The world was indeed vast and full of wonder. Lucy was given a front row seat to a spectacular landscape as the dragon propelled them along with steady wingbeats, almost as entertained by her constant gasps of delight as the girl was to see her homeland from above.
For the most part the kingdom of Firoe occupied a vast, grassy lowland. Bordered to the east by a tall mountain range called Jagged Tooth Ridge, or more often 'the Teeth' and by the sea in the west, it was a fertile land well suited for agriculture. Farms and villages dotted the landscape and created a patterned canvas on the land, of greens and browns and yellowish hues where the spring crops were beginning to ripen, intersected here and there by glittering rivers and lakes or irregular patches of woodland so carefully maintained that they almost looked fake.
Like everything else within the borders there was order and structure to every field, road and village no matter how small, maintained with such a compulsive obsession that the princess wanted to scream in frustration. It was a relief then to lift her gaze and follow the untamed curves of the hills and mountains to the north and east, where the land rose more and more the closer they got to the Teeth. Gradually the evidence of settlement thinned out until only a rare hut or small stone pen betrayed the presence of human habitation, a result of more barren land that were more suitable for sheep and cattle than crops.
This held true for the southern parts as well, where high temperatures in combination with a vast marshland made the region damp and unpleasant in summer and even damper and unhealthier in winter. Only the western border was well settled and frequently traveled, the wave-battered coast dotted with wealthy merchant cities that thrived on fishing and trade. So important were they to the finance of the realm that the wealthier merchant clans had come together and created a council that even the king himself couldn't go against lightly. Maintaining the support of the coastal cities was vital, because the sea route was by far the easiest way to reach the neighboring countries; Minstral to the north and Boscor to the south - none of which were on very good terms with Firoe.
Moving across all these cities and villages proved to be a nerve wracking task indeed. Natsu by himself had been able to fly both high and fast enough to avoid being seen, but with Lucy as 'baggage', as he called it, the pace had to be lowered considerably. She didn't have his naturally high body temperature either, which made flying through clouds and thin air a torment for the thinly dressed girl - especially when the wind grew stronger and colder.
After spending the better part of a day circling the large towns that dotted the landscape around the capitol, the dragon reluctantly brought them down in a forested area just outside a moderately sized town.
"This isn't working, we need to travel faster and for that you gotta have better clothes. And we both need to eat" he muttered sourly in response to her query of what they were doing. His temper had grown steadily worse as the day passed by with minimal rest and no food, until it reached a point where Lucy hesitated to bring up anything that wasn't purely happy or pleasant.
In this case she had neither wish nor cause for protest and nodded eagerly as she followed the man through the forest, tripping and stumbling along in his wake. Her soft bare feet were cold and sore from walking on rocks, thistles and twigs, but Lucy gritted her teeth and pressed on with a stubborn determination to not complain.
When the dragon offered to go alone and bring back what they needed she just shook her head. There was no way Lucy would pass up this chance to see a normal town with normal people, not even after listening to Natsu's assurances that there was nothing interesting about them whatsoever.
Perhaps they weren't for him. She had never been on her own anywhere however, and while Natsu definitely counted as company he was still unfamiliar enough to enhance her sense of adventure as they followed a narrow pathway in between the first houses, soon strolling casually down cobbled streets while the blonde girl tried to look less wide-eyed and awed and more worldly. Not staring at the people that walked by was harder than it should be, not to mention avoiding to bump into others along the street. The sheer number of them was enough to make her heart pound, and the sheer variety of height, slimness, manner and state of dress and temper was staggering, overwhelming. These were normal, regular people who worked for a living and had families and friends and spent their time laughing and crying while making their own decisions. Lucy wanted nothing more than to be one of them, to be normal, to not be royal and pampered and completely lost. But even as she followed in the wake of the dragon she felt separated from the others. Eyes seemed to follow her as though all of them were staring at her wherever she walked, and it wasn't until Natsu hissed and dragged her into a narrow alleyway that the girl realized that they actually did stare.
"Better start with some clothes" Natsu mumbled as he pulled her down the path onto streets that were less crowded. "Not everyday a girl in a nightgown stroll down the highway like it's no man's business..."
Lucy blushed and chose not to say anything. In all honesty she had forgotten about her scantily dressed state and was only now reminded that there were better ways to avoid drawing attention to herself. She wasn't the only one who could use a change of clothes however, as she pointed out to the dragon when he led the way into a small store filled from wall to wall with second-hand clothing. The bloodstains might not show well on the dark fabric of his shirt but it remained suspiciously town in the back where the large wings now screamed with their absence - not to mention that it had a distinct odor to it that made the young lady wrinkle her nose in dismay.
He grumbled a bit, but by the time they emerged from the shop and left to find a tavern obscure enough to be safe yet not so much to be unhealthy, they were both wearing new garbs.
"It feels so strange" Lucy complained as they sat down by a table in the far corner of the Cat's Rest single room, hands tugging at the hem of her new tunic. The rough green cloth only reached to mid thigh and the girl was very aware of how the sturdy leather trousers clung to her legs, hugging her skin in a way she definitely wasn't used to. Somehow the tight fit and knee-high boots made her feel more indecent than she had been in the flimsy gown, aware of her own body's curves like never before - not that she was completely innocent but still.
"Are you sure this is okay?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Natsu grunted, too busy following the waitress that carried the tray with their food to even look at the runaway princess. "This place is probably the only one where women aren't dressing however they want. Just wait until we cross the border, you'll see what I mean."
Lucy grumbled words under breath that wasn't meant to be heard, something about skirts, dresses and how lecherous men should have their eyes clawed out. Natsu cackled wickedly at her discomfort and waited until the waitress had disappeared again before he reached for a big bowl filled with thick stew and a tankard frothing over with some amber drink, already drooling.
"I thought you were going to quit being ladylike" he teased between hungry mouthfuls, the mood improving for every bite. "What's the point of wearing skirts and lace when it's bound to get dirty and wet and torn and..."
"Because it's pretty", Lucy sighed, a wistful look on her face as she thought back on the marvelous midnight-blue dress she had found in a corner of the store, far too expensive for most people to buy with it's heavy velvet fabric and delicate creamy lace. "Oh, I know that it needs to be practical now, so no skirts or things that get in the way... but there's nothing wrong with just admiring it, right?"
The man rolled his eyes, clearly not very interested in the subject. His own clothes were just as practical as the old ones had been; dark and unassuming, a plain shirt and the same baggy trousers and sturdy shoes with the only addition being a heavy wool coat that obscured half his face with its high collar and flapped dramatically around the knees when he walked. Lucy smiled behind a hand as she ate, remembering his enthusiasm upon finding the garment. For being disinterested in fashion the guy sure had let himself get dragged along with the mood.
Rather enjoying the feeling of being indoors again after a whole day in the open, the sheltered young woman leaned back in the comfortable chair and let her eyes roam over the room, taking in the people that milled about without letting them know that she was looking. It was a skill she had practiced for many years of dull feasts and discussions, but what she found here was far more interesting than tipsy courtiers and gossiping servants. Cat's Rest was apparently a favorite hangout for workers, because the longer they sat by their table the more big, burly men with worn clothes came in, some greeting the barman and each other like old friends, while others just walked in and slumped down whenever they found spare room. The sun was already setting outside and the small windows offered little light; only the yellowish glow from hearth and torches lit the room for a while, until a quick exchange led one of the waitresses to start lighting candles behind thin porcelain screens.
"Is it always this many people about?" she murmured to her friend as she finished eating, pushing the plates away so that she could rest her arms on the table. Lucy felt drowsy, full and warm and very content with the world now that her stomach had stopped growling. "It's not even a holiday..."
Natsu looked up and blinked a bit before he threw a quick look around the room, a slight frown tugging at his features when he realized just how full the place really was. Thus far he had been too occupied with sating his hunger to pay attention.
"Now that you say it..." The frown deepened as he swept his sharp eyes over the room again. "Know what, it is a bit crowded even for a local favorite. Not sure why, but... might be best if we leave, just in case." He popped the last piece of bread into his mouth and emptied the tankard, then stood up even as a hand fished for coins in a pocket.
Lucy followed suit rather reluctantly, unimpressed by the prospect of spending another night on the ground. She had far more fun eying the burly men as they conversed quietly with one another, scarred hands barely touching their drinks while eyes moved about with slow, bored expressions.
Yet she followed when he made his way towards the door and had almost reached it when a sudden hand on her shoulder made the girl start and turn to see who it belonged to. Staring up into a face filled with hard edges she found herself inspected closely by a pair of dull blue eyes that blinked too often below a mop of straw colored hair. She could hear Natsu swearing behind her but thought nothing of it, not until she tried to turn back and follow him only to find that the heavy, calloused hand still weighed heavily on her shoulder, keeping her in place.
"Excuse me" she tried, giving a small jerk to remind the man of his manner.
"Not so fast, miss" the man replied with deep, gravely voice, his eyes narrowing. "Hey Cap'n, what 'bout this 'un? Looks like she could fit the description."
Description? A sinking sensation in her gut made Lucy jerk away with more strength, unwilling to remain much longer in the crowded pub. It felt as though everyone in the room was looking at her from below heavy lids, calm and calculating... Captain? Then that had to mean that almost all of these men were soldiers, off duty soldiers dressed down from the usual noticeable uniform yet with the same cold, efficient love of duty that her father possessed and so treasured. Not even while off duty would a soldier so close to the capitol ignore a call to search for a missing person, especially not if that person was the daughter of the man that payed their salaries.
"Hey, let go! Ow!"
Her best efforts were nowhere near efficient enough to get herself out of the mans grip however. The yellow-haired girl felt a tang of fear and unease shoot through her when she tried and failed to leave and felt frustration bubble up within for being too weak, for finding a simple sturdy grip painful. Just as suddenly as she had been caught, Natsu was there. Grim faced and scowling with a dangerous gleam in his eyes he clasped a hand around the blonde man's fleshy wrist and squeezed until the soldier cursed and was forced to relinquish his grasp. Lucy recoiled and darted in behind the dragon's back, eying the room nervously. More heads had turned now, some big muscular men had stood from their chairs and were closing in on the two suspects.
"Natsu..." she breathed anxiously when it looked like he was tempted to linger and do something worse to the other man than almost breaking his arm, but rather than starting a brawl Natsu took a step back, spun around and quickly shoved her on as he darted for the door.
Once outside he ignored her urges to hurry up, ripped off coat and shirt before throwing them to her to hold. In a heartbeat the dragon transformed and hoisted them both into the air, just as the tavern door burst open and armed men began to spill out into the street, shouting and pointing when they spotted the fleeing pair.
Biting off curses so foul that they singed the air and made Lucy's cheeks grow hot the dragon propelled them upwards faster and faster until they were well beyond reach of crossbows. There he leveled out and sped off towards the north, leaving the peaceful town behind at a pace that Lucy found staggering - Natsu however remained dissatisfied.
"This ain't good, how they hell did they get a description out so fast!?" he panted, breathless from talking and flying while simultaneously making himself heard over the rush of wind.
"Messenger birds" Lucy replied at once, wondering why she hadn't thought of that before. "An urgent message can move from the capitol to every border in a day if the weather is good. Which it has been..." She swallowed and secured her hold around the man's neck a bit better, his bundled up coat and shirt lodged between their bodies in an uncomfortable lump.
"Great, and now they know how we travel too! This will be rough Luce, but I swear I'll get you safely over the border!"
"Can't we just hide somewhere for a few days?" she asked, trying her best not to let the fear spill over in her voice.
"Nowhere to hide in this country." Natsu shook his head with a grim expression. "To flat, too many people, not enough mages around..."
"Of course there aren't, magic isn't allowed..."
"But I use it" he pointed out, "and they've got people among the guards who're great at tracking folks with magic power. How do you think they keep mages from going in and out as they please? If this was Minstral it wouldn't be a problem because they have so many mages that a Tracker becomes completely useless, but here? I stand out like a fucking bonfire at night."
Silence hovered around them for a while as Lucy let the reality of their situation sink in. Her father would know by tomorrow that she was on the run, and he'd send out every soldier in the army to find her. They had been seen on their northern course and now Natsu was continuing north, but...
"They'll place guards in every village and house all the way to the northern border, won't they" she sighed, delivering her conclusion. Natsu nodded quietly, suspecting the same.
"So... what do we do? West is no good either, Coastal won't stay quiet if I appear there."
"We turn east" Natsu replied almost immediately, sounding as though he just reached the conclusion. "Give pursuers the shake after a few hours, head east, cross the Teeth and then we're safe. Or should be, only wild lands until you get to Galunar... That place isn't exactly peaceful either."
It seemed a bit too simple a plan to actually work, but Lucy didn't have any better suggestions. She focused on keeping herself as still as possible instead to make it easier for the dragon, who insisted on continuing on through the night.
Natsu didn't stop to rest until dawn had begun to brighten the sky in the east, but by the time he set them down in a small forest clearing he was exhausted. Only pausing to drink from a clear spring that bubbled up from the ground he promptly stretched out on the ground and was asleep before Lucy could even tell him to put his clothes back on. She sighed and shook her head in mild exasperation, spread the dark shirt and coat over the man like a blanket and then walked off so she wouldn't disturb him.
The world brightened by the minute as she scaled a nearby hill and slumped down on the ground, back leaned against the rough bark of a tree. Come to think of it, this was the first time she had been more or less alone since they left the castle. Lucy rather enjoyed the feeling, a soft smile lingering over her lips as she watched the slow rise of the sun.
"It's so peaceful" she murmured to herself, fingers braiding the tall green grasses absent-minded.
Very calm, and incredibly beautiful. This far to the north the landscape was much rougher than in the lowlands with hills rising and falling like green waves, steadily increasing in height and size the further off they were. She could see the smoke from a few villages rise in the quiet morning air, dotted across the landscape. They were some ways off the main trading routes but there were still a lot of people about. It was a clear reminder that they weren't safe yet... but Lucy didn't want to think of those coiling trails of smoke as a threat. Not when the picture painted by the landscape was so serene, not when they had so much to worry about already. The girl needed a break from all that, even if it was just for a short moment.
Pulling her legs up towards her chest she rested her cheek against a knee, eyes roaming dreamily over the scenery while her thoughts roamed freely. She didn't have to pinch herself to know she wasn't dreaming, and yet reality was far stranger than any daydream she'd ever had. Never had she thought that she would actually be able to escape the castle walls. Her plans had always been half-baked and unrealistic at best, colored by numerous mushy adventure novels and dyed in the rosy light of romance. There had been no dragons in her imagined adventures, no wild chases across the kingdom - and certainly no chafing, constricting trousers. Oh, she couldn't deny that they were warm and practical, but it didn't stop her from feeling exposed. Natsu hadn't even commented on it - which was lucky for him - but the princess was and would probably remain very self-conscious about the curve of her hips and how the brown leather made her thighs look much bigger than they actually were. Why would any woman prefer these over decent skirts?
But well, there were perks to them as well. At least she didn't look much like a princess anymore. Polishing off the hard edges a strict upbringing had left her with would probably take time, but there was something very rebellious and liberating about walking without heavy cloth swishing around the legs or corsets to constrict her breathing. Lucy could definitely get used to it, and had every plan to do so too.
For several hours she lingered on the hilltop, so deep in thought that she didn't even notice Natsu until he slumped down on the ground beside her, yawning widely with coat and shirt dangling over a bare shoulder.
"Feeling better?" Lucy asked and offered the man a smile, carefully averting her eyes from all the naked skin. The man was incredibly well built, but while the sculpted torso and defined muscles could be considered close to a work of art, looking made her feel funny inside, as though she had swallowed a handful of butterflies. It didn't make much sense to be nervous around Natsu - he was Natsu after all, dragon and goofy and sometimes too scary to stand - but she was anyway, to her own chagrin.
"Mmh, but I probably slept too long" he muttered. Raising his hands to the scarf around his head he unfastened the knot and carefully pried the cloth away from the wound on his forehead, grimacing whenever a scab came off.
"How's this look?"
The girl hesitated for a fraction of a moment, then turned and pushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead to get a better look. She examined the cut, feeling a stab of guilt when she saw how deep it was. It could have used a few stitches, but aside from being long and bleeding slightly where the cloth had been sticking to the skin it looked clean and dry - not that she was an expert.
"Doesn't seem to be any infection" she noted and let her fingers drop back into her lap. "Which is odd, considering how it hasn't been cleaned properly."
"Eh, I always heal quickly" Natsu shrugged, busy refolding the scarf before he tied it back over the cut. "Lucky for you - would have been embarrassing to explain how a dead person ended up in your garden." He grinned pointedly at her and made her snort despite the extra surge of guilt.
"Oh, I don't know about that. I could have gotten a medal if word spread that I killed a dragon with my bare hands!" She smiled back, eyes glittering in the warm sunlight. "Princess Lucy Heartfilia, the Dragon Slayer of Firoe! Doesn't sound half bad..."
"Ha, terrifying! Other dragons will cower in their dens at the mention of the girl with the stick, vanquisher of the mighty Salamander!"
"Salamander?" she laughed incredulously. "Is that you?"
"Apparently" he grinned. "Wasn't my idea..."
"Aren't salamanders fire lizards? Then why..."
"Because of this!"
Lucy gasped and jerked back so quickly that she toppled onto the ground when the dragon raised a hand that suddenly, for no apparent reason, burst into flame. He laughed at her as she stared open-mouthed at the bright fire, flames bobbing merrily at the slightest movement. The heat was intense, like sitting next to a campfire, but Natsu didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
"How do you do that?!" she exclaimed in a mixture of fear and delight, so mesmerized that she actually reached out to touch the fire herself.
"Hey hey, careful!" the dragon laughed, pulling his arm away. "It's magic, comes with being a dragon."
"Does it hurt?" Shifting onto her knees she followed the movements of his hand, filled with a giddy excitement that spilled over in a wide, glittering smile.
"Not me, but you better keep your fingers to yourself." Natsu grinned and let the fire go out again, laughing again when her face fell in disappointment. "More importantly, we need to get moving." He got to his feet and reached for the girl once she had stood and accepted the unnecessary clothes.
Finding it much easier to simply pull on the oversized coat she tied the shirt around her waist, Lucy tried her hardest not to blush when Natsu laughed at the result, or when he draped bare, muscular arms around her in a secure grip.
"Natsu, are there many dragons around?" She had to distract herself from the sensation of smooth, warm skin beneath her fingers. Frantically the girl kept up the conversation even as they took off, hating how her own body betrayed her with tingles and heightened sense of touch, smell, hearing - everything. Lucy was incredibly grateful for the extra layers of cloth between herself and the wind - and the man, who to her knowledge remained oblivious. Thank all the stars in heaven.
"Yeah, more than you'd think" he replied as he propelled them forward, towards the east this time. "We got a bit of a bad reputation though so we have to hide - looking and acting like humans is easier than holing up in a cave somewhere."
"Mmh, I don't think I've ever heard a story where dragon's were nice..." It slipped out before Lucy really had thought the sentence through and bit her lip when Natsu glanced down at her, expression unreadable. How did he even do that? So expressive one moment and then blank as a statue... it was unfair.
"And you still wanted to see one?"
Again, it was impossible to discern what he was thinking, his voice was so even and neutral that Lucy couldn't figure out if he was hurt or angry or just mildly curious. Nodding quickly she pushed whipping hair away from her eyes, trying to find words to explain. "Stories... aren't always true, right? I suppose I wanted to see for myself if they were right, form my own opinion..."
"Hmm..." She could feel his throat vibrate against her arms, a slight glitter appearing in the dark onyx of his eyes as he faced forward again. "And? What is your opinion now that you've met a dragon?"
She thought she could hear a trace of laughter in his voice, but the part of his face that she could see was quite impassive. Suddenly blushing without really knowing why, Lucy hid her face away in the crook of her own arm, Furious with the way her heart suddenly drummed in the chest. She tried to collect her thoughts enough to actually answer, the words tumbling into the air in a slightly pouty mumble.
"Dunno about all dragons, but the one I met... definitely weird! And scary! ... but very kind..."
Natsu began to laugh and the color of her face turned from a flushed pink to nearly as crimson as the scales of his wings.
"Seems the stories aren't all true then!" he grinned, suddenly cheerful as the beat of the wings quickened. Lucy tightened her grip around his neck, glad that he couldn't see her face as she let her head come to rest against a bare, sturdy shoulder.
"Mmh, it really does."