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Ch. 4. Heart of the Father

The night air was cold and surprisingly dry. Reyfis found this weather to be fitting for him these days. He had final given in to the urgings of his mate and shared an amorous evening with her, but he felt nothing but cold and a little guilt in their mating. She was unaware of his visits to their exiled daughter, even as tales of Agrok's success spread through even the Kenjaya tribe's villages. Reyfis discovered that the young warriors that the Unified Tribes loaned to his defense efforts kept his secret. One pair had even vouched for him being on patrol with them on the last visit he made to his daughters. It was clear that the secret was kept for her benefit, not his own. The elder male was not liked among his daughters comrades. The broadwinged male was certain that if any of what they had could be recovered, he would have reconciled with his daughter long before he earned the trust and respect of her colleagues, and rightfully so in his mind.

Reyfis had only the room of his lost daughter to bring back the slightest feel of the warmth of holding her. Every where he looked were things he had given her, things that other had given her, and things she had made regarding herself and the family. The middle aged male spent a good portion of his free time here in secret, admiring all the things his daughter had left behind. He laid himself down on her old sleeping mat and stared at the one object that brought back the most memories of a warm bond with all his family. Reyfis held the round clay dish, it was unfired for the four feathers that were pressed into the claw and stuck into it with slip, would not have survived the firing process. The four feathers on the dish were simply neck feathers from each member of the family, and written with a tiny talon was the message 'I love my family'. The small piece of childhood artwork tore at his heart the most, but it also kept the good memories the most alive. It was his fondest bit of Agroks abandoned things, she had a new life now and she was blossoming into a most beautiful lady that brought pride and joy to the besieged heart of her father.

Something else was starting to happen this time, and it was strange to Reyfis that he was feeling it. Sitting there in the memories of the warmth shared between himself and his daughters, his mind was able to wander. Every thought he had wandered back to the strangely exotic beauty of the female drake named Rio, she was warm and sweet to him in a way that Tikhana used to show. He wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that he was able to perform with his mate, simply because he had thoughts of the lovely healer in his mind. Reyfis was not stupid enough to deny that he liked the drake, more then he liked the new version of his mate. Tikhana loathed Agrok, there was no question, while Rio seemed to adore her and admired her courage. She seemed to love the very idea of what Tahkra was trying to do, where Tikhana showed support, while openly stating her belief that the task was impossible.

Reyfis gave a gentle sigh as his thoughts kept churning around his daughters, and now there was a new lady on his mind, occupying what that portion that used to center around his mate. With her no longer in his thoughts, Reyfis began to question the reasons he stayed with Tikhana. She certainly was not the kind hearted, beautiful young gatherer who found a sweet spot on her heart for a lost warrior of the Hencany tribe. She had turned into a very sour and scheming female, if she were older he would have labeled her some kind of bitter crone.

"Reyfis, what are you doing in here? You should be sleeping in our bed so you can face the challenges of patrolling tomorrow," Tikhana's words held the vocabulary of a concerned mate, but he could hear the jealous acidity that laced them.

Reyfis shook his crowded head, "Tika, you can't make me stop loving her, this is all I have of her any longer. I will not let it, or Agrok, go completely. I don't care what happens because of that, I will face our chief, the rest of the tribes, the consorts, hell, and even you, for her sake."

Tikhana clearly bit back an angered response before she gave the feigned concern to her reply, "Reyf, you can't keep doing this to yourself love. You need your rest, the Grasolahn have been quite aggressive as of late, and you need to be in top form to come back in one piece if anything happens. Please come back to bed and get some rest sweetheart."

"I was just about to come back, I said goodnight to Agrok already," he got up and followed his mate back across the central room of their dwelling, "I only wish I could hear her say it back."

Tikhana ground her beak ever so slightly, and Reyfis could only wonder what she would say if she found out what had surprised him about himself. He had not just been referring to Agrok.

* * *

Agrok stared at Tahkra in disbelief, "Are you certain you do not wish Malehk to be there instead? He is your mate after all and would already be attending for that reason."

Tahkra shook her head, "No, little sister, Malehk is my mate, and thus cannot be my body guard. You are the finest all the plains has to offer in a warrior, and you have that perfect appearance of strength and beauty that I wish to convey to all the chiefs."

"But you will be well protected with Malehk at your side, would a large handsome male not suffice? Grenz may grumble, but he would never allow anyone to harm you," Agrok offered the alternative to make sure her sister was absolutely sure of her decision.

"Agrok, this entire meeting, is to seed the ideas of change, of a new future for our people, and the very need for it," Tahkra explained, "You are the greatest and most beautiful embodiment of that very idea. I don't care what anyone else says, you are beautiful sweetie, and you are the bravest and most skilled warrior all the plains has to offer. I want your presence as the first female warrior to help show the changes that are already upon us in good effect. And I also need you Agrok, you have always been my source and inspiration for courage and strength, and I will need both in heavy order for this. It is the first time all the clans have agreed to sit and talk, the first time nearly all recognized authority to another who was not a chief of any clan. I need my sister, and the first female warrior, at my side."

Agrok could only smile at her sister, "Long winded as usual, purely the politician. You had me at, 'I'm your sister and I need you.', Although our father is going to be making a special visit then, he wanted to spend some time with me while you were away."

"That's another reason I want you at my side, I have a wicked plan for getting rid of Tikhana and saving our father," Tahkra gave a wicked conspiratory grin to her sister.

"Dare I ask what your plot is my sneaky big sister?"Agrok asked, fighting to control a giggle as she felt as alive again as when her and Tahkra used to romp and play around their old village.

Tahkra only widened her grin, "Well, some one else provided the plot indirectly. It seems your newly rescued healer has quite the eye for daddy. And he seems a touch fond of her as well, they spent the entire celebration together once they finally met. They were so cute together just talking away and seeming to get a little sweet. I figure that if we let Rio and daddy keep getting acquainted, those snuggles will lead to more, and those flickers will become the first sparks of something good for him."

"Good for him, or good for us?" Agrok pointed out, not entirely sure she agreed with this plan.

Tahkra rested a foreclaw on her sister's shoulder, "She made him exile his favorite daughter, tore the family apart, and still assails him with the need to drive every last shred of you away. She is killing him inside, and the only thing that keeps him alive now is that you have not completely shunned him. Daddy holds onto the hope you've given him in wanting to have him back again as your father. I can see it in his eyes Agrok, he is no longer capable of loving her, he just has to realize how bad things are with her."

"I'll trust you, but I must express my concerns about hurting him further. Grenz will be home any minute, you should be off before he comes home. Part of him agreeing to let me stay with him until my dwelling is finished was an empty, relaxing environment when he got back from patrols," Agrok announced as she stood to start shooing her sister out of the dwelling she now shared with her rival.

Tahkra stood herself and began to make her way out the door, pausing just outside to continue chatting with her sister, "What is going on with you two anyhow? Venkey has been shouting to all who will listen among the Kreestak that you have been raising your tail to Grenz."

"I have been doing just that, although not very often at all," Agrok admitted to her sister, "But it's nothing of what many would think. We are not lovers, we will never be mates, we are rivals, and we take care of one another to keep ourselves in top shape. I will admit, even if he wont, we are friends, but anything more than that is prevented by our need to top one another."

"I see, well, friends with benefits is perfectly normal and acceptable. Don't get me wrong Aggy, he's handsome and quite the stud to urge a girl to lift, but his personality is lacking," Tahkra replied gently.

Agrok shook her head gently, "No Tahk, you are wrong about him. Grenz is very sweet and loving when he gets comfortable around you, I'll admit to you, and only you though; if it weren't for the rivalry, I would gladly be his mate."

Tahkra stared at her for a moment, "You know I am going to tease you about him when we are alone right?"

"I would be disappointed if you didn't, it is your right and duty as my sister," Agrok sighed as the bird in question came into sight, "There he is now, get going you!"

"Why? I'm outside with you thank you! It's not like you are trying to get laid," Tahkra protested.

"Maybe I would like to, ever think about that? Now get out of here!" Agrok sent her sister on her way in a hurry with a nip to her hind leg.

Grenz looked very puzzled as Tahkra scampered off, "The hell was that all about, Tailflicker?"

"She had been here talking to me about attending the gathering of chiefs with her as her body guard," Agrok replied with the demeanor of brushing off the event as her eyes fell upon the stone of her unfinished dwelling, "I just didn't want to crowd you in your dwelling, so I told her it was part of our agreement to have nobody here when you came home tired from patrols. By the way, if she asks, I seduced you."

"That is a big offer Tailflicker, that gathering is a high profile gig, and your sister has become high profile among the plains as well. I'm willing to bet any number of warriors would kill for that spot. I hope you took it," Grenz spoke quite seriously as he looked at her.

"You are not telling me something, what is it sexy vulture?" Agrok held her rival with a stern stare.

"Oh, nothing at all, other than I managed to burn Venkey's ass again without even trying," he replied casually

Agrok opened the flap to the dwelling, "Inside, I have food waiting, we can talk better in here, and I may want to make good on our cover story."

Grenz chuckled softly as he stepped inside with Agrok close behind, "It seems Chief Asmaht would like me at his side as his personal guard, rather than his own son."

"That is quite the insult to poor Venkey, perhaps we can send him off to be consoled by my mother if Tahkra's plan for my father works," Agrok offered sweetly as she settled down on the single sleeping mat, something her sister did not mention.

The huge male settled down with her and pried deeper into her small release of information, "Her plan for Reyfis you say? Do tell, this stands to be interesting indeed."

She smiled at him and snuggled into his warmth, "Well it seems Rio and my father have a liking for one another, Tahkra wants to shove them together and try and force that into a romance."

"Good, they both deserve such a sweet thing to happen to them, and they do look very good together. By the way.. would you mind terribly if that cover story for Tahkra wasn't just a story?" Grenz replied and gave her a gentle smile as he curled a forelimb around her.

Agrok only replied with a smile and rolled onto her back for him.

* * *

Keshpen Echtal watched the delegates leaving the small training village until they were nothing more than dark spots at the edge of his sharp vision. The young broadwing felt a buzz of excitement rattle his heart in his chest. That young tapper wing brought with her the hopes of every young warrior in the tribes. If she were to succeed, if the tribes all became one nation, no gryphon would have to spill the blood of another in petty land squabbles.

"May the Consorts strengthen your wings, Lady Asreigh," Keshpen turned his eyes back to the borders he was to patrol, only to find a massive dark spot moving along the edge of his vision, "By the Consorts coupling!"

He frantically scrabbled at his harness to try and activate the new communication device Kahlah had begun to create for the patrolling warriors, a strange voice answered, "This is acting commander Reyfis Asreigh, is something wrong?"

Keshpen wasn't sure if he needed to talk to his chest, he didn't care, he just frantically conveyed his message, "Reyfis, uh, sir, We have a large force moving along the border, I estimate breech of the plains in an less than three hours."

"Take yourself up and hold position, I need you to monitor them until we have everything in order to deal with this situation, we're counting on you son," Reyfis replied to the frantic call.

"Yes sir," Keshpen felt his heart racing as he climbed to a less visible altitude to watch the dark blotch upon the horizon with his nerves rattling his very bones.

* * *

Agrok felt rather anxious as the gathering of chiefs began, she and Malehk had received the reports from the training village. A battle was about to begin and they were here, trying to convince narrow minded chiefs to band together so they could be stronger as a whole. Malehk had asked his father in law to command the defenses of that section of the plains in his absence. Agrok glanced at her rival, who was placed at her right by the virtue of how Chief Asmaht wished his mate and his body guard to sit. Grenz was displaying all the signs of tension that she felt, he wanted to be there, to defend his home and his comrades. They had work to do that was just as important however, their presence displayed the strength that was available to all tribes should they band together, as well as kept their respective chiefs safe. Although in Agrok's case, it was Tahkra, the one a growing number of chiefs regarded as Lady Asreigh, of all the tribes.

"I thank you all for gathering here today," Tahkra began the business of the gathering with a loud, clear voice, one that was soft and sweet, yet held a seed of command, "What we have asked you here for, is to discuss the possibility of a new future for our people, all of our people. For too long has gryphon fought gryphon for lands, food, water, even for nothing more than tribal feuds. The human nations who are hostile to us take advantage, and tribes that once held forests and mountains, have been pushed to fight other tribes for a part of the plains that sustains us all. It's time this stops, it's time the might of the plains bands together to become the powerful nation we have the talents, strength, and drive to be. Never again would we be fighting one another for such petty reasons, all resources would be shared. I know a large portion of you are seething to throw insults, and reasons why this is a bad idea, right at me. I open the floor to you all now, one by one, it is the purpose to express the feelings of all the tribes here."

The very first of the chiefs to rise was Isaac, of the Kentaru, the tribe that had most healing and mage gifted individuals in the very center of the plains, "So if we were to unify, warriors of other tribes would be at our defense, while we would be expected to spread our healers out among the tribes?"

"Yes sir, Chief Isaac, all resources, be it military, or support, or even supplies, such as food or medicinal herbs, all would be spread among the tribes as needed. It is not a one sided trade either, we all know every other tribe has something the others do not have in a ready supply, those ready supplies would be available to everyone," Tahkra replied gently, reassuring the scholarly taperwing of the physical support.

Chief Ragnak of the Quintar jumped to his feet with every feather bristled, "They attack us with magic across our border and you want to strengthen them with warriors now? What madness is this? Are we to keep our lands, do you make that guarantee?"

Agrok was alarmed by the aggressive stance of the large broadwing, who was even beginning to advance slowly towards Tahkra, she leapt out in front of her sister in a defensive posture, "This is a forum of discussion and offer, a chance to smooth out the kinks. You may be a chief, but I will not hesitate to defend my sister."

A dull roar erupted from the gathered chiefs, several of whom had stood themselves, but it was all the same demand. They wanted Ragnak to cease his aggressive actions and return to the peaceful mission of the gathering. The aggressive chief was reluctant to do so, he had been challenged in his actions by a female less than half his size and weight.

Grenz made the large broadwing think and stirred his better judgment back up, "If it comes to Agrok having to do her job, let her fight it out herself. I've seen her in action, she'll stop him before he even lays a talon on her. Just like when we rescued healer Rio, she did most of the killing. Besides, we're here for peace, not war, let the guardian do her job without us getting involved for what ever reasons we may wish, we need to keep the rest of us on a peaceful stance."

"By your leave, warrior," Ragnak growled and returned to his seat, "But my questions remain valid!"

Tahkra nodded gently and stood up once again, "That they do, and I have already worked out the answers with eh advice of several of the chiefs who have already began working together as a coalition. The military forces will no longer belong to the chiefs, or the tribes, they will answer to a central ruling entity. The forces will still be under some control of the local chiefs, but they will have a higher power to answer to above those orders. As for your lands, you will keep them in a sense, but you will be surrendering them to the central ruling entity, it will be more of a staging of command, since no one being can literally run every inch of the plains. The chiefs, you, will become like the local noblemen and Ladies, ruling your existing territories, although you will not lose any lands, you will not gain anymore either. The borders will mean nothing more than the limits of how far out you must tend to."

Hakarah, the only female to lead a tribe due to the death of an heir-less chief, stood and made her plea, "But what of us who have been besieged by the humans? The Dremdal have lost our resources and we are now very few in numbers with little lands. We have nothing to offer the others, does this mean we will become a charity case? Or will we simply receive no aide from the other tribes because we cannot contribute?"

"Your situation has already been heard by the chiefs who have already been unified, and we have a solution to help you recover some of what you lost," Chief Rastak, of the Hencany, Agrok's father's tribe, spoke gently to the female chief, "As soon as the battle that has befallen the plains has been won, Hencany warriors will come bolster your ranks and bring with them food and supplies. The humans that had been attacking you have been all but wiped out by this mysterious foe, they need help and protection. We had planned to help you absorb their outpost and add human fighters to your ranks as well as expanding your borders to absorb the land they still hold as they have yet to be discovered. That gives you new hunting grounds and a river for water."

The female chief stared at the Broadwing who had just offered her so many ways for her people to recover with one movement of aide, "Thank you so very much, both you and the Hencany tribe as a whole, Chief Rastak. How can we ever repay you?"

Rastak smiled at her, Agrok noted that it was a little more than a friendly smile, "Survive, flourish, bring more gryphlets into this world with your people's blood in their veins. You are gryphons of the plains, we help because we are your brothers and sisters in arms, and in life."

"We shall discuss the details in a private setting, I want to make sure we are working on the same path," Hakarah nearly cooed to her savior.

"Wait, you want us to accept humans into the plains? So it is true that the unified tribes have been taking in the strays of the shattered human lands," Chief Markovich, of the Beshtahl tribe, nearly bellowed.

Tahkra did not back down against the angry male, instead she fired right back with a calm, cool logic, "Yes, they are in trouble and need help, and we need goods only they can produce, as well as potential soldiers to help bolster our ranks. We all know that humans can also build things we cannot, they can tend to things we cannot do for ourselves. We could just slaughter them as they flee into our lands, but we would be just as bad as the people who are destroying their kingdoms and their homes. We would be the monsters they accused us of being."

When the opposing chiefs did not seem to be fully swayed, Tahkra began to repeat the contents of Agrok and Grenz' report of what had been done at the village of death. There was a shocked murmur that spread through the room as none of them would have imagined any being cruel enough to carry out such an act upon another.

"It seems you have some very good grounds here Lady Asreigh, we shall need to hear more details to really make a decision," Chief Ragnak pointed out logically.

Tahkra gave a nod and continued with her speech, and the details of the unity of the Titanian plains.

* * *

The plan was set into motion, it was simple, flexible, and it was their only hope for victory. They were grossly outnumbered by better trained fighting units, all Reyfis had to work with was the humans that Saltriss had only just begun to train in the fighting arts, and the well trained, but untested graduates of Malehk and Agroks training courses. Thankfully he had a mage to work with as well, Krinzehl had agreed to stay and help the defense efforts while the important parts of the command team were away. The elder male's entire plan centered around her and a clever idea he had come up with. They lay in wait as the enemy troops closed in, marching into an unseen minefield of the crystalline globes that Kahlah had created, mage bombs she had called them. Reyfis had selected the blue and yellow ones, freeze bombs and facet bombs, avoiding the red incendiary bombs, fire on the dry plains would be bad to an incredible extent.

The enemy was in position, Reyfis could see the communications officer right over a facet bomb that had been placed by human scouts before the village forces took their positions. The time was right, his human 'warriors' were in the grass, so very close to the enemy. Up above were the gryphons, warriors of the plains waiting to unleash the third and fourth stages of the repelling attack. He did not fear discovery of the gryphons by the enemy, they were all confirmed human troops, and the winged warriors were far above at the limits of Reyfis' vision.

The elder broadwing stood, startling the enemy, "Now Krinzehl! Everyone, strike for the plains, for the tribes! Strike them down and protect our lands!"

The enemy troops were stunned by the sudden appearance of Reyfis, which gave Krinzehl the time she needed to release hold of her spell. It was a clever little ploy, there was no spell to counter, because the spell was already in place, keeping the activated bombs from detonating. All Krinzehl had to do to unleash hell upon the advancing forces was stop feeding the spell, instantly ending it and allowing the spheres to release their effects. All over the intended battle field, bright blue-white bursts of energy froze everything they touched, completely through for a radius of approximately twelve feet. Yellow flashes marked the expansion of the thin crystalline needles of the facet bombs, those nearly indestructible spears pierced everything as they encountered at though it weren't there, be it armor, weapons, even living flesh. The facets lanced out a good two to three yards, tearing their closest victims to nothing more than unidentifiable tatters

Reyfis was dismayed to see that the communication orb had survived the impact of the facet bomb, even if the officer holding it was indistinguishable from the remains of his body guards. As his barely trained, frightened troops stood and rushed the confused and panicked remains of the enemy forces, Reyfis himself charged for the orb to insure that no report could be made back to the main forces in the decimated human lands. The first fighter he encountered had just managed to draw his sword, even if he was disoriented. The broadwing pounced before the man could gain his bearings, grasping the pummel of his sword with his left foreclaw as he grasped the blond hair with his right and forced the human's own blade up through his throat and into his skull. Two more fighters had recovered and charged the gryphon, one wielding an axe while the other leveled a pike at his heart. He used the sword as a handle to hurl the corpse into the attacking fighters and bring them to the ground. Reyfis followed through to confirm the kills at the same time, driving the rear facing 'thumb' talon of each claw into the eye socket of each fighter.

"Reyfis down!" Krinzehl warned a split second before she unleashed her icebolt almost onto of his position.

It was all the warning he needed to duck the lethal bolt of freezing energy and let it strike the intended target. The strange creature resembled a humanoid spider, at least as far as Reyfis could tell after it's frozen body had fallen and shattered. A man managed to get the drop on the mage, he would have made a lethal swing if the commanding broadwing had not grasped the spear of his victim and driven it through the assailant's sternum.

"We're even, now let's get that orb and destroy it before they can make contact to their home base," he said quickly to the mage as he took a defensive position ahead of her to begin pressing for the orb again.

Krinzehl gave a nod and hurled an arching bolt of electricity into the gathering warriors of the rear lines while their own ground fighters dispatched the straggling survivors of the mass detonation, "Right, I have an idea, we can use the orb as a weapon, we just have to reach it! Push on, I'll help you cut a path."

Reyfis did not reply, he knew Krinzehl was a battle mage for the Rentuh, she knew he would fall in with her at his back without his verbal acceptance of her plan. Five human fighters fell in along side the broadwing who was at their command, two of them bore minor wounds from their awkward fighting. The met an enemy squad with a fierce clash of steel and the blood curdling scream of Refyis' victim. His troops struggled with little success against the trained and experienced fighters, although they were able to hold out long enough for him to come to their aide, or to make a kill when the foes tried to face the greater threat of the broadwing. Krinzehl hammered the advancing forces with spells, most of which were meant to effect more than one target, such as her lightning spell that arched from body to body, or her shattering ice ball that exploded and threw razor sharp shards of ice into the masses.

One of Reyfis' men spotted the orb at the same time as one of the Legion's troops. Both fighters lunged for it at the same time, leather gloved and gauntlet clad hands both made contact at the same time. The broadwing was impressed with the young human as he quickly turned a shield bash into the throat of the Legion opponent. As a further tribute to the human having found hid calling, the young man kicked the orb back toward the gryphon mage as he finished his opponent and held the defensive position.

Krinzehl was quick to scoop up the violet crystal orb. The coconut sized sphere was a comforting sight in her foreclaw for the battle weary commander, for it was not to be a threat in only a moments time. Now he was able to focus on the grim task of eradicating a superior fighting force with a handful of wet winged recruits. They were quickly losing the advantage of the disarray the mass detonation had created as the rear ranks met the defending forces.

"Krinzehl, what ever you had in mind, do it quick, we're loosing our advantage," he called back to the mage as he dodged a vicious jab with a poleaxe.

"Got it, fall back and call Keshpen to give the signal, we'll have greater effect immediately after this goes off," she replied quickly as she threw the orb with all her might.

Reyfis suddenly realized the urgency of her order to fall back when he noticed the former communication device was arching inside with a massive amount of energy, "Fall back, everybody, fall back now! Keshpen, make your dives now!"

* * *

Tahkra sighed quietly to herself with exasperation as the voices continued to bellow about old feuds and what they were 'owed'. The only thing she found that any two chiefs agreed upon was that they despised the humans and did not wish to take in any refugees. It was odd to her that an act of kindness and strength would be the strongest issue standing in the way of the banding of the tribes into one solid nation. She could feel Malehk's tail curl slightly with hers in a comforting gesture.

"They could not defend their own homes, how could they be anything but a burden upon us? We have to feed them, some how cloth them, give them water, and protect them from some great enemy," Markovich was on the offensive again, "We have no proof that these humans are being slaughtered as such. All we have is the report of two warriors, one male and one female. By the rumors that have been spreading by a chiefs son, they have been romantically involved with one another. For all we know that report was fabricated to cover the time they spent tied with one another."

Grenz started to lurch forward, but he was quickly cut off by a challenging screech as Reltuh leapt into the center of the gathering ring, "The ladies Asreigh are a very honorable pair, I find it hard to believe that Agrok Asreigh, sister to Lady Asreigh, would lie about such a sickening tragedy to cover her own mating. If you attack her again, we will discuss the matter like the old adversaries we are. As for the authenticity of their report, I have very good reason to believe them. I witnessed the slaughter of the survivors of their last attack near our borders. Chief Erneze and the gathered warriors of both our tribes bore witness to myself holding a gravely wounded child as he bled out in my foreclaws. I know I hate humans with a passion, but after I witnessed those cruel monsters cutting down defenseless females and children, I could not turn my back on them. None of those we moved to save that day survived their attack, but we have managed to liberate several groups of fleeing families. I say that anyone who could let this mysterious foe do such things and even aide them by eliminating those who enter our lands, you be an enemy as well. There is no real difference between a helpless human, and a helpless gryphlet. What is more, I have received a communication from my consort, she is locked in combat with an invading force of the foe who has been destroying the human kingdoms around us. They have begun to invade our plains, and as separate tribes, we cannot stand against them. You have been given every humane reason to band together, and you have now been given a foe that requires us to band together. The time of our tribal lives is over my brothers and sisters, we cannot hope to survive the new world unless we finally become a nation, founded and ruled by the children of the Great Consorts."

Markovich stared at Reltuh for a long moment and nodded in agreement, "I concede, I cannot argue with the honesty of Chief Reltuh. With such things brought to light, I find the only wise action, is that we must unite. It is no longer a question of if and why we should, but rather, how we should all go about this."

Tahkra gave a sigh of relief as she looked up at Reltuh and smiled softly, "Thank you Reltuh, I do not think our people could have achieved this great step without you."

"I told you I would be the loudest voice to speak for your vision, it is a wise and just vision, for the betterment of us all. I am honored to have fought at your side in this cause, Lady Asreigh," the scarred male made his way toward the drake pair, "I seek passage to Agrok's home village to stand beside the lady of my heart. Erneze, I trust you as I always have, to speak on my behalf."

"Lady Asreigh, I do believe it would be best if you went back as well, your mate and your sister would be quite helpful in the battle at hand, I will send what warriors I can to aide in the fight as well. We chiefs have been handling the power of the plains, it is our duty to help reshape it to match the need at hand," Markovich suggested with the echoed support of several of the chiefs

Tahkra was too weary to argue, she was not any kind of political power of the plains, her job was done, it was time to return home.

* * *

Krinzehl was exhausted beyond anything she had ever felt before. The tide of the battle had shifted for the second time with the detonation of the the communication orb turned trap. It had erupted into a massive explosion, followed by an even more massive web of chain lightning arcs that dealt a devastating blow to the Legion forces. Keshpen and the other gryphons of the defending forces had the good sense to split their drops to either side of the blast zone. Each of the dozens of gryphon warriors dropped several more mage bombs upon the hapless foot soldiers below, completing the crushing blow to the enemy ranks before they landed behind their lines and began clawing their way through the scattered remains. The danger of this fight was not over, but the real battle was indeed over, victory was secure. The mage was displeased to notice just how tired and how many of their troops were wounded; this victory may have been secure, but under those conditions they were sure to pay for it. That point was driven home just moments later as she hammered a small cluster of troops with a lethal reverse rain of sharp stones.

Reyfis had found himself engaged with two opponents at once, quickly dispatching the first by forcing the swordsman into his axe wielding comrade's vicious swing. Krinzehl was pleased that the male had extracted himself from the difficult situation, she herself had cast her last spell. She simply had no more energy left to cast any more, the rapid flow of multiple target spells was not the most conservative method of casting. Just as the mage breathed a sigh of relief, only to see a group of five enemy fighters seem to materialize out of no where. They closed in quickly on Reyfis with a flurry of well coordinated strikes, slashes and lunges. The broadwing put up a valiant effort, even managing to down two before he was forced to rear up in an evasive maneuver. That was the ending move of the battle for the temporary commander, as one of the remaining three made a lunge to drive his blade into the chest of the exhausted warrior.

"Reyfis!" Krinzehl cried out as she grasped a blade in her foreclaw and threw herself at the three humans in an attempt to protect the wounded warrior.

Reyfis did not have the best reputation among the united tribes for what he did to Agrok, but he had proven himself to be very caring and regretful for what he had done. Krinzehl found she actually liked the heart torn male in a way that she could easily become a friend. She had no martial skills what so ever, but she felt the need to try to protect him. The humans seemed to know she was no threat in direct combat as they regarded her with a smirk each and advanced slowly on her. One of them, the red haired fellow on the left, raised his mace to deliver a crushing blow to the mage's skull. Just as Krinzehl thought he would connect, Reyfis sprang to his haunches again before her with a fallen fighter's shield in his foreclaws to deflect the blow. He paid for his heroic act with another blade lodging between his ribs, leaving the warrior with a sword stuck along the left side of his keel, and another dangerously close to his right lung. The entire world seemed to move so very slow as she felt death upon them both, she was unable to fight and he lay bleeding quite heavily at her claws.

The fearful and angry cry shattered the daze the mage had fallen into as a familiar voice gave a screech, "Daddy!"

It was all she heard before a brown feathered streak passed over her in a mighty leap that ended in a savage claw strike to the second swordsman to have struck Reyfis. Agrok's talons connected at the hing of his jaw and his throat to tear both away in a sickening spray of shredded flesh and blood. Right on her tail was a huge black feathered broadwing, it had to be Grenz. The huge male caught the mace wielder and the last man by their heads and clapped his foreclaws together with a sickening crunch of skull, like the sound of some one smashing a damp clay pot filled with meat. Another beautiful sight filled her vision a moment later as a huge brown feathered figure pulled Reyfis onto his back.

Krinzehl quickly fell to his scarred side and pressed close, "I have your blind side, love."

"Thank you, we'll get to the sweet reunion later, we have a gravely wounded warrior to save," Reltuh replied in a somewhat stone hearted manner.

The mage was not offended, she knew him better than to think he was not elated to see her again, alive and unharmed. There was simply a life at stake, and her beloved chief would not let that life slip away without a fight, not even for his significant other. It was one of the things that she first admired about him, it was a misunderstood trait about him and it made Reltuh seem much more aggressive and cold than he really was. There were no more words outside of direction as they moved as quickly as they could through the fast ending battle, leaving the body guards of all the chiefs to help the weary defenders finish eradicating the remaining handful of Legion troops.

* * *

Rio was swarmed with as many healers as she had wounded and it made her feel as though she really did not need to be present other than to coordinate the lesser healers to what wounded needed them. That is, until Chief Reltuh and Krinzehl arrived in a hurry with the most grievously wounded fighter to come in. A normally handsome bird, now a limp, bloodied mess slung over the back of the huge broadwinged chief. Her heart dropped, she had come to care for the heart torn male quite deeply in the times she had gotten to spend a moment of time talking to him.

Rio waved off the other healers that tried to take the patient, "No, I will care for Reyfis, I just can't trust him to another. Bring him into my dwelling, it is quieter and warmer in there, and we really do not have an infirmary."

She felt a slight twinge of jealousy as she noticed the female mage following close and speaking quietly to Reyfis to keep him coherent against the blood loss. She lead Reltuh to the former dining dwelling that Malehk and Tahkra shared with Saltriss and Kahlah. The table was still there, it was just out of the way of her living space, waiting to be pulled out for the next meal. The drake instructed the chief to lay her patient on his back on her sleeping mat. Rio didn't like the mat much, she wanted something softer to sleep on, but that could wait until after all this business was over.

Rio put a hand on the other female's shoulder, trying to hold back her relief at having a reason to dismiss her, "I need to tend the patient now, take your friend here and see if there is anything you can do to help the others. I'll handle things from here."

"Right, and you don't have to be jealous, Reyfis is a casual friend at best, Reltuh on the other hand.. well, you tend your patient and I'll tend mine," Krinzehl said with a wink, although Rio could tell she was under the effects of being drained of power.

Reltuh curled a wing around the gryphoness and guided her toward the door, "You are the patient this time darling, you're in no shape to care for anything but sleep. I'm sure Mr. Asreigh is in good hands."

"I will come by after I have him safely healed and resting to make sure you did not harm your pathways with the extent of your exertions," Rio offered gently, even as she grasped the grip of the sword in her patient's ribs and gave a careful strait pull to remove it.

Krinzehl gave a nod to the drake as she watched the gush of blood flow from the broadwing for a brief moment as the healer set to work, "I appreciate it, but I have been this drained before, I'll recover. I wont be too happy for the next few days, but I will recover. Take care of him healer. Even after he is healed."

Rio was puzzled by her statement as the mage left with her lover. The drake was only half aware of them in those last seconds due to her healing trance. The energy flowed from her hands as she pressed the flesh together gently and urged it to knit with the proper weaving of her energies to accelerate that healing beyond what the body would have done on it's own.

"Sorry for this, but I'm afraid I will need my strength to remove this one, so no pain blocking," the drake spoke softly to her patient, who simply groaned softly in reply.

Rio stood before the wounded gryphon and grasped the blade lodged in his chest. The weapon was lodged firmly in his chest, but Rio already knew that. She had already viewed the injury through her energies flowing within her patient's body. The blade had hit his keel bone just right to have caused a small split that allowed the tip of the blade to wedge firmly inside. The drake gave a firm tug to try and remove the offending blade, but it remained a stubborn part of her patient. She placed her foot on his chest to hold the gryphon still as well as giving herself some more leverage. The tactic was not quite enough to free the blade from it's living block, but the healer was not out of options just yet. She coiled her tail around one of the supporting beams of the dwelling and used the strong appendage for even more leverage.

Rio gave a little squeak of surprise when the blade final came free of the encasing bone. As the drake fell flat on her rump, blood welled fresh from the fully opened wound. The offending blade was not finished claiming victims, however. When she fell, the drake struck her hand against the table and lost her grip on the sword. The weapon bounced with the impact and sank it's tip into her right foot to pass through the bottom. She gave a small cry of pain before she clenched her jaw tight and pulled the blade from her own foot. There was little she could do for her own wound, the fact of healers was that they could not heal themselves, but her patient was bleeding what little blood he had left. She had to work quickly, diving back to her patient to place her hands around the wound pressing the parted flesh together. It was a fairly small but deep wound, no real challenge for her skills as a healer.

Rio worked from the inside out, causing severed blood vessels to reconnect and healing the flesh around them to hold together once again. The healed area was not quite as strong as it was before, but that was simply the result of the body's limitations, it could only be forced to heal so far before it stopped reacting to a healer's urging. With her patient now stable and merely resting, the healer was able to turn her attention to her own injured foot. It appeared as though she had bled all over the floor of the gathering she slept in. She was enough of a healer to know that what looked like a large amount of blood really wasn't so much. That did not mean that the wound did not require some care right away, and she knew that as well. Her options were limited on how to deal with the injury, all she had was a cloth napkin to tie as a bandage around the wound to stop the bleeding.

Rio took the napkin from the table and looked to either side of herself, finding only her patient to be close enough for her to lean against so she could work on her foot, "You should be sturdy enough to rest against, handsome. Don't worry, I will be careful of your aches."

Rio would have giggled a bit at herself, if her foot was not shooting pain through her body with every move she made. The healer settled herself down to lay back against the warm, soft feathered, flank of her sleeping patient. She was careful not to sit on her own wings as she pulled her injured foot across the opposite leg. Pierced and slit flesh stared up at her from the wounded foot, worse than what Rio had anticipated. Her cloth was painfully inadequate for the task of tending such a wound, it would take at least a field healing kit that fighters had a tendency to carry. As quickly as she could, the drake turned to check around the neck of her patient for some sort of strap. She nearly cried out with relief when she found the canvas strap in his neck rough, that relief faded just as quickly as it had come. The straps lead underneath the heavy bulk of the large gryphon. All the healer could do was lay back against her patient and press the cloth firmly to her wound on either side of her foot. Reyfis had family and comrades in the village, surely one of them would be along to check on his condition before too long. With the loss of strength starting to set in, she could only hope that it would be soon.

* * *

Tahkra fought hard to calm her nerves as she lay near the large bonfire in the center of the training village. She envied the half built stone dwelling the masons were constructing for her sister, at least it could keep from shivering with raw nerves. The gryphoness shifted her gaze to the twin moons, in perfect balance of the silver in half wax, the violet in half wane.

"Please, Great Consorts, the best hope for our people is to unite, and that is in a crucial moment. That hope will either come to pass, or die completely with the decisions made tonight. My father has been wounded as well, it is more than I can take alone. Please, I need some calming hope, some inspiration of strength, I beg of you," she pleaded her desperate prayer to the heavens.

"Hail, Lady Asreigh," a masculine voice spoke from behind her, "Relax, it is only I, Chief Erneze. I guessed you might be a bit rattled by the gathering, so I brought you some wine to help calm your nerves. I had no idea your father had been wounded as well."

Tahkra looked back over her shoulder at the handsome chief and gave a gentle smile, "Thank you, but I have never had wine before. I do not think it would do me much good."

The slightly older male smiled back at his younger colleague as he settled down at a friendly distance, "Then I shall only allow you one dish, it is to come your nerves, not intoxicate you. I've come to tell you of the conclusion of the gathering."

"Well, dear Chief Erneze, what is the news of the gathering?" Tahkra asked gently as she watched the chief set a smaller drinking dish by her to pour a small serving of the rich red whine from the skin he had brought with him, "So little? I am a big girl Erneze, I should be fine with a bit more."

The male waved a talon at her, "I do not think that is a good idea with a wine virgin. I wished to help calm your nerves, not send your head swimming. Malehk would never forgive me if I got his make tipsy while he was mopping up the final details of a major battle."

The younger female gave a pout, "Oh fine, you still have to tell me of the gathering, it was my gathering anyhow."

"Very true, and I have good and bad news," Erneze replied gently as Tahkra tasted her wine, "The bad news is that we are not certain to have the victory you desired, and if we do not have it, this is the end of the movement for this generation. That comes on the wings of a good wind however, every tribal leader seems to be on board to unite. We are simply in the stages of bickering over details of the power structure. What those details are, we all agreed, you should not be informed of. It is out of your claws now Tahkra, you are not a true political leader here on the plains."

"That is wholly unfair, but in that same thermal, I can understand the reasoning behind the decision. Oh my, this is a lovely drink, I can see the dangers such a tasty brew of intoxication can pose," the female taperwing replied with a little more steadiness to her voice.

"Indeed, hence my caution in serving you. Lady Kahlah tells me there is another issue on your mind that I may be able to lay to rest for you, concerning my wing brother?"

Tahkra stared at the handsome face of the chief before the concern returned to her mind, "Oh! Yes, I was confused by the sudden turn around in Reltuh the day we first met to discuss the banding of the tribes. He was so deeply against helping any tribe that helps humans, but after he held that child, even as he held him, he was so caring and compassionate towards him. To have him completely change his mind over a group of humans being slain seems quite out of place."

"I can see your confusion, Reltuh has that effect on those who don't know him well enough yet," Erneze explained, "He holds his first concerns, but in all honesty, he has a very good heart. He did not care at first because he had not seen the scope of the heartless nature of this foe until that attack. He hates humans, but he does not wish them harm, reltuh simply does not wish to associate with them."

"But why had that boy changed him so much to be so caring and tender to him as he held him?" Tahkra asked with a scrunching of her brows.

The male gave a soft chortle, "That boy was a child, even if a child is the most hated species to him, Reltuh would give his life to protect a child. There is also history behind it, before you ask I'm just going to come out with it. Reltuh hates humans so much, because he was taken as a gryphlet and given to a human child as a pet. The boy's parents treated him like an animal, caged him, fed him horrid foods, made him sleep outside, the whole canine treatment. However, the boy who he belonged to treated Reltuh like a little brother. he would sneak him treats and real food to eat. When he could manage, the boy brought him in the house and let him have his bed while he curled up on his chair. Reltuh had a very warm spot in his heart for the boy, a brotherly bond, and that bond lead to his twin minds on humans. One day the boy found out that reltuh wanted to go home, to his own parents, his own people. The boy ran away with Reltuh, trying to guide him to the borderlands of the plains. They made it, I was there with my father, learning to guard our borders the day they crossed. They did not go without pursuit, unfortunately, and just as they broke into the plains, the boy's father and his men caught up to them. He immediately began to beat his son savagely, and Reltuh tried to protect the boy. His valiant efforts were rewarded with a strike of a sword in his face, giving him that scar and claiming his eye. This only enraged the boy's father even more, and he laid into the boy with a new fury. it was short lived as my father and his warrior descended upon the band of humans. They managed to save Reltuh, but the boy was too far gone to be helped by what healers we had available. Reltuh lay with the boy and curled his wing around him as he faded from life, with his best friend at his side. Reltuh's father gave the boy a warrior's resting ceremony, and honored him for his brave deeds that claimed his life. After which, the treaties that bound our tribes were struck in the wake of the return of the Chief's missing son."

Tahkra wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "That is a terrible thing for a youngling to have lived through, I understand now. Reltuh both loves humans for the friend he had among them, and hates them for the unforgivable evil they committed upon the boy who saved him."

"Precisely, and that stubborn face he shows everyone is to make him seem incorruptible and stronger than most would wish to face. it has helped our tribes avoid physical conflict with others before," Erneze gave a sly grin, "And it won the heart of a female strong enough to match that tough old bird. Krinzehl seems to be just one step from exchanging feathers with him. The spark between them is very strong, now that they know each other. Far better than the sparks of their clashing personalities as they ran into one another's abrasive exterior personalities."

"They are lovers? I would have imagined they would have slain one another," Tahkra could barely suppress a giggle, finally able to relax and find comfort in the hopes she found around her, "I suppose it shows that even the most difficult stand offs can end in peaceful resolutions, and lasting friendships."

"Wise as always, Lady Asreigh," Erneze smiled at the lovely female before he stood to take his leave.

* * *

Reyfis woke to the sound of soft whimpering, a sound he did not expect to hear. When he lifted his head to investigate the sound, a dull pain radiated through his chest where he had been wounded. The elder warrior gave a soft groan as he started to move.

The whimpering voice gave a soft gasp, "Oh, don't try to move too fast, I closed your wounds but they can still be torn open again."

"Don't worry about me, I'm old enough to know better and young enough to survive if I do slip up." he replied gently as he brought his gaze to the beautiful drake resting against his side, "What has you whimpering, scaly angel?"

She nodded down at her injured foot where the cloth napkin has soaked up a bit of blood, "I went and hurt myself when I removed the blade from your chest. I'm starting to feel the effects of blood loss, and I am ashamed to admit that I was losing hope of being discovered."

Reyfis did not hesitate to place a foreclaw at her back to let him shift without jarring her, "Hold still, I can help you out with that cut of yours. It would be moist unjust if a beautiful lady were to give her life to save an old fool like me."

"The risk I took in healing you was worth it to save such a beautiful bird," the drake replied with a gentle blush to her cheeks as she adjusted her position to offer her wounded foot to the gryphon.

Reyfis pulled his neck pouch around form where it had been laying beneath him and started to remove his first aid supplies while he examined her foot, "You give me too much credit Rio, I'm starting to get old, and my heart is stained with a most grave mistake that I can never make amends for. You certainly did a number on your foot here little beauty."

"You are a good man Reyfis, you just made a mistake. You regret it, and you want to make amends," the drake spoke softly as the gryphon selected a small vial of disinfecting solution and poured it into her torn flesh, "I wish I had a male like you, I would be so very happy to settle down then. Maybe look into having a family too, hopefully my children would be as beautiful and wonderful as Agrok and Tahkra have turned out for you."

Reyfis couldn't help but smile at the kind words of the female, his foreclaws opening a small jar of salve and spreading it into and over her wounds, "This is painslayer extract, it is an herb that grows on the plains. It's milky juice has antiseptic and anesthetic properties. So tell me, you really find Agrok beautiful, as well as Tahkra? Most find Tahkra beautiful, and seem to not see anything lovely at all about Agrok."

Rio nodded gently as her care giver applied the salve and placed a small pad of gauze over either side of the wound, "I would like to know who would not find Agrok lovely, she is absolutely stunning. I would dread having a daughter like her, simply for the same reasons I gave my mother so much grief. I know I have let too many in that spot just above the base of my tail. it shames me to think how many I had given myself to. I would dread that in such a beautiful daughter as Agrok, but I would find so much pride in her natural beauty, grace, and pure strength. if I could create my own daughter, I think she would be just like Agrok."

The broadwing could feel a new, yet familiar, warmth spreading through his heart as he felt his turn to blush at the directions to the drake's intimacy, only made worse by the fact that he had been wondering about that very fact, "You are an amazing female, Lady Rio, I wish my girls had a mother more like you. They would have been happier now, and poor Agrok would not have had the confidence problems she does with males."

"I wish I could be their mother, to be quite honest," Rio confessed as she looked down her belly at the handsome bird who had began to wrap her foot with a bandage, "A beautiful, strong male for a mate, gorgeous, intelligent, strong willed daughters. It would be anything I could ever want in life, but you are mated, and as much as I want to pursue you, I cannot. Which only makes you so much more desirable. Do not fret dear Reyfis, I will not try to steal you for myself, I will just admire you from the stance of a friend."

"To be honest Rio, I find myself wishing it had been you instead of my mate, she is the one who pushed me and manipulated me into making my mistake," Reyfis admitted to her as he finished tying off her bandage and shifted to lay with his head up.

The drake examined her bandaged foot for a moment before she slid herself up to rest against the chest of the gryphon and idly stroke the side of his neck in a gentle caress, "I wont speak ill of your mate, out of respect, hun. I will say that your daughters are very firm in that they do not have a mother. By the way, you are ordered by your healer to rest and eat well for one more day before you try to travel home. I can give you another treatment by then to make those wounds healed enough to withstand the strain of the long flight. No combat for two weeks, at least, understand me?"

Reyfis could not help but smile at her, unconsciously wrapping his forelimbs around her as a soft purr of contentment escaped his throat, "Yes ma'am, I will take to wallowing in my healing at once!"

* * *

Agrok walked quietly alongside her rival as he carried the dish for serving her father. The big male offered his help in bringing the elder male his meal. She knew it had nothing to do with his respect for her father, and everything to do with making sure she was okay. The female would have protested, but she did not feel like waiting for the verbal sparring match to end before she would see her father.

"Hey, Tailflicker, would you prefer I wait outside," Grenz asked quietly as they approached the gathering dwelling that the drake and Asreigh group all shared.

She shook her head as she pulled back the leather flap of the door, "Please come inside, Grenz. I shall enjoy the help with setting up this meal so that I may spend more time with my father. He has been cleared to leave after this meal is done."

"Look, don't you touch the meal, I'll take care of serving, you savor every second with your pops," he more informed her than offered as he stepped into the dwelling.

As they stepped inside, the young warriors were greeted by a very cheerful Reyfis, who was receiving his final treatment from Rio, "Agrok, please come in. This big fella must be Grenz, thank you for covering my daughter's back out there in the field."

Agrok could help the light blush at her nares as her rival smiled at her father, "It's no trouble at all sir, Agrok is a fine warrior and a wonderful partner. But we will begin solo work soon, and she is in truth my rival. Please settle in with your old dad, Agrok, I'll lay everything out for you so you can enjoy your time."

"Thank you Grenz," she replied softly as she settle down against her father's right side, "I am glad you are alright father, but.."

Reyfis tilted his head at his youngest daughter, "But what Agrok?"

The younger female threw her forelimbs around his neck and held tight, "Don't you ever scare me like that again, please daddy. Please don't ever let yourself get hurt like that again, it's too much to take."

"That is good, and let me tell you why," Rio spoke up as Grenz opted to quietly lay out the serving dish and place the fresh red meat upon it, "I have known warriors far more intimately than they know one another at times. It is simply part of my job as a healer to make sure the mind is back in good health, along with the heart and body. The one thing I find true about most warriors who are not out to simply fight and bash heads about; they are afraid for the ones they love. They fear the pains they see themselves and their comrades going through will be inflicted on their loved ones. Now can you imagine why this would be a good thing Agrok?"

The gryphoness pondered the drake's words for a moment, "Because it shows that I have a heart, and do not fight for profit, glory, or the sake of fighting?"

Both father and daughter watched the drake intently as she worked on both his hide, and both of their hearts, "Partly the reason, but not entirely. You see, you fight to protect those you love, and not for the reasons mentioned. it gives you the same virtues as mentioned, leaving you less likely to turn on your own, but it also gives you real purpose. You have something to fight for, and it can and will drive you harder than any glory hound or head cracker. The heart that beats in your chest gives you greater power behind those talons than any amount of muscle ever could."

"Now that I think of it, she speaks the truth, Agrok," Reyfis admitted to his daughter, "I've always fought so well because I had you girls and your mother to protect. Now that I do not have that reason any longer, I have been wounded in battle twice, in far too short a span. It also tells me that I am starting to show my years. I'm losing a wing beat and it is giving my opponents an advantage that I cannot afford to give. I believe I am going to request partial retirement when I return home, take a more command type position for the village."

"Begging your pardon sir, but you being old is a load of crap. You are early middle age at best and more fit than some of the chuckle heads I went through training with. We all know you are a warrior, and defending these lands is where you belong. I don't think it would do Agrok any good to see her father grounded too early. Now the food is all set out for you, as much as you probably enjoy Rio's hands all over you, I must steal her away for some of the other wounded if she is done treating you, sir," Grenz bulled through the conversation to catch Rio's attention as well.

The drake had indeed finished with her treatments on the elder male gryphon and had been simply stroking his left wing for a few moments. A gentle blush crossed her muzzle as she rose to join the large broadwing as he made his way out of the dwelling.

She paused briefly to give one last statement to Agrok before she followed as Grenze out, "Agrok, you are beautiful, no matter what anyone says, and you are so very brave and strong. I am proud to have ever met you, for I believe you will do great things for this, and possibly many other worlds."

Agrok just stared after the drake, her nares burning with an embarrassed blush, "I don't think I have that kind of potential, I am just a warrior who fights for her home and for those who need her strength. I don't know what Grenz is stealing her for, the other wounded have already been handled by the other healers who have come along."

"Agrok, we males generally act in big unsubtle actions, but we still manage some subtlety every now and then," Reyfis gave a soft chuckle as he rest his wing over his daughter's back, "That was male talk for, 'We are becoming a distraction, it's time for us to go so the family can have their time.' But, in all honesty Agrok, she is right about you. You are made of the kinds of virtues that real champions are made of, and if the plains rise as a nation, they will need new heroes. There has never been a female warrior before, and none who have ever fought like you. I am afraid this new enemy just outside our borders, crushing our neighbors, will require confrontation at some point. Our brightest moment in becoming a nation may also be our darkest hour as a people. You are the best the tribes of the plains has to offer, all hope rides on your talons. I trust you will lead the defensive charge well my beautiful daughter."

Agrok fell to tears at her father's words, she knew he was truly back to her in heart, "I'm scared, so many people will be hurt if it comes to that, so many will die. I have seen how they treat the defeated and it is no fate I wish to ever befall any of our people or our family. Daddy, I need you now more than ever. If what you say is true, I must overcome not only this powerful new foe, but our own people's prejudice and traditions regarding myself and my profession. Please leave Tikhana, she wont accept me back, nor do I even wish her to. Please daddy, I need you back, I'm so scared and alone in the face of all this. The burden is just too great to handle alone, I need you."

The young warrior could not hold herself together, all she could do was bury her eyes in her father's neck rough as he draped his forelimb over her to hold her tight. He was there for her, like the father he had been for so very long, but for how long?

* * *

Flight, always the most glorious act a gryphon could perform alone. Not even the ache of Reyfis' healing wounds could ruin the pure joy of his flight. The middle aged broadwing enjoyed the lovely sight of the twin moons rising over the horizon in contrast to the warm orange glow of the sunset behind him. Vantegaush village seemed almost inviting in such a glorious backdrop, even against the wretched conflict his family was enduring as a result of the chief and his own mate. The thought of her crossed Reyfis' mind as he backwinged to a landing just outside their dwelling.

Sure as if she had been summoned, Tikhana appeared from within the dwelling with a cry, "Reyfis! Where have you been love, I have been so worried."

He could not help but sigh as his mate wrapped her forelimbs around his neck to hold tight, he was done hiding, "I paid a visit to Agrok and Tahkra at their warrior village. I agreed to help keep charge of the patrols and defenses until they returned from Tahkra's meeting with the chiefs. I got to see the new enemy we heard rumor of, first hand. They invaded the plains with a small force by human standards, quite a bit more than a raiding party by our tribal standards. We had to throw them back, and I got myself injured along the way."

"Enough, you have been wounded, we will discuss the matter inside where you can get comfortable," Tikhana stopped his explanation with a tap of a single short talon to his beak.

Reyfis could not help but smile as he let himself be lead inside by his harness, "I can talk while I walk, my injuries are not very threatening, one of them is healed completely. I just need time for it to strengthen back up and for the damage to my keel bone to heal over. Until then, I am under healer's orders to avoid combat, heavy pulling or lifting, and I am to avoid becoming pregnant."

Tikhana Urged him to settle down on the large rug in the main room of their home, "I will be sure I do not impregnate you then. But part of me wants to believe that is humor on the part of your healer, my love. I have prepared this evening's meal, you have had a long journey and should eat to help keep your strength up for your healing."

"I suppose you are right, she couldn't possibly be foolish enough to believe that a male could get pregnant. We're not the fabled seahorses after all," Reyfis could not help but notice a new warmth growing towards his mate, she was being so loving and sweet again, just as when they had first met, "But I assure you, I am alive and well. Tahkra's gathering went well, if you were wondering."

"How did you know I was going to ask about that?" She smiled at him as she slid a serving platter to him with a nice slab of warm red meat resting upon it, "You must tell me how the rest of your visit went, and what details of the gathering you can share."

The broadwing could not believe his ears, she wanted to hear of his visit. Was she starting to return to her senses at long last? If she was, he had a long battle ahead of him in bringing Agrok back around to forgive her mother. The old warmth in his heart blazed once again to warm his body and brighten the eyes of his mate.

"The visit went well, Agrok thrives in her role as a warrior, and she has a handsome fellow for a partner. I have sparred with her before, she is quite capable, and this fellow can keep up with her by the sounds of talk in the village. As for the gathering, things go well, but the chiefs all seem to be stuck on the little details that could hit the whole thing with a downdraft. All Tahkra can do is wait and see if her dream takes off from here, or falls to the ground. I am a bit troubled that our own chief Muktuh did not attend the gathering at all," Reyfis reported to her, feeling warmer in her presence than he had in a long time.

"Well now, that is very odd. When I go to tell him about your time off, I will see if I cannot find out why he refuses to attend. Sometimes it is handy to be a childhood friend of your chief," Tikhana further surprised him with her offer to help before she started to turn and head toward their room.

Reyfis reached out and grasped her hips to stop her, "You know, the healer said I could not get pregnant, she said nothing about practicing getting you pregnant, or even really doing so."

Tikhana gave a small gasp and a blushing smile, "I'll be waiting for you in our room. I do know I am so dearly in need of your wonderful touch."

"I will finish my meal after we partake of one another, embracing the spark is more important than stuffing my beak. I just have one thing I wish to do first and I will be right in, it will take the briefest of moments," he grinned at her as he stood, feeling a warmth in his belly that would soon betray his mood.

Tikhana stood and gave him a nibble to his neck before she gave a seductive glide to their room with a teasing sway of her tail, "Do be quick, I will be waiting for you, my love."

A soft growl of anticipation escaped his chest as he watched the lovely form of his mate slip gracefully through the leather curtain that was their door. He knew his heated state was merely the outward manifestation of his intense joy and elation at the signs of hopeful change he was seeing in Tikhana. But Reyfis could see no wrong in sharing such an outward display with his mate. The broadwing wished to make one last prayer to the consorts, as well as soak in some old memories. He made his way into Agrok's old room to seek the clay impression she had made with the entire family's feathers together. As soon as he pulled back the curtain to Agrok's old room, Reyfis felt the icy impact of all his new found hopes shattering.

The clay impression holding the family feathers lay on the bed mat in easy sight. The childhood artwork was damaged in a most cruel and heartless way. Agrok's feather had been gouged and scraped from the clay of the simple sculpture.

"Reyfis, love, what is taking so long," Tikhana asked softly as she touched his shoulder.

The father in him won a very major battle in the war of his heart right in that moment as he growled his reply, "What happened here? Why is Agrok's feather torn out of her family feather sculpture?"

Tikhana stepped back slowly, a touch of fear tinged her voice, "Reyfis, it is as our family is, and will be from now on. You have been having such a hard time adjusting. So I tried to help by giving a more proper visual. You have to accept the reality, love. Even if it were safe for the family to have Agrok back, our chief has banished her from the tribe. We would have to leave our home lands to be with her again. Tahkra is so close to achieving her goals for all the peoples of the plains. If we took Agrok back, her sister would-"

"Tahkra has succeeded in part because of Agrok's deeds as a warrior," Reyfis roared back at the female to cut off her excuses, "You don't even know what is going on. Agrok and Tahkra are uniting the people together. Agrok's honor and courage give the people hope and a champion to the cause that Tahkra has laid out. Tahkra gives them a direction to head for a more peaceful and stronger order. Your lies are done, Tikhana, I have stopped falling for them. This is what is going to happen here and now. You are going to get out of my sight while I work. I will get my pack and gather as much of Agrok's things as I can carry. Then I will leave here to join my daughters, my real family. Whether or not I will return is still undecided, but I need to leave before I do anything I will regret."

A look of panic spread across Tikhana's face as tears welled up in her eyes, "Reyfis, please listen-"

"No," he cut her off once again, "I have listened to you for long enough. Its time I stand up and be a worthy male, my girls need their father. You've had control for long enough Tikhana and it nearly cost me my daughters. They are my life and it is time I stand up to be the father they deserve. The father they once had. This conversation is over and you have no choice. You have been told what you will do now."

* * *

It had been a long day for Rio. The village had received a new batch of refugees that morning, accompanied by a handful of soldiers this time. the drake healer had been bogged down all day with checking women and children for infections and health. On top of that heavy load, she had to repair old wounds on the fighting men. The drakes of Skanshial did not really have a deity of their own to pray to, but Rio did offer thanks to the consorts for the prize among the refugees. Several of the non combatants turned out to be traveling entertainers, with their own very large tent. The large tent was graciously offered as an infirmary without request. Tables that once served as vendor's traveling shops found new lives as medical tables. Rio could not believe here ears when the humans informed her that the loan was on a permanent basis. It was such a thrilling , and frightening thing to behold. Such gracious gratitude towards a people they once viewed as mere beasts. The change was good, however, it also meant that things were so dangerous currently and savage during the invasion that these people were simply that thankful to be alive.

Rio shook her head at herself as she arranged her healing supplies in their new home. She should have already known all too well what things were like for those who were conquered by the Soul Legion. Her own mother and father had both met their end trying to stop those monsters and they were capable fighters. The drake simply could not imagine how powerless it had to feel in those small outer towns and villages once the legion had crushed their military. The thoughts of what they must have felt enthralled her as she stared at the shiny metal of her scalpel. Rio leaned against the table only partly in thought, the rest of it was just her weary state. She was not too weary to take not of the shade or brightness of the light that washed over her as some one entered the new healing tent.

"Rio? Are you busy," she knew the voice calling to her, it was Agrok's soft sweet tones, "Kalah asked me to bring you some news and advised me to see you about getting some help for myself."

The drake sighed softly, she was exhausted but she could not bring herself to refuse Agrok, "No sweetheart, I'm just a bit tired is all. What is this problem first? Get yourself banged up a bit on the hunt today?"

The young warrior shook her head gently, "No, I haven't been wounded. I am in need of a comforting ear to hear my fears and insecurities. If you are tired I can come back tomorrow, Rio. I do not wish to keep you from your rest."

"Heavens no," Rio nearly cried out as she whirls to grasp the gryphoness' harness, "Agrok, if you need help you come to me, please. I owe you my very life sweetheart. Some one as lovely inside as you are is worth every drop of energy and care I can spare."

"Rio, I do not wish to burden you any more than you have been. I know all too well how easy it is to get stretched too thin," Agrok protested gently.

The drake shook her head softly and gently stroked a soft feathered cheek, "Agrok, you are important to me and not just because you saved my life. I've come to count you as a friend as of late. Talking to your father has left me wishing that someday I could have a daughter grow to be like you. I will always have time and energy to spend on helping you, honey-beak."

Agrok looked down at her own foreclaws as her voice dropped almost to a whisper, "Is what my father said true? Am I really poised to become a champion for the peoples of the plains?"

Rio motioned for the gryphoness to settle down as she took a seat herself, this was something she had seen before, "I cannot say for certain sweetheart, I only see the people around here. I do know the humans that have been here since that first encounter revere you as their savior. Let me see, your peers among the fighting wings here at this unnamed camp respect your skills and your determination. You really are viewed as the best this wing has to offer. After seeing you in combat, such skill and awareness, I could easily believe your father is right about you."

It was quite fortunate that she had urged the young warrior to settle on her belly, for just as she spoke her words Agrok began to tremble and clench the ground with her foreclaws, "I can't take that kind of pressure Rio, I just can't. I'm not that perfect; I'm not even properly formed! How can some one who is so defective as I am be a champion for a new nation? I know I will fail at some point, and then what? No one will ever trust me again, I will not be able to trust myself, and I know I will have to live with the consequences of letting down those who depended on me."

Rio did not say a word for some time. The drake simply held Agrok's head to her chest and hugged her neck tight. Soft soothing coos and shushes escaped her throat and her lips as she rocked the distraught gryphon in her embrace. She was unsure of what would be comforting to a gryphon, she simply had not dealt with them very much. Rio decided to use the single similarity she could guess to give comfort;draping her wing over the quivering form of the young warrior.

"Agrok, sweetheart, listen to me," Rio cooed softly to her unexpected patient, "You don't have to be perfect to be a champion. I know that a lot of tales make heroes and champions sound perfect in every way. But you have to remember hun, they never tell of the defeats so that the tales are always as grand as can be. No one will fall apart if you fail a mission and have to retreat, or cannot manage to turn the tide of a battle single-handedly. You see, the real power of a champion, is not in them being perfect. No, it is in the hope and courage they inspire in others. I must say, honeybeak, all these dense males may resist your beauty for confusion, but they all strive harder when you are around in hopes of impressing you. You have their eye already and you make them better fighters for the mere presence you bring."

The quivering slowed and finally stopped as the drake spoke, until Agrok finally looked up at her, "But, the pressure is just so much. Even if no one expects it of me, it is there. I am the morale, the drive, the fire they all feel to do their damndest to the enemies of our peoples. If I fail them, if I let them down when they need me the most, they will pay with their lives."

"Agrok, you are being silly now. You have been facing these very facts proudly and with great confidence in yourself already. These are the very same responsibilities you have always had as a warrior, and they are no different now than they were before. The idea of having so many eyes on you have made them seem much more frightening than they were before. You came to terms with them before, why is it so different now?" Rio asked gently as she wiped careful at the gryphoness' eyes to clear away the water that was becoming tears.

Agrok gave a heavy sigh as she looked away from the drake, "Every one will be watching now. What will their families think if I fail? Before, I would have been nameless, faceless, now I will be watched closely. I would have to deal with their grief as well as my own. I would have to live the losses twice over and give everyone more reason to hate me."

"Agrok Asreigh, you are just being silly now," the drake scolded, "I have a good mind to thump your beak. People find it easier to accept the loss of a loved one if someone they believe in does all they can to help the fallen. I don't know where you get the notion that what others think of you as a warrior matters. Your mother should have taught you better than that. Listen to me now, this concept is something you need to live by. Those who are the very best at what they do are never concerned with what others think of their work. They simply do what they do best and let history be their judge."

Agrok blinked at her, "I don't understand, what do you mean by that Rio?"

"I mean, don't worry about becoming or being the champion for your people. Just do the job you have trained for and do so well. I will have words with your father about this. You needed to know the gravity of your situation, but not before you were prepared inside," Rio explained gently before she rest her hands on Agrok's cheeks and kissed her on the nose.

"Thank you Rio," Agrok purred with a nuzzle to her scaly chest, "I understand now, but I will need some time to fully absorb it all."

"Well I hope you don't mind company," a very familiar masculine voice butted in, "I have a small passenger here that has been hoping to run across her personal heroine."

Even as annoyed with him as she was, Rio could not help but smile at Reyfis, "Well, if you mean myself. I must say she can come see me in the morning. I think Agrok is well enough to see a youngling for a bit."

Reyfis nodded gently as the red haired human stared at Agrok with wide green eyes, "I have your things in my pack, Agrok. At least what I could manage to carry."

The girl reached out to Agrok as she approached and picked her with gentle foreclaws, "Thank you very much daddy. May I ask why though? And who is this curly haired green eyed sprite?"

The small human of no more than six years of age snuggled right into the gryphoness' chest with no fear at all, "I'm Ronin. Are you really Agrok?"

Reyfis chuckled softly as Rio helped him remove his pack, "Yes, this would indeed be my daughter Agrok. To answer your question , hun, Tikhana has become intolerable. I had to save your things and I will need a place to stay for a little while."

"Well you came to the right place, Rio is in charge of housing arrangements in the evenings," Agrok smiled at the drake as she took the pack from her and shouldered it, "So, Ronin, where are your mommy and daddy?"

"Mommy went to stay with the gods when i was born. Daddy could fight, so he made me go with the other kids while he and the deputies made sure we could get away from the bad people," Ronin spoke with a confidence that told of what she believed of her father's fate as the warrior set her down.

Agrok herded the girl out of the infirmary tent with a warm smile, "Well then ronin, you can stay with me tonight. I'll tell you stories my daddy used to tell me."

Rio shook her head gently as she and Reyfis were left alone, "I'm sorry Reyfis, there is no where left for you to stay here. We had a very large band of refugees show up this morning."

"Oh that's fine," Reyfis replied gently, "I can camp out on the plains for a bit if need be."

Rio grabbed his tail as he turned to leave, "You will do no such thing! Come stay with me until we find a place for you. I don't bite, I promise."

"Only upon request I take it?" Reyfis teased as he offered the lovely drake his wing.

Rio pressed against the large broadwing's side and caressed his chest softly, "That depends on who's asking. I'm very selective these days."

She lead him out of the infirmary tent towards the dwelling Kalah and Saltriss used for meal time gatherings as the two talked, "What if I asked you to?"

"I would not, I could not," she replied softly as the short walk ended, "Once I started something like that with you I would not be able to stop. I wont let myself do that to a mated male."

"Well I wouldn't ask you to break that personal vow. I will say that I do not know if I will be mated for much longer," Reyfis admitted as he pulled the door back for her.

"If you do become single, please come to me when you are feeling lonely. You don't even have to ask, you have my consent," Rio gave a playful smirk before she slipped inside to her bed mat with one fluid motion, "Come relax with me. All this playful talk aside, I need to speak to you about Agrok."

The gryphon gave a nod and moved to lay on the mat with her, "I hope everything is alright. Things have been rather tough on her for sometime now."

The lean female arranged herself so she was laying across his forelimbs on her back, gently stroking his soft neck rough, "Reyfis, Agrok has been having a hard time long before recent events. It's obvious to anyone who gets to know her. I suspect her mother to have been cold towards her for far longer than you are aware of. What you did to her before you left was right, but very much at the wrong time. The lack of female influence at a key point in your lives is painfully obvious. You and Tahkra are the only ones who have loved Agrok through her life. That leaves her learning to live from a male while her mother refused to teach her to survive as a female."

Reyfis laid his ears back, "I know I make a poor female substitute for my girls, but what options do I have? Tikhana will never accept Agrok again. Both Agrok and Tahkra have taken the defensive against their mother."

"Reyfis, you are doing well under the circumstances," she reassured him, "You just need a female to monitor your less thoughtful timing. You scared the hell out of Agrok by telling her she was poised to become a champion. You never taught her what it means to be a figure of hope and morale for her comrades. She doesn't act like a male, thanks to Tahkra passing on some feminine teachings. But Agrok needs a female to teach her how to handle herself around males, other females, and when she is trying to attract a mate. I am willing to take her under my wing and teach her the things her mother did not. I ask you to let me, Reyfis, as a personal favor to me and to Agrok. She is everything I would ask for in a daughter, and doing this is as close as I will ever get to having a daughter. At least until you figure out this situation with your mate. But I do warn you, your daughters need their father. You need to figure it out soon."

Reyfis nodded in agreement, "You are absolutely right, this stand off does need to end. It's time to wake up and face the possibilities of having to give up a member of my family to save the rest. Tikhana is on very thin ice with me. She destroyed an old piece of artwork Agrok had made when she was little. She gouged Agrok's feather out of it so I would see how our family should be."

"She did what?" Rio snapped angrily, "if I could fight at all I would head out now and slap the piss right out of her! I really can't fight, so even if she were a soft home maker she would knock my tail onto my shout."

Reyfis grinned at her, "Well, that would certainly make every kiss so very erotic."

"Reyfis!" Rio gasped with a dark blush staining her cheeks and snout, "Why earth would you say such a thing?"

The gryphon chuckled at her, "Because you walked right into it. I must also admit to being rather attracted to you. I find you exceedingly beautiful in form and heart. After I watched you with Agrok, and the way you pressed the matter of what she needed; I find myself wishing you had been their mother instead. Of course, with that path of thinking comes the thoughts of just such a kiss."

"I suppose I must admit that I think about even more than that with you, when I am alone and feeling lonely," her blush failed to fade, but even under such confessions she could not remove her eyes from his, "I do have a hard time believing that a gryphon can kiss, you have no lips."

Reyfis stared at her for a moment before he slid his left forelimb out from beneath her to give her side a gentle caress. In nearly the same instant, he tilted his head and slipped his beak over the sides of her scaly muzzle. She realized what he was up to and opened her mouth for him. Their tongues found one another and began to caress, coil, and grasp gently at each other. He was simply showing her how gryphons kiss, at least that is how it started.

Rio reached her arms around the back of his neck as she sank deeper into the kiss. Her breathing grew heavier and her heart pounded in her chest. The kiss grew more heated as it started to feel more eager and desperate between the drake and her gryphon companion. Rio knew she could not stop; she wanted him. Not for his body, as handsome and impressive as she found him to be. If he turned to the most vile looking creature imaginable, she knew she would still want him. It would never be clear as to who made the offer first; but all at once the tensions between them snapped. Gryphon and drake both made and seized the offers to cross the line of companions and enter the realm of lovers.

Passion and desire collided as they ignored the awkward match of species until they found the perfect union of bodies. It was obvious from the beginning that he was more than twice her size, but she was not concerned. Rio trusted him, she knew Reyfis would not willingly harm her. They both shared techniques unique to their species with one another. Neither of them could stop, the desire was far to great. Reaching the height of their passions was only a brief pause for them. Rio learned something new about her lover in that first pause. She was shocked at first, but quickly found that she liked the warm feeling the tie gave her in her heart. it made her feel special, wanted for longer than just the heat of desire. It was a feeling they would share three times that evening. On the third and final run, she shared with him her favorite physical vice. It was something that most females who knew of it shyed away from. Reyfis was confused at first, but he gladly indulged her once Rio reassured him that she really did want what she asked.

When both male and female were spent, they laid together in the lovers embrace. Rio simply melted into the warm, soft feathers that pressed against her back. A warmth spread through her heart that she had never felt before. This warmth was very different than the warmth of the gryphon that lay partial on her as they snuggled close. The feeling was alien to her, yet she knew precisely what it was.

As the final tendrils of consciousness faded from her, Rio couldn't help but whisper her discovery, "So this is what it is like to make love."

* * *

That scent. The heavy scent that Reyfis recognized with ease, was the first thing he became aware of as he woke. Had he dreamed the fight with Tikhana and really gone to bed? No, he couldn't have. He had a nightmare that turned into a beautiful dream. One did not dream within a dream. he piked up a familiar scent mingled in the scents left behind by a night of heavy mating. It was new, yet familiar to him.

Everything fell back into place in his mind when Rio gave a sleepy groan and tightened her tail around his middle. They had shared a night of passion that left him feeling content in a way he had not felt since that fateful day Agrok had come home with the drakes.

He felt her shift and wrap her arms around him with a tender nuzzle against his neck, "Good morning, handsome bird. Did you sleep as well as I did?"

"Good morning angel," Reyfis replied as he returned her embrace, "I slept well enough to turn a nightmare good. I like how you feel in the morning."

She leaned back a bit to look at him, "I like how you felt last night. Why didn't you remind me that you are more than twice my size?"

"You seemed so enthusiastic and pleased about that. I figured it was a good thing. You took me by surprise with those things that can't be done with a beak. But I was simply stunned when you asked me to go .. um.. in there. I didn't think any female would ever want that," Reyfis couldn't help but blush at the memories of what they did to one another.

Rio blushed deeply and turned her eyes from his, "Most girls do not, I simply adore it. I love it a bit more than normal methods. I wonder what Tikhana would have done if you asked her to try it."

Reyfis started to chuckle until he seen a look of absolute horror spread across her face, "Rio? What is it?"

The drake tried to push away from him as tears streamed down her muzzle and cheeks, Oh my god, no. No no no. How could I? Reyfis, you have a mate! How could I be such a whore?"

"No Rio," Reyfis touched his brow against hers and spoke in soft reassuring tones, "You did nothing wrong, I did. I should have been stronger that that. I shouldn't have started kissing you after you warned me of your desires, and I should have stopped myself. You have been a most wonderful friend in giving in to your desires where I have been horrible to you. You've finally answered a question I had been asking myself for a while now."

He leaned in to give her another gentle kiss. The gryphon was pleased to note that she joined him rather than pull away. Reyfis reached for her blanket and wrapped it around the drake like loving wings.

"I will return, my dear Rio. I have to take care of something that is long over due," Reyfis stood and moved to the door of the dwelling as the memory of a plea hammered his heart and mind, "If you see Agrok, tell her that daddy will be home soon."

Please daddy, I need you now more than ever.

* * *

Muktuh sat quietly as he waited for Tikhana to arrive. Reyfis Asreigh sat across the room from him like a grim statue. The young chief was uneasy about this meeting, these sorts of things never ended well. It really wasn't helping matter that his oldest friend was about to go through it. On the positive side, as far as Muktuh was concerned, he would be able to banish Reyfis once and for all. He despised the Hencaney born warrior, more than he hated the Grasolahn.

In their first year of maturity, he and Tikhana shared a mutual attraction. There had been a clawfull of young hormone driven encounters, but never a real attachment. There was the beginnings of one, but a young Hencaney warrior stumbled into their lands and protected Tikhana from raiders. Muktuh fell for his current mate with stronger feelings than he ever felt for Tikhana, but he never let go of the grudge. Reyfis was only given the authority he had for the good of the tribe. A forced decision that stung Muktuh's pride to this very day.

"Tikhana is here love," Muktuh's mate, Raizehl, announced.

The young chief could not help the warm, thankful feeling he felt inside when he looked into her warm gray eyes. Her warm brown coat was well groomed and simply glowing with health and life. Her body was lean, fit, firm, and well toned. She was the very image of a broadwinged beauty. As a person, she was wise and patient. As a mate she was simply amazing. Muktuh was still lost as to how he managed to win the heart of such a lady who was nearly ten years his elder. He appreciated her so much more for that, and did all he could to make her happy.

"Please send her in, my heart. We may as well get this over with so we can move forward," Muktuh replied with a warm tone.

She gave a nod as he fluffed his tawny coat to try and insert a feeling of calm into the room, "Please come inside Tika."

Tikhana stepped into the greeting chamber and looked about the room at him and Reyfis, "Reyfis? Muktuh, what is going on here?"

"Reyfis asked for a witness of what he has to say," Muktuh replied before he turned his head toward the other male, "You may begin when you are ready."

Thank you Chief Muktuh," Reyfis' addition of his title did not go unnoticed, "Tikahan, we have been mates for so very long. We made a promise to one another, to honor each other, to love one another, and to share a family together. The day you lead me on that fertile flight, we made a promise to our gods. Each time we attempted to produce a child, we promised The Great Consorts that we would love, raise, and protect that child. I have broken this promise only in trying to uphold it. My mate lied to me, deceived me, and manipulated me into believing that one of my daughters was a threat to the other. The truth was vastly different. Agrok has been a great boon to Tahkra, been the savior of hundreds of helpless refugees, and even sacrificed her first and only mate on the battlefield to protect the plains."

A smoldering rage filled Tikhana's eyes, much to the dismay of her life long friend, "How dare you. How dare you accuse me of trying to hurt my family?"

Muktuh had never seen such a side of Tikahan and it was making him think more about what Reyfis was saying, "I dare because it is the truth. Do you even realize how far you have driven Tahkra and myself from you? Tahkra is not coming back here, ever. She has chosen to stand by her sister through all of this. As for me, you have forced me to pit my love for you against the love for my daughters. Such a cruel act has driven me into the nest of another. Of this I am and always will be ashamed. But it has answered a very important question for me."

"What could it answer? What could mounting some slut possibly answer for you?" Tikhana shrieked, simply trembling with rage.

Reyfis reached up to his left ear tuft and removed the adornment that held her feather, "I do not and can not love you any longer. I choose my daughters and my duty as a father."

Tikhana exploded and lunged at her now ex-mate. Muktuh reacted on instinct and lunged right back at her to catch his old friend by her flanks in his strong foreclaws. He had moved as much to protect her from Reyfis as to protect Reyfis from her. The other male was a more active warrior and there was no telling how he would react to an attack. Muktuh granted Reyfis the credit of not believing he would ever intentionally harm Tikhana, but there was no predicting instinctual reactions.

The young chief opened his beak to deliver a reprimand, but instead a cry of pain escaped his throat. A sharp pain flared in the ribs of his right flank. He shoved Tikhana away from himself. As she stumbled backwards, he caught sight of her gatherer's knife in her forepaw with a coat of his blood staining the hooked blade. The rapidly spreading wet warmth in his feathers told him of the nasty gash he had caused by shoving her away before the blade had been removed from her paw or his body.

All this took place in a split second, and before either male could even think, Raizehl reacted. She was no warrior, but she had earned her place as the alpha female of the tribe, which meant confrontation at times. Her experience on fighting with other females was painfully greater than Tikhana's and it was made clear from the first lunge. The larger broadwing bore down on the smaller taper-winged female with all her weight. She was bright enough to grasp the paw that held the knife and made sure it was a primary point of impact. Tikhana struck the ground with a bone jarring force that drove the breath from her lungs and the blade from her paw. Both females began to strike at one another with closed foreclaws as wrestled about and pulled at one another's feathers.

"Reyfis we must stop them. Raizehl is not of health to be fighting," Muktuh pleaded as he made his way to the tangled females.

Raizehl was getting the better of her younger opponent, but Reyfis agreed, "Right, grab her, I'll grab Tika; better for you to get the one that wont harm you further."

There were no more words to be said as the two males dived into the brawling tangle of females. Reyfis had managed to pin Tikhana's forelimbs to her sides easily enough. Muktuh was not so lucky with his mate; she was larger and he was wounded. As they pulled the two apart, Raizehl managed to reach out and grab a claw full of Tikhana's crest.

"If you ever touch my mate again, you are dead," she used all her strength to give physical emphasis to every word with strikes of her fisted foreclaw.

Muktuh was shocked at the savage attack that had come from his gentle mate. Each blow was hard enough to send shocks through Reyfis' form as he held on to Tikhana. The very first blow sent all signs of awareness out of the younger female's eyes. Muktuh had only seen that bizarre state of waking unconsciousness once before, but it was unmistakable. Thankfully Raizehl recognized it and released her opponent.

The chief's mate turned her angry gaze upon Reyfis, "As for you, I will eventually forgive you, but I hold you almost as responsible for this as she. If you had stood up sooner and been the father you always were, things would not have gotten out of hand.. Now get out of my home, take that mess of a female with you. Take her to the sacred den to be tended by the training priestess while you have the elder priestess come here to tend Muktuh's wounds. I will send a message to you when I am ready to forgive you. We will make travel arrangements then. I wish to visit Agrok and Tahkra, I miss them dearly."

"Yes Raizehl, I understand and extend my apologies," Reyfis did not offer any other goodbyes as he dragged Tikhana off to do as the elder female had asked.

Muktuh released his mate and shook his head, "You never cease to amaze me dearest heart."

"I'll be damned if I'm going to let some self righteous bitch attack my mate," Raizehl panted softly as she held her lower belly with a gentle foreclaw.

Muktuh ignored his own wound to hold his mate close against his chest, "Is everything well love?"

"Yes, simply over exerted myself," she leaned into his embrace to rest her head against his neck, "I am just afraid for us. I have a very bad feeling that this whole mess has not yet come to it's head."

* * *

Kalah was angry, and she let it show as she stormed about the camp.

The fuming drake happened to catch a young scout by the harness as he left the infirmary, "You were healed, where is healer Rio? Answer me bird!"

The barely matured gryphon did not know what to think as he stammered out his reply, "I.. I'm sorry ma'am. Healer Rio wasn't in, I was tended by Healer Kefari."

"Kalah!" Agrok barked at her from behind, "Leave Altair alone, he was sent here for a wing break."

"I'm done with him already," Kalahe spat back as she turned to face the younger gryphoness, "He's free to go when ever he may wish."

Altair raised his brown and white peppered crest ever so slightly, "Can you please release my harness so I may do so, ma'am?"

"Stow it, scout, Kalah and I are talking," Agrok growled at the poor captive male.

Altair puffed up to stand for himself, "Hey, we are the same rank if you have forgotten."

"What's your point? Rank has nothing to do with this," Agrok shot right back.

"You can't order me around. You have no power to make me do what you say, you're not my superior," Altair drew himself up a bit to stand even taller than the small female.

The female warrior locked him in cold blue eyes, "Care to place a wager on that?"

The male laid his ears flat as his body and pride seemed to deflate, "No Ma'am, I'll pipe down."

Kalah was still angry but the spectacle had greatly cooled her temper as she pat the cowed scout, "Good boy, never get brave when two females are arguing. You can run along now."

"Like hell he can," Agrok countered as she grasped the other side of Altair's harness, "I came to his aid and he beaked off to me. You, boy, belong to me until I decide you have learned proper respect, humility, and gratitude. You will do what I say, when I say. If I want water, you fetch it. If I feel a hole needs to be dug, you will become my mole. If I feel hot under the belly, you better learn to love my form. Understood?"

"Y..yes ma'am," Altair laid his ears flat against his skull, "b..but...I.. I'm a virgin ma'am."

Agrok gave a snort, "Wrong thing to say to me when I am in such a mood. You are definitely cute enough, prepare yourself mentally through the day and find anything you can attractive about me. Tonight I am taking away your big V."

The captive scout pressed his ears tighter to his skull as his nares became deeply stained with a dark blush, "Y-yes ma'am."

"As for you, oh misbehaving scaly mother figure of mine," Agrok turned back on Kalah with a bit less anger, "You know how I feel, now explain to me why you feel the need to force me to do my job."

Kalah gave a hard stare right back, "I heard a rumor about Rio and Reyfis, and it seems as though Rio has vanished. I need to find her."

Agrok stepped closer, "I know where she is, but what ever happened has her in shambles. I wont let you lay into her Kalah. It is simply not right."

"Agrok I need to talk to her," Kalah gave a heavy sigh, "I am her friend, I have been since we were little. She needs to remember that, just as I had to. I can't say I wont have to be a little hard on her to do it, but I need to try and snap her out of this spiral."

"Very well, but you only get one slap. If you go for another, I will get involved," Agrok replied.

Kalah nodded her head in agreement, "Understood. It is probably best to have a mediator present."

"Right then, she is in her dwelling," Agrok explained as she turned toward the dwelling in question, "She wont answer, so we will need to just barge right on in. Come along Altair, you're mediating."

The obedient male nodded as Agrok made her way quickly to the healer's dwelling, but his eyes widened as her words struck him, "Mediate? Me? B-but I am horrible with social situations. Look what happened when I tried to look confident by standing up for myself."

"Well if you were trying to impress Agrok and get her attention, you have it in spades now," Kalah reassured the nervous scout, "You got her taking to your nest tonight, seems rather successful to me. You'll do fine, according to your track record, even if by accident."

Agrok stared at them from the door of Rio's dwelling, "Stop hitting on my boy toy and get over here. Sheesh, you have a mate of your own. Will you leave my interests alone already?"

"Does she really have interest in me?" Altair whispered softly to the drake with his ears back, a new style for him that day it would seem.

"She's teasing us hun, but I can say that she must find you attractive at the least if she plans to deflower you," Kalah whispered her gentle reply as they approached the gryphoness," You really like my little starling don't you?"

Altair's ears disappeared into his crest feathers as he blushed so deeply that his nares appeared badly bruised, "She is amazing, so strong in heart and beautiful. I hope to impress her enough to accept my feather. I-if we turn out to be a good match."

"You and I should talk at a more pleasant time," Kalah whispered as they neared Agrok.

Altair nodded as the gryphoness took hold of the door flap, "Rio, we're coming in to talk to you."

There was no reply, but Agrok had already said there would not be. She pulled back the flap for Kalah and Altair to enter. When they entered the dwelling, Kalah spotted Rio right away. She was a wretched sight to behold. The healer was curled in on herself where she sat in the darkest corner. She had her wings curled over the front of her body, her head hidden beneath them. This was normal for Rio when she was so very upset. Kalah was most disturbed by the sight of her long, lean tail, trailing up under the front of her wings.

Only once before in their lives had Kalah seen Rio suck on the tip of her tail. When they were younglings, Rio's mother had sacrificed herself to protect Rio and Kalah from Gahlbyrn's minions. She had hidden them and used herself to distract them from searching. Twin dragon mages found her. The young drakes could hear everything as they raped and tortured her to death.

Kalah could only hope that she wasn't too late to snap her out of it. The mage knelt down before Rio and draped her own leathery wings around her back.

"Rio, it's Kalah," she cooed softly with a soothing croon, "Please let me in there with you, little sister."

She gently lifted a bit at Rio's wings to coax her into opening them to her. The mage was relieved when the healer responded to the coaxing. The wings slipped back to reveal the pain-filled face of Rio. Her eyes were tightly closed and she held her tail in her hands as she suckled on it as a mammal infant would a teat. Tears streamed down her scaly cheeks to follow the rest to her chest.

"please look at me Rio," Kalah asked softly and wiped away the tears, "It has been so very long since I have seen your eyes."

Rio slowly opened her eyes and stared at her with intense shame, "Kalah, I'm sorry, so very very sorry."

Kalah replied with a soothing shushing sound. She gave her cheek a soft caress and pressed her lips to Rio's for a soft lingering kiss. The healer did not resist; she joined her long time friend in the tender affection before slipping her muzzle down to rest against her neck.

Kalah held her and cooed softly, "Rio Rio, with the stars in your eyes. Rio, sweet Rio, why do the stars cry?"

Rio tensed up as though she had been struck, "I-I'm such a terrible, vile temptress."

Kalah gave a slight groan as the healers tense state was causing her to squeeze tightly to her friend, "Rio, sweety, please relax. You are squeezing the life out of me. Now please tell me why you think such awful things about yourself."

"Sorry," the violet drake loosened her grip, "I-I seduced Reyfis. He has a mate and I seduced him and showed him every little thing I like."

Kalah clenched her jaw as the rumor was confirmed, but she still gave Rio the benefit of the doubt, "I can't believe for a second that you just up and seduced him. There has to be more to it than that. I know you too well Rio. You have resisted some prime males in the past, to just up and shatter everything you've stood for, just for one night. Not the Rio I know."

The healer swallowed hard, "Well, we were talking about Agrok and the situation with Tikhana. Somewhere in there a joke was made about kissing and I voiced my thoughts that gryphons could not kiss. I guess he decided to show me they could, and then it was like something snapped. Neither of us could stop, we just kept going as if in some kind of current. He left the next day, said he had a question answered by our mating. I think he may have gone to leave Tikhana. I destroyed a mateship and ruined any chance for the Asreigh family to recover."

Kalah shifted to hold Rio out from herself and look into her eyes with a soft understanding expression. She then slapped the left side of her face with all her might. The healer fell to the floor, having been caught completely off guard.

The mage stared down at Rio as she stared back up, "That's for being an idiot about all of this. You didn't seduce Reyfis, he made the first move and what you both felt came to the surface."

"Please forgive the intrusion," Altair interrupted, "But I would have to agree, he kissed you."

Agrok gave the thin broadwing a gentle pat on the shoulder, "Good boy."

"But I'm the one he was unfaithful with," Rio sobbed her counter, "If he comes back single, I am still responsible for breaking up the family."

Kalah gave a sharp laugh, "Oh wake up! That ship was sinking long before we arrived. We just have the misfortune of being part of the dramatic climax. If you had any effect on that outcome, you will have saved the majority of the family from it's own cancerous member."

"She speaks the truth Rio," Agrok spoke for herself, "The moment she had me cast out, all hope of good relations between myself and Tikhana vanished. There is no way I have been able to find in my heart to forgive her."

Rio looked from Kalah to Agrok and back again, "What do I do if he comes back single? I would feel so much guilt for taking away another's mate."

"Well good, you should feel that," all thee females looked at Altair with very stunned expressions, "If you felt nothing, then you would be just as you called yourself. Feeling bad for interfering here like this shows a lot of care, not just fro Reyfis, but for his family as well. In this case, falling weak to your heart's yearning had a good end result by waking Reyfis up. He's going to do what ever it takes to save his family. Even if that means cutting his mate from his heart. You need to approach this like a warrior does. None of us enjoy pain, or the killing we do. We feel so much remorse for the loss of life, but we do it over and over again. We know the end result is the safety and the very lives of those we protect. You've done good in the end, feel the remorse for the actions in the middle, but accept them. Do not let it cripple your heart."

"I see what you are saying, but what do I do if he does come back single? What are the appropriate actions in this situation?" Rio asked with a cracking voice, her ear folded tightly to her head.

"Rio," Kalah caressed her cheek to regain her attention, "I've seen the way you look at him, the way you talk to and about him. Even now, you are more worried about Reyfis and his family than yourself. Rio, I think you might be in love with him. Is this true?"

"I-I don't know," the healer admitted, "I've never been in love. I know I have this feeling in my heart for him. It is quite powerful, able to to take me to the end of my wits. it also keeps me from falling there. It's like the best and worst thing I have ever felt."

Kalah smiled softly, "You love him. If he comes back single, pursue him. That bird really is a catch and he obviously feels something towards you already."

"I suppose he is quite caring and he did fight to restore his full family," Rio observed aloud.

"Yes, I believe he will treat you very well and you would be good for his girls," Kalah said with a soft smile.

Agrok stepped forward and gave Rio a soft nuzzle, "You certainly have my blessings in that. Just don't mention anything you two do. He is my daddy and it is disturbing to know what he does in private."

"I think I can refrain from such, but there are a few techniques I wish to discuss with you," Rio replied with a giggle, "Speaking of which, what's the story with this sleek stud?"

"Kalah and I were arguing over her assailing him for your whereabouts and he fired his beak off. Now he serves my whims for the day and tonight his virgin body is my play thing," Agrok stated sternly as Altair laid his ears back and blushed.

Rio blinked at the gryphoness, "Isn't that rape?"

"Um, well it would be if I had refused," Altair explained with a sheepish smile, "I'm actually a little excited about it. Agrok is as strong as she is beautiful, and I am blessed by the consorts to have this opportunity."

Rio stared at Agrok, who stared right back, "Don't even think about it. If daddy comes back and he's still mated, you're on your own. I have dibs on this one."

"I wasn't even thinking that," the healer replied, "I was thinking of what things I could teach you about to break your cute bird in. The challenge is to leave him at just the right state. Enough to leave him open to more, but not overly ravenous in his appetites. Although, not enough to scare him off or leave him bored of the basics either."

"Rio! Stop playing match makes and let Agrok deal with this on her own," Kalah scolded.

Rio huffed right back at her, "She needs some one to talk to about these things. I make a good match maker anyway. Look how you and Saltriss turned out."

"I thought Kalah was concerned about your attraction to Saltriss," Agrok asked with knitted brows.

The healer gave a heavy sigh of old annoyance, "Yes, I know and it is very rude. After what I did to make sure they had time together. I was physically attracted to Sal, but I seen the real love in her eyes for him. I couldn't think of touching him after that."

"Rio, I never really believed you would try anything with Saltriss," Kalah allowed a touch of frustration to enter her voice, "I always thought you loved him too, so I let you believe I was jealous to keep you away. I didn't want to flaunt our relationship around in front of you. That felt more cruel in my heart and mind."

Rio shook her head gently, "I knew you loved one another more than I cared for him. I took up with that general to alter duty rosters for you. I made sure you two had enough time together to get your full feelings in the open."

"By the gods, you really did that Rio?" Kalah asked, very unsure of how she should feel.

The healer nodded gently, "I wanted to see you both with the best possible mate for each of you."

Kalah was about to say more when Reyfis' voice sounded just outside the door, "Rio? Are you in? I need to ask if you've seen Agrok around."

Reyfis peeked his head into the door as Rio smiled at him, "You've found the both of us."

Kalah was quick to guess what news he had for Agrok, as she noticed his left ear was now unadorned, "I've finally put an end to the situation with our split family. I'm hear with you now sweetheart, right where I need to be. This time, I'm staying."

Agrok was quick to pounce against her father's chest and embrace him tightly, "I missed you daddy, so very much. I've felt so alone and afraid since that day."

"I know Beetlebug, and I know I could never make it up to you. But I've come home at last and I will never leave you girls again. You and Tahkra are my life," tears began to soak Reyfis' cheeks as he held his daughter tight," I just want to be your father again. I'm so sorry for everything."

Agrok shook her head gently, "You must never forget these events, so that you may learn your lessons from these mistakes. I, on the other hand, have no reason to dwell on them. it is time to reforge our family and move on."

"You are very right, we must reforge our family and continue life," the emotionally battered male turned to the healer, "I would be honored if you would be part of our family Rio."

Rio froze, only stammering a reply after Kalah nudged her, "Reyfis...I-I don't know what to say."

"Oh for the love of-," Kalah quickly grabbed Rio by the snout, "You told us you loved him, he's single and he wants you. Sorry Reyfis, she freezes up in new situations, so I'm taking over for her. You are a fine male and being a part of your family would be the best thing to ever happen to her. I also know that her fumbling and stammering like that is frozen Rio for 'yes'. Now let's see the feather and get it on her."

Reyfis hesitated and Altair cleared his throat, "Sir, I have no interests in this situation. I am here as a mediator for Healer Rio and Kalah. So I must be impartial and truthful. I can honestly say that Kalah speaks the truth."

"If you have no interests, then why did you speak up?" the elder male asked with a skeptical look at the scout.

Altair stood his ground to an elder male, and a lead warrior to boot, some one who really did outrank him, "Well sir, I heard the sobbing words and I have seen her heart in her eyes. She loves for the first time, both you and your daughters. I speak up and stand up now, because I believe it is right that you all become one family."

"Very well then," Reyfis replied with a nod of acceptance, "I do not have any old feathers left. You will have to pull one from my wing."

Kalah gave a nod and stepped forward as Reyfis spread his left wing. She ran her hand over the warm, soft feathers to enjoy their smooth texture against her scaly skin. She spotted the perfect feather, flawless and perfectly marked with his markings.

Just as Kalah went to grab the secondary, Rio grasped her hand, "Not that one. Reyfis, if we do this I want to do it for good. I want your primary."

"Are you certain?" Reyfis asked gently, "If you take my primary, it would mean mateship for all eternity."

"I could never want another, you have stolen my heart and captured my eye. Reyfis, you are my last male, no matter what," she replied with a solid expression of certainty.

"Then I offer my primaries to you, along with the final mateship," Reyfis nodded to her, indicating his consent.

The healer examined the long, well groomed feathers. She finally selected a most beautiful specimen and gently pulled it from Reyfis' wing. Just as easy as that, he had become her mate.

Rio held the feather to her chest with tears of pure joy in her eyes, "I don't have feathers to give you. How will we exchange?"

"It doesn't matter, we'll think of something. What does matter is the bond and the induction into the family," Reyfis replied as he pulled her into his warm embrace.

Rio gasped as she snuggled into her new mate, "Kalah, I know how to satisfy both rituals of mateship. I need you to pull my heart scale and present it to Reyfis, plead."

"Why me? Isn't that the place of your father? I see where you are going with this, but a male must give you to your mate," Kalah replied.

"Please Kalah," Rio shifted in Reyfis' forelimbs to look at her while she pleaded, "There are no males left that can give me away. You are the closest to family I have left."

Kalah smiled gently and nodded, "Okay little sister, but I want a healers kit just in case I do not get it it without breaking skin."

"Altair, please fetch that black leather pack near my bed mat," Rio asked politely as she pulled a bit away from Reyfis to lower her head for Kalah.

"Yes ma'am," Altair replied and made short work of his task.

"Thank you sweety," Kalah said quickly as he set the kit next to her foot.

The mage reached into the leather bag and fished out a pair of tweezers. She straitened back up to carefully examine the back of Rio's head to find the heart scale. Right at the beginning of the tiny ridges that ran along a drake's spine, there was a heart shaped scale. The transition point caused the unique shape of that single scale. Kalah found it, like a milky heart shaped sliver of pearl set amongst many other slivers of many similar shapes. She carefully picked at the edge of the scale with her tweezers to lift it a bit without damaging the prized scale. The initial lifting went smoothly, but it was time for the painful part. Scales got old and flaked off all the time, but removing a healthy scale involved a stinging throbbing sensation.

Kalah used the curves of her talons to gently press the pale pink skin off the scale. Rio hissed and whimpered softly against the pain. it took some work, but the mage managed to free the heart scale without damaging it, or pulling any skin off her long time friend. Rio had her eyes clenched shut against the pain with fresh tears trailing down her cheeks.

Kalah quickly held the scale out toward Reyfis, but he ignored her. he moved quickly, reaching into the medical kit to retrieve a small white jar. The large male opened the jar, releasing the minty medicinal scent of painslayer extract into the air. He dipped a talon into the gelatinous cream and began to spread it on the scaleless patch of Rio's skin.

As soon as he had the pale pink patch coated, Reyfis wrapped his forelimbs around her, "Are you okay sweetheart?"

The healer nodded softly as she snuggled into the warm chest of her gryphon mate, "I am fine, except for one thing. You have not accepted my scale just yet I am not yet yours."

"I had to make sure you were okay first. You mean more to me than any symbol," Reyfis purred softly to her as he held her tight.

Kalah felt a warm happiness inside as she slipped the scale into his foreclaw. She could not help the urge to embrace her childhood friend from behind. Agrok pressed herself against her father's side in a warm snuggle as he embraced her with his wing.

All was quiet for a long while until Altair finally spoke up, "Um, I do not mean to intrude, but were we still going to carry out previous plans later on?"

Agrok looked up from Reyfis' side to blink at him, "What are you on about Altair?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted me to stay so you could claim your prize, or if you wanted me to go home," Altair replied with a deep blush.

Agrok took her turn to blush at the handsome fellow, "I'm afraid most of my free time will be spent with my new family tonight. If you are interested, come to my unfinished dwelling after my morning patrol. We will discuss the matter then."

The scout gave a gentle nod, "I'll be waiting there for you ma'am."

Kalah resisted the urge to swat the young male for the valid, yet inappropriate question. The moment was too perfect. Rio and Agrok came to share the same new family, and Kalah could not imagine any thing that could ruin this day.

* * *

Shambles and ruin, that was all Tikhana could see. Her life was destroyed, her mate betrayed and left her. Worst of all her own daughter was the cause of it all. Agrok had been nothing but problems when her overly small stature became apparent. It only got worse when her strong willed nature set in. Never had Tikhana felt such burning, vengeful hate. She had vented that hate upon her dwelling. Nothing in her former home was left intact. Every piece of pottery had been smashed, every blanket and sleeping mat had been torn to shreds. The memories it all held were nothing more than mocking faces laughing at her. If not for the need of shelter, she would have set fire to the dwelling it's self. She did manage to burn the sleeping mate that she had shared with Reyfis for so many years. It lay beneath the smoldering coals of the fire she did not care to tend.

There was another coal of hatred in her heart as well. It had been several days since the incident, but the bruise still throbbed beneath the feathers on her head. Tikhana vowed silently to repay Raizehl for that beating a thousand fold. She was entirely unsure just how to go about that; Raizehl was larger and more experienced in fighting than she, and Agrok was a fully trained warrior. Flinging her fury at either of them would result in serious injury, even death in the case of Agrok. She needed help, but she had ruined her friendship with Muktuh. She had no one left to turn to, only her anger and despair.

The rush of cold air alerted Tikhana to the presence of another in her dwelling before her eyes registered the shape of the male. He resembled the descriptions she heard of the mate Agrok had for a single day. Her daughter must surely have taken her sanity at last if he were here to mock her as well.

Then he spoke with enough contempt to tear at her throat with his voice as he tossed a few logs onto the coals, "Why the hell are you sitting here in the cold and dark, female?"

"I have nothing I wish to see, nor will a fire warm the ice within, male," Tikhana spat the word back at him with just as much contempt.

She heard him gathering something , his scent was strongly male marking him as young even before the fire flared at the kindling he tossed in it, "I heard rumors of your hate and your beauty, and I wished to see if they were true. They are indeed true and I am most pleased by that and by you."

Tikhana would have blushed and possibly even started to flirt, if she were not the very essence of hate and vengeance at that very moment, "As attractive as you are, I am very much not in the mood to endure your weight upon my back. If you have no other business, then leave."

"Oh I have other business with you, Tikhana," the young male sat right in front of her, not even attempting to hide his outward interest in her, "My name is Venkey, and I have an offer for you. We have a mutual enemy that can be dealt with if we work together."

"Agrok..." the name tasted bitter upon her tongue, "I'm listening Venkey, what do you have in mind?"

Venkey grinned as she could not help but steal a glance at his lewd display, "First, know that I am attracted to what is wrong in the eyes of others. Agrok must be put in her place, made to serve the one she hates the most until she starts to enjoy it, then you can dispose of her at your leisure once her will has broken."

"So we will have her subdued, you will hurt, rape, humiliate, and eventually break her," Tikhana did not miss the eager look about him as she outlined his plans with Agrok.

Venkey nodded slowly with a lusty growl rumbling in his chest. He was getting worked up, not just aroused, he was getting worked into a frenzy. Tikhana knew that she was now the one in control, but she had to entice him just right to use his need to her advantage.

It wasn't hard for her to reach down and give him and intimate caress as she purred to him, "I am starting to like your plans, and you, a whole lot more. I want to be there to see her misery when you force her. When she starts to want it, I want to force her to watch us. I volunteer for that, taking you away when she starts to want you is perfect. Besides, I want my turn with the hansom male that has brought me retribution."

"There are some things for you to consider, I need to know you wont back out and alert every one to the plan too early. A lot of Kenjaya are going to die or find themselves badly hurt," he continued with a soft groan at her caressing touch.

Tikhana could see her hold over him and that control was as intoxicatingly arousing to her as this plan was to him, "Hmm... they have done nothing for me, not like you have, they can all burn. So long as you guarantee the death of Raizehl, the chief's mate."

"My contacts slay the leader and his mate any time they conquer a foe, so that is assured. There is more, if you want in, I must have you. The kind of wrong feeling I get thinking about taking the mother of my enemy is beyond anything I have ever felt. One as sexy as you is quite acceptable to keep as well, since the wrong of the union would never fade. That is why, if you want in, you will become my mate. You will give me what I want, when I want it. You will take what ever I wish to do to you without protest. That is the terms, do you accept this arrangement?" Venkey held her with the hungry gaze of a predator.

She found the arrangement to be perfect, but if she wanted more so she exercised her control, "Almost perfect; but if I take you as a mate, you will do the same for me. You will give me what I want, when I want it as well."

"We would barely have time for much of anything else by those terms," he seemed slightly insulted by her return.

Tikhana turned away and leaned over a shattered pot to raise her tail for him in offering, "If you can live with that and accept, come give momma Asreigh your best and your worst."

Her control proved to be absolute, as he was on her almost instantly. He was rough, wild, and aggressive, a new kind of mating for her. A new brand of mating, a new mate, a new life, and that intoxicating power over another. All she had to do to have it all was exact her revenge. The gods must surely have been smiling upon her.