Page 44 of To Fight and To Fold

"If you're there—skies, this is ridiculous if not." Thea ran a hand through her hair, puffed out her cheeks.

Thea held out a fish, and Aaryn wrinkled her nose. She did not relish the slimy feel of the fish against her hand, but she did love the way Starspark would slurp them up.

It was so very unlike him to remain unmoving despite the smelly fish being presented to him.

She appreciated Thea's efforts. Caring for him when Aaryn could not.

Seeing the affection that Thea shared with him in the face of his obstinance… softened her anger toward the woman.

She was dressed differently. Gone was the hood she'd worn in the orchard. In its place were softer looking clothes, mismatched but charming all the same with her hair tied back like that.

"Aaryn. Are you there? Help me help Starspark. Help me feed him."

Why did her name on Thea's lips feel so delightfully forbidden?

Aaryn shook her head at the thought, feeling the pillow beneath her head sink in as she moved in her sleep.

"How?" she whispered into the empty room.

Come on, Starspark, eat! she pleaded silently, trying to force the words down whatever connection bridged her and her dragon. She didn't want him to suffer because of his own stubbornness, because his love for her was so great.

She felt it then, as if it was her own belly, the loud rumble before his nostrils flared, and the scent of the fish was stinkier than ever.

I know you're hungry. Eat, she urged.

"Eat," Thea said out loud, moving even closer.

Thea and Aaryn gasped in tandem as Starspark moved, his nose brushing the fish, before he opened his maw and Thea released her hold.

Starspark grumbled as he ate, as if he was not happy to be doing so.

That's it! Yes, Starspark! You can do it!

Thea hesitantly held out another fish, and Starspark let her drop it between his teeth. They went down like an after dinner mint, and⁠—

Aaryn blinked with Starspark's eyes.

Thea was grinning, lit beneath the impossibly huge moon. She didn't speak, maybe afraid this tentative peace would be broken, but her eyes were expressive enough. She was… delighted.

Aaryn’s heart thumped—not only with relief that Starspark was giving in, possibly with her own encouragement, but also with… a sticky fondness. For Thea. She was embarrassed to even think it, after all Thea had done.

She averted her thoughts to something safer.

What did this mean? She had never done something like this with Starspark, never awoken to see with his eyes. None of the other Tethered had ever spoken of this, either.

And yet here Aaryn was, staring at Thea through his vision. She tried to be smart about it, to gaze at the surroundings, but she did not control Starspark in this… dreamscape. She simply observed. And scolded him into eating, apparently.

Aaryn felt a smile curl her lips as Starspark ate, as Thea fed him. It was as close as Starspark had ever allowed her, usually huffing his discontent at her presence.

One thing she could see clearly was Thea's relief as he continued to accept fish from her. "I'll come back with a feast, Starspark, I promise," she whispered, and laid a hand against his snout. "Tell Aaryn I said thank you."

Aaryn wanted to cry at the gentleness in Thea's tone.

Starspark nudged her, and Thea drew in a breath just as shaky as Aaryn’s.

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