When she was mostly through she stopped. “Can I take some stuff with me? For just in case I get hungry before dinner?” she asked curiously.

     Mother considered a moment, then said “Well, I guess you are a growing girl,” she finally decided, pulling out a small, clean sack for Aise to put things in. “But you’d better not ruin your appetite. We’re having the doctor over for dinner, so be home for dinner a little early today, alright?”

     Aislin nodded and quickly filled the sack with a fruit and some greens, and a small, sealed container of milk. After a moment’s hesitation, she added a tiny sliver of smoked and preserved land-animal meat, which they occasionally traded some of their staple of fish for. It was a nice change sometimes. She was glad mother had returned to whatever she was doing in the other room; she wouldn’t have been able to come up with an explanation of why she’d picked the foods she did without giving her secret away.

     Then again, she wasn’t sure why the little wyrm had to remain a secret now that he’d hatched... he wouldn’t want to leave her now, and her parents couldn’t make her give him away anymore. She supposed it had just become a habit since the day she’d found him on that shipwreck.

     Aise darted down the trail towards the skiff’s little lean-to, feeling ahead for any sign that Oku was awake. He wasn’t yet, thankfully, but at her mental touch began to stir. She hurried faster, a smile lighting her face as she ran, sack in hand. She was nearly there now, so it didn’t take her much longer to reach the little skiff, and when she did, a chorus of chirrups and squeaks greeted her. Aislin couldn’t help but giggle as she slid down into the little craft, setting the sack of goodies down beside her.

     Oku, of course, already knew what was in that bag, and peered at it eagerly.

     Aise giggled and opened it up. “What shall we try first?” she asked, then switched to practicing her mental communication again. Want to try some milk?

     The little wyrm squeaked and sent her a burst of curiosity and excitement that she assumed meant yes. She pulled out the little sealed bottle of milk and opened it, letting him smell it’s contents before pouring a bit out into her cupped hand. Oku sniffed it again, then tasted.

     *Good,* he said, wiggling his little tail.

     Aise was pleased. Good! But lets try some other things too, just to make sure, alright?

     Oku sent her gleeful thoughts as she opened the bag again and pulled out the various contents. The greens had gotten a little smooshed, the fruit had rolled on top of them accidentally, but that was alright. After a bit of taste testing, Aise had discovered that Oku didn’t care much for fruits and veggies, and the bread had made him wrinkle his nose, though he could technically eat them and be alright. She was relieved to know that he wasn’t going to be sick after their little food experiment.

     The meat and milk were instant favorites, but Aise doubted she could lay her hands on enough to keep the little wyrm happy without some serious explaining. Well, there was always a way.

     Lets go fishing, Oku, she said, picking up the little wyrm and letting him settle where he was most comfortable. Which happened to be around her shoulders, like a spiky scarf. Aise giggled at the mental image. The little dragon fly insisted on going with, chirping persistently, so she picked him up too and waited until he had joined Oku before heading out in search of her fishing pole, which she had been storing in uncle J’s cabin.

     On the way, she began to sing her little lullaby tune; it had been going through her head since the night before, and there was really no sense not to. So she did. And Oku and the little dragon fly listened.

     *Remember this, yes,* Oku murmured to his bondmate, still having a little trouble putting his thoughts into words. Aislin smiled, pleased, and began the chorus.

     And after a moment, another voice joined hers, a sort of soft hum in the background that harmonized not only with the tune, but the feeling of the song. Aise couldn’t explain how anything could harmonize with a feeling, but that’s the way it was happening.

     It didn’t take her more than a second to realize that it was Oku who had joined in, and she sang on happily with him humming softly in her ear and mind. His voice was a little strange, since it sounded sort of like a soft, throaty, trilling birdsong. Only... not. She liked his voices combined, and thought they made a nice duet when they sang together, though really, she giggled a little, it was more like a triad, with Oku’s ‘double voice.’ She wished she could show her parents.

     When the cabin was finally within sight, they had gone through the song twice more, Oku trying out different variations on his theme, proud of the way he could change the meaning of the song with a simple twist of mental harmony or discord. Aislin was also proud of her little dragon, beaming actually, sending a practically endless stream if praise and compliments through their shared mental link.

     Aise opened the door to the cabin and reached around the frame, pulling out first her good old fishing pole, a present from her seventh birthday, and then the little kit her father had given her for at Harvest a couple of years ago. She opened the small wooden box to make sure all was in order.

     There were several different kinds of hooks, normal ones in different compartments that had a bit of wood over them so that they wouldn’t get mixed up; big, medium and small, along with a little wrapped bit of wool and fabric holding some more hooks with feathers tied onto them, and lastly, a box of special, three-pronged hooks that Aise almost never used because she was always afraid of poking herself. There was also a roll of spare line, and a small jar of some sort of fish eggs that had been specially preserved and prepared, coated in a thin layer of cheese. Father had told her once that the fish in the lake couldn’t resist these eggs, so Aise only ever used them in emergencies, which didn’t happen very often.

     When she was satisfied that all was in order, she re-closed the lid, making sure to latch it securely so that it wouldn’t open as she carried it and spill the contents all over the place.

     Alright, we’re ready to go! Aise stood, pole in one hand, box in the other, and marched back to the Ssounaa’ouna, singing a bouncy marching song her father had taught her years ago. And of course, after he’d gotten the hang of it, Oku followed.