by Sarah Hite
Kym merely nodded. This conversation had reminded her of all she had lost. She had failed to save her eggs from the flood, and had lost the second clutch early on due to an illness that swept through the clans. She blamed herself for losing both of them, and could not bear the pain of losing another clutch.
She left the Guest House and walked off to a ledge a little way from the city walls. Shaelynn saw her reach the ledge and crept out of hiding to sit with her. She said nothing, but nuzzled the queen’s foreleg. Kym looked down at the hatchling, knowing that the child shared some of her pain. She also knew that Moon would understand, after what had happened to the Nesting Caves three years ago.
Akina looked out the door the queen had just left, now greatly confused. She slowly followed Kym out of the building, but it took a minute to find her. When she had, she joined the two dragons on the ledge. “Um, your Majesty, is it possible that the other two eggs could have survived the flood?” she asked a little timidly.
Kym stared at her. “What?” She had forgotten that she was in the building during the story.
“The other two eggs, could they have survived?” She shifted uncomfortably, and looked up at the queen. There was an almost hopeful look in her eyes.
“I don’t see how they could have,” she said, now growing confused.
“But, if they did, would you take them back?”
Kym stared at the child. “Of course I would.”
Akina looked down at the ground. “How old would they be, if they had hatched?”
Kym sighed. She really did not want to think about the eggs, but she answered anyway. “If they had hatched, they would be just over two decades old.” At the child’s confused look, she added, “This would be their twenty third year.”
Again, Akina looked down. This time she drew a shape in the snow with a claw. “Is this Crescent Lake?”
“That’s what it looks like,” the now very confused queen answered.
Akina continued to draw in the snow. Before long, she had drawn a map. It depicted the lake and the surrounding valley, and was quite in depth, showing every little creek and gulley. She marked a place on the edge of the lake, not far from where the river joined it. This was the same river that had flooded the valley just after the queen’s nesting. She pointed to the spot. “This…this is where we hatched. There was no one around.”
Kym looked down at her in shock, trying to push back the hope and excitement that began to rise in her own heart. Knowing that she did not quite understand years, but knew the seasons, and trying not to sound too hopeful, she asked. “How many winters can you remember?”
Akina looked down, trying to think. “I…I’m not sure. Eighteen maybe, that I can remember.” She grew quiet as she tried to think. Her head snapped up as she said, “No, there were more than that. There were at least two winters before we found the baby.” At Kym’s request, she told them about finding a human baby alone in the woods and taking it back to where it belonged.
Kym did the math in her head. She was at least twenty years old, and there would be a few years she would not be able to remember. Shaelynn looked from Kym to Akina and back again. She studied them for a moment then said to the queen, Aunt Kym, she kind of looks like you. Kym decided to see if Pai could tell whether or not the child was from that clutch, and led the children back to the Guest House where she had Akina tell Pai and Ania what she had just told them.
After she finished her story, Pai examined her for genetic markers that would tell him if she was truly from that lost clutch. On her left shoulder, right where the wing and leg joints met, he found a small growth on the shoulder bone. It was caused by a genetic disorder in the bones, one known to the Royal family. He had to admit that she was their child. What he could not understand, was how the eggs had survived.
Determined
Down in the depths of the council chamber, the Royal Council was gathering. The chamber was well lit with many fires around the room, thin stone chimneys took the smoke away. Kyeon left his den and preceded down the dark corridor to the council chamber. He usually would go with Kym, and was acutely aware of her absents. He was worried for her health and safety, knowing that she had problems with her eye, and he knew it was likely to get worse. However, he also knew that she would not sit here while her friends were in danger. She had spent three months in the Southern Kingdom strengthening their alliance, and was quite fond of the Southern Queen.
He entered the council chamber and noted that he was the last to arrive. Even Kwan had reached the chamber before him; he was usually late on account of his son, who was not always cooperative. This time, he had brought Sayden along. The youth was sitting in a nook, occupying himself with a bunch of small stones of varying shapes and sizes. Part of his lesson was to build something with the stones. He had been moved to an advanced class in Teachings due to his surprising intelligence, for both he and his sister could speak full sentences long before other hatchlings their age. The boy had promised to work on his project while his father was busy.
Kyeon acknowledged the adults and said hello to his nephew before beginning, and walked over to Kwan. “I thought you were still in Aretell.”
“We returned this morning. Moon will be gone for a few more days.” The King nodded, but Kwan continued so only he could hear. She’s crying in our den, she had a hard time saying good-by. Shaelynn chased us halfway through the forest, and Pai asked me to inform you of an incident that happened shortly after arriving. Kym is fine, but it startled her. If you wish, I will tell the council.
Kyeon studied him, then asked, “What happened?” The council came to order at the question.
Kwan looked down for a moment, then said, “Kym had only begun to speak to Alamine when the sun came out. It reflected on a sheet of ice and blinded her. Shaelynn’s quick thinking blocked the sun until Pai could take her inside. It took several minutes to regain her sight… Pai had to give her something for the pain.”
“Is she alright?” Seoung asked, concerned.
“She will be. Ania made a covering for her eye that blocks most of the light.” As he seemed unwilling to continue, Kei-ata asked, “What else happened?”
Kwan looked up at the larger dragon. “After she was blinded, she slept for more most of the day. When she woke, it was dark. Only firelight lit the Guest House, but it was enough to bother her. Pai showed her what Ania had made, and suggested she wear it all the time.” At the shaman’s request, he told them about the eyepatch, and its intended purpose.
Kei-ata agreed that it was a good decision to cover the eye, and wanted to see the patch himself. He also thought it was time to distract the king from his mate’s troubles and suggested they begin the council meeting. The rest of the council agreed and he asked about the warriors, “How are the preparations going?”
Lyong Ryou, answered, “They are going slow, but steady. I would feel better if they went faster. There is still much to do.”
“The warriors seemed more willing to help the humans, than to aid the Southern Kingdom,” Seoung added.
“Sire?” Ryou asked, noting that the king seemed lost in thought. Kyeon shook himself mentally and looked at his council. “I want to call an assembly. There is no reason for the warriors to aid our human allies, but not our own kind. Kym has more honor and responsibly than they have, and she can’t see in the sunlight. Even Shaelynn has shown more courage than them, and she’s barely three years old.” He was clearly irritated.
“I will agree that she has shown exceptional courage and more understanding than most adults. Even as a young hatchling she exhibited a wisdom and strength well beyond her age,” Elder commented.
Kyeon snorted, “She gets it from her great- he paused, unsure of how many generations had passed since the elder’s birth. Finally, he simply said, “From the last of the Whitewoods.”
Kwan looked up, confused, “Who?”
Knowing he did not have the history they did, his father answered, “Whitewood was a mountain clan low in
the mountains. It was revered for having the strongest warriors, which is where the term ‘Whitewood Warriors’ comes from. We use their skill as a standard for our warriors. To reach their level of skill, is greatly honored.”
“But who’s the ‘Last of the Whitewoods’?” he asked, still confused.
Elder continued the story. “The ‘Last Whitewood’ was a young female who had been found after the clan’s destruction. She was only a hatchling at the time, but she grew up and overcame her fears. Later she became a Games’ Champion and faced many more hardships before the dralics attacked again. It was they who had destroyed the clan. She alone held them at bay, killing two before they even realized she had attacked. Her mate joined her and together they killed quite a few dralics. They were the only reason the army was able to force them away.”
Is that where Mother gets her strength? The Council looked over at Sayden who had stopped working on his project in order to hear the story. Kyeon had not made that connection, and the brothers looked at each other. “It would appear so,” the king answered somewhat amused.
Elder looked them over, he knew that the warriors were being uncooperative, and asked, “Do you think a small group would be ready? We could send a group of twenty-five to fifty, that way the Southern Kingdom would know that we were going to help them. From what I know of the dralics, they would not last long, but it might be enough to give us more time. Whoever goes, would need to understand that fighting a dralic would be like when Lukair and Lorex faced that man three times their size.”
The council understood his odds. They knew that whoever went, would have to be volunteers. They would have to know what they were up against, and this was perhaps the reason they were so unwilling to go to war. Yet, the council refused to let their southern neighbor be overrun. Elder knew that if they lost, the dralics would attack them, including the humans. Only Fire and Ice dragons stood a chance of defeating a dralic.
***
He stood in the Council Chamber, staring blankly at the rough stone walls. The room was dim, the smell of blood filled his nostrils. He looked up at the dralic before him, his breathing short with pain and anger. The dralic grabbed his head with one giant forepaw. Surrender is your only chance of survival. Why continue to fight when there is no hope of winning?
Aatu Haru looked up at the dralic after he had released him. “There is always hope. We will not give up. We will continue to fight until none of us still stand.”
The dralic looked down at the small breed, somewhat amused. Is that what your queen would have you do; kill yourselves for a piece of land? You have already lost many.
Aatu ignored his last statement. “No, she would have us fight for freedom, because there is always hope of winning.”
The dralic smiled at him, clearly amused. It would sadden you to know that your queen is dead then. She refused to give up and paid the price.
Aatu looked up at the dralic in shock. He refused to believe Alani was dead. He called to the warriors to keep fighting, to fight for the safety of their families. He did not tell them of Alani’s suspected death, knowing they would lose faith. He wanted them to believe that there was hope, that they would succeed, and that their allies were on the way.
Second Chances
As the sun rose and cast long shadows on the ground, Ania left the palace and went to speak with Kym. They had been in Sheadod for several weeks now; during those weeks, she had been watching the queen, and had come to a conclusion. Shortly after reaching that conclusion, she had spoken to Pai. He had agreed with her, having wondered about it as well, and knew they needed to talk. She quietly opened one of the large doors to the Guest House and slipped in. Pai was already awake; he acknowledged her and left the building. Ania walked over to Kym and woke her. She carefully unwound herself from Akina, who had slept next to her, and followed her outside.
Ania helped her put on the eyepatch, as she was still learning how, then crossed her arms and asked, “Kym, are you feeling alright?”
Kym looked down at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“We’ve been watching you, your Majesty, and we’re concerned.” Kym turned to look at Pai, still confused. “I don’t understand.”
Ania raised her hand as Pai began to say more. “Kym, talk to me. How are you feeling? I know you get headaches, especially after your eye is exposed to light, but other than that, how are you?”
Still not understanding, she said, “Tired, I guess. What are you talking about?” Ania un-crossed her arms and looked up at the queen. She really did not seem to understand.
Ania glanced up at Pai who was shaking his head. “Kym, when we first met, you were, thin, active, talkative, but now, you rarely talk, you’re tired, drawn. The only thing that seems to keep you going is Akina.”
Kym laid down and sighed. “I don’t know.”
Pai laid down next to her, “It’s ok, just talk. Have you been feeling ill lately?”
Kym looked over at him, “Ill? No, not that I can think of. Why?”
Ania stood in front of them, “What about earlier? Think back to while you were at the Keep.”
Kym lowered her head and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before saying, “Earlier this year, I felt kind of sick, but it didn’t last long.”
“Was that before you began gaining weight?” Ania asked. She nodded. “I stopped leaving the Keep when my eye really started bothering me. I thought I was just gaining weight because I wasn’t being as active.”
The young shaman shook his head. “We have a different theory.” She looked at him, “What do you mean?”
“We have noticed several things that have brought us to the same conclusion. Your exhaustion, mood changes, weight gain, and even your slightly increased hunger have been signs.”
Ania took over for him. “Kym, we think you’re pregnant.”
“What? No. No, no, that’s not possible. It… it’s not. Kei-ata said I couldn’t, that I wouldn’t—
Ania looked up at Pai, now confused herself, and he took over. “I know about the illness that cost you your last clutch, and how after you recovered, my father thought you would never again be able to nest, but if we’re right, it changes everything. It also means you can’t go to the Islands.”
“He’s right Kym, we can’t risk it. I want you to stay here, with Akina. She needs you.”
“But, what about Alani. I can’t leave her to fight the Dralics alone.”
“She won’t be. We will still go to help them, and Kyeon won’t let them down.” Ania could tell she was still uneasy and added, “We will be leaving soon, and I promise, we will find Alani and tell her that help is on the way.”
Kym sighed and laid her head back down. “How, how will we know… she ended the question there, but Pai understood. “There are a few things I can do, but it might be better if Father were here. Without knowing when you conceived, I can’t truly judge how far along you are.”
“That’s one reason for you to stay here. For all we know, you could be nearly due. Now, I’m going to leave you with Pai and I’ll be back in a little while after checking on our supplies. Then after I’ve checked in, I’ll check on our boat.” As she left, Pai instructed the queen to return to the Guest House and went to find somewhere private for the exam.
Ania returned about two hours later to find Kym sitting under a tree at the edge of the courtyard, Akina by her side. As Ania approached she noticed that Kym did not look very happy. She was staring out across the courtyard, but did not appear to be looking at anything in particular. Ania stopped by her side and knelt down next to the dragon. “Kym? Are you all right?” she asked.
Kym looked up. Quietly she answered, “No, no I’m not.” Ania remained quiet and let her speak. “I had not thought it was possible to have another chance. The illness, it made me…” she shook her head. “That’s why I was happy that Moon had become a mother. Without a son of our own, Sayden would inherit the throne. Now, our first clutch has been returned to us.” She paused
and swallowed; then she took a deep breath and said, “When you and Pai thought I might be…it scared me.”
“Why?” Ania asked confused.
Kym looked over at Akina; the youngster nodded and stood. She went over to where Pai was watching Shaelynn build something with a pile of odd shaped stones. She watched her for a minute before asking what she was doing. Pai smiled and explained, then offered her a pile. Kym watched as she began her own project before turning back to Ania. “The illness did more than take away the possibility of having children. It created…” she shook her head and started over. “The illness didn’t take away my ability to have children, it made it extremely difficult. The disease only affected the females. Those who were able to nest after recovering nearly died during the delivery, some of them did. If I have another clutch, I might not survive the Nesting. The pregnancy itself would be very hard on me.” She spoke softly, her fear evident in her voice.
Ania remained quiet. She had not expected the pregnancy to be demanding, nor the delivery to be severely life-threatening. “What did Pai say?” she asked tentatively.
Kym looked down, her sadness and fear were clear in her eyes. “He needs some more schooling, but he knew enough. He’s not positive of the timing, but he thinks I’m in the second trimester.”
“Perhaps we can send Chekal to tell Kyeon, and have Kei-ata come down. In the meantime, there will be many willing to help with anything you need.” Kym looked up; she accepted the suggestion and seemed to cheer up. Chekal had come bearing a message from Mychal, who was still in Ciciana. Since he was returning to Aretell with the same message for Captain Harden, Mychal had asked that he deliver the news to his wife. She would make sure the orders were carried out. Ania put her hand on the queen’s paw and added, “We could even request Henreth’s help.”