Days passed and turned into months. Kaira made herself at home in the dragon's cave. Her amber eyes glowed with joy. The dragon's heart gave a happy leap each time he saw her running up to him when he came back.
The view from the cliff over the dragon's cave was tremendous. A blue ribbon of the river interlaced the foot of the mountain. A dark emerald forest raised high on the other bank. Far away on the rolling hills where the forest ended, she could see tiny red roofs of the distant settling.
Kaira wondered who lived there and what life there was like. She didn't miss human company, but she was bored with no occupation. Her father was a blacksmith. The things he made amazed everybody. He could forge an iron rose that glowed blood-red before turning into cold dark grey.
Kaira used to help him in the smithy, as well as her mom around the house. Her days never offered a minute of rest. And now she had too much of it.
Her life was comfortable and safe now, as well as unbearably boring. In the evening, they were sitting by the fire. Kaira was stroking the hard, sharp scales on the dragon's back. He was scary and fearless. She could hear his heart beating rhythmically like an invisible clock. Tick tock, tick tock… She listened to her life slipping away. All of a sudden, with his next heart beat, she knew what she should do. Kaira stood up, determined. Faraway in the distance, the lights in the village twinkled to her.
She looked back at her dragon. A pang of tenderness squeezed her heart. She cast a final glance at her powerful friend and mouthed thank you. The night took her in its embrace. The dragon wasn't sleeping. He knew Kaira was about to leave, but no muscle twitched on his scaly body. He was watching the fire through his squinted eyes, keeping his back to her. Once, he let her stay. It was time to let her go now.