Chapter 5

Tal was shocked that Karen would try to help the man but then she used that power of hers again and knew it was something very rare and very impressive. When he saw Karen curl up and start to cry it nearly broke his heart.

Tal worked his way back to the others, as he knew that Angel would be coming in soon. When he came back into camp he had an unfriendly surprise. As two of the men grabbed him from behind and held knives to his throat. "So where did you go and who are you working for?"

"Take the blades away and I'll tell you what you might have already guessed." Tal said very calmly.

Gram spun Tal around, "Talk!"

"Karen is sick. She told me that I should talk to you guys and tell you everything." As Tal knew, he had their attention when he said the first statement.

"Sick? What's wrong? Have they hurt her?" Gram demanded.

"I don't truly know if they are the cause or just the reason it's getting worse. The poor thing's nearing her moons. Or at least that's what she told the sentry that found her getting sick. He was even nice enough to get her a cup of tea to help. I gave her some mint but it didn't help that much. She did manage to throw-up on one of the asshole."

"Good for her. Now what's the rest of it?" was Jess's reply.

"She knows what I am. She told me that I should tell you. The dragon that is responsible for all of this is the one that destroyed my village and killed my mother. I told you this. What I didn't tell you is that he is also my father."

"Are you on the level?" asked Jess.

"Jettenedon caught and raped my mother. About thirty years later he heard that she had a child. Not wanting to take the chance that it was his, he attacked the village and killed everyone. He thought he had killed me but I wasn't that lucky. I woke days later and I wish I hadn't. I put 127 people in the ground that day. I swore to my mother in blood that I would avenge her. That was almost 600 years ago. I've been looking for him ever since. I could never get close enough." Tal had a tear running down his face as he faced the two men.

Gram and Jess both let go of Tal. "My god man, that's a long time to be waiting to take your revenge. How'd Karen guess what you were?"

Tal chuckled, "She could smell me, of all things. And I thought I had washed pretty good."

This brought quiet chuckles from Gram and Jess as Tal had hoped it would. "So have we had word from Dracon or from his sister? By the way please don't tell her what I am. I... I human that's all there is.

Gram looked at him. Then a statement Tal had made the day before made sense now. If he was like Angel with little in the way of power and knew what he could do he could guess that she wouldn't have much more. Gram let a smile go across his face. "Alright Tal, if that's what you want but we may need your true form before this thing is over. And as to your question Angel should be hear at any time."

The three men sat in silence for no more than a minute when Tal looked around and crouched low but then relaxed. The men had followed his lead and were now looking at him in question. He smiled and made an hourglass shape with his hand and pointed in the direction he had smelled something coming from. It was strange that he could even smell her but Karen had been right, her scent was like his but sweeter, lighter. He found himself liking it. The two men smiled with the hand gesture and relaxed. Moments later Angel crawled into camp.

"Hi guys. Man I'm glade to see you. Have you seen Karen? Is she doing ok?"

"I just got back from checking on her. She's sick. But she doesn't think there's anything to worry about it's just that time of the moon for her. And all the crazy riding she's had to do is going to make it ugly."

"Ok. What's the plan and when do we start?" Angel said coldly. Gram started telling the plan to her. Tal looked at her from the side and thought for a moment that there was something wrong but then let his mind go back to what Gram was saying. But still something in the back of his mind kept saying that something wasn't right but he just couldn't figure it out. As Gram finished then told her to bed down and get some rest and they would get started at false dawn. Gram and Tal both took to lying down and waited for the sun to start to show itself.

Karen woke feeling worse than she had the night before and even before she could get a drink she threw up. Then the one that she had thrown up on the night before began walking over to her. He looked very upset. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO JAY?" he bellowed

"I didn't do anything. He gave me a mug of tea then went back to his rounds I would guess. Why, what happened?" Karen tried to sound scared and concerned. And in all truth she was.

"He's gone. His horse too." By now he was right up into Karen's face. "Witch, you will suffer if you have done something to him!!"

"If I were a witch, I wouldn't be sitting here in the dirt throwing up!" She turned her head and caught his eyes and held them. "Leave me alone! Go away and never come back!" The man's eyes crossed then focused then crossed again as Karen put as much force as she could into the stare. The man stood and as he walked away there was a bunch of loud yells from the far side of the camp. Karen remembered what Tal had said and hoped that it was the first of the distraction.

"I told you I'd find you, you harlot! Now we'll see who is the master! Just wait till I get you home!" Gram yelled at the woman he was all but dragging.

"Let me go!! I won't go back! You have no claim on me!!" Yelled Angel right back.

Malazure in the guise of Angel and Gram had been yelling back and forth for some time as they walked down the road. This was the first part of the plan. As the two neared the group camped off to the side of the road Angel made a mad kick and was able to break Gram's hold and went running into the camp asking for help. She was dressed so to speak in a torn and dirty dress that showed quite a lot of her beautiful body. Angel ran into the middle of a large group of men begging for help. "Please, he's going to kill me!!! Please help me!!"

"Woman, get back here!!! When I get you home I'm going to beat you senseless for this!!" Gram yelled and made for the group. One man stepped between Gram and Angel but then another Grabbed Angel.

"Please he's going to kill me!!"

"So, what business is it of ours? Van, get out of the way so the idiot can take his woman back."

"Why? If he can't handle her, I say we keep her. I could think of a few things she would be good for." The man leered at her.

"That's my woman you're holding! Now get out of my way!!" Gram moved as if he were going to shove passed the man when Angel turned and let fly a punch to the man holding her. Then followed with a kick to the man next to him. Gram rammed into the man closest to him taking him to the ground then punching him until he was out. This was when both knew things would get interesting. Others from the camp came running. Malazure knew all that were running now were dragons, as he could smell them and that made it hard for him to hold his guise of his daughter. This was also the most dangerous part of this part of the plan. He knew they couldn't hurt him but the man with him was very vulnerable.

Tal waited for the fight to begin before moving up to Karen. For a moment he thought he was going to have to do something sooner because one of the dragons had come up to Karen after she had been sick. The stupid got close enough for her to work her will on him and he got up and left but only to see what was going one on the other side of the camp.

Tal came up behind the tree that Karen was tied to and cut the ropes holding her to it. "Karen, be still for a few moments more then I'll cut you free and we can run for it."

"Tal. Is it time?"

At just that moment several things happened. The first being a large fight broke out near the far side of the camp and the second Cobb came running over with two horses; as the others were driven past by Jess. Tal quickly jumped around the tree to free Karen and got her on one of them then got on the other. As the two started to move several "men" started running towards them but were intercepted by Cobb and Jess. Karen was too caught up in the moment to realize what was going on and tried to ride when the horse bucked and tossed her. Tal was several lengths away from Karen when this happened and had turned just in time to see something dive out of the sky and grab Karen and then went back up. But he didn't stop as he followed what he saw, which was a little tan dragon, from below.

Karen knew right a way who it was. But was confused because she had seen Angel still fighting near the far side of the camp. "Angel! What the hell is going on? Why have you left Gram so soon?"

"I was never with him Karen. Don't worry I have you." Angel yelled back.

Karen realized in a moment that the one fighting had to be Malazure but he wouldn't know that Angel was there and that she was safe. Karen looked down and some how spotted Tal. Karen also knew that Malazure and their friends were going to need her help.

"Angel, please you have to listen to me! Our friends need you! There are too many dragons down there and your father is going to get himself killed without your help! Take me down to Tal: the rider below us. He will protect me as we work our way back to the caves but you need to help your father!!"

Angel thought about what she should do then circled around to all but land on Tal. "Tal, Take Karen and go. I must return to the fight!!!" she yelled and all but tossed Karen to him. He was stunned but his reflexes were very good and he caught Karen and helped her to sit correctly on the horse. Then Angel was back in the air heading for the fight.

Tal made the horse jump and run so as to put as much distance between the fight and them. But he kept looking over his shoulder to look at Angel. Karen was positive that if she weren't there he would have gone after her.

It was ten minuets later when they came to a thick set of trees when the pain and the nausea became too much for Karen and she yelled for Tal to stop. He helped her down and was grateful he did for she was sick again. "Tal, I can't go on like this. I don't know what's wrong." Karen said when she got her breath back. Then she looked around and spotted a large tree with a small hollow at the base. Karen was always one to think quickly. "Tal. You have to trust me. I can't go on without Malazure's help. And both he and Angel are going to need you. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. I want you to shift into you normal form, your real form, dig out that hollow under the tree for me then hide me in it. Then I want you to go and help Angel and her father."

"I won't leave you!" Tal protested.

"You have to. Malazure is the only one here that has healing spells unless you're stronger than I think you are. And besides how else are you going to get her to fall in love with you." The last was said to see if Karen could shock him. It did.

"I'm not... How did... When did... Oh hell. I still can't leave you like this."

"Please, you have to. Don't make me force you to do it." Karen said as she tried to catch his eyes.

"Like I'd let you look into my eyes that long. Yes I've seen you do things for the passed week. I'd love... Karen!!!" Tal was interrupted as Karen curled onto her side.

"Please, Do what I ask. I need a healer. Go to them, help them, then bring them all back here to me. Please." Karen said through gritted teeth.

Tal knew by what he saw he was in no position to argue with Karen and so stood up and for the first time in a long while let his human form go and flowed back to his true form. As Karen had thought he was very much like Angel except that he was a light brown color and his wings were even darker. He was also taller by nearly by two or three feet than Angel but from where Karen was it was hard to tell. Tal moved to the tree and in moments cleared a good section under the tree then came back, took Karen in his arms and placed her in the hollow. "Tal, trust me. Trust that half of yourself that you have tried so hard to forget. Now place a log over the opening with some dirt around it so no one can see me then go to them."

"Karen, I think this is a bad idea. I can get you home by nightfall. If anything happens to you..."

"Help Angel. Please, they need you. I'll be here when you get back. I just need time to rest."

With that Karen closed her eyes. Tal did what she asked and took to the air for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Malazure was hard pressed to stay the way he was. Gram was down but alive and now there were three dragons in human form working him over. Then one of the assholes saw something and shifted into his true dragon form and was about to bring his tail down on Malazure's head when a small tan dragon, less than half the size of Malazure or Dracon for that matter, landed right on the dragon's head slamming it into the ground knocking him out. Malazure took one look and grew very angry, "Angel!!!!!!!"

"Be mad later!" Angel pause to look for her next target. "What are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Let's kick some ass!" Then smiled brightly at her father and leapt into the air to help Cobb and Jess. Malazure turned to the two still advancing and began laughing. As he did he began to shift back to his form.

"Holy Shit!!! It's Malazure!!! Take him out!!!" Yelled one and soon was shifting too but was not ready when Malazure sprang.

Malazure moved over Gram to protect him as best he could which left him a little restricted.

Angel found the other two and found them to be in way over their heads. Jess was down and Cobb looked to be dead but she still felt that there might be a chance if she could get them to her father. Then after a moment she realized that she might just have made a mistake as she soon found herself facing a full sized dragon and several men.

It was a few minuets later when a hit from the side sent her sprawling to the ground and was unable to hold her dragon form and shifted back. She tried to turn to face what she knew was coming when she heard a bellow from above and the dragon facing her stopped and looked up. Only to have his head shoved into the ground and his neck making a snapping sound.

When Angel looked up all she could think of was that she was looking at a GOD.

The space was cool and quiet and Karen was glad to just be still. It was in a moment of quiet calmness that she began to hear something. To her tired mind it sounded like whispers from far away. But slowly the whispers grew louder. "Mother... Mother... Help us."

Karen thought that she was losing it but still she heard the voices and soon realized that she was hearing them and there were distinctly two of them.

"Mother... Mother... We don't feel good. What's wrong with us mother?"

"Who's there? What do you want?" Karen tried to look around but the space was too dark.

"Mother, we are here. But something is wrong. Mother we're scared."

Karen felt a moment of fear that came from her belly and looked down at herself. There, to her surprise was a very small bump to her tummy. Then she knew, the light moon the previous month, the nausea, and the getting sick. Then the fear and the ride and the fall had hurt her more than she realizes. Karen reached down and felt her tummy flutter. "Is it true. Can it be that his child grows below my heart?" Karen said aloud.

"Mother we don't feel good. What's wrong with us?"

"We... Us... Oh my darling babies. The last few days have been very bad for all of us. I am so sorry. I didn't even realize you were there. Your father is going to be so happy." She said as she continued to rest her hand on her tummy.

"We know there have been bad things happening. We have been trying to help. We let our minds touch yours so that you could use what we have. But why do we feel so bad?"