Edited 6/20/07: I changed a few words.

Chapter 5 is here! I'm finding this story very easy and fun to write. I hope you feel the same reading it. Reviews are, as always, welcome and appreciated. To those with questions: they will all be answered in time.

Hope you enjoy!

-AmayaSora

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It was afternoon when the dragon awoke. I had carefully lifted it off of my lap to tend the fire. The meat was done, so I got it off of the skewer and began to eat it. It tasted good, considering I hadn't been able to catch a rabbit for a while.

When the dragon woke up I reached out to it with my mind. I felt fear from it, but then it sensed me there and the fear dissipated. It trotted over to me, and I scratched it on the neck. It nuzzled against me, and then sent its feeling of hunger to me.

Sighing, I gave it a few strips of meat, which it ate in one bite each. There was one left when it looked up at me quizzically. It lifted the last piece with its mouth and moved it towards me.

"No thanks, you can have it." But I sent gratitude through the link, and it shoved it closer, so I then sent my refusal through the link. It seemed perturbed, but ate the meat itself anyway. I reached down to pet it again, thinking. It seemed that it didn't understand words, just emotions or pictures.

As the day progressed the dragon and I both got thirsty and found our water supply rapidly diminishing. I recalled from the map that was now abandoned in Daret that a small lake, Fläm, was not far from Daret. Although "not far" was a relative term, considering the expanse of Alagaësia.

The map had shown the lake was southwest of Daret. Based on where I was now, it probably still held true. I packed up my things, doused the fire, and shouldered my pack. The dragon sent confusion to me. I sent it a picture of water and then the lake from the map. It tilted its head and fell into step next to me.

It was dark when we finally reached Lake Fläm. I crouched in the shadows of a bush, watching. It seemed pretty quiet, but that could easily change.

As if to agree with that statement, a fire suddenly flared into existence on the shores of the lake. Peering through the darkness, I could make out five or so men in Empire army uniform huddled around it. I stiffened. Getting this water was going to be harder that I had anticipated.

I crept further away from the camp as silently as I could. I decided that I had gone far enough and took a step out of the bushes. The dragon brushed against my leg. I couldn't let it get hurt in the dark, or give me away. Reaching for the link, I tried to make it understand the importance of staying here. I felt grudging acknowledgement, and also the feeling that it didn't want to leave me. I sent reassurance back to it.

Feeling satisfied, I broke contact and snuck toward the lake. I had almost made it there, unnoticed, when I stepped half on a pebble and it shot out from under my foot, landing in the shallows of the lake with a small splash.

Cursing, I quickened my pace. As I bent to fill the canteen, a voice shouted, "Over here!" I spun around to find a soldier calling to his comrades and advancing towards me. I quickly capped the canteen and put a hand on my dagger, but didn't draw it. There was still a chance I could talk my way out of this.

"Good evening, sir." I said innocently.

"What were you doing, sneaking around here in the middle of the night?"

"I was only refilling my canteen, sir. Traveling makes one weary."

It was then that his comrades came up. One of them held a torch. He shoved it closer to me to see more clearly. He cried, "I know you! You're that girl who ran away at Daret!"

I cursed again. They recognized me. This did not bode well. My grip on my dagger tightened.

"So it is," said another man. I recognized him as the platoon leader. "Well, well, little missy, I guess we will have to take drastic measures." He said softly, and gestured to his men. Two of them surged forward and grabbed my shoulders.

"NO!" I screamed, unsheathing my dagger. I slashed wildly, and felt a resistance as I heard one of my captors screech and let go of me, clutching his cheek. I kicked the other guy swiftly between the legs, and he crumpled to the ground.

I started to run, but then one of the men on the ground tripped me, and I fell over. Two other guards grabbed me. I jerked free of one of them and punched the other in the nose. I felt blood trickle down my hand as I heard the crack of snapping cartilage. The soldier I had wriggled free of grabbed my non-dagger arm, so I instinctively slashed him. It cut his wrist, and he let go.

Suddenly someone grabbed me from behind, knocking my dagger out of my grasp. He lifted me off of the ground in a bear hug. I thrashed and kicked wildly, but he wouldn't budge. "Easy now, missy, you'll be fine once I show you to my tent."

The platoon leader again! I struggled even harder. "Get off of me!" I cried, followed by a stream of curses any sailor would be proud of.

Suddenly, he did just that. I landed on the ground with a thump and rolled away, grabbing my dagger and standing up in one fluid movement.

Turning to face him, I saw the dragon fluttering around his head, slashing his face with its claws. The soldier ducked and waved his hands wildly in the air, trying to fend it off. The dragon nipped him hard on the ear before letting him retreat.

It sat there for a few seconds, hovering, before abruptly falling to the ground, exhausted. Hurriedly, I ran over to it. It was still breathing, thank goodness, but it seemed too weak to walk by itself. I scooped it up in my arms and hurried away, back into the mountains.

When I had reached what I considered a relatively safe distance, I stopped, panting. I sank down under a tree and leaned against it, placing the dragon in my lap. It sat up and blinked wearily.

"What did you do that for?! You could have gotten hurt, or even killed! Didn't I tell you to stay put?!" I yelled at it.

The dragon cowered, shrinking away from me. It might not understand what I was saying, but it could feel my anger. I felt bad, losing my temper like that. It had just saved me, after all.

"I'm sorry," I said, sending reassuring feelings across the link. "It's just that I was afraid you were hurt. Thank you, really, thank you for saving me." I sent gratitude over the link, and then pulled the dragon into a hug.

It began to hum again, sending happiness and pride back to me. I smiled. It must have taken a lot of courage for it to do that. From what I'd seen, it was a pretty timid little thing.

The next few weeks passed quickly. We traveled deeper into the Spine, trying to avoid any soldiers. It seemed to me that the platoon leader might have discovered the dragon's presence, and if so, the entire army might be looking for me. Or, rather, looking for it.

The dragon continued to catch food for us everyday. As it got bigger, it brought larger and larger prey. Soon its shoulder was taller than mine, and it was bringing back small deer to eat. I also sensed it becoming less timid, though it still retained a lot of its shyness. I guessed that was just its personality.

Our mental connection deepened, too. I could contact it even if it was off hunting, though it had to be within a three-mile radius. It could also fly better, too. That night on the shore of Fläm had been its first flight and had left it bereft of energy for a time. But as the days went by it could fly for greater and greater distances, and longer and longer periods of time.

Despite its frequent hunting trips I became very close to the dragon. It became my first real friend, my best friend. Every night we'd curl up by the campfire and I'd send it pictures of everywhere I had been, and snippets of memories.

Despite that, it was surprising to me when one night, as the dragon landed, I heard, Penelope? in my head.

I stared in wonder at the dragon. Did- did you say that?

Confirmation came through our link. Yes. I'm glad that we can finally talk with this much ease.

Yes, it is pretty nice. How was hunting?

Quite good. I was able to find another young buck weakened by cold. He should make a fine meal.

The dragon talked oddly. It used English, yet it spoke in a way no human ever could. However, I actually liked its voice. That's good. We should eat it soon, then.

Yes. Game is becoming increasingly scarce as we get further into winter.

Yeah, winter was always tough for me when I wasn't in town. I paused. Dragon?

Yes?

Um, I should give you a proper name. Just saying 'Dragon' seems so impersonal.

Yes, I have wanted a name for a while now.

So, um, do you have any suggestions? Are you a boy or a girl first of all?

I am female.

Yeah, okay… so, um… I struggled to remember some dragon names I'd heard in stories, and those that I had read in scrolls during my stint as Dras Leona's librarian, although those books were promptly burned for containing that information. I searched my memory for a suitable name. Lenora?

No, I don't like that one.

Miremel?

Not that, either.

Do you like Verina?

Satisfaction came across the link, and the rumble that had replaced her hum emanated from her belly. Yes. Verina is my name.

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Verina is an English name that isn't commonly used. It means 'sacred wisdom.' I thought it sounded noble and dragon-like. Anyway, I hope you'll review.