Chapter 1

"Well what do we do now? Hit the road? The music player said we could stay at her lair, do we head there? If we can find it" asked a sated Strut. Renlock who had decided he was never coming out of the hot water pool glanced at Strut, who's belly was bulging so badly he wondered if it would pop "no, we will stay put for now, let's stay warm, eat our fill and wait for Morpaw and Shelaw to recover as much as they're able, then we'll decide what we do and where we go." Raimi lay on the side of the oil pool slowly dragging her talons through the oil "did you notice the sky? It's night and it's dark but you can see all the way up to the moon." Strut hrmffed "how do you know it's a moon?" Raimi squinted her eyes at Strut "I saw a picture of one once, Ok?" Ailysh pointed out the window at the big white orb in the sky "that's the moon?" Raimi nodded "yup, it sure looks like the moon from the picture I saw just that the one I saw looked more yellow, oh well maybe that was a different world."

Trink walked into the pool room "aye that bes the moon and if yea look an see the little lights that be twinklin around those be stars" Trink blinked in surprise to see the one big dragon come surging out of the water, the other two standing right behind and to either side of him, the small dragons were nowhere to be seen. "I be ol Trink, ain't no threat to yea or yours, just came to be tellin yea that Laurel gots a room ready for yea." Renlock his eyes glinting with menace stared closely at Trink. Bitsy flew in "Trink, Laurel wants to know..." Bitsy hovered by the door hearing a low hiss, she looked around the room seeing the three dragons staring between she and Trink, she realized they had no idea what she and Trink were so assumed they were dangerous and enemies. Bitsy laughed with a light airy laugh "Trink, did you pass on Laurel's message, so we can get our big friends here settled for the night?" Silently she sent a message to Virlane "we could use some assistance before Trink and I get fried for dessert." Trink smiled widely "wellll now sure I did Bitsy me girly, but these biguns they seem to be taken exception to ol Trink." Virlane chuckled from the door, "must be the bow in the beard Trink, Bitsy I think Laurel is looking for you, why don't you go see what she wants." Casually Virlane sauntered in leaving the door open, he smiled at Renlock putting himself between Trink and the dragon, with his tail he batted Trink out of the door. Trink went flying out of the door with a yelp and a mutter, Rav caught him and set him down poking his head in the door Rav laughed "I think you invented a new game." Trink muttered darkly at Rav as he walked down the hall straightening his beard and bow. Virlane glanced over his shoulder and frowned to see Bitsy still hovering by the door. "Brand should spank you for not doing as your told." Bitsy winked "I'll make that suggestion to him, I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Virlane laughed then looked back at Renlock "the little fellow is Trink he is a harmless elf, Bitsy here is a fairy and relatively harmless unless annoyed then she can be a tad nasty. You will run into lots of elves and fairies around here so you might as well start getting used to them."

Renlock inclined his head "my apologies we've never seen such and thought them to be a threat." Brand walked in "is there a problem here brat?" Bitsy grinned "Virlane thinks I need a spanking." Brand grinned back "the last time I tried that you bit me." Bitsy wiggled her eyebrows "and you loved every minute of it." Bitsy made little snapping biting noises at him and grinned, Brand laughed "come on rat, if Laurel doesn't need you anymore tonight it's time to head home, I was a very good boy and fought hard tonight, that should at least be worth a nibble or two." Bitsy laughed as Brand tucked her in his shirt, waving to Virlane the two left the room. Renlock watched the door close, this wasn't right, something was wrong here, he had seen with his own eyes that human fight fiercely through the mist and wevrils yet here he was talking about nibbles and tucking the strange winged woman into his shirt, shouldn't he be out celebrating a victory hard won for once again he had shown his strength and valor, this was a very confusing place, but warm and there seemed to be plenty of food. Raimi and Bartolow had also seen and heard the exchange between the man and the little winged person, each having their own type of conflicting thoughts about the actions of the two.

Virlane took the six dragons to the back room that was now filled with pallets of blankets, plenty of pillows, Laurel had made sure the room was warm and a fire burning in the grate. Laurel came in with a smile "I hope this will do for right now, tomorrow we can fix up something more suitable and comfortable." Renlock nodded with an abrupt motion of his head. "I wish to see Shelaw and Morpaw, they are old and need to be treated with care." Laurel's smile faltered for a moment, silently she asked Virlane if they thought that the old couple were not being taken care of properly. Virlane smiled and told Renlock to follow him, then replied to Laurel silently "he is not a very trusting dragon, I also think he needs to reassure himself that the two are safe." Laurel smiled at the others "if you need anything my name is Laurel, just call for me."

Virlane watched Renlock standing in the doorway looking at the sleeping old dragons, with a nod he turned and quietly shut the door "they will do well here" he said as he walked down the hall. Quietly Virlane commented "you all will do well here if you give yourself the chance." Renlock frowned "we shall see, only fools and brave dragons take chances, I haven't decided which I will end up being yet." Virlane chuckled "I've been both many times, it only hurts for a moment." Renlock entered the back room to find Strut and Raimi arguing over a large pillow, walking over he took it from Raimi. "I will use it, then there is no reason to fight over it." Tossing the pillow on one of the pallets of blankets he laid down pulling the heavy covers over himself he shut his eyes ending the discussion.

Laurel lay in the oil pool, Zara on her chest, humming a soft lullaby, Laurel rubbed the oil over Zara's neck and back, the moonlight filtered in the windows giving the room a soft glow. It had been a very hectic, at times frantic day and tiny Zara was feeling the effects, unable to sleep she had crawled into bed with her mama and papa then tossed and turned grrring as she grew more tired and irritable. Zara purring fell asleep as her mama rubbed the oil into her wings, Laurel smiled softly still humming, she stopped when the door to the pool room opened and one of the new dragons silently crept in, turning its head this way and that as if something might pounce at any moment. Raimi intent on the bathing pool didn't see the woman with the hatchling laying in the shadowed oil pool, looking around once more she changed into her human form and slipped quietly into the pool, with a sigh she slid under the water, coming up rubbing her fingers through her short hair, reaching for the soap she lathered her hair, as she washed she made little noises of pleasure, Raimi sank under the water rinsing the soap off, she smiled once again rubbing her clean hair. Laurel watched the woman swimming back and forth across the length of the pool a dozen times, from the look on her face she was enjoying every moment of it, Laurel was exhausted just watching her. Raimi got out of the pool and dried herself off, she felt warm, tired, her stomach was full now she was really clean, glancing over at the oil pool her eyes met those of the woman Laurel, with a hiss the dragoness Raimi stared at Laurel. Laurel got out of the oil pool, taking a towel she slowly wiped the oil off Zara, casually she commented "I like it here late at night especially when the moon is so bright, it's very relaxing, when the day has been long this is the perfect spot to unwind" a sleeping Zara snuggled closer to her mama, her tiny paw on her mama's breast. Laurel the dragoness purred softly to her daughter as she told Raimi "it doesn't matter here if your woman or dragoness, be whatever you are most happy being, no one will fault you for that." Turning, Laurel padded up the back staircase to put Zara to bed. Raimi went back to her pallet telling herself she had been a fool for not having been more careful, those had been easy words for a woman like Laurel to say, not so easy for a dragoness like Raimi to listen too. Once Raimi had returned Renlock closed his eyes and slept.

Strut flew down the hall following the scent of food, hot, fresh food, hurrying into the dining room he went right to the sideboard, landing next to a large bowl of scrambled eggs he dug his paws in and started eating. Raimi padded in behind Strut slapping him on the back, sending him flying face down into the eggs "your worse than a wevril Strut, don't you have any manners at all?" Strut came up out of the bowl with a hiss, shaking his snout eggs flying everywhere he put his hands on his hips "looks who's talking I've seen you so hungry you've eaten a dead wevril raw and you want manners huh." Raimi glared at Strut "you don't exactly look starved to me, not after all you stuffed up your snout last night." Strut flicked a piece of egg off his chest at Raimi "you put away your fair share, didn't see you turning it down for a raw wevril or two." Revanche coughed slightly as he walked in "it might be rather difficult for the little guy to breath half submerged in the milk pitcher." Raimi raised an eyeridge "that's the general idea" but let go of Strut, who came up spluttering and choking, snorting milk out of his nostrils he growled "you stupid dragoness bitch, just wait until your starving again, see if I'll share with you then." Strut suddenly found himself staring at a very angry dragon "we don't call ladies names around here, watch your snout and no one is going to go starving there is more than enough for everyone." Calmly Revanche went to the door of the kitchen asking Cook for a fresh bowl of eggs and a new pitcher of milk, pouring himself a cup of coffee he sat down saying good morning to Alex and Connor as they walked in "where's the puffball?" Alex chuckled "sleeping late with her mama" saying good morning to the two dragons, not commenting on the fact that one of them was covered with milk and eggs, Alex and Connor got their coffee and sat down. Connor unable to resist any longer looked at Strut "you have eggs coming out of your ears." Strut snorted out some more milk "I'm saving it for a snack later in the day" and flew out of the room. Raimi turned her head away as she snickered, Revanche and Connor laughed out loud.

Alex raised an eyebrow at the two but said nothing, turning to Raimi he asked where the other dragons were. Instantly on the defensive Raimi said that Renlock and Bartolow were outside looking around, Toledoes was trying to get Ailysh down the hall for something to eat and Strut was probably stealing their gold and silver. Connor saw the small dragons edging their way into the dining room looking all around, the one her eyes filled with fear, putting her by a corner Toledoes held up his paw then flew up to the sideboard, quickly looking at the humans he took two pieces of bacon then flew down to Ailysh, handing her the bacon he stood in front of her while she ate. Ailysh whispered softly, putting one of the bacon pieces back into Toledoes paw "eat it, did you see any fruit, maybe an apple piece?" Raimi blinked as a small plate of apple pieces and grapes appeared in front of Connor, standing up Connor walked over to the two small dragons, instantly Toledoes unfurled his wings hissing loudly, his small fangs snapping at Connor. Smiling Connor set the plate down then went back to his coffee. Cook came out carrying another bowl of eggs and pitcher of milk muttering that the first were just fine, until she saw the mess on the sideboard, with a sigh she shook her head and went back into the kitchen muttering to herself about how many children were in the house.