FSE

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The clean, morning country air was something Teeba didn't think she would ever be able to get over. The sun had only risen a few hours ago and the hills of the countryside sparkled as light was reflected off of the blanket of dew. From her height, she could see the uneven lines she had made with the pull-behind mower, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the scent of cut grass. With wings outstretched, she circled her property, scanning the ground below for anything amiss while waiting for Luke to arrive. Yesterday had been a fun day of working on her property and a bit of gaming in the afternoon. She was surprised when he didn't come online that evening as he promised but assumed that something must have come up.

Spiraling above her driveway, she looked down at the overgrown trees that lined the path. Each tree had gone years without being cut back and they had developed a cozy canopy above the drive that she had loved when she first inspected the property. Along with the other trees that were scattered around the pool, she knew that Luke was going to be in for a long day.

Spotting his truck approaching from the road, she smiled warmly and adjusted her wings to begin descending down towards the large oak tree. As his truck battled its way through the branches to emerge at the top of her driveway, she landed at a canter before slowing to a stop with a grin on her snout.

She could see the heavy bags under his eyes as Luke nodded in greeting, before he killed the engine of his truck and swung open the door. “Hey buddy, how's it going?” Teeba said cheerfully and cocked her head as he stepped out of his truck and closed the door with a slam. “I thought you were going to be online last night.” She added, her gaze narrowed as she noticed the strong scent of his deodorant and the shirt he wore was the same from yesterday.

“Sorry, something came up,” he said shortly and turned to pull an old chainsaw out of the bed of his truck. “But, I'm here now. I'll start on the trees over the driveway,” he added flatly. Letting the weight of the chainsaw pull on his stiff shoulder, he began unstrapping an old ladder from the truck bed and tucked the rolled-up sleeping bag behind his toolbox.

“Do you want some breakfast or something?” Teeba asked with a forced smile, his sharp attitude in stark contrast to the happy Luke she had played games with the day before.

Luke shook his head and lifted the bottom of the ladder out of the truck bed and began sliding it towards him. “No thanks, I'm on the job,” he said sternly as he then lifted the old rusted ladder out and rested it against his shoulder.

Teeba sat down on her haunches and frowned, fearing she had somehow offended the man. “Hey, is everything okay?”

“Sure. So, just the trees down the driveway?” Luke asked firmly. “How cut back do you want them to be?” He added when she nodded.

Shuffling her wings, she clenched her jaw at his unfriendly attitude. “Just enough so that they don't damage your truck,” she answered, watching as he began lifting the ladder with one arm and carried the chainsaw in the other. “Anything I can do to help?” she offered, as he started walking towards the line of trees.

“Nope, I've got this,” Luke retorted despite the old metal ladder cutting into his fingers. The pain only served to fuel the argument he replayed in his head from when he returned home and was confronted by his parents.

Teeba stood up and followed behind him, her paws gently padding along on the gravel while his work boots caused a crunch sound with every step. Looking down the length of the ladder, she could see that although the rungs were a dull aluminum, the bolts that held the rungs to the frame were rusting and a few were even missing. “Are you sure that ladder is safe?” she asked and trotted to walk alongside him.

“Do you want to do it?” Luke snapped and saw her recoil back. “Then let me handle it!” he added and continued walking while she stopped in her tracks.

Muttering under his breath, he continued walking before the ladder under his arm jolted to a stop and he almost fell backwards. Looking back, he saw her purple scaled paw firmly pinning the end of the ladder to the ground. “Hey! Let go.”

Staring him in the eye, she sat down on the gravel driveway and tilted her head to the side. “Only once you tell me what's wrong.”

“Nothing's wrong!” Luke exclaimed too quickly and knew she hadn't believed him when she wrapped her tail around her paws. “I just want to get this done, okay?” He watched as she tilted her head to the other side and held his gaze until he looked away. “I've just got some family stuff I need to settle after this. It's really none of your business.”

She watched him for a few more moments before finally nodding. “Okay, if it's none of my business then can I ask that you stop being a dropped egg?” She asked and continued to stare at him until he finally nodded. “Good, now let me carry the ladder,” she said with a small smirk and gently tugged on the last rung of the ladder.

“Sorry,” he said softly. “I didn't sleep much.” He added to justify his behavior and lifted the ladder so she could hold it in her jaws.

Looking him in the eyes, she lowered her head and gently took the old ladder from him. The bitter metallic taste of the rusting bolts made her nostrils twitch, but she didn't say anything as she curled her neck into a tight ‘S’ shape to keep the weight of the ladder close to her body. While not the heaviest thing she had carried, it was by far the most awkward and she found her neck quickly becoming fatigued by having to stabilize the ladder from swinging from side to side.

Once they had reached the first tree, Luke placed the chainsaw down on the gravel and took the ladder from her. The metal hinges of the ladder protested under his forceful tugs as he unfolded it and he recoiled when he placed a hand in the area where her jaws had been, the wet saliva warm to his touch before he quickly brushed his hand on his pants.

“Sorry,” she muttered as she sat back down and smiled weakly as he checked his hand and wiped it again on his pants.

“It's fine,” he said, as he crouched down and began adjusting the choke on the chainsaw. The old piece of equipment looked worn, with many gouges in the plastic housing and a thick layer of grime over the engine, but as he pulled the starter cord, the engine spluttered to life with a small cloud of blue smoke.

She sneezed at the oily sweet scent of two-stroke exhaust fumes and blinked to clear her watering eyes. When he squeezed the throttle a few times to test the engine, she looked between the spinning chain and the rickety ladder. “So wait, you are going to use it while standing on that?” she said and pointed with her paw at the old ladder. When he nodded, she tucked her wings close to her body and spoke loudly to be heard over the sound of the idling chainsaw. “Aren't you meant to be wearing safety gear?” She asked loudly and felt her chest tighten when he simply shrugged. “So how far away is the nearest hospital?” she added with a raised eyebrow.

“About an hour's drive that way,” Luke said and pointed with the chainsaw, her concern making him smile for the first time since he left her house the day before. “Trust me, I've done this before,” he added, as he stepped onto the first rung of the ladder and felt it creak under his feet. While he tried to reassure himself that it was no different to cleaning gutters just like he had done for since he was little, he couldn't shake the knowledge that he was a lot heavier than he was when he left home many years ago. When he had left home he was nothing more than a lanky farmboy, but now after working various jobs he carried a lot more muscle then he once did. “So just enough for trucks like mine to come through?” he asked, raising his voice over the sound of the chainsaw.

Teeba looked at the rungs of the ladder and then up at the tree canopy and swallowed. “Yeah, you don't need to go too high up. I kinda like the branches over the top.”

“Gotcha,” Luke said and braced himself on the ladder with his knees before squeezing the throttle. With a scream of the engine and a flurry of wood chips, the lowest limb of the tree was cut and fell to the ground with a whoosh. As the branch landed leaves first, it sprung back towards the ladder that Luke was precariously balanced on. With a quick lunge, Teeba latched her jaws around the branch and pulled it to one side. “Thanks!” he called out and chuckled as she smiled with her mouth full.

Dragging it beside her, Teeba pulled the branch off of the driveway and quickly returned as he cut off another limb. Snatching it away before it fell against the ladder, she began making a pile of green waste near the tree until he had finished with the first tree and stepped down the ladder.

"Want me to move the ladder?" she asked, but he shook his head and lifted it under one arm to carry to the next tree. Watching cautiously, she stayed close by as he set up the ladder again and began cutting the next lot of branches. With him standing halfway up the ladder, she found that his head was at her height and loomed behind him to watch him work. As branch after branch fell, Luke angled his cuts so that they fell away from the ladder and, in a matter of minutes, there was a pile of branches around the base of the ladder.

"So, is there like a garbage truck for leaves? Or what?" she asked once he had killed the engine and began climbing down the ladder. His laugh brought a smile to her snout as he stepped off the ladder and looked up to her face to see if she was serious.

"No, Teeba, not out here," he said and collapsed the ladder to carry to the next tree. "I'm going to have to introduce you to the idea of a bonfire night, aren't I?" he asked and saw her smile broaden in realization.

"Ooo, yes!" she said happily and saw his smile waver. "We could make a thing of it. Get some food, drinks and do it like in the movies," she added with a small, playful stamp of her front paws.

Luke caught himself smiling at her whimsical attitude and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Unfolding the ladder, he quickly scaled it again and began cutting the branches of the next tree.

She frowned as he worked, but waited until the branch had fallen before gently nudging his shoulder with her snout. "Hey, you do like hanging out with me, right?" she asked. Doubt crept into her mind when he didn't reply straight away, quickly realizing that she had tricked him into coming to her house yesterday and she was now paying him for the work today.

He saw the crestfallen look in her eyes and took a deep breath while killing the engine of the chainsaw. "Look, it's not you," he said and paused when her eyes met his with a look of disbelief. "I mean, yeah, I think you are pretty fun to hang out with. But I'm just going through some stuff right now, and I had a really busy week," he explained and adjusted his position on the ladder so he could face her easier. With the added height, he found himself at a more comfortable height to talk to her, but still couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

She knew that there was something that he wasn't telling her, but nodded. "If there is anything I can do to help-" her words were quickly cut off as he resumed cutting the branches off of her trees. The chainsaw whined and belched blue smoke, as it ripped through the branches. While he worked, she looked down the long driveway and knew they were going to have a long day ahead of them. She hoped that there would be another opportunity to find out what was troubling her friend.

She stayed close to the ladder and occasionally caught the odd branch that threatened to collide with it. Once there was a pile of branches that she could bundle together, she would then drag them off to one side while Luke moved to the next tree.

Folding the ladder again, the hinge at the top of the frame shrieked like a wounded dragon as Luke collapsed it. The shrill screech made Teeba's jaw clench, while she dumped the branches into the pile she had made. She turned around to watch him carry it to the next tree and winced as he unfolded it again, only for it to protest louder. With the chainsaw dangling from one hand, he climbed up the ladder again but gripped the frame with his other hand as it wobbled precariously.

"You good?" Teeba asked and trotted back over towards him as he began cutting the next branch. Watching him, she wondered if she would be able to use the chainsaw herself but shook her head to dismiss the idea. With the throttle buried inside a hand guard, she wouldn't be able to safely squeeze it, while maintaining any sense of control. As she watched it make short work of the next branch, she knew that one slip-up could become deadly fast.

Finishing with the tree, Luke stepped down from the ladder and folded it once more, only for the ladder to squeak one last time as the hinge gave out, sending one half of the ladder falling away from him to land on the leaf-covered grass with a crash. "Well… fuck," Luke said and rested the last of the ladder on his shoulder while he turned off the chainsaw.

Teeba sat on her haunches and lowered her head to inspect the ladder with him. The rusted metal that formed the hinge had completely sheared, leaving little hope for an easy repair. "I think I know what the problem is." Teeba said with a smirk that made him shake his head.

"Yeah, she's dead," Luke added and looked down the long line of trees still left to go. A gentle breeze wafted through the trees, as if to mock him while his jaw tensed in frustration. It seemed to Luke that every time he spent time with Teeba, something would be broken. Taking a deep breath he looked at the dragoness and reminded himself that it wasn't her fault, the ladder was nothing more than a tool that had spent too much time in the harsh countryside like many of his problems. "It’s okay. I can back my truck up and stand in the bed," he explained and placed the saw down on the ground. "I probably won't be able to reach as high though, but it will get the job done."

Teeba frowned as she pictured him having to repeatedly climb up and down from his truck after driving it from tree to tree. "That sounds like a lot of work," she thought out loud and rose to her feet to judge how high she could lift him off the ground. "How about I carry you?" she offered and saw his head snap towards her at the question.

"Nah, it's all good. I'll call the Bronsons and see if I can borrow their ladder first," he said and pulled out his phone to see he only had one bar of reception.

"Do they live far away?"

"Maybe an hour each way or so?" Luke said and began dialing the number only for the call to ring once and fail. "If I can call them…" he added before trying again.

"That seems like a lot of driving for a ladder." Teeba remarked, as he tried again before sighing in frustration and putting the phone away.

"Yeah, well, it is what it is," Luke said with a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. "I'll get my truck."

As he went to step past her, she swung her tail around to cut him off. "Just get on my shoulders," Teeba said and shuffled her wings close to her body. "You know it's going to be easier than starting and stopping your truck all the time."

"It will be fine—" Luke said but was cut off as her muscular tail pushed against him. "I mean, no, really. I can just use my truck as a ladder."

Teeba waved a paw dismissively and smiled at his blushing retorts. "Come on, up you pop, little man. Pretend it's Riderfall." She giggled and lowered herself down to the ground to make it easier for him to straddle her neck.

"T, you are the one who plays the rider. I'm usually the dragon," Luke explained, but found himself stepping closer to her as her long tail insistently nudged him.

"My house, I play player one," she giggled. "I take it you have never ridden a dragon before?" She asked and curled her neck to watch as he begrudgingly gave up pushing against her tail.

"Not exactly," he said, as he remembered the brief flight he had taken against his wishes a few years ago. "I just don't like the idea of using a chainsaw while being carried by something not stable."

Teeba smirked before laughing, her mouth opening to reveal her sharp teeth before she prodded him with her tail. "I'm more stable than that ladder of yours," she snorted and giggled as he smiled.

Luke looked up the hill to his truck and contemplated his options. Even if he left the truck in neutral and let her push the truck so he didn't have to keep climbing up and down, there was a high risk that it could get out of control and he needed it for work. Purchasing a new ladder from the town's hardware store could be an option, but he hardly used the ladder for his work so it wasn't worth the investment. "Are you sure? You're not going to buck me off or anything as a joke, right?"

Teeba shook her head quickly and leaned her shoulders closer to him. "No, Luke, I have no intention of tossing my only friend out here, off of my back while he is holding a chainsaw," she said and smiled when he nodded. "I promise, unlike your ladder, I have no intention of harming you."

Luke took a deep breath, before scanning down her driveway to make sure no one could see them and then looked back at her and her shoulders in contemplation. "You don't have a harness on."

Teeba shrugged, "What, afraid to bareback a dragon?" She joked and smiled with her mouth open. Her grin fading slightly as she noticed he didn't smile, but instead looked around again.

Satisfied that no one could see him, Luke looked back and saw her smiling face. Her playfully innocent demeanor began to wear down the anger and frustration that clouded his mind until he finally nodded. “Okay, fine. But go easy on me, okay. This isn't something I woke up wanting to do.”

Teeba chuckled and held her wings close to her body as he stepped up to her shoulders and adjusted his pants. “Just remember to cut branches, not horns,” she said and turned her head to watch him swing a leg over her shoulders and sit down.

Looking at her smooth and elegant horns, he nodded. “I'll try not to,” he said, his voice shifting pitch as he felt her body move under him and lift him up as she rose to her feet. “But please don't get any ideas of flying off with me, okay?”

“Aww, you're no fun,” she pouted dramatically and smiled back at him. “I was thinking we could do some Riderfall practice, I toss you off and then fly after you to catch you.”

“Yeah… please don't,” he said with a subtle shake of his head, knowing full well that she was joking. While he was not afraid of heights, there was something unnerving about feeling her body move between his legs, as she took a few gentle steps closer to the trees. He could feel the muscles under her scaled hide shift and roll as she moved, the feeling unlike anything he had experienced before. Her shoulders and wing joints moved subtly with every step, and he could feel the long, corded muscles of her neck shift under his thighs when she curled her neck out of the way.

He held the chainsaw away from her body and shifted his weight to pull on the starter cord of the tool and was glad it started on the first go. He waited for Teeba to stand still before holding the chainsaw close to the branch and squeezed the throttle. With a satisfying shower of wood chips, the branch was cut, and Teeba took a few measured steps to bring the next branch within reach.

She could feel him trying to keep steady on her back as she moved, but surprisingly felt the pressure of his thighs around the base of her neck, oddly satisfying. Branch after branch came down quickly as Luke worked, before they slowly moved to the next tree. Every stride she took was careful and measured as she tried to get him used to her body’s movement, looking back at him while approaching the next tree she saw him smile back. With another squeeze of the throttle, any chance of conversation was cut off like the next branch, and while the exhaust of the chainsaw stung her eyes, she didn't complain as they worked together.

The midday sun beat down on them as they made their way down the driveway and back up the other side; the pair made faster progress than they did with the ladder, with the only downside being the drive becoming completely littered with fallen branches. As they walked towards the last tree, Luke moved his body with hers effortlessly and began cutting the last few branches until the chainsaw stalled on the last one.

"Oh, come on!" Luke exclaimed, while trying to pull on the silent chainsaw, only to find the tree branch had trapped the blade. Pulling on the starter cord, he brought the chainsaw back to life, but as soon as he squeezed the throttle, the engine died again. With another pull of the cord, he started the chainsaw again and used one hand to try and bend the springy branch down to free the blade, but the stubborn limb failed to release the blade. "Just die already."

"Want me to help?" Teeba asked as Luke started the chainsaw again with a frustrated yank of the cord. Her once smooth, clean, grey scales were now covered in sticky tree sap, wood chips, and leaves, but she hadn't complained once.

Luke sighed in defeat, "Could you? I just need you to pull the branch down while I cut it," he explained and suddenly needed to place a hand on the back of her neck for support as she took a step backward. Twisting her neck, she brought her mouth up to the branch and latched onto it. Not wanting to taste bark on her lips, she snarled to keep them clear and inadvertently gave Luke a close-up view of her razor-sharp teeth sinking into the soft tree's bark. The chainsaw wobbled in his hand, as he felt the blade almost come loose and quickly pulled the cord again to start it. With her applying tension downwards, the chainsaw roared to life, and together they quickly sawed through the thick limb.

With a crash, the limb came down while Teeba pushed it away from them with a surge of her neck. "Bleh!" she spat and shook her head. "Let's not do that again. Felt like my brain was being rattled," she explained and blinked repeatedly to try and focus on the world around her. "And trees taste nasty," she added, much to his amusement.

Luke smiled and looked down the driveway to admire their handiwork before killing the engine of the chainsaw. "Well, I think we have done it," he announced happily and patted her on the neck warmly without realizing.

Teeba smiled at his accidental gesture and didn't make him stop; the cold and distant Luke from earlier seemed to be replaced by the man she spent the day with yesterday. "Thank you, I really couldn't have done it without you," she said warmly.

"It's all good. Was that all the trees?" Luke replied and turned back to look at her, only to see her smiling at him and discover his hand stroking her neck. "Sorry!" he quickly exclaimed and pulled his hand back as if he had been shocked.

"For what?" Teeba said with a knowing grin and gently lowered herself down to the ground to let him escape.

"I... um... nothing," Luke said as he hurriedly dismounted from her shoulders, his legs feeling wobbly under him as his thighs ached from riding her.

"Good!" Teeba said merrily and stood back up again. "There are some trees around the pool that need your special touch. But they can go completely, they are dumping leaves into the water."

"Alright, I can do that. You all good to make a pile of these?" He said gesturing to the covered driveway. "Otherwise I won't be able to leave."

"Is that a problem?" Teeba chuckled, but found her joke falling short of making him smile. "I'll take care of it." She added and stepped past him.

Luke's ears burned red at her offhand remark, knowing full well that she didn't know the ordeal he had been through since leaving her place yesterday. As she walked past him, he knew it wasn't her fault and promised to keep his problems to himself.

"Did you want a beer once we are done?" Teeba called out to him, while tugging one branch over the top of another with her paw before grabbing the bottom one in her jaws and pulling them together.

"I shouldn't, I've really got to head home and try to sort some things out." He said while walking to his truck to top up the saw with fuel and bar oil.

Teeba spat out the branches once they were close to the first pile and turned to Luke. "If I'm keeping you, we can do this another day." She offered.

Luke shook his head while carefully filling the saw up with two-stroke fuel from a small jerry can. "I promised I would do this, I'm a man of my word." He said before tipping the can back up and sealing the lid. Turning his head, he could see her unconvinced expression and instead nodded to the driveway. "Besides, I can't get out with all those branches in the way."

"Then, I'll get it done, on the double." Teeba nodded and trotted back to the driveway to collect more of the fallen branches.

"On the double." Muttered Luke to himself as he heaved the chainsaw out of the truck's bed and made his way to his next mission.

---

Crestmead’s sidewalks felt different under her paws than those of the streets in Liberty Scales. Often made up of warm bricks, the small country towns felt more gritty and dusty than the cold and often damp concrete footpaths of the city. Returning a friendly nod to another dragon, Teeba padded her way through the town center. Her lustrous gray scales reflected the midday sun, and even though her wings were tucked close to her body, they still felt warm from her lazy flight into the quiet town.

Scanning the few shops that lined the main road and looking at the variety of trucks that were parked out the front of each one, she looked to see if she could spot Luke. Since cutting down the trees, he had been suspiciously offline and, while confident that she hadn't done anything to offend him, she did miss talking to her friend. Additionally, the large pile of leaves and branches that she had amassed from their weekend were beginning to turn brown and, while embarrassing for a dragon, she wanted his guidance on burning it without the blaze getting out of control.

A gruff older dragon sat outside the local hardware store while waiting for the store clerk to fetch his order as Teeba approached, his dusty red scales lacking the glossy shine that hers radiated. When she stopped in front of him to look into the shop window, he sat up straighter. “Need a paw, little 'ness?” He asked with his best attempt at a charming smile.

Her eyes flicked to the few chipped teeth he still had and she shook her head before looking back in the window. “No, I'm good, thank you.” She said flatly, her voice clearly conveying that she was in no way interested in anything the drake had to say. “Just having a look.” She said and spotted a collection of ladders through the window.

“Aww, don't be like that, little 'ness. I just want to show you some country hospitality.” He said while opening his wings slightly. “Where you from anyway?”

Taking a deep breath and inadvertently inhaling some of his scent, he smelled of what she could only describe as ‘hard work,’ dirty with a masculine undertone.

“Gaanil, leave the 'ness alone ya horny drake.” Called a feminine voice from the shop over. Looking past the old drake, Teeba could see a pair of weathered-looking dragonesses. One sky blue while the other a sea-green color, their once glossy scales now dull and faded with age. “She clearly is out of your league.” the other added to back up her friend. With a subtle lift of a wing, the first invited Teeba to join them.

“Oh shut up ya old hags, I wasn't talking to you.” Gaanil retorted without turning his head but snorted as the store clerk emerged from the shop with a package for him. “I was just-”

“Gaanil, ain't no one talking to you. Not since your mate left you for someone who knew how to give them eggs.” Retorted the green, much to the amusement of her blue friend who roared laughing.

Snarling, the red drake snatched the package from the store clerk and shoved it into a pouch strapped to his old worn harness. “Liirahn, Daarneh, always sticking your snouts where they don't belong-”

“And you're always sticking your cock where it don't belong.” The blue dragoness snapped back. “Have the Bronsons forgiven you for what you did to their mare? Poor thing bolts now at the sight of wings.” She added with a knowing grin and the pair roared laughing again, this time as the drake stood up and shook his head before mantling his wings and launching into the sky.

Teeba closed her open jaw and chuckled with the two old dragonesses. “Thank you,” she said genuinely once the old drake had flown out of earshot. “I don't know if I have a type, but he sure isn't it.”

“Of course not, honey, of course not! He is probably old enough to be your sire,” the blue dragoness exclaimed and patted the pavement beside her.

“You are kidding though, right?” Teeba asked as she came closer to the old dragons. “About him and a horse.” She raised an eyeridge as the pair cackled with laughter.

“Honey, if ya get too drunk to fly home and the farmer finds you in the same stable as their prize riding horse…” the blue dragoness said with a knowing smile. “Well! Then he can only come to so many conclusions.” She added with a chuckle before nodding in greeting to Teeba. “Call me, Liirahn. And that fat rump there is Daarneh-”

“Excuse me! I do not have a fat rump?!” Daarneh retorted loudly before shuffling her wings, the quills running from between her horns and down her neck flared up at the insult. Between the pair, she had a few more curves in her than her friend but still held herself with an air of grace. “It's simply… shapely,” she added in her defense.

“Says who? The hundreds of drakes that have mounted it over the years?” Liirahn playfully asked before giving a wink to Teeba.

Daarneh waved a dismissive paw and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh, don't listen to that wretched old wyrm, I'll have you know that I was a cross-pawed ‘ness who firmly kept her tail down in my hay days.”

“Until you didn't,” teased Liirahn with a knowing grin. “Surprised she's got scales left on her neck after all the drakes that latched onto her spiny neck, back in her prime the drakes used to look forward to ploughing her fields,” she added with a grin, but changed the subject before her friend could protest. “And what about you, love? What does your mate call you?” she said while smiling at Teeba, her lips pulling back to reveal her dull teeth that had no doubt been worn down with age.

“Teeba, and no mate,” Teeba clarified and sat down next to the pair of dragonesses. After spending the last few days at home with nothing but the internet to distract her, she found the pair very entertaining.

“Oh honey! A stunning, shiny 'ness like you? Single? That's almost criminal. Don't worry, a few nights at the Drag’Inn and you’ll find your perfect wingdrake. Trust me, you will have them fawning over you like nothing else.” Daarneh chimed in and smiled when Teeba’s snout darkened slightly. Sensing she may have offended the newcomer, she quickly changed the subject. “Speaking of mister perfect! Did either of you hear about the Clippers?”

Teeba cocked her head in confusion but found herself leaning closer. “Oh my horns, what did those knuckle-draggers do now? Did someone land in their paddock again?” Liirahn asked while adjusting a strap on her old harness and saw the confusion in Teeba’s expression. “A drake landed there a few seasons back after getting lost and the old man put a hole in his wing with the smoothbore. Tore a chunk the size of a melon out, poor little sod could never fly straight, even after the doctor fixed him up.”

Before Teeba could question what that meant, Daarneh shook her head causing her mane of grey quills to beat against her neck, “Oh no-no-no. Way saucier! Apparently they caught their son getting a bit of scale tail!-”

“Gryphon shit! Really?” The old blue dragoness’ wings twitched outwards in surprise and she snapped her attention back to Daarneh with a broad grin on her snout. “Who told you this?” Liirahn asked before correcting herself. “Never mind, tell me everything, what happened?!”

"I swear on my two perfect horns, the folks caught him in the act, playing plough the field and plant the seed with the new groundskeeper, if you feel my downdraft," Daarneh explained and shuffled her wings, the old 'ness clearly proud she knew something her friend didn't. "Turns out the apple fell pretty far from that tree."

"Oh well, I'll be! That family grounded my great dame, you know that, right?" Liirahn asked with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, she would be soaring if she were here right now. I bet old man Clipper was not pleased!"

"I heard his ticker almost gave out!" Daarneh added, "I really wish it did though, I sure as heck wouldn't shed a tear. Ain't nothin’ but hate in that dried-up old raisin.” The blue dragoness' tail flicked merrily at the thought. “I always thought their son was just like him though, but bless his heart, he musta saw something he liked when he was de—"

"Oh, this is good news! Such good news!" Liirahn interrupted and pulled her friend under her wing in a friendly hug. "I’ll be drinking my sherry with a smile tonight, that's for sure. You ain't tugging my tail though are ya, Daarneh?" She asked, and when her friend gave her an honest smile, she roared laughing. "Well, I'll be, if that little whipped snapper is chasing tails, maybe I'll get him to check out the watering hole."

"Liirahn, we both know your hole dried up long ago!" Retorted her friend with a jab of her wing into the old dragoness's side. “I don't blame it either, with your choice of mates.”

Teeba snorted as the pair broke out into giggles, the two elderly dragons' laughter becoming infectious, and she found herself wanting to know more. “So, what happened to the kid?”

Wiping a tear with her wing, Daarneh tried to compose herself. “Apparently, they kicked him out of the family nest! The boy was a damn near hero to them only a year ago! His folks wanted a whole parade in the main street when he came back, but now look at them, kicked to the curb because they could never have a tail chaser in their house.”

Teeba smiled at the language used and how different this town was compared to the big city. Humans and dragons were so integrated that mixed couples were hardly worth a double glance, but her smile wavered as she began to understand Luke's hesitation to be seen with her out in this remote town.

“Poor thing, their family has lived there for generations. But he is always welcome in my nest,” Liirahn replied with an exaggerated wink to Teeba and Daarneh.

“You minx! You're twice his age—no, more than that!” Daarneh exclaimed with a playful shove with her wing. “What in the big blue sky would he want with a dusty old cooch like yours?”

Shrugging, Dixie lifted her chin up and smiled, “I’m just saying I could teach him a thing or two!” She said in her defense. “Besides, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a softer touch. Not all of us want their necks yanked on like you do. You understand, don'tcha honey?” She asked and nodded at Teeba.

Teeba opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Daarneh. “Oh please, smooth scales like hers. She probably hasn't had a good mating bite before, have ya sweetie?”

Teeba cleared her throat and nodded. “Um yeah, I have-”

“Ooooh darling, you have, have you?” Crooned Daarneh with a raised eyeridge and a warm smile. “See, it's traditional isn't it! Gets the blood pumping when they hold you good.”

It was rare for Teeba to blush but she found her snout warmer than usual as she nodded. “But, that's not to say that the humans haven’t got nothing to offer, together they make a good team.” She watched as both dragons' jaws dropped in disbelief. “You’ve never done that?” She asked and looked at each of them. It felt weird talking about her private life with the two strangers, but something about their elderly charm made her relax around them. “Also, with a man there is no chance of eggs.”

Dixie grinned playfully and nudged her friend with a wing. “See, I've been telling you for years, Daar! Get a man like that Jimmy boy over when you have your heat and enjoy. There ain't no need to be feeling bad for yourself when you can have their hands all over you-”

“Dixie! Last time I had a heat, Jimmy was but in grade school!” Daarneh retorted. “Besides, I was a good little ness who could keep her urges under control.”

“Oh yeah? So those eggs of yours just kinda happened on their own right?” Giggled Dixie and patted her friend's back with a wing to show she meant no ill will.

Knowing she had lost the argument, Daarneh turned to Teeba and smiled warmly. “So what brings a pretty little thing like you to our dusty hellhole? Are you passing by or are you lost?”

“Oh, no.” Teeba said with a chuckle and shuffled her wings. “I just moved here from the city.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Dixie said with a chuckle until Daarneh swatted her with a wing.

Shaking her head, the dragoness smiled at Teeba. “Don't listen to the old thing, she hasn't got long now. Besides, it's about time we got some fresh blood around here, where are you staying sweetie?”

Teeba pawed the ground and looked around to see if anyone was listening in on them, before realizing that the pair wouldn't keep a secret anyway. “I, ah. Up at Windsoar farm. I'm the new owner.” She wasn't sure how long it would be until the townsfolk knew of her presence but figured the pair could probably spread the word for her. However, the look of shock on Daarneh’s face made her frown.

"Wait, you own Windsoar?" she asked in disbelief and flinched when Teeba nodded before looking her up and down. "So wait, you don't have a groundskeeper, do you?"

Teeba cocked her head in confusion at the question before slowly shaking her head. "Nope. It's just me-"

"So hold up. You caught the eye of the Clipper’s son?" Daarneh asked, causing Liirahn’s head to snap in Teeba's direction.

"What?"

"Luke! Luke Clipper! You're the one who shared their nest with the man?" Daarneh asked with an equal look of confusion. "Broke the family curse? Punched his D card? Right?"

"Um… no?" Teeba said slowly. She had never asked what Luke's last name was but suddenly felt her chest tighten in realization, as the pieces began to fall into place. The way he was so stiff and rigid around her, his clothes and scent along with the mentions of issues at home. Guilt and pain made her heart sink, as she felt responsible for him being kicked out of home.

"Well, the word is that you did," Daarneh said and cocked her head. "I heard from the butcher that the clippers saw you two doing the deed and they kicked Luke out of their nest." She added and glanced at her friend as Teeba's eyes went wide.

Shaking her head, Teeba's gaze narrowed. "Well, you are hearing it from me, we didn't."

"That's not what they think-"

"Well, that’s not right," Teeba corrected firmly and looked them both in the eyes. "I promise you, nothing happened. He did some work for me and then we played Riderfall… a computer game. Nothing more, I swear, we are just friends," she explained slowly and rose to her feet. "So hold on, his parents really kicked him out because they thought we were together?"

Daarneh shuffled her wings tighter against her body and curled her long tail around her paws, clearly not pleased that her juicy gossip was turning out to be fiction. "That's what everyone is saying-"

"I need to fix this," Teeba said and looked up and down the street to try and spot Luke's truck. "Do you know where they live? Luke's parents," she asked and mantled her wings.

Liirahn nodded but reached out to place a paw on Teeba's. "Honey, they don't like our kind anywhere near their place."

"Where though? Where do they live?" Teeba said firmly, her blood boiling that Luke has been kicked out of his home because of her.

Daarneh looked at her friend Liirahn before nodding to the east. "About a five-minute flight. Two-story house, horrible red bricks and a metal roof-"

"The one with the 'no dragons' sign painted on it," Liirahn added with a squeeze of Teeba's paw. "You don't want to go there unannounced."

Teeba nodded in understanding and looked back at the hardware store. If these people were as hostile as she had been told, arriving with a gift would be the least she could do.

---

The new ladder clattered against itself as Teeba carried it on her back, with her tail looped through the last rung and her wings mantled to stop it from sliding off her back. She slowly made her way up the dusty dirt drive to Luke's family home. Clenching her jaw as her soft paw pads met a sharp rock, she stumbled but made sure not to drop the ladder. True to their word, Luke's home was indeed a horrible shade of red, complete with a metal roof and a symbol of a dragon with a red line painted through it.

Swearing under her breath as she stood on another sharp rock, she lifted the paw in question to look at her pad and was relieved to see that she hadn't cut herself. Taking a deep breath to soothe the pain, she continued her slow trek up the driveway towards the house, occasionally shrugging her wings as the ladder slipped against her smooth scales.

As she approached the home, she noticed the lack of Luke's truck and instead saw an SUV and a newer truck than Luke's. “Um… hello?” Teeba called out, as she came closer to the two-story house.

The sound of a gun being racked and the flyscreen door being flung open made her stop in her tracks. Stepping out from the home with a limp and carrying a large shotgun across his chest, came what Teeba assumed was Luke's father. The weathered old man eyed her with a look of disgust as he hobbled down off the porch towards her. “Your kind ain't welcome here, devil.”

Teeba swallowed and eyed his finger hovering near the trigger of the shotgun. “Ah, Sorry I’m Teeba.” She said and slowly lowered one wing and rocked her shoulders to let the ladder slide from her back and clatter to the ground. She watched as the old man's eyes narrowed at the gift before focusing on her once again. “I think there has been a big misunderstanding. I've just moved here and I live up on Windsoar farm.”

The old man let out a growl as he brought the shotgun down and leveled it with her chest before he snarled. “Then I won't miss.”