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Ishi's Travels

Ishi had waited very patiently for John to answer the door. When he did, the shock of seeing him practically naked, and the sudden grasp of his hand on hers, made her eyes grow wide in horror. She tried to pull away and move backwards from him. Without thinking, her free hand flew up from her side and the palm of her hand flashed towards his upper chest. Immediately, he was flung backwards without really being touched. This caused John to let her go as his body took flight back across the room, landing on his bed with Ishi standing at his door trembling.

Now she'd done it. She had harmed her new master. She looked from one side of the hall to the other, terrified of the punishment that would fall upon her. No guards had appeared. She could run, but she had given her word not to. One last look at John and she could see he would be alright, so she ran to her room, shut the door and locked it tightly. Moving to a chair off to the side, she sat down holding her stomach with one arm and covering her mouth with the other. She wanted to scream,, still terrified at what had just happened. Slowly she began to rock back and forth. Memories of her childhood floating back up into her mind. The suffering she survived at the hand of the Master's family came flooding back, everything bad in her life was during that time, until that fateful day. This is how she waited for John and his punishment.
 
John hadn't expected Ishi to act the way he did, but he was even more surprised when her hand came up and sent him flying across his room and hitting the wall that his bed was against. The air was struck out of his lungs and he wheezed to fill them with air, shaking his head as he looked up and saw that Ishi had quickly ran off and into her assigned room. He struggled to get up and at least put some leggings on before he walked over to Ishi's room, still struggling to breath a little as he tried to open her door just to find it locked. He wasn't surprised by this and lightly knocked on the door and called her name out.

"Ishi, please open up. I'm not gonna hurt you, I would ever hurt you I promise. Just let me in and we can figure out what went wrong that caused you to act the way you did. I promise I'm not mad," he said, which was the truth. He hurt a bit but he was more worried about how she was feeling and if she was alright.
 
Ishi held her breath as she heard John at the door. Slowly she stood up and walked to face it. "Are you dressed?" She asked.....not wanting to go through that again. Once John assured her he was, she unlocked the door and quickly moved away from it to the other side of her bed, wanting something big between them. Waiting for him to enter, her eyes were wide as saucers, the anticipation so painful.

John was nothing like her old Master. And yet, what did she know of him? Nothing....but a few facts. Did he live in a world that defied reason? Yes, but she could've killed him, without meaning to. What punish did one get for that?

Slowly, she watched the door open and soon John was looking around the edge for her. When his eyes met hers, he came out into the open and she said, "You frightened me. I did not mean to hurt you." She turned her body to the side and leaned her head against the wall, unable to look at him.
 
John rubbed at his smarting back, wincing a little whenever he felt a shot of pain flash up his back as he waited patiently to see if Ishi was going to open the door for him or not. The silence was deafening as neither of them made any noise or spoke until he heard the sound of feet scurrying on the stone floor and then the distinct sound of the lock moving out of place before more scurrying could be heard from beyond the door. Once again there was only silence as John waited and counted to threw before he placed his hand against the door and slowly pushed it inwards to show, hopefully, that he wasn't upset with what happened. He was a little surprised, but not the least bit upset.

He walked into her room slowly and looked around, seeing her hiding behind her bed finally and as he spotted her she began to speak, making him smile as he crossed the room and sat down on the edge of her bed, his back towards her but his head turned enough so that he could see her with one eye as he cleared his voice. "There's no need to explain yourself Ishi. I knew I had you shocked coming to the door nearly naked. It would have shocked anyone except for someone that was used to that sort of thing," he began, his tone taking a light one as he spoke, "and what you did was a little unexpected, but I am only barely. No broken bones or nothing and I'm in a good humor about it all, see?" he said, and with that he turned his body some so that he looked at her and he brought a hand up to cup her chin and guided her gaze to look up into his face, a light smile there as his eyes danced a little with the reflection of the firestones that lit her room.
 
Slowly, she began to relax, his voice was not filled with anger. But she didn't look at him until he gently forced her to look at him. She could also see he was in good humor, as he had said. "You are in pain?" Quickly she crawled up onto the bed behind John. Sitting on her knees, she took her hands and began to massage the pained area as she talked. "Rinya was always hurting himself. I suppose the Master gave him heavy lifting and such which would strain his back. So, he would come to me and I would make it better." She smiled at the memories that filled her about Rinya. Her voice turned sad as she continued to talk, her voice having a soothing affect on the ear. "I miss him terribly. He was more than my friend, he was like.....like my family. The only one I've ever had." Pausing as she realized how much she was feeling comfortable around John now. She hadn't spoken this much since he rescued her.

So, she continued to rub out the pain, suddenly noticing the difference in the feel of John beneath her fingers compared to how Rinya felt. She hadn't really thought about the fact that men could be so different physically. "John.....explain again....why couldn't you have been the one the Queen chose? For you love these creatures more than I've ever known any man to love a beast. It is as if they....." She hesitated, knowing what she was sensing, but not sure he would be insulted. "...as if you had the blood of dragons flowing through your own body."
 
John shook his head and was about to protest to Ishi as she climbed up into the bed that would be hers for a short while but she was already massage his back where it hurt when she had somehow flung him against the wall. The pain quickly faded away like the waters of a river washing away the debris from a storm and once again making the waters clear, and her voice cleared away the pain that was starting to mount what felt like on his forehead. He relaxed into her touch as she began to talk about Rinya, not even noticing that she was talking about something painful until she said that she missed him terribly. The smile on his face wiped away as an old memory he thought long forgotten surface. "I know how you feel." he muttered as she asked why he couldn't have Impressed the Queen.

"I can't do it, not because I wasn't worthy to have been chosen, I got a bronze dragon after all, but because the Queen only chooses from girl candidates. Why this is I don't know myself, but for as long as its been recorded in out books, the Queen has only chosen a woman to be her partner. I can't tell you much else, but maybe asking the current rider of the Queen might yield you some answers that I can't answer." He noticed how relaxed the two of them were getting, and while he enjoyed it, he pulled himself away from her soothing massage and looked at her. "Thank you for the massage but I don't know how it is that you can do such a thing. Would have something to do with you being the child of a god?" he asked of his own questions.
 
Ishi could feel John relaxing into her rubs, and as he relaxed the more his spirit let down its guard. Not that she wanted to invade him, but wanted to simply help him to relax, he didn't seem like someone that had in a very long time. As he explained howt the Queen has only took women into her life since the very first one, Ishi did catch a hint of that before, but it seemed odd. "Seems rather sexist to me." She smirked as she continued working.

But it was too late, something in his aura had changed within second before he pulled away. Ishi was shocked that he pulled away. Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him curiously at his question. "My mother seems to fascinate you an awfully lot. Why is that John?" She searched his eyes for the answer. But John seemed to have the ability to put up walls when it suited him. "You know, I don't remember her. I've never met her. I don't miss her, and if you enjoyed the massage, why must you refer to her like.....like I'm a freak or something? Even full blooded humans are given gifts." Her brow frowned as she continued looking at him. He acted like he had never had these things happen to him before with someone else.

Then her head went straight up as something hit her. "You've never been around people like us before, have you?" Her shock was evident. To her, he and all the others native here were the odd strange ones, but she never asked him if that had to do with his moral parents.
 
John hadn't moved all that far from Ishi, but at that moment it felt like they were on complete opposite sides of the room shouting back and forth over the voices of others just to be heard. That's how he felt now as she asked her some of her own questions thanks to his own about her mother. "No, you mother interest me in the least Ishi," he said as he tried to explain but listened to her ask why it seemed he treated her like a freak before she realized something and he nodded his head. "That's why Ishi, I don't see you as a freak, its just that everyone I know isn't like you or your siblings. Their all normal, nothing special about them. They can't put their hands through fire or toss someone across the room. We've always been mortal." he said with a shake of his head.

"And every time you do something that involves your god half, it scares and awes me a little to want to know more. To see what it is that your capable of doing on your own. Yes I'm sure some of what you can do is scary, but Ulteth told me how he found you in the garden crying with the plant life abundant. Sure your mother has something to do with you being able to do that, but its you that has the gift, not her." he said, putting another smile and took her hand in his to kiss its palm tenderly, "now what is it that you needed when you knocked on my door or was that just a test?" he asked with a wry grin.
 
Ishi knew she and the other children of Aphrodite were different from her Master, his family and other human born. But, in all honesty, she hadn't though it was that special. "We ARE normal. Rinya made me see that...after I was taken out of the Master's home. "We were never held back from using them, but encouraged. I just learned quite young to hold back, to not tap into everything." This was very awkward to her. She hadn't had to explain what she did since she was a very little girl.

Ishi sat back on the bed, fidgeting with the shirt she wore, looking from one side to the other, only glancing at John on occasion. "I went to ask you why you didn't just become the little Queen's protector. But...you answered that already. So..." She shrugged, not sure what else to say.
 
John merely shook his head at her when she put emphasis on the word ARE, actually laughing at her a little before he tapped her hand with his index finger. "Now Ishi, I never once said that you weren't normal, you just have an extraordinary gifts and an extraordinary birth is all. After all, just because your not mortal Ishi, that doesn't mean your nor normal." he said, leaning in a bit closer to her as his smile widened a bit. "And since our business is done unless you think of something I bid you a fare goodnight fine maiden." he whispered jokingly into her ear, taking on a little accent as well, and as he pulled back from her ear he kissed her on the cheek lightly and then departed her room with a bow.

Quickly returning to his own room, John laid back down feeling much better in spirit than he had before Ishi had given him that little massage. Whatever she had down to him made him feel so much better now, he doubted that he would be able to sleep so easily as he felt like a second wind had came over him, but try to sleep he did as he went and laid down on his back to stare up at the ceiling to await and see if sleep would come to him tonight.
 
John appeared almost playful in his manner, as he expressed his opinion of her and those like her. If she didn't know what had caused this sudden, seemingly, intoxicated state he was in.....she would find it strange. But all she could do was smile. For just a moment, it reminded her of when she and Rinya would spend time together. And just like Rinya, he seemed eager to leave suddenly.

A frown appeared on her brow, but John didn't seem to notice it. Instead, he was on cloud 9, and swept out the door as if he could break out dancing. Ishi giggled and waved goodbye to him when she suddenly heard Ulteth in her ear. "How could the little Queen not adore you? You've got John wrapped around your little claw." Ishi laughed at Ulteth's observations. "My little finger, I think you mean." She laughed, hearing Ulteth laughing as well.

Ishi fell backwards onto the bed, looking up at the ceiling as Ulteth went on, "He could easily fall in love with you Ishi. Do not toy with him, not that you would. He may be a man, but he is also human.......such things are not taken passively as with other species." Ishi knew the love between John and Ulteth was a bond was as great as any human love relationship. She hadn't thought about John or anyone falling in love with her. That was something she forbade herself. The memories of the incident at the Master's house trying to invade her thoughts. But she fought it off, not allowing it. And she didn't want them available to Ulteth. This was something she kept to herself, always.

Sitting up, as these thoughts danced around inside her mind, she sent her reassurrance back to him...."I will not deceive him, my friend. No one ever falls in love with me....I think you need not worry about such things." Laying back down, she barely heard the little groan from Ulteth. Ishi laid there, her arms under her head, as she wondered what it would be like to actually have someone in love with you. The more she thought about it, the more tired she became, and fell asleep resulting in some strange dreams.
 
John could sense that Ulteth was talking to someone other than him, but since he wasn't being spoken to directly he couldn't make out what it was that was being exchanged. He smiled and shook his head as he tried to focus on going to sleep, slowing his breathing down and keeping his mind a blank and before too long he was sound asleep on his bed, flat on his with his mouth slightly open with a soft snoring passing from his lips. The sight of himself would have made even him laugh at him. He slept like that all night with himself rolling about very little and awoke in the same position as he had fallen asleep.

Letting out a loud yawn, John sat up on his bed and looked it around for a bit, his vision a little blurry as his eyes quickly adjusted and he got up from his bed to cover up the glow stones and stretched a little. He still felt a little tired actually, but he couldn't go back to bed if it was morning already. With a sigh he walked out of his room fully clothed and walked to Ishi's room, knocking on the door lightly before he pushed it open to peek inside. "You awake Ishi? It's time for breakfast and then we have some lessons for you." he said as his gaze fell on the bed.
 
But the bed was empty. Ishi was sitting in a chair behind the opened door. She had been waiting for John's arrival for two hours. It was so engrained in the slaves to be up before light and down not long after dark. Even if they lost sleep, it mattered not. She was still up before dawn.

Leaning forward, she poked her head around the door and said, "I am here John." Ishi stood and came around to face him. "Where do we go to cook our food? I am anxious to see what type of food you have here." She said excitedly. The idea of enjoying new tastes and textures was more exciting than anything she could've imagined.

"And training?" She asked curiously, coming through the door past John and out into the hall. "Training for what?"
 
John turned his head to look at Ishi as she was apparently hiding behind the door, something else he wasn't expecting from her, but nodded his head at her as she went to stand in front of him and he walked in to bow before her. "Morning Ishi, I'm surprised your up so early," John said as he stood from his bow and waved his arm towards the door, indicating for her to follow him before he walked out through the door to lead her to the kitchen, "We're going to the hall to eat with all the others. You'll see your siblings gathered there as well so you may dine with them if you wish or with I." he said and not even bothering to look back over his shoulder to see if she was following him. "And your lessons will be on learning about the world around you, and that means you will be learning about the dragons as well. It will be important if you impress the Queen." he said and then fell silent as he walked the stone corridors leading to the dining hall.

As they moved, the tantalizing aroma of cooked meat, fresh baked breads and sweets filled the air and caused ones mouth to water with desire. His pace quickened as he wished to reach the dining hall and quickly eat as he had missed lunch and dinner the other day helping Ishi and her siblings get away from there old home. Finally he made it to a door that, once he pushed open, a large chamber stood before Ishi that was filled with tables that were almost filled with all of the new arrivals and food was already being passed out by the servants before they returned to their own table to eat. John left Ishi standing there as he was sure she would move over to her siblings but found a spot where there was room for two should she come over to eat with him.
 
Ishi's eyes lit up at many of the familiar faces. She barely noticed that John had moved away. Instead she made her way to her family, mingling among them, making sure each one was greeted and finding out if they were being taken care of. It took 30 minutes before she had made her way through the group as quickly as she could.

Once she was assured that they truly were alright, she slowly made her way to John and sat down across from him. Food was quickly brought and placed down and Ishi was hungry. As she ate, she began to speak of her siblings. "They seem to be in good spirits and looking forward to their new lives. But its going to take some time. I am not sure they will ever want to leave this place." Glancing back towards them, she had noticed that they were all dressed in nice clothing. Turning back to John, she asked, "Will I be given clothes like theirs instead of wearing your shirt?" It almost a childish question in its innocence. Perhaps John didn't want her to blend in just yet. Perhaps there was something different about the clothing she was to wear. Resuming eating, she simply waited for his response.
 
John looked up from hi food as Ishi came over to him and sat down to eat there for whatever reason she wished as a servant came up and served her. She began to dig in while telling how her family was adjusting to it all and seemed to not want to leave and then commented on her clothing, making him smile a little. "We will get you some clothing before your lessons will begin. We have a storeroom that is filled with plenty of clothing for you to choose from, so I'm sure we have something that will catch you fancy." John answered as he placed a slice of herdbeast into his mouth and ate it and proceeded to eat his breakfast without another word passing from his lips. Music played softly as everyone ate, but soon both servants and dragon riders along with craftsmen of different trades began to stand and take Ishi's siblings away to begin training them.

John himself soon finished up with his food as a servant came to take his plate away and he took a drink of water from his cup before looking at Ishi and stood. "If you are finished Ishi, its time to get you a few change of clothes so your not stuck wearing this all the time." he said, his hand going to the shirt that she borrowed from him before he walked over to the door that they had first passed through to enter the dining hall and waited patiently for her to finish eating so that they could be off.
 
Ishi watched as John stood. He said if she was finished, but his actions said...'you are finished now'. Quickly, she stuffed her mouth before standing and following him. Her cheeks were slightly bulging as she walked through the door he was holding open. Ishi chewed and chewed, not wanting to miss out on any of the tingling flavors. She had never tasted anything so delicious before. There were flavors crossing her tongue she had never heard of. She would have to find out how they did this.

Soon, they arrived at a door, just as Ishi was done eating. Opening the door, John lit a light and Ishi was overwhelmed at the clothing. There were so many, Ishi took steps backwards until she was out in the hall again, her back against the opposite wall.. Her eyes were like saucers, fear evident in her eyes, as she looked into the room as if it held some monster.

Never had Ishi been put in a position to pick out anything. Everything was always given to her. The sight of so many choices, it shook her to the bones. How could she pick from so many? And John expected her to pick out something to wear? Slowly she slid down to the floor and covered her face. "I can't do it!!" She wailed. "Take it away, please! Don't make me, I can't do this!"

Everything was so simple as a slave. They told you what to do, gave you what to wear, fixed what you were to eat. No decisions except those that involved your job.
 
John hadn't been expecting the reaction he received when Ishi looked into the storeroom of clothes, but at her wailing he immediately closed the door to the room and quickly moved over to her fallen form and cradled her in his arms. This was the last thing he wished to cause to her, seeming that as of now he caused her only trouble as he lifted her up off the ground. "There will be lessons for you today Ishi. I'm taking you back to bed." he whispered to her and then carefully walked through the halls to get her back to bed. He was careful not to hit her head against any of the stone walls and explained a little what happened to her to some of those that they passed by and saw her in his arms.

He was able to reach her room and had to lightly kick her door open, wincing a little knowing he shouldn't had done so as it banged against the wall and he walked in to lay her out on her bed, kissing her on the forehead while pulling the covers around her. "Your going to be a bit of a tough one to work with, getting used to your new found freedom, but I'll help you with every step of the way." he said, continuing to whisper to her encouraging words until he closed the door behind him, walking a few feet away before sighing. She was definantly going to be hard to work with, but he wasn't going to give up on her so easily.

He headed back to the storeroom that he had first taken Ishi to and decided to pick her clothing for her, hoping she wouldn't mind that he did so and he doubted that she wouldn't at all. He went around and plucked clothing from different piles, getting Ishi several dresses along with a set of shirt and pants and then some heavier clothing for flying on a dragon and then also retrieved for her a pair of slippers and boots to where around instead of the ratty old things that she wore and then returned to her room and knocked on her door before letting him in. "I've chosen the clothes for you Ishi. I hope you like what I chosen." he said, wondering if she was asleep already.
 
Ishi was not asleep. She was laying there wondering if she had shamed herself in front her new Master. She made a face, John never called himself as her Master, but it was so hard not to think it. From the moment she had arrived he had told her what to do, where to go.....it was only natural to put him into that category, she'd never known anything else.

Besides, she needed someone who she belonged to. Someone strong and powerful that could protect her from enemies. Someone that took the guess work out of life and made her life simple. Eventually, she expected him to tell her what her duties would be, and once she had mastered them, would let her do her work without much supervision, just as she had at the compound. But now that she lost herself in the hallway, perhaps he would change her mind.

Tears formed in her eyes and began to drip on the pillow. What if he sent her to another Master? Would they be as kind as he has been? The fear that filled her was overwhelming, when she heard the knock on the door. She sat up in bed, just as John arrived. Ishi could not believe the pile of clothing he had in his arms. And shoes!!! Only the Master and his family had such luxuries. "Thank you, John. You are a most beloved Master. I...I am so sorry for shaming you in the...." Ishi quickly wiped the few tears left on her cheek and straightened her back stiff. "I shall never do that again......I hope." Her had tried to stay stoic, but those last two words brought doubt back into her mind. Looking from the clothes back at John, she asked. "Do you wish me change into one of these now?" Secretly, she hoped he would choose it. She had no idea what would be appropriate or not. She had not realized at breakfast that her fellow siblings could've had more than one thing to wear.
 
John looked at Ishi, listening to what she had to say as she wiped away a few tears before she asked him if he wanted her to change into any of the clothes that he brought for her. He nodded his head, but walked over to her to place the clothes on the headboard of the bead while sitting down next to her. "Ishi, I am not your master, I'm a friend thats trying to help you adjust to your new life. There's a difference you know." he told her as he looked into her face, knowing that the tears still welled but that she was merely holding them back for now, "You are used to a life of serving others and having everything decided for you, but I'm trying to get you used to making your own decisions and not depend on someone all the time to decide for you. With that being said...." John trailed off as he stood and went to the pile of clothes to pick a light blue dress for her along with a par of matching slippers and placed them next to her.

"Yes I do expect you to change, after all there really is no point of you staying in that old shirt of mine when you have clothes of your own to wear now. Change into these and we'll find something else for you today. No lessons today and most likely for a few days. I'll be right outside when your changed." he said, and before he left her alone in her room John wrapped his arms to hug her warmly. He was worried for her, as he would with anyone else, but he felt drawn to Ishi and the need to help and protect her always surged in him whenever he laid eyes upon her. He always fought the urge to do so, but it did show on occasion when she was at her weakest it seemed, now being proof of that as he also left a feathery kiss upon her forehead before he left and closed the door to her chambers to wait.
 
Ishi watched John quietly bring the clothes closer to her and carefully laid them down. Then sitting down beside her on the bed, he tried to explain that he didn't own her, but was her friend. She heard his word and understood what he was trying to say, but it was all too much in her mind to take in all at once. As he started to stand, she placed a hand on his arm. "I know you want to help me, help us, to adjust to the life you are accustomed to. But.....John, my friend,..." Her lashes covered her eyes as she finished, as if hiding as she said this, "...I...I do not know if I was your freedom. It scares me....[/color] Her voice trailed off.

She released him as he rose. Soon he had such beautiful clothing draped on the foot of the bed with the most exquisite shoes. Never had she had anything so beautiful given to her. Ishi noticed his voice was different this day, more like soft melody that was pleasing to her ears. Looking up into his eyes, she heard him say there would be no lessons. Ishi wondered what these lessons were, they almost had a foreboding affect on her. So she was grateful to him for giving her some time.

As he explained where he would be as she dressed, his lips softly caressed her forehead which surprised Ishi, and brought a small blush to her face. Luckily, he left quickly and hopefully did not see it. She watched him go, and for the first time since she had met this man, she felt a sudden connection to him. Was it possible that she could feel about him as she had with Rinya? But she shook her head slightly as she thought on this. For Rinya was her friend, and she knew what friendship felt like. This....she looked back towards the closed door....this she did not understand.

Standing, she let her fingers caress the dress. Picking up the shoes, she had to smile. Such luxuries, surely this place was a palace of riches. Quickly, she slipped out of John's shirt, carefully folding it and placing it on her pillow. Then she slipped on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror. The back flapped about, but she didn't recognize herself. Slipping on the shoes, her feet, unaccustomed to be bound, wasn't happy with the way they felt, but the look of them made her feet feel like they were covered in jewels. Smiling, she walked to the door, opened it and turned her back to John. I do not know how to fasten this dress. Could you help me?" Her head was turned far to the left, her hands on her hips, holding the dress in place. "I am afraid I not ever be able to get out of this once the day is over." Not that she really ever wanted to take it off, but even she knew that she would wear out her new dress if she did.
 
He waited outside of the door with his back against as he waited for her to come out dressed. He saw, as he was leaving, that she was getting dressed while his back was turned to her but he didn't linger on it. Now though, as the door opened he saw her dressed in the clothing that he had picked out for her and smiled a little when she asked him for help. "Of course I can." he answered, stepping forward to help her with her dress. His hands came up to where she was having trouble, taking the strings that were used to keep the dress from slipping off her body and tied them tightly to keep that from happening, but not too tightly so that they would feel like they were constricting her.

He then turned her around on the spot and looked down into her face with a light smile playing on his face. "How does that feel for you Ishi? Is it too tight?" he asked, and after she answered him he reached into one of his pocket to fish something out. "And there is one more thing to go with all of that, considering both that your half a god and that your to be a candidate to Impressing the little Queen when she hatches." he explained as he pulled out a silver circlet with a ruby placed on the middle that he placed onto her head for her. "None of the other girls will have something like this, as I saw this and thought you might like to have it." he said with a light blush to his cheeks.
 
Never had Ishi ever had a dress that needed to be laced up, nor one that fitted to her body so snugly. As John helped her to fasten her dress together, the feel of the material taking on her bare form actually made her blush a bit. She was glad her back was to him. He seemed to know how to lace up a woman's dress quite well, so she assumed he had helped women before. "Do you bring a lot of women here for your dragons, John? Is that why there are so many women's clothing in that room?" It was true, at first, Ishi wasn't sure how she would feel inside such confining clothing and shoes, but if her old Master's family of women could endure it, perhaps she could too.

As John turned her around, she looked up into his eyes for approval of how she looked. She wasn't sure why she needed his approval, but it seemed important to her all the same. "Well, its not what I'm use to." Her eyes looking down at the dress as her hands came to her sides and began to caress the material that felt strangely sensual against her curves. "I don't think that they designed this dress for hard work though. How would anyone be able to bend and carry a thing with it so fitting?" As she looked up at him again, he caused the most beautiful headdress to appear in front of her. Her mouth dropped slightly, as she realized he wanted her to wear it. He was giving her a gift that would make her stand out from all the others. For one moment, she thought she would shake again, but as he placed it upon her head, she was determined not to shame herself again. "It is far too beautiful for the head of a slave, John." But she didn't dare take it off.

Instead she went back into her room to a mirror and looked at herself. She couldn't believe she was the woman looking back at her. Upon the small table before the mirror was a comb, brush and bottles that she had no idea what they were for. But carefully, she removed the crown and brushed her hair. Then, carrying the crown once more to John, she asked, "Would you place it back on my head, now that I am more presentable.?" She smiled.

It was strange to be treated like this. And the fact that her mother should mean so much to John. But, he had not yelled at her, beaten her or forced her into solitude for her ignorance. She had to admit, he was the kindest man, next to Rinya. Poor Rinya....the thought of his body simply laying in a loft saddened her. But she tried not to let it spoil this moment. As she bowed her head slightly so he could put it on more easily, she asked, "So, what will we be doing this day, John?"
 
John listened to Ishi's reply to his question about the dress and chuckled at her answer. "Of course its not meant for such a thing, especially a dress such as that. Its meant for events, like fair's and circuses, although I wouldn't wear that to a circus unless you want it to become ruined." he said as he watched her reaction to the circlet. Her words were one that made him shake his head, but not until she went back into her room did he do so, and then watched her for a moment before she was back and asking him to replace it upon her head now that she appeared more presentable, as she said. He chuckled and accepted the crown as he brushed a few loosed strands of hair back into place as she bowed her head and then placed it back onto her head.

"As you said, this is far too beautiful for a slave. I, however, do not see a slave but a blossoming young woman who has yet to have been shown that she is far more beautiful than she thinks she is." His tone was very light as he fought the urge less, to show and tell her how much he actually thought of her, but still he fought it enough that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of her or frighten her because of something she wasn't used to. "You have no lessons today, not after your little episode earlier," he said with a light chuckle as she seemed to have become much better after so short of a time, "and since the hatching shouldn't happen for at least a week, I think we should return Rinya's body. Even if the hatching does happen while we're away, Ulteth will know of its happening and tell me and we can quickly return." he informed her as he led them through his home before they once again was in the hatching grounds.

"Give me a moment please." he asked of her but didn't wait for a reply as he approached the nearest egg that the old Queen had laid. He didn't dare to get too close to it, but he did get close enough to it to see that the eggs were indeed hardening. A week at the most was going to be their limit when they go to Rinya's home, but there was always the possibility that the eggs would hatch early. One never knew with such great beasts as these dragons were. He hoped they would be back before the hatching would start though and went back to Ishi while mentally calling Ulteth and telling him what it was that they were doing. Ulteth came from his cave and lunged forward a bit, using his wings to soften the landing for himself while blowing sand onto Ishi and John while holding onto Rinya's still covered body gingerly as his head swiveled around to regard Ishi before he laid his neck down for her.

You look much better than when we first found you little one. Ulteth said to her while John moved over to his neck to help Ishi onto one of the ridges before he climbed up himself and with a powerful surge of his wings, Ulteth was rising in the air. John held onto Ishi tightly as they went straight up, to help keep her from falling off until they passed through the small opening in the ceiling and they leveled off so that she could look down for a little bit. There was no going between this time as Rinya's home wasn't too far to warrant such a need.
 
Ishi needed to get to use to the words that came so easily to John's lips. She was no longer a slave. If that were true, then why did she still feel like one? It confused her more than he knew. How does a slave suddenly not feel like a slave? Especially when that is all she had ever known. Yes, she still felt like a slave, but a very well cared for one.

The mention of her "episode" brought s slight blush to her cheeks at the memory. But she recovered when she heard him say they were taking Rinya home. Suddenly her face was filled more emotion than had been there in days. Gratitude and undying devotion filled her eyes at his words. "Oh, thank you, John. Thank you so much. To take him home to his family is all I ever wanted for him."

As he lead her back to the hatching grounds, she already knew the way there by herself. However, she wasn't comfortable yet traveling through this place alone. However, her feet did not feel very happy once they arrived. When her old Master's wife and daughters walked around the compound in their fancy dresses and shoes, they did not seem to be in pain at all. Ishi had no idea how they suffered such things as shoes. As John excused himself to check on the hatchlings, Ishi quickly removed the shoes, appalled at the redness of her toes and what appeared to be a very sore spot forming on the sides and back of her foot. She was frowning at the beautiful shoes, until John turned and came back. She quickly hid them behind her back and tried to look as innocent as she could, not wanting to disappoint him.

Suddenly, Ulteth was beside them, Rinya's body still being watched over by him. As his thoughts reached her, she curtsied and said in her mind, "Why thank you kind Ulteth. You praise does me honor." Before she moved towards Ulteth's neck, she reached out and tenderly touched Rinya's body, then let John help her up on Ulteth's neck.

The feel of John's hands about her waist was so foreign to her. No man had ever held her so protectively before and it made her stiffen slightly, as a warmth seemed to fill her. A contradiction of fear and enjoyment. Once they were up in the air, she had held on so hard, her shoes slipped from her hands and fell towards the earth. She tried to catch them, but it was too late, almost falling over after them. It was then she knew that John knew she wasn't wearing them. She didn't say anything, just hung her head, waiting for his disaproval.
 
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