Chapter 13: Grounded

Usually, seeing Reks filled Aeris with joy because it meant she could visit Aubrey. Now his presence was only a reminder of the sudden turn her life had taken.

It didn’t help that she started getting terrible headaches for some reason. It had to be the stress. Between sneaking out and keeping the reading lessons a secret, she already had trouble sleeping some nights. She made a point of hiding it from Master Aaron and Maggie. They were already fretting over her health. Maggie still refused to look Aeris in the eye. Any interactions were kept brief and responses were always stiff and hurried.

Aeris really needed someone to talk to now more than ever, but no one was available. It was near impossible to get Lillith alone anymore, Aeris feared Aubrey’s reaction to her getting married, and she still had no idea what to say to Windor. To make matters worse, flying was now forbidden to prevent any risk of injury. She tried sneaking in a flight once, but Master Aaron saw her and became so upset, it took an hour to calm him down. She felt so guilty for worrying him like that, she couldn’t dare bring herself to do it again.

So to keep herself sane, she was forced to wander the gardens. It wasn't bad, but it was best suited for warmer weather. The smells and feelings of isolation were so much different here when the weather turned cold. But there was nowhere else to go. Her break-ins to her master's study had to be done sparingly. On many days, he spent most of his time there. On others, he hovered over her whenever Reks wasn't around.

“Is something wrong, Aeris?” Lilith asked.

Aeris craned her neck to look at the woman behind her. Master Aaron wasn’t with Lilith this time, meaning she could freely for once. “I’m worried about getting married.”

Lilith sat down on a nearby bench folded her hands in her lap. “Oh? That’s perfectly normal you know. Marriage is a big step in any relationship.”

“But I don’t really know Reks," Aeris argued. "I spend time with him, but that's all we do. And what about Windor? I haven't told him yet, and I don't know what this means for us. I really like him. What if he gets upset?"

Lilith smiled, making Aeris tilt her head in confusion, failing to find the humor in the situation. “Aeris, you are making too big a deal over this. If you’re so worried about how Windor will react then simply don’t tell him. You said yourself you don’t have strong feelings for Reks. The two of you can remain married and see other dragons in secret. Humans have these sort of arrangements all the time.”

Aeris rolled over to get a better look at Lilith. She scanned the woman’s face for any signs it was a joke. Her stomach knotted when she saw Lilith wasn’t joking. Surely, she’s joking. An affair? Aeris thought. More lies and sneaking around? Is this what my life had become?

"It's okay, you know," Lilith said. "I promise you, humans do this sort of thing all the time." She walked over and stroked Aeris' back. Her movements were stiff and awkward as they always were. "Aaron won't mind so long as it makes you happy, so all you need to do is focus on the things you enjoy. You don't want to cause him any undue stress, right?"

Aeris stood and walked back toward her room. Lilith’s words rang loudly in Aeris’ head. Master Aaron’s happiness was one of the few things that mattered to her. All the insults and other things she put up with to prevent causing her master trouble. “ ‘It’s okay?’ No, it’s not okay,” she mumbled. If word got out that she was having an affair, the scandal would hurt her master’s business. She had seen it happen at the human parties, the whispers, the shaming, the condescending stares. After causing so much trouble for her master, how could she even think of causing more?

“You know, I heard the most interesting rumor today,” Lilith called after her.

Aeris froze. Something about Lilith’s words sent a chill through her. But that phrase meant nothing; Lilith could be talking about anything. There were tons of rumors floating around.

Lilith walked toward her. Aeris held her tail stiffly behind her to prevent it from wrapping around her body. No amount of reassuring thoughts could quell the desperation she felt crying out to run as far and as fast as possible from the situation. But to do that would be admitting guilt. She didn't even know what the rumor was. If it wasn't something to worry about, there would be if she panicked. Lilith leaned and whispered into Aeris' ear, "I heard someone's been teaching dragons how to read."

Aeris felt light-headed. “W-Where did you hear that?”

"People talk," Lilith said, shrugging. "Now, Aeris, you haven't heard anything, have you? This is a very worrying rumor."

“But what does it matter if dragons can read?”

"Well, what reason could they possibly have for wanting to read?" Lilith replied with a small chuckle. Her smile quickly faded, however. "They have an ulterior motive. I have never met a dragon who desired to learn anything. You're a dragon, Aeris, when have you ever felt a need to learn something?"

“Actually, I would love to learn how to read,” Aeris said, emphasizing her annoyance. She almost smiled at the look of horror on Lilith’s face. “Maggie reads to me all the time, and it would be wonderful if I could read those stories for myself.”

The shock didn’t last long. Lilith composed herself and the smile returned. “Aeris, surely you don’t mean that. Could you imagine how dangerous it would be for you if someone heard you wanted to read? Imagine what Aaron would think.”

Aeris said nothing; Maggie had already given her the speech of the dangers of learning. Even knowing the risks, she did it anyway. She asked Maggie to teach her until the woman relented, and it was worth it. Before meeting Aubrey, reading was Aeris’ window into the world. There was so much to experience, and reading helped alleviate her boredom. She wouldn’t give that up for anything and wouldn’t ask anyone else to do the same. So what if Master Aaron didn’t like it? Aeris wasn’t going to keep anyone from the experience.

The smile slid off Lilith’s face. She straightened up and stared coldly at Aeris. “Looks like someone has sharper claws than she would have everyone believe. But I don’t think you quite understand the situation you’re putting yourself in.” She folded her hands in front of her and said in a strong parental tone, “Unless you plan to use them, you shouldn’t bare your fangs.”

Aeris didn’t respond and started to walk back to her room. Maybe she should bare her fangs more. She was tired of playing the “good” dragon and regretted nothing. All those lessons on manners and etiquette, yet it seemed she was the only one being reprimanded for speaking her mind.

A breeze brought Reks’ scent to her nose. She lifted her head to see the Horntail, his master Zachery Bachmann, and Master Aaron standing in the yard. She sighed and approached the group.

Looking at Reks only reminded her of what was expected of her, so she kept her gaze on her master. The man I lie to every day, she thought, her guilt worsening with every step. The man who put his trust in me which I betrayed. The same trust I plan to betray today. She needed to see Aubrey and tell her about the rumors. Aeris owed her that much.

When she reached the others, she bowed and said, “Good morning, everyone.” Straightening up, she put on the best smile she could. Just like at the countless human parties she attended with her master, she never showed weakness. Hide it all behind a mask of smiles and courtesy. Reks wore his unease on his face. Instead of returning the greeting as their masters did, he stared at the ground.

“Reks, is that any way to act around your bride-to-be?” Mr. Bachmann asked. “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly nervous now? I don’t remember teaching you to be a coward.” He chuckled at some unknown joke and slapped the dragon hard on the back. “Come now, females prefer a male who is always in control.”

Reks chuckled along though it was clear he didn’t find it amusing. “G-Good morning, Aeris.”

“He’s not a coward,” Aeris said, annoyed. “And I don’t like you calling him one.”

The three males stared at Aeris in shock. It didn’t feel strange. There was no nervousness, no worry. Only the desire to maintain the firm stance she had taken. Just like those moments before. No, this was different. She felt in full control of herself. Even seeing the look of horror on her master’s face, she felt no regrets.

Master Aaron recovered first. “Aeris! What’s gotten into you?”

“No, no. It’s all right, Aaron,” Mr. Bachmann said. “After all, it’s only right for a wife to stand by her husband, isn’t it?” He nudged Reks and glared at the Horntail. “And what of you? Are you going to let your wife fight your battles for you?”

“Yes, he is,” Aeris replied sternly. “Mr. Bachmann, for dragons, the females are in charge. So, yes, I’m going to fight his battles. Now is there a problem?”

Mr. Bachmann took a step back, turning to Master Aaron to say something. Master Aaron looked just as stunned.

“Hey, Aeris, didn’t you say you wanted to show me something way over there on the other side of the estate?” Reks said quickly as he steered Aeris away from the two humans. Throwing one last disapproving stare at Mr. Bachmann, Aeris allowed herself to be led away. Reks waited until their masters were well out of earshot before he turned to Aeris and said, “Are you insane?! You have no idea what he’s going to do to me once we get home.”

“He wants us to get married; he can’t risk jeopardizing that,” Aeris said calmly. “Why do you let him talk to you that way? You are very quick to yell at me whenever I do something wrong.”

Reks gave a short sarcastic laugh. “Wow, you’re one to talk. When’s the last time you told your master no?”

“That’s different. My master never insulted me, and he never would’ve done it in front of guests. Everything my master has done, he did out of love.”

“So you say. At least I know where I stand with my master.”

Aeris decided not to argue further. They had enough things to worry about without being at each others’ throats. “Let’s just get to Aubrey’s. By the way, we shouldn’t tell her about the marriage.”

“Why not?”

“She doesn’t like Master Aaron. If she finds out he arranged for me to be married, she might call off the business deal with him. I can’t take that risk.”

Reks was silent for a moment. It seemed he had accepted the explanation until he replied, “You don’t owe him anything you know.”

Aeris stopped and glared at the Horntail. “Master Aaron is nothing but nice to me. He treats me well and takes care of me. I owe him everything.”

Reks stared back, but with pity instead of anger. “I used to call you stupid and naïve to annoy you, but now I see you really don’t know anything. And I see why.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Let’s get to Aubrey’s.”

The walk to Aubrey’s was long and awkward. Reks didn’t say anything which Aeris was glad for. Just when it seemed they had found common ground, he had to go and say something like that. Why couldn’t anyone understand? Like it or not, she was indebted to her master. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before other thoughts distracted her from Reks calling her a puppet again. When she wasn’t thinking about the wedding, she was thinking about Lilith’s suggestion. But she couldn’t do it. Meeting Windor was one of the best things to happen to her. Throwing it all away felt wrong although an affair didn’t feel much better. A life of secrets and sneaking around didn’t sound like fun. But isn’t that what I’m doing now, lying and sneaking around? She wondered. But if I hate it so much, why do I keep doing it? How long can I keep this up, or do I expect my Master to one day be okay with it?

The feelings of anxiety and guilt eased a little when they arrived at Aubrey’s. Helen greeted them at the door as she always did. Aubrey was waiting for them in the yard. She seemed in a good mood which only worsened Aeris’ guilt knowing the Ravager’s good feelings weren’t going to last.

Instead, Aeris avoided the subject and started their reading lessons. The lessons went very smoothly. They read one chapter each from a horror story Helen picked and did very well. The distraction pushed Aeris’ troubles away, but the thoughts remained at the edge of her mind like the way darkness lingered outside the glow of a lamp’s dying flame. As the day went on, the darkness drew closer, threatening to swallow her whole. She did everything she could to hide her fears from Aubrey, hoping to have a solution when the reveal inevitably came. But nothing she thought of helped. No solution seemed to work or even sounded feasible.

After their lessons were over, Aubrey approached Aeris and asked, "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or do you plan to make me drag it out of you?"

Aeris turned to Reks who refused to meet her gaze. She turned back to Aubrey, feeling the same way she did when Maggie caught her in a lie. There was no way around it, so Aeris decided to come out and say it. “There’s a rumor going around that dragons are learning to read,” Aeris said.

Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? Has anyone said any specifics? Do they know about us?”

“I don’t know.”

Aubrey sighed heavily and slapped her tail against the ground in irritation. “This is a problem. If the wrong humans learn of this, it could cause problems for all of us. I have enough to deal with as a dragon in charge of a human household. And you two are already looked down upon for being domesticates. What I don’t understand is how—” A low growl stopped her mid-sentence as she turned to Reks, the look in her eyes saying everything Aeris needed to know. “Come here.”

Reks turned around and kept his head down as he walked toward Aubrey. He sat down before the Ravager, his eyes closed tightly, and kept his body tense as if expecting a physical lashing. Judging from the anger in Aubrey's expression, Aeris suspected he was right to be afraid.

“Everyone here are the only ones who know about the reading lessons,” Aubrey said. “Neither Helen nor myself have said anything, and Aeris would never start a rumor that would put her in a bad place with her caretaker.” Her tail slapped against the ground like the crack of a whip, making Aeris and Reks flinch. “Which only leaves you, Reks. I’m only going to ask once: What did you do?”

It never occurred to Aeris that Reks would be the cause of the rumors. Thinking about it now, it made sense. The Horntail enjoyed bragging, and she had to warn Reks to keep his voice down on several occasions.

“I…I was trying to impress someone,” Reks said lamely. “She really liked that I knew how to read. But I got carried away, and I let it slip that someone taught me.”

“You fool!” Aubrey shouted as she stomped toward him. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”

Reks gave a frightened squeal and stumbled backward falling onto his back. Aubrey stood over him, cutting off any hope of escape, glaring at the cowering Horntail. Already the largest dragon there, she somehow made him appear even smaller. Something she could easily crush underfoot.

“I’m sorry!” Reks cried. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble!”

“Lady Aubrey, please control yourself!” Helen said. She stepped forward, her face full of fear, but remained out of reach of Aubrey’s tail and claws. “If you harm him, Aeris will be the one who gets blamed.”

Aubrey continued to stare at Reks as if contemplating whether it would be worth the trouble to teach him a lesson. She snarled and flipped the table with her tail, knocking the books and cups of tea to the ground. With one final growl, she turned away from Reks and went inside.

“I’ve never seen her that upset before,” Aeris said.

Helen began gathering the tea-soaked books. “You’ll have to forgive Lady Aubrey. She’s been under a lot of stress, and these rumors could be very damaging for her. She has many enemies, and they may grow desperate should they learn she’s teaching dragons to read. That would be dangerous for her and a great many people.” She took the books inside, leaving Aeris and Reks alone.

“We’re not dumb beasts,” Aeris said, stamping on the ground. “Why is it so dangerous for dragons to begin reading?”

Reks, still laying on the ground, said nothing. Aeris felt no sympathy toward the Horntail. All that talk about her being the naïve one, and look at the situation he had caused.

“Because it calls a lot of things into question,” Helen said calmly as she returned to the yard with a broom and pan. She began picking up the larger pieces of glass. “It would mean humans have no choice but to acknowledge dragons’ intelligence. But in that case, what does it mean to have one as a pet? Does that mean we are enslaving you?”

“I’m not a slave.”

“Not all cages have bars,” Aubrey said from the back door. Her fury gone, she now looked small and tired. For the first time, Aeris saw a creature that had been alive for over a century. Old and worn out, stretched over a long line of experiences and troubles. “I’m sorry, Aeris, but we’ll need to cancel our lessons for the foreseeable future. Until I deal with these rumors, we can’t risk anyone learning the truth. Not at such a delicate time.”

There was no point in arguing. Aeris didn’t like it, but causing Aubrey trouble meant potentially causing Master Aaron trouble. There was no choice but to acquiesce. So long as they stopped meeting, there would be no proof and soon the rumors would be dismissed.

“But I can still come and visit, right?” Aeris asked.

“Of course you can. My door is always open to you,” Aubrey replied. She threw a dark glare back at Reks who still lay on the ground. “You will also accompany her. It’s obvious you can’t be trusted, and the less time you’re left to your devices, the better.”

Reks opened his mouth to say something, but a withering glare from Aubrey made him snap his muzzle closed and nod.

“Good. Now Aeris, I think it’s best if you go,” Aubrey said. “I need time to think, and I’m sick of looking at him.”

In silence, Aeris bowed and motioned for Reks to follow her as she left Aubrey’s mansion. Part of her wished she had left Reks behind. Why didn’t she see he was the one responsible when it was so obvious? She snorted at her foolishness. It had become a bad habit, overlooking the obvious and refusing to see people’s flaws, and she had gotten sick of it.

They had lunch at Aubrey's which meant it was late afternoon by the time they returned to Aeris' room. The sun had not quite begun setting, but the sky had begun to darken. Aeris almost forgot during the cold months the sun set sooner. She would need to be more careful about her schedule.

Reks didn’t speak again until they were inside the room. When he spoke, his voice was small and timid. “Aeris, I—”

“What is the matter with you?” Aeris interjected harshly. Reks flinched from every word as if it stung him. “And we’re supposed to be getting married. Did you ever stop to think about how this would affect our masters? All that talk about me being the fool and then you do this?”

“I said I was sorry,” Reks mumbled.

“Sorry isn’t good enough!”

Reks stared at the floor and traced a circle in the dirt with his claw. “There’s this female I really like, and once we get married, I won’t be able to see her anymore.  It was stupid to tell her, but she was so impressed that I could read it just slipped out.”

Aeris couldn’t stay mad at him. It was hard to believe Reks feared anything except his master’s disapproval. “You know, if you wanted to see her after we get married, I wouldn’t mind,” she said.

Reks lifted his head, wearing a look of confusion. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to help you.” It had nothing to do with her desire to see Windor. She truly wanted Reks to be happy. Over the last few weeks, she learned that Horntail had it much worse than she did. He deserved to have some happiness. Even if he had been nicer to her initially, she doubted he would still want to marry her. Neither of them had any warning, and no one consulted them to ask what they thought about it. What plans for the future they had. They were expected to smile and nod and go along with it without complaint.

For once they were going to do something for themselves. Perhaps Lilith was onto something. Since humans did it so often, what would it hurt if they did the same? No needed to know. It would be their secret.

Reks turned away. “I don’t get it. Why are you so nice to me? After the way I treated you, you never held a grudge or hated me.”

“Would you rather I wasn’t?” Aeris said as she stepped closer. “Maggie always—” she hesitated for a moment at remembering that her closest friend and parental figure wasn’t talking to her now. But this was about Reks, not her; she took a deep breath and continued, “Maggie always said, revenge and hatred are like poison. They can kill you slowly or quickly, but that’s all it’ll ever be good for. Yes, you were mean to me, but I can’t hate you for that.” She sat beside Reks and folded her wing around his body much like what Aubrey had done with her. “Besides, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other, so we might as well learn to get along.”

Before Reks could respond, Master Aaron came into the room. He noticed the two dragons sitting together and quickly cleared his throat. “Forgive me for interrupting, but Reks, your master says it’s time to go. And I would like a moment alone to speak with Aeris if you please.”

Reks gave Aeris a sympathetic look, “I—”

"You can give me your answer later," Aeris said, smiling. "Just think on it for a while."

With a quick nod, Reks left the room. Master Aaron waited a few moments before turning to Aeris and asking, “What was that about?”

“Nothing important, master. You said you wanted to speak with me?”

“Yes, we need to talk,” Master Aaron said, his tone firm, indicating he was upset. “Now, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I don’t like it. First the Everfields and now this? You need to apologize to Zachery the next time he visits, and you will behave yourself from now on, understood?”

Aeris looked her master in the eye and said, “No.”

“What did you say?” The firmness gone from his voice and replaced with disbelief.

“I said, no,” Aeris repeated in the same calm tone while maintaining eye-contact. “He was wrong to speak about Reks that way and I won’t apologize for standing up for him. I’m sorry, master, but I will no longer put up with being insulted to my face.”

“Wh-Where did this come from? Aeris, I understand if you want people to respect you, but that is something you earn.”

“It works both ways. From now on, I refuse to respect anyone who cannot perform a simple courtesy.” A feeling of confidence began to build in her chest. Despite her objections, she would go through with the wedding, but only for her master’s sake. No longer would she be a burden on him. No longer would her naivete and failure to act put him in awkward situations. She would be more independent and stand up for herself.

Master Aaron continued to stare at Aeris like something he had never seen before. His confidence returned slowly as he clenched his fists at his side. “Aeris, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I don’t like it. Now you will apologize to Mr. Bachmann when you see him again.”

“No.”

“Then you leave me no choice. I’m afraid you’ll have to go without supper tonight.”

Aeris’ mouth fell open. Not once had Master Aaron ever withheld a meal from her. Even after her outburst with the Everfields, she still received regular meals. “You can’t do that!”

"I can, and I will," Master Aaron shot back. "It seems this is the only thing that will get through to you. This is a very delicate time for me, and I will not have it ruined with your disobedience. I've tolerated your other slip-ups over the years, but it seems the only way you'll learn is if I'm more firm with you." He headed back toward the door. "Until you decide you're ready to apologize, you will spend your days here, and you will not receive any supper or sweets." He left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Aeris went to her mattress. She had finally done it; she took charge and stood up for herself, and it got her nothing but trouble. This time there wasn't the usual feeling of regret for her actions. Zachery was wrong to treat Reks that way and she would gladly tell the human off again given the chance. Since she was going to be stuck inside for a while, she decided to work on the new encryption for Cutter. She had already taken the books to study the day before and hid them under her mattress. Taking one of the books, she curled up on her mattress and began reading. She couldn't write and didn't have the materials to write with so she was forced to commit her findings to memory.

Time passed much faster than she expected, and by the time she looked up again, it had gotten dark out. Usually, Maggie came in at night to light the lamp for Aeris, but she didn't come this time. Aeris had read several books on the subject and knew how to light a fire herself. Taking a long strip of metal from her collectibles (she had no idea what the piece of metal was or why she chose to keep it) she held it close to the lamp and stuck the strip of metal with her claws. Eventually, it caused a spark that allowed her to light the lamp. Taking the lamp in her jaws and standing on her hind legs, she replaced the lamp to its hook on the ceiling.

After a few more hours, her stomach growled and it became hard to concentrate. She drank water from the trough until her stomach was full, but it didn’t last long. The growls grew louder as if in protest to being ignored.

Aeris decided she couldn’t take it anymore. She would have to sneak into the kitchen and grab something to eat. Before leaving, she slipped the book under the mattress, and just as she turned to leave, there came a light knock on the door. “Who is it?” Aeris called.

No response. Aeris tilted her head and approached the door. Even if she wasn’t grounded no one would be knocking on her door. Easing the door open, Aeris poked her head outside and saw no one was there. Just before going back inside, a meaty aroma filled her nose. Someone had left a bowl of food sitting on the grass beside the door. Instead of wondering who left it there, she decided to count her blessings and accept the meal.

After looking around one last time to see if anyone was watching, Aeris pulled the bowl inside. She quickly ate the food in case someone saw or just happened to come in. There wasn’t much, and it was cold, but she preferred it over going hungry. After eating her fill and licking the bowl clean, she placed the bowl in the corner of the room so it wouldn’t be easily seen and went back to her mattress.

With her stomach quieted, she wondered who left the bowl of food behind. The only two people who would even bother were Lilith and Maggie. Even though Maggie was avoiding her, Aeris refused to believe the woman had stopped caring about her. 

The next morning, the bowl was gone and there was a note in its place that read:

Hang in there.