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"You can't very well feed it yourself." Amber's voice was disinterested and amused all together, barely heard over the bleating cry that rose up from his forepaws. "Let the woman do her job, and stop it's crying."

Alaine twisted his head around and hissed at the woman that was hovering nearby anxiously, gripping a bottle in one hand while he kept Oake carefully contained between his large forelegs. He didn't want the woman anywhere near the little fawn, she was an elf, and the little creature was so incredibly frail looking. His hooves were barely larger than his smallest scale, and he was soft all over. It had taken him nearly a legs day to get back to the safety of the breeding grounds, and through it all he had been forced to carry Oake in one paw tucked up close to his belly, hobbling on three legs as he left the gathered dragons behind. He didn't want to be around them, he didn't want to be near the Riders and he didn't want to be around Thronnos. The drake reeked of secrets and he needed to protect what was left of the family that he had been a part of for such a brief time.

Amber seemed entirely disinterested at the crying fawn, she had tried to sniff him and then ignored his presence while Alaine did his best to keep the little one calm and still, something that was harder than it should have been. Oake seemed frightened of dragons, terrified, even of Alaine as he attempted to cup his forepaws to either side and croon reassuringly to the little creature. He was hungry and filthy looking, soot darkened the white markings of his fur and pale skin, and the drake felt entirely at a loss on what he was supposed to do to take care of the little fellow. He knew that he needed milk and to be cleaned, but his attempts at grooming the fawn with his tongue had results in a crying Oake and fur clinging to his tongue. It was the Overseer that had sent a woman to offer to feed and clean Oake, but Alaine still held him close.

"They will harm him." The drake hissed out angrily, darting his head towards the woman who continued to stand nearby. "They are trying to take him from me."

"No, they want to stop it from bleating." Amber canted her head to one side and snuffed towards Oake. "He is dirty and tired and hungry, let Bania feed him and clean him, and then you can keep him close."

"I will not leave your sight, but he needs to be attended. He is young and confused, you can watch as I give him fresh milk and see to his care." The elf stepped forward, again, she had done so countless times already and he snarled in response.

"Then drop the milk here and I will figure it out." The drake wasn't thinking about the logistics of what he was doing, he refused to allow Oake to be harmed in any way, to have an elf touch him while he was so.. vulnerable.

"The bottle will need held." Amber shifted beside him and seemed ready to go around with the argument yet another time. Since his return, she hadn't seemed to dwell on the words they had parted with, but treated him just as if they had never quarreled. "Do you trust me?"

"As much as I can." Alaine rumbled, refusing to lie to her.

"Then I will lay in front of you, and Bania can come into the circle of our forelegs, she will not be able to evade us if she hurts the babe and he will finally stop his wailing so we might both have some peace." The dragoness stood up with a rippling of her glossy hide and padded around him. "Because if he continues, someone might mistake him for a bleating sheep."

Alaine bared his teeth and growled, but didn't pull away as she sprawled out in front of him and moved her forelegs out so that her paws slipped along the back of his own. It was a touch that sent an electric thrill through him, but he kept his attention on the huddled fawn and the elf that moved cautiously forward. His pupils pinned down with distress, but he only growled as she moved across Amber's foreleg and to where Oake lay cradled against his cupped paw. The little one bleated out and pinned his ears back when the elf reached for him, but didn't try to run from her. A low growl formed deep in the drake's belly the moment her hands touched him and he lowered his head until it was nearly at a level with the nursemaid.

He hated it, he hated seeing a filthy creature such as this touching the only thing that remained of a bright spot in his life. Hated seeing how she cradled the squirming fawn and tipped a bottle into his small blunt muzzle so that he could suckle, but it did stop his wailing the moment he wrapped his lips around it and pulled. Her eyes remained on him, her scent reeked of fear, but at least Oake was getting food in his empty belly. He didn't even question the strange female feeding him, or seem to look around for Rowan.

Rowan. _ Alaine almost closed his eyes against the ache of his heart that that name evoked for him. _She trusted me even when she shouldn't have, trusted me with him despite knowing I could hurt him without even knowing I had done so. Oh Rowan..

The entire hobbling walk here he had tried to avoid thinking about her fate and what had happened to her. Her little farm, that small home where he had knocked down trees to make a spot for himself and the lake that he had swam in with the otterkin frisking around him. If he had remained there, he could have saved them all. He was a match for any elf on foot and even the Riders if he put his mind to it. As he watched Oake being fed, his mind blossomed with what would have happened if he had been there. He would have pushed them into the small cave systems, he would have used his bulk to block and killed any that dared approach. Even now, he could be laying in front of her home, with her clever hands tending his wounds while Oake cried happily and clambered over him in wild attempts to knock him down.

Foolish selfish dragon... _ He blew out a hot breath, but stopped the thought as Amber's paws flexed over his own, a gentle pressure that soothed him. He had Oake here now, he would wait until the little satyr was stronger, larger and then he would leave this hellish place and strange dragons. _I will give him what he deserves, the peace he needs, the room to grow. I will give him a home, somehow.

~ ~ * ~ ~

The old tavern was crammed full of every species and every size possible, they stood five deep at the bar, stuffed themselves into chairs around the fire, filled the doorways and still there were more coming. Rowan felt like she was about to be sick from the heat and the minor infection that had set in from her wound. She remained sitting upright, though, her hand rested against her stomach while she tried to tally up those that had answered the otterkins' call. Rouro and the rest had taken to the sea and ran the full length of Canith spreading the word that a meeting was going to take place. Many places weren't as hard hit as her own territory had been, but some had been wiped out completely. She had summoned just enough energy to call for Oake's sire, using him to unite the satyrs and send out the summons.

"There are so many." She glanced towards Meera nervously, the otterkin tried to smile reassuringly to her. "I had thought they'd send representatives."

"Babes taken? Mothers killed, cities in ruin.. They could not ignore this." Meera glanced out at the group and crinkled her nose up slightly. "Albeit, I had not hoped that so many bucks would come."

"That is Heartwood's doing, not my own." Her eyes flicked towards the fire and the buck that stood in the center of a group of youngsters.

He was as handsome as ever, just as she had met him when she had conceived Oake, and seemed to be a pillar of strength as the younger males attempted to use the gathering as a chance to test their strength. Satyr bucks were large, far larger than the does, when fully grown that topped at eight feet tall with regal curled horns and thick silky fur that made them seem even bigger than they already were. Heartwood was a russet colored red, like the leaves of an oak tree in the autumn and his broad chest bore several scars to attest to his prowess in battle. His long silky fur spilled along the line of his jaw like a twining beard, braided with beads and bits of feathers to give him a wild and outlandish look. He possessed enough territory that he kept nearly a dozen does just as well as she had been kept, given territory to farm and herd, to raise their young. He was a fine buck, and he was the one that had summoned the bucks.

He and the other lords had herded in the bachelors and youngsters, settling arguments aside in the emergency and enforcing the laws as he was doing now by keeping a young buck with barely a curl to his horn, from attacking another one. He and the rest of the older bucks were ranged through the room, each one trying to keep the violence to a minimum, but it wouldn't hold forever. They were naturally aggressive with one another and the youngsters felt the need to fight even more keenly now that there were a few does that had come to the meeting. The does were noticeably pushed towards their lords, with the virgins allowed a place with the bark skinned dryads who afforded some protection. It would hold for now, but not for long.

The dryads had come in force, the tree-folk had always been able to make themselves hard to find in times of hardship. They knew the forests and could hide among the trees indefinitely, so it was a relief to see that they had come at all. They towered above the satyrs and humans, their skin was patterned after many trees, their hair almost like vines. Most didn't notice that they moved independently of each other, twisting and curling twining at the very tips. They stayed towards the back, well aware of the hormonal groups of satyrs, mingling with the humans who were watching with exhausted eyes. Their villages had been nearly burned to the ground in several cases.

"Heartwood.." Rowan straightened up and glanced around, trying to see the otterkin that were attempting to sort out who should be towards the front. "We need to start."

The buck lifted his head from where he was giving one of the younger bucks a push and bobbed his head, his slit pupiled eyes flicking out over the crowd. She knew he was taking count of his does, ensuring they were within distance of him, nor could she blame him. The bucks never came together like this, it was a risk, a risk to lose their harems and possible fights. Once he had swept the crowd he tucked his chin down and swelled his chest before crying out, a deafening cry that vibrated the fringe of his beard and made her wince as the sound echoed through her already aching head.

"Atten'SHUN!" He ended it in a snapping word, glaring at the bachelor bucks first before snorting out. "H'I was told that the h'otterkin would be leading?" The voice was strange to so many species, his short muzzle made forming the words tricky, but she enjoyed the way he carefully picked out each and every word.

"Aye, I'll take the lead." Rouro called out, unseen, before the lithe male pushed through between a couple of the dryads. "Heartwood."

The buck inclined his head and Rowan set back against the chair again, her cheeks felt flushed and she was light headed. She needed to be resting, healing from her wound, fighting off the infection, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. Her fawn was somewhere out there, stolen and she couldn't rest yet. She wouldn't rest yet.

"The elves have taken their war to Canith, they have declared it on us. Everyone here has lost children to the raid, families, loved ones. They swept through this place and destroyed all that stood in their way." The otterkin scrambled onto a table gracefully, his ears twitched up high on his head while he spoke. "Rowan and Heartwood's fawn was one of them, and Rowan is who called us together. We cannot allow this stand, because now they have made their position clear. They are taking slaves, making our children slaves. Will they be servants? Or are they being raised for their crazed war?"

"Have we confirmed this?" Someone shouted out from the back. "Are they even alive?"

"They wouldn't have taken such care to take them alive if they were going to kill them." Rouro's voice roughened slightly. "Those who survived witnessed the children being bundled up carefully, not being tossed around. There was a reason for it. Our children are our future, our hope, who we are as a people. We cannot let them be taken. We must do something about it."

"Impossible! They have dragons!"

"They'll slaughter us all, or take us slaves! There'd be no getting them back!"

"There's only one way to do it! Take the Spit back! Take it down!"

"Kill the dragons if we must! We cannot allow it!"

"None of mine were taken!"

The voices rang out like a roar, rising up as they argued against what Rouro was saying. It made Rowan feel dizzy while they became louder, their individual protests and agreements blended together as the crowd seemed to close in at all sides. She set her ears back tight against her head before trying to scramble to her feet. This couldn't stand, they had to agree, they had to bring back their children.

"H'idiots! H'all of you!" Heartwood cried out over the din followed by a clattering sound that made her snap her eyes open. "Do you think this will be the h'only time they will do this?! Just this h'once?! They live forever, will h'each generation be stolen h'as we h'are h'used h'as breeders?! They have dragons, yes, but we have much more. The h'otterkin h'are willing to take those that h'agree to the Spit, we have warriors too. H'I h'and mind will fight! The bucks will take h'arms!!"

The bleats of the other lords followed, picked up by the youngsters while Rowan struggled to her hooves, finding it hard to concentrate on what was going on in front of her while her head was still spinning. She made it to the table and reached out to touch one of the broad muscled legs of the buck standing on it, feeling the heat of his body and tasting the familiar harsh scent of him on the air.

"We aren't going to face them one on one, that's death. But small groups can land and blend. The bucks have agreed to lead us, they are masters of staying hidden and they will partner with the dryads. The children are there, somewhere and we will find them." Rowan drew in a steadying breath. "We have a possible ally there if, the gods willing, he is still alive. A dragon who cannot fly, but will fight for us and aid us. I propose that one group goes to look for him, the rest concentrate on finding the children. Heartwood speaks true, what if this is the start of a new way they will wage war, by stealing our children for it. Once it happens, it will happen again."

If Alaine was alive he would be there, somewhere, each group would hold a mixture of otterkin, dryad, satyr and human, at least two species of the group he knew to be friends and would hopefully approach them. Her heart dropped at the thought of him, if he would be alive, how he would make it, what they would do to him if they found him. He was Oake's best hope, if he saw the babes, surely he would do something to aid them.

"How many to each group?" One of the humans called out. "They'll notice groups parading around their aisle."

"Not with us." One of the dryad's murmured, a large fellow with golden brown bark-like skin and amber eyes. "We will send with you those of us with an affinity for water and field. The satyrs are known for their ability to move without leaving tracks, they will help you there. My people will keep you under cover and well hidden."

"H'It won't work, the dragons are above, they'll see h'you moving around below." A young buck spoke up, his ears twitched back rebelliously. "They certainly saw h'us when they came."

"Nursling!" One of the bucks aimed a blow at the speaker. "This h'is their H'island, they won't be looking for h'intruders like h'us. H'Arrogance will see h'us through h'and stealth."

"Exactly. They have a secured island with their only real enemies other elves. They might patrol, but they will mostly depend on magic to see their enemies approaching. The otterkin will sail close, but then they will swim us in so the ships don't come near enough to arouse suspicion." Rowan spoke up and kept her hand on Heartwood's calf, using it to balance herself. "It will be dangerous, but not impossible."

"And how do we get them off the island?!" One of the human's spoke up. "We can't swim with them."

"The otterkin, they will be in charge of it." She sank down on a stool next to the table and felt her buck's hand dropping down to touch her head reassuringly. She would be able to sleep soon, give the medication time to work on her.

"We have long since made cradles that can float, they are secure, it is our best pet. We can attach ropes to join them and one of us can swim several at once to safety." Rouro splayed his paws apart, "This plan is not secure, no plan would be, but it is our best chance at retrieving those who have been taken from us. We will gather in the morning and select groups." He paused and turned his head around slowly to regard the gathered. "We do not want conscripts, but volunteers. We have been silent for long enough, we have tolerated our home being abused for too many years. Those who wish to become a part of the party, will join us in the morning."

A soft murmur of agreement spread through the room, though the growls and rumbles were still there beneath the agreement. Rowan felt light headed with relief, almost missing the fact that the buck on the table was slipping down. The rough hoof tipped hands touched the back of her neck lightly as she watched the crowd starting to shift and break off into groups, most of them heading for the door and the cooler air outside, though some still remained to talk to Rouro and the group of otterkin that would make up the main sailing force.

"Sleep, h'it'll do you good." Heartwood's deep voice rumbled while he stroked her neck in an uncharacteristic display of affection. "H'our fawn will be saved. H'Aspen! Take her to my tent, h'and call the healer to take a look h'at her."

Rowan felt as if she were about to fall over, the last of her strength was being used to keep her going through the meeting. Another satyr, a doe, slipped an arm around her waist and gave her a gentle pull that got her up to her hooves again. Aspen's hands were gentle and Rowan didn't even fight as she was given a light tug. Dimly she could smell the other doe, a sweet scent of estrus, though that wasn't surprising. She was likely his current doe, his breeding interrupted by the summons that had brought him here, but he wouldn't abandon his chance to sire another fawn so easily. She didn't care, she just wanted to get away from the loud voices and into cooler air. She needed to sleep, and sleep deeply, if she were going to be one of the ones going to Hayden's Spit. Because she would not remain here when her fawn needed her.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Alaine curled himself up just enough that Oake could remain in view where the little one was nestled in a pile of furs that had been provided. His little body was tucked into a ball, his head resting against his knees and his tail barely twitching as he slept. He was bigger than when Alaine had left, he looked heavier and his limbs were a bit longer, but he was still the little one he recalled. Still boasted the splashes of color that made him looked as if he were patched together between white and red, still had the red tipped ears and brought with him the scent of Rowan. Now that had he had been cleaned and fed he looked more comfortable. He had barely moved once he had finished the milk, just passed out in the elf's arms while Alaine rumbled suspiciously.

He had overseen the fawn being placed in his cave and personally pushed the furs back into the corner as far away from the entrance as possible so that he could wedge his body into the cave if need be. Amber had watched his fussing with an air of amusement to her, but hadn't offered to help, simply regarded his fretting while she sprawled out near the front of the cave and kept her head angled towards him until he flopped down onto his stomach and stretched his legs out beneath him.

"I've never seen a dragon so fond of his Rider. They are normally perfectly happy to have the elves tend them this young." Amber murmured, her voice a soft trill behind him. Alaine stiffened and curled his lips back at the word.

"He is not my Rider, he is my friend, my friend's child and I care for him because she cared for me." He snapped back, quelling the strange uneasy feeling he felt in his stomach. "He is innocent in all of this."

"You care for him as if he were your Rider. You dote upon him and are protective of him." He turned his head as she moved behind him and he felt haunches lean up against his back when she sat up. "Is that not what a Rider is?"

"No, it is different." Alaine closed his eyes firmly, dismissing the argument. He didn't want to think about it. This wasn't like what the elves were doing to his kind, this was different. Completely different, he was doing this because they had been kind to him, they had cared for him.

"I see.." Amber's chin brushed the top of his shoulders as she peered in towards the sleeping fawn. "I would not know, I have never felt the urge to have a Rider and I would be little good in battle if I did." She dismissed the concern, but her chin remained pressed along the scarred area of his wing shoulders. "I have heard that you battled well on our shore, the young drakes are full of stories of you."

Alaine growled a wordless response, not quite sure of what response she wanted out of him about that. He had fought because he had enjoyed it, he had wanted to get his revenge and he had been able to finally do something about it rather than being forced to remain in a place where the dragons near worshiped the elves. He even felt pride that the drakes had been in awe of him, their admiration had been a balm to a soul that had been shut away from his own kind for far too long, but then he had found Oake. And the world was less steady, less calm than it had been.

"You are a warrior, Alaine, you need not be ashamed that you battled well." Amber rubbed her chin back and forth lightly. "You are to be honored, you learned to fight in a new fashion that we had never considered and you are a master of that art. Even now the young drakes are trying to swim in our lakes, disrupting our youngsters with their boasts that next time they will join you in the water."

"They can fly, they have no need to swim." Alaine didn't speak the words bitterly as he normally would have, but wearily. Her body against his own was a soothing balm to his bitterness, one that he had never hoped to have for himself. "I fight in the manner I must, and envy those that can be as true dragons leaving me crawling on the earth."

"You fight better than those in the air." The dragoness stopped her rubbing chin and he felt her body shifting against him, the velvety weight of her caressing his scales sent an electric thrill running down his spine that was hard to ignore. "The water affords all the comforts of air from what I have been told, you glide through it and strike hard and fast. You have found a sky of your own, even without your wings and that is to be envied."

"You talk as if it is a feat," Alaine turned his head from the cave and nearly brushed his muzzle against the lithe female's cheek. "As if it is truly admirable."

"I find that it is. There is much about you that I find admirable, you are truly a unique drake." Her muzzle caressed his own, bringing with it the warm scent of her sun warmed hide, something that made his stomach tense up. He lunged upwards, getting his paws beneath him while she curved her neck in a graceful arch.

Every instinct he possessed was alive, his heart was pounding as he felt the warmth pressed against him and watched her scales lighten just along her throat, changing into a burnished pale gold that flashed in the light. It wasn't a dramatic change in color, but a subtle one that caught his eye and made him flare his wings open to either side of his body. His mind wasn't even sure what it was, but his body reacted to it with a surge of adrenaline and desire that nearly made him dizzy. It was a heat that poured through him and caused him to open his eyes wide and curve his own neck, trying to show her the muscles along his deep scaled chest. The pain rocked along his back as he mantled his wings to cup against either side of his body, trying to display them in all their tattered glory for the dragoness at his side.

Amber stood up, slowly, but with a deliberate sensuous stretch that arched her neck and lifted her wings high along her back. The fine webbing was paling out, the edge of the sails were nearly white as was the tender curve of her belly. His mind was rolled under bestial primal thoughts, to drive her to the sky, to bite her haunches to send her leaping up before him. He would send her spiraling up on the winds and come beneath her, watch her heated body dancing before the sun and her scales changing color with her heat and arousal until she would nearly be the color of the white-hot day star. And then he could capture her, twining his wings and body with her own, plunging through the cool sky as their bodies burned....

"I can't.." The words grated from his throat as Amber's long elegant tail brushed against the tip of his own. He folded his wings with a hiss of pain and turned his head in shame. "Find a drake that can fly you, leave me."

"I am not asking you to fly with me, Alaine." She murmured his name while her muzzle touched his neck, leaving him shaking as the warmth of her breath tickled his scales. "And I will not leave for another drake."

Amber's teeth spread open and bit down against the side of his neck, flexing hard enough that he hissed out, but not in pain. It was a challenge, a love-nip meant to enflame his senses and it did so. His entire body stiffened while he turned his head and touched the paling hide with the tip of his muzzle. He drew in her scent, that intoxicating scent, and flared his aching wings out again so that her lithe body could slip beneath the tattered edge and press against him. He only had enough presence of mind to ensure their bodies blocked his lair and little Oake before he succumbed to Amber's demands.