Chapter 2

Revanche squealed with laughter as he ran in and out of the forest with Christopher and Sherry his cousins, Thamara and Trevor the twins should be arriving soon, they were all having a big picnic at Cairin. Christopher picked up his little sister Sherry after she fell down, carrying her over to his mother, he quickly ran back to play with Revanche. Jenee soothed Sherry's sobs with a kiss and hug then washed off her knee's telling her it was just a little scrape, Sherry was soon back to running around screaming with laughter as her big brother and cousin popped out of tree's making funny faces.

It wasn't long before Jacquilt and Kim arrived with their twins Thamara and Trevor, who immediately flew off to play, greeting everyone Kim grinned at Jenee and her big tummy "soon Cairin won't be large enough to hold the whole tribe" Hank coming up behind Jenee put his arms around her, his hands resting on her stomach, chuckling he told Kim "then we will just have to enlarge Cairin." Kim laughed "that might not be such a bad idea" with a wink she went over to give her mother Bitsy a hug.

Marti'en sat quietly watching the children play, it felt good to just sit in the sun and do nothing, the males were all sitting together discussing this year's gathering. " Marti'en?" Marti'en sat up listening intently, " Marti'en?" the little dragon child smiled Marti'en to herself, it had been three months since the night she had seen the child in the tinker's camp, she had begun to fear the child would never contact her. "Yes, child I'm here, are you safe and well?" Marti'en waited impatiently for a reply, "yes I'm well, how did you know what I was? Marti'en chuckled and told the child that like recognizes like so she had been able to see the dragoness in the human. The child was quiet for a long time, Marti'en was almost afraid she had decided to end their talk. "Does it hurt you to be a dragon Marti'en " the child asked, Marti'en frowned slightly "do you mean physical real pain or emotional pain? child, the answer is no to both if that's what you want to know, I have great joy in my heart when I am in my dragoness form."

"Do you sing? Marti'en " Laurel asked, Marti'en chuckled "I croak like an old frog when I sing, did your parent's sing Laurel?" There was such sadness in the child's voice when she answered "my mama sang all the time, my papa could sing but not like mama, papa said mama could out sing the birds on a spring day."

Virlane raised an eyebrow watching Marti'en, going over to her, he was about to ask if there was something wrong when she clutched his arm shaking her head. "Thank you for talking to me Marti'en " Muttering Marti'en sighed she had wanted to talk with the child more "will you do something for me Laurel, will you sing for me, just a short song to bring a smile to these old bones." Marti'en closed her eye's as a song filled her mind, relaying the song to Virlane.

Marti'en felt as if she were soaring to the sun, the heat warm and welcoming, the rays of light calling to her of sunny childhood days of long past. Marti'en whispered "thank you my child you have brought a smile to this old woman's heart" Laurel replied "can we talk again sometime, I have to go now." Marti'en told the child she could talk anytime she wanted, she would always reply if possible.

Virlane looked down at Marti'en and whispered almost reverently "a song of the old days, it has been so many years, countless years since I've heard them, that voice, Marti'en was the purest most beautiful thing I have ever heard, who was it? You must set up a meeting, I must meet this songstress of old." Marti'en still caught up in the song smiled at Virlane "it's a tiny little girl who hides from being a dragoness, she travels with a tinker."

Kat let out a shriek of surprise when Virlane picked her up and swung her around then flew into the air with her held tightly in his arms, roaring with laughter, a little songstress who was a dragoness had brought the songs of old back into his life. Everyone smiled watching Kat laughing telling Virlane to put her down before he dropped her, then letting out another shriek as he pretended to drop her, then the two were laughing like the children watching the grownups being silly.

Brand chuckled watching the children being collected by their mama's so they could come and eat, whispering in Bitsy's ear that it was fun to see Kim getting as good as she got from her own twins, Bitsy grinned saying she couldn't wait until the twins reached their teen years, then she would really sit back and laugh, the two grinned at each other.

As always before he left to go home Revanche would give his aunt NeNe a hug and say KwissKwiss then lick both of her cheeks, Jenee smiled saying KissKiss back and gave Revanche a kiss on both of his cheeks, to her surprise he rested his cheek on her tummy and said "KwissKwiss to baby" with a little purr. Even more surprising was the look on Marti'en 's face as she hugged each one of the children bye bye, it was a gentle look of love and longing.

Jenee asked Hank if Marti'en had ever had children of her own, shaking his head as he got into bed "not that I know of, I think we've all been her children in one way or another. The same with Mar, he has never had children that I'm aware of."

Marti'en and Mar sat in his study the next morning arguing over a particular spell that Mar had come across in one of his many books, when Marti'en heard Laurel.

"Marti'en?" Marti'en smiled "yes, child" she replied "will I see you tonight? We are at a place called the keep" Mar blinked in surprise as Marti'en jumped up from her chair "you are at the keep right now?" she asked the child. "Yes, Jacob is arguing with some woman named Mary about the price of fabric" Marti'en squeezed Mar's paw telling him the child was at Virlane's, "I will see you at the keep Laurel, if a man named Collin comes out to say hello it's alright, remember like recognizes like."

Collin frowning over his account book muttered that he needed to ask Jacquilt to lend him a hand he hated this book work, Jacquilt was much better at it, "Virlane! the little dragoness is at your place with the tinker! I will be there in just a moment." Collin casually walked down the front steps, looking around he saw the tinker's wagon, strolling over he smiled at Mary then turned to the tinker "hello, your Jacob if I remember right, don't mind me, I've just come to see what you have of interest." Jacob bowed pulling off his cap "right proud I'd be my lord if yea would find anything of interest in my poor wares."

Collin saw the little girl peeking out of the back of the wagon at him, he winked at the child, who immediately ducked back into the wagon then peeked out again, cautiously Laurel climbed out of the back of the wagon hearing Jacob calling her name, she rushed over to Jacob who told her to roll up the other side of the wagon flap so his lordship could see the rest of the wares. Nodding Laurel ran back to the wagon and climbed back inside, rolling up the canvas just as she had been taught she found herself looking right at the man. Collin smiled "hello Laurel, my name is Collin, Marti'en asked me to say hello" he watched the child's eyes dart fearfully about before she gave him a tentative hello. Pointing to a small carved wooden box Collin commented that he thought his Lady wife might be interested in something like that, turning to Jacob Collin told him that he was going to take the box to show his Lady wife and since she loved children he hoped Jacob wouldn't mind if the child went with him. Collin sent a quick message to Kat asking her to send Harriett out to help Mary keep the tinker occupied while he brought the child inside.

Jacob hoping for a good sale agreed telling Laurel to show the Lords Lady the pretty box, Laurel followed Collin into the house, the box clutched in her hands, as she walked through the house her eyes got bigger and bigger, she had never been in such a big house before. Laurel was lead into a large room, she smiled at the Lady with the best selling smile that Jacob had taught her, going forward she held out the box to the Lady. Kat smiled kindly at the little girl as she looked over the box saying how nice it was. "Hello Laurel it's nice to see you again" Marti'en said, Laurel hearing Marti'en 's voice turned expecting to see an old woman, what she saw instead was a most beautiful emerald green dragoness, Laurel looked around wildly then rushed forward "ohhhhh please Marti'en you have to change before you get hurt" the child almost moaned as she suddenly stood infront of the dragoness facing the man and woman in the room, she spread her arms wide as if protecting Marti'en. Marluxion was almost undone to see the tiny child standing protectively in front of the dragoness Marti'en "no one will hurt her here, we are all free to be as we are in these lands, you don't need to have this fear child" he said softly with a soothing purrr. Laurel stumbled back against Marti'en staring at the second dragon that had appeared, drawn to the sound of the purring Laurel felt tears in her eyes it was a sound from when she was a baby, her mama and papa used to make that noise, she would fall asleep listening to her father purring as her mama sang.