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The building was large but did not overwhelm those near it despite rising slightly above most of its neighbors. It was newer than most the buildings around it, but the style had been crafted to try to help it blend in. Most knew the building housed a number of offices for the crown, mostly relating to fishing taxes and city works administration. Otsi could see the windows of his old office through the attic window. His office had not been the home of anything quite so simple as paper work shuffling for taxes.

"Are you sure you're up to this," he asked Werz as she finished trimming her fur.

"Of course," she replied with an amused tone. "Its less simple to sneak around than most the places around here, but it has its ins and outs as you've already explained. And I have a plan."

Indeed he had told her of a few useful details of the building. Though she knew the basics, as she had been through a few times on other business, the dragon had enlightened her on a few other avenues, rooms, and spaces that she could make use of if needed.

"I need you to promise me something," growled the dragon as he shifted his gaze back to the raccoon. "If at all possible, avoid killing anyone. There's a lot of good people in there, including ones I'd like to some day consider friends again. Their blood on my hands will make this much more difficult."

Werz snorted. "You could tag along to make sure I don't slice any necks if that made you feel better, getting yourself killed on sight in the process." His scowl make it clear he didn't much care for her smirk. "How about this, I will only maim, kill, and destroy if I am found out or I run into Optan. How about that?"

Otsi rolled a growl before giving her a nod. "Fine. But if you do kill Optan or anyone else, I expect Eca's ring at the very least."

"I'm not convinced its even in there," she said as she checked herself in the mirror. The raccoon looked a little sleeker than she had before, her fur more even and shorter. Someone who knew her could still recognize her but the more casual observer would be thrown. She had also colored a little of her fur to help, changing the shape of her natural mask to throw off other raccoons, who were the best at picking up such subtleties. She had even borrowed a friend's robes to help cover her scent. Werz smiled and pulled the hood up over her ears.

"You look silly," said the dragon with a smile. "And I recognize you. Just avoid Sloj and you'll probably be ok. Now they do lock up the last door at the last bell. So if you're not out by then, alternative routes will be needed."

The raccoon nodded as she stood. "Of course," she said before turning and heading down the stairs, her tail held high.

"And remember the signal... if you need it," he said as she slid out of view.

He shook his head disapprovingly.

---

"And what is your business?" asked the clerk as she looked over the smiling raccoon before her.

"Well, so here's the thing, my brother Jessot last year bought a fishing boat. Now he doesn't have an official license to fish near Yikapot island but he said he wasn't fishing there, but I do think he may have been and you see..."

The clerk raised her massive paw. "Are you applying for a fishing license for crown waters near, hmm.... Yikapot island? Is that what you are saying?"

"Not... exactly," replied the raccoon. "Its not crown waters there. I think the island belongs to the Peyintar clan and they are very very protective of their waters and so I thought I'd inquire about a license for him to fish there with the crowns blessings, just in case the Peyintars find out and get, unruly."

The clerk shook her head. The annoyed look of the polar bear made it clear she was quickly losing patience.

"If you are worried about the, err, Peyintar clan, take it up with them. This isn't business of this office nor can it be."

Werz wasn't surprised by the bear's confusion about the name. She had made up the clan, the island, as well as the rest of the story that morning. She reached into her pocket and produced three coins.

"Perhaps then, if that's impossible, I could apply for him to be an official fisher of the crown?"

"No. And I do not take bribes. Nor can I let someone apply for such a thing in someone else's name."

The raccoon suddenly looked very put off. She put the coins back and started showing some teeth. "Fine, its not for my brother," she said with a cutting tone. "Its for me. I... the sheriff of my village has impounded my boat pending proof that I'm indeed 'a captain'. Owning the boat is apparently not enough for the idiot. He's of the Peyintar clan, and already knows I've been fishing near what he considers his clan's water, never mind that everyone else also fishes there." Werz sighed. "They think just because I'm not one of their idiot friends, and because I won't let them touch me, that means I'm the exception. I need this so I can get around their stupid game. I need this," she said as she slapped the counter. "Because they have no right to take my livelihood."

The clerk rolled her eyes. "Me giving you a damn piece of paper won't get your hick neighbors to give you your stupid boat back." The white bear looked out the window. The sun was already on the horizon. "Come with me," she said before sliding out from behind the counter. "Don't think I'm helping you because of your sob story. I've heard many of them and yours is at least more creative than most. You forgot the bit about how they murdered your husband."

"I've... I've never had a husband," Werz stammered before glancing down to the side.

"Fine, come," said the clerk as she lumbered towards the door. Werz followed.

The clerk didn't say anything else as she lead the raccoon up the first two flights of stairs. At the landing of the third the way was blocked by two guards. They looked over the raccoon.

"Well?" one of them asked. "What you need?"

"She needs to speak to who ever is in charge of idiot sheriffs now," growled the bear.

"Sajewune," grunted the other guard. "Third door on the left in the north hall, top floor."

The clerk nodded and the guards let them pass. After a few more flights the clerk lead Werz directly to the door indicated and gave it a knock.

Werz gulped.

"What?" came a deep voice from beyond.

"Got someone who's upset about a sheriff," said the clerk.

After a good deal of noise and very heavy clomping coming towards the door, the door opened. It was an ox, taller than the polar bear that already towered over Werz. She was wearing a uniform of sort, though it was very ill fitted for her frame. The ox snorted at the bear who with only a slight shrug turned and headed back.

"Well come in," said the ox motioning the raccoon within. Once Werz was inside she slammed the door and began stomping her way back to the large desk at the back of the room. "Have a seat."

Once they were seated Werz started up with her story again. The ox lifted her hand. She didn't make eye contact with the raccoon.

"First... what is your name and where do you come from."

Werz nodded and smiled. "I'm Willio, a Glorvanist, of Hitarctic Shore. Though the village where the sheriff is is called just Hitarc."

"And, what did the sheriff do?"

"Impounded my boat! Be..."

"Why?"

Werz inhaled and took a pause. "Because he got orders from his clan to do so, his stated reasoning was because I was not a captain."

"How did you come by this boat?"

Werz's annoyance was slowly becoming less of an act. Her ears lowered and her tone became more biting. "I bought it from my cousin. She was getting married to a jeweler up the coast and didn't want to continue her father's business any longer. And I needed..."

"How much did you pay?"

"I... err... seventy. Its not a very big boat."

"I gotta say, you don't look like a fisher," the ox had been slowly scrawling some notes.

"What... what does... what is that supposed to mean?"

"Sometimes we get people in here who have a relative who've done something stupid. And gotten locked up. And so they come here, thinking that just because we have people here looking out for crown authorities who've gotten corrupt, bribed, or stupid, that means they can use us to get revenge for them."

"Nonsense! I came here to ask for a fishing license to... to prove I'm a captain and..."

"Sure you did," the ox looked up at Werz. "But now you're here because Meg got tired of dealing with you. Or maybe this was your plan all along, to get up here because this guy executed your dad or lover or something and you want us to take their head. I know you're full of lies. Now get out of here before I throw you out the window."

Werz gulped and stood up. "Of course, thank you ... for your time."

The raccoon turned and headed to the door. "Hitarc is due an inspection in a few months I think. Get back there before then and bring your complaint to my agent then."

Werz looked back and smiled. "Thank you."

Through the door, she began to quietly walk towards the stairs. Of course she didn't take them. The halls were quiet for the most part, but there were muffled voices behind a few doors. The dragon's old office was down the south hall at the far end. Past the stairs her foot falls became even quieter.

"Really? All the way through? That's impossible," came a young male voice from behind one door.

"I think he'll kill again," came another voice, female and older, behind a different door. "But I think I know where."

As tempted as she was to stop and listen she knew she couldn't pause. Despite her efforts, some boards could easily creek. Someone could open a door and leave their office to go take a shit. Someone else could get in an argument and storm out seeking fresh air. And those guards could decide the raccoon woman with the silly complaint was taking longer than normal to piss off the ox, and come looking for her.

At the far end of the hall were three doors. On the right was the dragon's old office. On the left was the office of the chief deputes. The middle door was just a closet. Otsi had explained that there was a door in the ceiling of it that lead to a small space under the roof. Not enough for much of anything to be stored, but helped keep the building warm or cool throughout the seasons, for what they were in Pargalo.

Werz opened the door. It creaked slightly. She inhaled and listened. No movement from either door to her sides. No sound. She slid into the closet and closed the door. Pulling herself up the shelves littered with dusty old books, she pushed open the door to the small attic. Her body ached a bit after the climb, her wounds from their recent escape searing a bit as reminders that she wasn't yet fully healed. She closed the door and looked around.

There was a little light coming in from the end of the building's wing. It provided enough to see where there were rafters and where there was just hay. The view to the opposite window was blocked. The dragon had been right about it not being a place where one could stand. And crawling was difficult too as she made her way over his old office and under where the roof sloped down. She lowered herself down and began to listen. Werz had a few hours before she'd need to figure out an alternative exit plan.

For a while she heard nothing. She thought about moving some of the hay out of the way so she could put her ear directly on the plaster boards, but decided against it, as the sound of scratching could give away her presence.

It was nearly two hours into her listen when she heard a knocking.

"Come in," came a familiar voice. She instantly recognized that it was Sloj. The door to the office below opened and shut. "Oh, yes, welcome back."

"Thank you," came a high pitched but obviously male, and seemingly in pain, voice.

"I have to say, you've looked better," said Sloj.

"And you've always looked this ugly," replied the stranger. "Report."

"Zivoz unfortunately didn't find the remaining fugitives, but insists they will be caught soon. The ice pirates attacked our neighbors again, not a surprise there, but haven't gone any further south yet this season. And we think we have a lead on the illusive Master Wex, who might not be as dead as assumed. Seems he's still alive, plotting murder, smuggling, and the usual now that there's been a change of administration here. I have patrols investigating the west lower part of the city. And except for the gossip about the queen taking a new consort, not a whole lot else to report."

"Zivoz's failure is unacceptable, I'll have to look into it myself. But good work on the rest. Optan will be pleased that you are getting into your new role so enthusiastically," said the stranger. "Please, join me. I plan to greet Sajewune. I don't think anyone will believe her reaction unless I have a witness. Come."

Werz heard the sound of the door opening and closing once again. This was her opportunity. She quickly shuffled her way back to the door down. The raccoon had to wince as she landed on the closet floor. On the same level again, she could hear the foot steps of the two going down the hall. Once they where far enough away, she gently opened the closet door and slipped out. She could see them down at the far end of the building before Sajewune's office. Sloj was knocking on the door. The other figure had a hood up over his head and she could not see his face. She could however see a long gray tail with long fur.

Werz went for the office door and slipped inside.

The office was rather spacious in design but filled with furniture and boxes. The furniture was mostly cabinets filled with drawers and other storage spaces. Many of them were opened revealing that most if not all were filled with papers. The boxes scattered around the room formed terrain for the rest of the room, and were all similarly piled high with papers. Werz rolled her eyes at Otsi's insistence that his office was always neat and tidy. Either that was a lie or the weasel had decided that there needed to be a change.

Werz's eyes turned toward towards the larger desk almost hidden in the corner with the shelves above it. Hopping over several boxes to get to it she began to quickly search its drawers. Otsi had told her Wex's file was in that desk. The raccoon quickly decided that the organization of the rest of the room was a new thing as the contents of this particular desk seemed only slightly out of order. They folders were even alphabetized by bracket symbol and major symbol. But the raccoon soon discovered that despite this, Wex's file was not present. The drawer where it should had been had a large area missing, large enough to have been home to a rather thick folder.

It dawned on her. His file had to be in the mess that was the desk in the middle of the room. Werz frowned.

She bounded over to the large desk and quickly began to asses the situation. The papers there were unorganized and were on a variety of topics. She looked under a few layers before giving up. She moved behind the desk and began opening drawers. There was food in one. A knife in another on top of pile of letters. Werz's quick inspection of the letters taught her that the weasel had been corresponding with someone, and both he and his friend had very lewd notions of what should be in a letter. Another drawer had some bunched up clothes and what looked to be a piece of obsidian. The raccoon was closing that drawer when she realized what she had just seen. She opened it again and extracted the broken piece of dragon horn.

"That's something," she whispered before closing the drawer again.

She had one more drawer to go when she heard foot steps outside the door. The raccoon leaped over the desk and several boxes and took up a position beside one of the cabinets and out of view from the doorway. Werz pulled a knife out of her cloak and waited. The door opened.

"Pleased?" asked Sloj as he entered the office.

"Very," replied the mystery voice from before. He followed the weasel into the office. "Her jealousy shall burn for years I suspect."

Werz couldn't see the other's face still as he moved towards the desk with Sloj. Sloj moved around the desk. Werz slid out from her hiding spot and behind the robbed figure.

"Indeed... Who the hell are you," said Sloj as he spotted the raccoon.

She reached around with the knife and held it up against the robbed figure's neck. Part of it was exposed. She could feel fur. The raccoon did her best to keep her face hidden behind the robes of the man she now threatened, only letting her eyes and mask be visible to Sloj.

"I'm looking for everything you have on Master Wex," she grumbled. "He killed my family and I deserve justice."

"Easy," said the weasel as he took a seat. He put his paws in his lap where she couldn't see them. Werz was suddenly kicking herself for not taking the blade from the desk. "We're hunting for him, just as you. Certainly we could work together to bring this criminal to justice." The weasel had a smile but his tone was wavering.

"Nonsense, you're working for him!" she cried. "Give me his files and maybe I'll let you live!"

"You are mistaken," said the robbed male. "We work for the crown and no one else. Petty criminals are below us." His voice was calm, if strained. The kind of voice someone had if they had been stabbed several times and hadn't decided it was time to die. Werz was familiar with voices like those. She despised them. "We're not giving you a thing," he continued. "You will disarm yourself and surrender."

"Never," said Werz as she pressed her blade against the mystery's neck. Not hard enough to slice it open, but certainly enough to draw some blood.

"Mipalar, be careful," said Sloj. "Optan won't be happy to find you've died in my office. Not after what happened with her first second."

Werz's mind began to turn. But not fast enough. She knew there was something important about her hostage.

"I don't know, I don't think this lady can kill what is already pretty much dead," said the mystery, Mipalar.

He reached up and grabbed her paw. But instead of seek to pull the blade away, he held it to his neck firmly. And he began to turn, making sure she was able to slide the weapon across his throat at any time she desired. Mipalar's face came into view.

He was a squirrel. Gray, but only because of what he was, not his age, which seemed rather young. But these details were lost on the raccoon as she saw what was not quite right with him. At his cheek, his fur ended. Then the skin below. Then the muscle. And the upper part of his cheek was nothing but exposed bone. And it continued up from there. All around his eye his skull had been stripped clean. His eye was missing too, leaving a dark void for which Werz could not see the back. The exposure of bone continued up beyond this point, almost all the way to his ear. The raccoon's tail poofed out, her eyes went wide.

"Miss," said Mipalar. "Perhaps its time to take this blade away from my neck."

"I... No," she said before pulling the blade across his throat. Once it was clear what she was doing, Mipalar tried to halt her movements. He did slow them. But he was weak. Blood ran from the gash in his neck, unlike the edges of his stripped skull. Living blood drained from his neck and he gasped. Some sprayed, landing on Werz's face and shoulders. Sloj went for his knife.

Werz pulled back and pulled her knife hand from Mipalar's grasp. Mipalar gasped and reached for his neck, hoping to hold the wound shut.

"You're not dead at all," she said. "You are but... twisted, like your boss." Mipalar fell to his knees. "You'll die soon. You'll be out of your misery."

Sloj leaped over the desk. "You!" he yelled before thrusting the blade at the raccoon. Werz slid out of the way of the knife easily. Her own blood covered blade went to the out stretched arm and sliced along the inside of the elbow, cutting his shirt, fur, and skin. He yelped and dropped his weapon. Hers was soon at his throat.

"You," he said again. "You... were, the one who claimed to be Tep's... A liar..."

"Liar, most certainly. I lie all the time. I lie to everyone I can," she said as she barred her teeth at him. "Its a passion. I lie well. I lie terribly. I lie to get friends. I lie to end enemies. And right now I have some friends who need to end an enemy. Wex's file, where is it?"

Mipalar slumped to the floor. The scattered papers there were soon soaked with blood.

"Its... its there," said the weasel as he gave a nod to a box on the floor. "That's my, uh, active file. You... know... if you're working for Wex, I can, I can simply end the investigation. He's dead, as some have claimed. Easy as that. No need to look for a dead crime lord. And those rumors about him boiling children, just rumors. And the sinking of the Windswept? They, uh, must have had a fire in the powder. Set by someone looking to find a camber pot at night. Dropped their lamp. I swear we'll not look for him, please don't kill me."

Werz sighed. "And the ring we gave you, where is it?"

"The ring, yes, gave it to Optan. Wanted it for something," Sloj blurted, then paused, taking a gulp. "Something political I think. If you need something to sell, why bother, I have money. I can give you money."

Werz grinned. "Why would I want money? I can't pay my debt with silver."

"Wha... what can I offer you? I mean, that knife is pretty sharp and all and I really don't want to die today."

"Why does the queen want Otsi and Eca dead? The real reason."

The weasel's expression began to change from fear to comprehension. "So you're not just opportunist, a hired goon for Wex. You do work for them, the dragons... I see. Well, since its either I tell you or I die, the real reason is that she feared Otsi. And she still fears her son. He's, hard to control. And he seems to have thought that Otsi was on his side, bragged about it sometimes. And as he had already tried to have the queen killed a few times, well, she was certain that..."

"Lies. Remember, I'm good at lies, I can spot them easily," said Werz coldly.

"Ok, that's the official story, but its partially true. She fears her son. Otsi... I don't know or care if he's with him. The queen suspected but I think is unsure. Optan, well... seems alright with using that suspicion. Playing it up. Got me this office. And uh, I've worked for Optan for a while. Maybe, maybe Optan simply wanted me here?"

"An idiot like you? Please, try again!"

Sloj's trousers were getting quite damp. "Idiots are useful, I'm no idiot, but I can play one if asked."

"That is true," spat Werz. "You know what I see though. I see someone who's working with the people who want my lady and her beloved dead. Tell me why I should let you live. What you've told me so far is simply to get the opportunity to tell me that."

"I can... I will help you. I'll uh, arrange a meeting between you and Optan. And you can, well, do what you're doing now to Optan."

Werz began to ponder his offer. "Anything else?" she asked. "I mean, is that it? I could leave here and let you plot and do your thing and set a trap for me. Insurances. I need them."

"Well, Mipalar there is dead... right? Optan will need to anoint a new successor. I don't know where they go to do it, but they do leave the city. I could tip you off for when they leave. Then you follow and hit them where ever you like. Can't set a trap on the road. Optan doesn't like people knowing where they go to do it either. Tradition and all. Just Optan and the chosen. No guards or followers from the crown. An easy game for you, right?"

Werz nodded. "True. But, I kind of knew that already. I have talked to Otsi extensively about Optan the last few weeks."

"He's alive isn't he? The dragon?" The weasel smirked. Having a blade to his neck couldn't keep him from being amused by his discovery.

The raccoon chuckled. "Yep. Unlike you." Her blade pressed into his neck.

---

Otsi sat up. The sun had just set. And yet the window of his office looked as though it was as brightly illuminated as ever. The wavering of the light however made it clear that this light was due to the burning from within.

---

"Dolf, I think you need to rest," insisted Eca. "And since you won't tell me that you're exhausted, I guess I simply have to sit here and wait for you to tell me you're exhausted, or else to cease being exhausted.

"The sun may be down but we can still get to the edge of the woods before camping," replied the bear.

"I didn't say camping."

Dolf looked to the dragon. He wanted to grin and chuckle, but he did not think it right. "Fine, I'm exhausted."

"That wasn't so hard. A few minutes won't hurt, have a sit," said Eca as she patted the spot on the boulder beside her. "You might think it strange," she said as the bear slid onto the boulder. "That I am somehow chipper at this point in time. I mean, seems the love of my life is dead, everyone wants me dead, and we're still three days from the coast. Not to mention everything that happened leading up to these revelations and more recent events."

"The confusion has entered my mind," replied Dolf.

"Well, in some ways, in a very perverse sense, this is perhaps been the best time of my life these past few weeks. Now bear with me now. I don't mean that its been the best in terms of what has happened. Its... well... Do you know how old I am?"

Dolf shrugged. "I think you've told me before."

"If I had I may very well have been wrong. Estimate... around three hundred. When I was hatched your ancestors were speaking in ways that you'd barely be able to understand. You notice things like how language changes like that when you live this long."

"Forgive me for wanting to hear a point."

Eca sighed. "You're still angry at me."

"Naturally. But I'll live. Please, tell me why you've caused us to have to pause and talk about how cheerful tragedy is."

"Because, in someways, this has been the most interesting few weeks of my life. Yes, there's been politics and the like with intrigues and, well, really stupid things going on, for pretty much my entire life. But yet, those things tend to run on the long term. I've never been hunted before. And though some in my family have been murdered, none on the order of the crown."

"I'm still not seeing it," grumbled the bear.

"What I'm trying to explain is, when you are cursed with long life, everything becomes routine. After the first century things... don't hurt as much. After the second, you begin to crave the pain. And at the third... well, I guess you get a need for it. As well as the wisdom to know that if you die, then it doesn't matter, and if you live, you have something to think back on as the years begin to quietly roll away once more. A spark of, something."

"Why not come down from the mountains. Dragons don't need to live up there you know."

"Paranoia. Keeps us separate. Keeps us safe. People don't fear us if we stay up there most the time. Usually when a dragon family or clan is on the outs, people either ignore them, keep them from coming down the mountains, and eventually they either apologize or surrender or starve or leave the kingdom. If they need to be dealt with in a more active sense, because they have too much power or too much land out of the cold places, people get other dragons to deal with them. And even then, its a show of force that provides the incentive to shape up. Few die these days over such matters. We play it safe to prevent mass slaughter of our own kind. Always safe. Always secure."

The dragon laid back on her boulder, stretching her wings out.

"Risk, tragedy, danger. We are taught to avoid these things. There are few of us. To lose any diminishes our number more than any other people. An ethos, grown from the ancient days gives us the motivation to act like this. The oldest that still remain awake speak in a tongue I can barely understand, but I do hear their stories. They tell us of when there were many more of us. And how we took risks. Went to war often. Died by the thousands. These are the times well before the kingdom. The only ones that survived long enough to have families were the ones that thought such things were foolish, or knew how to send the fools off to war instead of themselves. We may have teeth. We may fire lightning from those teeth. But we know that if we put our necks out, they get chopped off. If dragons died by the thousands today, there'd be none left. I have a feeling there might not be enough to even have thousands in the plural.

"But Dolf, the fires that burned within them then, the fools who warred and raged, I have them. It hurts to lose Otsi. But I want revenge. And that fire, it feels good. Not just because of the satisfaction it will bring to end everyone who has been unjust to us, but, yes, the feeling itself is exciting. It is different and new to me. I love this feeling and it makes life... makes my life worth living. I will destroy them all. Even if it takes me another three hundred years. But it will take risks. And I find those risks alluring."

Dolf had noticed she was grinning.

"Dolf, you don't have to stay with me on this path. I'll be throwing everything away in the end. No more playing it safe. No more following the rules if those rules don't help the plan. Risks can bring rewards after all."

The bear nodded. He was looking away so she couldn't see the pain in his face.

She sat up again. "Dolf, before I die, there will not be a kingdom any more. This way of life is unsustainable. The slow grind and what it has brought, will kill us all. Me, you, the other dragons, all the bears, everyone."

"You do realize, without a kingdom, you might not be someone with a title, or a head."

"I just gotta keep my head on long enough to see that day. Come on, I think that's enough rest for now."

---

"Werz, thank you so much," said Wex as he took the folder. He opened it up and began thumbing through the pages. The beaver's small eyes inspected each page quickly. "Didn't realize they had figure out some of this, let Otsi know... well, never mind I guess he already knows my compliments."

Wex smiled as Otsi slowly entered. "I'll leave you two be. Debt is paid. You may stay a while longer, I don't mind. Else when you leave, shut the doors and put out all the candles." Wex shuffled off back to his study.

The dragon crossed his arms. "You have blood on your whiskers," he said flatly.

"I was recognized. Sloj," replied the raccoon as she wiggled her whiskers trying to get a look at them. "He told me Optan has the ring."

"And you set the building on fire."

"Just the office. To, you know, cover up what happened and to insure there were no more copies of Wexy's dossier there."

The dragon shook his head. "So you killed him. And maybe someone else. Maybe several others. The fire is still going. If I wouldn't be executed I'd be out there looking to help fight this inferno of yours."

Werz was about to say something but stopped herself, leaving her mouth open for a few moments. "There was a complication. Sloj and someone named Mipalar found me. I had to leave their bodies there, and to cover it up I set the fire. Sloj had made a mess of your office, I think. The fire was easy to set and I didn't have much time. Certainly not enough to hide the bodies and to sanitize all the papers."

"You killed them. And now others may be dead too. For Wex? For me? I don't want you killing people in my name."

"Really? Then why am I here?" The raccoon reached into her back and pulled out the broken piece of horn. She tossed it at the dragon who caught it.

"Because I need you to help me get to the bottom of this."

"You idiot," said Werz as she headed for the stairs up. "Let me know when you've grown up."

"Excuse me? Grown up? I'm no child."

"Perhaps not, but you think like one," she said as she climbed. "If your'e going to get your lives back, the body count will need to rise."

"Body count?" Otsi went to the first step. "I'm not going to engage in a murder spree just to save my own scales!"

"Then why are you here?" she called back.

"Eca," he said before turning and slumping down on the steps. He huffed and scrunched his face up. He extended his wing and looked at it and some of the scars that were still fresh.

"Speaking of," came Wex's voice from the other room. "I heard that she got married to some fool named Carn, then shot out of the sky."

Otsi jumped up and marched to Wex. "What?"

Wex was still reading through the papers as he sat by the fire, occasionally throwing a page in to the fireplace to burn, sometimes setting them aside.

"A marriage for sanctuary. Supposedly didn't work out so well as the queens soldiers showed up and made a mess of things. Rumor of course. Some say the wedding went through before they showed up, others say the reverse. Uncertain if she survived."

Wex looked at the dragon's eyes. He could see the reflection of the flames in his eyes. He smiled.

"Maybe your reasoning for being here isn't as sound any more. This Eca, was your elder by many a year yes?"

"A couple centuries, I think."

The beaver nodded. "You know older dragons. Cautious, interested in protecting themselves. Maybe she was simply wishing to do that. I know you love her, but, my friend, do you..."

"Don't finish that sentence if you value your life."

The beaver continued to smile at the dragon.

"Fine, I won't finish it," said Wex. "Its not my business to cause you more grief. But if you need advice, I'll happily give. Life moves quicker out of the mountains, you should have learned that by now. And sometimes, well, other dragons move faster too. When they feel they need to."