Taureen settled on the couch with a sigh of relief. I knew that his muscles were sore from the energy weapon blast. Thankfully, the weapon hadn’t been a larger one that could kill. He moved me from his shoulder onto his lap.
“Why did that Kymari dismiss Tran’s warnings and try to move you?” I asked, looking up at him. “It was like he didn’t think that I would actually do anything if he didn’t touch me. Those were some of my best snarls and growls too.”
Taureen sighed. “Deran is young and only about halfway through training. The four that accompanied us were actually on a training session. They had enough training to handle sicora and crawlers but hadn’t touched on unique topics such as bond animals. He was probably thinking about his first aid training and didn’t take into account that you might attack another Kymari. Most trained animals won’t harm a Kymari, even a stranger.”
I snorted faintly; considering how I had been acting, he really shouldn’t have doubted my willingness to draw blood.
Taureen frowned slightly. “Although it’s pretty common knowledge that not all bond animals will tolerate strangers, especially if their handler is injured, so he should have known better, even without Tran’s warning. His training officer will be having a talk with him that I’m glad I won’t have to overhear.”
The doorbell rang, and Taureen glanced towards the door with a sigh before calling out, “Come in.”
Alec entered the door, and I sat upright in surprise at the scarlet and purple dragonets on his shoulders. Alec unclipped their leashes, telling them, “Okay, you can go.”
They jumped off of his shoulder, and I sprang into the air to greet them as we circled in an aerial display.
“Tasha! Long time no see!”
I grinned at Serena as I did a wingover above her red wings. “It’s good to see you as well! I see you are finally getting out a bit.”
She chuckled in reply as she swooped under Tom, bumping her nose against his flank as she passed him. The three of us eventually gathered under my heat lamp to enjoy the heat and gossip. Alec sat on a chair across from Taureen for their own visit.
I looked at Tom as I spread my wings out to collect the heat from the lamp above us. “How is it going? Is Alec driving you crazy yet?”
Tom sighed as he rested his chin on his hands. “I have been there and back several times now. You were right, though; it wasn’t quite as bad as we originally thought.”
Alec examined Taureen. “I heard you got hit by a level four phaser, and Tasha took out the attacker before sending one of our trainees for medical attention.”
Tom and Serena stared at me with big eyes as they overheard that. I grimaced as I glanced at Alec. Loud mouth. Can’t keep any secrets, can you?
Taureen sighed, likely slightly exasperated that Alec had already found out. “The captain was smuggling crawlers to the next star system, and we stumbled across them. The blasts knocked me out, so all we know is that the captain has burns on his face and claw marks on his neck. Deran made the mistake of trying to move me while I was out of it.”
Alec blinked in astonishment. “Didn’t he know she is a bond animal? They are usually quite protective of their handlers.”
“Tran warned him, and he ignored it.”
“Then he was a fool who needed more training. It probably saved him from an early death in battle.”
Serena whispered, “You attacked someone?”
I winced at the reminder. “Yes. Taureen was out cold, and it felt like I was guarding Amanda’s nestlings from the sicora.”
They looked at me in confusion, not quite understanding why I would feel that way about a Kymari.
Alec shook his head. “Well, it’s over now. We’ll just have to be careful in case something like that happens in the future.”
The doorbell rang again, and Aeria walked in without waiting for Taureen’s call. Alec looked surprised before nodding formally in a greeting.
Aeria sat beside Taureen as she inquired, “Are you alright?”
I am beginning to think that gossip travels more swiftly among the Kymari than it does through the dragonets’ mindlink…
“Yes.”
I rolled my eyes. “Liar.” I knew his muscles were stiff and sore. If she suggested a walk through the park, he wouldn’t be able to hide it. He glanced towards me as I commented upon my opinion.
Aeria followed his gaze and made a surprised sound. “There are three fire lizards.”
“Alec is the handler for the other two,” Taureen told her. “The scarlet got injured, and her mate refused to leave her. They still have a ways to go, but they should be up to doing short patrols within the next week or so.”
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She nodded as she admired us.
Alec turned to Taureen. “Oh, I forgot to ask. How did the meeting with the Elders go?”
Taureen leaned back with a frown. “They examined the evidence, and we are certain that a sicora hive is being built somewhere in the forest. They wanted me there to weigh in on Tasha’s tracking abilities and reliability in the forest. A large group of experienced fighters is being assembled to destroy the hive before it gets established. They want Tasha and me to accompany them.”
“So, the rumors are likely true then.”
Taureen nodded and then frowned. “They are going to set up another meeting in five days to finalize everything, and they want me there again.”
Alec looked shocked. “They are separating you from Tasha again? Why?”
Taureen grumbled in irritation. “Because they are relying on Tasha’s tracking abilities. As her handler, I have the power to veto any plan, so I must attend the meeting.”
“But why do they not come here then?” Aeria asked. “Why must you go there when most going are from this planet?”
“Because several of the older Elders don’t travel well and Tasha has not been in my care for over a year yet. Once we have been together for a year, they will come to us. Until then, they do not believe that the bond is strong enough to cause problems if we are separated for a half a day.”
The Kymari continued to discuss and dissect what was said and decided at the meeting.
I turned to Serena and Tom, asking, “So, what’s new?”
Serena and Tom blinked at me before Serena chuckled weakly. “I think we should be the ones asking you that question. But to answer your question, Alec is mostly following whatever Taureen did with you. We are just starting to go for short walks. The real question is what have you been up to?”
Of anyone out there, these two had the right to know what was in store for them. I told them, “Mostly patrols and clearing inbound ships. Taureen has been courting Aeria, and since she is accepting him as her suitor, I’m being nice to her and letting her handle me as Taureen does.”
Tom tilted his head. “Fair enough, but you attacked two people? What were you thinking?”
I rearranged my wings a bit before responding, “The dragonet instincts are much stronger than we realized, even when it comes to protecting them. Give it a few months, and you will consider Alec as a family member. I attacked the captain when he went after Taureen, then I scratched a Kymari who was too dense to keep his distance. It was more of an automatic reaction than thought out.”
Serena nodded as she accepted my story, although I wasn’t sure how much she believed me. She went to the side of the table for a drink and exclaimed in surprise, “Your food is in a bowl? He isn’t hand-feeding you anymore? When did this happen?!” She ate a few pieces of her favorites before getting her drink and coming back.
How was I going to explain this one… Tom noticed my lack of an immediate response and focused on me. “It isn’t drugged, is it?”
Serena swiftly glanced at me in alarm. I shook my head slightly. “No. He still feeds me by hand when others are around, but when we are alone, he lets me eat out of a bowl.”
Serena tilted her head and pressed for more information again. “When did this happen?”
I winced. “The same time that he realized that we are not just mere animals.”
The other two were silent, staring at me in shock and worry. Tom’s voice was shaky. “I think you better explain a bit more.”
“Remember when I mentioned that they may be able to hear our mindvoices? Well, I now know that Taureen can. He has known for several weeks and says that his lips are sealed. He also knows that we are quite smart, although he doesn’t know any of our background beyond that I hatched in a lab. He does know that we were around before the first invasion and thinks we are the last few survivors.”
They were practically frozen in growing alarm, undoubtedly recalling the scientists words.
I sighed before continuing, “We have talked a fair bit. Taureen and I both have the same thoughts; if any dragonet in captivity comes to the point where they consider their handler like a close family member, then they can let him hear us and know our ruse for what it is. At that point, our handlers are so close that they wouldn’t do anything to harm us and will keep our secret.”
Tom shook his head in angry denial. “The dragonets have gone through all of that work to hide the truth, and you simply spill our secrets? Do you have any idea what you have done?”
I blinked and responded softly, “You have been with Alec for a much shorter time than I have been with Taureen. You two have had each other while I was alone. Tell me truly, if you were given a chance to slice Alec’s neck open for him to bleed to death, could you actually do it?”
He hesitated before lowering his head and looking away, wordlessly acknowledging the truth that he wouldn’t be able to do it.
Serena whispered, “Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t be able to even attempt it. I think if he were to die, I would feel grief.”
Tom looked back at me in confusion, his previous views shaken to their foundations. “What is your bond with Taureen like at this point?”
I considered it before letting them sense my emotions. “At this point, I know he considers me as his child as well as a close friend. For myself, I originally thought he was like a brother, but it has gone past that point; I now see him as a parent, brother, and close friend. We are getting closer all the time.”
“What do you mean by that last part?” Serena blinked in confusion.
“Since the day the Elder made Taureen an official handler, I haven’t been apart from him until he had to go to that meeting. While he was gone, his absence grated on me, and I was restless until he returned. Even an oil massage from Aeria couldn’t relax me. It might be easier for you two since you have each other, but I didn’t enjoy it, and I’m not looking forward to when he has to leave for that next meeting.”
They were silent as they examined the memory of the restlessness at his absence. Serena spoke quietly, “If Alec ever hears us talking, what would he likely do?”
“He is close enough emotionally, even at this point, that if you told him our fears of being killed for being intelligent, he would keep his silence. He will talk with you in private and wouldn’t treat you so much like an animal. Taureen knows that my instincts can be strong and that he may have to restrain me from attacking sicora or something like that. But the biggest change is that if we are alone, I don’t have to pretend to be an animal. I can just be myself.”
Serena chuckled lightly, trying to break the still-lingering tension. “Even when we are being ourselves, most of our behaviors are quite animal-like.”
I grinned at her. “Exactly. If I feel like wrestling with his hand, then I do so. Currently, he considers me a person with a lot of animal-like quirks and behaviors. We get along very well.”
They seemed to have accepted the fact that Taureen knew and would keep the secret, although they were nowhere near letting Alec in on things. That was fine by me; in the end, it was their choice since he was their handler.