The Troubles of an Absentminded Wizard

The little dragon lay in the sideways cup finishing off his pancake. Once the last crumb was devoured, it took the time to clean off each claw and scale, twisting its wings around awkwardly as it tried to make certain that it didn't miss anything. It was an enormously fastidious little creature. It seemed nearly ready to take a nap, but then it realized Lulu was running water in the sink. It scrambled out of the cup, nearly sending it rolling off the counter, and ran all the way around, skidding to a stop at the edge of the sink, wings flailing. It growled and chirped with interest, nails clicking as it danced on the edge. Water was exciting!

Elk returned after a few minutes, hair brushed and rebraided and now properly dressed in ordinary jeans and a tee shirt. A long, purple coat flowed around him, clashing a little with his red hair but giving him a slightly wizardly look without going full Socerer's Apprentice. He whistled for Mug as he fetched the leash and double-checked to make sure his office door was shut.

"I hope you have a good day today, Lulu!" he called as Mug trotted over eagerly. "Have I forgotten anything?"
 
Lulu scrambled to catch the cup before it smashed again, flicking water everywhere from her wet hands, but managing to save it from damage. Turning back to the sink, she scowled at the dragon, who looking far too innocently happy.
"That is not for you." She told it sternly. She wasn't even sure if water was good for it, let alone the soap suds slowly building up on the surface. She tried to carefully shoo the dragon away without getting too close. She really didn't want a repeat of that mornings incident.

Unable to fully dissuade the dragon from staying near the sink, she sighed and got to work on the dishes, keeping a close eye on the green and pink terror on the counter. The splash of Elks shower turning on could be heard faintly through the wall behind her and she prayed the dragon wouldn't do anthing stupid while the wizard was in there. Having to call him out of the shower was a whole different beast than hauling him out of bed, no matter what trouble might arise.

Elk returned as just as she was dunking the pan into the water, the last item to be scrubbed. At his question she looked him up and down quickly; it wouldn't be the first time he had a shirt on the wrong way or something similar. Seeing nothing amiss, she shook her head, then realised what she herself was almost forgetting.
"Your dragon!" She pointed out exasperatedly. "I am not babysitting it, so it really can't stay out here."
 
"Oh, dear, I suppose you are right, though I do so hate to leave him locked up," Elk sighed. He clipped the leash onto Mug and draped it over the dog's back before coming to fetch the little dragon. "Come, Nieven Oricyne Aephyra Kinkaid, it's time to return to your nest!"

The dragon ignored him, head bobbing back and forth as he eyed a floating bubble. It shimmered like a rainbow! The dragon rose up and snapped, missing by a breath, and sent the bubble tumbling away. The motion and failed attack overbalanced the little dragon, and it wobbled, nearly falling forward into the water. Elk's hand shot out and caught the dragon, scooping it up with the ease of long practice. The dragon hissed and snapped, but Elk deftly rolled his hand like a snake handler, and the dragon couldn't quite get ahold of him.

Talking gently to the dragon, Elk took it to his room instead of his study and shut it away in a large cage that had once been a small rodent cage. He'd had to add a bit to the bars to keep the dragon from fitting between them or melting the plastic bottom, but it served its job well. Once the dragon was inside and the door latched, it wasn't getting out by accident.

"There we are," Elk said, closing the bedroom door and striding back to the kitchen. "Is that better? Is there anything else?"
 
Lulu shook her head at the rediculous name. How did Elk even remember all of it? She watched warily as he wrangled the dragon. Once the beast was out of view, she slumped slightly, only now realising how much the little critter put her on edge, no matter how small and periodically fun to watch. Living with a wizard sure was doing a number on her nerves sometimes.

Without Niev-O-something-or-rather to watch out for anymore, the last of the dishes were done very quickly. The soapy water was draining and Lulu was drying her hands when Elk strode back into the room, finally ready to take the very patiently waiting Mug out.

"Thank you." She said quietly, then added a little louder. "You're good to go. Have fun!" She patted Mug on the head as she passed, heading back to her room and a much needed shower.
 
Mug gave a happy tap dance when he saw they were finally going out and headed for the door before Elk could grab his leash. Elk chuckled and picked up the leash when the door stopped Mug, glad that the dog's paws couldn't open round door handles. The rest of the handles inside the house were the lever type, not the round ones, and Mug had figured out how to open them all. Thankfully, he only really used his skill to open Elk's bedroom door and not, say, the bathroom door when someone was using it. If he was able, the bulky dog would definitely open the front door and let himself out.

Elk inched the door open, checked to make certain no one was outside, and quickly ushered Mug out and down the outdoor hallway to the stairs. Mug trotted along willingly, accustomed to the hurried exits from the apartment. It took them not even five minutes to walk to the nearest green patch where Mug was able to do his business, and Elk cleaned up like a responsible owner. Then they continued walking, Elk striding along with head held high, humming a merry tune. Mug walked ahead and beside him, checking out things here and there and pausing to sniff but never pulling or making Elk miss a stride. The pair made good time in their walk as Elk guided the dog toward a park not far away.

Once they'd reached the public park, Elk laid the leash over Mug's back and set him loose to go sniffing and exploring and perhaps meet some doggy friends. Mug wouldn't go far, and Elk trusted him to keep an eye out and alert him if anyone approached. Taking a small black sack from his coat pocket, Elk made his way to a towering oak tree and knelt down at the base of the trunk. Slender fingers probed the grass, eventually finding the line cut into the dirt. From there, it was an easy task to pull it up and fold back a flap of grass and dirt, revealing three tiny boxes not much bigger than an acorn each nestled in the earth below. He pulled them out one by one and set them in the cloth with great care, and then rolled the sack up into a small log and placed it into a small plastic sack like what most people used to clean up after their dogs. The grass went back where it belonged, and after a couple of quick pats, no one would ever tell it had been disturbed.

Elk stood and brushed off his knees before glancing around. Only a few people were out and about today, and no one seemed to notice a thing. He smiled and whistled for Mug. Wizard and dog went walking off to their next destination. They had three more stops to make before heading back home.
 
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