Chapter 3

It's now two years from when Karen and Dracon had begun their lives together. The first year was spent just making the cave into a repository for the stories and histories that they would be gathering, as well as into a better living arrangement. What was then, one big room was now one big room with three side rooms. The first was a storage room for all the food and cooking supplies. The second was their bedroom with built in shelves on the wall. And the third was a small storage room for parchments, inks and such that was needed to keep going with the task of gathering stories. While making the three new rooms another vein of gold was found, which was quickly turned into coin to purchase a lot of parchment and ink.

The main cave had only a few changes done to it. First, parts of two walls had a crisscross pattern in the wall for shelving that went most of the way to the roof of the cave. And the second was a nice but small stove for Karen to use. Dracon loved her cooking and so did all of his family. A second and larger table was built for use with the dragons, as well as a number of chairs brought in.

It had then taken Karen 3 days to write out the full story of Beth and Malazure and the birth of Dracon and Angel. It took an additional 5 days to get the more interesting parts of Dracon's 500 years written down. To Karen's embarrassment Dracon made her write about how they had met and all of what had happened with that event.

Karen did eventually take pity on Dracon's sister and forgave Beth and Malazure. Beth had been driving Angel crazy wandering if it was ever going to happen.

Karen found Angel to be a surprise. Angel was mostly human looking with the biggest difference being that she had longer fingers and toes that ended in claws, not to mention the wings and tail. She was the same flesh color all over, other than her black hair and green eyes and standing in her true form was over 8 feet tall not counting wings and tail. She turned out to be a very good cook once she knew what to do and took every opportunity to pester Karen to show her more until finally Karen threw up her hands wrote a letter to her mother and grandmother and sent Angel off for cooking lessons with them. Dracon only wished, he could have been there to see how she arrived. Later that story became part of the library too and a tale for another time.

Karen remembered that she needed to teach Dracon how to read and write and set out to do that. Not that it took all that long and that Angel joined in. Dracon was a fast learner and loved all that he could get his hands on. Then he began to write down some of the histories that he knew and could remember. After the first year there were well over 100 scrolls of different tales and histories alike. Dracon's father Malazure helped with some of them.

Karen's mother sold her property, except for about half of the livestock, and moved back to the home she grew up in with her mother Sara and gave birth to a lovely baby girl that they named Draya.

It was on one of the shopping trips to Karen's home village that she had heard a new story; some fool of a noble had heard of a dragon claming a girl from the area as his bride and was now planning to 'Slay the dragon and rescue the maiden.' This had the village laughing of course. Dracon knew that none could get near the cave without his knowing it so the two sat down and planned out a great theatrical event should someone come.

It was also a surprise that during the second year they were visited by two or three other dragons that Dracon had never thought would be interested in what he was doing but found that they had a deep passion for knowledge and were just thrilled to find some way for them to see if there was anything that they didn't know. They were also willing to share histories, stories and information with Karen and Dracon, which they recorded and put into the library as well.

Dracon knew that one of the ones that came could shift almost as well as Malazure so he very carefully brought up the idea Karen had had when they first met about someone sneaking into some of the bigger libraries and secretly cast protection spells on their books and scrolls. Dracon knew just from the look on the dragon's face that he was going to try doing just that.

Karen and Dracon were going through the market of another town that produced a very fine parchment when both had begun to hear the people talk that a small band of armed men were going to go after the "rumored" dragon. The two had heard several reasons as to why the band of men were doing this. The reasons ranged from simply to rescue the maiden to killing the dragon for its hide and other body parts for dark magic. That was something that worried Dracon but didn't tell Karen, but put on a normal face as he tried not to laugh too much or too loudly. As they flew home he tried to see if there were any such bands of men that might be heading in the direction of the cave. To his surprise he found not one but two. Dracon did tell Karen when they reached the cave and so decided to put their idea into action should either of the two groups get there.

10 days later Dracon had been out early and spotted one of the groups working their way to the cave. He knew he could still get back into the cave without them seeing him and did so to inform Karen. Karen put away things that she didn't want broken if something went bad and Dracon hid the storage room then took a place near the cave mouth so that he could look out and be seen easily.

About noon he saw movement in the bushes and waited for the men to get closer. They did. One of the men made a branch move which was perfect for what Dracon and Karen had planned. He reared up and roared only to stop abruptly as Karen walked up beside him then said with a firm voice. "Dracon, come on now, back to your studies." Dracon lowered his head, turned and walked four legged back into the cave. Karen turned and looked out of the cave then yelled, "Sorry boys! Dracon can't come out to play right now! He has to work on his reading. Why don't you come back tomorrow and we'll see." Karen turned and walked back into the cave to find Dracon behind the big table rolling on the floor in silent laughter. Karen would have joined him but had a feeling the men were still going to come and have a look, so she walked quickly to Dracon kissed him to calm him down, which worked every time, then had him sit at the table with one of the scrolls, ready to pretend to be reading.

The scroll just happened to be a slightly modified version of the one that told of how her love of dragon stories had brought her to search for Dracon in the first place. When Dracon heard the soft sounds of someone breathing and standing just out side the cave he began reading aloud. "... Dracon lifted Karen's father from the doorway. Dracon turned and told Karen and Sara to go into the house and check on Karen's mother. The two women ran in..." Dracon stopped at that time because he had seen the man stick his head in and was now staring openly as Dracon read and Karen listened. Karen turned in her over sized chair.

"Oh, I see we have a visitor. Can we help you?"

The man just stood there then from behind him another man stepped in and took in what the first man was looking at.

"Don't you think it's rude to enter the home of someone and not announce yourselves?" Karen asked.

The men still couldn't get their minds to work but a third man stepped in. He took in the scene quickly, drew his sword awkwardly then replied, "How dare you take this maiden for your... your..."

"Teacher." Karen filled in. That shocked them. "First off. How dare you come barging in on my class as well as my home? If you are here to ask for teaching in learning to read or write, I charge ten silver a week. Secondly I haven't been a maiden for two years since I gave that to my husband." And she waved to Dracon. "And thirdly who ever taught you manners should be hung for incompetence for failing to teach you not to come into a person's home and draw a weapon! Now put that thing away before you hurt yourself."

The man just stood there for a moment before moving, then, "What the hell is going on here?"

"My wife has told you to put those weapons away. She is not someone to be disobeyed, so I would do as she has asked or I might get upset." Dracon opened and closed his claw. The man took his time in making up his mind whether he was going to risk something or not but finally put the sword away.

"That's better. Now I am Karen, mate to the great wizard Dracon." She again pointed to Dracon who sat up straighter and waited. "Why have you come to our home?"

"My lady. To answer that, we need to know more of what is going on here. Are you truly teaching this thing to read?" the man said in disgust.

Karen thanked the stars for the patience she was given because she sure was using it. "Yes. Actually I already have. He learned to read well over a year and a half ago. Together we are endeavoring to collect stories and histories of the dragon kind. This library is open to all who wish to learn and understand more of the dragon world."

One of the other men spoke up in surprise. "Really? Can that really be done?"

"Quiet Randy!" the second man hissed.

"What I have told you is nothing but the complete truth. In fact the scroll just being read from is the chronicle of the events that lead to our marriage and the starting of our lives together. You are welcome to sit and read it for yourselves."

"You married this thing?" said the man that had drawn his sword.

"He is not a thing and if you keep being rude I will ask you to leave!!!" Karen bellowed at the men then composed herself, "As for my marrying him, yes I did. The padre of Riversand married us. You are welcome to go and check but be warned my grandmother is extremely proud of us."

"We were under the impression that this... this dragon simply claimed you." Stammered the man.

Dracon barked a laugh. Karen turned and hit him on the leg, though it was very light and she was smiling. "Sorry dear. That was just so funny; I couldn't hold it back. Gentlemen if anyone did any claiming it was my lovely wife, who did it. Her hunger for dragons made her travel for four weeks to find me. She offered to teach me to read and write for room and board but then other things happened and we were married."

At that moment the rest of the men came running in screaming that there was a monster coming. The men moved into the cave and started to draw their weapons. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THAT!!! I will have no fighting in my home or it will be me kicking your Asses out!! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

The strength of Karen's words made all but two or three put their weapons back. Dracon just loved it when his dear wife was in her element; she was treating the men just like little misbehaving children. He couldn't wait until they reached their agreed upon five-year mark before starting their family, after all he was only 505 years old and Karen was now 17. Then Karen turned to Dracon and smiled as big as she could, "Angel?"

Dracon looked up then turned back with just as big a smile and nodded then winked. Karen knew what that meant, Dracon was telling his sister what was going on and to see if she would like to mess with this bunch of men. Dracon would have shared this conversation with Karen but they had found out that mind talking gave Karen a very bad headache that lasted for days.

It was half a candle mark later when a very beautiful nearly naked six-foot tall woman coughed at the entrance to the cave then walked in. "Miss Karen, I'm here for my classes. OH! Am I interrupting?" Every human male in the cave nearly wrenched his neck out of socket to get a look at her.

"Not at all Angel, please come in. By the way did you see something in the sky when you came in? These men seemed to think there was a monster coming." Karen asked oh so innocently.

"I saw nothing up there but me. I hope I didn't frighten them." She replied innocently.

"That was you! But I saw wings..." one man said as he continued to stare at her.

"I saw a tail! I know what I saw and it definitely wasn't you. If I had seen you I would have stayed outside." The men all agreed to that statement. All were looking at Angel as if she was the main course of a feast and the men were starving.

Karen almost lost it because Dracon was about to lose it. Karen decided to finish this and get the men out of her cave so that she could laugh. "Well gentlemen as you can see I have another student who has paid for these lessons so if you have any other questions they will have to wait, though I would ask that you do so outside."

The men all agreed as they slowly filed out past the beauty not wanting to miss a chance to look at her from the back. Karen felt sorry for the first one that tried to touch her though, but then none did. The last to leave was the first man that spoke. "My lady, if it would be alright with you, could I see the scroll with your story on it? I would like to read it. I give you my word that I will not leave the area with it."

Dracon rolled the scroll up and moved over to him. "Please see that you don't take it with you. I have spells on all of the scrolls and I would be able to find it VERY EASILY." then held the scroll in the flat of his clawed hand making the man reach into the center of the claw to get it. Once he had it the man turned and all but ran out of the cave.

Karen, Angel and Dracon walked into the bedroom. Dracon sealed the room and all three burst into laughter that lasted for a very long time.

Once the three were finally able to get themselves under control, Dracon asked, "I do hope that wasn't the real copy of the event?"

"Of course it wasn't. I made that one specifically for this occasion. The other told too much about your parentage. And that would have been too dangerous for them and us." Karen replied then turned to Angel. "Angel that was beyond a doubt the best entrance I have ever seen. Every last one of them forgot their own names when you walked in dressed like that."

"Well Drac did say to ham it up. Gods, I thought my ass was going to burn off with all the scorching looks I was getting. I just hope I didn't go too far." They all laughed again.

"With this group, I doubt they have gotten their brains to work yet; all their blood went elsewhere. Though that one man did seem to shake off the shock of things a bit faster than the others." Karen said more seriously. "I would bet anything he's behind them coming out here in the first place."

"I wouldn't take that bet. There is something else about him that is bothering me but I can't but my finger on it at the moment." Dracon answered.

"Well we better get back out there just incase the men decide to try and sneak a peek at 'the Angel'." This started all of them laughing again as Dracon unsealed the room and they walked out. Angel walked to the shelves and retrieved the scroll she had been reading last time she was here then went to the smaller table and started reading out loud. She even pretended to stumble over words and had to ask for Karen to help her.

Two hours later Angel but her scroll away then asked. "How long are you going to make them stay out there?"

"If they didn't have that scroll I would have hoped that they would have left to go home long ago. But then we wouldn't yet know the reason as to why they really wanted to come out here in the first place. I heard too many sick reasons while we walked through the market the other day to make me think that this is just not as easy as it seems." Karen finished.

"So you caught them too." Dracon turned to her, "I didn't want to scare you. That's why I didn't say anything. Though on the way home I did see two groups of men working their way in this direction. This group I think is a front group for the second. I think they're here to test whether or not I'm what they have heard I am."

"And just what ARE you?" asked a voice from behind the three.

All turned to see several of the men standing with their weapons out. Karen noticed that none were the man that had taken the scroll as she and the others turned. Angel and Dracon growled as Dracon jumped over the table to place himself between the men and the two women. Though it was Karen that spoke. "DRACON, STAND FAST!" Karen glared at the men. "It is stupid to attack a wizard in his living space and death to do so to one that is also a Dragon! That is what was meant by what he said!" Dracon took the hint and began drawing his power to himself and let it manifest as a glow that grew about him. Angel was crouched low and slowly moving to the side so that she could spring at one of the men if need be. Karen knew that she must have been working some kind of magic of her own because Karen was having a hard time following her with the corner of her eye. "Now, the only question is why are you here and who sent you? Your stupid quest of 'rescue the maiden' has turned into 'the maiden seducing the dragon'. If there is someone else behind this then tell us NOW? Otherwise you should leave and quickly. MY husband may have been blessed with a great amount of patience but he draws the line at attacking unarmed women."

The men looked back and forth between each other then shamefully lowered their heads and their weapons. It was the man in the middle that replied. "Baron Faxton had heard that you have treasure and riches. He heard that you stole the most beautiful maiden in the kingdom. He doesn't believe what is in the scroll that you gave him to read. Though, I truly doubt he can read more than half of it."

There was only one point to what the man had said that Dracon agreed with, with all of his heart, Karen was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom if not the world.

"So he sent you in here to do what?" Karen asked, still sounding disgusted.

"We came in to try to take you, Lady. He thinks that you are the key to this whole thing. He thinks that you are a sorceress and are controlling the dragon." The same man answered.

"And what do you believe?" Dracon and Karen said at the same time.

"I believe that at your word my Lady, the dragon would kill us before we even knew we were dead. But you have control over him because he has not killed us yet because you have told him not to. Though I don't believe you could stop him if we tried something against you." The man said with the voice of one expecting death. Karen would have laughed if the situation were different.

"That is the smartest thing I have heard in a long time, though inaccurate. Do you other men have anything to say or do you agree with this one?" continued Karen but she knew Dracon was simply waiting to get the answers he wanted. Killing them would solve nothing. Karen also knew that the man was right that if the men moved even an inch in her direction that Dracon would kill to stop them. Both men nodded their heads, too scared to open their mouths least they scream. "and what of the men outside. Do they believe as this Baron does or you?"

"I think about half think as he and the other half as I do." The man replied

"Do you know if there is any other group contracted to come here?" Dracon asked.

"I know only of the group outside." said the man with a surprised look on his face.

"I had heard there was another who was going to go against you if we failed." said one of the other men very quietly; both out of shame for their failure and out of fear. "We aren't a real threat to you but I think they maybe more than you are ready for."

"What is the Baron waiting for as a signal for him to send in the rest of the men?" asked Karen.

"We're to call him when we have you, my lady." said the third man, his voice thick with fear.

"They would be able to see us from the tree line. There's something else going on here." Dracon let his mind reach out to find the minds of the rest of the men but wasn't surprised to find that the Baron was, even now, moving further away. The magic of the scroll he had been given was moving with him. "Your Baron is a coward and a thief. Even as we speak he is trying to run away."

Dracon backed up and canted a mysterious fraise and with a pop, there was the Baron on his knees in front of him. "I told you I could find the scroll no matter where it was." Dracon reached down and grabbed the man. Of course, he screamed and all the other men ran in to see Dracon holding the Baron.

To Karen, Dracon, and Angel's surprise it was two of the three men standing in front of Dracon that stopped the others. "The Baron was stealing the scroll and trying to get us killed!" The third man can forward, reached into the Baron's cloak and drew out the scroll to show the others. Then the first man spoke again. "We were told quite a number of lies to get us up here. From what I see there is no treasure that is monetary, not that knowledge and learning aren't treasures in themselves." Karen's respect for the man went up, just a little. "We came here to free a captive. Unless we are blind, deaf and stupid there is not one person here against their will. Gram, tell the others what you said earlier." The man stopped so the other could talk.

About half of the men had put their weapons away and now the rest were slowly doing so. That was when the Baron started screaming. Then after a moment he went limp as he fell asleep.

"I just couldn't take any more of that." Dracon stated softly.

"What did you do to him?" asked one of the men fearfully.

"Sleep spells are very useful. I have not killed any one except to save another's life and that has only been once." Dracon answered coldly.

"It was her father, you killed." All the men looked at the man that spoke then looked at Dracon again with fear filled faces. Then the man continued. "I was able to read the scroll as the Baron read it. It said that the man had gone mad and after getting away from several others, he came after this girl's mother and grandmother and had stabbed the grandmother with a sword. Is this true?" the man looked back and forth between Dracon and Karen.

Karen spoke first. "My father had beaten my mother almost to death by the time we were able to get to her. The elders of the village were holding him when he killed one of them and came after us. He ran his sword all the way through my grandma, according to my mother who could see the end coming out her back. In all truth Dracon didn't kill him it was the impact with the wall that broke his neck." Karen wrapped her arms around herself and shook. When it was over she continued. "Gentlemen, that scroll tells how I traveled for four weeks to get here after running away when my father raised his hand to me for the first time in my life. I've loved dragons since I was a child. When I first saw Dracon I was in love. And as he said earlier I seduced him." Karen paused to remember; "Now the only question is what are you going to do? Depending on how much fanfare there was when you started this mess you have two options. The first is return to your homes and act as if you were defeated. However, this might encourage other to try this same nonsense. Or second return to your homes and tell all that the Baron is a fool and a liar and that all you found was a wizard and his wife. You really don't need to say that the wizard was also a dragon. If it is the second choice you can even take the Baron with you. Though not until he tells us why he came and who else might be making an attempt."

The men looked to one another and began to quietly talk amongst themselves. Angel had moved away from the men when she had seen that the situation was under control. Then she had an idea of her own, so moved to the bedroom and after about 3 minutes gave a soft cough. "Miss Karen, Master Dracon is it safe to come out? Are they going to attack?" She said just loud enough and with enough fear in it to be heard by most.