Chapter 30

Marti'en, Mar, Trink walked into the dining room and froze seeing Kirk slapping at his smoldering beard, Kalilah trying to splash water out of a glass at him, Alex with a stupefied look on his face holding a burnt blanket, Connor and Christopher laughing like loons and Miranda trying to get Zara untangled from her hair. Zara holding on for dear life screeched and shrieked, Christopher stopped laughing when Miranda cried "do something before she puffs and I have no hair left on my head." Trink moaned loudly covering his beard, Marti'en started chortling, Mar with a deep thrumming purrr held out his paw to Zara. Zara turned big blue eyes on Mar and purrred back, Mar calmly walked over and untangled Zara's tiny talons from Miranda's hair, Zara purred then singsonged to Mar nuzzling his neck. Mar snuggled her in his paws and chuckled "she maybe tiny but she's going to be one heck of a puffer." Mar winked at Marti'en then purred down at Zara "I think you and I are going to be very good friends my dear." Trink hid behind Connor muttering about being on guard and to protect his beard and precious parts at all times. Cook was heard moaning "not again" in the kitchen. Zara fell asleep snuggled peacefully against Mar's purring chest.

Laurel woke up when she felt Alex sit on the bed, seeing the look his face she quickly glanced at Zara then back at Alex "what happened?" Zara wiggled trying to get to her mama. Alex set her on Laurel's chest "well Kirk is now in the pool room shaving off the remains of his burnt to cinders mustache and beard, Mar has now found a kindred puffing spirit, Trink is hiding behind Connor muttering to himself, Cook is in the kitchen moaning, Miranda is busy trying to figure out how much hair she had pulled from her head, Marti'en is just sitting, laughing like crazy. Connor is going to help Kirk and Christopher in a small adventure, I believe Miranda and Christopher are sleeping together, I think that about covers it." Laurel blinked at Alex running everything he had said through her sleepy brain, as she fed Zara who was making loud happy slurping sucking noises. "Connor is going adventuring with Kirk and Christopher?" Alex nodded "a friend of theirs needs a hand and Connor asked to go along." Laurel frowned "what aren't you telling me? I can see there's more to this then just going adventuring." Alex sighed "it sounded like it might get a little nasty and there will probably be some fighting involved, Kirk and Christopher will keep an eye on Connor. It's very important to Connor that he go along love, he's trying to finish growing up and figuring out what sort of man he is and will be." Laurel silently asked Connor, how much this going with Kirk and Christopher meant to him, Connor told his mama that he thought it was something he needed to do for himself, that maybe it was time for him to find out what kind of dragon he really was.

Laurel went to move Zara to her other breast, Zara was perfectly happy where she was and let out a little growl, Zara squeaked when she had her little snout firmly tapped by a mama finger "don't you growl at me Zara, I can growl too and much louder" Zara looked at her mama with big blue eyes and didn't growl again. Settling Zara at her other breast Laurel wasn't quite sure what to say to Alex about Miranda and Christopher. "I'll talk to Miranda and find out what's going on between she and Christopher, I don't know how you feel about it but I think they are perfect for each other" she told Alex as she moved Zara's tail that was now tightly wrapped around her braid. Alex who was rubbing his fingers down Zara's tiny back nodded with a little frown "I'm not disagreeing with you urchin, I guess it's just a father's shock to suddenly realize that his daughter has a lover, I keep seeing her as a little hatchling not as a grown woman." Laurel chuckled "it was going to happen sometime dearheart." Alex nodded with a rueful look on his face, taking Zara from her mama he snuggled her on his shoulder and started patting her back, Zara purred rubbing her full tummy against her papa then let out a little burp. "Geezzuusss, Zara you have to learn not to do that" groaned Alex the shoulder of his jacket smoldering. Zara nuzzled her papa's neck and fell asleep with a singsong purr.

Alex walked into the parlor threw himself into a chair, stretched his legs out in front of him and sighed. Mar seeing the shoulder of his jacket gave him a big toothy grin, Alex just gave him a don't say it look. Christopher grinning handed Alex a large snifter of brandy "you look like you could use this" Alex took a drink and chuckled "let's just say life is not going to be dull with Zara around." Miranda came back into the room in her hand a ribbon filled with the beads from her hair. "I think Zara will like this much better" Christopher smiled softly, his hand touching Miranda's hair. Mar hissed silently to Marti'en "of course! that's why the dagger was singing to Miranda, it recognized the mate of the first born." A clean shaven Kirk walked in laughing "I'd almost forgotten what my face looked like without my beard and mustache, but that's a hell of a way to find out." Kalilah sitting on his shoulder chuckled "you'll have to start a new one." Kirk grinned "I think I'll wait until Zara is a little older first."

Connor quietly entered his mama's bedroom, glancing at the cradle he smiled, Laurel chuckled quietly "I think your going adventuring to protect that pretty beard of yours from Zara." Connor grinned, sitting on the bed he looked at his mama for a minute with a tear in his eye, blinking quickly he hugged her "thank you mama for understanding, I won't be gone long, you'll be so busy keeping the house in one piece you won't even notice I'm not here." Laurel softly touched her son's face "I always know when your not here, just be careful and take care of yourself, I gather your getting ready to leave." Connor nodded swallowing the lump in his throat "in a few minutes, the sooner we go the sooner we get back, I love you mama" Laurel hugged Connor tight and smiled "I love you too, never forget you're the dragon Connor Breeton and there is no finer dragon to be found." Laurel waited until Connor had left the bedroom before she started to cry. There's a time for letting go she told herself but no one ever said it would be easy.

Christopher stood out in the garden with Miranda in his arms, kissing her long and hard, he didn't want to let her out of his arms. "I have to stop at Cairin and let my parent's know what's happening, then we'll leave from there." Miranda nodded trying not to cry. Tipping up her chin Christopher smiled "when I get back we can talk about a sweet valley on the other side of the unicorn forest, it's the perfect place to build a house on." Miranda blinked in surprise, Christopher chuckled "I think it's time to call a halt to adventuring after this one, I'd much rather sleep in our bed with you in my arms every night then laying on the cold ground listening to Kirk snoring." Miranda tried to laugh "please be careful Christopher" he could only nod, taking her hand, they walked into the house he told himself he had to go quickly before he didn't go at all. Alex hugged Connor tight "go with god Connor, yours or mine it doesn't matter just take care of yourself and come home to help me rebuild Zinmer, I have the feeling Zara is going to burn it to the ground." Connor laughed hugging his father back silently telling his father he loved him and would be careful. Connor grinned at a teary Trink, reaching down Connor untied the bow from Trink's beard and tied it in his jacket button hole "don't forget to give Zara a bow Trink, they're pretty special to hatchlings" quickly Connor gave Trink a hug and went to stand with Christopher and Kirk, then they were gone.

Alex slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of identical dark blue eyes looking down at him, Zara licked her papa's cheek purring, Alex grinned "hungry? Zara my girl." Zara padded across her papa's chest to nuzzle her mama's neck, Laurel opened one eye and mumbled. Alex laughed "I would feed her urchin but I don't have the right equipment." Laurel giggled, Zara looked back and forth between her mama and papa with a silly hatchling grin. Alex very carefully laid Zara on his shoulder and patted her back "how about a more lady like belch this time, my girl, no more frying papa." Alex was glad he had put a towel over his bare shoulder but at least this time it was only slightly singed, he tucked Zara back into her cradle and went back to bed with a chuckle. Laurel woke up early the next morning to find Zara all snuggled down sound asleep between she and Alex, Zara's little tail wrapped around her papa's wrist.

Laurel had just finished eating when Virlane and Kat walked in, Laurel smiled offering them some lunch. Virlane grinned "we just stopped by to see the new little one that Mar was chuckling and snorting in his wine about last night." Zara snuggled in her mama's lap looked up hearing new voices, Laurel grimaced as Zara using her tiny talons climbed up the front of her mama to her shoulder. Virlane smiled at the tiny hatchling, Kat oh my'd "she is a little one." Zara smiled back at Virlane turning to look at Kat. Zara lost her balance with a wild screech she wrapped her tail around Laurel's braid scrabbling to hold onto something, Laurel feeling the little talons digging into her shoulder jumped up grabbing for Zara. Zara fell backwards, swinging from Laurel's braid her little wings flapping wildly. Zara puffed with a screech. Laurel let out a shriek trying to grab Zara and the back of her smoldering skirt. Miranda came running in hearing Zara's screeching and her mothers shriek "what did she set on fire now." Virlane roaring with laughter grabbed Zara lifting her up and unwrapped her tail from Laurel's braid. Miranda quickly changed her mother's skirt. Kat stood wide eyed her hands over her mouth trying not to laugh, Cook moaned loudly from the kitchen, Zara grinned at the big dragon holding her. Miranda laughed "papa and Trink are hiding out in the stables." Kat unable to contain herself any longer burst out laughing "no wonder Mar was snorting and giggling all night."

"Did I hear my name mentioned?" asked Mar as he padded in, Zara her eyes going wide screeched at Mar her little wings unfurling, with a grin Virlane tossed her to Mar, Laurel gasped, Zara screeching happily soared over to Mar, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck she singsong purred then let out a shriek as she started to slide down his neck. Miranda yelled "duck" covering her hair, then jumped back as a little fireball erupted from Zara. Mar laughing and snorting put Zara back at the top of his neck and let her slide down again, Zara with a silly giggle slid down again. Mar didn't even wince when she used her little talons to climb back up his neck and slide down again. Laurel sat back down muttering that it was too bad she didn't drink then she started to giggle, the giggle turning into a laugh, looking at Kat. Laurel grinned wickedly "she puffed off most of Alex's chest hair this morning, he didn't know she was snuggled up next to him in bed and he rolled over on her." Kat almost choked on her tea she was laughing so hard. Mar with a pout handed Zara to her mama, who said she needed to be fed and take a nap. Miranda giggled "she can come out and play later Mar." Natalie started to laugh when Mar padded out of the room telling everyone that he had better go take a nap and oil his scales.