I had spent several nights out on the grounds of I? Taurn, pondering which road I should travel, and in the end, it seemed there was truly only one road, and that road led back to Matlal. What I had begun there I needed to finish. And so, with that decision, I went to the Inn. It seemed that it was there I was most likely to run into Khirsah, and I desired to speak to him about restoring Matlal, and hopefully engaging his help to do that.

I arrived at the Inn and was greeted by Antonnio Falconne. It has been a long time since I had seen him, but he was busy and I did not trouble him more than to say hello and inquire after his health.

It was not long however that I needed to wait for the Elder, I felt him the moment he stepped upon the porch of the Inn. The silk attire whispered as he moved, and the blade at his side seemed a bit out of place given his dress. I had started to raise the glass to my lips, but paused as he strode through the door, as though called by some unheard voice. He paused at the top of the stairs before moving inside and heading rather directly for my table.

Simultaneously, Xenograg walked into the Inn. He was dressed in his light blue, knee length topcoat and yellow sash, brown trousers and black boots. He was also wearing a wide, gilt swordbelt, and the Rouwan wood carved scabbard. I smiled and said good evening. He altered his course and headed in my direction. ?Wouldst ye care fer a wee bit o? tea Xeno?? He smiled, saying he had just returned from Xenodar, and was indeed thirsty. Antonnio quickly procured the tea as Xeno took a seat at my table.

I glanced at Khirsah, wondering if he would still join me, or wait, and I invited him to join us, inquiring whether he would desire anything to drink, but he declined, and I had not really expected him to accept. His gaze swept over Xenograg before deciding to join us at the table.

I curled up in my chair, and began to ask Xenograg about his doings in Xenodar, and he told me that the fortress was coming along nicely, and that the Keep was above ground now rather than the basements and subterranean support structures. Antonio brought the cup of steaming tea and set it before Xeno.

I curled both hands around the crystal snifter I held and studied Xeno as he spoke, and at his comment that Khirsah apparently would not be joining us in a beverage, I smiled, and told him that was not at all unusual. I then told him it was grand to hear of his progress, and the images of my own project now in ruins brought a sad smile to my features, ?Ah dae fear mine oon 'ome 'pon Matlal hath been destroyed an' razed tae th' ground.?

Xeno shook his head, ?I never even saw it.?

It was not something that had been ready to show, but still it had been beautiful in the way of the Eldar, and I had hoped one day to share it with my old friend. ?'t was well started, bu' corrupted by th' invaders.? That was about all I could say without the threat of pain finding vent even now.

Khirsah spoke softly, ?matters which seem to be reversing once again.?

?You survived though, you can always build another new home.? Xeno reminded me, but while I had survived, the land itself had been decimated and tortured. It was more than a simple rebuilding. Xeno gave Khirsah a curious look at his cryptic comment.

I quirked a sable brow at Khirsah as well, and wondered if the healing that had begun at Ulysses return had stopped, or whether now that I have decided to return, has the healing of the land begun anew? But Khirsah was ever silent, allowing me to ponder the considerations myself. I took a deep breath and looked at Xeno, ?Ah've d'cided tae r'turn tae Matlal Xeno, tae work 'pon th' r'buildin'.?

He gave me a surprised look and asked if there had ever been any doubt, and Khirsah simply said, ?there was.? As I gave Khirsah a quizzical look, he added, ?and still might be.?

Xeno nodded, ?I think it is a good idea, much too soon to give up on the idea.?

I held Khirsah?s pale eyes a long moment, ?Ah?ve made mine decision m?lord Khirsah.? There was no question of my return to the Emerald Isles, and then turned to Xeno, ?aye, bu? there ist much tae be done.? He smiled in agreement, ?there always is.?

I shook my head, he had not seen the devastation, ?Ah cannae spend tae much time ?n Riverbend, an? Matlal doth need me more.? Khirsah watched me long moments, considering my words, and I got the distinct impression is was not what I was saying, but more what I left between the words. He was a master at reading between the lines, and I wondered if he read the right message.

Xeno agreed with a mischievous wink, ?Even dragons are better company than the ghosts of Riverbend Keep.?

I gave him a shocked look, ?Ye dinnae like th? dead Xeno?? I knew he had always felt my need to be in Riverbend had been a bad thing, but I had learned much, and would forever be indebted to Morrin and Glum. No, Riverbend had become more my home than the realm of the living. I glanced then at Khirsah, ??n Ah?m ?opin? tae haff th? elp o? th? Elder ?ere.? And I did truly hope the Elder would see fit to join me on Matlal for the rebuilding of his land.

Khirsah simply looked at us both, not offering a word to let me know what he was thinking behind those pale eyes.

I sipped the amber liquid, ?Per?aps ye?ll come wi? me m?lord Khirsah??

He gave a faint twitch of his lips, ?and where would we be leaving to, Lady d?Nitesong, so quickly??

I gave him a smile, ?when Ah r?turn tae Matlal.? He opened his mouth as if to say ?ahh?, but no sound left him, and so I continued, ?Ah?d verra much li? tae haff yer ?elp Khirsah.? While he used my formal title, I had lapsed into the use of his name long ago.

I uncurled my fingers and looked at the long white scar still visible there. Xeno misunderstood my musings, ?You will get used to it Alais, do not dwell upon it.? But it was not the disfigurement that was troubling me, it was the tie that it represented that caused my reflection, and as I looked up at Xeno, I told him it was a memory I would never forget, in fact, ?could? never forget.

Khirsah glanced between us and I knew he understood my thoughts.

Xeno added that his most recent scar would positively depress him if he were to let it, and I seized upon the opportunity to change the subject, but as my hand dropped beneath the table, I ran my index finger along the line there, and felt something very unexpected as Xeno rolled up his sleeve and showed me his latest wound. ?: I missed a guard while performing a rescue. He surprised me on the way out. I blocked his sword with my unprotected arm. ? If I had been anywhere else but Eldicor, I would have lost the arm.?

I told him that he was indeed fortunate, but he then looked at me sternly, ?I can never repay Queen Teleperien for this. She does not feel guilty for it, though. I chose to be there and do what I did.?

I took a deep breath, ?Xeno, there's a reason fer mine feelin's aboot 'urtin' those Ah dae call friend.? The light tracing of the scar was providing a soothing sensation until Khirsah?s sharp gaze locked with mine, ?you have questions.? It was simple and direct. And I began to wonder just how closely tied The Elder and I were at this moment.

Xeno rose and excused himself, leaving Khirsah and I alone, and I studied the dragon a moment, ?Aye, we haff neffer ?ad th? chance tae speak o? tha? day.?

?Ask?

I was not certain the middle of a public Inn was the place to simply begin asking him about that day, and he told me we could go anywhere I desired, but my confidence fled then and I leaned back into my chair, then laid my scarred hand upon the table before him, ?Ye didst touch me first, ?pon th? sands o? Matlal, bu? neither o? us was scarred fer tha? touch. Why??

His silvery white eyes met mine, ?you did not seek then what was forbidden to you.?

?Bu? ye were ?n tha? forbidden place.? For I had not mistaken the brief touch of Primordial Darkness.

?I was.?

I pondered his answer, ?Bu' whence Ah reached fer thee, we didst both suffer fer tha' reach.?

He did not answer me then, rather he let me puzzle it through, ?Ye could haff le' me die 'n tha' moment.? It was not a question, it was an observation born of the two incidents.

?I could have.?

He could have, but he did not. I curled my fingers over the scar. If he cared even a little, why did he continue to use my formal titles rather than my name? Only once have I heard him call me Alais. And with great temerity I then asked him that question.

We spoke then about that day, and I wondered if his presence would have helped end the war sooner, and he told me it would not have ended the invasion any sooner, nor with less damage, and while I would have preferred to have seen him at the side of his brother, he would not have had the impact I had thought he might.

I reached for his hand then, as I had to know if he felt what I did, and as he opened his hand once more for me, and I ran my finger along the scar, I nearly threw his hand back. The touch of my finger to his hand was mirrored in a phantom touch that caressed my own. Each time I touched that scar, he too felt it. And should he ever do the same, I would feel it.

There was a brief moment of terror in that thought.

I needed to go home, and when I said as much, he asked me which home I did mean, and in that instant, I wanted nothing more than to return to Matlal. Where upon, he offered me his arm, and we vanished as if we had never been.
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Then for the first time since I had seen him in this pale form, he smiled, it was a strained, almost twisted thing, but it was there none the less, and he lifted the hand that held the identical mark to my own and wrapped it around a black jewel that hung from his neck, an ebon black jewel that seemed to simply draw all light into it, voiding it, it embodied a darkness I had once seen.

I could not hide my surprise as the jewel reached out toward me through the connection in the matching scars, I could ?feel? the power of the gem, the pull to my Annaran ties was unmistakable. The gem embodied things darker and more potent than the Third book, and yet, all of that was there too. I slid my gaze from the black gem upward to Khirsah?s eyes as he said softly, ?there is no need for assumptions, Lady.?

I slowly reached for his hand as it remained curled around the black gem, curving my own scarred hand around his, ?how did you come by this?? The darkness it radiated was deeper than the third book, and yet there was so much more there than had simply been embodied in the last of Morrin?s work.

Khirsah never moved as my hand curled around his larger one, ?the scar or the jewel??

The jewel held the power of the books, and I looked at him in awe, ?the jewel, it is of the books, is it not??

?Partly,? he admitted.

?And partly of the Darkness itself,? I was going on what I felt from the ebon gem, both through Khirsah?s hand, and my own.

?Another part, yes.? He was waiting for me to analyze the source of the gem.

I could feel a pulse within the stone?s heart, ?Is part of it you?? This question held a great deal of interest as what I felt from the gem seemed a part of the essence of the Elder, something old, and dark. Something with great knowledge, and great restraint.

?A third part, yes.? He admitted then.

How many parts made up the whole? ?How many parts are there?? I was fascinated by the gem he wore around his neck.

?Four.? Came his reply.

I released his hand, reaching for the crystal snifter, ?the fourth part, is it time??

?As likely as that would seem, it is not.?

?What is the fourth part?? There was so much complexity and depth in what I felt from the stone, if time was not it, I could not separate the fourth component.

?Though I am the first, and I was born of nothing, I was still born.? His reply was cryptic.

I thought a moment, was it life, or birth and re-birth? ?Life??

He twitched his lips, and there was a bit more of a curve into a smile than previously shown, and I could not help myself, I reached up to trace that smile that was the first true smile I had seen from the Elder. He spoke softly, ?there is life in everything, Lady.?

I laughed softly, ?Yes, there is, in all of nature.?

He watched me long moments, ?you seek to ask another question.?

I thought long moments before asking, ?would you accept my intrusion into your life?? I was not certain how to ask the Elder if my presence would be welcome given his tendency to be solitary and aloof.

His white-blue iced eyes locked with my own, ?one could say you had done so already.?

I blushed again, ?Yes, and that you have already once rejected me.? He had refused my attempt to reach him, and had in fact forced me to return to Matlal alone. Yes, the Elder had already rejected me.

?Did I?? His brow rose fractionally.

I took a deep breath, ?it seemed to me that you did.?

?How so?? If there was amusement there, he did not show it.
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The Inn was quiet and the lull permitted me to escape into my own little world for a time. The soft crackle of the fire was soothing, and the Liquid Fire slid warmly into my stomach as I waited. My decision to return to Matlal to rebuild felt right, but there was one more thing I needed to do before I departed. I needed to tell Sylus.

He arrived late in the evening, and was bent over the bar, watching something only he could see in its countertop as he drank his water. He appeared to be a man burdened under a great weight, and I knew that weight was me.

Taneth smiled brightly. Offering me the fresh fruit and goodies she had at the bar, but I declined, ?Ah dae thank ye, bu' whilst 't doth look verra good, Ah am nae verra 'ungry, bu' thank ye.? If Sylus had not seen me yet, he would now realize I too was here. I let my head drop onto the back of the comfortable chair, he would need to come to me in his own time, this was not something I could rush, and a part of me wished we could walk alone to have this discussion. But, there was no point in delaying, I had remained in RhyDin too long.

He rose from his place at the bar and quietly strode toward the hearth, and the chair I occupied, before dropping into one of the nearby high backed chairs, throwing a leg over the arm before muttering more to himself, ?the webs we weave.?

I opened my eyes and studied him, ?webs??

He did not reply immediately as his gaze focused into the flames, then at length, ?time is a spiderweb, each new event can lead us down a thousand different roads. Some to the same place, others to someplace new.?

I canted my head at him, watching as his eyes reflected the dancing flames.

?I am very conflicted of late, Alais. And I know not what to do. The wolf in me says stay by your side and protect you from any and all harm that could come. Yet the man in me, says give you space to breathe and sort out your own turmoiled life. And in the middle is myself, torn between the urge to follow both edicts.?

I knew exactly how he felt. It had been the same tearing between loyalties and loves that had brought me to an impasse with no good solution for everyone I cared about. ??t hath been a verra rough road Sylus.?

He glanced at me then, ?But which voice do I follow? Both are my own voice, yet at the same time, they are discourdant.?

I understood his feelings, and reminded him that such was a decision that only he could make. We each must follow the road that is right for us, and no matter how agonizing the decision, in the end, we each must make the choice.

?Is it safe to sit with you or should I be watching over my shoulder for an ancient dragon to come out of nowhere and blast me with cold fire again?? He had been roughly treated by Khirsah the last time we had met here in the Inn, and had not forgotten that meeting.

?'t doth seem tha' th' dragon coomes 'ere,? I told him, and that should he manhandle me again, I had little doubt that Khirsah would have no compunction about repeating a painful lesson.

He sighed and made his way toward me, ?guess there?s only one way to truly find out.?

As he took a seat next to me, I picked up the crystal snifter, ?Ah?ve d?cided tae r?turn tae Matlal Sy.? There was not much point in a lengthy explanation. It was better to be open about my plans, and I had to trust Sylus to understand that I could not give him what he wanted from me. A lifemate. It was not something I was capable of giving to him, no matter how my heart felt.

Sy started to apologize for the night that drew Khirsah?s cold fire, but my words stopped him in mid sentence. He let out a slow breath, ?And I cannot accompany you.? He gave a slight nod, ?Not like I?d be much of a help in any event. What good is a swordsman in the home of all those powerful dragons?? He gave me a weak smile that tore at my heart.

?there ist much tae dae, ?n Xeno was righ?, ?t ist nae th? time tae giff up th? work.? I explained. He nodded, but did not say anymore and so I continued. ?Ye?ve th? Keep tae r?turn, ?n yer new ?obby Sy. An? Ah haff made th? decision tae leave RhyDin tae follow a path Ah mus? needs walk alone. ?t ist a verra long tale.? I was not certain he would understand the reasons, and if he wanted to believe my goal was to be around the powerful dragons, perhaps it was better that way.

He frowned, ?The Keep is not my home, nothing here is me, and the hobby is just something to pass the time.? He shook his head, ?I would at least like to hear this tale, though I know that you?ve not the time for it.? His frown deepened as he thought of something distressing.

I slid my finger over the scar in my palm and felt it tingle in response,

?Just remember that though it seems you must walk alone, you never truly are.? His hand was holding onto the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles were white.

?Ulysses r'turn 'n subsequent d'parture didst bring me tae a cross road Sy. An' Ah cannae r'turn tae ye as Ah didst leave. Ah mus' follow this path Sy. th' Elder ist someone Ah mus' walk wi'. 't ist mine life Sy, an' Ah haff loved ye, bu' th' road doth diverge.? I could not return as the person he wanted, a mate. It was unfair of me to do anything other than what I was, and that meant setting him free. He had been wandering when he came to Rhydin, and whether he remained or moved on, I wished him nothing but fair travels and to find the happiness he deserved.

Sy released a slow breath, reached out a hand and slid it gently through my hair, ?If that is what your heart truly desires, it is not my place to stop you, though it hurts. A lot.?

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:28 pm Post subject:

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I had been so attuned to Sylus that the presence of the Elder had escaped my notice until I spoke his name, and then a cold heat radiated through the scar in my hand, and I quickly curled my hands around the scar and my eyes swept the room, seeking the Elder. He had contented himself to remain at the edge of the lamplight. I looked back into Sy?s eyes, ?aye Sylus, ?t doth.? Then I rose from my chair.

He let his hand slide away, ?There is little to keep here now. I might as well do a bit of traveling and visit some old places I've not been to in some time...?

I spoke softly, ?keep thee well Sylus, fer Ah dae care verra much.? That was true, and the pain I felt was deep, but needed.

Khirsah stepped back into the shadows, letting them wrap around him, leaving only the cold, iced eyes to pierce into the room.?

?The one person who mattered to me more than anything else is walking out of my life because the fates have said it to be so. Not much incentive to live safely....but...as you wish Alais.? He rose then and watched my face, as though memorizing every detail.

It was a long, painful moment before my heart beat again. I moved then, curling my fingers tightly over the scar before hugging Sylus tightly, whispering very softly, ?keep thee well, ye?ll ?old a verra special place ?n mine ?eart Sy, neffer doubt ?t??

He wrapped his arms around me gently, taking in my scent as a wolf would, ?as long as you live, I will be well.? He radiated an iron will in that moment as I lightly kissed his cheek, and told him I would be leaving for Matlal permanently. With that, I slipped away from him and walked toward the shadows before dissipating into a column of shimmering silver and leaving the walls of the Inn.

I reformed outside in the cool evening air and drew in a deep breath. I had just hurt someone I loved.

Khirsah?s eyes shattered the shadows of the building, but nothing more of him was seen and I turned to look at him, ?Ah didst tell ye tha? Ah dae still love Uly ?n Sy, bu? mine road ist chosen as mine oon.? There would be no misunderstanding over this. They both owned a part of me and always would.

Khirsah?s voice slid from the shadows, ?they are part of you.?

I nodded sadly, Yes, they are.? It would be a long night as I prepared my departure. Then I studied Khirsah?s eyes in the shadows, ?I am curious tonight.?

?About??

?Why you do not come to the construction site?? It had been troubling me that he would return me to Matlal and vanish, not to be seen at the isle there after. It was not making sense to me.

The eyes narrowed, not as a glare, but in deep thought, ?you are head of the Silvers, are you not??

This was not a direction I had expected, and I nodded in confusion, ?I am according to the Younger.? Tass had put me on the Island to develop and grow it, and bring a discipline there that was lacking.

The sensation of a satisfied nod reached me, ?and you do not know the answer to your question,?

A part of me bristled at that, ?I have much to learn of Dragon society milord. Garl works with me on the construction, and Tass has not been able to teach me the finer points.? We had been a little busy to focus on societal expectations and nuances.

He paused, ?I see. I do not come because it would not be?. wise.? There was something major left unsaid, then had added, ?nor would it be safe,? but he did not say safe for whom.

I stepped closer to the shadows, ?Enlighten me milord. As head of the Silvers, why would that stop you from coming to the site when I have been clear that I desire your input?? What about my ties to the silver dragons would stop him, the Elder of their kind from coming to the island I worked to restore? I canted my head slightly at the shadow, ?why would it not be wise if you are requested by me??

?Precisely because it would not be safe.? His reply was as enigmatic as before.

If he doubted all of the dragons and their heritage, where then would Khirsah go? ?Will you avoid the Isles milord rather than deal with their doubts??

?I do not avoid the Isles, but there are smarter means of smoothing the ruffled scales than direct confrontation.?

?Who is the one who is not in danger?? That would be important to know. Who did the Elder revere enough to not be a danger when everyone else could be endangered by his presence?

The eyes in the shadows looked at me, but no answer was forth coming. It was something he felt I should know.

?I wish you would have told me earlier milord, I would not have pressed you for your assistance.? While the Elder had never offered to help, I had always believed he would.

?You have not pressed me, and my assistance is still given.? Those iced eyes regarded another who had stepped into the alleyway before returning to study me.

I too glanced in the direction of the third person there, and then back to the shadows. Tyranacus did not bother me, our discussion would make no sense to any who were not familiar with the Emerald Isles.

I then thanked him for his agreeing to help rebuild Matlal, but his earlier warning still troubled me, ?You would not hurt Garl, would you??

?That would depend.?

I contemplated my feelings a moment, ?For whatever it is worth, I would ask you to avoid such. He has suffered more than any other silver.? If anyone could be safe from the Elder, I wanted it to be Garl.

He reiterated, ?that is not my choice.?

Tyranacus sat down on a step, watching and listening to us as we talked there alone in the alley and he was being very quiet so he won't disturb us, but I felt his presence keenly. I dropped my head, ?Should I ask the Younger to teach me some of the things I will need early on, or would you accept such a challenge?? There was so much I needed to know.

There came a loud crack in the air, and as the air split asunder, and I gave a quick glance at the split before returning my gaze to Khirsah, for the split was his making. When the sound faded, we were no more than a burned image in the air for the one that had joined us, and sound was simply the wind in the alley. Khirsah then continued as we were no longer a presence in the alley, ?it is part of why I do not come to the site while the others are about, as I said, it is wiser and safer.

?I will welcome the day when you can freely walk upon Matlal milord.? It was something I would work toward having sooner rather than later.

?That time will come,? was the only reply.

I nodded, ?I should return. Today I was able to coax a small bit of green near the foundation stone.? It was an accomplishment that had not been possible before now, it was progress toward healing.

He nodded, ?and tomorrow there will be more, and less.?

I smiled, yes, there would be more of life and renewal, and less of the destruction and pain. ?And those are good things.? I debated a moment, ?milord??

?Lady??

?Would you do me the honor of walking among the gardens of I' Taurn?? If he would not walk with me on Matlal, perhaps he would here in RhyDin.

He gave a slight nod, ?I shall.?

I smiled and offered him my arm, ?I am honored.?

And with that, he took my arm and set it upon his own silk clad one and we walked toward Gold Dragon Way.

She chuckled, ?quite the fashion statement at that time.? In fact, it scandalized some of RhyDin to see him hanging from the rafters in naught but a loin cloth.

Sylus muttered that there were too many people and he rose with his usual predatorial grace and walked right back the way he had come. My gaze followed his walk toward the porch, and I barely heard Kai ask me what I had been up to. I frowned and glanced back at Kairee, ?Ah've been engaged 'n sefferal thin's, Ah've been existin' in Riverbend until Tass came tae drag me oot.?

I could see Sy through a window as he dropped onto the porch swing. Then I took a long drink of the amber liquid. I wanted to go join him, to undo the hurt I had caused, but that would not remedy the situation at all, and I turned back to Kairee, ?:: tha' ist th' man Ah didst tell ye a wee bit aboot Kai. Sae wha' direction 're ye gaein' tae take Thoth??

The expression on his face was more than I could bear, and I rose, excusing myself from Kai and headed out onto the porch. He was sharpening a slender throwing dagger, and for a moment, seemed to contemplate doing something rash before he finally produced a whetstone and began to sharpen the dagger. ?Maybe I?ll go and visit Sulrin and his family. Been a long time since I?ve spoken with my oldest friend.?

I had paused just outside the door, leaning my shoulder against the door jamb, I didn?t want to intrude if he did not wish me to, but finally I asked him, ?Why?re ye sitten? oot ?ere by yerself Sy??

He kept his hand steady and the stone was pulled across the blade, but not hard enough to cause any burr or blemishes until my voice reached him, and then he became as still as statuary, and I moved very slowly toward him. I was facing a man who was part wolf, and I was uncertain how my presence would be received.

He still didn?t move, but his voice whispered in the darkness, ?There's not much company to be found inside, just nameless faces and many I will not see again beyond this night.?

He had said he might go away, but I had not expected it so soon, ?why will ye nae see?em after taenigh??

He still did not look up at me, ?I'm leaving the city. There's nothing to keep me here. Nothing that won't remind me of what I've lost anyway.?

His words hit hard. It had been unfair of me to love him when I was not whole, and that had brought about this pain. Guilt sat heavy upon my shoulders. ?Mayst Ah ask ye where yer gaein???

He still had not moved, ?That even I don't know. Been meaning to visit my friend Sulrin and his family for a while, but so much happened to make me put it off. Thought I'd start there...and see where fate drags me.?

I nodded a moment, ?Ah?m ascertes Sulrin wilst be ?appy tae see thee.? It was about then that Xenograg appeared on the porch of the Inn, and I glanced at him with a silent greeting.

Sy moved at last, wrapping the throwing dagger into the oiled cloth and began to polish the blade, ?This time of year his people will be having a festival.?

Xeno smiled and greeted both Sylus and I and walked closer. I turned to Xeno, ?'t ist good tae see ye b'fore Ah dae leave.?

He had started to inquire whether either of us was participating in the Magic contests being hosted by the Inn, and stopped short, ?leaving??

Sylus finally looked at me, but the sadness in his eyes was deep enough to drown in, ?After that I don't know where I'll go.? Then he looked at Xeno and said he was a swordsman, and that magic was not his forte.

I shook my head at Xeno, ?Nay, Ah've 'ad enough magic 'pon th' Isles,? and then nodded slightly, ?aye, yer righ', 't ist nae time tae giff up pon th' buildin' on Matlal, Ah'm r'turnin' there.?

Sylus rose from the swing, ?I'll leave the two of you to make your farewells. Alais and I have said ours...I've much to do before finding my new path.? He bowed to Xeno and turned to me in mid step, ?After what has happened between us, being this close is quite painful Alais, there?s a physical and emotional ache. I?m leaving before I do something undignified.?

Xenograg blinked, ?oh gods?

I then asked Sy once more to take care of himself, and I turned and walked into the Inn. I heard Xeno tell Sy, ?you know where to find me.? And Sy telling me he had already promised me that.

I gave Kairee a nod as I headed toward my chair, and dropped into it with a deep sadness. Xeno followed shortly thereafter and took a seat near my own

Perfectly silent steps carried him through I'Taurn as he gathered his things with a grim resolve when all he wanted to truly do was break down and weep. But wolves do not weep, humans do. Clothes packed away, he moved on to the few trinkets that had once meant something to him, each one held a memory of Alais. Wether a quiet moment of them walking the grounds and talking, or of just being in each other's company.

With where Alais was going, he highly doubted she would take anything to remind her of all they had been through together outside of the original memory in her mind. But such things could be covered in time. If she would take nothing to remind her of him, why should he take something to stab him in the heart again? Grinding his teeth, Sylus threw them into the fireplace and had to blink back tears.

"If she can cast aside all that we have been through so readily to follow a path she can't know where it leads, maybe I'm the fool for letting myself care once more. For opening my heart for another scar." He recalled how he'd seen her at the Inn, laughing and joking as if the previous night when she had broken up with him had never happened. How the smile on her face had made everything about her absolutly glow.The very memory of how she had looked in that moment rended his heart anew. Sylus had to stop a moment and keep his emotions in check, despite wanting to do nothing more than wrap himself in anger and let it fester.

The books on necromancy he'd been studying since moving in with her were returned to the library. An out of the way desk caught his eye and triggered a memory, a so distant memory of sitting there reading when the sound of breaking glass came to his lycan ears.

"That's where the path began." He whispered under his breath remembering how beautiful she was the first time he saw her, how she could still take his breath away with a smile, it was enough to make him hastily exit the library.

Hoisting his pack high on his shoulder he gave I'Taurn one last longing look. "Yet another home I will never come back to." Releasing a slow breath he looked up at the stars in the heavens. "You like ruining lives don't you? Shoving obstacles in the way of mortal paths and watching them fall. My first love was seduced by my enemy and then tried to kill me. Now the one woman to own my heart completely is seduced by the brother of an ally. You might as well finish me now, Fates. End my light because I'm tired of your games! Just take this love from my heart and end my pain. She has become as much a natural part of me as breathing, and you've manipulated events to take that part from me! You rediculously enigmatic beings that can't find anything better to do than to play with lives and alter their courses from what SHOULD be, just for a moments enjoyment. You're no better than children with a magnafying glass and we but ants under the beam."

A growl ripped through him far to low to be human. "All I wanted was to spend my days with her, I knew she'd already had a Lifemate and that the possibility of my ever becoming hers was an impossibility, but I didn't care. I didn't care that she wasn't whole, I didn't care that she had done terrible things. I'm neither whole nor have I led the life of a saint. I've much blood on my hands, too much to ever atone for." His dark amber eyes remained on the skies and he could just picture faceless gods laughing at him, mocking his life and all that had been done to him. "If a mortal could kill a god I'd slay you all for filling me with this pain." The words were barely whispered but the threat still firm.

Before he brought down the wrath of some god or goddess that might actually be paying attention to a mortal on himself, or worse. On Alais. he headed for the Inn. He had something to take care of before he could leave.

A calming breath was taken before he knocked on the Dojo's door. "Hope Xenograg is here, a letter would be a hollow farewell, if understandable. "

A spy hole opened in the door so the guard on duty could examine him.
"Lord Kurgen?" came the expected female voice.

He looked through the spy hole at the guard "Yes it's me. Is the General on the grounds at the moment?" He let the title go, this'd be the last time anyone would refer to him as a lord. Might be nice to remember what it sounded like. The guard went on to inform him that General Xenograg was not on the grounds but could be summoned.

"Could you be so kind and summon him for me? Or I can find my way to the Steppe and seek him out." He knew roughly where his teacher had homes in Rhydin, anywhere else and he'd have to go with a letter.

The spy hole closed and the deadbolt was pulled back as the guard opened the wooden door and the iron gate before it. Thanking the guard he stepped past her and followed her instructions to wait in the garden.

Sylus hears hoofbeats in the street and glanced over his shoulder to see the guard opening the spyhole and look through at the street. The door was immediately opened and another guard stepped into the street. Xenograg strode into his house and came straight to the garden "Sylus? Good evening."

He sat quietly in the garden and waited, sitting cross-legged on the ground, just watching the stars. Hearing Xenograg he rose slowly. "You too, Xeno." He turned to look at the General with a wane smile

"Here, come into the library." Xenograg opened the door and walks into his study.

The first thing Sylus noticed was that some of the furniture has changed since his last visit. A slow nod and he pushed the blades at his waist back farther on his hips and followed after his teacher. "I'm making my goodbyes in person..."The new furniture caused him to raise a brow. "Been redecorating I see."

Xenograg unbuckled his swordbelt and hung the scabbarded sword over the fireplace. "Not by choice. Good-bye, is it?" It was here that he turned and walked back to Sylus.

A slow nod given hearing Xeno's comment and let out a breath was realeased passed Sylus's lips. "With things that have happened, not much to keep me in the city now, at least nothing that won't come with a reminder of what I'm losing."

Xenograg merely gave a nod. "A journey sounds like a good idea. Do you have a destination? You do not need one, of course."

It was Sy's turn to give a slow nod, he always seemed to do a lot of nodding around Xenograg, as turned his gaze back towards Xeno. "I thought I'd go and visit my friend Sulrin. He's an old friend, one of my oldest actually. Been meaning to visit him and his family for a time. Hear he has a little one."

"Sounds promising. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I hope so. His village is having a festival about this time of year so I'll need to come baring gifts." Sylus paused at the question "Unless you can convince Alais she doesn't have to walk this path alone, and what she thinks I need is not what I truly want. Then, not at the moment. I just wanted to say my farewell. All you've taught me has been put to good use."

The look on Xenograg's face said he'd tried that debate before and lost. "Alais has a quirk for making drastic decisions.

"I know, I just wish she had talked about this with me. Just because she had to walk alone, doesn't mean she had to make the choice on her own. I only hope she's happy on the Isles, with all she's been through she deserves that at least."

"She tends to find her way back. She has more than a few inner scars, Sylus." Xeno reminded him gently. "For my part, I just wait for her to come back. Sometimes it has been years. And I am not getting younger. She is a good friend, but certainly nowhere near perfect. You have a more difficult position.

Those words earned his teacher a familiar smirk. "That's putting it lightly."

"I have not been in your particular one."

"It's not one any should go through but some must. At first I thought of having myself changed so I can remain in some form of sleep and await her return, but I quickly discounted it as foolish. So, I'm going on a few trips and seeing where this path leads."

The only advice Xenograg truly could offer him was to live and his comment about sleep got him a slow nod. "Good, you have already passed that test."

"Then I found a spell that can turn a man or woman into a sentient blade. That looked appealing at first, but then I realized I had no one who would do such an act, even in the name of friendship. And if I want to a mage and had it done, there's nothing to stop them from selling me for a fair bit of coin, or making me a prized possession." That comment came out as a growl.

Xeno raised a brow at that idea. "Quite."

"So, I'm taking your advise and I'm going live. Though right now I don't have a purpose, perhaps in time I will find another."

"Exactly. And you are welcome here anytime."

"Hopefully the fates will be kind and the path will lead me back to faces I know." A smile played on his lips at the offer and the words. "I'll return someday. Just don't know when."

Xeno had shared a battlefield with Sylus, and thus had a bond with him. "Take your time."

Understanding the other perfectly they grip each other's right forearms in a warrior's gesture

"I will, for that is all I have now." Sylus replied with a soft smile. "I owe you more than I'm able to repay."From a pocket inside his vest, a small green orb was removed, no bigger than a marble. "If you ever need to get in touch with me use this." Holds up the item. "You can speak with me telepathicly through it, and I can be summoned through it if needed."

Taking the orb Xeno watched his student a moment. "I will not use it lightly, but neither will I avoid using it as need. The only repayment I want is for you to have a good life. Heal first, of course."

"I left one at I'Tuarn, hopefully Alais will take it with her." He sighed then and smiled at the comment. "I used a drop of my own blood to enchant it, so the magic won't fade, the voice of a friend may be good to hear on occasion."

A smile split Xenograg's features. "True enough.You can still shadow-travel, too."

A grin played on his lips as he offed Xeno another slow nod. "I'll live as good as I can. And hopefully what new adventures come my way will help the healing. Aye that I can, but this way is faster, the Pathways can take time, sometimes it takes longer to find a specific portal."

"Just do not project into here." Xeno smiled again and it did Sylus's heart good to know they would part with smiles and not sad frowns.

"Take care of yourself Xenograg." Slowly he released, his teacher from the warrior's embrace with a long sigh. "It's hard to say goodbye to home you've come to treasure."

True, but these are only things, after all. Time for things new."

"Time cannot erase the memories that make them treasured, But hopefully new memories can replace the bad." For his own sake, Sylus hoped it was true.

"Take care of yourself, Sylus."

"Still some people I have to see." He gave Xenograg a nod with another smile. "You have my promise, on that Xenograg."

"I will walk you out." The General started only to pause. "You sure you do not need anything? A spare pony, perhaps?"

His shoulders feeling a bit heavier as Sylus turned to his teacher. "I have a horse, though it's as unruly and incorrigable as myself. Probably why no one else can ride him."

A rare grin encompassed Xenograg's face. "Made for each other."

"Yea right. He bit me this morning because I didn't give him an apple." The words were followed by a low mutter while Xeno laughed as they reached the gate to the street .

"Take care General. I'll return someday."Embracing his teaching one last time, Sylus turned up the street.

"May the Mother-Goddess ease your path."

The words brought a sardonic smile to his lips. "At this point, I'll take what help I can get."

Not all items of Sylus were removed from her bedroom and the Lady Alais would learn this when she went to bed for the evening. Tucked under her pillow on the bed was a letter, a signet ring embossed the image of a wolf wearing a crown of roses, and a small green orb no bigger than a large marble.

::The letter::

Dear Alais,

No doubt when you read this, it will not be after you have seen the small tokens that I cast into the fireplace. But do not read into the action that was not there. Memories live on in the soul and are never truly forgotten. Items at best are tools to help trigger the memory. What I take with me is far more precious than any memory. It is knowledge. Knowledge that you return to the Emerald Isles to do something that you feel is far more important that the love I or Ulysses hold for you. If you can cast aside what supposedly meant so much to you, and be laughing and joking around with friends at the Inn the next night. Why should I do any different?

For months it was thoughts of you that kept me alive throughout the vampire coven's torture. It was memories of you that gave me the strength to endure things that surely would have broken me. Visions of seeing your smiling face once more, holding you in my arms, and knowing my love for you was returned tenfold. Seeing you once more and living out my life with you beside me was the singular hope I had that kept me strong.

I remember when I first came to Rhydin with scars fresh on my heart. I had a deathwish, each day I would wake up and pray for death. For something to happen and extinguish my light. This is why I would rush into confrontations recklessly without care for personal injury. And ultimately led to meeting you. In you I found reason once more to keep living, to greet the dawn with hope. You know already how scarred I am, so I never said anything about what motivated my actions. But now those words will never be said and that is probably for the best. You gave me hope Alais, and a purpose.

To live. And to love once more.

But now you are leaving, and that purpose is gone. I truly do not know if you are just hiding your pain from those that care for you, of if you truly have cast aside something that helped heal us both at least a little bit and the night you told me of your decision to return to Matlal was just a gentle let down. But I guess it does not matter. You never told me why I could not go with you to the Isles, and that truly hurt. But I love you enough to respect what you feel your heart desires.

With as many friends as I have made in the city, there is still much that would remind me of you. So much that it would keep my heart constantly aching for the sound of your voice, your smile, your scent. I might as well be back in the catecombs being tortured by the vampires than live with the constant reminder of what I have lost in losing you. That alone would finish what those undead had begun.

To live without you in my life, and yet always be reminded of how great my love for you always will be, is a punishment to great for me to bare. Even with all that I have endured in the past, that grief alone is too great.

I know not where my travels will take me, but I know there will be many things I will see that you would most likely adore, and knowing that I would not being able to tell you of them or show you hurts as much as never hearing your laughter again. This is why those items are in the fire. It is not to erase you from my memory or to undo what has passed. I love you too much to wish for that. They are there because the memories will never be forgotten. That which is engraved on the soul transcends time and memory.

Your life will be far longer than mine, that I knew the night I asked you to marry me, but I did not care about that. All I knew was that to I had to have you beside me for as long as whatever gods rule our lives would allow. I only hope you will always remember me, as I will never let myself forget you. The ring is yours to have along with the orb of which you already know its use and purpose. Though I cannot go with you and I long to, I can "be" with you.

Remember Alais, memory engraved on the soul transcends time and even death. Those we meet in one life are destined to meet us in another. A friend in one life can be an enemy in the next, an enemy can become a lover. It is a random cycle but how each soul finds its way back to those who resonate in harmony with it is not random. It is Fate. I will see you again, and love you how you deserve.

Though I am hurt and angry at losing you as I have. I will never forget how loving you has blessed my soul.

Live well Alais, and Live happy.

Yours Eternally,

~Sylus Adair Kurgen.

The sea was quiet, just the gentle lapping of waves against the black sand when I arrived. None of the dragons were about at this time, but it would not belong before they knew of my arrival.

I set down the orchids I had created and began to walk slowly along the water's edge. The moon glistened atop the gentle waves, shimmering and dancing beneath the black velvet sky and the glittering white stars overhead. The mountain loomed behind me as I looked into the night across the sea.

Odhran could just be made out as a silhouette in the distance. For a brief moment, I wondered just where Khirsah went when he left, and found myself tracing the scar with my right hand. Such musings would not put Matlal back together.

Turning back toward where I had left the orchids, I began the climb to the leveled perch above where my home once had begun to rise, and where even now the foundation stone remained, undamaged by the invasion. At least that magic was unpolluted by Malchor and his minions. I set the orchids down in the shadow of the foundation stone, and then sat upon the pale salmon stone.

The energies of the island flowed with the bonds of Eldar magic beneath me. The power was there to restore the islands, shaping it and coaxing it to heal the island would take great focus and strength though. There was however, no time like the present, and I let myself become one with the power that moved all around me.

?Ye?ve a different view o? time thence Ah haff,? The greater longevity of his kind meant time moves differently for them, and I know human kind thinks the elves act slowly, so perhaps this is my bias regarding the passage of time. I headed for my sofa then, leaving him to seek a duel if he chose, but glanced over my shoulder at him, ??an ?umans dae thin? elves ?re slow tae act.?

He chuckled, ?that I do. And they are.?

I lifted a brow at him. ?we ?re nae.?

He snorted at that, ?Ya are.?

I sat down and conjured myself a crystal snifter of Liquid Fire, ?Nay m?lord, we dae think thin?s through b?fore actin? precipitously.?

He laughed then, ?some days.?

I took a sip of the amber liquid, ?all days m?lord.?

About then Imp appeared with a poof and plopped himself down upon the caller?s sofa and announced loudly, ?Tha P?Imp has entered tha building!?

I shuddered slightly, knowing the inevitable was about to come my way, ?g?e?en Imp.? But perhaps I could forestall it as I remembered the young woman Taneth had been seeking Imp. ?Imp lad??

It was not to be, ?ALAIS!? He flailed his arms and poofed over to me with his trademark ?huglickgrope?. ?BABE!?

I cowered as he flailed, ?There?s a lass seekin? ye.? I grabbed him and held him at arm?s length to prevent being too slobbered on in the process of his enthusiastic greeting.

He cackled madly, ?You love me, admit it.?

I admitted it as it was easier to humor the little blue one as he asked me, ?sooooooo, who?s the babe looking for moi?? His hands were rubbed together with a greedy air.

I nodded, ?a young lass, bu? ye were nae ?n yer store, she didst ask me whence ye?d r?turn, an? Ah didst tell ?er Ah thought ye?d be ?pon ?n errand fer Mama Imp, bu? ye?d be back.?

He wasn?t listening at all to my words, but was mainly interested in whether she was pretty or not. Which, I confirmed that she was, and he bounded happily back to his sofa to begin the night?s duels, and his lust for blood letting.

Tass accepted a duel with Jake and about then Rab walked, or rather trudged in. He was just the soul I had come to find. ?Yer jus? th? man Ah haff need o? speakin? tae.? My eyes locking on him as he began to tromp toward a chair, hoping to gain his time for the discussion I had planned.

He peered about seeking the identity of the voice addressing him, ?hullo, have we met? Me recollectioning is sometimes poor.?

I smiled at him, ?aye, we haff, bu? ye mayst nae r?member me.?

He stood and extended a work roughened hand toward me, ?sorry then.?

I glanced at his hand before offering my own, it was a custom I was not familiar with, ?nae a problem, wilst ye haff a seat??

Tass took a seat between us, listening to our discussion, ?Ahye, bu? Ah?m nae ascerted ye mayst find enou? mahogany ?ere.?

?yeh. I know where I can get good, old growth mahogany. broad 'nough for beams and such...? He was already considering where he might obtain the mahogany I sought when I interrupted him and introduced him to Tass.

?M?lord Momus, haff ye met Rab??

Tass replied that he may have, and if not, had certainly seen him about the Arena for the dueling.

I nodded, ?Rab ?ere ist th? one Ah didst tell ye aboot earlier this nigh?.?

Rab nodded, ?Hullo then. I?ve seen yeh likewise.? He leaned forward and extended a hand to Tass, which Tass took in turn.

Rab sat back then, ?but the only mills I know are well out by me own stompin grounds... have to wagon the sawn lumber into RhyDin I spose... ?

Tass spoke up then, ?that can be provided.?

I took a sip of the amber liquid, ?Ah?m willin? tae pay fer th? trouble tae haff ?t done righ? Rab.?

He was still nodding thoughtfully, ?but I know nought of shippin if it's not floatin logs down a river ... how bout that? I spose yer Isle is out to sea...?

I glanced at Tass, ?Ah thin? we mayst ge? ye th? ?elp tae move th? logs.?

Tass thought back to our earlier conversation, ?how do you feel about dragons??

Rab was deeply thinking about transportation, ?aright, have yeh a plan? Drawin?s? or a ?? he stopped in mid thought, ?dragons??

Tass gave him an amused grin, ?aye, dragons.?

I lifted my glass to hide a smile at his reply to Rab.

Rab sat back into his chair, clearly taken back, ?er, I dunno. I feel there?s room in the world for all of us?. I spose? they?re so??.. big.? He scratched his head then, clearly uncertain how to answer Lord Momus.

Tass chuckled softly, ?that is an understatement, but would they work for your moving??

Rab?s mouth gaped open, ?dragons to move the timber? Egad? I spose that?s?. an option I?d not considered.?

?How do you feel about working along side of them? Tass pressed on.

Rab went a bit green, ?how close-like long side do yeh mean? I mean ... I'm not a small man, but ... I'm like to become a turd, I spose... stepped on, that is... unless I can shout directions... I mean suggestions ... from a bit afar.? He was stammering a bit now as Tass regarded him.

Tass laughed and gave me a teasing look, ?should he know how close??

I smiled and gave a bit of soft elven laughter, ?Rab, th' dragon's wouldst be 'ere tae 'elp ye, bu' ye'd need tae be makin' th' decisions.?

I smiled at him, :Nay Rab, Ah?m jus? ?n elf, bu? this ist fer th? dragons an? a place tae form a small government an? public offices fer ?em, an? mine new ?ome.?

Rab blinked, and Tass chuckled, ?of sorts, she is Rab, don?t let her fool you.?

I slid a quick glance at Tass. There was no reason to tell Rab more than we already had. My position was not important to the project.

?A ?government of dragons?? Great Scotty!? Rab seemed intrigued by such a concept and Tass raised a brow at his reaction.

?Th? Isles ?re fer th? dragons Rab, ?t ist their sanctuara.? This place was where the dragons could retreat from the rest of the world. It was sanctuary and haven for their kind.

Rab watched Tass a moment, realizing his comment may have been taken wrong, ?all I meant was that a place to house a government of dragons would be ... big. yeh.?

Tass chuckled then, ?I know.?

I sipped the amber liquid, ?th? plan ist tae build on as ?t ist needed, this ist small tae start wi?.?

Rab shot me a surprised look, ?whoowee, so that explains these,? as he pointed to the drawings, ?sixteen foot doors??

I laughed softly, ?aye.?

He shook his head and sat back from the plans to look closely at both Tass and I, and there was a grin on his face, ?Yer givin me the chance to do something, jest, hugelier and grander than I?ve ever done.?

Tass sat back and relaxed, a grin growing under Rab?s gaze and words. ?What ever you need can be provided, including the help.?

I smiled then, ??f ye?ll look o?er th? plans, an? le? me ken ?ow much ye dae r?quire ?n fundin? tae start.?

Rab glanced at Tass quickly, ?and I?ve got to thank yeh for that, even with the dragons bit?. Sorry.?

Tass laughed, ?no worries at all.?

?If'n they're nice to meself, I guess I'll be a bit sweaty is all, and a bit high-pitched. no harm. can I take yer drawins? ...to give a good estimate for wood. I don't like to take more from the land than needed.? He glanced at me hopefully.

I chuckled softly, ?they?re fione souls tae work wi? Rab. An? aye, ye mayst haff th? parchments.?

Tass added quietly, ?what is taken will be returned.? Then he looked at me meaningfully.

?what?s yer schedule for this?? Rab hadn?t asked before, and I thought about it a moment. ?An I can?t start till the lumbers cut and taken there anyhow.?

?Th exterior ist currentla under construction.? His reminder that the timber would have to be harvested brought a nod of understanding from me, ?Aye, sae Ah need ye tae tell me wha? th? time line ist.?

BUILDIN FOR DRAGONS
I?m finally starin at Alais?s drawins for her dragon government. Enormous. Jest keep shakin me head. Sixteen-foot entry doors. Twenty-foot ceilins. Three hundred foot across. Like to be Sean Toggins?s pond, but indoors. Hoowhee.

Course, it?s sposed to be filled with dragons ? filled. A dragon government , guess that?d be dragon judges and dragon tax collectors and dragons in frilly hats and fancy leggings that talk funny down their noses at common folk and send them off to war while they set in their loverly towers. All governments? likely the same that way, methinks.

So anyhow. There?s a good stand of mahogany a week southward, out toward the warm-sea. Ancient stuff. Broader than I can reach, and out of sight into the clouds. Which is good, as the beams need to be five foot thick to run a hundred foot span. Dragons?re heavy. Can?t have all the tax-collector-section disappearin through the floor in the middle of roll call. Well ? well it wouldn?t be polite, no matter me thoughts on dragons or on tax collectors.

Hundred foot beams, five foot thick. That?s a mighty beam, there. Mayhaps when I see how they?re settin the columns and layin foundation stones, there can be less of them, but seems no matter me head-scratchin and number-countin and drawin out the thing, there?s twelve-some beams plus and two-score beams two-and-half-foot thick. Per floor. Egad. We?ll be seein some scary hemerroidals on them dragons.

Then there?s the plankin for the walls. Can use the scrap from the beams ? trim off the main trunk and the branches to do that ? but still, its jest an alarmin pile of timber. There?ll be a mill runnin for months cutting the stuff. And then there?s stair treads, doors, window trimmins. Elfies will be carvin their wee arses off if it?s to look like the drawins when all?s said and done. Dunno bout that big round window. Need to find some light wood. Birch? Hmm.

But the big stuff first-like. Beams. I spend a couple days thinking on the beams, and how many trees it?ll take ? beams for the main building, and then there?s the towers. Me head hurts most of the time now, with all that Math. But me chest aches a bit now too. This?ll sweep a forest of world-wise mahogany clear out of sight, not a stick left. All to put these dragons in their cozy perches to chat together. Now, I?m all a man for the heart that wood puts into a building, but ? but that jest an awful lot of heart. Those dragons best put an end to all that?s horrible in this world with all that mahogany round them.

Sigh.

Well, onward. They?ll be wantin word of my figures, and I?m already a day late, though I thought I?d see Alais at the Arena. Didn?t quite realize the ? scale of it all, when we first talked though. She?d be best building a mill on her island. Or three. Mayhaps they can build one or two down in the mahogany stand and then the dragons can fly them, easy-peasy, up to Matlal when they?re done at the stand. Rough-cut to beam size at the stand, then a mill for finer cuts at Matlal. Guess that?d work. Never built a mill that flies though.

Hmm. If?n her beams need to be five foot thick, and the dragons need twenty-foot to not knock their noggins, guess that means the ceiling?ll need to be twenty-five foot high. Otherwise they?ll all be duckin and walkin and duckin and walkin and then when they stop they?ll have their heads inside a five-foot deep box of mahogany. But, maybe dragons would like that, makin their voices echo and boom. Dunno. I wonder what happens if?n one sneezes during their speeches. Does fire come out? That?s a sure mess, sneeze on yer neighbor-governor and burn all his hair off. Course, then there?d be smoke, and burnin hair smells right hideous, so guess that?d set everyone to sneezing. And then their big meeting is done and everyone?s lost their hair and smells like smoke.

I don?t think carpenters would make good government-folk.

I try to be neat about my notes, but big hands jest make a scrawl, mostly. I don?t keep any paper round, so I put all the wood figures down on the back of Alais?s plans. Countless trees. Months of timberin and millin. Thank Sir Momus for the dragon-haulin, or it?d be months getting the timber from one place to another. Scores of lumber hands, mill hands. Silver and silver and piles of silver. Big numbers that make me need a drink of water. Leastwise I won?t be seein it show up here. Egad. Jest what I need.

But this dragon government?s liken to be the most pretty thing I?ve ever been close to, and a place no one will forget.

It?s quiet next morn. Haven?t heard a pipsqueak from them goblins for a bit, which means they?re off hassling Toggins?s cow again or they?re havin a go at Swanson?s waterwheel. Bathin, mayhaps. I roll up all the drawins and hotfoot it into Rhydin, looking for Alais?s shop. House. Manor. What-yeh-have.

The streets still get me turned round some, and I find instead that I?m starin at a tall red-bricky thing, on a street that sounds familiar, and it looks to be Sir Momus?s Anathemadum. Spose I could leave the drawins here, but ? I get close as I dare, sniffin for dragon-scent and checkin the sky a bit. Course, I never smelled dragon before, and Sir Momus didn?t smell none when we were talking, but ? But I jest decide that a big book house for dragons is probably jest fine without meself. Alais?s house it is. Someone moves in a window when I trudge away, but I?d rather not look again.

Alais?s is ? large. See a bit of consistent-likeness. Big walls, all green stone. Big trees overlookin it all. There?s a gate and a window-slot where a man who doesn?t look very pleased about me asks bout me business. I tell him of the island and show the plans and get a bit sweaty-palmed while he talks with another window-slot man. I says ?I?m fine leavin it all for her. Expect she?s out and about, of course? Don?t go, er, getting her off?n the pot or anythin?? He glares and nods and says something I don?t hear, so I figure I?ll jest lookit the fine woodwork of the gate ? curly cues and dragon and all ? and see what?s to do next.

The parchment solidified on Matlal, and a small blue dragon picked it up and took it to the construction site, handing it over to Garl, the construction site leader. The big silver spread the parchment open and studied the figures scrawled on the back of the drawing. The numbers closely corresponded to what he had roughly estimated.

The time required troubled the Silver. The outer structure would be complete in the next 4 weeks, and then they could begin on the inside, but according to the scrawled figures from this Rab, it would be months before he could be ready.

Garl frowned. He hated leaving the islands. He?d come here a long, long time ago to get away from the persecution and suspicion of the outside world. He hated the outside world, but with the elven woman gone, he was in charge of the construction. And months, well, that just did not fit into the plans.

The dragon considered shifting into human form, and decided against it. He would go in his own form to meet this Rab person. He thanked the little blue and told her that he would return shortly before Garl stepped onto the rune, and found himself standing partly inside, partly outside a guard house in RhyDin.

He backed slowly out of the stone structure, as bits of stone fell onto the ground. ?Still have this Rab fellow here??

Garl materialized partly inside the gatehouse, and partly outside the stone structure. The stone cracked and crumbled around the door way where his neck and shoulders were crammed together in a much too small space. He growled at the tight fit and slowly began to back out of the small structure. His tail lashed against the green basalt stone of the wall, eliciting another growl from the large silver.

The Sidhe guards had all vacated the room when Garl first appeared, they recognized a dragon?s head when they saw one, and this one was clearly in ill humor. They were not terrified per se, but a healthy dose of respect was clearly in order. Since the Heiress had moved to Matlal, her relationships had taken on a decidedly larger than life aspect.

Garl shook off the dust and debris from the structure and lowered his head to look at the guards, ?This Rab fellow still here??

They looked around quickly, just in time to see him disappearing around the corner and down the street. ?It looks like he?s discovered that he needs to be elsewhere milord.?

Garl lifted his head above the wall, in the direction they had indicated, just in time to see the man hastily putting as much distance between them as possible. He heaved a sigh. This was going to be even worse than he?d thought. Now he would have to go hunt down this Rab somewhere inside the city.

He could not very well go wandering the streets of RhyDin in his current form, and with a growl he shifted into a more human like appearance, although he did not bother to change his eyes nor his silvery scaled skin. Fine. If he had to hunt this Rab fellow through the streets, he would do just that.

He gave the guards a nod and headed through the gate in the direction the man had taken.

Both Sidhe glanced at one the other simultaneously, heartily glad it was not one of them that Garl had come for. The tall, humanoid took off at a ground covering trot after the odd man who?d come with the projected requirements.

He found himself in the center of RhyDin, and noted several people staring behind them as if they?d just seen something very odd, and then he stopped a local vendor of what appeared to be biscuits and asked if he had seen a rather addled man pass through here, a carpenter sort, and described the clothes he?d glimpsed as the man had fled earlier.

The vendor nodded, ?yup, bought one of my biscuits and took off with it nibbling and muttering as he did so. Why? You looking for him??

Garl raised a brow ridge. ?Of course I am. I need to discuss a project with him. Any idea where he went??

The vendor pointed to a house across the square where the silver spotted his quarry nibbling on a biscuit. He thanked the vendor and began to cross the square in the direction of the house and the one called Rab.

The quarry was a slippery one, for a carpenter sort, he had the elusive skills of quicksilver.

Garl was growing short tempered with having to hunt his quarry down; and the noise and press of the world of humans was troublesome. He caught fleeting glimpses of the man as he disappeared into a series of alleys, and Garl did not want to take wing to search for this Rab, it would draw even more attention than his current form did. He followed on foot, but Rab had the advantage in knowing the city where Garl did not. As dusk settled, Rab was no where to be seen.

The next couple of days proved fruitless in seeking the carpenter, and at length, Garl began to ask around. He hated interacting with the local populace, but there can?t be all that many carpenters named Rab in the city, and sooner or later, someone would know where the wretch lived.

Some looked at him in suspicion and moved away without saying anything, others quickly looked away and mumbled that they didn?t know the one he sought. After the eighth or ninth try, Garl snarled at a well dressed passerby, who blinked at the silver scaled creature with dragon eyes, in a humanoid form. The creature was soft spoken, but intelligible, ?There is a Rab that lives in a dilapidated shack on the outskirts of town. Just on the edge of the city, with a bit of a garden plot, and some troublesome goblins.? With that, he quickly vanished into the melee of people that frequented the town square.

Garl waited until night fall before shifting into his true form, and the black sky above RhyDin played host to the silver winged form of a great dragon. Garl did nothing to mask the dragon fear his kind caused, and the night dwellers of RhyDin who were under his flight path felt the full power of unmasked dragon presence. Garl did not care. He needed to find this Rab and convince him to work more quickly.

After several circles around the perimeter of the city, Garl spotted a shack that fit the description, including several goblins tossing something disgusting around in the night. ?Why goblins?? muttered the dragon as he looked for a likely place to land where he could make certain the man would not escape him again.

There was a garden patch that was partially tended, but held some weeds along with the vegetables, it would have to do. The great silver landed with a flap of silver limned wings in the waning moonlight, digging his talons into the tilled ground as he folded his wings. He lowered his head and snaked it toward the door of the shack, narrowing his eyes as he did so.

There was the squeak of goblins vanishing into the night as he called the carpenter by name. ?Rab!?

The big silver lowered his head right into the carpenter's face. "You are Rab? The one who sent the estimate for Lady Nitesong's project?"

He folded his wings then. "Your estimates take much too long. What do you require to shorten the timing involved?"

While Garl 'could' have shifted and made Rab a little less nervous, he did not. He stood there in Rab's garden patch casting very long shadows.

"And when you've finished explaining that, would you like to tell me why you took off like a scared rabbit before I could ask you at the Lady's home? Chasing you around this city has not been to my liking." The dragon gave Rab an expectant look as he made himself comfortable in the garden patch, heedless of the tomatoes that used to grow there.

Alais crossed the long room in the flickering candle light, a wavering figure that seemed to shift and shimmer with the candle's flames. She was surprised to see him, and more surprised that he would not cross the threshold of this room as the doors behind him could not be closed until he did enter fully.

"Please come in and be welcomed milord." She dropped him a curtsey and then rose, reaching for his arm. "You have come to I' Taurn for reasons of your own, but you ask if I am regretting my decisions?"

She attempted to lead him toward the fireplace at the far end of the room. And yet she was uncertain of his willingness to cross with her toward the shadow that waited.

He watched the play of her shadows from his peripheral. It was much like how she was wavering within. Perhaps the light that was she needed the bolstering of a brighter fire.

As she welcomed him within, he permitted himself to step through the doorway and across the threshold. There, he found himself being led to the hearth and riddled with a question to try to counter his own. She would learn... eventually.

"I have and I am." His reply was simple and direct. However, he was in the mood to play the game tonight, so his voice was a inviting as he could make it without the feel of a compulsion buried within it.

She stopped just at the edge of the hearthstone. "I believe we all regret some of our decisions." She turned to look up into his pale eyes. "Have you never regretted a decision milord?"

The black blade was sheathed on her hip, and the long blade would have dragged the ground had it not been sheathed in a sturdy scabbard, and it writhed as she stood beside the Elder, but she had been careful to wear it on her right hip, well away from any potential contact with the Elder. She always wielded a blade in her left hand, so it was a natural place to wear her swords, though for most people, it was on the wrong hip.

He watched her as she stopped and looked within the ashes, then as she raised her eyes to his. The blade that she carried at her side, or rather, the third of the blade, was working hard to close the gap between it and he, and that caused the edges of his lips to curl slightly in a semblance of a smile.

"No, Lady d'Nitesong. There are no decisions that I have made which I regret. But that is something which you already knew the answer to."

He regarded her a moment, his eyes piercing hers, then his gaze turned again to that which was held at her side.

"You are most fortunate then milord." She placed her free hand upon the hilt of the blade to quiet it. She had suspected that he never had a cause to regret any action, but the question was a logical one, and certainly one he should have anticipated. And it was something she could not understand. How anyone could go through so many aeons and never regret a single decision.

"You question which of my decisions milord? The taking of Daemonbane, or the severing of my relationship to Sylus?" She suspected that he questioned her resolve and commitment to the path she had chosen, but in her heart, she knew there was no alternative, and the path was the right one. But that did not change the pain such decisions are capable of causing.

She turned and studied his expression a long moment, noting his focus remained upon Daemonbane.

The thin smile spread a bit more on his lips. So the game was started.

"I do not question your decisions, I ask if you do." He queried again.

She lifted a sable brow at him. "I was not gifted with precognition milord. Of course I question some of my decisions, but not the ones most would assume." Many would wonder if she questioned following Morrin, and she did not. Others would question her choice of magery, including herself sometimes, but that had been necessary, and had done more good than ill. Still others would question her choice to live amongst the dragons, yet it was not something she would question, it felt right.

He chuckled dryly.

He did not bother to let her answer just yet, but the question would be remembered.

"You say you are still torn from the loss of a soul mate, but that was many years ago. Yet, upon his return, you let yourself be divided once, choosing to seek solace in his return. Yet, he left again, and so you sought a third, and allowed yourself to be divided a second time. And even with that third, you are unsure though you know the answer already to your worry.?

?In each of these times, you have not allowed yourself to right to accept you hurt the ones before. You have not allowed yourself to forgive. You have not allowed yourself to heal and be whole.?

?Alais d'Nitesong... you are not whole, and again, until you are such, you have no command over any.?

?As for the objections, you may wish to seek the land's approval before you make declarations that it will house it. I do believe that the Second may wish to be consulted since it will be She who is housing it."

During this time, he had come full circle around the room, each piece that hung from the wall, each item that laid upon another... all was carefully passed, with nothing more than a glance, until he was once more by her, this time on the side of Daemonbane.

She lifted a sable brow at him. "Milord, you assume much. I would take it from your words that feelings are not something of value." His tone had implied that the pain of lost loves was something to be let go of in some way.

She moved away as he came up on the side where Daemonbane rested, "and I am at peace with Sylus. The ashes you seem to think you saw me studying were not in fact what I was considering." She pointed to the shadow above the hearth. "There is my focus milord."

She moved to stand on the other side of a long table that separated the room down the center, "I let Ulysses into my life because he was my life once. As I said, I cannot imagine that you can have lost a soul mate if you do not understand."

If Matlal would not willingly house Daemonbane, she would find another place to do so. The Second was not available to her to ask, and even as she had placed her faith in his ability to support what needed to be done, he was apparently refusing her even now. It was an old tale, and she gave him a wry smile. "You came here tonight to tell me that I am not whole Lord Khirsah? I could have told you that."

He let her beratement pass over him. He knew that ashes had found their way to her in the basement of the Inn, and he had felt the remorse then as she retreated here. If she would not see, then it was her folly for it... Unfortunately, this time, ?it? was that of both himself and her.

But as far as the matter why he came tonight...

"I came here tonight to help you become whole. Because to be anything but will not give you what you desire."

She lifted a sable brow at him then. Just how would he propose to make her whole enough to deal with Daemonbane?

"What would you propose to accomplish your reason for coming tonight?"

Her fingers curled over the scar in her palm, pressing tightly against that mark.

He studied her for long moments before his next words came forth. "What are you willing to give up in order to be complete?"

Silver eyes studied him for long moments of silence. Her concepts of being whole did not include giving things up, whole should mean filling in the missing parts. Or putting back together that which had been shredded, but Khirsah wanted to know what she was willing to give up.

"You confuse what I say. I said that to act on feelings is to act without knowing. I did not say that to act on knowing is to not act on feelings."

She watched his reflection in the mullioned glass. ?Then you simply refused to answer my question, did you not?"

She turned slowly, keeping her hand against the cool glass, "I asked you what you felt... about anything."

He smiled as she turned and asked her question.

"I have not refused to answer the question; I merely have not done so to your convenience. Much as you have done with my question to you on what you are willing to give up."

He smiled as she turned and asked her question.

"I have not refused to answer the question; I merely have not done so to your convenience. Much as you have done with my question to you on what you are willing to give up."

She lifted a sable brow at him. "Milord, your question has no parameters, and I have told you there is not much I would not yield to regain something that has been missing since Ulysses' death."

She shook her head sadly, "I never do know how to communicate with you such that you seem to be pleased. Perhaps it is because elves are more accustomed to feelings first, logic second."

"My question's parameters are in your own bounds. You say that you are willing to give up much and more to feel whole, but do not set limits or bounds on what that will be."

He quieted a moment; the look that he passed was one of consideration.

"I will not give up my memories milord. Bitter sweet as they are, they are part of what shaped me."

"Ask what you will of me. This once, I will answer you true."

His next words stopped her cold. 'Ask what you will of me. This once, I will answer you true.' He was offering this one time to answer one question. The one question her heart wanted an answer to was the one question she would not ask him.

The cool glass seemed to radiate through her hand and up her arm.

"Milord Khirsah, will you help me secure Daemonbane once it is made whole, no matter my objections should the blade take too great a hold over me?"

She wanted, in fact needed to know if he accepted her but asking was out of the question.

He smiled as he felt the question radiate through her, and then the one that passed her lips. "It will not, and yes I do"

She smiled at the image reflected in the window, "I am relieved to know Daemonbane will not win in the end. It has been unfettered too long."

The images hand actually extended from the window and wrapped around hers.

And he, on the other hand, smiled seeing that she did not catch the full answer.

"All will be taken care of."

She should not have been startled when the mirror image of her hand against the glass curled around her own, but she was. Then she curled her fingers into and around those that had reached for her.

"I can ask for no more then Milord. Two questions answered when one was promised."

Garl stood over the man as he wavered there in the garden. Garl frowned darkly as the man's knees rattled together loud enough to wake the bears from hibernation. Finally he found his voice and began his list of excuses for the excessive amount of time he owuld need. Garl kept his head right in front of Rab, reptilian eyes never blinking, never wavering from the man's features.

He cites the size of the trees, the toughness of the wood, and in the end, it came down to the slowness of men's work. Garl snorted.

Then the man began to question dragons and their abilities.... and Garl's temper was waning. "if?n yerself and yer ? friends are to be haulin the trees to the island, that?s. Well. Hmm. I dunno. Guess it?s bout how many friends yeh got and, er, how musclely yeh all are??

That was enough for Garl, to have anyone question the strength and power of the dragons was an affront that could not remain unaddressed. He narrowed his eyes at Rab. So you haven't seen the building yet? You think you might need more beams?"

The man collapsed into the tomatoes about then with a wimper, "yer killin' me."

Garl lifted his head to his full height above the man. "I have not yet begun to kill you, but if you desire to see the construction site, then let us be off." And with that, a taloned foot hovered above Rab, prepared to grab him up and fly away with him.

"Questioning a dragon's strength is not an auspicious start Carpenter. But I will show you what you need to see." A chill mist swirled around them.

The howling charge of screeching and yammering goblins met Garl?s ears, and he was leaped upon by the mass of yeowling vermin. Garl groaned. Why? Why did he come here for this??

The taloned limb curled around the carpenter as the chill mist swirled into icy fog and the garden patch vanished from view. Great wings spread above the carpenter and those goblins still clinging to the silver?s leg. The rhythmic beat of the wings had a distinct up-down cadence as the carpenter and goblins were flown into the icy fog.

Moments later, the fog cleared and they were out over a great body of water. The waves rippled off as far as could be seen in the night as moonlight and starlight were the only illumination that could be seen. Garl snarled at the goblins that were still yammering and biting at him. ?Keep it up and I?ll drop you into the sea!?

A dark shape began to loom in the night, waves could be seen breaking upon a black sandy shore as a series of islands began to resolve in the darkness. The big silver?s flight altered toward one of the larger islands rising from the white foam. It had the look of several volcanic peaks that formed a good sized land mass. In all, there are three large islands, and uncountable smaller ones.

Garl lands on a flattened plateau that overlooks the sea, and the largest of the islands. ?Welcome to Matlal Carpenter. This is your building site.? He deposited the man and his goblins near the large foundation stone that formed the power base for the Sorceress here in the islands.

Behind him rose a stone structure that rose into the night nearly 40 meters high in graceful arches and domes, with towers rising beside the main structure, but those were not yet complete.

The sky began to lighten to palest shades of grey in the pre-dawn.

The man looked a bit green around the gills as Garl dropped him onto the only green spot on the entire island. He laid there as though trying to get his stomach and or head to cease spinning.

The pesky goblins were flung about the grass and out of no where a young blue dragon came racing across the ground in hot pursuit of the small critters. They would make tasty snacks, and the blue immediately began chasing the one called Spoiler who had spit a disgusting sound from its mouth, but as Garl turned to give it a threatening look, the blue snagged it as it darted behind a stone.

The blue held up its prize with a triumphant roar, but was quickly deflated when Garl announced that the small crunchy morsel should be returned to Rab. Garl then gave the carpenter a stony look, ?keep your pets close here, I will not be responsible for their safety,?

Garl turned then and headed across the leveled plateau toward the construction site as the sun began its climb into the sky, revealing that the only patch of green visible in any direction was where Garl had landed with Rab and his companions. Everything else was laid waste, with nothing living in any direction other than the patch of green in front of the stone edifice. Most of that was simply grass and a few small shrubs, but the salmon foundation stone was different. Around it coiled a large night blooming jasmine vine that was just closing for the day. The fragrance of jasmine wafted in the morning breeze.

The big silver?s steps carried him quickly toward the structure, when Garl paused to look back for Rab. ?Where do you desire to begin Master Carpenter??

Garl paused at what could only be the main entry to the central hall. The salmon feldspar rose into the morning light and appeared to be kissed with an ethereal glow as the sun rose above the peaks. The arched entry was carved with beautiful artistry, as though vines and leaves had been abruptly turned to stone rather than stone turned to living plants. It was breath taking as the light hit it, and incongruous in light of the barren waste land all around it.

The blue dragon circled over head, and was soon joined by several other younger dragons, who seemed to be looking for a bit of sport. Goblins had not been part of the invading army, and they were small enough to be quick and elusive, but not overly dangerous. Every now and then, one of the young dragons swooped low, extending its taloned limbs as if to grab one of the wee critters.

Garl paused to let Rab and his entourage catch up. It was then that he noticed the trail of ratty green hair and the stark naked goblins hurrying along the path, tripping the man up more than being useful. He snorted at the sight. Goblins made much better snacks than pets, without a doubt.

As they arrived at the entry, Garl bade Rab enter the building. ?Mind you watch yourself. They will be lifting more of the tower stones today, so keep an eye on the sky where ever we go.? Then Garl glanced at the nervous goblins. ?You really plan to take them along with us as we climb up for a closer look?? He had visions of the little monsters knocking the carpenter off the stone work to his death, and then having to explain it to the Sorceress.

The inside of the structure was cool and dim in the early light, but bright enough for Rab to have a close look at the superstructure that would one day become the seat of a dragon government.

Garl watches the carpenter assess the stone structure, ignoring for the
moment the tempting morsels currently scampering around the site. The man
seems small and lost in the vastness of the growing great entry hall. He
studied the stone walls with an expression of dismay, and the big silver
smirked. "I see we have neglected to remember that you cannot fly up to
have a look at the wall notches." He waved then to another silver who went
in search of a ladder for the carpenter.

Then Garl spotted a stream of liquid running from the stone where one of
the little goblins was perched, and as Rab confirmed that it had just peed
on the stone, Garl glowered at the small creature before blasting the spot
with a stream of flames. Fried goblin would be a tasty snack, and remove
the vermin before he could pee anywhere else in the structure. He wasn't
out to kill it, but he gave a satisfied smile as there came an abrupt
squeak of surprise and pain, and no more liquid ran off the stone shelf
meant to hold one of the great beams.

Garl lifted a brow ridge at the pillars requirement. "You mean to say this
cannot be clear span?" He would need to speak to the Sorceress. This was
a new wrinkle that they had not planned for in the drawings. He watched
as the human marked off where he wanted the columns, then turned with an
expectant look at the big silver.

Garl lowered his head so he could be eye to eye with the carpenter, "Ten
foot in circumference, or ten foot in diameter? And just how close to the
beams do you want them? Snug-like and very precise, or close enough to
allow a bit of settling?" The big silver brought his face a bit closer to
Rab's then, "And just WHOM will be cleaining up the piss that thing left
upon the stone?"

One taloned foot tapped a slow pattern against the floor stones.

Garl continued to tap one of his claws against the stone floor, which had been laid down with runes in black tanzanite, like the one that had been inside the I' Taurn gate house, and others were in deep green serpentine, while others were in shimmering silver, that almost appeared to be liquid, yet did not track silver across the stone as the goblins trotted about the unfinished room.

The carpenter considered the clear span proposal, and seemed overwhelmed by the size of the timbers it would take to make the room clear span. "Ten foot clear and through for the pillars. Dunno how we'd do a clear span? A three-hundred foot beam?" He shook his head in wonderment.

"With large enough trees, this three hundred feet would not be a problem, would it master carpenter?" Garl lowered his head to peer intently at the man. But then one of the goblins trotted by with a faint trail of smoke and the carpenter admonished it as it sought another bit of mischief.

The opening above them darkened, and Garl looked up to see several curious dragons perched on the walls of stone, looking down into the building. There hadn't been any outsiders since the war, and no one was particularly trusting of them now. Izlandir lowered her head into the opening for a closer look as two snacks raced past the carpenter, and another laid on her back looking up at Izlandir.

Garl snarled slightly as the female dropped from the wall into the room, her wings slowing her descent as she landed behind the carpenter and facing Garl. "How long will our guests be staying? Is there anything I can get them... " her gaze slid toward the goblins with a wishful expression.

"They are leaving after Master Carpenter has his measurements, and I very much doubt you can get them anything." Garl gave Rab a meaningful look before asking if there was anything he wanted before they returned to RhyDin. The others were growing too curious if they were willing to enter the building without being invited. The lure and temptation of the goblins and the man were proving too much for the moment.

Then things went from bad to worse as another large silver trod into the room through the great hall's still open doorway. At least this one was part of Garl's team, and had enough composure and reserve to keep his voice low as he approached, speaking in dragon tongue.

Garl lifted his head and his eyes slitted, "so, the elder deigns to return?"

He turned and studied Rab a moment. "It is time for you to return to the safety of RhyDin. Matlal will not be safe." Then his gaze rose above the Carpenter's head and locked on the form dissociating itself from the north wall shadows.

DRAGONS PON DRAGONS

I?m scratchin me noggin, confoundounded by the ideer of a three hundred foot tall, fifteen foot thick mahogany tree, when there?s a great BOOM behind me. The floor shakes and knocks me to me knees, with a push of air and dragon-stink. Mug and Weedy jest about have a fit tryin to climb into me shirt. Flowerhead gets rolled over and a faceful of dirt, like a bug in a windstorm. Gartleth is lookin behind me too, and raspy-rumbles somethin, first to the dragon that I can see now ? great, silvery thing it is ? and then to me. Course, then a THIRD one comes trottin in through the doorway and I think me heart took a breather there for a minute. The goblins have all crammed themselves onto me back and shoulders, Spoiler dropped from Cory-knows-where. They?re all sweatin and jabberin and the stenchy is makin me eyes a bit foggy to see from.

?Er, yeh. I?m good to go.? Can?t stop me head from bobbing. Ayep. Ayep. Ayep. Let?s go go go. Oh, me parcel for a bit of dragonlessness. Gatrherl?s plenty for me to figure out without these new ones, all hungry lookin and ? well, jest as pants-wettinly enormous as the other dragons I keep seein. Egad.

And THEN, with a clink clink clink there?s a grand-robe-wearin man, nearly me own size. Appears jest like that. I jest can?t keep me jaw shut cause there?s new folk poppin up like them wee green lepercolons. This bloke is more alarmin than the dragons, though, as I can see scads of ?dinna-touch? lines in his face, eyes. Ol? Scratch, like. Me and me poor goblins are right-tight surrounded, and I?m no man to run (slowlike, not bravelike).

I turn this and then that, tryin to keep eyeballs on the lot. The goblins hang tight, wishin I had head-hairs, methinks, and as they slip a bit they stick to each other instead, so?s the whole pile of em?s flyin out one side like a shipsail. Takes me off balance, and takes me a few steps thataway. Then a few steps thisaway. There?s wee natty fingers in me nostrils, eyes pulled shut, lips pried open and me cheeks and ears are handles. All the time, shriek squeal yammerin. Now I see nothin, and me boots meet each other. The goblin hat slides down o?er me eyes and WHOMP I?m laid out on the ground.

I dinna want to open me eyes. Nohow.

Garl and Khirsah's eyes locked at both man and dragon held their ground. Garl was barely aware of Rab's efforts to find a way out without opening his eyes as Khirsah remained where he was.

Garl would have liked to have run the Elder off Matlal, but the Carpenter needed protection from the one who had left them alone to fight the invaders. He simply did not trust Khirsah one bit, and decided it was time to get Rab and his rabble back to RhyDin.

Khirsah glanced at Rab as Garl stood above him, "Take care that you do not squash the poor fellow."

Garl gave the Elder a soft snarl as he curled a taloned foot around Rab and took to the air, lifting through the open ceiling above them. The Elder had no reason to follow them, and a glance back confirmed that the Elder had not followed.

The chattering and screeching from the entourage of goblins subsided into airsick moans, and he wasn't sure if it was just the goblins who were having trouble with flying.

The water sped beneath them until he flew into the fog once more, and moments later touched down in RhyDin, just outside Rab's little home on the edge of RhyDin. The garden spot was fairly well trampled, but there really wasn't anywhere else for Garl to land given his wing span.

He set Rab down and took a couple of steps back before lowering his head to eye level with the carpenter. "You are back, now your work begins. If you need help with anything, leave word at the Lady's house, known as I' Taurn.

The sun glinted off the big silver's scales as he lifted into the sky and vanished into the bright spot of the sun.

RELEASED
There?s something flickering, bounding through the trees. Flashes of fluttering blue. Pumping green limbs. It skitters past the edges of properties, setting dogs to sniffing the air and growling. It stays along treelines, crossing the roads only in sudden rushes that take it to the cover of undergrowth on the far side.

A plowman spots it and squints. Two merchants blink as it goes by and start an argument about what they?d seen that lasts until they reach RhyDin marketplace. Children somehow see it coming, try to trap it with hurried webs of clothesline. They try to chase it. It just mutters and squeaks and scrambles over around under and through them, leaving them with only foul-smelling green hairs stuck to their hands. For reasons the children can?t comprehend, their mums smack them for having nasty hairs stuck to themselves and send them to slop the pigs.

The Rhydin gate poses a problem, as the something?s approach is marked by shrieking, roaring, hollaring men and women, bleating sheep, kicking cows, startled goats, and snorting horses as all tromp up the gatehouse road. Guards scowl and draw blades, close one gatedoor and look for trouble. It is not looking for them, though. The green smear passes them after bouncing off the closed door with a THUNK and an EEP. It leaves a sweaty, foul odor and some clumps of hair. A guard inside is taken by surprise when the green careens off his shield, knocks him back through the gatehouse door and wobbles a bit before disappearing into the street of Dragon?s Gate.

MESSENGER

The green streak wobbles and weaves through the streets, bumping carts, tugging at skirts. Street noise and chaos mask its passage, but more than one nose wrinkles in disgust in its wake. Shops and houses are a long barrel, and the green scrambles back and forth past the green-stone gate of Alais?s residence a half-dozen times before coming to a halt.

It is a small, raggedly green-haired creature, with what appears to be a torn bedsheet tied around its neck and a short plank of wood clasped in its sweaty hands. A hazy smell of wet-hair and boiled-eggs smell surrounds it. Big eyes dart at the passing people and animals. Its mouth is half-open, panting and gasping foul breath.

After a pause, it bangs the plank on the gatehouse door and turns around so that the flap of bedsheet faces the window-slot. A crude mallet is drawn on the back with charcoal.

PLANNIN AND DAMMIN

Soon?s Mug took off for Ryhdin, I set meself down longside Toggins?s creek. To build a mill for three-hunnerd foot trees, fifteen foot through. That?d take a waterfall of power, and some saws sharp as dragonteeth. Shake me head. Course, if the waterwheel angled like this? and the downstroke of the saw caught like this for the upstroke?

First thing?d be to damn up Toggins?s creek. Then I can raise a wee mill to test. ?Where are yeh, bleeders?? I look round for the goblins, finally find them harassin a cow onto the parcel, drivin it with long whippy-weeds and rude noises. They stare at me as I stomp over and do the bit of yellin. Of course it?s Widow Juno?s heifer and she?s told me in startlin? clear words that if?n the critters frustrate her cow?s grazin one more time, she?ll hex me up down and sideways til I won?t sleep for all the boils on me body.

So I?m all and good at keepin way from that sort of situational.

I tell the green beasties to go and build a wall cross Sean Toggins?s creek, then hurry the cow back to the Widow?s before she misses some udders and comes lookin to put some on me. When I get to the pasture, the gates wide open so I have to rassle up all the wanderin cows, pigs, and goats that have set to adventurin. Dunno how many she had to start with, and one of the goats strikes me as lookin a bit Toggins-like, but I?ll let the two of them work it out themselves.

By the time I get back to the parcel, I?ve figured what planks I need, and how I can use one of the empty barrels for a waterwheel and all. Somethin seems off, somehow, bout the parcel, but its not til I?ve carried me tools and lumber to the edge of the creek that I figure out that me feet are wet.

There?s not jest rocks and dirt packed into the creek, as I?d expected of the greenies. They?ve got a good bit of Toggins?s stacked-stone fence, most of his fallin-down barn, and his feed trough.

Made a brilliant dam, though. Water?s backed up ? well ? clear all over everywhere. Three of Toggins?s cows?re watchin me, water up to their knees. Spoiler?s scoopin floatin cow dung outta the water and flingin it at Mug, who keeps kickin Flowerhead back into the dam water. Same old thing.

I knock a bit of spillway into the dam and start poundin in posts and planks. Wonder if?n Alais?ll get me message before week?s end, or if I should send another note in, jest to be sure?

SMALL SAW

So?s to keep me delicate pate-skin outta the sun, getting so hot now, I rig a bit of tarpaulin over the deckin. The deckin holds the axle, which holds the waterwheel which drives the great round not-blade. Course it?s all not the size it?s sposed to be ? forty-foot around round-blade?s not to be found easy-like.

And the waterwheel?s twice that in order to drive the whole thing. So a ten foot waterwheel and a five foot wheel blade made of wood should show it well to Alais. Guess I?ll stomp on over there and knock on her great green gates. She never did nought bout me note that Weedy took in, so guess it was spelled wrong or somewhatnotwith.

Swing the mallet up and nod to the goblins, snorin stupidly in the sun, and off to town.