Chapter 12: Pleasant Homestead

"Come on," Junipor's voice strained as she tried to tighten the belt around her pelvis. Apparently all the mead, and other adult beverages, had come back to haunt her. The same thing happened last year, during the mating season when she was at the peak of her fertility. Stress was the pivotal factor last year, this year was more of the same but laying in bed while recovering didn't help either.

Junipor still suffered from nightmares, but that wasn't the worst of it. Often throughout the day she would catch a faint odor that shockingly reminded her of the spicy rotten smell from the buried temple. It was like a phantom sensation that would tingle her nostrils randomly. Sometimes it would be so faint she would barely notice, while at others it caught her off guard. She told herself it was all in her mind, the trauma of the Sacred Sands leaving behind lasting scars.

The townsfolk of Hitecross were relieved when she was rescued from the Sands, although they were frightened to learn of her wounds. There was a reason no one ventured to the Sacred Sands, and none needed a grim reminder. Junipor's return, and the death of three Aiverix warriors, signaled everyone to keep away. The towns mayor was rumored to be considering ordering guard posts to be established around the deserts parameter to prevent anyone else from being foolish enough to cross over.

Junipor had no intention of ever repeating that mistake, although the fact that a decrepit temple had been buried in that wasteland was alarming. An ancient disease had been dormant for an age, and their intrusion had set it free. Junipor hoped that whatever they had disturbed wouldn't leave the Sacred Sands. Maybe that was why she had grown frightened of eerie smells, they were reminders that she had irresponsibly endangered everyone in Hitecross.

Junipor gave up trying to buckle the belt tighter around her waist, reluctantly accepting she had to loosen it a few notches. She decided then and there to quit drinking…after tonight.

After the Dragon left the forge that morning, Junipor rushed to her borrow so that she could clean up and put on a fresh set of clothes. The linen cloth around her chest felt soft against her tender skin. She chose to wear an orange tunic to cover some of the bandages on her arms and wrapped around her core. She resisted the urge to wear the fine leather jerkin instead. The tunic would have to be enough, with her arms still bruised it wouldn't look good to go with the sleeveless leather jerkin.

Junipor put on her high top boots and wrapped a red scarf around her neck. The scarf wasn't necessary, but it matched the orange tunic and felt pleasing against her bare throat. Soon it would be too warm to wear it, so she didn't see the harm putting it on for the final time before winter returned.

The evening sunlight welcomed a mid day breeze. The streets were crowded with townsfolk, many were trading in the market while others were returning from their manual labor. Junipor noticed the small pack of Pharine males in full hunting gear, they would soon depart north then venture westward to go after dangerous game. The towns militia was also on patrol, they seemed bored out of their mind.

Junipor struggled to keep her agitation at bay. She waited patiently in front of the doorway of her borrow with her arms crossed. The hair of her tail was straight, and her ears were sharp. Her feet tapped against the granite stone surrounding the parameter of her home. Several seconds went by, then minutes as Junipor waited for the Dragon to come and seek her out. A cart wheeled by in front of her home, pulled by a mule and bearing a vast load of wheat. She almost threw up when she saw the mule leave behind a carpet of droppings in its wake.

"Was it this house? Or that one? Damnit these all look the same." Junipor's ears shot up, recognizing the voice. She looked around nervously, and took a whiff of the air to identify the Dragons scent. To her heightened Pharine senses, the Dragon smelled cleaner than the average townsfolk. There was no grim on his knees or dirt clinging to his boots, and he didn't smell of sweat from hours of toil.

She followed the sound of his voice, which was a little easier than following the smell. The skies were clear overhead, although there was a small buildup of clouds to the east. It was common for thunderstorms to rise up, out of no where, this time of year so Junipor thought little of it. The streets were filled with the noise of shifting boot steps, and dancing coins from loose purses, as dozens of craftsman walked past her. Their robes smelled strongly of lilac, briefly disturbing Junipor's senses.

The largest dwelling nearby was a two story hut which belonged to the local sheriff. The second story featured a balcony to look over the town, currently it was unoccupied. It was rare to see the sheriff wondering the city streets, usually relying on the handful of constables to maintain order. The town militia often worked in conjunction with local law enforcement, but only because they had nothing else to do. There was a time when Junipor considered working for the sheriff, but the lack of crime and attention deterred her.

"Sorry to bother you! No I'm not trying to steal anything, just looking for someone…" The Dragons voice was a little closer. Junipor realized he must have been unable to find her burrow, and was lost.

A few minutes passed before she noticed him, the Dragon was arguing with himself while pacing back and forth. His wings were folded against his back, but they seemed to twitch as he scratched the back of his neck. His dark hair was slightly disheveled as well, likely from him scratching at his scalp. She watched from around the corner as he ventured to the next dwelling down the street.

In a way it was humorous watching him wander aimlessly down the Main Street, looking for her. Junipor supposed it would've been difficult for an outsider, especially another species, to make out the individual homes. They all looked the same, Pharine borrows were like that, but they each had their own unique scents or identifiers that they could easily make out. Perhaps Dragons didn't have the same heightened senses, or were simply not used to utilizing them.

The Dragon paused as he reached the next house, Junipor bit her lip realizing who's home he was about to disturb and rushed forward.

"Aimar!" She called out his name just as he was about to offer a simple knock on the door. He froze, looked over, and sighed a gasp of relief.

"There you are, I was this close to taking to the skies in search for you." There was a touch of inebriation in his voice, his cheeks were blushing. It was likely he had been indulging himself for much of the day, although he kept his stature appropriately.

Junipor quickly rushed toward him, and without thinking grabbed him by the forearm to drag him away from the dwelling he was so close to disturbing. A bead of sweat strolled in between her shoulder blades as she pulled him away from that particular homestead. Of all the places he could've encroached upon, that home was the last place he, or anyone, should visit.

"Wow, where are we going?" His feet stumbled as she lead him away, back down the street.

She didn't answer him, rather Junipor hoped she wouldn't have too. As they raced away, Junipor risked a single glance back at the old home Aimar almost foolishly disturbed. There was a single tinted glass window, and she could've sworn there was a silhouette watching them as they fled. It might've been her imagination, but Junipor nearly tripped in fright upon seeing it.

They quickly made their way back to her own home, "This is my dwelling, so please don't get lost again." She assumed he would want to find it again, or rather hoped.

The Dragon looked at the clay structure, "Our all Pharine homes this small?"

"We build into the earth, so you're only seeing the top level." Junipor's ear flinched as she felt something scratching along the base. She reached back and felt a tiny flea scurrying against her mane. Had she been alone, Junipor would've yelled obscenities at the discovery. She couldn't believe this could happen now of all times. The Dragon didn't seem to notice her discomfort, she waited until he glanced away for a brief second before flicking the pest away.

"Thats impressive, I've never heard anything like that before. Speaking of which," He looked back down the street, "I hope I didn't upset anyone."

"Nope," Junipor feigned a smile as best she could. The last thing she wanted was to talk about the home down the street. She couldn't stop her tail from wagging back and forth. "Let me show you around," She couldn't stop smiling.