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Ximly yawned as she stepped out of the large bookshop. She turned and locked the door as she pulled it snug against the threshold. She gave it a thump, and something behind the door feel across it. Satisfied, the woman turned and brushed her hands off on her shirt before adjusting the messenger bag that hung from her shoulder. She then turned and began to walk to a run down truck that sat in the grass off to the side of the shop, and stopped as her ears twitched. Her pupils narrowed to slits as she looked off to the side to see a shadow slip around the corner of the building behind her.

She turned back to the shop and glared, “Aye, who’s there?”

No reply came.

I saw something….. I know I did…… Ximly thought to herself as she began walking towards the shop, determined to find out what had ducked around to the back of it. She stepped around the shop corner, and stared at the grass and fallen leaves against the side of the building. Her eyes were still narrowed, and she took a step forward, and stared at the normal scene.

A slight breeze picked up, ruffling the leaves and small pieces of what looked to be fuzz. The woman let out a short sigh at seeing a fluffy piece of down with a red tip hovering in the air in front of her, and she clenched her fists as she spoke, drawn out much like Coover had earlier that morning. “Caaalooon…..” She growled, “What have I told you about following me into town?”

There was a great crackling of the autumn leaves after a thud, as a large creature had dislodged itself from the tree behind her and hissed. It was large, nearly up to the woman’s shoulders, and it looked vicious with it’s carnivorous fangs and arched toes. Truly, it resembled a large feathered raptor, as it was covered in the fluff from head, nearly to toe. The creature ended its hiss and reared back, stretching it’s large white and red tipped wings, and pulling back it’s frilled head.

Ximly was laughing at the entire scene before her, the creature looked ridiculous with its performance, and she wondered how it had even managed to get into the tree in the first place. She shook her head as she fell to her knees laughing, causing the creature to break its stance and rush to her side. It seemed to moan as it gently nudged Ximly in the shoulder with its nose, which resulted in a comforting pat from the human. Ximly regained her composure and stood to look at the creature lovingly. “You goof… you’re not supposed to follow me into town, Calon…. I don’t want you getting poached…” She said quietly, rubbing her nose on the creature’s.

The raptor like bird snorted, and the feathers on the top of its head stood up, a slight curl at the end of the longest one. Ximly laughed again and ruffled the feathers atop the creatures head, “Goofy drome…” She said with a sigh. “Suppose it can’t be helped now that you’re here, can it? Now would you mind explaining how you got into that tree in the first place?”

The drome looked over its shoulder at the massive wooden oak, and then back to Ximly with beady eyes. Honestly, it didn’t remember quite how it got up there, just that it did, and it was difficult coming down from it. With another huff the drome nuzzled Ximly’s hand, it wanted to run. Now.

Ximly shook her head slightly and ruffled the drome’s feathers again. “Not just yet, Calon. I’ve still got to secure the back and the storage shack. Go get in the back of the truck…”

The drome sighed, but obediently went to the rickety, dinged up, hunk of metal with wheels in the front of the shop. It paused behind the bed of the vehicle as if to ponder if it were safe to jump in herself, or wait for Ximly to assist her in climbing in. The drome seemed to shrug to itself as it backed up, and then leapt forward.

Ximly, on the other side of the shop, cringed at the truck’s groans of disapproval from Calon’s leap, and she could only pray that the drome hadn’t broken anything in the process. She had just finished locking and barring the back door from the outside, and was on her way to the shack when the sounds reached her ears, and she pondered a moment about if the truck was even in one piece. She made a detour to the front to check on the drome to reassure herself that she hadn’t hurt herself, though mainly to make sure she hadn’t hurt the truck.

Calon poked her reptilian, feathered head out of the shredded back end of the canopy over the truck, and let out a purring sound as Ximly approached. Perhaps now they would go running?

“Not yet, are you alright? That sounded awful….”

Calon’s head disappeared inside the covered truck bed, but reappeared quickly with a nod. Everything was fine, as far as she knew, that was.

Ximly nodded, “I’ll be right back then…. Stay!” She added quickly as soon as she had turned her back to the drome and started to walk away.

Calon stopped in mid stride, and gave out a short huff before ducking back into the truck and nestling herself into a comfortable position against the cold hard metal. Ximly truly hadn’t been expecting her, else there would have been a fluffy blanket spread out…. Calon let out a sigh, it seemed that her rider was getting busier every day… The drome set her head down on the cold metal, but something caught her eye in the corner of the bed…. She stood carefully, and padded over to it before bending down and stretching her neck out to look closer at it, tilting her head to get a better look. It was a dark blue in color, and Calon nosed it, finding it to be fluffy. The drome bit at the corner carefully, and dragged it across the bed of the truck…. It was the comforter, the fluffy blanket. Ximly had kept her in mind…the human always had…. A purr came through the drome’s throat as it sat down and nuzzled the fabric with a reassuring feeling in its heart. Ximly wasn’t going to forget about her any time soon….
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