Rampion

Chapter 4

I tore my gaze away from the child and took to staring at the wall. No matter how much she resembled Azuna, my daughter was dead and she had been for many years. I was beginning to think that taking the child back to my cave was a terrible idea. The child had scrambled back and pressed herself against the wall, and was now cowering in fear.

I sighed and lowered my head to the ground in an attempt to seem smaller. What an idiotic notion! She was no bigger than my claws! There was no possible way that she would ever think me small. And that was exactly the reason why I should return her to the village, her mother and father were most likely there mourning the loss of their child. I simply wanted to know why, the child was in the tower to begin with. What did she have to do with Kia Tamrinkas?

"Child," I began and the girl retreated further into the back of the cave. "I have no intention of harming you-

I stopped abruptly, when I realized that the child might be too young to understand me. She had not spoken a word since she awoke, and she had done nothing but whimper.

I growled in irritation, but stopped when the girl began to shed tears. I awkwardly attempted to soothe her, by tapping my tail against her back as I had done with my daughter, and she stopped immediately. The child grasped the end of my tail and seemed to stare at it for what seemed like forever, before she crept a bit closer to me.

Her small human hands brushed against my scales and I held still as she began to inspect my talons and claws. When she got a bit too close to the point of my claw I pushed her back gently. Even if she was only curious and wished to look, she could accidentally harm herself by brushing against them.

I scoffed, look at me concerning myself with a human's well being! I might as well coo at her like a fool or-

I stiffened when I felt something touch my side and looked down to see that the child had curled up next to me. I couldn't help remembering how Azuna used to sleep in that exact same spot. I settled down, careful not to jostle or crush the child and closed my eyes.

I would return the child to the village tomorrow, with or without receiving my answers.
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Short chapter but I wanted to write about the beginning of Arun and the girl's relationship.