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Otsi winced.

"Want the good news?" asked the beaver as he inspected the stitches. "This is going to leave one impressive scar."

Otsi gave him a displeased look. "Unlike some I don't enjoy collecting marks of battle."

"Battle eh? Heh, running like a spooked child is not battle." The beaver continued to carefully clean the torn up membrane. The dragon's wing was stretched as far as it could go, and it was clear that if he tried any more at this point the tough loops of thread would rip and tear, possibly shredding his wing further. "How's your arm?"

Otsi slowly lifted his right arm. A splint bound the upper portion. But he didn't seem in much pain from the movement.

"You are lucky the break wasn't much worse. Else you might not have that arm any more you should know. Still, put on a suit of armor the right way and no one would notice." The beaver inspected Otsi's arm. "Yes, yes, a few more weeks and you should be good as new. Well, at least that part of you. Your hand will take a bit longer. But you won't be needing to stay here for that."

Otsi groaned as he put his arm back down. "I appreciate your help of course, but, yes, you understand that we can't stay here forever."

"Few are ever in a position to stay an hour. All the same, my hospitality only lasts so long, even if I'm helping a friend." The beaver nodded to the raccoon curled up on the cot on the far side of the room. "And though my business is not so interesting these days, if you were to stay past a certain I might ask some help with things."

Otsi was not too keen on owing this fellow a favor and it was obvious in his eyes. The beaver wasn't looking at his face, instead having returned his gaze to the wing tare. He got to work applying a fresh bandage, kept in place by a small bit of tar at the edges.

"You seem infection free, yes, yes. Won't need to leave a big hole here I think. Now you get some rest."

Otsi nodded. "Any word from Carn's castle?"

"Not yet. The trip there takes some time without flying you know. The terrain is rough and the only safe way up is from the south right now due to the storms. Yes, yes. It is not a place I've had any dealings with, so no friends with favors."

The beaver got up and left without another word.

Otis turned his head to the side and laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. The attic was quiet as the beaver's footfalls down the stairs drew distant.

"You don't have to be so cold with him," said Werz. "He does like friendly people."

"I thought you were asleep."

"If you think I'm asleep I've either been thrown through a window or just trying to listen in." Her words were a tad slurred. She laughed. "Nah, you two are just too loud."

Otsi rubbed his forehead. "You do know I've a file on Master Wex."

"Not surprising. And remember, the term is had. Had a file on. I doubt you'll be getting your old job back any time soon."

Otsi sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if my old job was part of all of this shit. I mean, I was in charge of protecting the realm, and explicitly given a place to work outside the palace. It wasn't a promotion. It was an effort to move me away from there so they could figure out if I was complicit and to watch and see if I tried anything. Optan has her own people... probably more than I was ever aware of."

Werz sighed. "Why do I have the feeling that most of what we understand of why Optan and the queen have it out for you is wrong?"

Otsi laughed this time. "Because we can't seem to escape the web of lies? I at the very least believe Vulgrin and Rop as far as what they think the truth is. They're too dim to make up a good story themselves."

"You know better than I."

Werz turned over to look at the dragon. He rested on his side, his injured wing pulled close but kept up and off the bed, and thus in view of her.

"Otsi," she said. "This... has been a lot... I want you to know, that if you need to lie to me, I'd rather not be at your side."

"I understand. If I were in your spot, I'd be demanding the same." He sighed. "I'm just not sure this should be your fight any more. Things are not as clear as I had hoped. Not as easily handled. You don't have any real reason to hang on."

"Sure I do. Besides possibly being hunted down myself if they know I'm alive, Eca is good reason enough." She grinned. "You should know that."

The dragon feigned a puzzled look. "I'm... confused... Are you saying that you have... a thing for my fiance?"

"Pardon? Oh, no, not that kind of thing. She's my friend. And, despite her defenses, she's one of the best people I've ever known. Just takes some effort to get through them. Or accident, as was the case with me."

The dragon nodded. "I hope she's alright. Carn's... a scumbag. We need to get out of this city as soon as we can. I don't want to wait for Wex to decide to tell us things."

Werz nodded back. "He isn't that bad," she said while making her expression clear that she was lying.

"Gwerf, well, still," he said giving her a wink. "Even if he is a nice guy deep down inside, I still want to meet back up with Eca and Dolf. They're probably worried sick about us."

---

Dolf shook his head. "Everything is falling apart. We should run."

Eca's arms were crossed. "Dolf... Please." The dragoness was dressed in a simple gray dress. A few bits of flare that would complete the rushed wedding costume had yet to be tied onto her arms. The quivering scales at the edge of her mouth were the only sign that the stone cold look was only a show. They were alone in her room, the hand maiden that was helping her was no doubt listening on the far side of the door.

"Please what? Please let me make a horrible mistake?" The bear growled. "Please let this ingrate continue to use you as a pawn?"

"Quiet down."

"Fine!" he shouted before taking a breath. Quieter, he spoke again. "Carn is full of shit and you know it. Otsi can't be dead."

"Dolf, even if he is alive, there's not a lot of options for us at the moment." Her words were quick. "If Gossious is here, then the queen's people are not far behind. We have no time."

"We leave. Now."

"And... You think Carn will just let us leave?"

Dolf sighed. "Probably not... But damn it, its insane to marry yourself off to Carn so easily."

"You don't understand..." Eca retorted.

"Don't understand? Your love may be dead, and you are just going to jump into the greedy arms of another. You need sex that badly? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Don't you dare," she said as her teeth began to become more visible. "You know nothing." She turned and spread her wings. She moved to the window and gazed out.

The bear clenched his fists. "I know more than you want to admit. And I know this is not a smart move. If Otsi is alive, then you are throwing your life with him away. If he's dead, then you are not just being insulting to what you had with him, but are being short sighted. You can't believe he'll not turn you over the moment its demanded of him, can you? He's power hungry but he's a coward. He won't defy an order from an agent of the queen to hand you over. You'll be married, he'll request that you're life be spared so he can rape you when he's visiting the palace, but you will end up in a cell until long after my grand kids are dead."

Dolf rubbed his forehead. "Eca, this is wrong. What is going on is wrong. This game... this horrible horrible game must end."

"Dolf," she said in a much calmer tone. "Do you trust me?"

"I... I used to. But if you make this move, let him, have you, then I don't think I can any more."

"But at this moment, do you trust me?"

He growled. "Yes."

Eca turned back to him. "And, my friend, I trust you. Please leave and let that poor girl back in. In fact, leave this castle. Gather your things and leave. I don't need your services here."

Dolf mashed his teeth. Any harder and they would lose their edge. "Fine. I'm gone." The bear spun, threw open the door revealing not one, but four does listening to where the door was just at, and he marched out between them.

He made a quick move to his room and grabbed his bag. He had already packed in anticipation of them needing to head out in a hurry. From there he headed down stairs, growling audibly. Several heads turned as he walked through the main hall towards the main entrance. There hadn't been time to put up decorations of course, but a table with food had been put out already as well as a number of chairs. The two vassal lords from the evening's dinner were chatting quietly in two of them. They were to be the witnesses.

He paused and they looked at him. They said nothing and waited for him to continue.

Then he noticed that there were a number of people at the doors. They were armed and sporting armor, heavy on the metal. The lead of the group, talking with the door keeper, was a feline, mostly orange, but with black stripes. Dolf had never seen a cat with such specific colorings.

"Hey you!" yelled the door keeper. "You here, now."

Dolf marched to the group. Other than the leader there were six others. Varying sizes, species, and genders. All well armed. Dolf noticed they even had pistols. "What?"

"I am Zivoz, agent of the crown. Are you lady Eca's protector?" asked the feline.

"Not any more. She has dismissed me," he said, almost spitting his words. "You here for her?"

"Yes," she replied. "She is wanted for conspiracy to commit treason. Do you intend to keep us from our duty?"

Dolf sighed. "I'm not suicidal. Plus... as I said, I've been dismissed." He looked back down the hall and up to the ceiling. "One way or another I've lost a friend," he muttered quietly.

"Fine," said the cat. She was almost as big as Dolf, which he found a bit intimidating. "But you seem to be alright with us being here. That's a tad odd."

Dolf laughed. "She's under Carn's thumb now. Getting married to the shit. Yes you heard me door keep, your lord's a shit."

The door keeper nodded. "Indeed. They are to be wed within the hour." Dolf couldn't tell if he had ignored his own last proclamation or was actually agreeing with it.

"That's right," said Carn as he came from a side door, a look of hate focused on Dolf. "And who dares interrupt me on the night of my wedding?"

Carn was dressed in a well worn, but still quite fine formal uniform. He was followed by six of his own goons.

"Lord Carn, I am here to arrest Lord Eca for conspiracy to commit treason," said Zivoz. "Hand her over."

Dolf moved out from between the two groups, sliding against the wall next to the door keep. He looked to the old buck who looked up at him. They returned their gaze to the two groups as the conversation continued.

"I can't let you do that at the moment," said Carn. "Wedding first. Dolf?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"You look like you're leaving," said the buck. "Get the hell out of my castle and don't let me ever see your stupid face again."

Dolf nodded. "I'm on my way out. Won't be coming back. Ass."

Carn nodded and the door keeper slid to the door to let him out. The keeper buck handed him a lit lantern and gave him a nod. As the bear slid through, he overheard a little more of the exchange.

"I don't care about your wedding," said Zivoz. "She's a criminal. Bring her here or we will seek her out."

"This is my castle. I will comply with the laws of the realm, but I am within my rights to secure my bride and my lineage," replied Carn. "You can wait an hour."

"Then we have her?"

The door shut. Dolf starred at it for a few minutes. The voices grew louder and louder. Then they stopped. It was very quite. He turned slowly, glancing over his shoulder at the door a few times, and started down the road south from the castle.

"Eca... you idiot."

His heavy boots fell hard on the wide paving stones leading out from the castle. This place had no town around it. The Dershigs were not keen on neighbors. The path along the ridge line away from the castle soon faded into the dirt road he and Eca had taken on their way to ask Carn for help. Dolf's tight fists began to ease as he grew weary of holding them such. But even letting his hands rest, his very quiet mutterings made it clear that he was far from at ease.

He paused a quarter mile down the road and reached into his bag. He pulled out a wood flask, popped the cork, and took a drink. He put it away and continued to curse, but at a much slower pace. A bit further down the road he remembered seeing a sharp bend as it began to meander down the edges of the ridge. The bear began to ponder the possibility of setting up an ambush.

He eventually reached the turn, looked it over, and decided against it. Even if he could knock out their leader, and probably one or two others, the others would shoot him in the back easily enough.

"I hate guns," he said before taking another drink. "Swords aren't much better. And screw crossbows. Screw assholes with weapons." He glanced to the sword at his side. "Screw me too. I'm no more better."

The bear shook his head and continued down the path with a quicker pace. The next mile vanished and his light grew dim after the second hour. He climbed off the path and up the ridge a bit. Dolf found his way to a rocky area out of view of the road. He found a wide flat bit of stone and laid out his blanket. Laying down he continued to grumble.

His eyes looked up into the sky. The bear didn't know the constellations. He recalled asking Eca about them once. She offered to teach him at some point. She had made a joke about dragons only seemingly being scholars because they get bored and can't help but go out and learn things as all other pursuits become dull. Dolf remembered chuckling at the comment before mentioning he had met dragons older than her who couldn't figure out how to use forks. There had been much laughter.

He closed his eyes. A howling wind picked up and he felt the slight chill on his snout. But he was of course fine and wouldn't have much trouble with the cold unless snow began to fall. And even then he had but to pull the blanket over him. Dolf focused on relaxing but it was hard. Thoughts raced through his head of what had happened. He could of insisted she go with him harder. But anything short of picking her up would of not done any good. And even that might of just been an annoyance for his friend and not a solution.

"Eca, if Otsi is dead... then Werz might be too... then I'm the only one who can help you." He sighed. "You stubborn stubborn fool."

"I like the sentiment, but I'm not sure I like being called stubborn, even if its true," said Eca, her voice cutting through the screeching wind.

The bears eyes shot open and he jerked his head in the direction of where the voice had come. There, lacking her dress now, was the tall and thin dragoness perching on one of the near by rocks. She was still wearing her undergarments, and some sashes on her arms, which unlike the dress wouldn't of interfered with her flight. She shown bright even in the dim light.

"Eca!"

"Don't be too excited at the moment, I need you up and moving right away. They'll be coming down that road very quickly and they know you're likely following it."

Dolf got up and quickly began to regather his things. "And here I was thinking you had gone and let Carn have you... and those thugs..."

"Of course not," she said grinning. "But I couldn't let his servants overhear me saying I was leaving now could I? Plus, you're too heavy for me to carry while flying. I needed to give you a head start or else we wouldn't have escape them."

Dolf smiled as he double checked that he had all his things. "Eca... Eca... I should be more pissed at you."

She nodded. "I wouldn't of been surprised if you had called me a heartless bitch by this point." He had. "Now come on. I spotted a path down the side of ridge on the other side of the crest. Don't relight your lamp of course until you're well into the trees."

Soon enough, they had started to make their way further up the ridge. Both of them were fairly good in the dim light of the hour, even if there were a few stumbles. Hitting the top Eca paused and looked back. From that spot the road a bit further up was visible as was the glow of the castle. They could see a light half way back to Carn's.

"Think our time is limited," said Dolf. "If they're skilled at tracking I don't believe we'll be able to out run them in the dark."

"You're right," she said and turned. "There, see that side spur heading that way? The slope until the far end is gentle. North side has a stream that runs down a ravine. I'll meet you where the stream meets a pond."

Dolf nodded. "You're going to draw them off?"

Eca nodded. "Of course." She had been busy pulling off the last sash.

Dolf gazed at her for a few moments. "You go do that. Don't get killed."

"Of course," she chuckled.

Dolf gave her a nod before hurrying down the far side of the ridge. It was quite steep. Eca on the other hand moved the other way, quickly vanishing from view.

"I guess you keep my trust," said Dolf a few minutes later as he paused on a boulder.

---

"Morning," said the beaver as he set a tray on the night stand next to the dragon's bed.

"Its morning?" said Otsi as he rubbed his eyes.

"Quite, yes, yes, and I think its high time for your breakfast mister sleeps until almost noon."

Otsi looked to his host. Wex was dressed and even looked like he had been out already. As his eyes adjusted and he sat up he did spot the day light hitting the hall way floor through the doorway.

Thank you," said the dragon realizing there was food. "Oh there's no need for you to bring me anything, Werz can handle stuff like this. I could as well if you'd let me out."

The old beaver nodded. "Soon. Quite soon hopefully. You are quite on the mend mister renegade. No flying for a bit yet I'd argue, and you best practice before trying any acrobatics. But I'm sure you can hit the street in just a few more days."

Otsi nodded as he took some of the bread from the platter.

"As your time here is coming to a close, I do have a favor to ask of you," said Master Wex.

Otsi paused mid chew. He swallowed without mashing it further.

"Not anything too troublesome, yes, yes," said the beaver as he stared the dragon in the eye. "I mean, I don't need a hit on any one. That's what you need. That's what you desire. No, I just need some peace of mind."

"I hope you can understand my fear of what that might entail. I had hoped we'd be out of here before you got to asking..."

"We're friends now. You and I. Both on the outs with the authorities. You more than I of course. And yes, you probably know better than I how out I am exactly. But I would like it if some people, especially your replacement, was unaware of this fact if possible. Its possible, yes? Yes?"

"I can't erase minds," said the dragon. "So spit it out."

"You no doubt had a file on me at your old job. Get it for me, and destroy any copies. I'm out of the game, but I'd rather not be prodded in the future. And if they do come looking for me, I can't guarantee I'd be quiet after all. You can get in, you know where things are kept, yes, yes, and thus are best suited for getting this."

"You are... assuming a lot in all of this," said Otsi.

"Oh yes, yes, you could just kill me on your way out, or even now. But given your replacement is one of Optan's goons, it might also be a good way to start on your pay back. So there's that. Plus my cousin is still down stairs." The beaver smirked. "And as well, if you do this, I'll be able to tell you the news of what I have heard of your lady."

"So you heard back from Carn's?" asked the dragon quickly.

"Not yet, but I figure they'd be back around the time you are able to act on my request."

"I... I have to admit this isn't as bad as I thought it would be," said Otsi. "Plus, there's a few things I would like to grab from my old office."

"Good good. I knew you were a reasonable fellow."

The dragon looked away and then back to the beaver. "Do you know who my replacement is?"

"Some weasel named Sloj."