by Sarah Hite
She was almost completely white; her frosty blue markings had only just begun to appear. As Elder inspected the child, he found that the boy had been correct. She was thin and weak, as if she had not been eating. He carefully set her back down and said, "Keep an eye on her and let me know if she gets worse. I'm going to see if Alani knows anything. I'll also send someone to bring her something to eat. Do you remember what your mother ate before she nested?" Torak nodded. "When the food comes, give it to her like that." Again he nodded, understanding that she would not have the strength to tear the meat apart herself, and would need someone to shred it for her.
Elder came back about an hour later. He pulled the boys aside and said, "Her parents were called in to fight. Her father is a warrior and her mother a shaman. Her father went missing and her mother was captured in one of the early battles. This little one had been forced to flee and was found by a group of Pebblines. They were trying to take care of her, but their clan was discovered and the whole clan was forced to leave. She hasn't had a proper meal since her parents were captured." He paused and added, "Her name is Shanni."
The boys nodded. They would see that she, and the other children received the proper amounts of food. Knowing that the Pebblines would need less food, and that the little Ice dragon would not be able to eat all of hers for a while, they would finish off her dinners while the young Ocean dragons would get separate meals. Torak decided to find out what their names were and set about asking those who were old enough to speak. He started with the Ocean dragons and asked who there were, and what at part of the isles they came from. Akio would be able to figure out if their parents had been captured or might be hiding in the caverns.
They found out that one of the Ocean dragons was called Neela. She and her siblings, Eika, and Nori, had managed to stick together after the capital had been over run. They had been one of the first families to move to the Eastern Caverns and had been spending the week in Deep Tide. Neela said that if their parents were okay, they would have returned home, knowing that the children would make their way there. The next group, two boys, Javi and Daro, were neighbors from the clan of South Beach, one of the next clans to be attacked. The other four were Pebblines. Palo, Eira, Tomel, and Zema, had come from all over the island.
Now they knew who their wards were, but they quickly came to realize that they would also need to care for Alamine's eggs. Unfortunately, in order to move the eggs, they would have to carry them; and they had no idea how they were going to do that. The eggs of Pebbline dragons were so small, they were only the size of pebbles. Torak walked over to an area where small stones and pebbles were plentiful. He picked up four of the small stones and held them in his paw. These were a little bigger than average Pebbline eggs.
"What are you thinking?" Akio asked coming over.
"We need to find a way to keep Alamine's eggs safe during transport. When Ania and her friends took Shaelynn's egg back to my aunt, they made a pack to carry it in. We need something that will serve the same purpose, only on a smaller level. I just don't know how to make one." He looked out toward where the council was gathering, then looked back at Akio. "Can you stay with the kids? I need to speak with Elder and my uncle."
Akio nodded. One of the adults arrived with several chunks of meat for the children and he began dividing it up between them. Torak waited to speak with the elders and helped him feed the children. He took a medium sized chunk and began tearing it into very small pieces, and Akio took the rest of the larger chunks and split them up between the Ocean dragons. After they had gotten Shanni to eat most of her dinner, they gave the rest to the Pebblines. After they had eaten, the group of children became drowsy and were soon asleep. Akio stayed with them while the young prince went to find the elders. He took the pebbles he had found with him.
The councils had just finished deciding when the group would move out and had begun to break up. "Elder, Uncle wait. I need to ask you something," Torak called catching up.
“What is it?” Seoung asked. Elder came up behind him, the two elders were soon joined by Alani.
"How are we going to move Alamine's eggs? They’re so small, I don't know how we can carry them," he said. The three adults looked at each other. It was a good question, one they had not anticipated. "Is it possible to make something to carry them in, like the pack Ania used to carry Shaelynn's egg?"
The two Mountain dragons looked down at him and smiled. "That is a very good suggestion. We could make something that could carry them," Seoung supposed.
"Like what?" Alani asked. She was curious as to what they were going to do.
"The first thing we should do, is talk to Alamine and Kero. They should take part in how the eggs are moved," Elder said, looking over to where the tiny den was hidden. The others agreed and they went to see the couple.
When they reached the den Alani called out to Kero. Kero, it is Alani. Can you come out and speak with me?
The little dragon popped his head out, but looked behind him before leaving the den. Your Majesty, what can I do for you?
“We are trying to decide how to transport your eggs, and thought you should take part in the discussion." He looked behind him again, an odd look on his face. "Kero, what is it?"
Alamine, she is in a bad mood. She is being very defensive, and I cannot get her to calm down. Pali said her labor was false, and could happen for real at any time. She knows we have to move, but she does not want to. She fears that she may go into labor during the move, he said and looked back toward the den again. He sighed, helpless, and looked up at the queen. I just do not know what to do.
"I will speak to her." She quietly called Alamine outside. When the distraught female left the den she said, "Alamine, I want you to work with Elder and Torak on creating something to carry the eggs in, when it is time. I want you to participate, that way you know they will be safe. Do you understand?" Alamine nodded. "Torak has an idea that may work. The only problem is creating it."
After they had told the couple the idea, Kero asked, How do we know it will work?
"The same technique was used to transport Shaelynn's egg across Altera, until she hatched in any case,” Elder told them.
"We owe the humans a great deal. Their creativity and craftsmanship far exceeds our own. Anything designed by them, I trust will do what it was designed to." A moment later, Seoung added,“Just like the shamans’ packs we brought.”
"We will simply copy their actions and make a bag to carry the eggs in, one that will serve to carry the infants after they hatch, if needed," Elder affirmed.
Okay, but how do you plan on carrying the bag? Alamine asked.
"We will have to give it a strap," he replied simply. The next step in this process was to figure out what the bag should be made out of, when one of the sentries called out the approach of an unknown dragon. They looked in the direction of the sentry and Elder left the group to see who it was, as they had been identified as a Forest dragon. He was surprised to find it was Hana, and he was even more surprised to see who she had brought with her.
"Hana! What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Kym asked me to give the king a message," she replied.
"Hmm, you had better come with me, and what in the name of the Ancestors are you doing here?" he asked, pointing a claw at the human who had accompanied her.
Lukair adjusted his pack. "The same thing. Ania has a message for you as well."
Elder led them back to the little den and ignored the strange looks from the Ocean dragons, as they had never seen a human before. "Lukair!" Seoung, Alani, and Torak spoke at once.
Alamine looked up and saw him; she ran to him, taking Kero by surprise. Lukair, I am so glad to see you.
Lukair laughed and picked her up. "If only I knew what you were saying," he said putting her on his shoulder. He said nothing about her rounded figure.
Kero just stared at them, completely confused. He looked up at Elder when he said, "Lukair here was the one who treated Alamine's injuries. He w
as one of the humans who took care of Shaelynn." The little dragon nodded, now understanding why she was happy to see him. The Elder turned back to the newcomers and requested they give the council the messages they had brought.
"Her Majesty asked me to tell you and Kyeon that Akina is doing much better. She's eating whole foods again and is now going for short walks with Kei-ata to strengthen her body, after laying down so long. She has quite a bit of recovering to do, but she's out of danger. Kym is also doing much better. She can move around on her own now, and has obviously regained her voice, but Kei-ata still isn't letting her leave her quarters, and she's still eating Ania's stew, but she’s awake for most of the day, and has more energy now," Hana informed them.
Seoung sighed, glad they were doing better. "How's Moon?"
Hana shook her head, "She's getting anxious. She knows Shaelynn and Pai should have been back by now, but she's trying not to think negatively, and keeps herself busy by helping to care for Akina. Although, she doesn’t seem to go around Kym very often." She paused and spoke to him alone, I think something happened between them. She changed the subject and added, aloud.“Where are Pai and Shaelynn, and my father and Kwan?"
The council became quiet, and she knew something had happened. "I will take you to see Kyeon and your father. Kyeon will want to know about Kym and Akina, but Kwan is not here. He’s out looking for Shaelynn," Seoung replied, and led her toward the infirmary.
After they had gone, Elder turned back to Lukair. "What message is there from Ania?"
"Ania, and Flame, have asked me to inform you that if you need extra warriors, the Kenjin have been rounded up and given a new task. Flame has offered them a full pardon if they are willing to help you fight the dralics. Flame knows that fighting dralics would be much different than fighting dragons, but it might still give you the upper hand. Dralics have never seen humans, they would not know what to do, not at first anyway. Flame also has people working with Kei-ata on how to neutralize the acid before the dralics can shoot it, making it temporarily impossible for them to spit acid. Without that, they would be half the threat."
"Your king would be willing to fight with us?" Alani asked surprised.
"Of course. We are the Dragon Guard. It is our duty to defend dragons from hunters, from prejudice, and from tyranny. We will uphold our oath until death. We won't let you fight this alone if we can help," he answered.
Elder smiled, he knew they would fight if it was possible. "We will see."
Kero watched from the entrance to his den. He had heard a lot about humans and could now see why the other dragons liked them so much. What does he think about your plan to move our eggs, when it is time? he asked.
Torak quickly told him about the impending move, and told him about their idea on how to move the eggs after Alamine had nested. "Do you know how we can make a bag to carry them in?"
Lukair looked at Alamine and smiled. "I might be able to save you the trouble. He unbuttoned his coat and disconnected a small bag from his belt. It was made of hard, thick leather, and was triangular in design. The pieces of leather had been sewn together and then thin leather bands had been braided along the edges giving it a little bit of an elegant feel. There were also holes on the sides and front, two rows of three holes on each side, and two rows of four on the front. "I usually carry money in this, and a few other things I need on a daily basis, but I think it would serve your purpose."
Alamine leaned down from her perch to get a better look. She eyed the holes for a minute before saying, The holes in the bag would allow the hatchlings to breath after the eggs hatch. I will agree to use it for their transport.
Alani agreed and told the others that she had approved of the bag, and asked if there was a strap they could use to carry it. Lukair opened the bag and pulled out a strap made of flexible leather. "I keep the strap with it in case I need to use it, but I usually keep it tied to my belt." They continued to talk about how to keep the eggs safe and warm while inside the bag for several minutes before deciding on a course of action.
Meanwhile on the other side of camp, Hana was telling a very drowsy Kyeon that his mate and daughter were going to be fine. She was saddened that the king was injured, but he was awake enough to respond to her. He gave her a message for Kym and excused her. She bowed her head and left him to see her father, who was not far away. He was still unconscious and his chest, leg, and wing were covered by a thick layer of cormin.
As she neared him, she saw Pai a little ways away. Ketowa had removed the cormin to examine his neck, but the cormin on his wings remained. He had also woke the young dragon up for the exam. She spoke to him for a few minutes and returned to Seoung.
As the young Ryou and Seoung returned to everyone else, Hana told the prince that Lang was willing to come if he was needed. He had been trained to take over for their father as the chief general after Lyong had retired. He could take some of the responsibility from the prince if he wanted. Seoung told her he would think about it, and then he heard her say that she was not going to leave until after the army had moved. She reasoned that they would need help moving the wounded and that was something she was good at, and she doubted Lukair would leave if there was something he could help with.
"We can't guarantee his safety, and he's not even prepared for a dralic attack," he said.
"Do you think he would come to a war zone without being prepared?" she asked in return.
They reached the den before he could answer and found the young man pulling up moss and collecting cotton from the surrounding cottonwood trees. They watched as he put the moss in the bottom of his bag; he put the cotton in on top to serve as a soft, cushioning layer. He set the bag on the ground in front of Alamine and Kero so they could inspect the cushions and grabbed his pack from where it was sitting on the ground before walking off into the trees. After a few minutes he came back, his appearance startled the Pebblines, for they had never seen a human's armor before. He wore a full suit of armor, ready for battle. His sword hung at his hip and his bow and quiver from his shoulder.
"And just what do you think you’re doing?" Elder asked.
"Staying, what does it look like?" he replied. "As long as Hana stays, I stay, and she doesn't look like she's leaving anytime soon."
Elder looked over at Hana. "He's right, I will not leave when there's work to be done. My father and Pai have done their part, and so will I."
"You've spoken to Pai?" Elder asked. She nodded, "Briefly. He is worried about Shaelynn."
"We all are,” Seoung said.
"I beg your pardon your Majesty, but she's my niece as well," she said and walked away.
Lukair watched as she left but said nothing. Instead, he knelt down and picked up the bag, strapping it to his belt. It was also decided that Alamine would go with him. Traveling with the young man would help keep her from straining herself, and he could protect her if she went into labor. They left with Torak and joined the rest of the children, where they were introduced.
Kwan
Kwan watched as his warriors disappeared in different directions from the cliff top. It was early morning; the sun had just risen over the horizon. The air was cool and still. However, even though the weather was excellent, and would normally have put him in a good mood, he was far from happy. He had been assigned fifty warriors to help him search for his daughter, but there had been no sign of the hatchling.
Kwan looked up at the dragon flying towards him. What news?
Sorry Sir, I have none. None of the scouts have seen her, or anything matching her description. He shook his head. We will keep looking, but if she is underground, or has found a cave, we might not find her.
Kwan sighed. That was not the news he had hoped for. After hearing that she had been poisoned, he was even more desperate to find her, but so far all of his attempts had failed. He was worried, more worried than he had ever been. He knew they had to find her fast, if there was any chance of saving her. He sighed again and told the scout to send word to check
over the next section of land. He also added to check for any caves she might have hidden in. He launched himself into the sky to join the search once again. He called to her, but she did not answer. Slowly his heart grew heavy. He began to realize that she was either too sick to hear him, or she was dead. He knew her passing would break Moon's heart, and she was still emotionally unstable from the incident three years ago. He did not know what she would do if she lost the child, as it was, she had nearly died of a broken heart the last time Shaelynn had almost died.
The cry of another dragon pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up to see one of the scouts flying towards him, fast. Sir! Kwan! There are dralics nearby!
Kwan jolted to a stop. How close?
The scout did not get a chance to answer. The overpowering roar that came from behind the small Forest dragon shook the air, and nearly brought them both down. Kwan blanched as the beast towered behind the younger dragon. To me! Everyone back to me! Since neither one of them could breathe fire, he knew they were in trouble. They needed the help of a Fire or Ice dragon fast, even a Mountain dragon would be helpful.
Dive! he yelled to the scout. Dive, quickly!
The scout immediately followed the instructions. He dove underneath his commander in a near vertical drop. Kwan bellowed a challenge, and flung himself at the dralic. He knew he could not do much, but at least he could give his subordinate a chance. He dove underneath the dralic at the last minute, and straight into a cloud. The dralic roared again and turned to where he had disappeared into the wind whipped mass.
Kwan hovered inside the cloud and studied his opponent, just as the dralic studied the cloud, looking for the small dragon. He turned his head at something in the distance, just what Kwan needed. He launched himself at the enemy, aiming for the closest wing. He opened his jaws and bit down hard. The dralic bellowed painfully as the small dragon punctured the wing, tearing large holes in the membrane. He also dug his claws into the beast’s side, creating deep furrows in its flesh. He held the wing, biting harder and drawing more blood. He continued to tear at the creature's flesh, stopping only to change positions.