where have you gone?

[small_magics]

Isibel likes being able to ask at any time that a mirror of herself, from another world but with the same soul, visit her and speak with her. She doesn't do it too often, not even every day, but it is soothing to have the other Bells behind her on the long and arduous project of figuring herself out again so that she can do as Bells are meant to do.

She asks Jane to send her whoever is taking their turn, one day, and Jane does not respond.

She broadcasts this information, and her alarm, to her beloveds.

Comments

[endragoned]

They fly.

The demon turns himself invisible for the trip; the dragon does not.

[small_magics]

And there is Silverbranch. It is not so far, on dragonback, only a few hours.

[endragoned]

The dragon finds somewhere convenient to land.

[small_magics]

Isabella kisses her invisible demon-beloved goodbye and hops off of her dragon-beloved and kisses him too and heads through the village in search of her parents' home.

Eventually she comes out again, with a single elf who strongly resembles her following.

"Beloved, this is my mother Rania," she says.

"I See you," says Rania to the dragon. "But - not all of you, if I understand rightly." She looks around.

[endragoned]

"That is true," the dragon says gravely. "The rest of me is waiting until he might be made welcome without alarming anyone."

[small_magics]

"Isibel has been unharmed this long," says Rania. "I will not be alarmed. But perhaps it would be prudent to travel farther from the village," and she indicates a direction.

[endragoned]

The dragon nods, which is something of a momentous event considering the size of the dragon's head, and he ambles off in the indicated direction.

[small_magics]

Isibel and her mother follow.

"We will be unobserved here," Rania eventually says.

[endragoned]

The demon appears.

He has neglected to put on pants.

[small_magics]

A blink is startled out of Rania.

"It is more startling to see with my own eyes what I had previously heard only as a story," she murmurs. (She resolutely keeps her gaze above the waist.)

Isibel goes to her beloved and puts her head on his shoulder. She thinks that her mother would prefer it if he were wearing pants, although Rania would never dream of drawing attention to the fact that he is not.

[endragoned]

He shrugs and stretches his wings and conjures himself a pair of comfortable trousers with a hole for his tail.

[small_magics]

Rania does not visibly relax - that would be impolite - but her eyes move about more freely.

"I am told that you have no names," she says to the demon and dragon.

"None have been needed among ourselves," says Isibel.

[endragoned]

"It might be convenient to have some, now that we know more people," says the demon, "but we haven't thought of any that we like."

[small_magics]

"I am most likely to think of elven names," says Rania, "were I to propose ideas."

Isibel can tell, and shares with her beloveds: Rania would just love to name them.

[endragoned]

"We would not object to elven names," says the dragon.

[small_magics]

"I have always liked the names Aianon and Ansharil," Rania offers.

[endragoned]

"Aianon," the demon murmurs.

"Ansharil," the dragon says thoughtfully. "Yes. Those will do."

[small_magics]

Rania beams. Isibel laughs softly. In her mind her beloveds will always be her beloveds, however they are introduced to others. She tells them so.

"I never expected you to Bond with a dragon even given the chance, Isibel," Rania says to her daughter.

"Nor did I," Isibel murmurs. "There was great need."

[endragoned]

The demon smiles and hugs his Isibel.

[small_magics]

Rania wants to see magic; Isibel does some tricks for her.

[endragoned]

The demon can do tricks, too! If anyone wants him to do tricks.

[small_magics]

Isibel prompts him to go ahead and do so when Rania's hints are too subtle.

[endragoned]

He touches his fingers to the ground and grows a little tree with a slender silvery trunk and thin drooping branches, which produces little round pink fruits when it is not quite as tall as he is. Its thin pointed leaves make a very pretty rustling sound when he brushes past them.

[small_magics]

Isibel picks a fruit and wonders if she can taste it; she likes fruits her beloved invents.

[endragoned]

"It will be good," he assures her, smiling.