Sean awoke the next morning pleasantly comfortable with Lira's soft arms encircling his neck. Her dark silver hair was spread about her in tumbling waves. He smiled and lifted his hand to stroke her cheek delicately careful not to wake her. She was clad in a simple white material, which seemed more like a toga and fell loosely below her shoulders. The star glass still hung about her neck, and he touched it thinking of the night before. If she would trust him, he would free her of the curse, and they would soar into the light together.

Sean softly kissed her brow and moved for her lips, but Lira's violet eyes fluttered open, and she withdrew her arms from his neck. He grinned and ran his fingers through her hair.

"You slept beautifully, like an angel."

"Like a dragon," she answered and let out a yawn.

"Do you remember our night within the stars?"

"Vaguely," she tried to think back and found a picture of Sean raising his arms to catch a great bursting star. She touched the star glass.

"It is yours. I shall need it back someday, but you can keep it now. I studied your race and found out a few things."

She began walking, stretching her arms above her head as the grains of sand squeezed in between her feet. She released her long dark hair from its bun, and it pooled to her waist as she listened.

"There are many different types of dragons. You are an amethyst the most powerful of the group of neutral dragons. There are many others copper, brass, white, black, red…but I discovered an interesting story of the race." She was silent so he continued. "Vortigern was trying to build his fort on this dome shaped hill during the 5th century, but his fort kept collapsing. They were going to commit human sacrifice so the fort could be built, but the boy who was going to be sacrificed told them to dig far down within the earth. They found a pool there where two dragons slept. But the dragons awoke when disturbed and fought together. One finally flew away while the other was victorious. Tales do not say what happened after, and I do not know if it is pertinent to our situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Our marks. Two dragons battling while circling a pearl. We know what the pearl is and who one of the dragons is, but the other?"

"It cannot be you," she said noticing his form.

"Perhaps if we returned to my own world, it would be clearer. You did not become like this until your eighteenth. I did not become who I am until I turned eighteen like you."

"What are you talking about become who you are?" she stopped facing him.

"I became such as you during the night, but I was pure golden."

"But if I came with you to your world, would I change?" she asked.

"I don't know. But we cannot leave this world without the Valar's approval."

"Then we shall fly tonight for Valinor."

"No," he answered with a grin taking her hand. "We shall sail today for Valinor."

Lira breathed in the scent of the salt sea air. The wind blew across her face and into her flowing dark silver hair as she held onto the simple metal pole attached to the stern of the ship. Sean had done well; she had to admit. He had got a very nice boat with white sails, which he paid extra for. The twins were disappointed to see them depart, but Sean assured them that they would meet again.

Suddenly, Lira felt Sean's arm pull her down to the deck. "I don't want you to fall," he told her.

"If I fall, I'll just fly on the wings of the sea," she answered proudly.

"Poetic," he grinned.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He raised a hand. "Shhh! Look!"

He pointed to the stern of the ship. Several blue dolphins leapt into the air and dived back into the crystal water. Lira had never seen these beautiful creatures, but she heard many tales of them. Oh! How she longed to touch one! "That's it!" Lira grinned and dove off the side of the ship.

"Lira!"

Sean leaned over the side of the ship but did not see her face. He suddenly retreated back to the helm and slowed the boat's pace. He went to the side of the ship again but chuckled, as she all of a sudden appeared holding onto the dorsal fin of a dolphin. She was lifted high into the air and crashed back into the sea. She took the dolphin by the pectoral fins and twirled about in the water as if she were dancing. Sean's lips curved into a smile as he watched her. She was so graceful, and seemed as she could be one of the ethereal creatures themselves. He wondered if she could have a special connection with dolphins or if she had heard about them all her life and was brave enough to swim with them. Even Sean would not dare. He loved the creatures but also respected them. They were powerful and could easily kill a human with one pound from their bottlenose. Yet, dolphins rarely ever harmed humans, but they still were to be respected with awe.

Lira finally slipped away from the dolphin's side and swam back to the side of the ship. Sean helped her inside as she came up laughing.

"That was amazing!"

He grinned and wrapped a towel around her now soaking body. Sean smiled and took her hands in his. It was the same feeling they experienced before, not pleasure but not pain. Sean held them a moment longer and looked into her violet silver eyes. He could not deny that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He felt quite an attraction to her, he knew, but Sean was a gentleman. And she deserved better than a simple relationship based on feelings.

"Let's get you dried up," he finally said.

"No," she turned. "I need a bath. You said they had water in the lower deck."

"Yes, but you must boil it if you wish it hot."

"Very well."

Lira disappeared to the lower deck, but Sean heard a noise coming from the side. He looked over and grinned at the dolphin, which shot up from the water and gave chirping sounds and a whistle.

"She's downstairs," he replied and softly touched the sleek bottlenose. "She'll be back soon. Well…maybe not. You know girls," he grinned. "Sorry, she probably won't get back in the water till tomorrow."

He smiled as the dolphin leapt back into the water to rejoin the pod. Sean went to the helm and waited for Lira. Darkness was approaching, and she would need to be quick. After another hour of waiting, Sean rolled his eyes and went downstairs. The door to the bathing room was shut. Lira rested in the hot water inside the large white tub. She felt like she was in paradise as she soaked her body. Baths felt very good every once in awhile. Her paradise was interrupted by a knock.

"Lira, are you decent?" Sean asked.

She rolled her eyes. Of course I'm not decent.

"Wait a minute!"

"You've got one minute before I come in there, Lira. Hurry," Sean warned her.

"He wouldn't dare," she muttered beginning to climb out.

"Yes, I would, Lira. You forget I have good hearing. You better hurry. You have sixty seconds and counting."

Lira groaned and stepped out of the tub but slipped on the water covered floor. She cursed feeling the pain in her ankle but knew it was just a twist and it would heal.

"Twenty seconds…"

Lira stood up hurriedly and grabbed a white towel and wrapped it around herself. She grabbed her robe and held it in her hand. Sean slowly opened the door.

"Night is coming," he told her. "You must get off the ship when the moon rises."

"My dragon form will not be that heavy, Sean," she sneered.

"Better safe than sorry," he replied.

"At least I can push your further toward our destination."

"Exactly."

Sean left the room, and Lira quickly changed into her robe not having enough time for anything else. She quickly rushed up the stairs as the moon was rising. The beams fell upon her form, and she spread her long scaly wings hoisting herself into the air as her toes became talons. She took hold of the mast of the ship with her sharp talons and spread her wings as wide as they could go. With all the strength she had, Lira began to push the ship further toward its course. Taniquetil lay many miles away, and she could faintly see the glimmering beams of the tower.

After many hours of work, she finally ceased pushing knowing it would be alarming for a dragon to appear. She was also exhausted. Pushing a ship through the deep ocean was extremely difficult. Fortunately, Sean was wrong about her weight, and she took her place in the middle of the ship curling up and instantly fell asleep. Sean knelt beside her and stroked the dragon's cheek.

"I do not know you well, but I know who you are. For all the reasons in the world, I would give my life for you. Soon our questions will be answered, and we shall discover who we truly are together."

Sean grasped her scaly arm placing one talon cross his chest. Even as a dragon, she was a beautiful translucent amethyst. She would be human when the moon set…