Chapter 4.5

Chapter4.5

Apparently, Quinn came from a poor family. He felt sorry for her having to go through so much with no end in sight. Just like Rei, he would like to help her, but that was not possible.

"Unfortunately, we don't have animals here. It's too cold for that," he said apologetically.

Quinn's smile was crooked. "I'm quite happy about that," she said softly. "Sheep are annoying, and I don't like weaving. But it's all I know how to do."

Elgatos burst into loud laughter, dark and liberating as if trying to release the tension. "You're absolutely right about that. That bleating really gets on your nerves, and they smell beastly," he confirmed, nodding his head.

"But they taste good," asserted Quinn, who had eaten sheep only once before. It had taken some getting used to at first, but she had liked it very much, and it was something special.

Once again, Elgatos nodded and ran his hand through his orange, sticking-out hair. He, too, had already eaten the meat and could give his opinion. Only it didn't happen often. But for the men here, it was always a feast once a shipment of sheep meat arrived.

"Aren't you hungry anymore?" asked Elgatos since Quinn hadn't eaten very much.

The latter plucked off some of the meat since it had been brought especially for her. "My stomach," she mumbled softly as if that were an answer to his question.

"Do you have a stomach ache?" he wanted to know anxiously. "Or don't you like it?"

Quinn shook his head slightly. "It's so much," she whispered apologetically.

"You don't have to eat it all at once. Some of it is dried, so it will keep longer, and you can eat it when you're hungry," Elgatos explained. For Barafu residents, dried meat was an essential ingredient because it gave energy and had a long shelf life should there be supply shortages.

"Are you tired and want to sleep?" he wanted to know.

Quinn shook his head slightly. "I'm not tired," she said honestly. She was bored, but she didn't want to sleep.

"Then what do you want to do?" inquired Elgatos. Maybe he could distract her so she wouldn't get any stupid thoughts, like running away again. Besides, it was an excellent opportunity to get to know Quinn better. It would make the relationship during the transformation easier than not knowing anything about her at all. Should they know her idiosyncrasies, fears, and concerns, they could better relate to the young woman.

Quinn shrugged his shoulders. "Am I allowed to leave the room?" she asked cautiously, thinking she had gambled away that opportunity.

Thoughtfully, Elgatos looked at her. "I think Rei wants to make sure you don't collapse somewhere first, and he doesn't know where you are," he said slowly. According to the guard's words, she could move freely, but Elgatos suspected that he should stay with her. She was still too new and had already escaped once.

Quinn looked a little crestfallen. "All right," she said sadly and rose slowly but carefully.

Elgatos also got up and followed her but held the door open for her to go out first.

However, that was not Quinn's goal. She merely went to the window and looked out. She rested her cheek against the ice-cold pane as she did so. The coolness was pleasantly refreshing, and she longed to be free to move about.

"Are you coming?" asked Elgatos, waiting for her response.

Quinn looked at him and seemed confused. "I thought I wasn't allowed," she remarked in surprise. Hadn't he said that or had she misunderstood him?

"As far as I know, you are allowed to move freely, but since you could collapse at any moment, it's better I don't leave you alone," Elgatos explained calmly and patiently. But also so that she could not escape. He saw the difficulty because she did not know her way around here and could get lost. In the event of a collapse, that was very bad.

Quinn detached herself from the wall and smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said, moving slowly toward the door. It was good that he would accompany her. She didn't feel powerful and probably wouldn't get that far. Still, she wanted to move a little.

Elgatos smiled slightly and bowed elegantly as a sign that she could go out. The smile was not mocking but friendly, and the gesture seemed genteel and courteous.

Quinn felt her way along the wall but sensed that the walking was doing her good. The fatigue was fading, and the pain was getting a little better, too.

Elgatos kept a distance from her so she wouldn't feel crowded. Still, he was at her side, so he could intervene if she got worse. Without any problems, the older dragon adjusted to her speed, as he had no intention of rushing her.

Occasional clanking could be heard the closer they got to the entrance hall. Presumably, they were coming from the kitchen. Otherwise, it was quiet in the castle. Only from outside could the weather be heard raging. I wonder if it would ever stop snowing and storming.

Quinn strolled and kept looking out the windows as best he could. "I've never seen anything like it," she commented. Although she knew snow and also cold, this was still not an everyday occurrence for her.

"It's normal here. And it's not even winter," Elgatos replied, shrugging his shoulders. With that, he implied that it could get much colder here. Elgatos watched very closely to see if she would make another attempt to run away.

However, Quinn seemed so weak that he did not believe that. Moreover, she was guarded and wore the leather cage. With that, she would not be able to use magic.

"Then it's really getting freezing here," Quinn said but didn't seem too worried.

Nodding, Elgatos confirmed that. Most of the life took place behind the castle walls. Being outside for long periods was something everyone avoided, as it could have significant consequences.

Suddenly, Rei's ice-cold, angry and thunderous voice was heard. Apparently, he was cursing because of someone in the entrance hall.

Quinn became curious and decided to go to the stairs, hoping she could see something.

Gently, she was held by Elgatos, but he went with her because he didn't want to just drag her away. It was essential to the older dragon that the women were treated well and with care.

"He's coming to Sector D instead of C right now!" ordered Rei icily. Loud enough that it was audible even at the top of the landing.

Standing with him was this Blade who had come for him. He looked pretty banged up. Apparently, he had been injured. By what, that was not apparent to Quinn.

But that Rei was in a rage. She could feel and also see.

Liron rushed over, and everything seemed frantic. "As long as he's acting crazy and insane like this, you're not going to see him anymore. I'll personally take care of his transfer. Take care of Blade's injuries," Rei angrily turned to Liron, who nodded upward. Immediately Rei turned and fell silent when he saw Quinn.

Instead of going to her, he hurried away, leaving the other two dragons standing in the entrance hall.

Quinn felt like she had done something wrong and trembled slightly. She turned away and made her way to the room.

Fear rose in her that Rei might be angry with her and punish her.

Elgatos, who had not missed this, followed her and made reassuring noises. He had noticed the young woman's fear. "Don't worry, he's a little stressed right now. It's not you," he assured her. "Let's explore some more," he smiled encouragingly at her.

He knew why Rei was so upset. The guard's angry look hadn't been directed at her but at whoever was wreaking havoc down in the cellars. If Quinn knew Rei better, she would have seen something like fear in his eyes. Fear that she was witnessing more than she should.

The young woman shook her head. "No, I want to lie down again," she said quietly, feeling sick again.

"All right," Elgatos relented and escorted her back to Rei's bed-chamber. As soon as they entered the warm room, the dragon inquired if she still wanted tea. Hoping it would calm her down because she really didn't look well.

Shaking her head, Quinn lay down on the bed and curled up before closing her eyes. She was terrified Rei was mad at her for seeing something she shouldn't. "What's Sector D?" she asked in a whisper, afraid.

Sighing, Elgatos ran his hand through the orange hair that was sticking up from his head. "I'm sorry, miss. These are things I'm not allowed to talk about," he said apologetically. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow the world will look different again," Elgatos said encouragingly.

"Is he angry with me?" she wanted to know cautiously, curling up even more and looking anxiously at Elgatos.

The latter shook his head vigorously. "No, absolutely not," he assured her, watching Quinn react. But not too forcefully, lest she feels he was going to hurt her. She couldn't know that women didn't interest him.