Chapter 1B

Delinsilversworth

If I knew then what I know now; I would have run, I think. As her eyes started to leak water and she threw herself at me, I knew not what to do. But I felt for her, though I knew not why. I curled around her and drew her as close as I could to me. Wyrms don't often weep tears but we feel deeply about things and can get very emotional. And believe you me there was a war going on. One part wanting to protect her like I would a youngling, another part wanting to run and be comforted myself. Yet, there was another side that wanted nothing more than to stay right where we were and do nothing but hold her.

After a time the storm of emotions began to wane, she looked up into my eyes. Then for one brief moment, I swear I could see... everything; the past, the present, the future, it was all there. I didn't want to let her go but she started to squirm in my arms. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she said.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. One of the reports that I read stated that your people sometimes need to release water from your eyes to release tension and fear that had built up inside them and became too much to handle. But I should apologize for holding you after you made move for me to release you."

"Del, why did you follow me into the forest?" She had a strange look on her face.

I pause to think of a good reasonable response but I couldn't, so I chuckled. "I wanted to see you. Don't ask me why because I don't really know. When the male first attacked you, I almost came out of hiding to help you then. Your yell was the same as one of my people. It wasn't just a scream that came from your throat. I wish I could explain it better."

She started to chuckle then it turned into to a good deep laugh. After a moment, she stopped, throwing her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry, do you think Ren heard me. I didn't mean to laugh like that but growing up I was often accused of being able to shrill like a Wyrm. Sometimes I would go off, away from the flocks and yell, just to see if I would get more than an echo back. Once I really thought I did hear something answer back."

I smiled at her. "If you made the right sounds you just might have been answered. Why are you not afraid of me? Most of your people when faced with one of my people just scream and run away."

"I don't know. Ren was the one I was scared of. When you reached in to help me, I just knew I was safe."

I don't know why I did what I did. I took her back into my arms and she didn't resist at all, and then I just looked her in the eyes. Her eyes were grey and the same shade as my scales. I could still see what I saw moments ago, but now I could see myself there with her. I was frozen and couldn't move.

Des

I felt so strange and when he but his arms around me again and just looked me in the eyes, it was like nothing I have ever felt or seen. His eyes were a lighter shade of grey than his hide but they were large and I could see my whole face in there reflection. But there was more there to see, as thoughts came to me of being picked on, of others of different coloring, of a large cave with smaller alcoves. Then of a longing to know everything that one could know.

Then something happened, a snapping or a sparking that went off between us. Del just stared too stunned to move. I will tell you that I liked having his arms around me. They were surprisingly soft and warm and I was very glad to feel that they didn't feel like that of a snake. I don't know how long we stayed like that but finally Del let me go completely and shook himself all over.

"What's wrong Del?"

"Nothing, I shouldn't have done that. I didn't mean to hold you like that." He still looked stunned.

"Why? I liked it. Though to tell you the truth, I don't know why. Do you know why I feel more comfortable with you than any one else from my village?" I hadn't meant for it to come out like that.

"I don't know either. I have no experience with females." He paused for a moment. "I once heard something from one of the older males that when he found his life mate, he said that when he first looked into her eyes he could see everything." He stopped as if unsure he should continue.

"What did you see when you stared into my eyes?" I was trembling so much, I feared I would have to grab hold of him to keep me from falling.

He looked me in the eyes again. "Your eyes are the same shade as my scales. I... I..." He stopped again shaking his head. "This is just not possible. It can't be possible. No it's not possible, I'm imagining it."

"Del, please, what's wrong? Have I done something? Please tell me, I know there's something strange here but I haven't the faintest idea. Please talk to me."

Del didn't want to tell me and he didn't look me in the eyes after that. "You have to go. I believe the male that attacked you should be far enough away for you to get back to you people. I need to return home as well. I have been away for over a seven day. The male should be far enough ahead not to bother you. Please, you need to go now!"

"Del, what's wrong, you're scaring me." He looked at me quickly, jumped up and ran. Leaving me there, not knowing what to do. When he left I felt the strangest feeling yet, I felt empty or better to say I felt like I was being emptied out because I was being torn in two.

I got up from the ground, not realizing that I was on my knees the whole time and started down the path for the camp.

Delinsilversworth

I didn't go very far. I didn't know for sure if the male was far enough away. I was shaking from the tips of my horns to the tip of my tail. I had seen several males and females when they first come together get this strange look in their eyes and after that they announced their intent to bond and the two never looked to another for anything. I was no child, I knew enough or at least, I thought I knew enough about the intimacies of mating for someone that had not mated even for fun. Not that I hadn't asked a few females if they were interested but they all laughed and said no. I wasn't too hurt, eventually I would get bigger; Wyrms kept growing well into their older years.

I had read everything about the humans and all the reports from when we traded between our two races. Now a particular report came back to mind. It was about an older Wyrm who had been working with this one female for some time and both had fallen in love. Her people didn't approve and drove the Wyrm away. After awhile the female started having problems. It is a hardship for some couples to be away from one another if they are bonded very strongly, and these two were. Several times the Wyrm tried to get to his mate and he was driven away and several times the female tried to get to him and was caught by her people. Eventually she went mad and killed herself and the Wyrm died of a broken heart. I hoped and prayed very hard that we weren't already bonded that closely. However, I was given no more time to think as I heard her call out my name, this time and I ran to help her.

Des

I decided that I had to get back to the others; my father was going to have a foal with me being so long away. I wasn't walking very fast and just as I reached the same area that I had seen Ren on my trip out I was hit from the side.

"Bitch! Who helped you?" not really expecting an answer for he picked me up and began hitting me all over. A strange rage came over me then, I took a large breath and yelled out Del's name, I also started to fight back, kicking him, throwing everything I could get my hands on at him, I even bit him once or twice. Several times, he would get his hands on me and try to take my clothing off but I would hit him again, then he would slam me into a tree. It was the last tree that had finished the fight. As he swung me around and he slammed me, back first, into it. I felt sharp stabbing pain in my back, I screamed out my pain wishing to pass out or die, when a roaring sound came from the side and Ren went flying. Del came around to stand between him and me and was stalking forward in order to finish the job. I didn't care if he did kill Ren but I was in so much pain, I cried out. Del turned and looked at me.

Delinsilversworth

I arrived just as the male slammed Des into a tree. I roared and within a blink, I was within range and hit the male, sending him flying into another tree. I moved into a position between the male and my Des and started stalking forward to kill him. That was when Des gave a cry of pain and I turned to see that she was still standing. She reached out one arm and in a bar whisper asked for help.

I ran to her. "Des, what is wrong?"

She swallowed hard, "My back, it hurts. Something is stabbing me. Del, help me please, it hurts."

I moved my head so I could look and found two branch nubs that had pierced her, one at waist level near the side and one just below the shoulder. I would have asked if she was having trouble breathing but several of her people reached us. I turned to face them and found them staring at me. I might not have been imposing to my own kind but to them I was huge. Des couldn't see who was there but I think she knew. "Del, help me please." She whispered again. That was when one of the males came running towards me. "Get away from my daughter, you monster!"

"I'm not the monster, that one is!" I turned putting myself between my Des and the male, and pointed to the male still on the ground. "He..."

"Father, leave him alone! Del didn't do it!" Des yelled in her pain. I turned and went back to her side. The male came with me.

"Des, what happened? What's wrong? What's going on?" He made to take hold of her. I reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Don't, you might cause more harm. The tree has pierced her in two places. The other male slammed her into this tree." He froze.

"Let me go." He was very calm for a male being held by a Wyrm. "I'm only going to take her hand. Now where is she pierced?"

I let him go and turned to Des. I took her arm closest to me with a single talon and raised it just a little, knowing that it would hurt because the second piercing was just below the shoulder on the same side. "Here, near the side and the other is just below the flat bone on her back. Des, are you having trouble breathing other than from the pain?"

She gave a soft cough and shook her head. I was confused but her father solved it for me. "Good, it either missed the lung or didn't go in that far. Is there nothing you can do?" He looked at me. I knew there was only one thing I could do. I didn't have the greater healing magics, only the smaller ones. We were distracted for a moment as the male I had struck stared to wake. I growled and made to attack him and tear him limb from limb for hurting my Des. To my surprise I was stopped by Des's sire grabbing me. "He answers to me!"

"HE ATTACKED MY MATE! He answers to me!" Oh was I in for it now. I hadn't meant to say what I did, but my heart needed to say it and my brain needed to hear it. Two other males moved to the male I had hit, hulled him to his feet, and shook him until he was awake. I would have laughed if the situation were different. He took one look at me and passed out. The two holding him dropped him in disgust. Then there was no more to decide. I turned back to look at Des and my heart broke to see her in so much pain. I was lost. "Des, Love, look at me." I helped her turn her head. "Des, I can help you, take some of the pain from you." I moved my face as close to hers as I could. "Des, I think I love you. In my world when two are bonded so closely and one gets hurt, the one unhurt can pull the pain from the other. I am willing to do this. I might even start to heal the wounds as I take you off the tree. I have to know how you feel." I raised my claw, opened it wide and placed my palm on her cheek.

She let go of her sire and placed her hand over mine. "When you left me earlier, I felt like I was being torn in two. Now you're here and I can't think of anything but how wonderful you look. Del, I think, I love you too." She finished in a small whisper.

She started to slump forward but I caught her and held her in place. "Des, look at me for a moment more, just look into my eyes." When she did that I could still see everything, it was still there, but this time, I let my eyes reach past it and into her to take hold of the pain and pull it into me. Then I felt something else. So, I pulled even more and felt the most amazing thing. I was taking the wound with the pain as slowly I felt two small spots in my scales on my back open. Slowly I let Des slide forward and off the tree, healing by taking some of the wound into me. When she was completely off the tree and on my arm, I invoked some of the healing magic I had and healed what was left. I only wished there was someone around to do the same for me, but it was a small price to have her healed.

Des

I pushed myself up, surprised that there was no pain at all. I looked up to see my father's face; his eyes were the size of plates. I looked to Del and he looked tired and strained. "Del, What did you do? You didn't just take the pain, did you?"

"I did not know it was possible either. But I would do it again if needed." He let himself drop to the ground. I could see two small places on his back that were bleeding slightly. I looked around for something to cover the wounds and was about to take part of my tunic when my father beat me to it by handing me a piece of his. I moved to the side of Del that was closest to the wounds and placed it over the wound and frantic that there wasn't more I could do.

"Del, look at me, let me take some of the pain back."

"No, that would be silly. The wounds are not that bad, I just need a moment to rest and to start blocking the pain and to heal them." He seemed to have more to say but a scream from the other side of the area caught our attention. Ren had regained consciousness and was now screaming. "She's mine!! You can't give her to that thing! I get to have her first!!" The two men that had hold of him earlier tried to get him again and were shoved away. Then he came running towards us. I didn't think I just reacted as that surge of rage came over me again. I reached out and grabbed my father's sword from his belt, raised it, then moved forward and yelled. "You'll not touch me and you will not harm my mate!!!" I had no idea where any of it came from, but this didn't stop Ren and as he ran, I swung. I connected, he screamed and fell, his arm gone. I swirled around and finished by taking off his head. My poor father just stood there with his chin on the ground. Del rose up in a stance that spoke of his pride in me. I threw the sword down, looked at him then at my father, and then ran for the bushs to be sick. I wasn't sure but I don't think I was the only one.

"Des, are you well?" Del called out when I was finished, sounding concerned.

"Yes, I have never killed anything but chickens. It's a natural reaction, I think." I couldn't help myself, I ran to him and through myself into his arms.

Uncle Ray came forward at that moment and cleared his throat, he looked just as green as some of the others. "What's going on? Can someone please, tell me so that I can understand?"

"Uncle, I wish I could. Ren never left the area after he attacked me the first time. Del here was watching the camp, studying us for a report to his people. When I took my walk, Ren was following me and Del followed him. Del saved me when Ren caught me. There are no other words to use but we're soul bonded, I think. That's how he knew I was in trouble again or was it my yelling." I paused, smiled and looked to Del.

"It was both, my darling. What has happened is common among my people but what are we to do now? I can't and won't leave you. It would kill you and me if I did."

"Then there is only one thing to do. We stay together. Even if we have to go and find some place by ourselves then that's what we'll do."

"Now just wait one minute. You can't just go running off. You're not even of age to marry yet. I... I... I..." I decided my father looked a little silly sputtering like a fish and reached out to him.

"Father, the people of our village will never allow Del to live there. I doubt his people will accept me. I felt like I was being torn in two when he ran from me before when the bond was just starting. What would I feel like now if he were to leave me forever? You would have to tie me to a bed or something to keep me from going after him. And I believe you would have to kill him to keep him from me."

"She has the right of it. There is one story in the history of my people that tells of a Wyrm and a human female who fell in love, everything that she has just said happened to those two. In the end, the female went mad and killed herself and in doing so, killed the Wyrm. I will not allow that to happen to Des."

I have no doubt that he would have said more but a raging bellow from above caught all of our attentions.

Delinsilversworth

I looked up with the others; there above us was one of my people. But not just any one, no, it was my own sire. I could tell from where I was, both by his tarnished copper hide and the fact that he was bellowing that he was in a rage but I don't know if it was from me being near humans or the humans being near me. I sat up straighter and trumpeted a greeting, hoping it would calm him. As I finished and looked around to call the others in the area to me so that he would have room to land, I found that, they had all scattered except for Des and her sire and he had move to hide behind me. I couldn't help it I started laughing and couldn't stop. Poor Des, she looked ready to hit me but after a moment joined me in laughing too.

My father landed taking out a few trees as he did so, though I think he did that on purpose. I was not looking forward to this. "Ralyss, what are you doing here?"