The thought occurred to her that it might never have been on solid ground. Or if it had, it would’ve been a long time ago, before it’s voyage that finally landed it here. Aise shuddered. She knew what it was like to be at sea for a day and be wobbly back on land... how much worse would that be if the poor thing had been on that ship all it’s life?

     After regaining her own balance, Aislin raced down stairs, heading for the door. However, before she could even pass the table, a strong arm hooked around her waist and lifted her off the floor. Father carried her back to the fire and sat her on his lap.

     “And where do you think you’re going, young lady?” he asked as mother came into the room from the kitchen, looking confused.

     “I... forgot to check something,” Aise improvised, skirting the real issue.

     Father shook his head and took a breath to say something, but mother cut him off. “Go back to bed, honey. You can check whatever it is tomorrow,” she said sternly “You shouldn’t be out this late at night, who knows what sort of animals out there are looking for breakfast.”

     “But mom!” Aise began, wriggling off father’s lap as another wave of dizziness mixed with distress rolled over her.

     “No ‘buts’ young lady, go back to bed.” Mother was adamant, and Aise could tell she wasn’t getting out of the house tonight.

     She ducked her head and trudged back up the stairs to bed, trying to fight off the feeling of distress and loneliness and dizziness.

     It’s alright, little one, she sent her comfort to the egg, a tear rolling down one cheek as she slipped under her own covers, it’ll be okay, you’re safe, nothing’s going to hurt you... Aislin tried to send comforting feelings to the distressed little egg, and soon she felt it drift off to sleep again. It was a fitful sleep, and more than once she felt it wake up confused, but sang it to sleep with the lullaby every time.

     It was a very long night for Aislin.

     The sun rose slowly, and Aise watched the sky lighten to the east. She was sure mother and father were asleep, but she waited a moment longer anyway. After adjusting the note she’d left them on the table, she tiptoed to the door and opened it as quietly a she could. The hinges squeaked sometimes, but she’d figured out how to stop it from squeaking a while ago. All she had to do was lift the handle as she pulled the door open, and again as she closed it.

     Once outside, the little girl dashed up the hill the way she always went to uncle J’s cabin. She didn’t stop to collect berries this time, but there were none on the bushed anyway. They must’ve all been blown off by the storm. She did, however, slip in the moist grass and fall on her hands and knees, glad that her pants were greenish today, so that mother wouldn’t protest the grass stain too much this time.

     When she neared the cabin she slowed her frantic pace and caught her breath. The egg was asleep again, but she knew she had to be there when it woke, and get it on a ship again as soon as possible.

     It wasn’t that strange to her that it was uncomfortable on land, since she was herself quite often after a long day on the lake. She just wished there was a better way to take care of it. She wouldn’t be able to take it home with her now after all, since it would be just as distressed in her room as it was last night in the cabin. And she didn’t like the idea of leaving it on the skiff either. What if uncle J needed it and accidentally lost the egg? Or what if someone found where it was hidden and thought it was abandoned and took the egg to take care of it?

     Aislin stopped thinking about that for now. She’d figure it out later. For now, she needed to get to the cabin and make the little egg comfortable.

     She was a bit surprised to see that there was no thin line of smoke issuing from uncle J’s chimney, since every other time she’d come in the morning he’d had breakfast cooking. Maybe he’d slept in? It was still pretty early. She opened the door quietly and peered inside. It was dark, all but some thin, early morning light coming from the windows that weren’t shuttered and the door.

     She was surprised that none of these windows had shattered, where most of her own home’s had, but decided that uncle J must have a way to prevent that.

     Hm, maybe he wasn’t here at all? It was a strange thought to entertain, so Aislin skipped to the more important stuff, hurrying to the bundle of blankets in which she’d left the egg. It was safe, and still warm to the touch, good. Aise lifted it up carefully, wrapping a blanket around the two of them again, before heading out. However, just as she was leaving, a sleepy squeak called her back. It was her little black dragon fly. She must’ve carried it here yesterday with the egg, and it had stayed behind when she left.

     “Good boy,” she said softly, and it crooned and hopped onto her outstretched hand, climbing up her arm to settle once again on her shoulder. She hugged the egg to her and sent it warm comforting thoughts as she took all three of them outside into the predawn.