Karltin, once she was able to come to terms with what was happening, was able to turn the tables on the male dragon. Not long after she was dragged to the male dragon’s lair, she attacked him. The male dragon, not expecting a fight from her, was so startled that he let her leave with the egg without any further problems. Karltin left gladly, relieved to have escaped this particular incident scot-free.
She returned to the cave near her human dwelling and began to set up a better living situation there. She gathered materials to form a comfortable nest for herself and Pearl’s egg, collected some shiny items to decorate with, and even dug a deep hole that provided fresh water constantly, which she could drink and use to bathe.
However, despite what she thought, Karltin did not get away scot-free. When the male dragon mated with her, he managed to impregnate her. It was the typical dragon clutch size of one egg, but even one was too much for Karltin. Karltin didn’t notice right away, though. She was too busy making her cave a home for herself and Pearl, not realizing that her behavior was due to nesting instincts that came with being pregnant.