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That tuna lasted almost a week for meals, Atsuko had told us the parts we weren't eating would be best prepared more completely cooked. Then shredded as if canned tuna, she said if we keep it stored in the cooking pot with the broth we cooked it in; provided it didn't start smelling funny it would be safe for human consumption. Cheshire informed us then if it did start smelling off the Gryphon wing could potentially eat it as they had stomachs that could tolerate slightly off foods. Though the gryphons did wind up getting to enjoy eating the bones from the tuna, as they are rather large fish; it's not a fish they hunt on their own. The weight would weigh them down too much.

Now two thirds of the way across the bridge we stop for an extra day of rest to let the gryphons get some extra relaxation time. The horses pulling the wagon were enjoying the gazing time as well, while the shore plants might need to be seeded along the way. Grass loves to spread itself and it seems in the few years the bridge has been in existence there was a decent swath of it. Alberich did say it wasn't the best of grasses flavor wise, but it was edible for any ruminant animal. The children did spy signs of clams in the shoreline near where we decided to camp, so Harriet and Tammy had them hunting them up. Harriet had managed to save some potatoes from one of the stops we had on shore before we arrived at the land bridge and had a few cans of evaporated milk. So she was planning a clam chowder. She grins when she tells me, "always a good idea if you have to eat boring food for a while. Is to surprise everyone with a really good meal to brighten their days, and I'll make a small pot of just potato chowder for Cassie and Alberich." As Alberich said they could eat things like soup even a creamed soup, as long as the only animal protein was milk or in the case of baked goods eggs.

A what appeared to be middle aged merman arrives at the shore while the kids were still hunting up clams and brought up some crustaceans the mers called deep sea crabs. "These will taste a bit like the crabs that humans would fish for," he pulls one out of the kelp bag he had them stored in showing the size. "As you can see they are about double the size of the crab you call a King Crab," he hands the bag to Harriet. "Also I strongly suggest you use some sea water to cook them, humans will prefer to want them a bit more salty they they generally are." He then waits along the shore for the children to finish their assigned chore.

From what we could see from the mers interactions with us, they are firm believers that children need to do some work to learn how to grow. The mer who had shown up the day after the queen to teach the twins had shown up when one of the few fifteen year old children who thought they were an adult considering the world we live in. Was arguing with his mother over the fact that he had to collect driftwood that had washed on the shore line in that location. The teen thought it was 'child's work' and he was a man now. The mermaid calmly told him that if he didn't listen to his mother and help out, she would ask the Hunter's guards to drop him in the water so she could thrash him herself. I guess he thought she was going to hit him with her tail because he paled then went and started collecting the driftwood. We haven't heard him complain about work since that day.

I sit on the shoreline near the merman, "so can I hazard a guess that her majesty will at some point want me to undergo the same training the twins are receiving?" The merman floats a little closer to me, "yes she would like that to happen. We know that there are water Dragons about so knowing how to swim is probably a good idea. Pure water Dragons tend to be akin to giant snakes, like depictions of what humans tend to call 'eastern' Dragons. As with any dragon they prefer their element, and so what ever decided to shape the water types they became big snakes with an attitude problem." The two of us laugh, I guess like me he has experienced snakes outside of Dragons. They all have attitude problems. He continues, "The Queen however wishes you have proper arms training first. "Being an adult you have a lot to unlearn, it is best to not have to double teach you. What ever weapons Master you obtain can un-teach your bad fighting then we can teach you proper swimming as well as proper fighting while swimming." I nod my head in agreement and I sense Alberich come up behind me, "that is a very good idea. It would also make it simpler for training, I am sure the weapons Master will thank you."

I turn towards Alberich, "you sound like we already have one." He nickers in amusement, {what makes you think we don't already have one that you have yet to meet?} The merman laughs with Alberich, "my dear Hunter. With all of the intelligent species of the world attempting to assist you in your endeavor. Do you not think one of our groups might have one in mind for you?" I sigh and shake my head, "why do I feel like everyone is managing me verses me trying to change things?" Alberich steps closer and lays his nose on my shoulder, {Gwen. It is more a bit of both, we all want your plan to succeed. So we have all come together to figure out things you might need and have in the cases where we can help put them in your path. It's like those selkies a month back, they knew about where we were probably based on watching the gryphons as they flew and had an opportunity to gift us with that tuna}. I nod my head then stand up as the children were finished and the two sets of twins were ready to hop into the ocean for their lesson.

"So children," says the merman. "You have finished the basics of swimming, do you have the knives you have been training with on land?" The children show off the daggers that Shadow had been training the twins with. "Good, I am here to teach you how to best fight while submerged. This will not be an easy skill to learn, and I can tell you when the Hunter learns it she'll have more trouble than you will. Be lucky you are young as the young learn things much easier." The merman starts his lesson, {Alberich. Is that merman a weapons Master?} Alberich nods his head, {yes; and from the insignia on his garment I'd say he is the royal weapons Master}. I wasn't terribly surprised by that at this point. Alberich was right, it wasn't so much they were managing me. Verses them just giving the best help they can give.

I turn towards camp, which as usual is on the southern side of the bridge to accommodate the merfolk who came to teach the children. Surprisingly after the third lesson some of the other children expressed an interest in learning how to swim well. So the next stop after that one the mermaid who came arrived with garments made for the rest of the children including some blankets to wrap the infants in. The merman today had already told the other children this lesson was not for them, and that the last teacher was very proud of who quickly they all learned how to properly swim. Knowing how to swim without drowning no matter what the sea was doing is probably an excellent skill for anyone to have. So having all of the children learn it did two things, gave the adults a bit of a break when we stopped and gave them all a skill that might someday be useful.

As I head to my favorite crate to sit on, with plans to go over Jessica's notes on our travels over the bridge; I spy the 'dots' that had been coming ever closer from the south. I grew alarmed as Alberich stepped next to me, we can now see they are Dragons. We can also see their coloring from the current distance, it was red. Red means a fire type Dragon, there were three and they were far enough away that currently their breath weapons would not be effective. However at the speed they are currently traveling at they would arrive by dawn.

I go to shout for Jake when I notice something odd about their movements. The third Fire Dragon who was the largest of the three attacks the other two. I see the Fire Dragon use it's fire breath on the other two, which wouldn't harm them being of the fire type. However it would garner their attention.

Cassie notices me and Alberich staring to the south and she turns that way and freezes, Alberich sees her freeze. {I think I will need to have a talk with that filly about her past, not even the magical unicorns would freeze upon seeing a Dragon}. I see Alberich turn his head and a few moments later a ruckus starts up in the camp and Tammy rushes over to Cassie's side trying to snap the youngster out of her fear. {Tammy is going to try to snap her out of it, she agrees I should be watching them with you; and here comes Jake}.

It was Jake with our best fighters trailing behind him, Jose and Samuel included. Jake looks to where we are looking, "so we have a dragon incoming Tammy says." I nod toward the three fighting fire Dragon's, "yes but it appears they are having a disagreement of sorts." Jake stares for a bit watching them thinking, "that distance even if they make it here it won't be till morning correct?" "Yes Jake, so you can go back to what you were doing, just make sure to set extra guards tonight." Samuel speaks up, "I'll be one of the look outs. As I did travel with Hunter Gwen on some of her missions I know what to keep an eye out for in case of a sudden Dragon attack in the dark. Fire Dragons have a sulfurous smell that you can detect before they are close enough to flame you." I nod my head in agreement, remembering why he learned that. Him and another former Ranger were on a team to protect our camp sites when we went hunting Solar Dragons. They were complaining of a smell for a few minutes before Samuel's partner was incinerated by a Fire Dragon's breath weapon. So he learned very quickly that there is a warning before fire comes to kill you.

Jake takes the fighters back to the camp and Samuel stations himself at the southern edge of it watching the battle as me and Alberich do the same. The large Fire Dragon was effectively fighting hand to hand with the other two smaller Dragons. It was like watching a well choreographed dance, he would slash at one of them while dodging a slash from one of the other two. {Odd, even while flying they could use their wings to help fight}. Cheshire sits in front of me also watching, {gryphons use it as a tactic a lot.} I ponder that for a bit, I recall Granite showing me the make up of his wings while I conversed with him and I have examined StrongWing's wings. I would have to say that bone wise the gryphons have a more fragile wing, however; even with how tough a dragon's wings are. If they used their very razor sharp claws on them they would shred very easily. There by disabling them swiftly, and making them ground bound till the connecting skin could grow back.

{Well, nature doesn't like overpowered lifeforms, give you one positive and make a weakness in the same thing. Look at humans, you are very intelligent. Yet temperature or illness can wipe you out easily and physically you are not a very tough species. A human's flaw is their body itself.} I nod my head at Alberich's commentary, {I thought you said you wouldn't pry into my mind without my say so?} Alberich lowers his head, well. {Partly true, after entering your mind the one time I can still "hear" anything you are thinking hard on. Like you were just thinking about the wing structure of the gryphons verses the Dragons. It was very rude of my to acknowledge that I had read your thoughts please forgive me}. That surprised me, Alberich asking me to forgive him for being rude.

{Explain this "rudeness" as I don't understand}. Alberich nods his head, {any species that can speak mind to mind has the ability to "connect" minds. Now these minds can never truly be disconnected, this is generally done with a person's closest friend's or a mate. This makes it less of an effort to communicate with these people, have you noticed it is a little harder to converse with Dawn and Dusk compared to me and Cheshire?} I nod my head, {this is because there is a "channel" if you will that we can send our thoughts down towards each other that does not exist for other people we know. However it does have the side effect of hearing the most conscious thoughts a person has. As a general rule species who normally communicate this way do not comment on these thought unless they are directed at them. There by at least attempting to give a person some privacy, I have prevented you from hearing my thoughts as has Cheshire till we had a chance to explain it more fully to you. This was not the way we wanted to do it.} Alberich lowers his head slowly, and I think on what he said.

The two of them had made the attempt to not comment randomly on my thoughts and the only time Alberich had forgotten his "manners" is when we have a possible threat in front of our faces. So based on what he has said, it is excusable.

{I forgive you Alberich, considering the situation I am surprised Cheshire did not comment.} Cheshire turns partly to look at me with one eye, {because Cheshire has better control over himself than a horn headed mule does}. I chuckle at his comment and Alberich does as well. {You got me there fur face I was being a bit dense.} Cheshire turns back to the Dragons fighting in the distance.

It looks like the larger one was getting tired, however so did the smaller two. One of which then falls into the ocean, "well, those sharks that live in these waters are going to love that meal." I see the merman looking toward the fighting Dragons, Shadow observing the children as he does so. "The Queen was concerned about whom ever it was following you, I can see why now. I do hope they do not try anything or I might have to call in for some aid for you." I tilt my head curiously and he responds, "if necessary I can summon a few units of our fighters if there is danger. Even when one of us is not here at a camp with you there is always someone following you to keep an eye out. Hunter, we all want this to work out for everyone; for that to happen is to see if your city will work as intended. If you can't make it to said city we won't find out, you are an investment in the future just like those twins are."

I don't comment as I turn back to the Dragon fight, the large Dragon was looking very weary now. And as it makes a dip as if struggling the smaller one tries to bite the larger one's neck, when the larger one grabs the smaller by the neck. The larger Dragon then tears the head off of the smaller one, {well I am no Hunter. Yet I am sure that is a killing blow}, Cheshire mused.

I blink in disbelief, I knew Dragon's were strong. I did not expect that one could tear the head off of another however. Maybe it was a strength/age thing, as a larger Dragon generally denotes an older Dragon. Like other reptiles Dragon continued to grow, Granite's theory on why older Dragon's tend toward insanity is he thinks their brains might deteriorate over time. Something like Alzheimer's in humans.

The larger Dragon hangs in the air while the second one falls into the ocean, it fly's in a circle over the spot the two had fallen into the water. Then it pauses again and looks in our direction and sees us watching it. It looks like it shakes a moment, was that fear? Then it turns around and fly's back south away from our camp.

"Now that's an interesting development," the merman says looking toward the retreating Dragon. "A Dragon that size even with a Hunter in the fight would cause some major damage to this little group." The merman continues shaking his head, "no one credited the fire's with being the brightest of the Draconic species." I nod in agreement the merman then turns back to the children. Alberich shakes his head then looks over to Cassie, who was now being hugged by Tammy and no longer frozen in place. Alberich nudges past me, {sorry Gwen I need to talk with Cassie and Tammy over this. I will tell you if Cassie is willing to let you know about it}. I pat his shoulder as he goes by, toward the two females.

Cheshire turns to me, {go back to what you were doing Gwen. I will tell Jake what transpired, I think we should still post a guard for the night. This behavior is most odd from a Fire Dragon}. I nod as Cheshire takes flight in search of Jake, and I head to the crate I was going to sit at. I just hope that large Dragon wasn't going to come back for a fight, since it looked to be a few million years old. Still late middle age for a Dragon, but getting close to when needing to think of if it was going to find a death while still sane or not. I just hope it's currently sane as it is odd for Dragon's to fight one another without good reason. I just wish I knew if I needed to be worried about this.