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CHAPTER 7
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"I'm taking two more!" shouted Siophra. "Put them on my tab!"
Siophra was riding Tundor in a slowly descending circle over the dairy.
"Sure, no problem!" Ronni yelled back from near the barn. She turned and walked up to a large blackboard and made another two lines by Tundor's name, which was written there along with other local dragons. The number of marks next to Tundor’s name was quite long. Siophra was happy to see Cenderick step out of the barn and wave to them as they passed low overhead. Cenderick had survived the terrible things that had happened to Delora, and become a real local hero. Siophra suspected that, like most heroes, he hoped he wouldn't be soon called on again. Things at the dairy were getting back to normal. As she watched, Cenderick hefted a bale of hay into the feeding bins as the cows pushed and shoved each other to be first to the trough. He certainly had nice arm muscles. A brief twinge of 'What if' regret slipped in before she reminded herself of that she was much more interested in Cantrell.
Back outside, Tundor lined up his angle and dropped low over the cows, snatching two up. He had one in each claw. At his size, carrying both of the animals wasn't a problem. Somehow the docile animals almost seemed resigned to their fate and didn't struggle much.
"That recent delivery of new cows from Dween sure helped," said Siophra. "Ronni even said that she got a fair price from that old scoundrel McDonald. I wonder why he suddenly seemed so willing to sell us more cows?"
"I still think paying for cows is a waste of money, Siophra. I am fully capable of catching my own dinner and providing for my family. without resorting to this." said Tundor with disdain. "I CAN hunt!"
"It's the time required, Tundor," said Siophra, not unkindly. "The deer, at least the bigger ones, are further and further out. It would take you hours to bring a couple back, and remember; deer provide less usable meat than cows."
"The kids like the taste of cow better, too," said Tundor. "I think the meat is a little more fatty. These cows," He shook his huge front claws and jostled the very unhappy bovine. "at least got some exercise in that cattle drive getting them down here!"
About halfway to Ronni's cabin, Tundor saw the flash of blue and red wings in flight. It could only be Candasar and Firestorm. They were flying straight at him. Tundor made a quick turn and flew a path to intercept.
"I BROUGHT YOU SOME COWS!" Tundor bellowed through the wind.
”WE ARE GOING TO ARDWYNN’S HOUSE TO LOOK AT DRESSES!” Yelled back Firestorm. “BRING THE COWS AND FOLLOW US! THEN SIOPHRA CAN TRY ON DRESSES TOO!”
”Oh, that sounds like fun, Tundor! Can we? Please say yes!” Siophra begged through the bond.
”But I brought these cows for the Kids and Esmarilla.” Tundor whined.
“There are enough weasels around for them to get by, at least for this afternoon. Come on! You never let me go anywhere fun!” teased Siophra.
Tundor sighed In resignation. Siophra did deserve a chance to get some new clothes. She had lately been very jealous of the dragon's ability to create nice clothes when they shape-shifted.
"Ardwynn is going to be there," he said. "You know she hasn't said two words to me."
"What two words do you want to hear?" Siophra asked knowingly.
"I'm sorry would be a good start." he huffed. "I'm not going to go all Mo-Rung on her, but I think she owes me that much."
"I'm sure she's dying to tell you that, Tundor."
"Yeah. That's what I heard," he said.
”Hey, Siophra,” Tundor suddenly asked. “How much do we actually owe on our tab? Are cows expensive?”
”Don't even worry about it, Tundor. I’ve got it covered.” She said.
Tundor suddenly had a mental image of a huge white building with thick marble columns. Siophra was calling it a bank. As the information continued to flow, he realized that it was a place to keep elven currency.
”How do you even have money in a bank? Weren’t you locked up in Argent’s jail for hundreds of years?”
”I was not in prison for the first part of my life. I put money in the bank before I was arrested. ‘
“But how will they even know who you are at this point?
"Elven banks are pretty good." Said Siophra. "All I need is a thumbprint to withdraw my funds."
"I don't have a thumbprint." Said Tundor.
"You don't have a bank account either, Tundor. But I can add you to mine. Getting you a thumbprint is going to be a problem only your daughter Zinariya can help you solve."
”I was thinking I would have to wait for Marg to come back, but then…..she didn’t. Now I’m a bit concerned that Lothinar’s words to her might have caused a rift.” Said the very large white dragon. He pulled up suddenly just before landing in Ardwynn’s yard so that, as he touched down, his rear legs took the impact. That allowed his front claws to continue gently holding the cows and not drive them into the ground. Then, paradoxically, he reached down with his jaws and immediately snapped both of their necks.
“I can’t have them trying to run off!” He said to Candasar. “Cows are expensive! I’m starting to think we might need to cut back and only eat them on special occasions.”
”Going shopping for new dresses sounds like enough of a reason for me.” Said Siophra, hopping down and giving him a wink. “I told you not to worry about finances. As long as the bank still has a copy of my thumbprint on file, we are incredibly rich.”
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After Zinariya's confession about Cantrell, Ardwynn had been relieved to learn that her husband Lothinar would not be forced to deal with yet another female’s unrequited attention. But it somehow bothered her that the young dragon was admitting to having an interest in her old warden leader.
“But Cantrell is married, Zinariya!” Ardwynn protested. “You shouldn't be trying for someone else's husband!” Then she suddenly endured a strangely hurt look from Michelle.
“Back on the island, you sounded like you might be willing to forego traditional monogamy.” The human girl said tentatively.
”I suppose that was because your falling in love with Lothinar was not something you had any control over.” Replied Ardwynn sympathetically. “He was the drug you were addicted to. Unless you are bonded to a dragon, there is no cure for Lothinar.”
”I thought it was my tenacity that won you over.” Protested ‘Michelle.
Zinariya was listening with a fascinated expression.
Ardwynn continued. ”I had to finally admit you weren’t going to take ’no’ for an answer. Then, when you became entwined with Vanquish, things, of course, changed, especially for Lothinar. She….You were Candasar’s friend and mentor. I knew, for Candasar’s sake, he would never abandon you. Then there was the possibility you could make it work with Vanador.
“Well, my getting back together with Vanador is no longer a possibility.” Said Michelle. “That ship has sailed. But don’t worry. I’ll soon be back in my homeland, instructing young dragons on our history and culture. That’s the deal I made with Marg. I expect she will hold me to it. I think Lothinar needed some time to get used to the idea of another woman in his bed. You are lucky he is so loyal to you.
“Lothinar honors his commitments. I know he has made one with you, Michelle.”Ardwynn forced a smile. “When he thinks the time is right to include you in our lives, in that way, I won’t object.”
”You mentioned drugs earlier,” said the young dragon. “You suggested that someone unscrupulous might give drugs to me, as an elf, to make me compliant to mating. I’m assuming that means these 'drugs' would overcome my free will or choice. Are you saying that Lothinar gave you a drug Michelle?”
”They aren’t actually drugs, and he didn’t just give them to her. At least not deliberately.” Said Ardwynn. “Lothinar’s pheromones are part of who he is. Both Michelle and I came into contact with them at different times and under very different circumstances. If we hadn’t, neither of us would likely be here today. We would have ended up living vastly different lives.
“I would still be in Silvantra with my phony friends going to fancy parties. My father would still be trying to marry me off for the maximum political gain.” Said Michelle. “He might have already succeeded. He had sent me to that party where I met Lothinar to debutant me. I would have thought of Lothinar as only an interesting elven dignitary who happened to be a very good dancer. Getting involved with him romantically would have been out of the question.
Zinariya had the very clear impression that it was the human part of ‘Michelle' that was responsible for these feelings.
“And I would probably have been killed with the rest of my family, fighting to subjugate the dragons.” Said Ardwynn. Their plans for me were unexpectedly circumvented when Lothinar’s pheromones made me more loyal to him than to Argent’s wishes. As a result of a dragon bothering to help me, the misery, anger, and frustration of my childhood under Argent’s influences have been expunged. The Ardwynn I am, can’t imagine living in a world where I would have to go back to that. I have born Lothinar’s child and been reborn myself into a better life.
”Sitting here, trying on your dead mother’s dresses, must feel very strange.” Said Michelle.
“We were never close. Her death leaves me unmoved." Ardwynn said. “But surprisingly, I do have some remorse about the way things turned out with my father.” She swallowed. “Mom chose evil actions because they gained her favor and power. With my father, it was more of a mental illness. A compulsion. The curse of Argent’s taint that he also shared as his birthright.”
“That sounds more like a ‘birth defect’. Said Zinariya, her eyes narrowing.
“It was a genetic anomaly.” Said Michelle. “That’s why purging it was so difficult and invasive.”
”Thank you for trying to cure me and not just taking the easy way out and killing me.” Said Ardwynn.
”Destroying you and your son would have filled Lothinar with indescribable grief.” Said Michelle. “As Vanquish, I understood that and knew that it would break him. He might not have survived it. Dragon kind needs him.”
"So, these drugs of Lothinar’s are a good thing?" asked Zinariya. "I should probably ask him for some."
"NO!" they both shouted almost at once. Then Ardwynn laughed nervously.
"I suppose this is somewhat like us telling her, 'What's good for the goose isn't good for the gander," she said reluctantly.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"They wouldn't work on her anyway," said Michelle. "Lothinar's pheromones are just a byproduct of the physiology that makes him so magically powerful. I'm sure Zinariya can feel that. Most dragons probably can. Why do you think Marg came sniffing around?”
Michelle completely missed Ardwynn’s widening eyes and rapidly shaking head. But Zinariya didn’t.
When Zinariya didn’t react with curiosity at Marg's name, Ardwynn’s eyes narrowed.
”I think you forgot that we weren’t supposed to mention Marg’s existence to Zinariya, Michelle. Ardwynn squawked. "Lothinar specifically asked us to keep her existence a secret. Especially from her."
”Don’t kid yourself. I suspect that Zinariya already knows all about the other Golden Dragon.” Said Michelle unapologetically. “Constance and Vigilant probably told her right away.”
Ardwynn looked at Zinariya, who didn’t bother to deny it. Instead, the golden-eyed girl looked straight back at her.
"I certainly can feel Lothinar's power. It's somewhat intoxicating, actually. But I don't feel romantically interested. I just wanted to bond with him. As most dragons probably would. My mother, though, refused to even discuss it."
“I don't suppose I would have any strong objections to that." Said Ardwynn."
"It's never going to happen," said Zinariya. "My mother would never allow it."
Ardwynn cleared her throat. “Let me be clear about something else, Zinariya before we get too far off the topic. Although there are male elves that might be sneaky enough to try and drug you for sex. Some will behave like dragons and will just try to physically take what they want. You should always be prepared for that. Especially when your elf form is as beautiful as yours is."
”Well, then they will be in for a big surprise.” Said Zinariya. ”But you are not painting a very nice picture of males in general.”
”There are, of course, many good ones. But you need to know the harsh realities of being female, in either form, in the world we live in.” Said Ardwynn.
“Cantrell wasn’t like that. At all.” Said Zinariya. “I spent quite a lot of time with him as I was entwined with the bodies of both Siophra and Ardwella. I found him to be quite loyal to Mavis, even when Ardwella practically threw herself at him.”
”She did? “That just doesn’t make any sense.” Said Ardwynn. She loved Albarad, at least at some point.”
”You would have to ask her about that," said Zinariya. "And probably, you should. As Lothinar’s wife, you have the clout to do that. My only guess is that it might have had something to do with the assassinations she was doing. Siophra was much more reluctant to kill. She refused to participate in it.
”You said that your interest in Cantrell started when you shared their bodies and that they both admire him. I guess the granddaughters of Lothinex have a type. Cantrell somehow has captured their interest."
"They were both substantially more than interested," confessed Zinariya.
"The problem with that," said Ardwynn, is he is married to the functioning Empress. I don't know why Ardwella would get caught up in something like that but it would be wise for Siophra to look elsewhere for a romantic connection. Making Mavis jealous could be dangerous. That goes for you, too, as well, young dragon.
Zinariya paused and looked at the both of them. “I’ll keep that in mind. Cantrell sent me away very quickly last time. I’ll probably have very little reason to see him again.”
”Why don’t you try learning to be a young dragon before falling in love with elves? It has to be very confusing for you.” Suggested Michelle. I’m still trying to make adjustments, and I’ve seen a lot more years than you have.”
“That sounds like something my mother would say, but I’ll try not to hold it against you. I wish I could talk to my mother this way. All she seems to want to do is yell at me.” Zinariya said.
Suddenly there were the sounds of dragons landing in the yard. They could hear Candasar’s voice yelling, even from outside.
”Zinariya! Where are you? You are in so much trouble!” There was also some pitiful mooing that was abruptly silenced.
”See what I mean?” Asked Zinariya, rolling her eyes.
Ardwynn went to the window and looked out. “Lothinar’s entourage is here." She said. “Siophra and Tundor too. And it looks like they brought dinner. And just in time. I’m starved.”
“Have you spoken with Tundor since you’ve been back?” Asked Michelle. “I had better stay close by your side to address any concerns he may have about the changes in your demeanor.”
”Do you think he actually might still be angry at me?” Asked Ardwynn.
”You mentally controlled him and almost made him kill Mavis, then you tried to make him bond with Argent. If he’s not angry, then he’s a more forgiving dragon than I ever was.” Said Michelle.
Ardwynn winced and then looked into Michelle’s eyes. ”This might be dangerous. You go first.”
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When Emerald had grown hungry she had told the handsome father elf that she needed to fish. He looked at her awkwardly.
"We have been feeding Night-Sky and Snow with beef that is delivered from the human town," he said.
"Your dragons eat dead things?" she asked with disgust. "Are they carrion feeders?"
"Not at all!" he protested. "The meat is very fresh. It's just that an entire cow is too much for them, at least at their size. I can order an additional amount so that you don't have to go down to the lake. At least every day."
"Fish are fine for me." said the green dragon. "I will go now." She suddenly stopped. "Do you wish me to bring you something back?" The lake trout are pretty fat right now. A recent hatch of mayflies has ensured they have fed well."
Albarad knew some elves that ate fish, but it wasn't for him.
"No, thank you, but I'll keep that in mind. I'll watch Mandel while you are gone."
"Thank you, father elf," she said, bowing her head slightly toward him.
She started out of the barn but was stopped by the yells of Mandel, who rushed out wide-eyed after her.
"Take me with you!" he insisted.
"Stay here with your father," Emerald said. "I am going to fly to the place where my tribe lives. The nets that we use to catch fish take at least several of us to use."
"Where did you get the nets?" asked Albarad with interest.
"Some of the townsmen gave them to us." she suddenly looked embarrassed. "They mistakenly somehow think that we are their gods," she whispered.
Albarad thought of the recently burned-down dragon temple. Generations of humans had paid homage to the dragons there. That they revered Emerald's group was hardly a surprise.
"When I had flippers, fishing was easier. Most of the dragons don't have teeth like mine. Most of them started hunting larger animals. They prefer red meat because they can tear and chew. A small group of dragons like me kept trying to fish. It was hard not being able to swim properly. The men saw this and brought us nets. They showed us how to use them."
"Who are these men," asked Albarad. "I'd like to thank them." Mandel was acting like a small child and clinging to Emerald's neck as if afraid she was still going to leave him.
"They call themselves the 'Friends of Mo-Rung.' They are a nice group. They tried to teach us how to play cards, but lacking hands, we quickly lost interest."
"That's understandable," said Albarad. "How far away is your tribe?"
"Unfortunately, they still live on the far side of the lake." she looked a little annoyed at Mandel. "How am I going to do this? He just won't let me out of his sight."
"I can go fishing with you," said Mandel defiantly. "I can hold a net better than a dragon” He waved his elven fingers in her face. "See!"
Albarad laughed, despite himself. "Hey, Mandel. Let's both go and help her fish. Let me get Night-Sky. I'm going to make him carry me all the way out there!"
Night had been listening in because he instantly complained through the bond.
"I have absolutely no interest in going fishing with you, Albarad," said Night-Sky with disdain. "A tribe of green dragons doesn't sound like my kind of folks."
"They are friends of Mandel's bond, and that should be enough to earn a polite response from you, MY dragon," said Alberad, with disappointment.
"You are coddling that son of yours by submitting to his whims. elf of MINE." retorted Night.
"It's part of Mandel's therapy, and we must give him every opportunity to recover his memories. Emerald has given us a second chance to help my son. I will not allow your persnickety attitude to make her feel less important."
"Fine! But carrying you is going to be a chore," said Night-Sky. "I might grow weary and have to drop you in the lake. It could come down to a matter of survival. You know dragons like me can't swim very well."
Albarad ignored the veiled threat from Night-Sky. "My dragon Night sky is coming," Albarad said to Emerald. "He is very excited about meeting your friends."
Emerald looked a bit unconvinced. Still, she bent low and allowed Mandel to climb up and straddle her neck. When Night Sky came running into the barn, Emerald suddenly laughed.
"He's a little one, isn't he," Emerald said, grinning. "Are you sure he can actually carry you? Perhaps you should double up with Mandel. I'm sure Mandel won't mind, and I can carry you both.”
"Dad can ride you. I like Dad." Mandel said to Emerald.
"What!" Night-Sky sputtered. "You give me grief, get me over here, and now you are just going to leave me?"
"You said you didn't want to go," said Albarad.
"Well, now I'm curious," said Night. "Fishing dragons might be something to see."
"You will not be seeing. You will be doing," said Emerald. Dragons should not be so lazy as to always expect to be fed by elves. You need to learn to work. You are a spoiled dragon."
"You think she's right, don't you?" Asked Night-Sky through their bond.
Albarad didn't answer but quickly climbed up behind Mandel on Emerald's neck. The green dragon ran through the barn doors and launched herself into the air. She was puffing a bit as they cleared the trees. Looking back, Albarad could see Night-Sky clip the uppermost branch of a tall pine tree as he struggled with the steep climb, even unencumbered.
“You’re out of shape as well.” Albarad sent. “Perhaps a diet of fresh fish might be good for you.”
"All this arguing!" Emerald said. Her voice was a pleasant rumble. "Does he always make you go through that? How do the two of you get anything done together."
”Wait! You can hear us talking telepathically?” Albarad asked in surprise. “I thought bond communication was sacrosanct.”
“No, but Mandel can.” Said Emerald. "He sometimes sends your thoughts to me. After we land at our destination, I will try to explain.”
”If Mandel can hear our thoughts and private conversations, that's going to be a problem." said Night-Sky.
"Yes, Mandel is a problem for everybody. Especially for the fish!" Mandel shouted gleefully. "I'm going to be helping catch lots of fish for Emerald!"
"Simple pleasures...." mumbled Albarad.
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"No, I haven't seen them yet, Cantrell," said Esmarilla. "But remember, you didn't tell them to come here. You told Mo-Rung to take Mavis to her house in Tasumakoji. You remember that place don't you? That's the place where she was almost murdered.
Cantrell was still in the Capitol and talking to his dragon via their bond.
"Of course, I remember. I was there," he said. Other than that one awful incident, I have pretty good memories of that place. Aleena's shrine is nearby too."
"I assume you want me to meet them there," said Esmarilla. "My wings are still a bit sore, but I can make it. It's mostly downhill from here, anyway. I am a little concerned about staying in a place so close to Ardwella's house. The friction between us hasn't gone away. If anything, it's worse than before."
"You'll be closer to Mandel. We need to know if he is going to get better or plateau. I have Governmental decisions to make soon if he is still incapacitated."
"I'll fly down there soon. I expected everyone to be back by now. I'm stuck here watching Vigilant and Constance. They are good kids. They bring me an occasional weasel to snack on. Unfortunately, weasels are so small they just arouse my appetite without providing sufficient quantity to bed it back down."
Constance suddenly stuck her head into the barn. She had another weasel in her jaws.
”Are you still hungry, Aunt Esmarilla?” She asked.
“I could probably eat,” Esmarilla said politely.
”Then you should hurry up and follow me down near the partially dried-up creek bed. We haven’t been down there in a while and Vigilant just discovered a whole weasel town! They are everywhere!”
”Now that sounds like a decent supper!” Esmarilla grinned. She trotted off, following the young blue dragon down to the creek.
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Lothinar knocked on the door. Just standing here on this porch brought back some pretty terrible memories. This was the place where Ardwynn and he had fought through their last argument before she left for the Capitol with Tundor. He had almost been able to feel the last vestiges of her feelings for him painfully slipping away by that point. Now, instead of slamming the door with a frown, she opened it, with a large smile. Then he did a double take. It wasn't Ardwynn at all. It was Michelle. It was almost unnatural how much the two women looked alike. It almost really came down to the ears. And, depending on Michelle's current mental state, the eye color. Right now, they were green, just like Ardwynn's.
"Hi, Lothinar!" she said, still smiling. "Ardwynn's hiding. She's suddenly decided to be afraid of Tundor."
Suddenly Candasar, in elf form, came up the steps. She nodded politely to Michelle and then slipped past her into the house. Lothinar rolled his eyes.
"She's on the warpath, I'm afraid," he said.
"Zinariya?" Michelle asked.
"Of course," he replied. Suddenly they heard yelling.
"We just had a very good talk with her. Ardwynn and I, I mean."
They both winced as they heard the level of yelling increasing inside the house. Suddenly Zinariya ran back out through the door. She skidded rapidly to a stop when she saw Lothinar on the porch.
"Bond me quick! Before she changes her mind!" she yelled.
Lothinar blinked.
"What?" he stammered.
"I said BOND ME!" She said again."
"Zinariya dear," began Michelle. "This is an important decision. And there are things called manners...."
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" she almost screamed.
Lothinar felt the flow of magic that always seemed to be leaving him get drawn away. It evaporated like water on a black rock at noon on a hot day. It eerily reminded him of the time Candasar had taken hold of his healing magic and pulled it out of him. Except this time, The energy involved was orders of magnitude greater. He winced and turned up the power. The last time he punched out power like this he had dropped everyone to the ground. He tried this time to, more specifically, direct the power into Zinariya, to not hurt anyone. Michelle stared at what was going on in shock. Zinariya seemed unchanged. She seemed to be able to take it all. A few beads of fine perspiration suddenly stood out on her forehead. Then a few seconds later, her body eerily began to glow. She grew brighter. A golden fire was burning in her eyes. There was a tremendous snap and a flash that looked like a lightning strike. It was accompanied by an immense boom. It shook the house. One of the windows on the porch cracked. Lothinar blinked. When the flash's after-image cleared from his eyes. Zinariya was gone. Lothinar sunk to his knees. He slowly felt his magic reserves beginning to refill.
"Wow!" he finally croaked out.
Candasar came running out of the house.
"Where did she go?" she asked desperately.
Lothinar cocked his head as if listening to something.
"Ok." he finally said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He looked at the others.
"We bonded. She's fine. She says she's in Chelsaben. Does anybody know where that is?"
Michelle gasped. She raised her hand and pointed her outstretched finger toward the moon just rising over the trees in the evening sky.
"It's the dragon city on the moon. It’s supposed to be a myth," she said, her voice quavering.
”Well, it’s not.” He said, with some frustration. “She’s definitely there. But it’s going to be a problem. She says she doesn’t have enough power to get back by herself!”
”I told you she was going to be trouble.” Said Candasar. “Perhaps now, the rest of you are beginning to understand just how much.”
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