I woke up about three days later according to my internal clock. My body was heavy. Oddly enough, I felt like the giant wing currently trying to suffocate me might have something to do with it. I just sighed and rolled out from under her wing without retaliating.

          Have you seen a dragon sleep? They are rare creatures that only sleep when safe from intruders and with a hoard large enough to fit themselves on. Treasure hunters and magicians from all races watch dragons to steal from their hoards or kill them for their body parts. As demons were the least likely to have an interest in either profession, most of them are hidden deep in hell where only the strongest can even see.

          She reminded me of the time I saw an old friend of mine asleep for the first time in centuries after I brought him away. Beautiful creatures, even more captivating when they aren’t trying to eat you, but the knowledge that if they were to wake up grumpy and that you were going to be their first target brought the view factor down.

          Hopefully, she was going to sleep a while longer. Her body was rather neatly tucked into a ball that was facing where I was, her face gentle and relaxed. Her wings were a different matter. One was stretched fully across the floor while the other one had been half folded so the stupid thing’s entire weight was on me.

          She continued sleeping for the rest of the night, only waking up the following morning. That allowed me to figure out two things. One, I didn’t like how quiet it was when she was asleep, and two, she had placed the bed so that light would hit her side of the bed through a new window she made and had made sure that it wouldn’t hit my side.

          I felt oddly touched by that.

          “Good morning, Blackie! I see you have finally awoken!”

          “Hm.”

          “Are you mad at me?”

          “No.”

          “Good.” She lazily curled the wing that was stretched out half over her body and smiled sleepily as part of her shirt slid down a bit

          The ceiling still needed work. It was only rough stone and bits could fall and make a mess. We probably should have taken care of that before we set the rest  up or we might have chunks of rock in our food or in the bed. We could use a sheet to cover the bed and-

          “Something interesting up there?”

          “Yes, a lack of you.”

          “My early morning beauty too much for you?”

          “Your hair is sticking up like a dog’s wagging tail.”

          She quickly patted it down and frowned at me as if it were my fault.

          “Now that we are rested, we can finally-”

          My vain hopes for a peaceful day went out the window as a large commotion started towards us. Even if it went past us, I know she would go hunt it down anyway. Like trying to hold water with holes in your palms, I watched my peaceful retirement flow away. We would have peaceful days, one at a time and far apart, in the future…but these three days of rest would be the last.

          “Oh, no. I smell blood and can hear the cries of injured and pursued …My noble nature compels me to see if I can offer any aid to these poor lost souls…”

          Responding would only encourage her.

          “Come along then, dear friend!”

          “Wait, what?”

          “You didn’t say anything, so you must agree! Come along and together we shall aid these pitiful children who are in need of healing, be that in soul or in body.” Her eyes shone, the very picture of a devout angel.

          “…but it’s daylight.”

          “You’ll live.”

          So, we went outside.

          Holding onto a feather, I let her lead me as I shielded my eyes. Whatever was chasing the group that had fled into the forest we were in had stopped, allowing them to stop and rest. We found them grumbling and complaining.

          “-and then there was that old hag. What god did we offend?” I could see some male brat sneered at his friend from my place half under her wing.

          “I know right? I mean, just one incident is weird, let alone…what are we up to three now?”

          “Yeah, if you count the angel and the explosion separately.”

          “…we should probably go…” she whispered to me.

          “..no.” This would be far too much fun. It’d be even better if it turned out they weren’t bandits.

          “The one time we decide to go straight. Well, looks like we’re meant to be bandits after all.”

          “Pfff”

          “shut up”

          “Heaven’s little helper…”

          “shut up”

          “I just hope that angel freak is gone for good. Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one with white hair.”

          “Yeah, that was odd, the skin was white too. What was that? A ghost?”

          Around of laughter puttered forcibly around the group before dying off like an old moth at the end of its life.

          “No…” One of them started, dragging the word. Several others started nodding fiercely.  

          “Absolutely not.”

          “…we have killed a few angels in our time…” A skinny, hunched one commented offhandedly.

          “No!” The same brat who spoke first covered his ears and shook his head.

          I pulled her wing with a grin. “Ghosty Boney”

          “This old and still believe in ghosts? How silly.”

          “They’re only about fifty years at most.”

          “…That is true.”

          “So, Boney. Want to have some fun?”

          “Bullying the weak is hardly fun…”

          “You’re just guilty because you messed up those brats’ attempt at redemption.”

          “I mean just think, with all these angel feathers we could have made a fortune as black-market merchants.” The hunched one grumbled as he wove bandages around someone else's wound.

          “Down, Boney.”