Forest Keep 44
#46 of Forest Keep
Wow, Im back! heres 44 ..and soon to follow 45. I know its been awhile but for immediate reading enjoyment visit www.forestkeep.net
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anyway..enjoy the latest couple of chapters and let me know any ideas or comments!
cheers Shim
Chapter 44
Divitchka lay on his lounger and groaned in his sleep, his head throbbing from both his anger and despair at losing his family. Finally succumbing to exhaustion after demolishing a goodly portion of his main room, he grumbled and muttered fitfully. His eyelids twitched as he envisioned finding the human worm and stepping on him slowly and deliberately while his family cowered in awe behind him.
It did not occur to him that he could be wrong. Such beings often do not realize it until far too late.
Caroline awoke with a jerk followed by an abrupt shiver, the false dawn making her blink her eyes rapidly as they struggled to adjust. She had a moment's confusion as to where she was and to whom she was clinging, before pulling away from Tomako's side with a muffled cry.
"Are you all right?" the quiet man murmured. He seemed stronger to her now, and she tried to regain a little of her dignity.
"Why should that matter to you?" she retorted, "Are we at the keep yet?" She strained her eyes, trying to look ahead through the gloom.
Tomako shook his head slowly, "Not yet... a couple more hours" he sighed, looking ahead and trying not to fall asleep himself. He too had felt his sister's joy at her mating, and wished he could congratulate her properly. But she was asleep now, and he would leave as quickly as possible to spare her any pain.
Caroline grimaced as her stomach suddenly growled noisily.
"Stop a moment, I want to get some food," she ordered, looking back at the wagon.
Tomako blinked and hesitantly tugged on the reins, the horses obligingly coming to a halt.
"Wait here," said Caroline, waving the saber at him. "Don't try to escape."
Tomako sighed as she disappeared around the side of the wagon. Did humans have an oath system, he wondered? He had given his word that he would protect her, and still she did not believe him. It was yet another mystery to solve.
He sniffed the air cautiously but there was nothing but Caroline's scent in the air and he relaxed a little. He did not think that any remaining outlaws would track them, but he was still relieved when Caroline reappeared with some bread and cheese, his own stomach gurgling at the sight.
Taking up her position on the driving board once more, Caroline ate her breakfast, oblivious to the pangs of the injured dragon beside her.
Tomako tugged on the reins, and the weary horses began to move towards the keep once more.
He did not see the lone man carefully pacing the wagon, quietly circling to move ahead of the weary, slow moving horses.
Ploom and Jasmina returned to the trod slowly, the two fairies both thinking hard about what had happened. The concentrated jolt of magic that Ploom had received seemed to have worn off but they both realized that their relationship had changed. Jasmina recognized that she did not have to maintain a wall against the smaller male anymore, while Ploom had gained an insight into Jasmina's behaviour and a new confidence that showed in his whole body.
He also felt that he somehow owed her something, perhaps fearing that he had forced himself on her and that she would resent him. He risked a quick look over at her; she was smiling, and her eyes had a lift to them he had not seen before. The look she turned upon him was anything but resentful. He began to feel a little better, and when they landed on the platform outside the throne room he slipped his hand into hers and they both walked in together.
King Dougal looked up at the pair and smiled; he hadn't missed the spring in both of their steps, and he cocked a bushy eyebrow at them.
"So then, did you find anything interesting?" he asked quietly, beckoning them closer.
Jasmina nodded eagerly. "Yes Sire, Ploom found a hoof print beside the lake."
Dougal nodded sagely. "And did it seem odd, or glow at all?"
Ploom and Jasmina both blushed and nodded together "It did have a halo of sorts, Sire, and it made us feel odd," Jasmina stammered, not wanting to go into too much detail.
The king leaned back in his throne, a knowing smirk on his face. "It is as I suspected. That will be all. I shall deal with this soon." He dismissed the two with a generous wave. "Go and see what those dragons are up to."
Jasmina and Ploom both bowed and retreated from the room, trying hard not to grin at one another.
Osedax scratched away at a scroll quietly. He knew that things would be coming to a head with the council soon, and he needed to marshal his arguments. The situation with Cill and James was precarious, and this latest debacle could tip the favour towards those clans who sought James' destruction along with that of his mate.
It was time to step in personally, he decided. He would go and see the situation for himself and take steps to protect them if required. A tiny part of his mind did keep wondering why he was going to so much trouble for a human, but he was not stupid and recognized that he had ancient prejudices as well.
Marre had made a convincing argument, and the time was not far off when James would start to fulfill the old blue's plans.
He knew Nakkour would be safe with Nokala; even Divitchka would hesitate to attack that one. His quill scratched wetly at the page as he noted the events of the last few days. He couldn't help feeling that he was too old for such change, and to his own shame he felt a little jealousy creeping in as well. He was too old to enjoy the newfound pleasures the young females were all learning and passing on to their mates. There certainly seemed to be a lot less aggression at the council lately.
Even Tekala the red seemed to be happier than usual, though one could not always be sure about that one. Osedax suspected he wanted to be Clanmaster one day, and that would not do. If the future of Dragon kind was linked with humans, then it would be done as carefully as possible and hopefully without unnecessary bloodshed.
Sighing, he rolled up the scroll and tucked it in a rack, ready for the next meeting. Scratching idly at a few loose scales he yawned widely and slithered onto his lounger for a nap.
Taking advantage of the short break in the wagon's movements, the sole surviving outlaw overtook the slow moving pair. He did not know where the dragon had gone, as he had escaped successfully by simply being the first to run as fast as he could while the beast had ravaged his friends.
He assumed that the swarthy, bearded lout driving the wagon was the last guard this noblewoman possessed. Surely at this point, they would not be expecting a surprise attack. It would be a small form of revenge, anyway. He shuddered at the memory of the beast...the sheer size and ferocity of it. Why it had not eaten the woman and her guard, he could not fathom. Perhaps it was sated and asleep after feeding on the bodies of his comrades. Giving another little shudder at this thought and cradling the sword he had managed to salvage, he carefully settled into a bush alongside the track. One quick stab and it would be over. Then he wouldn't have to share the ransom with anyone else! He grinned to himself at this silver lining to the black cloud that had loomed over this venture so far.
Ploom and Jasmina flew over the walls over the keep and split up, Jasmina heading for Duncan's room atop the keep while Ploom peeked in on Cill and James. Both were snoring away, Cill's wing covering James as she would a hatchling.
Ploom yawned and flitted idly over the pair, looking them over he discerned something odd.
Fairy vision was sharper than most and able to discern far more than they let on to others. He could see the placid cobalt-blue aura of Cill and the slightly lesser shade of James but there was something else. A small greenish tinged aura somewhere in the middle of the pair that he could not make out. Flitting closer to get a better look, he sucked in a breath noisily. There could be no doubt. But what should he do? This was trouble!
Jasmina flew in through Duncan's window and giggled as she saw him lying in bed covered with a thin sheet, mouth open and snoring loudly. She cocked her head as he muttered and twitched a bit, rolling onto his back. She covered her mouth to hide a laugh as a large tent appeared in the bed as he lay upon his back. She couldn't help wondering if he was dreaming about Katreen or someone else.
Deciding to test something that she had told Katreen earlier, she fluttered down onto the bed. Standing beside the sizable lump, Jasmina measured herself in relation to it. It was indeed five full hand-spans larger than she was.
Giggling to herself, she made a mental note to pass this valuable information on to Katreen as soon as possible. Flying out the window, she realized that she had not measured the girth of the human... but that could wait for another time.
Ploom debated with himself; he knew he was young and silly, but this news would rock the trod and perhaps also jeopardize the couple peacefully sleeping below him.
Biting his nails fretfully, he sat on the cold ledge and thought hard. He knew that Jasmina hadn't spotted this as she would have been very upset. Coming to a decision, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor and that he would keep the couple's secret for now. A smile arose on his face as he wondered if they knew; it was certainly a surprise to him - who would have thought it possible?
Tomako sat back in the drover's seat and thought miserably about his future. He realized he did not have the faintest clue about where to go after he left the keep. He could not return home, so that meant finding a new place. Preferably one far from humans and other dragons, a place where he would no doubt live a solitary life without a mate or offspring. No dragoness would breed with a rogue killer.
There was an abrupt moment of noise and confusion as a screaming human lunged from the bushes beside the road, a rusty sword thrust before him and death in his eyes. With reptilian swiftness, Tomako batted the sword from his hand and before he had even realized it, he grasped the man around his neck and lifted him off the ground, making his eyes bulge in terror.
Tomako snarled, a horrible sound to hear coming from a human throat as he leaned towards the ruffian who was making soft, choking noises while a spreading wet patch stained his breeches.
"I should kill you like I did your friends," Tomako growled softly, muscles flexing as he eyed the whimpering man "They made me have to kill them all - why?" he demanded angrily, shaking the man like a rag doll.
There was a tentative touch on his shoulder and he turned his gaze to Caroline who was also shuddering in terror at the sudden change in her escort's demeanor.
"D-don't kill him," she stammered, wondering if anything she said would have an effect.
"Why not?" Tomako rasped, "He meant to kill me, and no doubt to take you as his prize!" He shook the quivering ruffian again. "Didn't you?" he demanded, pointing at the rusty sword where it lay on the ground.
The tides of Tomako's rage washed and surged as he saw in the grubby monkey hanging from his hand the cause of his disgrace and sadness.
"He deserves nothing less," he growled, turning his head away from Caroline and clenching his fist, veins standing out on his biceps while the outlaw turned purple and thrashed violently.
"NO!" Shocked, Caroline leapt forward and grabbed his arm, trying to force it open, Tomako opened his fist and the outlaw dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Tomako whirled on Caroline, his eyes filled with rage when he suddenly halted, slumped down and wept, tears pouring from his eyes as he realized he had nearly killed again.
Caroline looked at him in wonder; he had, in the blink of an eye, single-handedly disarmed and subdued an obviously experienced and dangerous man. Perhaps there was something in his story about killing everyone after all.
To her surprise, she found herself patting him on the shoulder comfortingly while he sobbed noisily. The outlaw was obviously out for the count but at least the color was returning to his face.
Tomako raised his head and sniffled, his golden eyes bloodshot as he wondered what to do next. If they left the man here, there was no guarantee that he would not attempt another ambush further up the road.
He turned slowly to look at Caroline. "What do you want to do with him?" he asked her quietly "You wanted him to live, so live he shall. But we can not leave him here."
Caroline blinked; she hadn't thought this far ahead, and now he was looking to her for instructions?
"I-I don't know," she replied hesitantly. "Perhaps we could take him to the keep?"
Tomako nodded slowly. "I shall need your help to put him in the wagon."
Stepping slowly from the wagon, he gingerly tested his weight on the injured leg and was surprised to feel the pain had lessened considerably. There was still a dull throbbing, but otherwise it was tolerable.
Caroline took the unconscious outlaw's feet in her hands and tried to lift him - God, how heavy was this evil-smelling lout? She looked at Tomako with new respect, yet tempered with fear. He had held this man up by the throat with no sign of strain. She watched as Tomako merely grabbed him by the back of his filthy jerkin and with her help, lurched towards the back of the wagon.
Opening the door, he unceremoniously bundled the ruffian into the rear and bolted the door from the outside. It was unlikely that he would awaken before they reached the keep anyway, she thought to herself.
Limping awkwardly, Tomako staggered back to the front of the wagon and dragged himself into the seat once more.
Caroline joined him in silence as they started towards the keep once again. She kept sneaking sidelong glances at him now and then, noting his expression of misery and the occasional tear that trickled down his cheek. Just what was going on?
Nokala awoke slowly, cracking one eye open as the early sun filtered down through cunningly sculpted vents into the lair. He felt renewed and cheerful as he remembered the previous couple of days. Carlina's heat should have finished, so he would be able to visit James and Cill today without worrying about other males challenging him in his absence. He realized just how much he missed having a hatchling around the lair, and looked forward to having another to spoil and raise in a few months.
Raising his head, he flared his nostrils at a strange scent. Another dragon? He felt his heart thud heavily in alarm before recognizing the scent as female, his sense of relief making him light headed. The last thing he needed now was to waste energy on a fight with a brash adolescent male.
He looked down at Carlina; if there was another female in the lair, then she had to have let her in. He sampled the air again. It did not smell/taste like Mella... frowning, he nudged his sleeping mate until she lifted her head sleepily "Mmm?" she asked querulously, blinking her heavy-lidded eyes slowly.
"Who is the female?" Nokala asked curiously, nuzzling his mate gently in greeting.
Carlina groaned and poked him with a talon "Your problem, that's who," she said, before slumping back down again.
Nokala grumbled as he stood up, making his way towards the guest chamber. Poking his head round the corner, he took in the blue-and-white dragoness with a groan, recognizing her immediately.
"Oh no," he murmured. Pulling his head back, he made his way back to his own chamber.
Nakkour yawned widely, opening her eyes she wondered for a moment where she was. Missing the familiar surroundings of her home, she sat up in shock before recalling her panicked flight and her new haven.
Her eyes sought out the kegs of her hoard, and she was relieved to see them intact and undisturbed where she had stacked them the night before. They were all she had left of her former life, and no dragoness enjoyed being a pauper.
She sniffed the air and caught Nokala's scent, familiar to her from the council meetings when Divitchka had taken her along. That was another fear, she was still of breeding age and would likely not resist if he approached her when she next came into heat. She shook her head in distaste; no male would treat her as chattel ever again.
Stretching her neck, she found she could also smell a delightfully warm bathing pool nearby, and she slowly made her way towards it.
Shalla gently stroked her mate's back as he snoozed against her. She felt a definite propriety now...her mate... Leaning down she gave his cheek a soft lick and felt herself relax properly for the first time in many days. Purring quietly, she looked down at the small human who had given her such pleasure.
No wonder Cill had been walking round with such a smirk, she thought to herself with a smile of her own. She had been so nervous of mating and it had taken a human to show her she did not need to be scared. She giggled as she thought of Tomako, and wondered what he would think of his giddy sister now.
Father could rant and rave all he wanted, she decided. She was not going to give up her mate to his prejudices. Tommy had proven he was bonded to her, and she was going to return that love as best she could. This thought surprised her; if her father had disowned her, then there would be no formal bonding ceremony at the clan hall as Cill had had. She felt a momentary dismay at not being able to show off her new mate to her friends, but surely she could invite them to the keep again.
Tommy shifted and cuddled up against her side, murmuring in his sleep as he snuggled, and she obligingly let him get as close as he wished.
Shalla hoped Cill would help her a little more as she needed to sort her life out in the absence of parental help. Giving a little start, she remembered Nokala telling her to call him if they needed advice or assistance.
Rather than wake him this early she decided to put off that call until Tomako had returned. She realized that she had been alone all night with her mate, and that Tomako was nowhere to be seen. She felt no alarm as, after all, they were safely hidden and he obviously had realized that she wanted to spend time with her new mate. Lowering her head, she nuzzled Tommy gently and smiled as he grumbled in his sleep, pushing briefly against her side before settling down once more.