It was now that Carja realized that she couldn't create a child out of nowhere and not give them a friend. Such a thing would be cruel! To grow up with a buddy, like she had with her dear sister Lass, was the best thing that had ever happened.

Oh how she missed them. She missed them enough to cry, to wake up late at night in tears, roaring up into the sky with grief. Her family having deserted Monoceros, and she herself having failed Svartis and Bone by letting them go into Ursa.

She sat in front of her nest, a tarp made of deer pelts sheltering it from the elements. Oh how she wished she could share it with someone. And as the rain poured down, so did her tears.

”Sorry,” she mumbled, to no one, curling up in her nest, her eyes sad.

Carja's head raised and she peered at Talys, eyes widening, ”Oh! Talys! It's Carja- you're going to get sick if you stay in the cold too long.”

She beckoned him forward and make room for him to sit under the tarp, curling up with her tail against the lip of the nest, ”I'm okay. Mostly. Just reminiscing.”

Carja sighed and looked down, tucking her paws under herself and loafing like a cat.

”I just miss my family,” she mumbled, ”They've all gone and left. My grandma, grandpa, dad, sister, aunt... they're all gone and I'm just... lonely, I suppose. I want another dragon to be able to talk to and snuggle up with again.”

She flopped her head down and snorted, smoke rising from her nostrils. She couldn't truly breathe fire, not without magic, which was a bit disappointing.

”I want to make a child,” she said, ”But I want them to have a sibling, like I did. Someone to rely on and to curl up with on cold nights. I already have a plan for one, I just... I need a stone or someone's magic or something.”

”I do have Attikias,” she gushed, ”He's great, you know. He made me a saddle so that we can fly together- you rode in it, actually! He was at the feast in the palace cave. He made me this tarp and he's super talented with furs and other things.”

Carja put her head on her hand and sighed, bottom lip jutting out. She turned back to Talys, eyes widening, her neck jutting up.

”Really? Oh my gosh!”, she exclaimed, her tail starting to wag, ”You'd do that?”

She nodded and sat up, leaning on her haunches and rubbing her hands together, ”That's absolutely fine, you don't even need to be in their lives at all. But I'm sure Attikias wouldn't mind another pair of hands around here, and he's always open to welcoming strangers too. But we're not that strange, we know each other's names, right?”

Carja offered a smile and her nose to pet or hug, seeing as she was more than ten times the size of Talys and would crush him if she tried to embrace him.

Carja cooed, ”I'm glad. I'd love it if whoever we make has a nice family to grow up with. These caves are messed up enough, so maybe they can be a kid for a while before it has to catch up with them.”

She nuzzled into the hands, relaxing a bit, her eyes closing.

”I think- don't quote me- but when Attikias was doing it, one side took a piece of their stone and the other put magic into it, and then it made a new stone and a chrysalis around it,” she said, and tapped her chin where her labradorite sat, ”So... I can break off a bit of my stone, and you can put your magic into it.”

She inhaled and breathed out, making a space in her nest for the chrysalis to form, leaving enough room for another, should she find another donor.

”Okay... ready,” she said.

With one swift motion, a chunk of stone was cleaved off, falling into the gap. Carja breathed out and pointed at it, ”Okay, I think now you cast your magic.”

Carja winced and moved forward, placing a hand on Talys's back, ”Sorry.”

A chrysalis started to form, and Carja's eyes widened in awe. It worked!! There was a baby in there- or there was going to be! How amazing!

”Oh I can't wait to meet them,” she cooed, already utterly in love, ”Hm, I don't know if I want to be a 'mom' but... I'll certainly be there for them. Maybe I'll be a sister too.”

She nosed the chrysalis gently and sat down, curling up around it, ”Thank you, Talys. You can stay here until the rain stops.”

She smiled gently and nudged Talys, her tail wagging, ”I hope everyone will love them.”