When we got back to the ranch houses the others were done with the days tours. They were dumbstruck as they watched me get off of Earl's back and start taking off the gear. After that I rubbed his side appreciative. “ I think that is enough for today. I'll see you tomorrow.” 

He and Max lower their heads as I hear an old man say, “ He won't leave you now. You have rode him.” 

I turn around and see a smiling eighties, at least, man with a white beard. “ You have earned his trust and so his companionship. In a sense you tamed him.” 

Earl moves his head under my hand and I start petting him. The old man laughs. “Perhaps I got that backwards. He has tamed you. But joking aside he is going to follow you where ever you go. Till one of you die... Or you piss him off. That I do not recommend doing.”

I lowered my head defeated to the situation. My dream trip has turned into something more than I bargained for. My mom does not even let me keep fish and how is she suppose to expect to me bringing home a dragon. “ Well I can't exactly take him home can I. He is an endangered species and you are not suppose to make those pets.” The old man laughs again. “ Right you are. No one owns a dragon. Like you they can befriend them but they will always be wild. And remember that you should never ever tell a dragon to do something directly. They will likely do it but they'll resent you for it. A resentful dragon is a dangerous dragon.”

Without giving me a chance to say more he picked up the gear and left with Max following happily. I do not know how but I could almost understand if the red dragon was showing he was happy to the old man. As I watched them enter the main building I felt a familiar slap on my back. I checked my range before elbowing his side and in turn he punched my arm. “ So when do I get a dragon to ride?”

I did not answer him as I just looked at Earl. Who was not amused at the comment. Suddenly a pair of fingers snapped in front of my face. “ Earth to dufus.”

I look a Jasmine. “ That is better. So what is the deal?”

I smile a bit. “ Earl this is my neighbor and friend Tom. He is full of shit half the time and you should probably ignore most of the stuff he says. Her name is Jasmine. We met her yesterday.” 

He bows respectfully. “ What he doing Eric?”

I quickly say to Tom, “ I'd make a sign of respect.”

The two look at each other a moment before nodding. Jasmine bowed at the waist as well slightly. He accepted that and I let out a slight sigh of relief. “ Now I've got to use the can. Do you three think you can get along without me for a few minutes?” 

They each gave me signs of yes as I head back to the bunkhouse and when I got back outside, after unplugging the ds and putting her cell phone in, I saw Earl working to get Jasmines shirt off. I never found out what caused that scene but I slapped a staring Tom, whose focus was on an exposed bra. He turns to me angry and I ask, “ What is going on?” 

in an aggravated but curious tone. Suddenly Earl got off of Jasmine and came to me to unwork my pants. I acted quickly to keep him from doing anymore harm, physically or otherwise, and grabbed his head and went to a knee. “ I'm perfectly capable to remove those on my own as she is her shirt. If you are trying to do what I think you are then could you not? We have our own ways. If I needed your help I would have asked for it. Understand?” 

He breaks my grip and looks at a very embarrassed Jasmine getting back to her feet then looks at me and agrees. I stand back upright and the worst person who could have appeared does. “ Eric, Tom, Jasmine get away from that animal.” 

The three of us turn to Ms. Garreson with her eighteen inch steel ruler in her hands. Technically not a weapon but how she was holding it now a very convincing one at the moment. Earl starts growling and becomes defensive. She does not stop her approaching. “ Hold it both of you.”

Earl stops his growling and Ms. Garreson stops her advance. “ If you two are going to go at it then let us get out of the way.” 

Tom and Jasmine did not even wait for me to finish as they started heading to the forming group about to watch. I on the other hand back away slowly behind Earl and faced Ms. Garreson the entire time. Which surprised her. This was a classic case of each wanting to protect someone from the other. All that was needed was a starting bell. A few minutes pass so I took charge. “ If you two are not going to fight then Ms. Garreson back away and Earl...”

He looks at me and nods having some idea of what I was going to say. Ms. Garreson, who was still sweating bullets, walked backwards till she got to the other teachers. I let out a sigh of relief as Earl licks my face a few times. He was relieved as I was. He probably realized a good wack to the side of the head with that ruler could seal his fate and she could land it too. I hug his neck a bit before moving away. “ That was close.” 

He licks my face a few more times. “ Yes, yes I know now I think it a good idea if you two do not meet again.” 

He agrees and the moment I returned vertical the dinner bell rang. So we went to dinner. I got an extra plate of food for Earl and we sat pretty much by ourselves. Until Tom and Jasmine joined us. “ He is dangerous isn't he?”

I look at Tom with a look of 'Duhhh!' before responding, “ Tom think on this. He is a dr*a*gon.”

I noticed Earl a little humored. Jasmine not so much. There was still lots of tension not not as much as minutes before. I tried to bring us away from that. “ So it is obvious what I did today. So what did you two do?” 

Me and Earl ate as the other two alternated talking and eating. Telling us how they were brung to a group being fed and they were allowed to feed a few from their hands. They were thrilled from the experience but it obviously pales in comparison to my day. Earl easily finished his plate first then tried to get something from my plate. I would not let him have anything so he went for Jasmine's. She pushed it toward him a bit scared. He noticed the look he got and pushed it back and looked at me sad. I pet his side a bit as I said, “ Jasmine he is not going to attack you for a few beans and half a steak.” She looks at me concerned. “ How do you know Eric, how?”

I decided to show her. “ Earl could you open your mouth for me. Wide!”

He looks at me concerned a moment before doing what I asked. I stick my hand in between his teeth. “ Would I be willing to do this if I did not trust him?” I remove my hand and pat his cheek. “ Thank you Earl. I hope I never have to do anything like that again.”

He licks my face before settling back down. “ Now he won't hurt anyone for most reasons. If someone he respects is threatened like he considered what Ms. Garreson did is one of those. He respect me and in some ways you as well as being my friends. That is what the bowing meant. I think.” Tom looks at me oddly. “ You think?”

I elbow him. “ Well Tom it is not an exact science. I'm not learning this from a text book. I'm learning as I go. I asked Jacob some of the stuff we are talking about now and he says he has no idea and he has been working here for fifteen years. He said I'm more expert than him.” Suddenly I hear Jacob say, “ That right. You done better than most here do in ten or twenty years. Hell you did it overnight. Me and Al took twelve and we have not even came close to being acquainted.”

I asked concerned after he finished, “ How is he doing?”

he turns a bit sad. “ Still too early ta say. He lasta lot of blood. There's a fair chance he'll make it but it will be near a year befare he gets his full strength back.” 

Earl moves from my side and puts himself into the flight position. “ Hey, I know you feel sorry but think about me a minute.” I blurted out without thinking. 

“ If he wants to earn Al's respect then no better way of doing it than staying loyal and not be with another as you just suggested.” 

Earl straitens up and starts rubbing against my side. “ Oh, quit that too. You don't have to apologize either. I understand why you offered but it is their problem and we have no right to butt into it.”

Jacob smiles before speaking, “ But yer advice is good. Bein with em all I can will increase his respect for me. I were just going to check on em but now I'll spend all the time I can. But that is not why I came over here. It seems Earl here has a following. Made quite a few others jealous. They want to be around us as well. Specifically you two. Bein close to Eric here.” 

Jasmine grew confused and worried at the same time of the announcement. Earl thought it funny. Me I grew concerned. Having a dragon follow me home was bad enough but everyone on the bus was quite impossible. “ Say Jacob do you have anything on endangered species laws? Possible on a shelf collecting cobwebs.” 

It should not take a genius to figure out what I meant and it was discrete enough to not let the others figure it out. “ Well I dun't know. I'll have ta ask Mr. Branson. If yes then I'll hand it ta ya in the mornin.” 

He seemed ready to leave after that so I asked one more question before he could. “ So where will he sleep? I do not think Ms. Garreson will let me sleep outside with him or let him come inside.” 

Jacob rubbed Earl's head. “ He'll sleep comfy outside all fine. Out back behind the main building. Now I better get goin, or ya all will add anoter three things to do before I get to my bunk.”

I yawned as well and decided to get some sleep as well.