Chapter 10: The Gathering

Hank was curled up in his blankets in the tent that Rav had put up for him, most all the other's were sleeping either outside, the dragons warming rocks and ledges for sleeping, most of the fairies and elves had set up their own small camp, Rav had told Hank that many of the group would blink home at night during the gathering, preferring their own beds. Hank had spent the day with Trink meeting all sorts of creatures, trolls, gnomes, fairies, elves, dragons of every imaginable type. There were Mage's and Wizards, shapeshifters and sorcerers that had come from places Hank couldnt even pronounce let alone figure out where they were. Hank had been a little upset at the stares and whispers behind hands as people looked at him, Rav realizing what was bothering Hank, smiled kindly "its not your leg they are looking at, but a boy your size with a sword belted to your waist, dragging along side you, they are already whispering about the dagger and sword, Marti'en is having a grand time." Rav threw back his head and laughed as Trink strutted off with one of his pretties, he got more outragous every day thought Rav. Feeling someone looking at him Rav turned and looked into a pair of bright blue eye's, she smiled at him as she passed, her wingtip brushing along his side. Rav wondered who she was, he couldnt remember having seen her at any gathering before. Virlane curled around Kat and purred softly, he'd always enjoyed the gatherings, it was always an affirmation to him that the dragon flurished and thrived. Kat giggled as she nuzzled Virlane's neck "look at Mar and Marti'en trying to act like they are just old friends, it's so silly but they still keep up the pretense after all these years." Virlane licked her cheek and grinned "it gives them a secret to giggle over late at night." Marti'en sat next to the fire and looked at the large group gathering as she wove her story of the dagger of Cairin around them. There were many sage nods and mutterings from them, many of the elders had heard of the sword and dagger, others who had not wanted to know more. One of the mage's scoffed, that it was all myths, that as long he could remember there had been whispers of the dagger and sword doing this or that, the more whispering the more fantastic became the stories. Jacquilt quietly came and sat down next to Mar, listening to Marti'en, he chuckled "she should have been a gypsy treading the boards from the back of a wagon, she does know how to capture an audience doesnt she." You better depart quickly if you don't want to get pulled into it, she is heading in the direction, Mar replied. With a frown Jacquilt headed in the direction that Trink had gone in, he certainly didn't want to sit the night out, recounting what had happened. Bitsy and Brand were ignoring the outside world, this one of the few times of the year that he was transformed into a fairy and the two planned on making the most of it. The twins had gone off in separate directions finding their own entertainment.

Rav joined a group of old friends, the spent the evening catching up on past news and telling tall tales, laughing as they tried to out do each other. Several times Rav caught sight of the blue eyed dragoness once he grinned at her as she flew past, winking at him. As he curled up to sleep next to Hank's tent, Rav wondered if Natalie was sleeping well. Natalie slept late, after a quick breakfast in the kitchen she gathered the things she wanted and headed off to the new house. She went into the pool room laughing as she took off her dress, shoes and stockings. Sitting on the step she carefully edged forward, until she was sitting up to her waist in the warm water. She was having fun splashing around in the water like a little girl, at the other end of the pool was a large waterfall that constantly filled the pool, hanging onto the sides of the pool Natalie made her way down to the waterfall, She sat on the rocks and grinned, this wasn't so frightening after all. Deciding to go over to the oil pool, Natalie started to climb out, when her foot slipped and she fell backwards into the deep water, her arms flailing, she tried to get to the side her hands grasping out at it. As she sank deeper in the water she choked as the water went up her nose and into her mouth. She wondered how many days it would be before anyone even noticed that she had not returned. I knew I would die all alone, she thought. A large paw pulled Natalie out of the water, setting her on the cool floor, she choked and coughed and spewed out the water she had swallowed. With shaking hands she pushed the wet hair out of her face and looked up. Looking down at her was a red gryphon shaking its head at her, "that was a foolish thing to have done Talie." it rumbled. "Falkworth?" she choked out with a rasping cough. She shook her head, the only person who had ever called her Talie, had been her grandfathers very dearest friend Falkworth. Tipping her over his arm, he gently pounded on her back "Aye its Falkworth lassie, yea been sending letters requesting odd things, then when yea sent for the book, I knew it was time to take a come see for myself, plus there is a gathering I'm heading for." With an easy puff of breath he dried and warmed her, then sat back on his haunches, "care to explain what yea be up too? lassie." he asked smoothly. When she had finished telling Falkworth all that had happened since her uncle had taken she and Hank to London, he sat quietly for a long time. Finally as if coming to a decision he looked at Natalie "I will see Hank at the gathering, for the time being he need not know its old crusty Falk, I doubt he would remember me at any rate." then he patted her cheek with his large paw "read the book, Talie, its not magic that you fear and resent, its the unknown, we often fear what we don't understand so turn on it in our ignorance. The book will teach you what you need to learn, so you can better judge what you fear." Then he was gone, his chuckle echoing through the room "learn to swim lassie, or bath in a tea cup." After Natalie felt up to riding, she went over to SheringCross and talked to Susan, Not telling Susan the extent of how badly she had fallen into the pool, only that she had, had a scare, Susan offered to teach Natalie how to swim. Stephen laughed and said he would be the sit down and watch instructor. They agreed that Natalie would come over every morning for her lessons, then stay for lunch, Natalie thought that would work out perfectly, then she would have the afternoons and evenings to work on her canvas. Waving goodbye she rode back to the Keep. The gryphon was enthusiastically greeted by many at the gathering, he was an old faithful follower of the gatherings, everyone knew that Falkworth was fun to have around and could be counted on for a rousing good time. Raising a tankard Falkworth rumbled "now what's this I be hearing about a sword and dagger." He sat back listening as everyone started talking at once. "Well now, I will just have to go see this lad and look things over, I don't care for a lightning bolt up me arse in the middle of the night while I'm otherwise occupied." Everyone laughed, Falkworth leered wickedly and went to find Hank. As he wandered around the groups, laughing with friends, sharing a few tankards, winking and teasing the ladies, Falkworth kept an eye on Hank. He liked what he saw, the boy had grit, he walked with his head up, his eyes clear and looked others straight on, a time or two the boy took some rough teasing about his sword dragging behind him, but he just laughed good naturedly and would grin down at Trink. Falkworth saw the makings of a good man in Hank and knew his grandfather would have been well pleased. Virlane and Kat greeted Falkworth with hugs and smiles, they sat talking of all the things that had happened since they had last seen each other. Falkworth listened carefully, adding it to what Natalie had told him. Grinning he said "where is that smoke puffing hatchling of yours." it was an old joke between them. The first gathering Rav had attended he had flared his wings and puffed smoke at Falkworth, in turn Falkworth had spread his wings and roared at Rav, who had rolled backwards at the force of the roar, Rav had stalked back to the gryphon puffing out smoke, then grinned a big baby hatchling grin and informed everyone that Falkworth was his.

Rav saw the gryphon and grinned, he pounced and the two went rolling around on the ground laughing, standing up Rav smacked Falkworth and the two went off to find a cool tankard. Laughing and talking Rav and Falkworth sat watching all the comings and goings around the gathering, The blue eyed dragoness passed by Rav, her tail sliding over his as she walked by, Rav purred and winked at her. Rav drank off the last of his ale and grinned at Falkworth, "excuse me, Falk, I think a lady wants to play." then he winked and followed the dragoness, Falkworth sat frowning into his tankard. Trink came over and looked at the big gryphon, "Falk, I don't think you've met me boyo, Hank," Trink had also seen Rav follow the dragoness and hoped Hank hadn't, or if he had seen Rav go off, that he wouldn't realize at his age what Rav was up too. Falkworth smiled at the boy standing in front of him, he held out a big paw "a pleasure, lad, I've heard a lot about yea, done your family proud yea have." Hank liked the big affable gryphon and was soon sitting on the ground leaning against his side, telling Falk all about the wonderful time he was having here at the gathering. Trink grinned and went off to get himself and Falk another tankard, he looked around trying to spot Rav but didn't see either Rav or the dragoness anywhere in sight. Trink told himself "its to dark to really find anyone now anyway, they are most likely in a group talking" and knew he was lying to himself. The dragoness purred as she flew over Rav, her tailtip gliding up his back, she rolled in the air and dipped down, then came back again brushing her back along his stomach and chest. As Rav growled and wrapped his arms and legs around her, for a moment he thought of Natalie, then shook his head, this was different, this was a dragoness, not a human wife who couldn't even accept his magic, part of his very being as a dragon. Natalie fell asleep reading the book, its words swirling around in her head, the book hummed softly to her as she slept, talking to her, teaching her. At the end second week of the gathering, Hank sat next to Trink and told him "I want to go home, I miss Natalie, no one has even bothered to go home from time to time and check on her." In surprise Trink looked at Hank "why I'm sure she is fine, boyo, or we woulda heard, no need to go running off, Rav surely has been to the keep to see her." Hank shook his head "no he hasn't I asked him, besides he is to busy with that dragoness, you think I hadn't noticed, everyone has seen them together, I'm not blind or stupid, Trink." then Hank gave Trink a hug and walked off to find Jacquilt. Jacquilt was busy talking to Virlane about Rav when he saw Hank coming and changed the subject. Hank didn't ask Virlane if he could go home, he told Virlane he was going home, to check on Natalie, that no one had bothered to see how she was doing, that she might not be a dragoness or a sorceress but she was still someone, she was still somebody, even if they had forgotten that, he hadn't. Hank turned and looked across the clearing to where Rav was with the blue eyed dragoness then looked back at Virlane and Jacquilt, his eye's full of disappointment. Everyone stopped as the boy pulled the sword from it sheath and with the words "I am Cairin" the lightning came from the tip of the sword and wrapped around him, a second later he was gone. Natalie sat in the dining room eating her dinner, she was tired of taking a tray alone in her room, so she sat alone at the big table instead. Any of that left, asked Hank as he walked in, Natalie jumped up and ran to him and gave him a tight hug. "I've missed you, how is the meeting going?" she asked as she fixed a plate for him. Hank told her all about what had happened at the gathering, about the people and creatures he had met, how Trink and the red gryphon had gotten sotted and Trink had challenged the gryphon to an arm wrestling match. Natalie and Hank laughed together, as he told his stories, she told him about Susan teaching her to swim, but asked him not to say anything since she wanted to surprise Rav. Hank noticed of course, the big bruise on her forehead and what almost looked like a black eye and finally asked her what had happened. Leaning over she whispered to Hank that she was learning to wink (as she called it) in and out, to different places and the first few times hadn't gone very well, she had slammed herself into the wall around the garden. Wanting to know how she was learning this, Natalie quietly told him about the book, but that no one was to know about it, she made Hank promise not to tell anyone, knowing he always kept his promises. Natalie told Hank she doubted she would try anything more out of the book since she really didn't understand a lot of it, but at least it was helping her to come to terms with the magic around her. Hank hugged Natalie and told her that he had better return before Trink got himself into more trouble. She laughed and watched as he and his sword vanished. Virlane walked over to Rav, then looked at the dragoness, "leave" he hissed, with an affronted look she turned, tail swishing and left. Rav raised an eyeridge at his father "did you want to talk to me?" Virlane snorted "have you lost all sense of reason? you have a wife at home, you have a young boy here, that is slowly losing all respect for you." Rav snapped "Hank and Natalie will just have to learn to accept that I am Ravlyr the man and Rav the dragon, they are two separate beings, what I do as one shouldn't affect what I do as the other." Virlane frowned at his son, shaken by what he had just said, shaking his head he asked "when did you become such a fool?" "When I married Natalie it would seem." he snarled and turned and stalked off, Virlane sighed, then turned and almost fell over Hank. Virlane reached out for Hank but the boy was already gone. Trink was sitting telling some outrageous tale to a pretty, Jacquilt snickering behind his hand as he listened. They both looked up as Hank walked towards them. Hank hugged Jacquilt, then hugged Trink and said "I'm going adventuring, I promise I'll come back for you one day soon, Trink. Natalie will always know where to find me, as I will always know where to find her, she's a Cairin also, I think that's something you've all forgotten."