[Crystalkitsune85]

Kerian watched her relax and he let her touch him with no problem. He actually had spots that he couldn't reach that were itchy that small hands could get into. He'd have to tell her about them later. He watched as she slowly drifted to sleep because of his radiating heat. He quickly shifted back to his two-legged self and picked her up and carried her back inside.

He carried her to the bed and covered her up so she could sleep. He made sure her leg was propped up before he'd retreat from the bed and go back outside. He'd give it a few more days, then he would probably take her back home.

[Worm]

Moira was happy to drift off into a comfortable sleep. When she woke, she was in her bed again, neatly tucked under the blankets. She wasn't sure if she'd just dreamed the whole night up. "Kerian?" She arched her neck to see around the corner, wondering if he was within reasonable distance to hear her speaking? If he didn't respond soon, she'd raise her voice a little bit. She really wanted to bathe. Not that she felt incredibly dirty, but she just wanted to float a little bit.

[Crystalkitsune85]

Kerian was just sitting outside when he heard her calling. He went back inside and stood over to the bed "Yes? What can I do for you?" he asked standing there next to her. When he heard she wanted a bath, he thought a moment. He supposed she could use the natural hot spring that fed in the far end of the cave.

"There is a hot spring in the back of the cave, beyond my dragon bed. It's large enough for me in dragon form to bathe in. Good for getting dust off my scales." he said. "Would that do?"

[Worm]

Moira smiled, happy to be reaffirmed about last night. It wasn't a dream after all. She nodded, "That would be perfect." A glow lit up her face, excited to see the hot springs, as well as Kerian's dragon form again.

[Crystalkitsune85]

He nodded and picked her up and carried her into the cave. He passed by his 'room' with the illuminated crystals and kept going. There was a large hot spring in the center of this chamber and the steam rose up and swirled around. "I think I have some clothes back at the house you can wear until these are cleaned." he said after sitting her down. "I can help you undress, but don't worry I won't look at anything," he assured her. "I'm a gentleman...er...gentledragon?"

[Worm]

Moira felt a little overwhelmed with the incredible amount of hospitality Kerian provided her. At the same time, she was not ashamed. Her normally pale skin was tinted pink. "I would most appreciate it, Kerian." She said, locking eyes with him with a timid smile. There was something odd connecting Moira to him now. She felt like they were two souls meant to meet, and she couldn't quite place the feeling. Perhaps it was like the stories her parents used to tell her, that if a person was chosen by a dragon, they became royalty. She wondered if this was literal, or more of a metaphor for the amount of glee one felt by being blessed by such a powerful creature.

[Crystalkitsune85]

He looked away and helped her disrobe and eased her into the water. He was sure not to turn to look at her since he wanted to give her as much privacy as possible. He honestly felt very odd. He never felt such a connection with anyone other than with his own kind. He had a bond with his mother and siblings but not with anything human or elven. He stared at the opposite wall and listened to the water cascading over her body as she washed.

[Worm]

The water was at the perfect temperature, though steam enveloped Moira's soft form. Her skin glistened under its warmth. She couldn't help but blush after the dragon had disrobed her. She remained that shade of pink even under the stream of water. She held out her hands to gather a puddle of water to splash onto her face. Her silvery hair dampened and fell over her shoulders and breasts. It felt rejuvenating to be there. "Thank you so much, the water feels great." She sighed in relief, making sure that water cleansed every inch of her body. "Do you need baths?" She added curiously, unsure how scales worked.

[Crystalkitsune85]

"I Take baths occasionally. It helps take the dust off my scales. If I sleep for long periods of time after a large meal, I sometimes get dusty." he said as she bathed. He also would take baths in his two-legged form too, just because it felt nice on skin, as well as scales. "I try and take them not too often in the colder times of year, though luckily it stays pretty warm back here in the winter so after I bathe I just stay here in the warm cave until I dry off. I usually don't go anywhere after I bathe anyway so no chance of me getting sick."

He would sit down on one of the rocks lining the hotspring and stare in the opposite direction that Moira was resting. "Do you get baths a lot where you're from?" he asked.

[Worm]

Moira tried to imagine what it would feel like to have scales. Maybe it would feel like always wearing a suit of armor. She wondered if Kerian's scales had dust on them now. "Hmm. That makes sense I suppose." She smiled, cheeks still flushed pink as she poured warm water over her face, letting it trickle down her body. "Actually, not really. We have well water, so we would boil it for a nice warm bath. Usually we'd only bathe if we were sick. Otherwise we'd just scrub certain areas or wash in the rain. So this - this -" She held her arms open, gesturing to the incredible space they currently inhabited. "This is a blessing." She smiled. At this point, she didn't mind if Kerian happened to see her virgin body. After all, he was a dragon. He probably didn't even know how to pursue a human female. The thought made her a little giddy.

[Crystalkitsune85]

He was tempted to glance back but since he said that he wouldn't, he kept his eyes averted as he promised. "Shame you don't have a natural hot spring where you live, then you could take baths all the time." he mused and then chuckled. "I will be taking you back home soon. Someone with medical training for elves should be looking at that leg of yours. Give you what you need to recover. Probably tomorrow would be best. The sooner the better." he said a bit forlornly.

While she finished up her bathing, he excused himself to go grab her something to put on until he was able to wash her other clothing. He came back shortly with a long shirt that would cover her down to upper thigh, so everything would be covered. He lay the folded garment next to her on the ground as well as a towel so once she was finished she could scoot up to the rim of the spring and dry off and then put the shirt on.

[Worm]

Moira felt an unsettling wave wash over her. Though she knew it was right to be returned to her family, there was something which made her nervous to go back to her normal life. She didn't know if she could tell her family about the dragon who cared for her. Would they even believe her? And if they did, would they come after Kerian and his scales? She lowered her head, making her way to the clothes that Kerian had prepared for her. "Yes, I suppose that is best." She dried herself off as best as she could, but the steam kept her a bit moist. Though she was still a bit wet, she managed to slip the large shirt over her head. It stuck to certain parts of her form, but it covered her up to her thighs.

"Do you think I should... tell them?" She adverted her eyes, a bit ashamed by how confused she was. It wasn't every day that a girl got picked up by a dragon. She wrapped the towel around her long, white hair and propped it up on her head. "I mean, what if they don't believe me..." She sighed. "Or even worse, what if they do believe me?" Moira lifted her head to let her eyes meet Kerian's.

[Crystalkitsune85]

As he carried her back to the house he looked out across the vast expanse of forest that could be seen from the opening of his cave. "Just tell them a wayward elf helped you. For all you knew, I was one until ..well you know. Forest elves still live around here albeit they're few and far between, but I could have just been at the right time at the right place." he said. He got her back onto the bed and covered her up. "Get some sleep. I'll feed you breakfast tomorrow and then I'll take you back home." he said and then slid a stray hair behind her ear and moved back outside.

He would grab her clothing and wash them in a bucket of water he pulled from the hot spring. He got the dirt and most of the blood from the garments. He hung them to dry and as she slept he mended them once they were. All the tears and small holes caused by falling were now repaired and they looked almost brand new. He folded them up, then wrapped them in a bolt of fabric with some lavender flowers. When she went to go put them on the next morning they would have a faint smell of lavender on them.

[Worm]

It made sense. Of course she had to conceal his true identity. It wasn't too far from the truth. Though Moira could not rid her mind of Kerian's true form. His beautiful scales, and immense and powerful form. She wondered how it felt to fly through the air as if it were water. That night, she slept soundly. Even though her mind was racing with wicked thoughts and fears, she dreamed. She dreamed of riding Kerian's back, clinging onto his neck as they weaved in and out of nighttime clouds. The moon was so close, she was sure she could touch it. And when she reached out to taste it, she woke up.

The light of morning was just now bleeding into her bedroom. She saw her clean clothes neatly placed next to her bed. It was just a dream. And so was her time with Kerian. She wasn't sure if she was ready to return, but they both knew, that it was what was best. Her ankle was much better now, when she swung her legs around the edge of the bed, she tested it. She slowly put weight onto it and edged her way into a standing position. It didn't hurt, but it felt a little tense. So she put more weight onto the other foot still. She slid into her clothes. They were clean and fresh, she took a deep whiff and felt instantly relaxed. It was time to go home.

[Crystalkitsune85]

Kerian came into the room from the kitchen. He heard her stirring as he cooked and peeked in and saw her standing up to dress. He gave her enough time to get into her mended clothing before he came in, carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

When she sat back down on the bed, he placed the tray on her lap and let her eat. A couple hen eggs with some ham, as well as a slice of toast with butter and a glass of milk. A bowl of fresh strawberries on the side.

"Here you go," he said softly as he sat back and watched her eat. One last meal before he would take her home. "I hope that things go well for you when you return home." he continued. He didn't really know what else to say. He sat in silence as she ate and if she spoke he responded to her questions.

[Worm]

Moira's eyes widened at the extravagant plate of food then back to the man who'd prepared it. She was smiling, exuberant and happy. How could she leave behind such a lovely soul. She had to assume he was lonely for how well he cared for her. Yet... She still had to return. He was much too good to her. After all that her people had done to his.

"Thank you so much Kerian." Her green eyes welled with tears. She wiped them before allowing herself to cry and reached for a strawberry, popping it into her mouth. Her eyes rolled back into her head. The fruit was immaculate. She was still impressed by the quality of his food. "Mmmm~" Was all that managed to escape her lips as she shoveled the rest of the food down her throat. She did her best to enjoy every bite, but it was just so good, that she couldn't stop. By the end of it, she was rubbing her stomach, completely satisfied. "Ohhhh... I'm so full." She chuckled. A bittersweet smile on her face.

"Everything will be just fine, Kerian." She tried to calm his worries. It was best for them to never see each other again... But how could she? She had to find some way to make it up to him. She couldn't imagine living her life the same way without him. Her heart felt empty and aching. "It will be just fine." She smiled genuinely, holding back tears as best she could. "Shall we then?" She sighed, mustering up the strength to say goodbye to her newfound friend.