Chapter 2

The week passed quickly. Roscrow had kept Sre in his room with him the whole time, making sure Jeboc couldn't get his meaty hands on her. It disturbed him just to think what that slime was going to do to her once he left. But because he was in command of a talon, leading troops into battle, he had no time to rescue her. Besides, it would be deemed inappropriate for him to kill Jeboc, as much as he wanted to. Jeboc had smartly stayed out of his sight the entire week.

Away from her master and the two women who had finally quit plaguing him, Sre had turned out to be a lot more interesting than he had thought. She was quick to learn and loved to listen to him talk about the dragons. Their love making had become more intense than he could have expected and he loathed to leave the room everyday. When he would finally manage to untangle himself from Sre and head down to make sure his men stayed out of trouble, Kelvin would always remark on how he seemed to glow. He always received a death glare, but only laughed and waved it away. He knew all too well the hollow threats of his commander.

The loud bellows and honks and threatening roars of the dragons drew everyone's attention to outside the tavern. Roscrow could feel his heart sink when he saw the massive wings of the scouting dragon. It was much smaller than the War dragons, but it's wings were even larger than theirs. Since it was smaller, they were often preyed on by the larger War Dragons, thus it had evolved to fly higher, faster, and to be more manuverable than its larger cousins.

The small dragon threw up massive clouds of dust as it fanned the air, trying to land carefully. When it touched the ground and folded the massive wings, it shook its body when its rider slid off and strode over to Roscrow. The young man was obviously a seasoned veteran. He had to be to have a Scouter. They were trained differently than those soldiers who were given War Dragons.

As he approached, he pulled off his oxygen mask and slipped off his thick wool and leather helm. He saluted, presented himself, and then handed Roscrow the dreaded scroll. Roscrow knew that the scroll held orders to depart. He flinched as he removed the seal and unfurled it. He could tell all his men were holding their breathes. They didn't want to go back to the brutal war anymore than he did.

Sighing, he rolled the letter back up and slipped it back into the wooden scrollcase. He nodded silently to the young scout, who saluted him and pulled his helm back on. He easily mounted his dragon, leaving in a flurry of dust and small whirlwinds. When he had left, Roscrow turned back toward his men. They knew the look on his face. He could feel the air grow heavy with their disappointment. They had all been wanting to go home to families and loved ones. Now they would have to fly to the Northern lands, the frozen tundra where the fighting had appearantly taken a turn for the worse.

They would not need to leave until tomorrow, but already people went to get busy with leaving. Fire Flower would have to be sent back to the Dragon Masters so that she could raise her brood. Once they hatched, she would be sent back out to fight.

Roscrow was so deep in thought he didn't notice a drakon canter into the clearing, although his dragons certainly did. The mammalian dragon fluffed up and glared at her distant cousins when they honked in warning at her. Her rider, an older man, slipped off her back and patted her. Roscrow turned to look outside at what the fuss was about, shrugging when he saw the sentient drakon. It yelled at the dragons in its own language, probably cursing them.

He watched his men go about their businesses for awhile before finally flinting away like a shadow. Sre was engrossed in his battle journal, marveling at his descriptions. She wished she could see a dragon flip over and glide on its back. She could imagine the rush of taking off from the ground. She barely noticed Roscrow until he encircled her with his strong arms. She leaned back into him, her eyes lifting from the pages to peer at his face. His expression made her heart hurt, or maybe it was her soul.

"Orders have come in." He didn't need to say it. She turned her eyes back to the book, but now without interest.

"You have to go." She felt tears in her eyes. She knew this day would come, but she had hoped- had prayed, actually- that the war would be over before it did. She closed her eyes and felt him gently wipe a tear from her cheek.

"I've survived the war this long, love. I'm certain I can survive the rest." He kissed her neck. "I wish there was something I could do about your situation. But right now, I don't have rights to free you. But I'll come back for you when it's over, I promise that."

She looked at him, startled that he would promise such a thing. She searched those black eyes for any hint that he might be pulling her strings, but she found nothing. She leaned her head against his arm. "When do you have to leave?" Her voice was subdued.

"Not until tomorrow." He then smiled, hoping to cheer her. "I wonder what we could do in that amount of time?" He cupped a breast teasingly, tweaking a nipple with his fingers. She had gained weight while she'd been with him. Her ribs no longer protruded like they might break out of her skin and her breasts had filled out slightly.

She gave a soft moan, leaning back into him. Her hand slipped into his tight breeches and she grinned when she felt him react to her touch. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure you can come up with something," she said casually.

His jaw muscles twitched and he took a handful of her hair, pulling her head back. "Don't play with me, dear, you might enjoy the consequences too much!" His mouth came down on hers with a passionate force.

It took him hardly a few minutes to throw his armor and clothing onto the floor carelessly. He thought of nothing else than making this the best night for them both. He pushed her back into the bed with his lips and body, his hands caressing her everywhere, every inch of her heated skin. He slowly kissed down her body, down until he reached her feet. He kissed the sensitive arches, then moved up very slowly, nipping and kissing as he went, making her pant heavily.

He slowed even more as he reached her inner thigh, moving little by little, taking his precious time. Every little nip and kiss and lick was like unmentionable bliss, leaving her moaning and grinding. When his tongue finally touched her, moving so expertly against her throbbing slit, she cried out, clutching handfuls of the bedsheets. She ground her hips, unable to express her pleasure properly. Simple cries and moans just weren't enough. She cried out his name, writhing with her ecstacy. She felt the vibration of his chuckle and she couldn't help the burst of bliss that shot through her body.

He moved up her body, nibbling her throat which she presented to him readily. His large hands cradled her head, forcing her to look into his eyes. Despite her daze of pleasure, she saw an emotion in his eyes that she did not expect. His eyes held hers as he slid into her, inch by inch, his movements slow and purposeful. Warmth flowed up from her belly, spreading through her veins, her skin flushing.

Once he had sheathed his full length within her, he kissed her with intense passion, moving to bring out all those shameful little sounds from her. He held himself up with his strong arms, arching his back to give his thrusts more power, driving deep into her. She clutched his wrists, moving her body in time with him until they matched so perfectly it was like they were one mind, one body. Everything melted from their minds. There would be no sorrowful tomorrow, there was no painful past. There was only the here and now, every sound and movement hanging in its own moment that was gone as soon as the next came.

By the time the rusty moon spilt its rays through the window, the two had fallen into a deep slumber, entangled in each other. Roscrow rarely fell into such oblivion, but tonight he didn't care. He wished he could stay in such a blissful state forever, but the glare of the sun demanded his attention.

With great effort, Roscrow tore himself from sleep, taking a deep breath. He always felt a twinge of apprehension the mornings before a known battle. He kissed Sre's forehead, smiling when she whimpered and snuggled into his warmth. He carefully and agonizyingly pulled himself from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. He slowly got dressed, taking care to be quiet, checking every strap and scale of his armor. He checked his sword, although it had never left its scabbard. He headed for the door, then stopped and turned back, looking at Sre who still slept peacefully. Swallowing, attempting to remove the lump from his throat, he left the room to make sure everything was ready for their departure.

He was heading down the stairs when he heard Fire Flower's distinct sound of rage. The other riders who had been milling about rushed out the door to see what had happened. The drakon that had slept near the door of the kitchen was sitting just out of the rusty colored female's reach, a very smug look on her face as she looked up at her scaly cousin without fear.

"And what, may I ask, did you do?" Roscrow did not like the look of the drakon. The blue fur fluffed when she heard his voice. She turned her green eyes to the human. He reached her shoulders, and though she could have torn him apart, being a blue, that particular thought never even crossed her mind. In fact, the wolf looking dragon shivered her feathered wings, causing a soft rustling sound. It was a sign of submission among her kind.

"I was jist teasin' 'er, is all. She been givin' me the evil eye all night. Thought I'd teach 'er a lesson. Didn't touch 'er or nuthin'. I swear." Her deep, inhuman voice sounded apologitic, so Roscrow pursed his lips but nodded in acceptance.

"You should know better than to mess with a mother War Dragon." He brushed past the beast. It raised its wings in a careless shrug. Fire Flower's rider glared at the drakon.

"Ye better watch yer step, dog!" he hissed. The drakon raised a brow at the derogitory word.

"I've no intentions of steppin' anywhere." She continued to sit where she was, looking at the female dragon again. Fire Flower was snorting in anger, smoke curling from her nostrils. Any moment she could breathe her fire, but the drakon had no fear. She had her own powers. If the dragoness dared to take a deep enough breath, she would find herself choking as electricity raced through her.

But everything quieted down as Fire Flower's rider stroked her, speaking softly in the language that all the dragons of that world could understand. The air was soon filled with the groans and clicks and mutterings of the dragons. They knew they were heading to battle. They could feel it from their riders. They shifted anxiously, their mighty breathes curling in the cold air.

Granger groaned as Roscrow tightened his saddle. The dragon raised his head and looked up at the window where Sre peered out. Those great copper orbs reflected her; she realized they only reflected her, not the building she stood in. It made her a little uneasy. Then Granger shook his huge bulk, his wings fanning the air like mighty heartbeats. It threw up a great cloud of dust, causing the humans to scatter around him. The other dragons turned their eyes to him. He gave a deep, rumbling honk, the 21 other dragons murmuring in reply. He honked again, louder, more forceful. He sat back on his haunches, those piercing eyes looking at each dragon under his command. Finally, the other dragons began honking back, at first quietly, but the sound soon became nearly unbearable as they were soon whooping, their wings fanning and blowing up dust.

Sre watched it disbelief, not understanding what was happening. The door opened, but she didn't notice until she heard the creak and hissing of Roscrow's armor. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as the deafening sounds of the dragons slowly died away.

"What was that?"

Roscrow smiled. "Just Granger raising morale among his talon. He does it before going into battle all the time."

Their farewell was brief, the touch of their lips the last memory they would have for as long as the war continued. He left the room, hoping to see Jeboc, to give him a threat he would not soon forget, but the coward was nowhere to be seen, neither were the two women who had plagued him so when he'd first arrived.

Sre watched out the window as Roscrow called his soldiers to attention, then mounted their dragons. He placed a great horned helm over his head, and with a word to Granger, the dragon fanned his wings hard, beating the air to rise. In such a small space, it took more effort for them to get into the air. Once he was over the height of the buildings, he began to circle, gaining altitude. One by one, all the dragons did the same. Fire Flower was the last, as she was burdened by a special basket designed to hold her eggs. She required a running start and more space to circle, but she was at last airborne, circling lazily at first, before turning away from the talon and winging off the other direction, followed by an escort.

Sre swore that as they vanished into the light clouds, she saw Roscrow turn in his saddle and look back at the small town that must have only been a speck to him by now. She sighed sadly, figured she should go down and face her master. Then, as if she'd conjured him by some terrible magic, Jeboc threw the door open, a cruel look in his eyes.

The night couldn't come soon enough, but when at last it had gotten late, Sre dragged herself into the barn, collapsing with a painful moan onto her bedding of hay. It had seemed as if Jeboc had tried to pack all the beatings she normally got over the course of a week into that one day.

Sore, bruised, and bleeding a little, Sre wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. But a loud grunt and rustling made her sit up stiffly and awkwardly. She listened, hearing something moving about. She gave a little groan as she got back to her feet and went to the door of the barn, looking out through the cracks. Silhouweted by the soft light coming from the tavern, Sre could see a large beast moving about, slowly coming toward the barn.

Cautiously, she came out, looking more closely at the beast. The blue fur told her it was the drakon. And she saw it rolling something large and shiny toward her. It glanced up when it heard the barn door creak. Sre caught her breath. The drakon was large enough to carry her, and more than strong enough to rip her in half.

"Hey! Homon! C'mere! I got an egg fer ya." It's inhuman voice made Sre shiver a bit.

"A-An egg? Th-they left it?" She approached slowly.

"Yeah dey left it, dem razj! I only rolled it in da bushes ta give da bitch dragon a hard time. I t'ought dey'd find it no problem. I once had 13 cubs in a litter! Never lost one! Pat'atic! Gemme a paw." She heaved again, rolling the oval egg awkwardly.

Sre helped the drakon push the decievingly heavy egg into the barn. The blue beast then pushed it into a corner stall that was never used. As she covered it in hay, Sre fiddled nervously. "Wh-what do we do now?"

When she was done, the drakon sat back and scratched with a back paw under her wing. "We? Naw, see, dis here is yer dragon now! My partner sees no profit in draggin' it around, so I leave it in yer pretty homon paws."

Sre gulped. "I should, er, I think I really should tell my mast..."

The drakon wrapped a feathered wing around Sre, making her face pale and all the words die in her throat. The feathers were soft and warm, but the long face that turned to her, those piercing predatory eyes that looked at her made her cringe. "Ye'll do no such t'ing. I took one sniff o' dat scoundrel 'n' I wouldn't trust 'im wit' a loaf o' bread. So, ta save yerself a beatin', best keep dis ta yerself, ye git it?"

Trembling, Sre nodded slowly. The drakon then immitated a smile. A large handlike paw touched Sre's bruised aching belly. She felt an unnatural warmth spread through her, and when the warmth faded, so did her bruise. The drakon then eased away. "Dun need ye bleedin' ta dead from da inside." She looked back at the egg while Sre tried to figure out what had just happened. She'd heard some creatures were able to draw upon an energy that flowed through all living things, something most called "magic." She'd never experienced it until now. Her stomach no longer hurt.

"Well, das all I kin do fer ye. Jist keep it warm 'n' have food fer it when it hatches. Boy'll be hungry. Dun wanna be 'is first meal!" She chuckled as she walked out of the barn, going back to sleep near the kitchen door, waiting for her partner.

Sre was left staring dumbly at the monstrousity she had just been conned into taking care of. She had no idea how she was going to pull this off. She thought of getting rid of it, before her master found out. And yet, as she thought of it, the egg seemed to draw her. Dispite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but stare at the egg. She reached out, touching it lightly. It felt warm. She almost thought she could feel the life that grew within it. It moved inside, almost finished in maturing.

Sighing, Sre retreated back to her sleeping place. She couldn't leave it to the wilds. She would do her best to keep it hidden from her master. She knew if they were caught with a War dragon, they could be charged with stealing from the army. And if Jeboc found it, he'd likely kill it and then try to hide it, before turning his anger on her. As she drifted to sleep, she tried to figure out how she could possibly raise a baby dragon once it hatched.

Nearly two months had passed. Everyday Sre worried. She checked the egg every night. The egg's shell continued to darken. It had gone from a platnuim color to a chocolate brown. Sre didn't know if this was natural or not, but she just made sure that it was warm. Everytime she touched the egg she could feel the hatchling within move, feel the life of it. It soothed her, thinking about the innocent little animal inside the tough shell, that he didn't yet know the horrors life would soon subject him to.

She plodded over to her bed, too exhausted to bother with the egg tonight. Laying down, she closed her eyes, giving a shudder as she tried not to think about the drunken patron who'd followed her into the kitchen while no one was around.

She didn't know how long she'd slept, or whether she really did sleep. She heard a scratching sound in her sleep which somehow made it's way into her waking consciousness. With a start, Sre realized the scratching wasn't her dream, it was a sound that had become her dream. She sat up and looked around. It didn't take another heartbeat before she knew it was the egg. She jumped up and rushed over to the empty stall. The egg had shaken all the hay off. It gleamed in the moonlight that filtered down through the all the cracks in the rafters.

The warning of the drakon rung in her head. She'd never stolen food from Jeboc, far too scared to dare try. But now, she was more worried about becoming the dragon's first meal. She hurried out of the barn, going to the cellar doors. She cursed when she found them locked. He normally didn't lock them til later. That meant she'd have to go inside to get to the cellar.

Peering in through the window to the kitchen, she could see Jarissa sleeping on the bar. She rolled her eyes. Jeboc would have taken an inch off her back for such a thing. But she slipped in through the door. She was headed for the cellar door when she noticed a pig leg on the cutting block. She smirked. What better way to get back at Jarissa than making it look like she'd slept through a robbery?

Rushing back to the barn, Sre found the egg on its side. It shivered, rolling back and forth slightly. She could hear a high pitched squeaking sound coming from inside the egg. So that was what Roscrow had meant when he said the mother dragon could hear the babies inside the eggs calling for them. Dumbfounded, she waited a little longer before coming over to help. She saw the egg's shell had cracked, but not broken. Using her elbow, she gave the crack a quick strike. The shell snapped inwards. It suddenly pushed out, the crack running along the shell. Then all at once the entire structure fairly exploded, dumping a shining black mass onto the floor at Sre's feet.

She jumped back, her heart racing. She didn't know what to expect. The tiny slimy mass squirmed, squeaking loudly. It attempted to stand but slipped in the egg fluid. Grimacing, Sre reached down and pulled the hatchling out of the stall into the main part of the barn. She dropped the black creature, wiping her hands on a horse blanket that hung on every stall door in disgust.

She heard the hatchling move, and when she turned around, it was sitting up, looking up at her with the most gorgeous gleaming copper eyes she'd ever seen. It opened it's mouth and squawcked at her. She realized it must be hungry, and dropped the pig leg. The german shepherd sized dragon fell on its first meal ravenously. It's sharp pearly teeth were already more than capable of cracking the bone. It took the baby dragon little time to consume the entire leg. Sre felt a little nervous, hoping it would be enough.

The dragon peered back up at her, making little squealing noises. She noticed it was shivering in the chilly air. Grabbing the horse blanket, she knelt down to dry the little dragon off. It reached over and licked her face with it's thick, wet tongue. She looked at it in surprise. It was completely black but for some purple stripes along its back. It had none of the spikes and spines that would one day make it look dreadfully fearsome. However, it did have two small black knobs sticking from its skull where its horns would grow out.

"So you are a boy, just like the drakon knew you were." The dragon squeaked back at her. Sighing, she finished drying off the dragon. "Well, little boy, what should I call you?" It stared up at her with those big eyes, full of dumb innocence. Sre smiled, petting him on his head. "Well, I can't think of anything right now, baby, but I need to get to sleep. If Jeboc comes in here and finds you, he'll kill you, and I really don't want to think of what he would do to me." A shiver ran through her. The dragon immediately looked concerned. He could sense her fear. She smiled again. "Go to sleep baby."

Turning, she went over to her bed. No sooner than she had laid down, the baby dragon had managed to stumble over and plopped down right on top of her. Gasping for air, she pushed at the baby, which was much heavier than she thought it should be. How could such an animal get off the ground? Than again, it's wings were insanely small, almost nothing but knobs themselves. Finally, the dragon got the idea she wanted him off, and slid off her onto his side, looking at her. "Baby, please sleep. And not on me!"

The baby dragon groaned pitifully. Sre sighed. She patted his head. "I'm sorry, little one. I'm just very tired. Now go to sleep." She cuddled under her blanket, shivering a little in the chill air. The dragon curled up against her, his warm little body helping her sleep.

A sharp slap woke Sre. She looked up in surprise to see Jeboc glaring down at her. "You lazy bitch!" he snarled. His hands gripped her hips hard and her heart pounded, thinking he was going to rape her like he usually did when he was mad at her.

She whimpered. "Please, master, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..." Jeboc slapped her again.

He started to remove his belt, snarling at her. "I've enough of your laziness! I'm gonna teach you a good lesson this time!"

Sre backed up against the wall. She was used to the abuse, but it didn't make it any better. She cringed, waiting for the beating. Jeboc raised the belt over his head, his already ugly face twisted in rage. And then there was no more belt ... Startled, Jeboc turned. He fell flat on his back, screaming. Sre was shocked still, unable to take her eyes off the bloody scene in front of her. Even after Jeboc stopped screaming and the baby dragon was happily munching away on his intestines, she couldn't move. In one unbelievable stroke, she was free.

Slowly, she rose to her feet. The sun shone right on the little bloody dragon from the cracks in the roof. He looked up at her, licking his chops. He then leapt down and came up to her, tucking his head under her hand. "Ah-ah" he stated to her, all importantly. He then went back to his first victim, looking back at her as if expecting her to eat.

Then Sre snapped out of her trance. She had to get out of here. She had to go before someone found out. If anyone found them like this, she'd go to jail, or far worse. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "C'mon, baby," she said, turning to leave. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she needed to go and the baby needed to come along. She looked out the barn door to make sure no one was around before slipping out and running for the woods behind the tavern.

Confused, the baby looked at its prey then back to where his mother had vanished several times. Finally, with a squawk, it bounded after her, crying out that same "ah-ah" sound. Sre stopped at the edge of the trees and turned. "Hush! Baby, c'mon, hurry, be quiet! Please!" The urgency in her voice made the dragon go quiet as he galloped over to her. He rubbed himself against her, nearly knocking her over. Barely able to hold herself upright, she shook her head. "C'mon, let's go!"

Together, they ran into the woods, going as far as Sre could from the Dancing Pig Tavern. After a short while, Sre couldn't run anymore, the stitches in her side too much, and they just kept walking. Her only thought was that she had to get as much distance between herself and that place. Nearly her entire life had been centered around that tavern. And now she was free.

Stopping, she leaned against a tree to rest a moment. Her hand went up to the metal collar around her neck, feeling its coldness, its rough edges, all its bumps she had come to know so well already. Well, not entirely free. Should anyone see her collar, they would know she was a runaway slave. She had to find a way to get it off, but it had been fused shut, and she didn't know of any way to cut the metal. As long as her previous master didn't put out a reward for her, she would be fair game for anyone who discovered her as long as that collar stayed on.

The baby dragon put its head under her hand. She looked down at it. Just during the night it had grown some. No wonder he had been ravenous. "Ah-ah!" he cried in some annoyance. Sre suddenly found that funny. She started to laugh, petting him. "That's so cute. I don't know if that's your sound for me, or if you want that to be your name, baby."

Fluttering its tiny wings, it muttered at her. She smiled, slowly starting off again. The baby followed close at her heel, mumbling to itself. If she stopped, it would bump into her, throwing her forward. She quickly learned to side step if she had to stop for any reason. It didn't take long for the night to begin closing in on them, soon causing Sre to stop as she could barely see in the darkness of the woods. Her stomach rumbled in hunger. She was starving, and she could guess that the baby was too. He started jumping after the bugs that flew up into the night air. He flapped his tiny wings furiously, trying to go after them, but his wings were not nearly large enough to carry his weight.

Sre fell to the ground, exhausted. The sounds of the forest began to prick at her, making her tremble in fear. She could hear growls and whoops of the wild animals. The cold decended on her now that she had stopped moving. A wave of helplessness washed over her. She buried her face in her hands and cried. Who was she kidding? She couldn't live out in the woods by herself. She didn't even know how to build a fire! There was no way she could hunt. She had no shelter. And her clothes were little more than rags. She didn't know what she was going to do.

She felt the warm soft nose of the baby dragon against her hands. It murmured softly, nudging her. She looked up at it, then reached out and held its small head in her hands, placing her cheek on its head. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry I got you into this. I should have been merciful and let you go on to the next life without pain. Now you're stuck here with me, and I have nothing to give you. I can't even care for myself."

"Ah-ah!" It cried with such authority that it startled Sre. She looked at him. He shook his body and flapped his wings, reminding her of Granger's rallying cry. He stretched his neck and licked her face. Without warning, the baby leapt to its paws and went galloping after a quick little shadow. Sre looked on, too stunned to get up and try to go after him. There was some screaming, snarling, what sounded like a massive struggle, and crushing bones. The fierce battle went on for a short time, the brush cracking as the dragon wrestled with something out in the darkness.

At last, the night went quiet after a sharp snap. Sre, wrenching herself from her amazement, quickly drew up close to the tree she was under, not sure what was out there in the dark. She whimpered a little, hearing the brush rustle again. The baby came trotting back with a bingku in its maw. The tiny deer like creature hung limply, blood pouring from several wounds. Shocked, Sre couldn't move when the baby dropped its prey in front of her and looked at her with an all important, "Ah-Ah!". Obviously, it must be some sort of bonding ritual among dragon mothers and their babies. Only the strongest survived, after all. If a baby wasn't able to hunt early, the mother would leave it behind.