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CHAPTER 8
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Albarad was fascinated by the green dragon's teamwork. Three of them swam out a fair distance from shore. Their swimming was an awkward tail thrashing stroke, but somehow they made it work. When they were in position, a fourth dragon flew out over them and dropped the net. They would then spread out across the water, stretching the net out between them. Holding it in their mouths and then steadily swimming, they pulled the net between them. By the time they drew close enough to the shore to be able to touch bottom and walk in, they had quite a few good sized fish. Smaller ones obviously slipped through the holes in the net.
Night watched the process with skepticism. "Don't you think it would be easier to use a boat?" he asked Albarad.
"I don't think so, A boat could easily capsize with a dragon on it." he replied.
"They wouldn't ride IN the boats. They would attach the nets to them and float them in. Besides, I probably used the wrong word. I think the word I want is barge. Some sort of floating platform."
"Where are they going to get a fishing barge?" asked Albarad. "I think under the circumstances..they..."
Night interrupted. "They could use some buoyant tree logs or something."
"Floating Logs!” exclaimed Mandel. "Good idea!"
Mandel had been sitting there with them, watching, but he suddenly ran out into the shallow water. Emerald had just finished dragging her portion of the long net up near the shore. Water glistened off her scales. Mandel splashed his way over to her and started telling her about Night-Sky's idea. She nodded patiently, then shook her head. She walked over to Albarad and Night-Sky and spoke.
"Our group moves around the lake too much. The net is light and easy to carry to a new place, but things like tree logs or floating platforms would slow us down" she said. "We have fished in this place once already. The next catch here will be much smaller. By then we will have to move again."
"That makes sense." said Albarad. He nodded. "Thanks for explaining that to us."
Albarad looked at Night-Sky. "It's probably best to not try and solve other people's problems without sufficient understanding of the situation." he said.
Night-Sky rolled his eyes.
The green dragon smiled, almost apologetically.
"Do you want to try fishing small black dragon?" she asked. "The next time the net will not be so heavy. It is the best time to learn to fish."
"My NAME is Night-Sky." he said. And I certainly can handle it."
"Come" Emerald said. "I will swim out with you. This time Edgar will drop the net to us."
Albarad suspected that Edgar was one of the other dragons of her tribe. He looked and, sure enough, he spotted a male green dragon with a fishing net hanging from its mouth.
"Uh, Night..." said Albarad, suddenly concerned. "Have you ever actually tried to swim before?"
"How hard could it be Albarad?" Night asked sarcastically.
While Emerald and Night walked over to the water's edge, Albarad decided to introduce himself to the dragon named Edgar. It only seemed polite. He walked over.
"Hello. My name is Albarad. I'm pleased to meet you." He said. "Emerald is staying with us."
He was somewhat surprised when Edgar scowled at him and dropped the net.
"Her name is Crum.." Edgar said with obvious rancor. "She has always been Crum. To use a new name is vain and unnecessary."
"Oh, I didn't realize that she had recently changed it." replied Albarad, with surprise.
"Yesss." Edgar replied. She changed it when Lothinar gave us our colors. She thought the new name was more beautiful. She was wrong!”
Albarad shrugged. Well, I'm not opposed to the name Crum, but I have to admit, I agree with her." he smiled apologetically.
The male dragon frowned, looking past Albarad and out into the water.
Albarad heard violent splashing and turned to look. The black dragon hadn't made it twenty yards off shore before he stepped into an underwater hole. His head disappeared. He quickly popped up but he was sputtering and sneezing. He turned and thrashed his way ashore. All thoughts of fishing forgotten. A different green dragon quickly took Night's place, swimming out into the cove with Emerald.
"Pathetic." said Edgar. "He can not even swim!"
"I was afraid of that." said Albarad. He hustled over to the black dragon who was dragging himself back up onto the shore. He looked half drowned. He also looked ashamed.
"I will acknowledge your point Albarad." Night wheezed. "I am a spoiled dragon. I've never hunted or even fished. I've been coddled."
Albarad smiled at his bond. "It's not your fault. But as far as swimming goes, I tried to warn you." he said. "You were brave to try."
"I'm not brave" said Night.
"You have to admit you were pretty brave in that fight the other night." Albarad said.
"You did all the fighting Albarad. I just hung back and provided you with some power. "
"When you encountered those elves in Heirwynn's apartment, the first time I mean, you fought them."
"I caught them by surprise." Night protested. "That wasn't bravery. It was opportunity. Why are you trying to make me feel better about all of this?"
"I want the best for you. That's my job." said Albarad. "The carrot and the stick."
"Are you trying to use a horse training method on me Albarad? "
The elf grinned. "The important thing here is that I think you have learned something."
"Black dragons can't swim! That's what I learned." hooted Mandel, slapping his knee.
Night-Sky glared at him. Then he swallowed. Together they watched Edger drop the net. The other green dragons swiftly pulled it in. As Emerald and the others sorted the fish, quickly dividing them up and swallowing most of them whole.
After the green dragons were done feeding, Emerald nodded her thanks to other fishing dragons and approached them once again. Albarad had a question. Something about his conversation with Edgar was bothering him.
"Your friend Edgar...." he began.
"He is not a friend." she said brusquely. "He was a someone that wished to mate with me. I rejected him. He persisted and we fought. I was the winner. He is bitter and angry because of it."
"Oh!" said Albarad, suddenly gaining a better understanding of the surly dragon's unpleasantness.
Emerald seemed unperturbed. "Now that I have bonded and have moved away, he knows that I am serious about not choosing him." she said.
"Did he not believe and accept this before?”
Emerald narrowed her eyes. "It was not just about him accepting it." She paused before continuing.
"Female dragons sometimes have..... limited choices, and the males can be..... persistent." Emerald said. "I am in a much better place now..... Safer. Happier."
"I see..." said Albarad. "Should we expect trouble from him?"
She seemed to be considering this. “He does have a history of holding onto grudges.” She finally said.
Night sky cocked his head. "You don't think he's jealous of me?" he asked "I'm a little too young for you, don't you think?"
Albarad stifled a laugh at Night's expense. That scenario didn't seem likely.
"Your young. but you will grow… Eventually." Emerald said mischievously.
Night blinked in surprise.
"Don't worry little black dragon." She said. "I have enough to worry about looking after Mandel. He keeps my mind busy."
Mandel suddenly looked sharply at Night-Sky.
"MINE!" he said.
"You won't get any arguments from me!" said the black dragon. Then he seemed to remember something.
"Uh, While we are here, Could you teach me how to swim better, Emerald?" he asked meekly.
"That's a good first step if you're going to be fishing." she said with a smile.
Albarad tried to ignore the dirty looks Edgar was giving Night-Sky as Emerald took him back out into the water for his first swimming lesson. It didn't work. Edgar was working himself into an emotional frenzy. Albarad decided to have a quick word with him.
"Emerald told me of your interest in her." he said slowly. "I'd like to make sure you understand the situation."
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Edgar turned to him and stared at him coldly. "Why are you poking your snout where it is not necessary elf?” He demanded. “I have not sought out conflict with you. I know that you are Lothinar’s father, and that other elf with you is your other son. I am not a complete fool.
”And what if we weren’t? Related to Lothinar, I mean…”
The dragon seemed to appraise him.
”I will give you some advice. This is not for you, but for others that come into dragon territory seeking a bond from among our most desirable females….We will defend what is ours!” He said menacingly.
He opened his mouth to show his hollow tipped teeth. Albarad, standing as close as he was, could see some sort of green fluid glistening on them. He almost involuntarily stepped back, but didn’t. He held his ground.
“Elves can bite too.” He said, calling up the first words of the dragon immolation spell that he had learned from Muina. He leaned closer to the green male and whispered only the first three syllables, before cutting it off there. Though the effort of halting the spell at that point gave him a splitting headache.
The green dragon’s eyes grew wide. He coughed and a little smoke came out of his mouth. He quickly ran out into the water and quickly threw himself in, almost completely submerging. Albarad could see him looking back at him with fear in his eyes.
”What did you do?” Screeched Night-Sky through the bond. “Did you forget that we are bonded!? I felt that too! It was a good thing that I was already in the water!”
“Sorry.” Albarad apologized. “I solved a future problem. Sometimes you have to use the stick.”
Albarad suddenly realized that the awful headache that had blossomed inside his skull was probably feedback from his using the first words of that spell while being bonded to a dragon. Casting it, in its full form would no doubt have taken Albarad out as well. Knowing that, it effectively took the option completely away for the future. At least for him.
Night sky was giving him unhappy looks but Emerald, seemingly unaware of the drama, soon demanded Night focus again on her swimming instructions.
Because of the swimming lesson interruptions and Night’s new found lethargy, they got back late. Edgar had never even come back out of the water, even though Night-Sky had assured him that the burning sensation that had swept through his body was long gone.
On the flight back to the house, the bond seemed to be filled with silent sulking on Night's part and a sense of muted guilt on Albarad's part. . He should have never allowed the dragons rough words to stir him to such an unwarranted reprisal.
Emerald, though, seemed strangely satisfied with the outcome.
"Thank you for defending my new name to that oaf." she had said with sincerity. "I now truly feel like part of your family."
"I have a bad habit of getting involved in problems like that." Albarad said. "Especially when there are pretty girls involved."
That actually made Emerald blush. Riding on her back with Mandel, Albarad could see and feel the heat on the back of her neck. Mandel didn't even make a fuss about it.
When they finally got home, they found two more dragons in the yard. It was Esmarilla and Mo-Rung.
"We are looking for accommodations." Esmarilla said. "Mavis doesn't have a barn. We were hoping you could put us up for a couple of nights."
"Is Mavis actually here?" Albarad asked with some alarm.
"She's in the house talking to Muina." Esmarilla answered. "She's had a tough few days. Cantrell sent her home."
"MAAAVVIIISS!" yelled Mandel quickly running into the house.
Albarad looked alarmed. "Sure, you can stay," he said to Esmarilla. "But I'd better go check on that." He took off, chasing after Mandel.
"He is fine." Emerald yelled after him. "This is a good thing. He remembers her."
Esmarilla looked the new green dragon over somewhat suspiciously, but it didn't faze Emerald in the slightest. She dipped her head in a show of respect, then trotted into the barn through the open door, Night-Sky could see her begin to lay down in the straw.
"Emerald is probably tired." said Night-Sky, somehow finding it necessary to make an excuse for the green dragon. She fished all afternoon, not to mention carrying Albarad AND Mandel back and forth to the lake."
"So," said Esmarilla, suspiciously. She's Mandel's new bond? It seems a little opportunistic to me that she just showed up like that."
"She did live here, right on the lake. I think Mandel actually found her. He had managed to run off. Honestly, I think she's helping him a great deal." said Night. "Several specific parts of his brain are injured or at least unresponsive. I suppose it's a bit like he's sleepwalking right now, if you can imagine that. He might recover some day and feel that all of this has been a dream."
”This is actually fascinating,” interjected Mo-Rung, raising his eyebrows and glancing toward the barn, “Are you saying that….Emerald is running Mandel’s body like a puppet?”
”Not at all!” Spoke Night emphatically. “She’s filling gaps. Mandel is definitely in there. He has outbursts that occur at surprising times. I think she also provides a great deal of emotional support. Before they bonded, Mandel was prone to angry outbursts. He’s much more stable now.”
Mo-Rung seemed to be considering his words. “I must consider this. My own bonds emotional state is rather fragile right now. Perhaps Emerald can give me some tips on how I can help her.” He looked at Esmarilla, who gave him an almost imperceptible nod before Mo-Rung followed Emerald into the large barn. He approached her and introduced himself. Through the doors ‘Night could see them talking.
”Mavis is having some problems.” Esmarilla said awkwardly. “If Mandel doesn’t get better she is going to be stuck being the Empress. Frankly she loathes the idea. There is just nobody else left in the succession that we could trust with the job, and the people would never accept just a commoner.”
”So you obviously don’t know about Albarad’s actual pedigree?” Night said.
”What are you talking about?” Asked Esmarilla with great interest.
”No, Night! No!” Albarad's startled cry came swiftly through the bond. He definitely didn’t want Night to continue.
”I hear the capitol is nice and your children clearly aren’t up to the job.” Night-Sky replied to Albarad. “It’s time for me to apply the carrot and the stick, I’m afraid.”
To Esmarilla he said. “Let me tell you something you might not know about Albarad’s grandmother.”
"Please enlighten me." said Esmarilla.
Albarad wanted to run out to stop him, but he couldn't. He didn't dare, because he had walked into a battlefield. A battlefield fought by two females with angry words. And both females were, in very different ways, his.
Mavis was shouting at Ardwella.
"I know that you said you were sorry, but.....What were you thinking?! How could you?" she yelled.
Muina was sitting next to Mandel on the sofa with her arms crossed. She wasn’t saying anything, but she looked upset, in complicated ways. Her eyes flicked quickly back and forth between her sister and her daughter. Mandel was tugging at a button on the sofa cushion. He didn't seem to react at all to Mavis's outburst.
Albarad entering the room seemed to have taken Ardwella's concerns at the onslaught up a notch. His wife tried to retreat from the conversation.
"I have explained myself. Please, I think that should be enough." she said resignedly. She turned and tried to leave the living room.
Seeing this, Mavis seemed to drive in harder.
"You TRIED to STEAL my husband auntie!" she yelled. "Perhaps YOUR HUSBAND would like to know why!"
"I believe that I know why" said Albarad calmly. “I’ve suspected something like this for a while.”
That silenced everyone.
Albarad walked over to Ardwella and tugged on her arm, turning her around. Looking into her eyes, he pulled her in and embraced her. Ardwella seemed to melt. She breathed out a ragged shuddering breath and buried her face in his chest. Albarad lifted his eyes and stared at Mavis.
"Have you considered the cost?" he asked. "That your Aunt Ardwella has paid to hand your brother and... now, I suppose... you, the throne? Have you even thought about what your own mother went through, Siophra as well... to end Argent's evil influence and bring back the dragons? All of them have made it their live's work so that you can stand here in my living room, free and bonded to a living dragon!”
"That doesn't make what she did regarding my husband right!" Mavis protested.
"No, but it makes it more understandable." said Albarad. "Could you have been so emotionally detached to be able to stop Argent’s daughters and their followers? Could you have killed them and kept your sanity? Esmarilla said that you were here because you had a tough few days.... Ardwella has had a tough five hundred years! Do you know how many terrible people she's had to end?"
"No." said Mavis. She seemed uncomfortable.
"How many people have YOU actually killed Mavis?"
"None." Mavis replied.
"How many people have you killed, my wife?" asked Albarad. "Both to end the threat to the dragons AND to help secure Mandel's throne?"
"Um, I don't actually really know." Ardwella mumbled. "Probably five hundred or so."
"How did she deal with that sort of thing Mavis?" Albarad asked. "How could she sleep nights?"
Mavis looked at her biological father. "Before you came in... she said something about a switch...." Mavis said quietly.
"How creative ." said Albarad, sadly. "She modified herself with dragon magic. Not just to be exceptionally beautiful, which by the way, she is." he continued. "But she added a mechanism to her own mind to allow her conscience to be turned off. Temporarily, it seems. Do I have that right?"
"Yes." said Ardwella. "I can turn off my conscience. A stop-gap measure. Unfortunately it led to an unfortunate set of interactions with Cantrell. I promise. I really wasn't myself. Again, I am so very sorry for that part. Not at all though, for helping end the insurrection.
"Did anything happen between you and Cantrell?” Albarad asked, secretly dreading the answer.
"No. Cantrell was clearly not interested. He turned me down flat at every opportunity. He clearly loves Mavis and is a man of integrity." Ardwella said.
"You are lucky, Mavis." Albarad said. "You learned something very important about your husband. And better yet, now I don't have to kill him."
Mavis paled.
"Cantrell is my friend. Please don't kill him dad." said Mandel.
Out in the yard a black dragon roared.
Albarad winced. "Just a joke." he said.
"Not even slightly funny, Dad." said Mandel.
"Does anybody besides me think that Mandel’s getting better?" asked Muina. "And Albarad... Where are you going to put all these dragons?"
"I'm moving all of the horses over to Ardwynn's barn tonight." he said. "I think I'll sleep better."
"You'll be sleeping with me." said Ardwella. "But you'll probably still be tired in the morning."
"That," said Albarad. "Is a risk that I'm willing to take."
From her room, Heirwynn had listened to everything. Even though she now felt relatively at home in this house, she had felt awkward and embarrassed inserting herself into such a volatile and personal family conversation.
Snow crouched on the floor next to her new futon. Her eyes were wide.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" the white dragon asked silently.
"Apparently, for this evening at least, we are going to be helping move some horses." said Heirwynn. "Perhaps Lothinar will be there and I can at last meet his mysterious wife. The wife whose father killed my brother Harvey. I have a few questions for her."
"You're not thinking about...."
"Yes. I'm going to see if she feels bad enough about her father killing my brother to allow me some space in Lothinar's family. I'd kind of like to watch little Harvey grow up. I'd like to help." said Heirwynn.
"I thought you would never agree to being a second wife?" asked Snow in surprise.
"I would never have believed it, but It seems to working out pretty well for Muina and Ardwella." said Heirwynn.
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Cantrell had heard Albarad make the veiled threat against him. Although it had initially upset Esmarilla, He didn't really mind. He considered it appropriate theater for what the man was going through. He was was obviously trying to defuse a difficult situation that had been thrust upon him in his own home. The way Cantrell even knew about it all was a convoluted relay of sorts. Mavis had heard the threat, passed it directly through the bond to Mo-Rung who was standing outside the house with Esmarilla. Of course he had immediately told her. They were mates after all. Then, he finally had heard about it. The path was fairly swift, but by the time it actually got to him, it was fourth hand. It was fundamentally heresay. He told Esmarilla to stand down. After a moment or two, she agreed.
Cantrell knew a joke when he heard one. It was attempting a joke a few days ago, that had started the whole chain reaction of Mandel coming down from the wall. Mandel’s over reaction to the joke had provided the assassin an opportunity. Cantrell let Albarad's thoughtless attempt at humor go.
It was also extremely helpful to have been made aware of the reason for Ardwella's strange behavior towards him. He was actually glad it WAS him that had received her lustful attention, and not someone else. It had tested his love for Mavis and he had passed. Someone else might not have. That would have spelled trouble for Ardwella and Albarad's family, and that now included Mavis and Mavis's mother. That family had certainly been through enough. He would do anything. Stop at nothing, to make sure Mavis had the best life possible.
He had listened almost spellbound as the young dragon Night-Sky had spilled the beans regarding Albarad's lineage. Now that was interesting. He would have to make a trip into the royal archives and verify if what the new bond of Albarad had said was true. Perhaps there was a way for him to get out of this situation after all!
But first he needed to keep his appointment to interview the new Royal Medical Practitioner. The last one had taken an unfortunate fall off the tower, just last night. Such a tragedy. After that, he was going down to the courtyard with Vanador. The white dragon was going to sniff a few more elves for him. Cantrell had a feeling that his work in that department wasn't quite done.
It was also a good thing that Esmarilla had told him how Ardwella had used her dragon magic to make that conscience switch. With Esmarilla's guidance it hadn't been that hard to make one of his own. It really was very helpful right now. He had a lot of shit to get done around here and he still needed to be able to sleep at night.
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