Chapter 2: A Change in the Wind

The old dragon was startled by what he saw in the tiny fairies eyes, where there had once been a sparkle of life, a glow that came from within, there was now nothing, her eyes were black pools devoid of emotion. He watched her carefully for a long time, nodding to himself, he felt it was safe to leave her alone for a short while. He went to his study and sat down, looking down at his paw, he sent a message to Virlane.

Virlane appeared not long after receiving the old dragons message. He was confused at the tone and abruptness, smiling at Marluxion he instantly started to tell him about his son, he knew he was rambling as most proud new parents do about their children but couldn't seem to stop.

Marluxion's voice cut across the room, "tell me of Bitsy's part in the birth of your son, did she injure the child? did she maim the child? I want to know what happened and exactly how it happened!"

Virlane told Marluxion everything he had learned, many hours after the chaos in the tower room had settled down and he had a chance to talk with Katrina, she had told him about how Bitsy had found her and helped her, how if it hadn't been for the fairy, their child might not have survived.

"Did you thank her? did you give her a hug and rejoice with her at the birth of your son? Marluxion's iron hard voice asked.

Virlane stood very still, reacting to the sound of Marluxion's voice. He thought back on the night of his son's birth, he tried to remember exactly what had occurred from the moment he entered the tower room. He suddenly looked startled at his own thoughts. He lowered his head "when I saw Bitsy there leaning down over the child, all I could think of was, she would stumble and fall on him, I still haven't thanked her for saving my wife and son, is she in the work room?"

The old dragon stood up and told Virlane to follow him, he entered his bed chamber, and went over to the bed, his paw gently touched Bitsy's forehead, still much to warm, her face flushed and wet with sweat. Bitsy opened her eyes and saw the two dragons, not really caring if they were there or not, she closed her eyes again. Virlane looked at Marluxion, shock and disbelief on his face, for he too had seen into her eyes.

He leaned down and gently nuzzled the tiny fairy, he whispered his thanks to her and told her of the silliness from Mary and Harriett, the cook, at seeing the baby. He told her that as soon as she was well, she had to come visit, that MiLady also wanted to thank her. He told her that they had named their son, Ravlyr, a good dragon name, even if it might confuse the humans. He got no response and moved away turning to Marluxion with a worried look, the old dragon motioned him out of the room and followed.

"I need to contact her parents and let them know she is ill, I don't look forward to the task, but they need to know. Then I need to formulate some sort of plan to get her spirit back, the Bitsy of lifeless black eye's could be great trouble for all of us." Virlane wanted to question Marluxion about that last statement, but saw the old dragon was done talking. Wishing Virlane and Katrina congratulations on the birth of their son, saying he would come by to see the baby when he could safely leave Bitsy, the old dragon headed back to his bed chambers.

Bitsy's parents arrived later the same day, Her mother fretted over her, wiping her face with a cool damp cloth, changing the damp blankets, softly chatting to her the whole time, of little mundane things, trying to keep the worry and fear out of her voice. as Marluxion and her father stood quietly talking. Marluxion made sure there was a bed chamber ready for Bitsy's parents, then went into his study. Bitsy tossed and turned, her body seemed to be on fire, her dreams were filled with imagines of her hand, burning, glowing blue, and she moaned feeling the heat of her body. She dreamt of babies, bloody, strangling, dying, of rain and ice and shivering cold. Other imagines came and went in her fevered dreams, strong hands and amber eyes, a voice smooth as silk, telling her, she was his. Bitsy heard Virlane's voice, her mothers chatter, but it made no sense. She felt so tired, so very, very tired.

At last, days later, her fever finally broke, she felt as if every bone in her body ached, Bitsy pushed her mother away, as she tried to help Bitsy sit up to eat. "I will be fine now, Mother, I think I can safely feed myself without spilling." Bitsy held the cup of broth in shaking hands and drank a small amount at first, then gradually finished the whole cup. She handed it back to her mother. Bitsy smiled at her, a smile that didn't reach her cold black eyes. Thamara told Bitsy that as soon as she was able, they would be taking her home, until she was fully recovered, then she could return to Marluxion. Bitsy smiled again, "there is no need for me to return home, I shall be well in a few days, I don't want to interrupt my studies, I still have a great deal to learn, you and father can return home now, the rest of the family surely must be needing your attention." then she closed her eyes and slept.

Concerned Thamara sought out her husband and Marluxion in his study. They were talking about what to do when a banging startled them. Trink stood at the door of the study, the elf looked his usual dapper self, not a wrinkle on his clothes, his shoes shining. the ever present bow tied in his beard. He sauntered into the room, greeting everyone. "what's this I hear about my little friend being sick? We can't have that, not at all, who else will listen to my tales and keep me company on my morning constitutionals? I will talk to her and inform her that she must get well immediately." He beamed at the 3 as if his very presence made everything right and all was well with the world.

Thamara took Trink to the bed chamber, and left the two alone. Trink climbed onto the big bed, chuckling and mutter about why dragons needed such large beds but being dragons and all, they probably needed all the room for romping.

Bitsy looked at Trink, as he muttered, she stated, "You've gotten mud on the covers, Trink" He looked, muttering about the difficulty of keeping a good shine on his shoes with the weather the way it was." He blinked a few times, looking at his shoes and the covers, as the mud disappeared and his shoes gleamed. Looking at Bitsy "my my you've come a long way in your studies, now I'm here to tell you, its time to get better, I can't have you laying here in bed when there is a certain lady elf that I want you to be meeting." he said, chuckling.

"I am well now, Trink, I simply need to get my strength back. Then I will be more then happy to meet your lady friend, I'm assuming she takes good care of your superior parts, that being the case, you surely don't want to be rid of her to soon." Trink felt the ice of her voice run down his spine and he shivered.

Climbing down off the bed, Trink put his hands on his hips, "you maybe well now, but you look wretched, my girl, why I think all the meat has dropped off your bones, males like a little bit of padding you know." laughing he left the room. Out in the passage way he leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, his knee's were actually shaking. The look she had given him at his joking comment actually scared him. Without talking much other then saying his farewells, Trink left, muttering to himself about things needing to be fixed up right and in its proper place again.

Bitsy slipped off the bed, her legs wouldn't hold her and she fell to the floor, shaking, she pulled herself up, she held onto the bed until the room stopped spinning. She closed her eye's until the room righted itself, then she took a small wobbly step, then another, until she had gotten to the chair on the other side of the room, she collapsed into it, breathing deeply, sweat pouring off her body.

She had just gotten back to the bed when her mother entered the room, carrying a tray. Thamara quickly set the tray down and went to Bitsy, helping her back into the bed, tucking the blankets around her, telling Bitsy that she needed time to let her body heal, that doing to much to quickly would only slow down how soon she was fully recovered. Thamara set the tray on the bed, she wanted to help her daughter but knew from earlier that it wouldn't be appreciated, so she sat and chattered as Bitsy slowly ate. Moving the tray after she was done, her mother pulled the blankets over Bitsy, and sat quietly until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

After a long discussion with Marluxion, Bitsy's parents agreed there was nothing more they could do at the moment, and decided to once again leave Bitsy in his old capable hands. Even with her mother Bitsy had refused to talk about the night she had been caught in the storm. She simply shrugged and said it had seemed so long ago that it wasn't even worth mentioning. Her parent's hugged and kissed her goodbye, making her promise if she needed them, she would send a message.

Bitsy moved back into her own sleeping alcove, she took a long bath and washed her hair, angry that her hands shook with fatigue by the time she was done. She fell asleep still brushing her hair. Later that night instead of eating in her bed, she sat with Marluxion in his study, just as they had always done. As he sent her off to bed he said, "two weeks, child, in two weeks time, we WILL discuss what happened that night, and I am not so easily put off as your mother". Bitsy simply nodded and quietly left the room.

The old dragon knew she still slept the exhausted sleep her body needed to recover, but he also had stood watching her as she slept, her dreams filled with things that made her moan as if in pain, toss and turn restlessly, cry out in anger. He felt the two weeks he had given her would give her more time to heal, to recoup her strength. Marluxion knew that discussing something that had brought such pain had to be done carefully, and a tired, ill body was a defensive body. He also knew he had to have her physically well before he could help her emotionally, it would be to difficult for her to recover on both levels at once.

The next morning after breakfast, Bitsy sat outside, bundled up in the warm winter clothes her mother had brought her. She turned her face up to the sun, she had always loved the feel of the sun on her face, it seemed to sink into her heart and brighten it, but not this time, she only felt cold inside. She walked a short way down the path, then back again. Pushing herself she walked a little further down the path, returning once again, she sat on a small rock, catching her breath. Without even realizing it she had curled up and was soon fast asleep in the warm glow of the sun.

In another part of the forest, Trink sat at a table, hunched over his cup of wine, muttering to himself, he didn't see anyone standing at the table until a shadow blocked his light, he looked up "get out of my light boys, I can't see the pretties passing by with you standing there blocking me view." he told Keebler and WindWhispers. They both pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at the usually dapper Trink, his clothes were dusty and wrinkled, the bow in his beard, seemed limp, perhaps due to the fact that it had mistakenly gotten dunked into the cup of wine a time or two.

"Lost me best buddy I did, saw it in her eye's, gone, that's what she is, gone never to return" he muttered with what sounded almost like a sob. Keebler slapped Trink on the back, chortling "you'll find another lady friend, Trink, you always do." Trink grabbing his drink to keep it from toppling, glowered at Keebler "not a lady friend, you dunce, Bitsy!" said as he went back to muttering in his cup. "Gone? of course she is gone, back to the old dragon, right about now she is probably, aging him another thousand years, if she hasn't turned him into a daisy or something."

Hard, strong fingers wrapped around Trink's wrist, forcing his cup held hand down to the table, "where has Bitsy gone? Trink" asked WindWhispers, his voice cold and demanding. Keebler surprised at the tone of voice his friend was using, watched the two trying to understand what it was that he was missing. "sick she is, got caught out in that terrible first storm of the season, never seen the old dragon so worried before." Trink told WindWhispers, then started muttering about her eyes. "What about her eyes, Trink, tell me the rest of it!" WindWhispers spoke in a low urgent voice, pulling Trink from his drunken haze. "Cold, lifeless, black as pits of coal, I ain't never been afraid of nothing, why I've traveled all over the lands and seen many a frightening thing, but I ain't never seen anything like the look in her eyes. I thought she was going to hurt me." sobbed Trink into his cup.