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"So...where do you live exactly, that is of course it is still there after five years?"Dante asked as false dawn crept above the mountains.

Rena looked up at him from under his wing...It had not been exactly the most comfortable night, his flank being rather too hard for cuddling against. But the temperature here in the foothills demanded that she either rose and tended the fire every couple of hours, or she would freeze...A much better alternative had been suggested when she had disturbed her new Oath-mate for the first time, and she had capitulated, sharing the heat of his internal fires under the condition that he didn't roll over, while his wing kept off the breeze.

"It will still be there, I set a protection spell before I left. Nothing has triggered it, so there will be no unwelcome guests. I think I mentioned yesterday that it is around three hundred leagues away." Rena answered, stretching herself before rolling her blanket and moving out of his shadow into the false dawn. She jumped up and down a bit for warmth before throwing some more logs and branches on the banked ashes of the fire.

"Then why on earth did it take you five years to reach here?" Dante asked, exhaling a curl of flame onto the fire-pit, resurrecting it until it crackled with new life.

"False starts, ghost tales, leads that led to nowhere, illness, road attacks, and jobs...I am not independently wealthy. I took jobs when they were offered me to keep my purse full, some took me off route for a moon or two at a time. I never forgot my goal though. I was fourteen when I set off down the road with Charles to find you...Sorry Kalaw,"Rena replied, as she carefully stowed the sleeping rug in one of the saddle bags.

"False starts and ghost tales?" Dante queried.

"There is more than one dragon in the world Dante...It seems that dark brown ones can get mistaken for black ones...I followed three to their lairs..."

"And did you kill them?" Dante asked quietly.

"One had fledglings, so I spared her. The others made the mistake of attacking me," she shrugged her shoulders, "You are the only one I actually attacked, as I thought you were definitely Kalaw."

"Well I would be back at yours in about four days..." Dante commented, changing the subject rapidly.

"A moon's ride at least for Charles and I, if we don't get attacked again...You can't carry me by chance could you...? I could sell Charles for good coin down in the village."

"Afraid not...When I kill something your size or bigger I eat where I strike and store the rest for later. All these tales of dragons carrying off maidens to their caves to have their evil ways with them are total pigs-swill. You would have to be at least forty pounds lighter than you are for me to be able to get aloft and carry you any distance."

"Are you suggesting that I am fat again?" Rena teased, placing her hands on her hips.

"No...you are extremely svelte and attractive for someone your height and build...You're not a child or a maiden though, and therefore completely uncarriable..." Dante responded, backing off a little at her look.

"And just who says that I am not a maiden?" Rena queried, a look of thunder on her face.

"Ah...Urm..."Dante stuttered, "I."

Rena relented and burst out laughing, "Well I did say that I did not take stress relief in that way whilst on my quest!And I was too young and busy while still with my Master/father to look for recreational fun."

"Very funny...It thought for a second you had managed to find a way around our blood-oath then," Dante said, settling again, "What is it with the small peoples and there fascination over being slender and thin...I like my dragoness'with something to hold onto as we tryst...A thin dragon is a sign of a poor hunter and provider."

"Fat is just unattractive, I suppose it is the way we are conditioned from children. Are you saying that I am unattractive to you?" Rena hinted.

"No...I already told you, you are attractive to look at, and you have great self-determination. It is when you let your mouth run away with you that you put me off..." he ducked as a large rock pinged off one of his back scales, "What was that for?" he asked as she picked up another one.

"You should learn when to shut up..." Rena snarled, pitching it at him while going for another.

"That is exactly what I just suggested of you!"

The she wolf paused, lowering her next missile, "What do I do wrong?" she asked,"Not that I am remotely interested in attracting a mate."

"You look and talk constantly as if I am your next target, and your sense of humour has something to be desired and could be misconstrued by those not able to interpret it. I have not seen you interact with others, so I cannot judge, but except in your time of grieving with me yesterday, you seem heartless."

"I had a heart before I lost my master...But I buried it when I took up his trade and revenge," she said quietly, "An assassin has no call for a heart..."

"I would say that one does...to be an effective killer you must have the ability to judge, and that comes from your heart.To bait me with a living and totally innocent being, even one who should by rights be dead, labels you as heartless, and yet when you let your shield crack a little, I can tell you are still just a scared youngster..." Dante paused as she bridled a little at that, "You are, you can't deny it. And as for travel time, any that attack you are just snacks for me...remember the oath.I will just circle out of sight in the clouds above as you ride Charles. I will say one thing though...you only stop at inns big enough to accommodate me..."

"WHAT!?!"she shouted, dropping the rock she was holding.

"I said that I would be staying in the same inns as you...same room if you want. The terms of the oath say I must protect you...I cannot do that if I roost in a forest a league away," Dante replied with a grin.

"B...but you are a dragon...no innkeeper will accept you in their establishment..." Rena protested.

"You would be surprised...if they are paid enough.I know what the state rooms are like in those places...I like to have conversation with the peoples rather than eat them."

"But I have no money to support a dragon."

"Should have thought of that before binding me to you..." Dante replied with a grin.

"Can I undo the oath?" she asked after a second.

"Nope..."

"Well I guess that camping is it then..."

"Well I don't mind being a hot brick once in a while..." She started bridling again, so he just grinned, "But you said yourself I was far from comfy. So I guess I will just have to pay..."

"You say what?"

"I said I will just have to pay..."

"How?"she asked.

"There may be a lot of pigs-swill going around about dragons Rena...but the horde part of what you here is not...Why do you think we get hunted?" Dante replied quietly.

"The two that attacked me and died didn't have hordes," Rena replied as she placed a camp kettle on the fire with journey rations in it to boil for breakfast, before stripping down to just her crop top and cargo-pants. She started her exercises and stretch routine to wake up her muscles and reaction times.

Dante watched in interest as the first rays of sun, and the firelight played across her brownish fur, wires of muscles cording out whenever she extended fully. There was not a spare ounce of flesh anywhere in evidence, except maybe inside the crop-top. "Erm..." he said after a few seconds, "They would have been hidden somewhere inside their caves. We don't sleep on them like the gossip suggests. Did you look with mage senses for hidden areas?"

"Like what you see?" Rena teased, bending over in a backwards arch to grab hold of her ankles, the limited fabric she was wearing straining against her nipples and a delightful hoof toe shape appearing on the front of pants.

"I...Ah...Urm..."Dante stuttered.

Rena giggled and looped herself upright again without effort, "Males!" she exclaimed, "And no I didn't look with mage sense...It never occurred to me to. I will have to go back to the caves and see if anything is there when my quest is over."

"Other dragons are likely to have moved into the empty caves if the territory is desirable," Dante stated, "And if you tempt me with such treats, where else is a male supposed to look?"

"Hardly treats, a wiry bunch of muscles and fur with an itchy trigger..."

"Which come together as a rather lovely whole..." he finished for her, "Now you carry on exercising and eating your breakfast while I go to my cave and secure it...would you say oh...thirty pounds of gold and ten pounds of silver coin enough for twenty four moons travel? Or do you think gems would be better?"

Rena froze and stared at him, "How much?" she queried.

"Not enough? Then Charles will have to..."

"For God's sake Dante...we will have every blood thief and ruffian in the land on our tails with that weight of currency on us if they find out...that is enough for a noble to live on for forty moons! We would need a squad of mercenaries to protect us!"

"Would a dragon not be enough? And I did say we would have to be staying in the largest inns, with the largest rooms. I would say that unless you want me to leave a trail of disgruntled farmers and gamekeepers behind us, I will need at least a meal the size of that goat-boy every single day I fly..."

"It is still a hell of a lot of money Dante...more than I have ever laid eyes upon in my life."

"Is it...? I won't even notice that amount missing from my horde...and mine is a small one. I have far more gems than metals anyhow, I dug them from a seam in the mountains." Dante replied flatly.

"What type of gems?" Rena asked, sitting with a thump, her exercise forgotten for the moment.

"Diamonds mainly...been working the seam for over two hundred years on and off when I was bored...they are just pretty and sparkle when I roll them in grit-stone and heavy water before washing them off. Strange thing is, that is one of the things I remember the location of, that and the stream that I pull the gold and silver flakes and nuggets from." Dante shrugged.

"So the gold and silver is not coins then?" Rena asked, trying to compute exactly what value Dante could be sitting on.

"Oh it is now...I trade for meat sometimes on the other-side of the mountains in lean times. I just melt it down and forge it into pure coins, straight from the stream.Makes it easier...The shepherds and cattle herders over there are quite happy to see me in the winter...I tend to pay a coin for each sheep or cow I take..."

Rena burst out laughing, "I'll bet they are fucking happy to see you! Christ!A pure silver coin could buy a whole fucking herd of sheep! Forty head at least! You my friend are being done! Most of the currency in circulation is clipped, or un-pure alchemy mixed alloys.A good assassination job only pays a couple of clipped silvers."

"Mmm...It is worthless to me, just decoration when I take the spell off it so it is visible in my cave. So gems or coins...? I only have a few hundred pearls, but I like them...We are wasting time and it will take me two marks to fetch what you suggest..."

Rena shook her head, "I give up...Okay...I will consent to live like a royal while in your presence... I will have to get new clothes though or they will assume me a thief, or worse, your concubine."

Dante would have flushed red if his scales didn't hide it.

"Fifteen pounds each of gold and silver coins, thirty small diamonds...and I mean small. No bigger than say my eye..."

"Oh I chuck them away...the ones I have are all bigger than that..." Dante protested.

Rena's eyes bugged, "Then the thirty smallest that you have then...we will have travel via Gilensia so get some of them exchanged in the gem dealers district...And if you can spare some, pearls can be traded easily on the road for protection. One diamond the size of say the palm of my hand is worth about forty pounds of gold if it is clear..."

"So you just want clear ones then?" Dante queried.

Rena shook her head, "Are you saying you have coloured ones?"

"Black, green, yellow, brown, pink, blue..."

"Stop!"Rena shouted. "Arrghh! You exasperate me! You could buy a fucking kingdom or two of your own! Get the best mages that ever lived to fawn at your feet to discover the riddle of you memory and wristband! Next you will say you have platinum just lying around!"

"What is platinum?" Dante queried, "And wealth doesn't interest me..."

"Wealth doesn't interest you? Well give your whole horde to me then!" Rena joked.

Dante shook his head with a grin, "Pretty things do interest me...and it looks very pretty. I give tokens to dragonesses that pass the time and night with me too..."

Rena sighed, "Lucky dragonesses, it was worth a try I suppose! Platinum is a brighter, heavier version of silver, hell it is even heavier than gold.And bring say ten clear diamonds, and a mix of the rest. We are definitely hiring at least six mercenaries, more if I can find a band that I can trust...no arguments. We could afford an army. Even if you surprised a gang of cut throats that was attacking us, a good longbow shot could bring you down. I did."

"Oh that is what platinum is...I thought it was a shiny lead. Kept it though as it refracts beautifully with the diamonds in the firelight. How much of that should do, ten pounds?"

"Well let me put it this way, one pound of platinum is worth ten pounds of gold...So I think ten pounds is enough, don't you?"

"I melted it into fine ropes to hang from the ceiling..." Dante shrugged, "I will go and fetch what you want. I will bow to your judgement on mercenaries, as long as they don't try and turn me into a pincushion when I appear." With that he turned and took off, flapping heavily to gain height as he flew towards his cave about fifteen leagues away in the heart of the mountains.

Rena looked down at her shabby, home stitched pants and halter top. "New clothes, new tack for Charles, new saddlebags, the best weapons and poisons that can be bought..." she muttered to herself, "But I will keep 'Oathkeeper' my Katana...she was a gift from my master. I will just have to be a warrior princess or something..." she continued, ideas running through her head as she resumed her daily warm up.

~~~~

They were four days on the road before a town large enough to boast the establishments she needed came into view over the horizon. They had camped the first few nights, Rena curled up under his wing again, though she had managed to purchase a couple of new canvas sleeping rolls, stuffed with cleansed wool and duck feathers from the trading post in the village nearest to Dante's territory, so she was a lot comfier!

She held her hand out at arms-length and swept it downwards, steadying Charles as Dante glided into land beside her from whatever height he had been circling,"What does it look like from above?" she asked, gesturing to the town, "I didn't pass through there on the way to you...I avoided big settlements."

"Nothing special...A couple of bored guards on the walls, oversized manor in the middle, all the gates are open, and a few soldiers are drilling in the square by the garrison block," Dante replied.

"Half of one of those diamonds you carry could buy the whole town with change," Rena commented, "Any markets, shops, big inns?"

"Yes, yes and yes...you want me to fly in, or walk with you? I guess you want to go shopping," Dante queried with a grin.

"Walk in with me, or they will muster and turn you into that pincushion! There should be some good seamstresses around, the place is big enough...A good tanner...A good weaponsmith and an herbalist too, if we are lucky..." she rubbed her hands together in barely supressed joy and started off down the hill, Dante walking just behind her.

"We are on a quest, not going to a ball..." Dante commented, humour in his tone.

Rena looked over her shoulder at him, "Clothes get respect...If I look like this, I would not even get past the front door of a decent inn, even if YOU demanded my entrance. As is, we are going to face trouble just gaining entrance to the town.I will get a strong packhorse from the market if any there are worth a silver..."

"It would be easier than me flying with my load..." Dante groaned, the leather sacks he had tied between his shoulder blades clinking and shifting. "Why not go whole hog and buy a carriage and matched team?"

"Because I will be at the front of any charge, any fight. If I cower in a coach, I will be treated like the pampered chattel that have servants fawn over them every day while cursing the husbands that lay with them at night.No...I can kill any soldier, any assassin, any ruffian in a fight, bare handed, with my sword or by mage strike.A coach is not for me!" Rena stated firmly.

"Bet you will regret it when the weather changes..."

She turned and growled at him, "I could always make a dragon scale cape," she mock threatened, getting a laugh out of him.

As they neared the town several travellers looked shocked at Dante's presence, a few bolting on their horses for the gates in alarm. Shouts were picked up on the breeze and the number of heads appearing on the battlements of the wall doubled and then tripled, arrow heads pointing out between slots as the gates swung shut on the road. "What was that comment about pincushions?"Dante queried.

Rena snorted, checking her purse where she had stowed a quarter pound of gold and silver pieces, and a couple of the precious pearls, "Leave this to me, remember to pretend that you are under my complete control like a pet, act meek and cowed while following my bluff, and stay out of arrow range until I signal. Just trust me...I have assassinated and studied petty nobles enough to know their ways."

Dante nodded, knowing that it would be best, and stopped at the required distance as she gave Charles his head to break into a canter towards the gates as she erected a missile deflection shield around her with mage powers just in case. She hammered on the closed gates with Oathkeeper's handle, "Open up you slovenly lot of pig fuckers! Do you not want travellers to spend their coins in your town!!!"

A hatch opened at head height, a rather vicious looking wolf in a helmet sticking his head through it, "What's with the dragon?And I will fuck you if you don't mind your language, you young slut!" he replied.

Before he could draw another breath she darted her hand through the hatch and grabbed him by his ruff, pulling him to slam chest first against the other side of the oak, placing a dagger under his throat, "You would be dead before your filthy helmet hit the floor. Call your fucking Captain now and I will spare your life. I am not a slut, I am a warrior...the dragon is blood bound to me, and is no threat to any who do not attack me..." A number of arrows pinged off her mage shield, fired from the murder holes in the roof and walls of the arch. She grinned evilly, "And as you can see, I am a mage as well. This gate is firewood and splinters if it is not opened within a quartermark!" She released him shaking, the hatch slamming shut in her face.

She counted to twenty as a voluble argument went on, on the other side of the timbers before they slowly creaked open fully, and what looked like the whole garrison faced her on the other side. A much tougher looking bear wearing a Captain's badge stood at the front, "What guarantee do you give that you and the dragon will cause no damage or trouble?"he asked gruffly.

She pulled her purse from her belt and threw it at his feet. "Returnable when we leave...or I will take it back with force," she stated flatly as his eyes nearly fell out of his head when he pulled the strings open on it and looked inside.

"At ease men!" he shouted, the weapons all lowering, "She is a guest..."

"Ahem..."Rena cleared her throat.

"Erm...They are guests..." the bear corrected.

"Better Captain." She raised her arm and dropped it, Dante hopping air-born before dropping into a low glide to land in a cloud of dust next to her in the gateway, arrow free."Now would you ask one of your men to escort me to the best Inn that can accommodate myself and my travelling companion?"

"Ahem...Erm...Of course...May I ask why you look as you do now?You must garner hostility wherever you go looking like nothing but a lowly mercenary..." The bear replied, signalling to a fearsome looking pine martin with a lieutenant's badge on to step up.

"You may not...but truth to be told, a flash flood took my pack beasts in the night about a moon back. This is the first town big enough for me to do an initial re-provision for my quest. It is a good job that Dante carries my more valuable supplies," she indicated to the heavy sacks hanging from him, "I bought this clothing from a village the next day. I sleep nude and it was a tad embarrassing even cloaked in an illusion..." The bear flushed, a few of the other men leering at her, "But not unarmed," she continued with an evil grin, "Dante is my tent..." That shut them up.

Dante snorted, "That's me...a glorified flying canvas..." he started.

Rena turned and smacked her fist onto the top of his muzzle, "Shut it...I have told you before only to speak when spoken to!" she snapped.

Dante dropped his head, looking at her sideways, grinning internally as she winked at him, "Yes Mistress Cresentstar," he muttered in his meekest voice.

"A likely story!" A new, but strangely high voice shouted, the armsmen parting like pair of drapes as a striking looking, young fox dressed from head to foot in finery strode though, a light rapier hanging off his belt, blue feathers gracing his silver helmet. He looked her up and down like he was assessing the worth of a horse at a fair, "You have no scars, you slouch like a commoner, and you speak with the language of a street whore. I reckon you are a dirty thief and a liar, and I reckon the dragon there is a worthless dunce for even associating with you."

"Erm...Sir,"the Captain started as Rena bridled at the insults.

The fox turned to stare at him, growling, "Give me that purse, or give me your badge!" he ordered.

The bear handed it over saluting, "Yes'Sir!"

The fox looked inside it, his brows raising a little, "Mmm, a good thief, or at least a lucky one then. I shall look forward to keeping my tithe of this when it's rightful owner is located."

Dante rumbled deep in his chest, but Rena placed a hand more gently on his muzzle as the militia all stood their arms up again, "Whom may I ask insults me?" she asked politely, words dripping with venom.

"I am Duke Polomavit...and you stand in the gate square of Polomavit town...my town,"the fox announced, turning to face her.

"Then unless you withdraw your insults...Sir.The people here will have to rename it, unless you have a Son of age...Which from the look and sound of you, I very much doubt!" Rena spat.

The fox glared daggers at her, "You, a whore and a thief who is yet a teen from your appearance think to challenge me for honour...? I was granted this land by the King himself ten years ago when I threw myself in front of an arrow in the battle of Haramsword..."

"Did the arrow then hit your crotch and castrate you?" Rena interrupted, getting a few stifled laughs from the gathering crowd for her insult, "And I would guess that you were underage to be anywhere near the King's retinue at that time...A hangable offence I believe..." she stated looking bored.

The fox snarled, loosing it, "Arrest her Captain, and kill the dragon!" he shouted,"It is you whore that will hang at dawn, not I!And I will show you I am a complete male before you dance for the devil!"

The Captain looked at her, an expression of unease on his face...he took a few heavy steps forward as bowstrings strained on the battlements.

"At ease Captain...I will not kill you," Rena said, "I see you have more sense than your liege." She turned to face Polomavit, "I still need to re-provision, so I am granting you one chance on behalf of your people to apologise and save face. Who is your armsmaster? You would not even make me draw a heavy breath, but your men here seem to be strong and well trained. Send your armsmaster out to meet me here in front of all witnesses. If I die, well Dante dies too, as he is blood bound to me...If I live and therefore prove myself to be exactly what I say I am...you will apologise and leave me to provision myself in peace. The first result you have both our deaths; the second you have saved face for making a rash judgement while keeping your head, and you have the tax paid by your merchants who will be selling me their goods."

"And if I don't rescind my order to have you arrested?" The fox jibed.

"Then this half of your town and all people in it will not be standing by the time we are dead..." Dante sent a curl of smoke from a nostril to drift lazily up into the air.

Polomavit blanched, "Die here in combat then!" he spat, "Lieutenant Flaughten, step forward!" he shouted, backing up.

Rena looked over the middle aged tiger that stepped into the rapidly clearing space in front of the gate. He was fully armoured in leather with a steel helmet, shortsword hanging at his waist along with two daggers. He carried a shield in his left paw.

"Hmmph! You at least seem to know what you are doing," Rena declared, "Your death, or do you wish to be spared?" she queried.

Flaughten nodded, "Training bout warrior if you will, but I must kill you if I get the chance as those are my orders."

"What do you mean...warrior?" Polomavit asked, "Just kill her and be done with it!"

"Sir...look at her build...She is a warrior to anyone who is not blind to see past her youth and appearance," the tiger replied, not taking his eyes off her.

Rena nodded, "Very well. If I disarm you, I will spare your life armsmaster." She turned to Dante, "If he kills me, do not take revenge on the people before you die from our blood oath...And do not step in to stop a final blow. This will be over with quickly, one way or another."

Dante nodded, settling back on his haunches, hoping that she was a sure with her sword as she was with her bow.

Rena drew Oathkeeper from its scabbard with her right hand, unclipping it's lacquered sheath to hold in her left.

"Do you not wish to armour up?" Flaughten asked politely.

"Lost in the flood with everything else...I could fight naked if I wished, I was taught well," Rena dismissed. The tiger nodded and closed in on her.

Rena watched every muscle she could see as they moved under the tiger's fur...she darted sideways as he tried a lunge, and deflected the blade with her scabbard, dancing out of the way. There was a lot of power behind the stroke, and her shoulder rang in protest from the blow...She would have to make it a short fight. She turned to face her opponent again, ducking as his shield nearly took her head off as he had moved with a speed she thought not possible for someone his age...her left arm rose to block the wild swing from his sword arm as he neatly jarred the scabbard from her hand with the impact to sail off into the crowd. "Careless," he said quietly as if admonishing a student, but backed off. Rena looked down at her hand, and drew her Kunai knife with it...It was better than nothing.

This time it was Flaughten who closed on her.She danced with his sword for nearly a quartermark, never letting it or his shield strike her, matching him blow for blow...but neither did she find any openings. He backed her into the corner between the gatehouse and the archway before closing in for a final series of strikes...That was when he made the mistake.Thinking her exhausted, he came in high with his height advantage, shield arcing around and aimed firmly at her head as his sword swept up towards her midriff. She ducked and twisted, her Kunai locking with his shortsword's hilt, her wiry muscles deflecting the rhythm of the swing as its tip plunged into the stonework a hare's breath from her flank. She brought Oathkeeper up under his shield arm and drove the razor sharp edge through the tiger's armour above his hip, the blood flowing freely from the sideways impact.

Flaughten grunted once, his hands releasing his sword and shield in a single reflex to allow them to clatter to the floor before he took a step back off her blade and collapsed panting. "Good fight," he grunted, "I am pleased to die at a Master's hand."

"Who said anything about dying?" Rena replied, wiping Oathkeeper clean on his fur. "Dante, if you will...I said I would not kill him," she directed at the black dragon.

Dante nodded and stepped forward, sparking his healing flame before he bathed Flaughten with it completely, burning all the armour and chainmail off of him to leave him naked but wholly healed."Sorry about that armsmaster, but to heal, my flame has to contact your skin."

Flaughten looked up with a grin on his face, "Nothing the men have not seen before in the showers, and no few women in bed...thank you."

"You are welcome," Dante replied and backed off as Rena turned her attention back to Polomavit.

"I think that proves what I am." Rena stated walking straight up to the fox, staring him in the face from less than a foot away.

Polomavit knew when he was outclassed, and backed up a step before bowing at the waist a little. "I think so...warrior. May I invite you to spend the night as my'guest' in the manor?" he asked formally as the men all lowered their weapons.

"I would rather be a 'guest' with my stallion than with a little shit like you Polomavit...No; I will room at the finest inn, and spend my coin in your town. Need I say that I will not take kindly to any that try and cheat me," she said louder so everyone could hear her as they dispersed. She turned to find the scarred pine marten who had been assigned as her guide, "If you would lead the way Lieutenant..."

"Horsthwock Ma'am," he filled in for her with a smile.

"Horsthwock it is then. I suggest Polomavit you return my purse to your Captain's safe keeping.I will be leaving and gone within a couple of days, and would like to think it will be still whole. I do not trust you!" She turned without waiting for a retort from the fox, and recovered her scabbard, sheathing Oathkeeper in a single clean action before gripping Charles's reins and walking after the marten, Dante following on foot in their wake...