Elin kneeled on the shore of the lake to wash her face, before going in the water. Marat emerged in all his splendor, dripping on her when he shook his head.

- Hi beautiful - greeted him the tamer, caressing his neck. The dragon puffed, and some clouds of vapor escaped from his nostrils. - Did you eat?

Marat emitted an approving hoarse sound.

- See you later - said softly Elin, before leaving.

She had decided. Soon she was going to leave for new adventures far from home, but first she wanted to make peace with some people... her friends.

The first person she went to was Lynae. The girl was meditating with Illiya like every morning, but she stopped immediately when she felt her presence.

- Elin! - she exclaimed, happy, and then cautious. - Do you need something?

The water Dragontamer twisted a lock around her finger, playing with her hair.

- Not exactly - she mumbled, uncertain. - Can we... talk?

- Sure - Lynae was about to get up, but her friend stopped her and sat in front of her.

Talk, she said. How could she? She couldn't find the words.

Lynae had always been a good friend, lively and affectionate. Her confidant, the one who invited her to all of her adventures, all of her games. Their friendship seemed unchanged even after she had become Leif's girlfriend. But then they had broken up, and Lynae had started dating Rorik. A crack had opened in their friendship, crack that seemed an abyss.

Now she had just to... take a step over the crack, hoping that Lynae was on the other side, waiting for her.

- What's bothering you? - asked softly the electricity Dragontamer, giving her an affectionate look.

She was there, over the crack, and she was waiting with open arms.

Do it. Take the step.

- I'm sorry... for everything - Elin said in one breath. - For distancing myself. For hurting you. For ruining our friendship.

Lynae nodded.

- I don't hope that we can still be friends - continued Elin in a low voice. - Lynae... I have decided to leave and tour around the world. But I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry.

- Alright. I accept your apology - replied the girl, smiling. - Elin, it's true, you hurt me. But it's nothing unfixable. I hope this journey will help you grow. I want you to know that, if you come back, I'll be waiting for you. We're a team, aren't we? You and I have been one even before becoming Dragontamers.

They hugged. Lynae chuckled.

- Don't you dare miss my wedding.

- I won't - mumbled Elin, enjoying every moment of that hug.

- Anyway, - whispered the electricity Dragontamer - time and distance only destroy shallow friendships. I hope we'll be friends for a long, long time.

The second person Elin went to was Yorick. The air Dragontamer was strangely at home and not at Jun's, and listened patiently to what she had to say.

Once he finished listening, though, he said that he wasn't going to accept her apology. You came to apologize only because you're leaving? How nice of you. Have you already gone to Leif? No?

He was angry, she understood that. He had always been closer to the fire Dragontamer than to her; their friendship was frail and had immediately broken.

It was useless talking to him. She left.

- Take care - muttered Yorick, a bit embittered by his own reaction.

Mira hadn't arrived yet at the plants shop to work when Elin came to talk with Rorik.

- Good morning, Elin - he told her, slightly surprised of seeing her. - How can I help you?

The Dragontamer explained him what she had explained to Lynae and Yorick. Rorik nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder.

- I've always loved you and Leif the same and I was sorry that you distanced yourself when you two broke up. It's not always obvious telling how a plant will grow back, once it has been broken - he said, scratching his head. - What matters is that a weed doesn't grow.

Elin pressed her lips together, not understanding where the conversation was going.

- A weed can't be born from a flower - reassured her Rorik. - I hope you find the soil and the sun you need to bloom, Elin.

And he hugged her. The girl hugged him back.

- Keep taking care of the others, Rorik - she muttered. The Dragontamer caressed her hair.

- I will - he promised. - Take care of yourself, Elin. Be safe.

They pulled away. The boy smiled at her with affection and waved his hand.

While she was about to leave, she almost bumped into her ex boyfriend and his boyfriend.

Leif gave her a weird look. Mira gave her a shy greeting, and the girl greeted him back.

- What was she doing here? - asked the fire Dragontamer his friend. Rorik shrugged.

- We chatted a bit - he answered.

Elin went back to her dragon like she had promised him. She splashed around in the lake with Marat until evening, when she said goodbye to him to go back home to get changed.

After dinner she was going to talk with who more than anyone else deserved an apology.

Leif.

His name felt bitter on her lips.

She was about to go out when Yorick arrived to apologize for his behaviour from that morning.

- I don't know if I'll ever accept your apology... but I'll try - he mumbled, without looking at her in the eyes. Elin thanked him and waited for him to leave to go out.

Leif was in bed with Mira, cuddling with him.

- Leif! - called him Elin from outside.

The fire Dragontamer apologized to his boyfriend and went to see who had called him.

- Elin? - he said, surprised.

- Hi... Leif.

- Hello. What are you doing... at evening?

- I wanted to... talk to you.

Leif sighed.

- If it's about that fight... forget about it. Let's leave it in the past.

Elin shook her head.

- I wanted to... apologize - muttered she. The boy arched a brow.

- For what? Seriously, Elin, it doesn't matter.

The Dragontamer shook again her head.

- Leif... I have decided to leave the island to travel alone, like your sister. But I didn't want to leave without having made things up between us - she paused, sighing. - Sorry. Sorry for everything. For breaking your heart, for making you feel like your presence didn't matter, for forgetting that before dating we were friends.

- It's late for this, Elin - mumbled Leif, uncomfortable, running a hand through his hair. - If you're apologizing because you feel guilty, leave here your guilt and leave without worrying.

Elin wanted to tell him that he deserved that apology, that he had deserved it for a long time, it wasn't a matter of guilt, but she stayed silent.

He patted her shoulder gently.

- I moved on. I'm happy - he smiled. Regarding his happiness, the Dragontamer agreed: Mira made him happy. - I'm going to miss you.

He caressed her cheek. So much affection was still contained in that caress!

- I have to go back to Mira. Goodnight, Elin - he told her. And, without even waiting for a reply, he turned around and went back in.

A wave of emotions hit Elin, now alone like a little dragon without its mother. It didn't go bad, but it didn't go well either. At least she freed herself from that weight on her chest.

She was now two steps away from her freedom.