Rohn put down the meat he was chewing and rested his elbows on the table. “You can go ahead and say it. We all know what you were about to say. You were about to say you don’t have to consult the representative, especially not a man. Isn’t that right? Isn’t that what you were about to say?”
Reyna didn’t reply. She kept her eyes down. Now almost everyone watched and listened, even Damen.
Rose answered for her. “I apologize to all of you for this misunderstanding. The Allies are controlled by women. That’s no surprise to anyone here. The Allies’ political representative to a foreign people can be a man, but never the Commanding Officer of the forward team. Jasmine Forsythe, the biologist, is the Commanding Officer of the other team. I would contact Rex as a matter of protocol. He could never order me to abort the mission against my own judgment, even if he was a woman. He could never override Jasmine’s order to abort or to continue the mission, either.”
Some of the Krataks went back to their meal, but Rohn and Damen kept watching the team until, one by one, Rose’s friends dropped their eyes.
“We understand the Allies are controlled by female,” Rohn said. “That is why we choose not to trust the Allies’ intentions toward us. If you won’t even consult one of your own citizens in a matter of importance, why should we join your Alliance, where our society’s wishes won’t be consulted in matters related to our own survival and governance?”
Rose turned on him. “Come now. Let’s not have any more unpleasantness at communal meals. You have your views, and we have ours. We’re here to build friendships with you, not to debate the relative merits of our societies. We have no intention of robbing you of your sovereignty, and we expect you to give us the same consideration. Let’s all agree from now on to refrain from trying to convince each other that we are right and the other group is wrong. We can never come to common ground if we do that.”
He bowed his head, and a slight smile played on his lips. “Very well, Madam Commander. Well spoken. For my part, I agree.”
She couldn’t disguise her own smile. “Thank you.”
No one else said a word for the rest of the meal, and after it ended, the team went about their work. Rose wandered through the Keep to see what the others were doing. Fay took Reyna to a chamber that acted as a library. Loose papers rested in piles on shelves rising to the ceiling. Fay dug around and found more information than Reyna could use in a lifetime about Clan Harkniss and its relations with dozens of other Clans scattered all over Kratak.
The papers recorded marriages, deaths, births, and even casual lovers. They contained Rowan Harkniss’s accounts of his experiences during the war with another Clan. Rose bent over her shoulder to have a look. “Does it give any indication what started the war in the first place?”
“I don’t see anything. This account starts when Rowan left to fight. By that time, the war was already in full swing.”
Fay spoke up across the room. “I can tell you how it started.”
Both sisters looked up and said at the same time, “You can?”
“Of course. I can tell you, because Clan Prowiss was involved when it first started. Two different Clans, I believe it was Clan Rapsiss and Clan Fissor started the war over two men who wanted to take the same woman as a wife. They fought at the gatherings the way young men always do. Then the relatives of the man from Clan Rapsiss joined in to help him, and the relatives of the man from Clan Fissor helped him, and pretty soon, everyone from both Clans joined in. They fought and fought, and after they went home from the gathering, they still fought. That’s how the war started.”
“So how did Clan Prowiss join in?”
“My uncle married a girl from Clan Rapsiss, and they had a son who promised his cousins he would help them fight Clan Fissor. For some reason I can’t remember, his father my uncle joined him. I’m not sure, but I think he did it to protect his son from getting hurt. One by one, all my relatives got roped into the same conflict. Then one Clan joined in as allies of another Clan, and another Clan joined in to be allies to another Clan, and on and on it goes. That’s how the war got started.”
“That’s fascinating. We should record your recollections and the names of everyone involved, if you can remember them.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that!” Fay laughed.
“Why not? This is valuable genealogical information. You don’t want it to get lost.”
“I couldn’t do that. You should ask my brother Connal. He remembers all that sort of thing.”
Reyna bristled. “You don’t say that because you’re a woman, do you? You’re just as entitled to record your recollections in your family history as any man.”
Fay smiled at her. “I don’t say it because I’m a woman. I just don’t feel like it. That’s all. If I had the inclination to record my recollections, nothing would stop me from doing it and including it in the family records. I have no such inclination. That’s the only reason I don’t do it.”
Reyna bent over her papers, but Rose couldn’t miss the frown on her face.
Rose went in search of Tanner. She headed for the passage leading to his room when she met Ben coming the other way. She turned around and walked with him back to the central hall. “How is everything going between you and Asya?”
“Everything is going fine between me and Asya. Thanks for asking.”
“Don’t you think you two are getting a little too close?”
He grinned at her. “I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘too close’ when it comes to a girl like Asya. I’ll get as close to her as I can. I’ll never back down unless she tells me to, and she hasn’t told me to yet, so I’ll just keep going.”
“I think that may not be the wisest course, Ben. You should back off a little. Get to know her better before you jump in, boots and all.”
He laughed. “I’m already in boots and all, and I already know her as well as I need to. I won’t back off, no matter what you say, and you should stick to your own business, unless you’re trying to make me mad. I told you that before.”
“I heard what you told me. You told me to leave you alone with her, and that’s what I did. Only now I see you two together all the time. I see you sitting together and talking at meals and afterwards in the evenings. I can only imagine how much time you’re spending with her during the day when the team and I are working.”
“I spend all my time with her. So far, she goes back to her own room to sleep at night. She kisses me outside my door and leaves. If I had my way, I would spend every minute of the day and night with her. I would never be parted from her, but that will come in time. I just have to be persistent.”
Rose stopped him with her hand on his arm. “Don’t do this, Ben. You could be letting yourself in for a world of hurt, and I would hate to see that happen to you. Back off from Asya, at least until you find out more about her. Take my word for it, as your mother.”
His anger flared. “I know a lot more about Asya than you think I do. I know more about Asya than you know about Rohn.”
Rose stiffened. “What about Rohn?”
“I’m not stupid, Mom. I see the way you act around him, and I see the way you talk to him. You want him, if you haven’t gone and taken him already. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did, but don’t go telling me I could get hurt and to back off from Asya when you’re doing the same thing.”
Rose wilted. “I won’t lie to you. There was something going on between me and Rohn, but it’s over now.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true. I found out something about him, and I won’t have anything to do with him again—at least, not in that way. I’ll keep working with him to document everything about Kratak and Clan Harkniss, but I won’t be personally involved with him again. I hope you’ll think twice about getting involved with Asya. You could be in for a shock when you find out the truth about her.”
“Let me guess. You found out Rohn is a dragon. That’s why you br
oke off with him, isn’t it?”
Rose stared at him. He couldn’t have surprised her more if he’d hit her over the head with a shovel. “What did you say?”
“I thought that’s what it was. I know all about it.”
“You do?” She couldn’t get her head around this.
“Of course, I do. I know the Krataks are dragons, and they can shift from dragon to person and back again at will. Is that what you’re so concerned about me finding out, because if it is, you have nothing to worry about.”
“How did you find out?”
“Asya told me, that day we saw the dragon fly over our heads. After you left, I asked why she wasn’t afraid of it. She told me the dragon is her uncle Rahni, and she told me everything.”
“Have you seen her in her dragon form?”
“Of course I have. She changed right in front of me.”
“And what was it like? What did you think when you saw her like that?”
He gazed into the far distance. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Her skin was the most beautiful burnished gold, and her eyes! I couldn’t stop looking at her. I wish she could be like that all the time. I love her that way.”
Rose shook herself. “If you know all that, then you must understand how important it is to keep this a secret.”
“She explained everything to me. She explained how the Krataks want to keep this a secret from the Allies in case they decide to invade. To tell you the truth, Mom, I’m surprised Rohn told you the secret. The Krataks consider you the most dangerous member of the whole team.”
Rose blushed. “I know they do, and Rohn didn’t exactly tell me, but he’s trusting me to keep this secret and I take that responsibility very seriously. You can’t imagine how this secret weighs on me, and now that you know the truth, I’m worried about you. What if you cave in and tell someone?”
“The only person I would have to tell is you, and now that you know, I have no one else to tell. I won’t have any problem keeping the secret, but like Asya said, you’re the weakest link here. If you fail, the whole thing comes crashing down. If there’s someone to worry about, it’s you.”
Rose blinked at him. “What has happened to you? You’ve changed since we came to this planet. I don’t even recognize you anymore. You used to be such a mild-mannered boy, and now....”
He stood tall and certain before her and waited for her to finish, but her words died on her lips. “I’m becoming a man, Mom.”
“You’re becoming dominant, like the men of Kratak.”
“That’s right. I never knew a man could be like this. The men among the Allies are so different, I was never sure I really wanted to be a man. Sometimes I wished I could be a woman so I could be a general or a Senator. Now that I know men like this exist, I want to be a man. I want to be a man like Rohn and Damen and Callan. It’s the most natural way for a man to act.”
“You can never be a man like that among the Allies. You’ll have to change if you want to go back.”
“Then I won’t go back. I’ll stay here.”
Rose gasped out loud. “You can’t do that! You have to come back at the end of the year when this mission ends.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I’m a man, and I’ll make my own decisions. This is the kind of man that Asya wants, so that’s what I’ll become. She wouldn’t have me if I didn’t act like her father and her uncles, and she won’t come back to the Allies.”
Rose groaned. “Please don’t do this, Ben. Please, think about what you’re doing.”
“I have thought about it, and I won’t be any other man. This is me, Mom. If you don’t want to accept it, it’s all over between us.”
Chapter 13
Rose found Tanner wandering from room to room. He jotted down details and sketched pictures in his notebook of the tapestries, the architecture, and even the people. “This place is amazing. It’s a treasure trove of symbolism, history, and art. I could spend the rest of my career studying these people and this planet and never get bored.”
“You won’t have a chance to do that, so get as much of it recorded as you can. What do you make of these tapestry patterns?”
“They appear to be stylized depictions of natural phenomenon. Take a look at this. It’s clearly a copy of a tree, and these fronds represent the unfolding of organic patterns found in nature. The Krataks seem to be experts at characterizing the world around them.”
“How do you explain the same patterns appearing under their skin?”
“I don’t explain it. I’m an anthropologist. You’re the doctor and the physiologist here. How do you explain it?”
“I can’t explain it, either. If I had to take a stab at it, I would say these artistic creations are copies of their skin patterns, not organic phenomenon found in nature.”
“That’s a very interesting theory. I’d like to hear you discuss that with one of the Krataks and see their reaction. I would also be very interested to hear what theory you put forward to explain how they came to display these patterns under their skin in the first place. Which came first, the patterns or their skin? Did they develop as people first, and then evolve these patterns as some kind of camouflage, or did the patterns create the people? Maybe the people are a later manifestation of the pattern seeking to express itself through the medium of their physiology.”
“Now who’s putting forward physiological theories? You stick to your anthropology, Mister.”
“And you stick to your physiology, Doctor.”
His words made Rose think. She went back to her room to do some work of her own. She compiled her notes, but she kept a secret diary, separate from the notebooks she planned to turn in when she reported to the Allied Command. In her own personal diary, she recorded her observations on the dual physiology of the Kratak dragon-hybrid.
The ability to shift back and forth between dragon and person posed an interesting problem for her as a doctor. The others might never find out about it, but it sparked her professional curiosity. How could a person of any gender possess two so diametrically opposed physiologies as well as the ability to shift back and forth between them at will?
How did they shift? What mechanism did they use to shoot fire out of their mouths? A thousand questions nagged her, and the longer she studied the problem, the more obsessed she became with answering them. She could think of only one source of information to get her questions answered: Rohn.
She went in search of him and found him outside on the parapet where she first saw Ben walking with Asya. Rohn gazed out over the mountains in a contemplative attitude Rose had never seen before. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Not at all. You are welcome to any part of this Keep. You know that. This is a lovely spot. It breeds deep thought for those who seek it.”
“I don’t need places like this to breed deep thought. Actually, I came here looking for you.”
“Then you have found me.”
“I want to ask you some questions about... about your dragon self. I don’t know what else to call it.”
“What you just said is fine. What would you like to ask me?”
“I’m the only one of our team who knows the truth, and I’m a doctor. I’m supposed to be finding out all about how your bodies work, and this dragon business presents certain problems.”
“For you, it presents problems. For us, it is normal. By the way, I want to congratulate you on how you’ve managed to keep our secret. You’ve done very well, much better than I anticipated.”
“What did you think would happen? Did you think I would cave in the minute anyone asked me about what happened?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I thought. I didn’t think you would be able to hold your tongue once you got around your friends, especially your sister.”
“Well, don’t congratulate me yet. She’s a whiz at finding out when someone is hiding something and discovering what they’re hiding. She’s bound to find out sooner or later
.”
“I expect she will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I see her getting closer to Damen. Maybe he will reveal himself to her.”
“You don’t really think anything could develop between them, do you?”
“Why not? Something developed between you and me.”
“That was before I learned the truth about you. I doubt anything will happen between us now.”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“Because you’re a dragon. I don’t want to give my body to a dragon.”
He examined her with searching eyes. “Look at me. I’m a man. You wouldn’t be giving yourself to a dragon. You would be giving yourself to me, the way you already have, twice.”
“But you’re not a man—at least, you’re not only a man. You’re....something I can’t explain.”
“Maybe I can explain it to you. Ask me your questions, and I will try to answer them.”
“Okay. How did you develop the ability to shift back and forth between your dragon form and the form of a man?”
“I have no idea. We’ve been like this since the dawn of recorded history.”
“What happens when you mate with each other?”
“You’ve seen that for yourself. It happens the same way.”
“So, you don’t mate in your dragon form?”
“Maybe some people do. I really don’t know. Most everyone I know mates in their ordinary forms as man and woman.” His eyes twinkled. “That seems to be the most effective way.”
“What about when a baby is born? Is it born as a baby or as a dragon?”
“As a baby.”
“And when do people start to understand their abilities? When does a child learn about its dual nature?”
“There is no secret. Children shift back and forth involuntarily from the time they’re born. They grow up seeing others shift. They grow up hearing their relatives talking about it. They grow up seeing their dragon relatives fly away to hunt in the forest and fly back carrying prey for the Clan to eat. They hear the stories and sing the songs. No one keeps it a secret from them, that they should have to learn about it at a certain time. No one could keep it a secret if they tried. It’s normal. It’s natural. It’s the way we are.”
Rohn (Dragons of Kratak Book 1) Page 9