Ilyana carefully smoothed the greenish cream over the wound as carefully as she could, soon following with a bandage folded over it and wrapped around his torso. She looked up to him with her soft hazel eyes as he began to speak, telling her his name finally. Shiva…that name sounded so familiar but it was a long lost memory. It wasn't until he explained his true title did she realize who exactly sat in her bed, wounded from the events of earlier. She froze, his bandage halfway finished, her eyes widening slightly as she sat back and looked at him. No, this couldn't be, she couldn't have the prince in her home. But it all made sense, the reason for those men to attack, the armed men, everything. She listened as he explained the danger that may come if he did not arrive at his destination.

She understood his concern, the worry he had with the situation he had been put in but he was far from being well enough to travel. She had to put her concerns for his title to the side and help, the panic would only cause things to worsen. “Shiva, listen to me. I know you are scared, terrified, you have the right to but you need to keep yourself calm. For your people, your family and yourself.” She said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You are not going to like what I have to say, but please listen and take it into account. I know you do not know me and have no reason to trust me, but there is a reason I have survived out here, I know these lands” She added. She sighed as she stood, “You are not well enough alone, I cannot take you to where you need to go. Your wound is too severe, if there is another ambush you will be dead.” She stated. “Those men, they were not regular thieves that travel the roads, they knew what they were doing. Their weapons, clothes, they were too nice to be commoners. What if they were hired? Who else knew you would be traveling at that exact point in time other than your Kingdom and the others, I believe it was planned. The thieves that travel would have run at the sight of your guards. It is not your fault there were losses, you could not control that. Do not carry that burden.” She explained, washing her hands off with water. “Please trust me when I advise you to stay and rest, heal enough that you can travel safely and live to tell what happened.” She said as she turned back to him.

As he pleaded for her to help, offering to pay her any sum, do anything she sighed and shook her head. “The only thing I can do is help you heal and advise you, I cannot get you to your destination” She said. Her brows furrowed as he tried to stand, his face trying to hold the painful expressions back. As he reached out to steady himself, she quickly stepped forward to catch him, wincing as her personal items tumbled to the ground. “Shiva, you need to rest if you want to return to your Kingdom alive, leaving here now will only lead you straight to deal and failure.” She said, making him sit back onto the bed. Stepping back once he was settled she glanced out the window, the moon shining at an angle, a way to tell the time of day.

Ilyana could do nothing but let his bout of panic ensue, there was no stopping it. She sighed softly as she watched his tone shift, his eyes traveling to the ground, his mind coming to as he took in his surroundings. He would know, he had to be smart enough to realize the true situation he was now in. If it were anyone else that had saved him, he would be dead. She kept her calm knowing he could do nothing even if he truly wanted to, she had the upper hand. She listened to his question, his eyes darkening as he watched her. He was truly coming to realize who and what he was with.

Ilyana sighed softly as she brushed a fallen strand of hair, trying to come up with the words without scaring him. “You do not have to fear me, unless you try to harm me. I know to your people we are monsters, out for blood and death, but I am not.” She said, confirming his fears. “If I wanted harm on you, I wouldn't have risked my life to save you when I knew not who you were” she added. She pulled the stool away from the bed and sat, her eyes now leveled with him. “Your family may have banished us, banished me but I believe each person is different, able to change. I healed you because you did not deserve to die, you did nothing wrong, you have not done me wrong personally, so I helped. I don't blame you for your family’s doings. I am not like the stories say, I do not use my abilities to burn homes and take souls, Hell, I can't even do that.” she said with a small chuckle at the end, “The most I can do is heal, speak to nature and bend a bit of light” With her final words she lifted her palm, a small spark of light emerging in it before fading away.

“If I am to be stuck with these powers I never asked for, I plan to use them for good, not for evil, there is no good in harming others when it brings nothing to me, no profit, no joy.” She sighed softly, “You may leave if you like, but take in my words that you will not survive the journey there alone with that wound. The choice is yours.” She said as she stood once more. She made her way towards the door, “I will give you time to decide.” She added before leaving the home. She decided to give him space, let him process his decision, it was best to decide alone then with something waiting for an answer.

Once outside she went back to her woodpile to gather the pieces she dropped. This all felt so strange to her, it had been years since she had seen another person, and the first time she had let anyone near her home. Many men had died on that road, but why did the forest lead her there today? Surely it was not just because he was the prince, there had to be a different reason. For now she would not know. She shook her head and pulled her mind from her thoughts, continuing to pile the logs into her arms once more.

Ilyana grabbed an armful of wood, looking up as she heard the wooden door creak as it opened. She had been waiting for him to appear, she knew he would. She stayed quiet as she heard his answer, nodding as she respected it. “We shall go in the morning” She said, making her way back towards the door, “We can give them a proper burial too if you please.” She offered as she stood a few feet away. “But for now let's get you some supper” She added, motioning inside the dwelling. Her home was simple, just a shack compared to his palace. It was made of stone, carefully packed together a wooden roof on top to keep the weather away. There was one big room, a bed, a small counter that served as her kitchen, a large fireplace, a table, a wardrobe and that was pretty much it, it was all she ever needed. She had made everything, every few months she would travel to a far away town to purchase goods like fabrics, but that was rare, only when she was desperate.

She set the firewood near the hearth, bending to her knees as she tended the small embers from before her leave. Slowly the hire built more and more into a healthy one, slowly lighting the room more and more, bringing warmth to that cool night. She pulled the heavy pan from the floor and to the counter, setting it down before moving to the back room, pushing the curtain to the side. Returning moments later she arrived with an armful of vegetables and a piece of meat that had been wrapped up. “I don't have much to offer as supper, hunting is getting scarce in this area” She said as she placed everything down, grabbing a knife to prepare dinner. “You shall have the bed, I can also fix your shirt in the morning” She said, referring to the large hole in the side of the fabric, as she carefully cut the vegetables, placing them in the pan along with the venison.

It was not long before she had supper cooked, it was simple but with the day he had she assumed he must be hungry. She had only one plate, filling it with half of the portion she then handed it to him before returning to the table to eat from the pan. Quietly she took a bite, using her hands as there was no silverware beside a single spoon she owned. The fire crackled, luckily filling the silence between them. It was peaceful, that was until a deep grumble erupted from outside, the home beginning to shake.

“Great Gods” Ilyana said with a sigh as she stood, looking at Shiva whose face was covered in panic. “Whatever you do, do not scream or run, and you will be fine.” She said sternly, going to the door, pushing through it, walking into the darkness. The shaking continued, the grumble getting louder.

“Gīda, Meleys” (Calm, Meleys) Ilyana called out, only to receive a deeper growl. As Shiva stood in the doorway, the shadows moved, but was it the shadows? Or something else?

Slowly golden eyes could be seen, the moon reflecting on sharp teeth as the creature emerged. “Gīda, Meleys” Ilyana said once more, her hand softly raising out. “Issa iā raqiros” (He is a friend). What was this language she spoke? The beast snarled as he passed his rider, moving towards the home, his eyes locked on the man. “Do not move!” She called to Shiva. The beast snorted, a hot breath leaving his nose as he smelled the man, his teeth baring. “Obey nyke sir Meleys” (Obey me now Meleys) Ilyana said sternly to the beast. The beast snarled once more, his breath shifting the man's hair before the creature turned, slinking back to his rider's side. As he neared, Ilyana smiled, placing her hand on the creature's snout. “He is not used to people, and after today's events he is a bit protective.” She said as she smiled at the beast.

Ilyana smiled, chuckling softly as the beast beside her rested to the ground, a purr like rumble coming from him as he nudged his rider. “Konīr ao jikagon”(There you go) she said softly, running her hand over his snout as he pushed into her playfully. “He is just a big puppy once you’ve earned his trust” she said as the beast nudged her more, causing her to stumble to catch her step.

“Shiva, this is Meleys” she said, smiling as she looked at the frightened man before her. “I found him on my travels one day, his egg frozen in thick ice. I did not think anything of it, I thought whatever inside would be dead but I was wrong. I’ve earned his trust, learned the language of dragons and now we live together. Helping each other survive this world.” She said as she moved to the creature's side, sitting down beside him. It was insane, the mere size difference and this monster was like a puppy. “We have an inseparable bond, one of mind. We can feel each other, when we are in pain, in fear, and together we protect each other. So do not try to harm me or you’ll be dealing with this guy” she teased, patting his rough scales as he grumbled.

“Dragons are extinct, I’ve seen no more in these lands, it was just a lucky fate to find him. When the lands were safer to travel we searched all over for more signs but there were none” she added. “I guess you are having a day full of surprises, the prince meets a witch and a dragon, all in one day” she said with a chuckle before standing once more, moving towards the home. The beast followed behind her, stopping just before the man. “If you are to stay here, you must get used to him, I swear if he could he would come inside” she teased.

“Here” she said softly, taking Shiva’s hand gently, holding his arm out, palm up to the dragon. One swift move and his arm would be gone, but Meleys just reached his snout forward, a hot breath waving over the man’s skin. “Raqiros, Meleys” (Friend, Meleys) she said softly, her tongue rolling against the r. “Mīsagon” (Protect) she added. The creature grumbled, his golden eyes looking to his rider before back to the man. “He will keep you safe as long as you are here” she said to Shiva, letting his hand fall.