OOC: Collab with Selia
IC:

Taraah's eyes narrowed into slits as the girl tried to make her head hurt again, this time with math. She blown smoke out of her nostrils when Ruri suggested she might not be able to walk the distance, a subtle warning not to assault her abilities and least of all her pride. This human might have been friendly to her so far, but that gave her no right to talk to her like that. None the less the dragoness was amused at how she handled the other one. Slipping into the river to ease her legs, she lazily floated behind the duo to the cave they mentioned. When they reached it she walked out on the shore and shook the water off, marveling at the colorful play the setting Sun created on the droplets of water left on her scales. Yes, she was definitely the most beautiful creature ever born.

She mentally cursed herself when she saw the cave. Brilliant! If only she saw that from the air, she could have spared herself the human disguise. Perhaps next time, although if the finger of blame was pointed at her, it would be the only thing that can save her from persecution. Still a bit tired, she lied down to the side, trying to think of what she should do now. She couldn't stay with the two like this. They needed to get to their own kind. The people that would hunt her. Yet she found herself not wanting to leave. They were the only living creatures that didn't run away from her, animals included. She used to be alone, but not now, and it made her feel warm in the core. She could also disguise herself again. It would make her wound heal properly if she could only walk on two. Yet in the same time, she didn't trust them with the secret. The girl maybe, but the boy only seemed to tolerate her because of Ruri. Huffing loudly in her indecision, her mind drifted to sleep again.

It was still night when squirming against her aside woke her up. She didn't pay it too much attention, her mind burdened with what she was about to do. She decided to leave the kids. Leave them, hide behind her human face again and come back to watch over them, at least until they reached the city safely. She could remain with them if she so chose then, and they wouldn't know her secret lest she revealed it to them herself. It was almost perfect plan, except for the fact she felt like she was betraying the girl. She appeared to be quite fond of her, and now she was about to make her think she abandoned them.

Waiting for the girl to fall asleep again when she returned, Taraah got up, careful not to wake them. She couldn't just leave, even if she knew she wasn't really leaving. Turning around, she brought her head right above Ruri's. "Peculiar little creature," the dragoness said, "you are the only one who ever shown me any kindness. I do not know why, but I thank you. I do not wish to leave you, but it is for the safety of both of us. Worry not though. We will always find a way to each other, that I know. Stay safe and I will see you soon. Until then, farewell, Ruri." With that she plucked two scales loose from her back, laying one to each child's hand and left. Unknown to her, the desire to explain her absence laced her voice with magic, allowing Ruri to hear all of it in her dream.

Making her way little distance from the cave, she waited until sunrise. Then she willed her magic to change her again. Stretching to get used to her old new limbs, Tara the barmaid jogged back to the cave, carefully walking in. Finding them both still asleep, she sat down and watched, waiting for them to wake up.

Ruri awoke from the most satisfying sleep she'd had in a long time. It may have been exhaustion, or it may have been the warmth she had felt from the bodies beside her; or perhaps it had something to do with her dream last night, Ruri mused as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes. Ashwing had been there, and so had Mom... Ashwing! That thought immediately pulled her head around to see where the dragon had been sleeping last night. She was gone, just as she'd said she would be, and somebody else sat in her place. A sad smile drifted over Ruri's face, her eyes drooping as she briefly imagined that Ashwing was there. But she wasn't; there was somebody else instead.

The sorrow passed in an instant,disappearing as though it had never been there, and Ruri climbed up to her knees before the woman. Her face lit up with cheer as she offered an enthusiastic greeting, reaching up to her hair as she did. "Hi! I'm Ruri! Did you escape along the river, too? We were moving slow because... well. So we stayed here for the night! And then you found us and joined us! You have really pretty hair! What's your name? I'm Ruri!" The small girl tried to brush the sand from her hair and tidy the twin-tails without removing the ribbons that held them in place.

She smiled, trying to sound shaken as best as she could: "No. No, I went the other way, I had to go back around the village. I'm Tara, I worked in the tavern - Oh poor Gustav!" Tara shrieked, realizing she saw the innkeeper hide in the basement before Ruri set Halrock on fire. If he didn't make it out, he would have starved of air. "I hope he's got away." she said, her concern genuine. He provided her with a place to stay, even though he didn't know better. Taking a breath, she looked up to Ruri. "We shouldn't stay. There's a city down the river. I met the owner of one of the taverns there, perhaps qwe can stay there. Anyway they will need to be warned."