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The rest of the day was spent in the room, as Master Agodr had ordered. I was a bit annoyed as I hadn't bathed or washed since arriving at the Hold. My Dragon seemed to sense my annoyance and tried to comfort me by nuzzling and playing with the quill on the desk. His favorite game with it seemed to be to knock it from the table, wait a few seconds then jump after it and catch it in his claws before it hit the ground. My annoyance ebbed away as I watched him play, before trying to create a better toy out of a crumpled piece of paper, which he seemed to enjoy chasing and pushing around the room. "Do you like that better?"

Chirp! I chuckled as he verbally responded, a feeling of happiness radiating from him. "You know, I'm half tempted to just leave this room and go find somewhere to bathe.. I feel disgusting with the amount I sweat yesterday." The Hatchling growled. "Hey, don't get mad at me, I'm not the one who started a fight! I just... Why are _we _the ones locked in our room?! All I did was defend you!" My Hatchling came forward and nuzzled me gently, a soft hum coming from him as he tried to comfort me. "I know... I just... it's frustrating. We didn't do anything wrong! I just... I just don't understand it, buddy..." I ran a hand through my hair before stopping as I noticed something on my palm. It was a scar. But where I'd gotten it I had no idea. It was in the shape of a crescent moon, with a Dragon's head and wings attached to it. My Dragon glanced at it and chirped slightly. "Did you do this as well?" He chirped again as I felt a feeling of Love and affection. I gently kissed my Dragon before he returned to playing. Another hour passed and I spent time speaking and Playing with my Hatchling. The annoyance I'd had was now increased as both of us were hungry, neither of us had eaten most of the day, save my hatchling who had finished the last few pieces of raw meat from the night prior.

As the sun began to set, Someone knocked on my door. I silently stood and opened it as Master Agodr entered.

I quickly stood back, and bowed to Agodr, who bowed in return, before I rose. "Ionakana. How are you and your Hatchling?"

"Well, Master." The Elf smiled softly. "I'm glad. I apologize for not coming sooner. Something came to my attention, and.." He gently ran a hand over my Hatchling's back. "I was rather preoccupied most of the day. I've spoken with Comac, and other members of our Council. After extensive debate, I have decided that you and your young Hatchling are to be Rider and Dragon. At this point, it would be barbaric to separate the two of you, and I fail to see any benefit to either of you in doing so, or any benefit in doing so for our Order." I stared slack jawed at the revelation that it was even a discussion that I may lose my Hatchling. "I understand the shock. I was against even the concept from the outgoing, as was Comac, and more than half the Council. But there were a few more... vocal members that were quite pressing for it. Tomorrow, you are welcome to come and go as you please, but for tonight, as a Personal favor, I would ask you remain here." I turned and sat in the chair at the desk, my Hatchling quickly jumping from the bed to my lap, as I ran a few fingers over his head. "Master, forgive me, but I have not bathed since I got here. I sweat more during the Choosing than I have all week and with respect, I'd at the minimum like to wash before I go to bed. After that, I am more than willing to stay in my room for the night." Master Agodr scowled. "You haven't washed yet? I specifically instructed Silna to come and take you to the Bathing chambers. Were you fed?" I shook my head as Agodr stood in silent anger. "My deepest apologies, Ionakana... I will have Comac personally see to it that food is awaiting you. Please, follow me." I set my Hatchling on the bed and began to follow. "No no, Bring your Hatchling along. This time period is vital to share together." I silently collected my Hatchling and followed Mater Agodr. "Master.. um.. forgive my ignorance but... why are you the one to make the decision for me and my Dragon to remain?" Master Agodr remained stoic as he responded. "I am the Lead Rider of this order, and have been for the last 110 years. No one holds more power than I in this order. The council as a whole is able to make decisions and laws based on a vote, but my world is final." I nodded in understanding. "May I ask another question?"

"Please. Anything on your mind, I am willing to answer."

"Yesterday I met Gramelfkr and.. he spoke to me. But My dragon hasn't yet.. is something wrong?" The Elf seemed to smile slightly. "Do you expect a newborn to come out of the womb with the ability to speak? There is nothing wrong with your Hatchling. He simply is too young to focus his thoughts beyond feelings and images. In time he will speak. But, it usually takes a week or two before he will begin to speak. Until then, he will verbally respond to you. Most Hatchlings do."

"He.. started growling and chirping earlier today when I talked to him. Is that what you mean?" The Elf Smiled again. "It is. Pay attention to what you're saying, and what your Dragon is feeling. It will give you an inkling of what the response is." I nodded as we descended down a series of staircases. "Master, I found a scar on my palm that I didn't have yesterday. It's almost like I was branded...."

"It is the mark Your Dragon bestowed upon you. Each is unique to the Rider, and will bind you forever."

"Why don't I remember getting it?" Agodr smiled. "I assure you, you do indeed remember receiving it, Ionakana. It happened the exact moment you first touched your Dragon."

With that he opened a large ornate Wooden door. Before us inside the room was a large pool filled with steaming water. A series of benches circled the pool. A series of shelves held various soaps, stacks of clothes which appeared to be freshly washed, and towels against the far wall. Beginning in the corner near the door we entered was a series of square shelves stacked one on top of the other, lining the wall. A few of the squares were filled with what appeared to be used clothing. A few beastmen busied themselves by straightening the room. I recognized them as the species called Rusirus, a catlike species. They were scarce in the land, but many sought out labor based jobs to get coin. I turned to find Master Agodr stripping off his clothes. He was far leaner than I, his body something many a man I'd met could only dream of having. He had a perfectly chiseled frame, rivaling that of statues. Every muscle on his body was defined beneath his skin. I quietly set my Hatchling down and joined him in undressing, removing my own tunic as he walked to one of the shelves and dropped his clothing in, save his boots. He next let his hair down as it fell across his back. As I finally got both my boots off, he turned and began walking to the shelf with soap. He grabbed 2 bars and as I finally finished undressing, he returned and handed me one. "Place your clothing in that shelf next to mine. It will be washed and returned to you in the morning." As he turned I noted he had no body hair, compared to my fair amount. I silently obeyed his instruction as a female Rusirus silently approached me. "Name please?" Her voice was soft and came out almost as a purr. "Oh.. uh.. Ionakana." She smiled softly, her white teeth and work robes clashing against her black fur. "It will be returned to you tomorrow." She said as she bowed. I returned the bow with a "Thank you uh.."

"M'asha, My Lord.."

"M'asha, Thank you." Turning, I walked down a series of stairs leading into the pool, sighing as Heated Water met my body for the first time in years. The water only reached my waist, but it felt amazing against me, compared to the chilly lakes and rivers I often bathed in. "Oh.. Gods. That feels so good..." Agodr silently glanced at me, soap sliding down his arms and chest. "First time in hot water?"

"First time in a long time... haven't had a hot bath since.. Well, since I became a Werewolf.." Agodr smiled softly. "Well, enjoy it. If you prefer to sit, there are stone outcroppings surrounding the Bathing pit. Feel free to sit and relax." I silently began soaping up as My Hatchling watched intently. As I moved to get my back, a pair of furry hands began rubbing soap on me. I turned to see a male Rusirus, completely bare and silently lathering up my back. Beyond him, I noticed Agodr being treated to the same experience. "Apologies my lord. I did not intend to scare you. It is our duty to aid in washing. Some often have problems reaching all of themselves." I nodded curtly. "Uh thanks.."

"Relax Ionakana. They intend no harm. The Rusirus have long been employed by the order to aid with certain menial tasks. That includes aiding in washing the Riders. I apologize for not explaining that sooner. I suppose you could chalk it up to familiarity." As the beastman finished he moved away and exited the water. Out of curiosity of his race I glanced at him. He had Grey fur, with a series of black stripes covering his body. He had a number of scars across his torso and arms, indicative of a warrior, and a scar in the shape of a circle trapped within a Triangle on his upper right chest. _He was a Slave! _His feet like most of his kind were Digitigrade and his genitals were hidden in a sheath. He silently dried himself as I moved to the edge of the Bathing pit. "Um.. sorry what is your name?" The Rusirus turned surprised before smiling and bowing. "Dar'saba, My lord. Is there anything else you need?" I thought for a moment of asking him about his enslavement, before thinking better of it. "Um.. no, thank you Dar'saba."

I silently moved to my hatchling dipping under the water to rinse the rest of the soap off on my way. As I silently sat on the stone outcropping, the water reached up to my shoulders. My Hatchling slowly stepped up onto my shoulder and curled itself around the back of my neck. I gently reached up and scratched his head, as Master Agodr sat next to me, sighing in relaxation. He glanced at me as we both sat silent. "Do you intend on turning tonight?" I sighed. "I didn't intend on turning Last night.. I don't know what happened.. All I know is I turned because of the moon." The elf glanced at me surprised. "That's not normal?" my Hatchling growled as confusion radiated from him. "No. Like my Hatchling said, I was confused as to what happened. Normally I can control when and where I turn. I mean sometimes I'll turn in my sleep, so I often sleep naked but... I haven't turned just because of the moon since.. since my first few turns. Do you think it has something to do with my Dragon?" Master Agodr nodded. "Undoubtedly. This is only a Hypothesis, but.. when your Dragon linked to you, in addition to giving you your mark as his rider, your Dragon healed you of any and all ailments, including your lash marks. It is quite possible that when you received your Dragon's gift, he mistook your Lycanthropy as an illness and attempted to heal it, but since it completely changed your species when you were bitten, it made you essentially a newly turned Werewolf." I nodded before leaning back against the stone, careful of my Hatchling. "I'm sorry for my actions last night, Master... I was just... I was really stressed because of the turn, and then that Rider came in with his sword drawn and stepped on my dragon.. and.. I just wanted to protect him.. I'm sorry." Master Agodr glanced at me. "I'm really not dangerous, Master... I.. I've never wanted to hurt anyone and the most I've killed is wild game to hunt.. I have violent thoughts at times but... We all do, don't we..." I glanced at Agodr who nodded. "Violent thoughts come naturally to all Species. Some more, some less. But it's our actions when we have those thoughts that dictate what we are. From what I saw last night... You were protecting an already frightened and hurting Hatchling. I believe that you are, for the most part, peaceful. But others only know of the stories surrounding your kind. Even I can't change those." We sat silently for a bit longer enjoying the warm water and each other's company before sleep began to grasp at me. "You should dry off and go eat before you fall asleep here. Tomorrow, I shall send for you to begin your training. Have you ever held a sword?" I nodded. "I used to train with My mentor Draven before he passed, but I've never owned one."

"Splendid. We'll see how advanced you are tomorrow. Sleep well Ionakana."

"And you as well Master Agodr." With that, I exited the water and dried using one of the Towels. Dar'saba approached and handed me a pair of tan trousers and a dark Blue tunic, as I slowly dressed and pulled on my boots. I gathered my Hatchling, who crawled up my arm onto my shoulder and exited the Bathing Chambers.

I returned to my chambers and found a platter of fruits, bread, hot stew, raw meat, and a slice of Pumpkin pie sitting on my desk. A note sat, leaning against the tray and I opened it.

Ionakana,

_I'm sorry I didn't come by today, and that you likely won't see me for a while. I am being sent to the Dwarven Kingdom to ferry a few eggs. I won't be back for some time. Listen to Master Agodr and your teachers, and remember what I told you. You CAN change how others see you, and I promise you are FAR more than a Furshifter. You are a strong, and capable Rider. Never EVER forget that. _

_ -Comac_

I smiled soberly as I set down the note,my Hatchling chirping inquisically, as I did. "Comac's leaving for a while... I just wish I could have said goodbye.." My Hatchling chirped sadly, and I rubbed a hand across his head gently. "I know... Hopefully he comes back soon.. Come on, let's eat."

After our meal, I silently stripped naked as I normally did when I was preparing for bed. The Hatchling watched with interest as I removed my clothes. As I stretched, and sat on the bed, A new emotion washed over me. Curiosity. I turned to my hatchling and smiled. "What are you curious about?" The Hatchling cocked its head a moment before approaching me. I leaned over to his level as he raised up and nosed at my armpit. "What?" He did it again, lightly grazing my underarm hair. He next grazed against the light amount of hair on my leg, as well as my pubic hair with a forepaw. An image of me in my wolf form flashed in my mind, specifically of my Dragon's memory of my fur close to his face. Another image followed of me naked with my body hair and Master Agodr without it, followed by the same feeling of curiosity. "Are you.. asking if it's... if it's fur?" The Hatchling chirped in response. I chuckled at this specific question. "Hahaha Nohoho! It's.. its hair. Like on my head. We.. don't have fur or... fire, so we have hair on our bodies, to keep us warm. Elves.. well I'm not sure why they don't have body hair, but.. Humans do." The Hatchling glanced at me, staring intently as I explained my body hair. He next leaned up and grazed against a scar on my arm, a thin line against the top of my forearm. More curiosity. "It's a scar." Curiosity. It happens when you get a cut on you sometimes. A growl met me followed by more curiosity. "Oh you mean what happened?"

Chirp.

"Well... I had to steal to stay alive.. to eat. You saw that in my head right?" The Hatchling chirped again, slowly laying down with his legs tucked underneath him as I crawled under the furs. "Well.. I was.. kinda dumb. I stole from the same guy over and over again, thinking he was an easy target... one night I tried to take a loaf of bread and... Well, he had a knife. As I reached for it he slashed it across my arm. It didn't do too much damage but cut me deep enough to leave a scar." The Hatchling growled in anger as I layed back. "No... don't be mad at him.. honestly, I'm not even mad at him." The Hatchling glanced at me. "I kind of feel bad for him... I mean, I probably stole at least 2 silvers worth of food from him, and.. that's a lot of lost profits.. I'm lucky I didn't get whipped for it, honestly. I wish I could go back and pay everyone for what I stole.." The Hatchling gently nuzzled me. "I don't know why you picked me, but... you're the best thing that's ever happened to me.. I've had to do some really bad things just to stay alive. I used to steal in front of guards or get into fights with random people just to get shelter before a storm, or when food was scarce because I knew it guaranteed at least some time in the dungeons where I'd be fed, and dry. Worst case, I was given a few strokes of the whip during, but.. at least I was warm..."

My Hatchling nuzzled me again and I saw tears in his eyes. "Oh it's okay.. I don't care about the past anymore. I'm here, and I have you. I'm never going to starve, or have to steal again! And it's all because of you! You saved me!" The Dragon rose, and walked to me as I rolled onto my side. He nuzzled me one last time before laying down, nestling himself against my chest as I slowly rose and gently kissed his head. As I blew out the lamp, I layed back in my bed, and gently pulled the furs over us. "You know, we need to figure out a new name for you." In the darkness I saw the Amethyst eyes gaze at me. "You think you can come up with something?"

Chirp!

"I might turn tonight.. don't be scared, okay? It'll probably be similar to last night, but hopefully less pain. I'll see you in the morning. OK buddy?"

Chirp! I kissed him one more time and wrapped my arm around him, clutching him firmly against my body, as he hummed in contentment as we both closed our eyes and allowed sleep to take us.

That night, my dreams were filled with visions of my dragon and I flying together, of us hunting together under the moonlight. I dreamt of us sharing a deer together, and the meat tasted better than anything I had ever eaten.

I blinked myself awake and stretched. My Hatchling did the same as it stood. The furs were on the floor, and I lay sideways, curled up on the bed, indicating I had in fact turned the night prior as I slept. I stretched again, my muscles experiencing the familiar tightness that followed a long night in my wolf form. "Guess I turned again huh?" An image entered my mind of me standing by the window in my wolf form, my Dragon atop my shoulder as we gazed out at the moon and the land beyond the city walls. "Guess you got used to it?"

Chirp!

I smiled and stood stretching my legs and back as I did so. My dragon stood and jumped from the bed, Stretching before he turned to me. _Ionakana. _

I glanced at the door but saw no one there. "That was weird.. I thought I heard someone-"

Ionakana.

The voice sounded like a child's. I glanced at my Hatchling. Ionakana!

"Is that you?"

Chirp! Ionakana.

I smiled at the Hatchling. "You talked! Can you say anything else?" The Hatchling thought for a moment. Titan'thr.

"Titan'thr? What does that mean?"

Ionakana. Titan'thr. _I thought about what he was trying to convey. "Titan'thr...." The word sounded interesting, in a way I felt it conveyed strength and power. I glanced around the room for what a Titan'thr could be. Finding nothing the Dragon replied as a feeling of annoyance ebbed into our shared mind. _Ionakana...

"I'm sorry.. I don't understand.. I'm trying." The dragon thought a moment before He Chirped. I lowered, sensing he was trying to show me. He pressed his nose to my chest. Ionakana. Next he curled around and pressed his nose to his side. _Titan'thr. _He turned to me and stared as realization slowly set in. "Is that your name?"

Chirp!

I smiled as pride and happiness fed across our link. "Okay, Titan'thr it is! I like it. It sounds strong!" Titan'thr held his head high as though he was insanely proud of coming up with his name. "We're gonna make a great team Titan'thr.. Together, we're going to make the world better for everyone!"