“What's next, Zera? Do we start on the upstairs or the shed?” I asked. She tilted her head at me, making no noise. “You’re right. We should do the shed before it gets cold.”

  The first floor of the cottage looked lived in and even felt like home, and the garden was in good condition. I’d ventured to the second floor once or twice to get a lay of the land. It was in about the same state the first floor had been.

  I’d only peaked in the shed’s dirty window, so I didnt really know what to expect. I gathered a handful of wrags and a hardy block of soap that proved effective on wood and stone. Zera grabbed the stack of buckets, tail flicking in excitement and curiosity. She could make a heck of a mess at times, but she truly enjoyed cleaning.

  She followed me outside, setting the buckets on the ground where I directed her to. With a little help, she’d managed to figure out how to use the water pump and she loved getting to refill the buckets.

  I was working on teaching her to fetch other things, but we didn't have those down quite as precisely and she wasn’t a big fan of carrying rags. I didn’t mind, though. I could just tuck those in my pocket or through my belt until I needed them.

  “Alright, Zera,” I said, putting the key in the padlock. “It’s time to see what’s inside this shed. Are you excited?”

  Zera pranced, eyes locked on the door so she wouldn’t miss a thing once I opened it. There was no doubt in my mind that something lived inside. Several something’s, probably. The real question was would I need to remove or relocate whatever critters called the shed home.

  With a dramatic flourish, I unlocked the doors and swung them open, forcing Zera to back up a few steps. A cloud of dust followed the doors. I knew enough to hold my breath. She didn’t, and immediately started sneezing.

  It caught her so off guard that her whole body spasmed with each sneeze and I nearly lost it laughing, which would only have left me in the same state. I patted her back, letting the sneezes run their course while I surveyed the shed.

  Whoever lived here before my cousin must have been a builder of some sort, and they’d left pieces of their work behind whenever they left. Planks and posts were stacked on the floor, coated in dirt and dust and cobwebs. A collection of rusty rakes leaned against one wall, next to a stack of sacks that were starting to dissolve from disuse.

  Against the back wall sat a shelf, covered in a collection of boxes and cans, the contents of which I could only guess at. Some I felt pretty confident contained paint. Or what once was paint.

  “Lots of dust, lots of dirt, and lots of potential,” I observed. Zera slowly stopped her sneezing just in time to start the cleaning.

  First step, I moved the rakes outside. Then I dragged the rotting fabric, sending insects skittering about to Zera’s delight. I gave her plenty of space to pounce and munch to her hearts content before the dust started getting to her and she quickly exited.

  It took a few hours and a few passes with the broom to get most of the dirt and dust off the logs and out the door. Zera helped some with her long, dexterous tail. We made it a bit of a game, though I think she mostly went along to reduce the amount of dust under her feet.

  “Maybe I should’ve waited until after I did the shelves to finish the floor.” I crossed my arms, considering the situation carefully.

  It’s not like I had a real deadline, and it didn’t need to be perfect, but I wasn’t one to leave things half done when I had the time and ability to do it properly. There was also the matter of the shed having a loft, and I’d yet to find the access point.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Okay, here’s the plan. Dust around and over what’s on the shelves, put it in a pile, and send that out the door. I can deal with the stuff tomorrow, figure out what’s good and what’s not.”

  Zera made a weird grumbling, gurgling noise and I just rolled my eyes. She had eaten a smaller breakfast that day, so she was probably getting a little hungry. She could wait, though. Dinner would be here soon enough. I just had to deal with her being overly dramatic for the next hour or so.

  I pulled one of my makeshift feather dusters out of the small pack she wore and started methodically cleaning off the shelves. The dust and dirt and cobwebs were layered on thick, clinging to the corners with just enough tenacity to require a few passes to remove them.

  I also caught the telltale signs of whatever might have lived there once. Some lizards must have claimed the third shelf for their nest before moving elsewhere, based on the amount of shed skin and dead bug remains I found.

  “Hey Zera, I’ve got some crunch for you,” I called over my shoulder. She darted forward to pick the pieces out of the dirt as I swept them onto the floor.

  It was almost like a game, though it didn’t last long as I soon ran out of tasty treats to toss her way. The rest of the shelves were just plain dirty. While I got the worst of the dust and debris off, it would take some time to get the shelf truly clean.

  That would be a job for another day. I collected the mess into a pile, then shuffled it out of the shed. Looking back, I could list the things that would need to be deep cleaned, replaced, and repaired, but already it looked better.

  “Maybe by the time we have this place where we want it, I’ll actually know what I want to do with it.”

  I found myself mentally arranging feed, tack, and stalls, but I shook my head. I had no intention of making my own training facility, but I’d be lying to myself if I said it wasn’t tempting. I loved working with magical creatures. I had no idea what that might look like outside of the academy, but chances were I’d end up doing something like that.

  I was halfway back to the cottage when I realized Zera wasn’t actually following me. I turned, looking to where she stared curiously up at where the loft of the shed would be.

  “You see something?” I asked. She didn’t respond. “Hear something?” She stomped once, not taking her eyes off the shed.

  “Easy girl,” I said softly, walking back towards her. “No hunt, just look. Find a way for me to get up there.”

  She bobbed her head, slinking around the shed without looking away from it. I followed close behind, watching her body language. On the side of the shed opposite the cottage, we found a ladder leading up to a hatch that likely provided the only access to the shed.

  I signaled for Zera to stay back a few steps and climbed the ladder carefully. I didn’t know what to expect, but curiosity wouldn’t let me walk away without knowing. It took some careful positioning, but I managed to get to a spot where I could open the door without giving whatever might be inside a chance to launch at my face.

  Nothing happened, though, so I took a chance and peaked around the edge of the door. It was cleaner than I expected, with most of the junk being piled into one corner. From that pile, I spotted a pair of eyes staring at me.

  They didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

  I slowly closed the door back, locking it gently before heading back down the ladder. Zera snuck up behind me, coming to stand by my elbow by the time my feet hit the ground.

  “Nothing to worry about, Zera. Just some curious little critters that call the loft home. I think we will just leave them be for now. If I need to, I can relocate them later, but for now they aren’t bothering anyone.”

  She nodded, shoving her head under my hand, tired of not having attention. I slid my arm around her neck, hugging her head close to my chest. It’s something she only ever lets me do.

  And, not being at the academy anymore didn’t mean I didn’t have to explain to everyone and their child why they couldn’t do the same with any drake. You never know when they will try and bite.

  Zera, on the other hand, is more likely to buck her head than try to bite me. It still hurts, but I prefer a little bruising over bleeding. I've also got some ointment that helps speed up the healing.

  “Why don’t we go get some dinner, eh? The stew should be ready, then if you’re still hungry, you can do some hunting,” I suggested. She trilled deep in her chest, a sure sign that she approved.

  The stew was delicious, and I ended up with enough to last a few nights for both of us. I had to use two different pots to better suit our nutritional needs and preferences, but I was used to it.

  Once I had the leftovers properly stored in the cold box, I went outside to sit on the porch and watch the stars until Zera came back from her hunt.

  “Now this is perfection,” I sighed.