Forest Keep 45
Chapter 45
The wagon rumbled its way slowly towards the gates of the keep; the yawning guards pushing the heavy doors open as the sun peeped over the top of the trees. They took in the sight of the bloodstained driver and the pale woman beside him with a little alarm. It was clear they had been attacked and they both looked weary. The driver leaned over to talk to the closest guard.
"I am Tomako, the blacksmiths apprentice," he said quietly "Please inform Lord Duncan that Lady Caroline requires help and I am sorely injured. We also have a prisoner in the back of the wagon." The guards' eyes fell to the stained bandage wrapped around Tomako's thigh and nodded slowly before running through the barbican to alert His Lordship.
Caroline blinked at Tomako as he slumped back into the seat. "So you were telling the truth" she said acidly. "It won't save you from the gallows though."
Tomako sighed and waited; soon James and Cill would arrive along with Lord Tarrant and he would be able to leave.
Caroline frowned as her words appeared to have no effect. She sat back in her seat with her arms folded and sulked, waiting for the proper authorities to arrive and throw the lout into the nearest dungeon.
Lord Duncan was jerked out of a sound sleep and delicious dreams of gryphon's by a hammering on his door.
"Who is it?" he grumped, hurriedly tugging on a robe and moving to the door.
"Pardon, Lordship" came the voice of the guard. "There is a wagon at the gates with a Lady Caroline. She seems to have met with some problems en route, though.
Duncan sighed. "I shall be down immediately," he replied, reluctantly removing the robe and pulling on some breeches and a jerkin instead before heading downstairs.
Tomako was swaying slowly in the seat when Duncan arrived "Tomako?" he asked as he took in the sight of the young dragon's wounds. "What happened?"
"S-sorry Lord Duncan," Tomako slurred, his eyes seeming to lose focus as he felt the results of his injury and exertions suddenly ganging up on him. "I tried to help them..." His explanation tailed off as he slumped forward slowly, eyes glazing as he slipped out of consciousness once more, his mana and energy spent.
Duncan blinked and caught the young dragon as he fell forward. "Quickly...carry him to the barracks!" he ordered the nearby guards. "Get him onto a bed and call a healer!" The guards nodded and hurried to obey, carefully lifting Tomako between them and moving him towards the barracks.
Duncan's gaze turned to Caroline who was looking alarmed as her erstwhile protector was carried off unconscious. "What happened milady?" he asked.
Caroline wrenched her gaze back down to the angry looking lord of the keep "I-I'm not sure myself, Sir," she replied as she slowly climbed down from the seat. "We were attacked by a group of outlaws and when the fighting was done...." She pointed an accusing finger at the rapidly disappearing Tomako. "That one was sitting in the middle of the battlefield all by himself. At the time I surmised he was the only survivor of the attackers, as he was not one of my guards." She paused in her recollection.
"There is an outlaw in the back of the wagon though; he may be able to shed some light on what happened." She sighed. "But right now, I need a room and a bath."
She narrowed her eyes as they followed the guards carrying Tomako into the courtyard and had an odd feeling that they were struggling with him, as if he weighed a lot more than he looked.
Tomako was gently laid on a clean bed and covered with a blanket, unconscious. His mana being worn out from the exertion and healing meant the anifornum spell was breaking down rapidly, and soon he was his natural shape again.
Though strained, his wound had held closed and his draconic resilience was able to reaffirm itself on the groaning bed. The nervous guards backed away from the sight and fled as he stirred weakly before succumbing once more to the darkness.
The unconscious outlaw was placed unceremoniously into the cell next to the one occupied by the three that James and Joe had brought in previously. These worthies looked nervously on as the guards were none too gentle with the wretch. They fell to whispering amongst themselves as the door slammed behind the departing guards.
Caroline sat on the edge of the bed in her quarters. Though not as grand as she was used to, it certainly made a change from the last week on the wagon. She found herself abruptly pacing up and down as she struggled to recall the events of the last evening. She could remember the screaming and a peculiar roaring, as well as the smell of the corpses and fire. She trembled violently at this and buried herself in the thick covers of the bed.
All this way to see a man already claimed by another woman, she berated herself as she struggled to relax, trying to block out the memory of the screams. Perhaps seeing that lout Tomako swinging from the gallows would help her forget and avenge her friends.
James awoke to a thunderous pounding on the door and groaned. Sticking his head beneath the pillow he silently wished for some peace and quiet. Sighing, he tugged on his breeches and stepped to the door where a red-faced Eric was panting.
"Lord Duncan bids you attend him quick," he said, craning his head so he could look over James' shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the sleeping Cill.
"What for?" James asked as he tugged on his shirt, walking alongside the excited man.
"I don't know, Sir," Eric said, "He said to tell you that Lady Caroline had arrived but she and her party were attacked in the forest."
James walked faster. "Is she alright?" he asked as Eric sped up too, trying to keep up with him.
"I think so Sir," Eric blurted. "But there was another problem..."
James nodded, wondering when he rated a 'Sir' from another novice, all of them being older than him. They turned the corner and walked into the mess where James was deftly caught by Duncan.
"Come with me," Duncan muttered and led him upstairs to where Tomako lay on the bed in his dragon form.
"The healer refused to go near him" Duncan said apologetically, "I can see that wound on his leg is severe though" James nodded and stepped forward, stroking Tomako's neck as he looked over the wound.
"Can you help him?" Duncan asked cautiously. James nervously lifted the bandage and looked at the seeping gash. Caroline's inexpert stitching remained, yet stretched tightly. "I can try," he replied hesitantly.
James tried to recall the feeling when he had healed Cill and himself; taking a deep breath he placed his hands upon Tomako's thigh and attempted to relax.
Nothing happened.
Duncan watched nervously as Tomako shifted slowly on the bed, his teeth bared in a snarl of pain as the stitching tugged at the flesh.
Thinking hard, James tried to will something to happen and abruptly his hand flared into light. It wasn't the same placid, warm golden glow that had healed Cill however.
It was almost too bright to look at and James felt something odd as he laid his palm over the wound.
He stumbled a little as he recognized the feeling tugging at his innards. He was pouring mana into Tomako in a torrent instead of a gentle flow. The wound rapidly sealed and vanished. Tomako's breathing slowed to a regular tempo but James found he could not pull his hand away; it was as if it was glued to the slowly stirring dragon.
He was beginning to panic when Tomako gave a lurch and sat up with a gasp, talons up and eyes wide as he realized what was happening, his paw reached down and took James' hand, wrenching it away from his body as James slumped onto the bed beside him, the glow fading away.
"NO!" cried Tomako as he caught James "I wont let you do that!"
James grinned weakly. "Too late," he yawned widely. "Sleepy..."
Looking down at his leg, Tomako groaned and rubbed the formerly wounded area.
"You healed me" he muttered accusingly "But it cost you a great deal of mana, perhaps too much."
Duncan moved to the bedside to help prop James up. "Will he be alright?" he asked nervously, feeling out of his depth once more.
Tomako sighed and shifted on the bed. "Yes, but he will need sleep to recover...I shall take him to Cill, before I leave."
Duncan shook his head "Not now you won't. I'll take him...I don't want Lady Caroline to see a dragon wandering round the bailey right now."
Tomako nodded. "I can turn human," he stated. Taking a breath he concentrated on his human form.
Nothing happened.
"Or not," he muttered. "I don't have enough mana to allow me to shift yet."
Duncan nodded slowly, comprehension dawning. "You should stay here and recover, Ill take James back to Cill and put him to bed."
Tomako sighed, nodding slowly as he realized that he would have to face Cill and most likely his sister as well with his shameful behaviour fresh in his mind. Lowering his head to the bed, he wondered what he could possibly say.
Duncan helped James stand and walked him down the stairs slowly, privately wondering if James could heal another human in the same manner. He found James was able to stand by himself at the bottom of the stairs as he seemed to rally his energy.
"That was scary," James muttered to Duncan, "I'll have to ask Marre about that next time." The pair started walking slowly back towards the storehouse.
"Is this Marre a wizard too?" Duncan asked awkwardly, trying to avoid the curious gaze of passers-by as he walked beside James.
"Oh yes, he is one of the mightiest dragon sorcerers," replied James. "He is the one teaching me to control this gift." He grinned tightly. "When I'm not destroying his lair that is."
Duncan nodded slowly "Has he been here yet? I would like to meet such a one." He said, thinking about several questions he would put to such a sage.
James shrugged "Perhaps, I do not know what he looks like as a human, He could be any one of new visitors in the keep. I would tell you if I knew he was going to visit though,"
They reached the storehouse, and James staggered in and collapsed next to Cill who was still sleeping quietly. He reached out and stroked her fondly, teasing her cheekruffs gently until her eyes fluttered open.
"Morning Love," James said with a grin, planting a kiss on the end of her snout "Sleep well?"
Cill yawned widely, Duncan cautiously leaning back from the impressive display of dentition.
"Mmm, very well" she murmured, giving James a welcoming lick. "What's going on?" Her gaze flicked between Duncan and James.
James sank slowly onto the bed. "Tomako got into a fight and was injured...I healed him, but now I'm very tired."
Cill blinked. "Tomako fighting? Who with? Father?" she asked curiously, nudging James to keep him awake. "How badly was he injured?"
James yawned widely himself before answering. "His leg was slashed open. I put my hand on it to heal it and I couldn't take it off. He is better now, but seems very upset for some reason."
Cill's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "You used up all your mana on him, didn't you?" she asked, shaking her head from side to side in exasperation. "I will have to ask Marre to teach you how to control the flow properly."
James tried to shrug but he could feel sleep stealing up on him and settled for leaning against her. "Hmmm?" he murmured before nodding off.
Sighing, Cill arranged him comfortably and covered him with a blanket, fussing over him like a broody hen until Duncan cleared his throat.
"Will he be alright?" he asked cautiously, eying the snoring youth.
Making a last check on her mate, Cill turned to face Duncan. "He should be awake in a few hours, he just used up too much power in a hurry," she replied, her tone more annoyed than anxious now.
Duncan nodded and turned for the door. Cill paused a moment to activate her glamour, shifting into the plain clothes she had thought up before, and then following close behind as they both headed to the barracks.
The keep was starting to stir as they walked along the hill leading the barracks. Duncan was amused at first to see several of the merchants gawk at Cill in her human form, many standing there open-mouthed until an angry prod from a wife or friend broke the spell. This was usually followed by a flushed apology and attempt to ignore the problem.
Several women frowned as Cill passed by, sour looks on their faces - something that Cill completely ignored as she was not yet familiar with human envy; this of course made her crime worse in the eyes of the other women.
Duncan tried to act nonchalant as he saw all this; experienced in diplomacy and tactics, he felt he could almost see the scheming going on in both males and females as Cill swished past. He could tell there would be lots of gossip at the tavern and fights in homes that evening.
Making their way up to Tomako's room they paused outside the door and listened as growling and muttering - alternated with sobs - came from within the room. They exchanged glances, wondering at the cause. Finally Cill shrugged and pushed the door open, and they both stepped in.
Cill had never seen a dragon with such a doleful expression as Tomako was wearing. His whole body showed a deep depression and even the luster of his scales had dulled from their usual gloss. Clearly something serious had occurred.
Canceling her glamour, Cill sat next to him and took his paws in hers. "What's happened, Tomako?" she asked gently as he took a shuddering breath, eyes closing and refusing to meet her gaze.
She briefly glanced at Duncan, who was standing and looking worried. She could see he genuinely cared, but this was obviously something he did not need to hear right now.
"Lord Duncan, could you leave us for a few minutes?" she murmured, almost pleading with the man.
Nodding sympathetically, the man briefly rested a hand on Tomako's shoulder and quietly left the room.
Reaching round gently, Cill pulled Tomako's snout round to face her and meet her gaze. "Show me," she said quietly. Tomako tried to pull back but she held firm and met his eyes.
Tomako surrendered and with a shudder of grief let her see the sequence of events that had led to the current situation. Cill gasped as she felt the pain of his wound and the deep grief and fear he had lost it all in the exchange of memory, the sadness threatening to overwhelm her. Clinging to the young dragon, she held his head against her chest as he cried and sobbed, blurting out his guilt and shame.
Caroline growled to herself as she tried to sleep, her emotions tangled and still upset as she thrashed about in the bed. She felt a weight of guilt and sadness that seemed to come from outside her own mind. Finally she gave up and threw on some clothes. She had to go and see the lout and gloat at him some more. If he was conscious that is, she told herself.
Cill let Tomako's head drop slowly as he slumped exhausted to the bed. She felt out of her depth; never before had she seen such anger and ferocity in a dragon, even when it was to protect a female and with good intentions. She felt mingled disgust and pride at his actions, but she was unsure how Duncan would take this. She needed advice - and fast. There was only one dragon who would know what to do. Taking a deep breath she stood up and, giving Tomako a final stroke, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Duncan was standing quietly, talking to the gate guards who had brought Tomako in. She swiftly assumed her human form and strode up to him. "We have to talk," she murmured to him. "But I need to call someone first."
Duncan nodded and let himself be led back to the storehouse, where James still slept soundly upon the bed.
Cill shivered. This was the first time she had attempted this, and the consequences would not be light if her call were deemed unwelcome; one did not summon the Clanmaster lightly. Gulping, she shaped the call and begged an audience with the elder wyrm.
To her surprise her call was answered almost immediately, the scratchy tones of the Clanmaster filling her head. "Why Cill," he said, and she heard the amusement in his voice, "I was just thinking of visiting you and James."
Cill tried hard to keep her tone stable. "C-Clanmaster, we need your help. Tomako has done a...terrible thing," she quavered. "I do not know what to do. He is despondent and I fear he may suicide from grief and guilt."
The Clanmaster's tone shifted abruptly. "Where is your portal?" he asked crisply. "I shall be there immediately!" She could feel his shock and also a sudden sense of something else in his mental reply. A feeling of...responsibility?
Passing on the location and runes of their portal, she hurried down to greet the Clanmaster. She had barely arrived when the mist announcing his arrival gathered in the ring, clearing rapidly and revealing the elder wyrm in its midst.
Grunting with the effort of transport, and suddenly realizing he was in the middle of a human building, made the Clanmaster blink rapidly. He was unused to being caught by surprise, but he swiftly shifted into the form of an elderly man with a snowy white beard, wearing an elegant green doublet and breeches and carrying a staff.
Cill hurried up to him and bowed clumsily, welcoming the elder to her territory and forgoing the usual oaths, she led him towards the room where Tomako lay dormant.
Muttering to himself, the elder examined Tomako and briefly rested a hand on his head, feeling him quiver beneath the touch. Sighing, he swiftly probed the young dragon and felt the emotions churning within. Withdrawing his hand he shook his head sadly before turning to Cill.
"This is partly my fault," he said quietly, leading her towards the door. "I take it you know why he is here?"
Cill shook her head. "He would not say, just that there had been trouble at his home."
Osedax nodded slowly. "That is correct. He has not violated his oath, then," He looked back at the despondent dragon. "His sister was to be traded for information on your whereabouts," he admitted, suddenly looking a lot older and seeming to slump in on himself. "I knew he would come here and be safe, yet I overlooked the one thing that he had kept hidden all along...that terrible rage and frustration!"
Cill blinked at the news. "Shalla was with ...a human last night," she murmured. "Could that have made him do this terrible thing?"
Osedax shook his head. "No, the trigger seems to have been something simpler." He sat on the bed next to Tomako and took the young dragon's head into his hands. "Tomako," he murmured, "let me in. Show me what happened."
Tomako's eyes snapped open in horror as he realized who was talking to him. "C-Clanmaster!" He struggled briefly on the bed. "What..."
Osedax laid a calming hand on his head. "Hush now boy, there is nothing to fear here, rest and tell me what happened."
Tomako shivered but subsided back upon the bed, his body trembling as he let the powerful mind replay his memories anew. Each time he saw himself slaughter one of the innocent humans, he cringed inwardly at what the Clanmaster must think of him now.
Osedax went through carefully, reviewing the account as it had happened. He could certainly feel the remnants of Divitchka's anger in the rear of Tomako's mind, but it was the unusual response to the human female's scream that intrigued him the most.
Why should a dragon come to the aid of a single human female? Let alone one he had never met or known of until that moment. He suspected something deeper. Was it the minor sexual encounter beforehand?
Something needed to be done quickly to bring Tomako out of his depression, or he would certainly spiral down further. Having not only broken dragon law but finding this savage rage in his heart would have driven him to the edge.
"Does Tomako have any friends here?" he asked, stepping away from the bed and leading Cill out the door, closing it quietly behind him.
Cill shook her head "I don't think so. Other than the smith, he has not met many humans," she said, looking worriedly at the elder. "will he be alright?"
Osedax sighed again. "I do not know. He is in a great deal of pain and emotional turmoil; he believes everyone will abandon him and that he will have to go into exile when they find out what he has done."
Cill was about to reply when a new voice intervened.
"I see that lout has been getting better care than he deserves!" Caroline stated acidly as she looked over the pair.
Osedax immediately recognized the woman's voice as the one that had triggered Tomako's rampage.
"You believe young Tomako does not deserve my care?" he asked quietly, glaring sidelong at Cill and mentally warning her to keep her mouth shut.
Caroline looked the oldster up and down slowly, ignoring Cill for the nonce, her aristocratic brow arching lightly.
"If you are a healer, then no. He should be suffering as my friends did when he slaughtered them."
Osedax nodded slowly. "Did you see what happened to him?" he asked, controlling his own anger with effort.
Caroline sniffed. "No, but he said he killed them all and I believe him." She knew she was being foolish and that in fact he had saved her life not once but twice. "He seems the type."
Osedax sighed. "I hope you are wrong. He is immensely talented and only intervened when he perceived you were in danger, it seems."
Caroline leveled her best 'annoyed' glare at the oldster. "He did not know who I was, and he was likely in league with them in the first place" she stated.
Cill squirmed in place, itching to tell this arrogant human a thing or two, but one of the Clanmaster's eyes was on her and she kept quiet.
"That did not matter to him," he told Caroline. "He only knew that a woman was in distress and needed help. As for being in league with them, you know that cannot possibly be true."
"I only know what I saw, sirrah," Caroline exclaimed and stepped past him to hammer on the door. "Open up!"
There was an abrupt thump as something heavy hit the other side of the door, holding it closed.
"Ha!" scoffed Caroline. "See, he knows he is guilty and hides in shame!"
"He is indeed heartsick and ashamed, but not for the reasons you think," Osedax agreed, his mind frantically working to find a way to keep Tomako from thoughts of suicide and exile. "You are angry with him and seek revenge for the actions he had to take to save you. He is having great difficulty with this."
Caroline frowned, "This is not my fault!" she said, and folded her arms defensively. "No," said Osedax slowly, "Nor is the fact that he had to kill outlaws to save you his fault. Your guards also thought he was dangerous and attacked him, whereupon he had to kill once more in self-defense." He leaned forward to look the woman full in the face, turning his powerful gaze upon her. "Don't you think you have made him kill enough?"
Caroline stared back at him as his words sank in. Fuming, she turned on her heels and stamped her way back towards her quarters.
Cill let out a long, slow breath, her fists clenched at her sides, staring after the departing woman.
"That wants to be James's mate?" she growled, flexing her hands like talons.
Osedax reached out and touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Peace, Daughter," he murmured. "She is strongly attracted to Tomako in his human form, and she feels guilty for that....as well as for his actions. Her mind is in great confusion."
Cill growled under her breath "She won't get near either of them," she said, feeling a growing anger of her own. How dare this upstart human cow come and interfere with their lives?
Osedax sighed and turned back to the door. "I shall listen to Tomako. He needs rest and time to grieve, and I feel somewhat responsible for his predicament." He frowned briefly. "Send the human lord to me also. I have things to discuss with him."
Cill nodded and walked off slowly to find Duncan, who was back in conversation with the gate guards. Passing on the Clanmaster's message, she headed back to the storehouse to watch over James and think about what to do about Tomako.
Tommy awoke to a warm, slow, and somewhat damp sensation. It began somewhere near his navel and worked its way up over his nipples before ending beneath his jaw. Upon opening, his eyes met the somewhat amused yellow gleam of his new mate as she pulled back to lick him slowly once more.
Groaning in pleasure, he reached down to caress her head slowly, teasing the cheekruffs playfully and arching his hips up as her tongue teased delicately over his shaft.
"Oh, that is a wonderful way to wake up!" he murmured, feeling himself rise rapidly under the caress. Shalla, too, had a satisfied smirk on her muzzle, and her eyes were calmer than he'd seen them before. Pulling her head up, he kissed her gently, their tongues entwining slowly.
"I take it I passed the test then?" he chuckled as his fingertips slipped over her neck and she pressed against him eagerly.
"Oh yes!" Shalla purred. "I think I'll keep you around a little longer!" He could feel her happiness as it mingled with his own emotions, amplifying them both. Now he knew why James had chosen to stay with Cill, and what he had meant. There was no way he was giving this up.
Shalla slipped from the bed and stretched luxuriously, her body still feeling the warm calmness that follows a good mating. Heading towards the pantry she turned back and smirked at Tommy. "Hungry?" she asked, giving her rump a playful shake.
Tommy leapt from the bed and hugged her tail playfully. "Oh yes, always!" he chuckled as she moved to the pantry.
Tomako slowly relaxed against the door as he heard Caroline walk away from the pair outside. He wondered briefly why he should worry about her now, as she was safely inside the keep. It was important that she not find out about Cill being a dragoness now; and having her see him in his natural form was definitely not an option. He was stuck here until he recovered sufficient mana to shift; James had given him enough to heal his wound and make him lucid, but he was still woefully short of the amount needed for anything else.
He shuddered, knowing the Clanmaster would proclaim him outcast soon and that he would have to leave everyone he loved behind and never return. He settled back onto the bed and curled up tightly, his tail over his muzzle.
Duncan approached of the white-bearded old man with trepidation. He was beginning to learn that outside appearances did not necessarily mean anything when it came to dragons, and was startled when the oldster held out his hand in greeting.
"Ah, the Lord of the keep," Osedax murmured. "A pleasure to meet you at last." Osedax's eyes narrowed as he looked the man over. "It has long been my desire to thank you for granting both James and Cill your protection, and for allowing Tomako and his sister to shelter close by."
Duncan took the gnarled hand in his and was startled at the strength of the grip. "I am Duncan Tarrant," he replied, "and these last few days have certainly been interesting!" He hesitated briefly, recently awakened instincts telling him to be wary of this unremarkable man. "Might I ask who you are?"
Osedax grinned. "I am the head of the Clan that James has joined, and as such it is my responsibility to ensure that my children are flourishing and safe. You may call me Clanmaster."
He waved his staff towards the mess. "Shall we make ourselves comfortable and discuss a few things? It has been long since I enjoyed human ale."
Duncan agreed and fell into step beside the old man, noting that at least some of the age was not faked. There were certain signs of hesitation and frailty in his walk.
Seating himself comfortably Osedax sighed and waited until he had a jack of ale before him. "We have a problem," he began, taking a sip of the ale and smacking his lips at the taste. "A lot of it is my fault, however, so I shall help resolve it."
Duncan blinked several times; things were moving too fast for him as usual.
"What are you talking about?" he asked nervously, sipping his own drink. "What happened to Tomako?" A sudden chill ran down his spine. "Or...what did he do?"
Osedax sighed and put the jack back on the table with a soft clink.
"Tomako has committed a grave crime, one that warrants exile or death if he faced our tribunal." He briefly sketched out the actions the rash young dragon had taken, as well as the previous actions leading up to the event.
Duncan's face fell when he heard that all of Lord Hampton's men had been killed, if not by the outlaws then by Tomako.
"The only saving grace is that he successfully rescued the female; in fact, under dragon law, he would be entitled to take her as a mate now should he desire it."
Osedax took another sip of ale and sighed. "The problem we have now is that he feels deeply despondent and possibly suicidal. I did not realize the depths of his anger and resentment towards his fathers' actions, or how he would take those frustrations out."
Duncan sat back in his chair and sighed. "From what you have told me, I think Lord Hampton would want Tomako's head as well. I know he would have sent his most trusted guards with his daughter."
Osedax nodded "The fact that Tomako intervened for no apparent reason other than to rescue a human female is unusual as well. He has not been around humans for long enough to develop the skills required to deal with your kind." He eyed Duncan with amusement. "You have the strangest customs, and it usually takes us several years to learn them well enough to blend in."
Duncan refrained from making the obvious comment; the Clanmaster wouldn't have seemed out of place in any village tavern.
"What do you think we should do?" asked Duncan, who had no idea what to do with a suicidal, depressed dragon.
Osedax sighed "He is expecting punishment, and in fact deserves it. He acted rashly and with the arrogance that I would have expected from his father." Tilting the leather jack he finished the ale in a single gulp. "You say he is an apprentice here?"
Duncan nodded. "With the smithy, and doing quite well from what I hear. He has certainly saved them on coal expenses with his ability to breathe flame!"
Osedax nodded slowly as he contemplated this, fingers tugging on his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps a lesson in humility then," he murmured. "Though being a firelighter is perhaps humble enough." He leaned forward. "Until he is able to control his impulses, I must impose some restrictions upon him. One of them will be his ability to shift. I have the power to confine him to human shape for the maximum period the spell will allow - and even then he shall remain in dragon form for only as long as it takes to recover his power."
Duncan blinked, understanding only a small portion of what was being said. "You mean he would stop being a dragon?" he asked slowly.
"No, I cannot - nor would I - take that away from him," chuckled Osedax. "He would be able to shift into dragon form once every three days and then only for a night."
Duncan's face shifted as he digested this information. "I don't know why that would be so harsh a punishment," he replied slowly. "After all, he spends a lot of his time here in human form."
Osedax waggled a finger at him. "It is one of the harshest punishments I can administer. It will take away most of his powers except the most basic. He will lose the power of flight and be dependent on his vulnerable human body - at least until the three days are up and he can once again regain his form for a night. It would be as if you were forced to live as a helpless child once again. Only becoming an adult once a week!"
Duncan thought his way through this. "Is he a danger to us?" he finally asked with some trepidation.
"No," replied Osedax firmly, thinking of the echoes of Divitchka's rage that had helped fuel Tomako's rampage.
"He had powerful external forces acting upon him as well as provocation. Right now he is near suicide and I am not sure what I am able to do to bring him out of that." He looked worriedly towards the barracks room.
"He is strong, yet in his haste he has abused that strength and may never use it again for fear of what will happen."
Duncan drank down the last of his ale and slowly set the jack down on the table. "How long would you keep him like that?" he asked quietly.
Osedax shrugged. "As long as needed," he said cryptically. "It might be one year...it might be a hundred."
Duncan sighed and agreed. "What do you wish me to do then?" he asked. "I can keep him apprenticed to the Mastersmith until he gains at least journeyman status. That usually takes five to seven years."
Osedax chuckled softly. "I believe he will reach that level a lot sooner, He requires occasional supervision and I think his sister will need to know soon also. She also appears to have mated with a human now."
Duncan's face flushed brightly at this revelation. "Oh?" he said weakly. "You mean that she has also...?"
Osedax let out a soft chuckle. "Oh yes, for some reason there has been a rash of curious couples appearing here. Perhaps you have noticed it also?" He could see the human's embarrassment increase, and wondered why his words should have had such an effect.
Duncan coughed and nodded, not wanting to mention his dreams about Katreen and how she made him feel. "I certainly have..." he murmured reluctantly.
Dougal carefully checked the room and made sure he was alone. Donning a nondescript cloak and hood he cautiously stepped from his royal quarters and looked down the hall.
Finding it clear he made his way out of the palace and left the trod. Flying just above the treetops where he would not be spotted easily, the fairy monarch made his way to the little hidden lake and hovered above it.
He thought he could catch a glimpse of the aura that surrounded the lake and sighed. It was true then. The ancient ones had returned and had chosen this place as home, or at least a place to refresh themselves.
Settling onto a branch he crossed his legs and thought back to the havoc these particular ones had caused in the past. The long-extinct Centaurs and satyrs were a result of their innocent meddling and it seemed that they were now causing the same problems in different species.
Watching the cool water as it lapped against the muddy banks he realized that unless it was stopped somehow there would be even more catastrophes to follow. Especially if the unions bore fruit.
Sighing he stood on the branch and coughed lightly "Alright Flora, I know you're here. Come out and greet your old friend."
With barely a rustle, the thick rushes parted beneath his tree and the unicorn stepped into the open.
To be continued