Beatrice let herself in just before dawn. She paused when she saw a blue lizard resting

on the dining room table. Jack sat at the table, head propped up on a hand. He snored

slightly. She could sneak by and get to her room without problems.

She started toward the door to her shared rooms with the other girls.

“Don’t move, evil doer,” said the lizard. “I will bite your face off.”

“Hello, Bea,” said Jack. “Long night?”

“Were you waiting on me?,” asked Beatrice. She turned to face the lizard glaring at

her. Flame licked around its maw. Jack still had his head on his hand, not moving.

“I must have fallen asleep while we were talking,” said Jack. “This is Aviras. I think

we were talking about Star Wars.”

“We were talking about the different systems in fictional settings where the so-called

sailing ships used different dimensional arrays to circumvent the light barrier and how

we could use that here with my knowledge of dimensions, and your ability to call on

magic,” said Aviras.

“Exactly,” said Jack. “Did we get into anything specific?”

“We were talking about something called Spelljammer when you passed out,” said

Aviras.

“I don’t know what any of that means,” said Bea. She decided to sit down at the table.

It was obvious she had to be polite for a few minutes and get Jack to leave the table

with his strange companion.

“We’re trying to make the quinjet fast enough to reach the moon of the outer planet

of this solar system if it is a solar system without spending months in travel time,”

said Jack.

“If it is a solar system,” said Aviras. “Which we don’t know, because no one has

flown above the sky to have a look.”

“I could fly up there,” said Jack. “But I don’t know if any persona I picked would

survive if there wasn’t any air.”

“That sounds crazy,” said Beatrice.

“What about you and Todd?,” said Jack.

“I have not met this Todd,” said Aviras. “Is he one of us?”

“He’s an auxiliary that is mating with Bea,” said Jack. He didn’t move. His eyes

remained closed.

“Really?,” said Bea.

“Aviras is a dragon,” said Jack. “I don’t think he cares that much about you mating

with Todd.”

“I do not,” said Aviras. He flapped his wings slightly.

“I need to ask you something,” said Beatrice. She placed her boots on the floor and

leaned on the table with her elbows. “And I need you to be serious in your answer.”

“You have come to the wrong human for that, female,” said Aviras.

“Go ahead,” said Jack. “I’ll at least listen before saying anything.”

“Todd has asked me to go on an expedition with him, and some adventurers,” said

Beatrice. “He wants to be close without everyone else around.”

“Didn’t he say he didn’t have a lot of experience?,” said Jack.

“The party is going to have a core of experienced adventurers and some amateurs like

Todd to help out,” said Beatrice. “We’re heading west across the plains to a hold they

want searched.”

“Who’s they?,” asked Jack.

“Todd said the expedition had a sponsor and had asked for adventurers to search for

some kind of treasure that they think is there at the hold,” said Beatrice. “He said

there’s no way there’s anything there, but it will get him experience to be an

adventurer and start his own group later.”

“What do you think?,” said Jack. He still hadn’t moved. She couldn’t tell what he was

thinking.

“I want to get out and see if he is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with,”

said Beatrice. “If it is, I would like to go with him, and help out.”

“You want to give him a chance?,” said Jack.

“Yes,” said Beatrice.

“I will ask Elaine to get you some gear,” said Jack. “I’ll need to get you a blade you

can use even though you’re not great with your lessons. Jo will get you an emergency

letter. Put it in your boot.”

“Why my boot?,” said Beatrice.

“If you lose everything but your clothes and boots, you will still be able to call for

help,” said Jack. “It might take us a few minutes to get to you, but we will get there.

Don’t tell anyone about this. No one knows how dangerous things will be, they won’t

be careful if they think Jo will show up to save the day. That could get someone

killed.”

“I understand,” said Beatrice. “Todd?”

“It could get him killed the most,” said Jack. “Just tell him that you guys are on your

own, but Jo will be keeping an eye on things from here.”

“All right,” said Beatrice. “I thought you would forbid it.”

“What you are talking about doing has a lot of unknown factors,” said Jack. He

opened his eyes. “The com bands will reach back to the city for miles, say three days

travel on horse. Anything after that, you will have to use the letter if you get into

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trouble. Things might go as smooth as Todd thinks. Things might be more

complicated that what Todd told you. There might be problems down the road that

we can’t foresee like monster and bandit attacks on your group. You’re old enough

to go with supervision, but I don’t trust anyone I haven’t seen in action. So that’s

already a strike against this. And I don’t think Todd has an idea of what is bound to

happen when you are in the wilderness with no help at hand. The only thing that

would make me happy is if I was going along with you to make sure neither you or

Todd was wrecked. Jo will let you go, but she will worry.”

“She will also be obviously enraged if something happens to you,” said Aviras. Jack

looked down at the dragon. He made a face of agreement.

“Aviras is right,” said Jack. “If something happens to you because of this expedition,

there will be a lot of dead people left in her wake.”

Beatrice sat back in her chair. Josie and Jack had helped Jane set up her charity on the

backs of dead people. She knew that Josie was not going to have that much mercy for

anyone that hurt her ducklings.

“So you’ll talk to Josie for me?,” said Beatrice.

Man and beast looked at each other and started laughing. Then they both said No at

the same time.

“I think as the first step into womanhood,” said Jack. “You should talk to Josie and

tell her that you want to fly on your own without our wings as protection.”

“Really?,” said Beatrice.

“If you want to go, you have to make a case for yourself,” said Jack. “I did when I

joined the Army. Jo did when she joined her band.”

“Standing against your progenitor is the first step to creating your own bloodline,”

said Aviras. “I, myself, had to claw my way to control of my own territory against my

brothers.”

“I can do it,” said Beatrice.

“Don’t let her give you cancer,” said Aviras.

“What?,” said Beatrice.

“Wasting disease,” said Jack. “Jo would never do that.”

“She wouldn’t?,” said Aviras.

“Too slow,” said Jack. “She likes fast moving slugs that punch holes through her

targets. Cancer takes years of pain and agony. She doesn’t have the patience for that.

She would rather drop the hammer down in a second and move on to the next guy

who needs a hole in his head.”

“I’m glad to know that now,” said Aviras. “I thought for a bit that she would just put

something inside of me that would eat me alive. I feel a lot better knowing that she

will crack my skull open like a melon instead.”

“You won’t see the slug unless she misses,” said Jack. “Get some sleep, Bea. I will

not say anything about you staying out all night and being touchy-feelie with Todd.

Neither will my accomplice. If you get to go, Elaine and I will outfit you. I will make

sure Jo gives you one of her emergency letters.”

“I am an accomplice now,” said Aviras. “I don’t think I like that.”

“We’re united in not letting Josie know something that will get us hurt,” said Jack.

“We’re confederates in an ongoing act. Loose lips sink ships, and snitches get

stitches.”

“I will lay down and try to take a nap,” said Beatrice. “Thank you.”

“Remember you’re not alone,” said Jack. “We’re all in this together.”

“Everyone matters, or no one matters,” said Aviras.

“Exactly,” said Jack. “Get ready to go. I will cook some breakfast later for us before

you girls have to hit the sticks.”

Beatrice went to her room, boots in hand. She looked back over her shoulder. The

lizard watched her with one eye. Jack sat in his chair, slumped as if he had already

gone back to sleep. She stepped inside and closed the door.

Aviras looked up at Jack. The champion of order sat with his eyes closed, but he

wasn’t asleep. He seemed to be contemplating things in silence.

The dragon was not used to this. Jack liked to talk. He thought about things and said

what he thought. He didn’t sit in silence if he didn’t have to.

“Is there a problem?,” said Aviras.

“Not really,” said Jack. He stood and stretched. “It’s just a lack of information. I don’t

want to stand in Bea’s way, but something is off about this.”

He started to the kitchen. Maybe a cup of coffee and some apple pie would help him

out. He certainly didn’t want to send Bea out in the wilderness with some green pup

and some strangers.

Aviras glided from the table top and followed. He missed having real flight. He didn’t

have the resources for it now. He was just too heavy.

“I don’t understand,” the dragon said. He stepped inside the kitchen. “I need a hand

up if you want to talk eye to eye.”

“I can give you something to help fly if you want,” said Jack.

“That would be nice, but let’s stick with the problem ahead and why you don’t like

it,” said Aviras.

Jack hunkered down and extended a hand. He waited for the dragon to get on the

hand and lifted him to the table top. He put down a bowl for himself and a small

saucer for his companion. He put two different values of pie and ice cream on the

dishes. He whipped up a cup of coffee and put that down next to his bowl.

“Let me get you some water,” said Jack. He pulled out a smaller bowl and put some

water in it. He put that down next to the saucer.

“It’s nice that Bea has found a boy, but it’s sudden unless she knew him before she

met us,” said Jack. “We’ve only been on the job a week, maybe two. She started

taking lessons in that time, and then found a boyfriend in a shorter time than that, and

he wants to take her on a dangerous expedition that he shouldn’t be on at all.”

“So the obvious question is why is he on this expedition?,” asked Aviras. He licked

the ice cream. “This is good.”

“And Bea doesn’t have an adventurer license at all,” said Jack. “The only reason she

is down at the hall taking lessons from Harp is Josie blackmailed the manager into

giving the girls a sword instructor. Why would she be considered an asset? And she

has been a city rat all her life from the few times she has said anything about it. That’s

another strike there.”

“You are saying something is wrong with this picture, but you know you can’t stop

Beatrice from going,” said Aviras.

“I think that I am,” said Jack. He nodded as he dug in. “We’ve made some enemies

in the seven days we have been operating. This could be something where they take

Bea because of what we did.”

“Or it might be because of Beatrice’s romance with Todd,” said Aviras. “You’re right.

You don’t have enough information.”

“And I don’t trust Todd,” said Jack.

“No one ever trusts the boy in the relationship,” said Aviras.

“I just don’t trust him because of the rampant corruption we have found here,” said

Jack. “He might not be part of it, but if he is, his romancing Bea can’t be good.”

They ate in silence. Jack frowned as he looked at the door. He seemed to be seeing

some other vista.

Aviras took his time with the ice cream and pie. He thought that maybe he had lucked

out not seeing this version of Jack in the Dire Woods.

“I am going to give Bea her gift without telling her,” said Jack. “Maybe it will keep

her out of trouble. Maybe it won’t. If she makes the case for going, and goes, I don’t

want anything to happen to her because of Todd.”

“If Todd does betray her, it will be bad,” said Aviras. “Are you ready for that?”

“Not really,” said Jack. “I want her to do well without us. I just don’t trust Todd to

be that helper she needs.”

“I could eat his face,” said Aviras. “It would be a warning to your enemies.”

“I’m saving that for later,” said Jack. “Are you having problems flying?”

“Yes,” said Aviras. “My wings won’t carry me in this weak air.”

“Which is my fault,” said Jack. He grinned at his tiny companion.

“Yes, it is,” said the dragon. “I am glad that you agree with me.”

“I’m working on something for Laura,” said Jack. “Do you want a prototype to help

with your flying?”

“Prototype?,” said Aviras.

“Yes,” said Jack. “She said she wanted to be able to fly under her own power. I think

I have the principle worked out. Do you want to try the early part out to see if it

works?”

“And you think this will help me fly like I used to do?,” said the dragon.

“Yep,” said Jack. “I would like to see if it works before I give it to Laura.”

“What happens if it doesn’t work like you think?,” said Aviras.

“Worse case?,” said Jack.

“Yes,” said the dragon. He flapped his wings slightly.

“You turn into a rocket and get to see the planet from orbit,” said Jack.

“Let’s try this on,” said Aviras. “It doesn’t seem as bad as life is now.”

“Okay,” said Jack.