, and let herself drift backwards downriver to match Soot's speed without much effort. She only gave a little roll of her body to bring them slowly closer together, until she could gently touch her muzzle to his in a lazy greeting.
 
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As he traveled down the river, Soot took a breath once or twice before continuing to search for the dragon below the water. Eventually he spotted Naydra and chirped happily, sending a spew of bubbles through the water. He was delighted when she floated towards him and craned his neck out to return the greeting.

And he remembered how Chaital and Infernus made their body posture less imposing. He folded his wings in and relaxed his body, floating gently in the water. And once Naydra had pulled back a little, Soot climbed out of the water, making sure Nel stayed securely on his back.

Then he settled down on the grass and reached back to start licking Nel. He'd seen Chaital preen Noah a few times before, and figured it might help get the water out. He stayed close to the river's edge, too, just in case Naydra wanted to visit without leaving the safety of the water.
 
"Tired from all your play this morning?" Nel teased softly when Naydra was placid as she greeted Soot, wondering if she was truly sleepy or if she could tell instinctively that Soot was a dragon to treat gently. "I've already gotten myself wet, so there's no point dragging me in again."

She only gave a little huff and a few bubbles in the water, sensing his good humor and letting them move away towards shore without complaint. They were leaving her water, and as nothing was needed from her she sunk down to the bottom again to settle in, able to hold her breath for long periods of time.

Nel made a soft, surprised sound when Soot began to climb out, but braced himself so he wouldn't fall and laughed quietly when Soot reached back to lick at him. "It's all right, it's all right," he said with a smile, reaching up to pat gently at Soot's muzzle. "No amount of licks is going to dry me while it's still raining. Let's go past the trees into the fields and make our way back. I'm sure everyone is already hiding, but it's good to check." He was also sure someone would do a quick flyby later on to be sure no structures had leaked, sagged or broken because of the rain, but for now it hadn't gone on long enough to worry about it.
 
Soot tilted his head at Nel, slowly stopping the licks. He had a point. It would be hard to dry Nel off when the whole sky was wet. He chattered and ambled off behind Nel, glancing back and forth between the trees to search for dragons that might be hiding or need assistance.

His tail swung loose behind him, and his wings were against his body but not tensely so like they used to be. The dragon clearly felt at ease around Nel and got the sense that no one in the Dragonry meant any true harm. Sure, dragons might get agitated or afraid like Chaital. But that was what Nel - and, by extension now, Soot - were here to help with.

He climbed up one of the trees briefly, just to get a better view of the surrounding forest and to make sure he hadn't missed any dragons - or people, for that matter - that needed help.
 
The fact that Soot could wander around freely without feeling afraid even with the somewhat reduced visibility the rain caused wasn't something that escaped Nel. Musing over it distracted him so thoroughly, in fact, that he almost didn't brace in time when Soot started up a tree, flailing a bit before taking hold of the saddle he knew he should really have taken off before they'd gone in the river and holding on.

"Y- You really are getting more comfortable," he murmured aloud when they had come to a stop, and after a moment clambered up a bit higher on Soot's back to look over his shoulder. "See anything interesting?"

He hoped the tree wouldn't begin to bend under the dragon's weight, but it seemed to be holding so far. Out in the fields, the only dragons he could see were some of their biggest, Joachim and a much smaller but still rather large Pryonis. Joachim was tilting his head back into the skies and enjoying the rain, while the other dragon was in the middle of wandering off to their largest barn-like shelter, peaceful and unhurried.

"No trouble, at least." Nel mused, feet braced carefully on the saddle and glancing down towards the ground with only a small amount of nerves. "It's not a very violent storm, so I don't think anyone will be worried. . . Are you going to be all right getting down?" There wasn't a whole lot of room for wings in the trees, so they would either have to be very careful, or Nel was just going to have to hope Soot could climb back down backwards.
 
Soot hadn't had access to his wings nearly as often as he should have in his early life, so it was easy enough for him to slide back down the tree with a heavy thump and shake the extra rain water and tree bark off his scales. Then he trotted off to the barn, and once they'd arrived, he hesitantly poked his head in with a soft chuff.

Chaital was much more relaxed. She'd spread out onto her side and had her wings folded, except for the one she was preening. She glanced up and chirped in response to Soot's greeting.

Noah was leaning against her side with his hands behind his head, and he nodded and smiled when he saw the pair. "Hey, guys! How'd the patrol go?" He blinked and tilted his head. ". . . You look soaked. Did you go for a swim or something? Are you okay?"

Soot inched his way into the barn and shook the water off a final time. Then he curled up in a pile of hay, heaving a deeply contented sigh and letting his head flop against it.
 
Nel was sure to keep his grip on the way down, and only laughed when Soot nearly shook him off, riding peacefully back to the barn because Soot didn't mind and it left him free to look around without worrying about where he was stepping with bare feet. He only hopped down when they got to the shelter Noah and Chaital were hiding in, and flushed a bit at Noah's appraisal.

"M-More or less," he admitted with a shy little shuffle, and only turned his head away when Soot shook water off at him since he was already wet. "We were making a trip through the grounds and Soot wanted to get in the river. I'm all right, thank you. . . I should probably go and dry off somewhere warm, though. Will you two be all right?"

It was as much a question for Chaital as it was for Noah. The cold had finally begun to get to him on their return trip, once they came out of the river, and he knew if he didn't go inside soon he might get sick. Malia would be cross with him if he didn't take care of his own health.
 
Noah smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we'll be okay. Chaital's a lot happier now, too." He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. ". . . Where's the closest warm place? If it's not in the Dragonry, you could come over and warm up at my grandpa's house! The rain's almost over, so I could probably convince Chaital to come over with us. Don't want you catching a cold."

He leaned forward and rolled to his feet, patting Chaital's shoulder. "Plus, I bet Grandpa Jenkins would make you some soup if we asked really nice! I'm kind of starting to get hungry too. Ooh, and maybe some grilled cheese, and some bacon . . . Or grilled cheese with bacon!"

Chaital perked up at the word bacon and licked her lips. She knew exactly what that treat was, and with the rain subsiding outside, she was heavily considering walking to the old windmill to get some.
 
Nel blinked at the offer, shifting his weight uncertainly from one foot to the other but not moving much so he would only be dripping water in one spot. "O- Oh, I - I don't want to bother him. . . I'll need to get new clothes. It's not too far to the dorms. . ."

It was a longer walk than to the old windmill, but one he had made many times before. The last thing he wanted to do was be a burden to anyone. He always tried to do things himself, so no one would be bothered by him. Even after all the years he'd spent at the Dragonry, it still felt strange to just take things from people without giving anything in return, even though he knew he was a hypocrite given he was often on the giving side himself.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Chaital," he said, managing a little smile for her at the way she perked up. "It's not so bad out there." Surely no one wanted to walk around while it was pouring rain, but he'd had things to do, and it had been perfectly safe. He only hoped it would help her feel a little better about the rain, some day.
 
"Pffft, you can borrow some of mine! Come on, it's so close by. Please?" Noah asked, pulling on Nel's wrist hopefully. "If you're still soaking wet, it'll help convince Grandpa Jenkins to make soup!"

Chaital got to her feet and shook herself off, as though shaking off the agitation rather than the water. Then she gurgled and playfully slapped Noah's face with her tail.

"Okay, fine, he'd make soup anyway if I asked. But then we could hang out more, and Soot could interact with Boulder and Chaital! It'd be really fun," Noah added, grinning and raising his eyebrows. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that Nel was quickly becoming one of his best friends. "Besides, Soot wants soup too, I bet!"

Soot chirped and tilted his head. He had no idea what soul was. But Chaital and Noah seemed excited, so he chuffed and gave his wings a tiny flap.
 
Nel wasn't completely convinced that he and Noah worse the same size clothing, but he supposed it was better than being wet. He hesitated still, eyes shifting shyly away, but Noah was always so enthused and generous, it made it difficult to say no. He didn't want to be a burden, and he didn't want to upset Noah by refusing his offer either.

"O- Okay. . ." He agreed finally, even managing to smile a little at Soot, and at Noah and Chaital's friendly play. "If you're sure he won't be upset. . ."

Nel knew Mr. jenkins had a reputation for being very grumpy, and though he wasn't afraid of him he didn't want to be the cause for the man to get upset. It was his goal, really, to not be the cause of negative feelings in others, no matter what they may be. But Mr. Jenkins had seemed happy when Noah had invited Nel to lunch. How could one not be, when they had someone with them that was always smiling?

"I would offer to help cook," Nel said with a small smile, cupping his hands near his mouth to breathe warm air into his palms, "but I think I'll have to sit by a fire for a little while before I'll be any use." It wasn't freezing outside by any means, but being soaked to the skin Nel thought he would probably begin to shake by the time they got to the house.
 
Noah scoffed and climbed up onto Chaital's back, smiling and shaking his head. "Of course he won't be upset! You know, he's been in a lot better mood ever since he adopted Jasper and me and Father came home." But his smile faded a bit when Nel mentioned not being useful. ". . . Hey. I'm not inviting you over because you're useful. I'm inviting you over because you're my friend. Being useful has nothing to do with it."

Soot licked Nel's hair gently, and then stretched out a wing to invite him to climb up. He could tell Nel was getting cold. Soot had fire breath, but he wasn't quite sure how to use it on Nel without hurting him, so the next best thing was getting him to a warm place.

Once the pair had gotten onto the dragons, Chaital and Soot took off at a gallop, racing through the wet grass and mud. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the old windmill.

There Noah slid off Chaital and hurried inside, pulling the door open. "Grandpa Jenkins! Can you make us some soup? We got wet!" he called out.

"Who's we, eh?" Mr. Jenkins called back. He shuffled in from the other room. Then he smiled and chuckled. "Oh! Ya brought Nel. Good to see you again, lad."

Noah beamed and patted Nel's shoulder, and then pointed upstairs. "My clothes are in the closet near the first bed. They might be a little big on you, but they should work okay."
 
Nel was in the middle of thinking how nice it must be for Noah, Mr Jenkins, and the others to have such a nice, growing family when the younger man tried to reassure him, and found himself flushing almost guiltily. "I- I . . . Thank you," he said quietly, and reached a hand out to Soot to thank him as well before climbing up onto the dragon's back. It had been so long since he'd come to this place and been taken in so kindly, so long since he'd promised himself he wouldn't be a burden to others and would pull his weight, that he sometimes forgot how to live without trying to make himself worth something at every moment.

The ride to the windmill was peaceful enough despite the growing tremors Nel could feel making their way through his body, and when they reached the house he paused and made sure his feet were as clean as possible, and he'd wrung as much water out of his clothes as he could manage. Once he was sure Soot would be okay in the dragon shelter with Chaital and Boulder, he followed Noah in.

"I'm sorry for the mess," he said automatically, soft and timid and moving very gingerly as he tried not to drip water on absolutely everything. "I-I'll help mop up once I'm dry. . ."

He thanked Noah quietly and made his way up the stairs, careful not to slip and fall. He took the liberty of finding a towel before looking for clothes to borrow, and wasn't bothered that they hung a bit loose on his thinner frame - most of his clothes did, for the better part of his life, so it wasn't anything new. When he was dry and dressed, his old clothes hung in the bathroom to dry, he used the towel to clean up the floor where he'd dripped on the floors upstairs. He would've done more, but he knew he needed to get himself warmed up somewhere first.

"Is it all right if I sit by the fire for a few minutes?" He asked shyly when he had found Noah and Mr Jenkins in the kitchen. "I'll stay out of the way. . ." His hands were shaking, and every once in a while he had to shiver at the cold that had sunk into his bones.
 
Grandpa Jenkins waved a hand and smiled. "Don't ya worry about it, lad. I can handle a little water. Floors needed to get cleaned, anyway."

By the time Nel returned, the soup was cooking over the pot, and the smell floated through the house. The old man gave it another stir and shuffled over to Nel. "Yup, you need to sit down, all right. Lemme get you situated in the comfy chair." He led Nel over to the plush chair near the fireplace, and then grabbed a nearby quilt to wrap around him. "There ya go! Er - do you mind holdin' a dragon in yer lap? Here comes Pumpkin."

Pumpkin had smelled Nel from upstairs, and nothing screamed cuddle buddy like someone who needed extra warmth. He squeaked and hopped into Nel's lap, curling up against him with a soft chirp.

Noah giggled and poured another glass of water. "Uh - Nel, I can take him for you, if you like. He can get a bit heavy after a few minutes."

"Oh! Nel's here?" Mr. Harn asked as he strolled down the stairs. He waved and smiled. "Want to stay for dinner, Nel?"

"Faaather. I already invited him!" Noah said, laughing.

Mr. Harn snickered. "Ah. Had the same idea, I suppose."
 
Nel wanted to argue and say it was all right, he could sit on the floor and not take anyone's chair, but wisely stayed quiet and let himself be seated, curling his fingers into the blanket wrapped around his shoulders and doing his best not to get too flustered. It had been a long while since anyone had doted over him and forced him not to work. He wasn't used to being taken care of anymore, and it left him feeling off balance.

"Thank you," he said softly instead of arguing, and only opened the blanket up a bit for Pumpkin when the little dragon came to sit with him. "I - I don't mind. He can sit with me if he'd like."

He looked over at the sound of Axle's voice in surprise, having forgotten the man was still around, and after a pause managed to free a hand enough to give a shy wave back. "If you don't mind. . ." He murmured quietly, holding the blanket close with one hand and resting the other on Pumpkin's side where the little dragon rested in his lap. "Thank you for having me."
 
Axle scoffed and settled down in a nearby chair. "We'd never mind having you over, Nel," he said with a smile. "Why, you're practically one of the family!"

"I'd second that," Grandpa Jenkins said, heading back to the kitchen to finish making the soup. "You're welcome to stop by whenever you like, Nel. You and Soot."

After a few minutes, he and Noah carried trays of food out to the living room, setting them on the center table within easy reach, and then they sat down to eat as well. The trays had a bowl of hot soup, a melty grilled cheese sandwich, some corn bread, and a glass of cool water to wash it down with.

Noah dunked his sandwich into his soup and took a big bite. "Mmm!"

"Well, don't this smell delicious?" Grandpa Jenkins asked, taking a sip of the soup. "Ooh! Tastes delicious, too."

Mr. Harn glanced over at Nel and raised an eyebrow, smiling. "So how'd you get wet, Nel? Noah push you into the water?"
 
Nel felt a little overwhelmed by all the warm hospitality, and wasn't really sure what to say. He smiled a little, helplessly, at their kindness, and just ran his hand over Pumpkin's back and wings, petting him gently. Cold as he might be on the outside, their kind words left him with a warm feeling in his chest.

"Thank you," he said quietly when pleasant smelling food was set before him, and after a moment moved as far to one side of the chair as he could so he could move Pumpkin gently over next to him, still wrapped in the quilt with him, and could set the tray in his own lap.

"Oh, no, no, of course not." He gave a small, hesitant smile at the jesting, not wanting anyone to be irritated with him for going out in the rain. "I was walking the grounds, making sure the dragons that wanted shelter knew where to go, and that there were no major leaks at the shelters and stables. Soot wanted to go in the river, and I think he wanted me to walk across his wings or neck to get to him, but I . . . I don't really like the idea of stepping on him, so I just waded in. . ."

It was probably something very stupid to do, from an outside point of view, but he hadn't been thinking much about how cold he would get as he did it, just that he had tasks he needed to carry out and didn't feel right standing on Soot. He was sure the dragon could take his weight and didn't mind, but it felt demeaning, somehow. Soot had been mistreated for so long, Nel would do everything he could to care for him well and show him respect.
 
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Mr. Harn took another bite of his grilled cheese sandwich, listening carefully. His expression softened before he smiled and nodded. "That's very considerate of you. On all accounts," he said gently. "I'm sure Soot and the dragons really appreciated it."

"You know, it's going to get pretty late soon, and you and Soot already checked the Dragonry," Noah began slowly, his eyes glittering. "Do you wanna stay over tonight? You could share my room! We could have a sleepover. And so could Soot, Chaital, and Boulder! Plus, the rain looks like it might start up again."

Grandpa Jenkins nodded in agreement. "Might as well stay, at this point. You could even help us decide what dessert to make, if ya like. Looks like yer dragon's already mighty comfortable out in the shelter," he added, pointing toward the window.

Soot was sprawled on his back, one wing flopped over Boulder like a blanket and his neck resting on Chaital's side. He'd already fallen asleep.
 
Nel still smiled in response to Mr. Harn, though he wasn't so sure Soot had really understood why he was doing it. Everyone trying to get him to stay made him feel a bit nervous, but also very warm again. They were looking out for him, he thought, and at the same time seemed to enjoy his company enough to want him around for longer. It was all very nice of everyone.

When prompted to look out the window, he took a small bite of his grilled cheese and sat up a bit straighter to see, eyes going a little wide at the sight of Soot so relaxed. "I don't think he'll ever stop surprising me," he said almost breathlessly, and gave a soft, amused huff at them all lying around together. "Just days ago, he could hardly go near anyone without flinching, and now . . . now it seems like he's finally starting to feel he belongs here."

Soot was so free, Nel almost couldn't stand the joy it brought to him.

"Thank you," he added finally, giving himself a little shake for ignoring the request accidentally. "I think I would like that." Even if he hadn't slept in anyone else's home in a long time, if ever, he would adapt. Soot deserved to rest where he was comfortable, with friends. Perhaps he did, too.
 
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