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Wow - ok, sorry to all those who were worried and emailed me. Here it is! not quite 6k words as I'm flying out to Switzerland tomorrow and hopefully trying out a for a dolphin job there. I don't know how much time ill have to write chapter 42 but as its a major turning point for at least two of my characters it should be a good read! I've put a lot of thought into it and as such I'll try and do the best I can. This chapter is organizing people and critters into their proper places with a few hints as to what is coming in the next char - some of you have already guessed. but no one has got it all correct so there may be a few surprises in store. Once again thanks to those who have donated and I know there are several people out there who are doing fan art as well and I look forward to seeing it!

Another interesting development- a couple of weeks ago I had two animators from a company here in Auckland show up - seems my director friend put them onto me and they love the story. they are going to try and assemble a team to see if this is possible. strange how things happen.. anyway. enjoy the story the archive has also been updated...another reason I'm late (cough) though I'm told its bad practice to go back while writing and adjust, all that should be done at the end so this might be the last archive update with modifications instead of just having the chapter added on. I've also dropped the roman numerals as they were becoming a royal pain 8)

Chapter 41

Finding Cill's old lair was easy given the instructions, and soon the pair of nervous young dragons sat outside the open door of the cave murmuring to one another.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Shalla huffed; despite the urgency in their leaving, she still felt the abrupt loss of control over her life keenly.

Nodding emphatically, Tomako ushered her into the quiet lair "It is. The clanmaster himself said there was something more going on" He skirted carefully around the subject, aware of his oath.

Shalla looked around the lair with interest, other than a few sticks of broken furniture and the bedding shoved in a corner it was quite bare, and she suddenly felt an urge to do something about it. It was just large enough for the pair of them but she knew that Tomako would want his own lair soon so she could be here for some time.

The idea both appalled and fascinated her. But if Cill could do it - so could she. Sniffing round the corners of the lair, she could pick up the faint remaining hints of both Cill and James and as she got closer to the bed they became strong enough to make her ruffs flush with embarrassment and yet fill her with an odd yearning.

While Shalla was busily staking her claim, Tomako was in quiet contact with Nokala. The older dragon listened carefully to the excited adolescent and nodded his head slowly in agreement at their actions.

"You say your mother was already aware of your decision?" He asked quietly, scratching his chin idly "But she did not know your destination?"

Seating himself near the door of the lair Tomako confirmed his suspicions "She knew we were leaving - but she does not know the location of the keep. She does know that we are with humans however"

Nokala gave a brief grunt of displeasure as he contemplated the possible ramifications "Divitchka will alert the council to this. He will have lost face and honor but unless he can find you there is nothing he can do other than splutter and threaten"

He reached down to stroke the still-slumbering Carlina beside him, smiling as he rubbed her belly "Are you going to be alright there for the time being?" he phrased it carefully, not wanting to offend the young dragon.

Tomako smiled as he watched Shalla shovel old bedding out of the doorway with her tail "I think we shall be alright once I get better at hunting. But I am still very angry with my parents. The clanmaster suggested there was something deeper going on and my sister was just a pawn in that plan"

Nokala could feel the anger roiling just beneath Tomako's thoughts and sighed inwardly. There was nothing he could do about it and Tomako would have to come to terms with it in his own way. He hoped it would not harden the young dragon's heart though. Unresolved anger was not good for one's health. He recalled the fights that he had with his father and how he had felt after receiving a sound thrashing.

There were likely still trees out in the forest with the deep gouges he had raked down them in frustrated anger. The satisfaction he had felt at finally beating the canny old wyrm had put him on top of the world though and led to subsequent thrashings at the paws of other adolescents until he had learnt not only how to control his tongue but how to choose his fights.

"Did you see how the meeting with the fairy king went?" He asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"No, I did not wish to intrude overlong," replied Tomako "But it looked as if they had an interesting meeting."

Nokala gave a satisfied grunt, his daughter could look after herself and he felt sure the faer would not harm her, especially if they followed the old ways.

"Well that is good to hear. I shall return soon to continue your training and discuss how we are going to manage your hunting - if you need to hunt with all those humans to provide for you" there was a wry humor behind Nokala's tones.

Tomako gave a huffy reply at the suggestion "I didn't ask them to" He looked round at his sister who was gazing speculatively at the empty pantry.

Nokala chuckled at the acerbic response "I think Cill enjoys being in a place of plentiful food, she was always attached to her stomach. It will do her good to be pampered for a while"

Tomako nodded "She seems to have settled in well, James was looking a little surprised at something though"

"I think it was a bit of a shock to him to realize there were fairies close to the keep. Not to mention the gryphons. We shall have to see how this all works out in the future though"

Tomako agreed and shut off the communication before turning back to his sister "I'm just going out to try some hunting - we need something in the pantry if we are going to be living here."

Shalla nodded and shoveled a large pile of new bedding into place as the young male slithered out of the lair entrance.

King Dougal was in high spirits as he took his throne back within the old oak tree housing the assorted shee. He placed his scepter back upon its cushion and leaned back. Overall, it had gone well, the humans were respectful and polite. The dragoness was powerful and yet pleasantly naïve, which would make getting to know her a lot easier than an older crotchety male.

He beckoned his two new heralds closer, the pair of fairies looking proud in their new uniforms, each now wearing the royal purple tunics with red-striped pantaloons. He could not help feeling that Lord Pepper was less than impressed with his new role. The elderly fairy had staggered off to his chambers with an acorn-full of honey- ale once he had returned, but Dougal felt sure that he would soon relax and settle into the ambassadorial routine he planned.

"Well now," he said grandly to Ploom and Jasmina "I see you have accepted your positions with eagerness and enthusiasm" He looked them over slowly. While Ploom was passable due to his nut-brown skin, Jasmina unfortunately resembled a caterpillar that had been stepped on heavily - thanks to her greenish hair and skin contrasting violently with the purple tunic and scarlet leggings.

He did not bring this up however as she was obviously very proud of achieving the post of herald and he did not want to upset her.

"Now then, as heralds you shall be responsible for carrying messages between our new protector and those of the court." He said grandly.

Both fairies nodded eagerly at this, not saying anything as they waited for him to continue.

"In addition to these duties, you may be asked to perform certain other services for lady Cill and I would like you also to obey her mate...unnatural though it is and against all expectations, he seems to be an honest human."

Jasmine and Ploom exchanged surprised glances - obey the commands of the human as well?

"I know this may be difficult, but you are to be polite and respectful of him and the human lord of the keep. " He paused and scratched his chin slowly, "I also detected an odd aura surrounding Lady Katreen, however as I know she has not encountered humans before, it remains a puzzle as to where she obtained it. Did she do anything unusual before arriving at the keep?"

Jasmina shook her head "No your majesty, She went for a swim in the lake and we spoke about the human lord - and how they were ...different" She flushed a little at the memory of the conversation.

Dougal tugged speculatively on his mustache "swimming in the lake hmmm. I think I should like a look at this lake sometime," he murmured quietly.

"It is close by the keep and I know the human and dragoness have used it in the past," Ploom piped up, eager to contribute.

Dougal's eyes widened slowly "did they now..."

Nakkour shifted nervously on her lounger, she had managed to deter Lagaligo from remaining any longer by hinting that her mate would be returning soon and that he would wish to discuss the terms of the agreement with her before confirming them and arranging a date for the ceremony.

Now she had to prevent Divitchka from finding out that their hatchlings were gone - and for good. She gave an anticipatory shiver as she imagined his reaction once he realized they had abandoned the lair. She would not be able to prevent him from seeing the fact but she hoped he would be so angry that he would not think to probe deeper into the odd disappearance and put it down to his headstrong daughter and her brother.

She looked around at the quiet lair, feeling a wave of emotion sweep over her as she thought of her young ones out in the world - and with only humans and other outcasts as their friends. She could contact them if they were willing but she realized that they would likely not be accepting any contacts for some time.

Feeling the tremor though the lair that signaled the activation of the travel portal she squirmed uneasily upon her lounger and awaited the arrival of her unpredictable mate.

Caroline looked at the entrance to the forest with a jaundiced eye. She had left the last small hamlet behind her and realized the next two nights would be rather uncomfortable; she would be sleeping in the wagon whilst her bodyguards used the pavilion outside. At least it was not too cold now but she felt more vulnerable and unprotected, despite the six husky guards set around her. All handpicked from her fathers house platoon. They had been surprisingly well mannered too but she had made sure to plug up the various small holes around the wagon to prevent any wandering eyes.

The guards were in two minds about the whole thing, while it meant they had an easy ride and got out of the castle for a bit; pandering to the whims of the young woman riding in the wagon was getting somewhat tedious. Added to that, at various times during the journey they had caught the sight of her in somewhat more relaxed dress and this had warmed their nights with quietly shared comparisons about her attributes.

No guard was brave enough to consider seducing her however. Lord Hampton had made it quite clear what would happen to anyone laying a finger upon her and he was known to be inventive in his punishments. Any of the other guards would be quick to prevent one of their own from stepping beyond the bounds of proper behavior and administer preventative measures involving ropes and trusses to emphasize this, with the final disposition left up to his lordship.

Caroline hummed as she brushed her long blonde hair in the mirror, the sudden dimming of the light indicating they had entered the forest proper and she could not help feeling a little shiver of anticipation as to her reception at the keep.

Zelafin tapped one of her talons nervously against a fang. Where was her mate disappearing off to so often these days? The council was not in session yet he was sloping off to see friends - at least that was what he said he was doing. She felt a deep suspicion, as she knew his friends would be the last dragons he would be seeing as they all met at the council.

Had he found a younger dragoness? Tempted by his position of power and willing to lift her tail for favors in the future? Perhaps his newly aroused interest in sex - she said a private thank-you to the latest additions to the clan for this - had led him astray. She was too old to lay anymore, so perhaps he had turned his efforts towards other younger, fertile females.

She gave a snort of derision at the foolishness of males and determined to find out what was really going on. She knew that she would be able to probe him successfully and find out if she tried hard enough.

Duncan was acutely aware of the astonished stares of the merchants as he led the curious young gryphoness round the keep's markets and to his surprise felt his spirits surge. Katreen's wings kept bumping against him as they walked arm in arm and this mingled with the sensation of awe he felt from the merchants until he felt quite giddy from it.

For her part Katreen was wide-eyed and excited, here was a world she had never suspected. She had always enjoyed hunting and yet here was a completely new world of weapons and ways to hunt.

They paused by Mastersmith Desmond's armory and she reverently admired the array of spears and knives available while Duncan conversed with Desmond.

"Have you seen Tomako this morning?" Desmond asked quietly "He has not been in yet"

Nodding, Duncan leaned closer and murmured, "I think he and his sister are in trouble, they are going to move into Cill's old lair so he may not be in until later today or tomorrow"

Desmond rubbed his chin and nodded "I hope it's nothing serious...He needs his wits about him to work steel. You end up with flat thumbs if you get too distracted"

Duncan watched as Katreen carefully tugged a spear from the rack and spun it slowly in her hands. Desmond leaned a little closer and whispered hoarsely "Should I give it to him? He seems to like it"

Duncan coughed a bit at that and whispered back, "Er...I think SHE would like it as a gift. She is the ambassador for the gryphon's and we should make a good impression upon them"

He walked over to where Katreen was testing the weight of the spear then making short stabbing motions towards the wall.

"Do you enjoy hunting Lady Katreen?" he asked quietly, admiring the way she handled the weapon.

"Oh yes, we do not have many weapons though as we tend to use our talons" she held up a forepaw, the sharp claws obvious "Our spears are only made of wood" He could clearly see the desire in her eyes as she hefted the spear easily.

Duncan grinned and took the spear from her, twirling it himself and gauging its balance "then please accept this with my compliments", he murmured, handing it back to her. She looked at him and the corners of her beak turned up in an odd smile "Thank you Lord Duncan" she said, her eyes bright, as she looked him over carefully. "I shall accept gladly and show it to the rest of the pack"

Flush with pleasure and eager to continue the tour he offered her his arm once more "Shall we take some refreshment and continue our discussion?"

Katreen felt no hesitation as she accepted his arm again.

"That sounds like a good idea," She murmured, stepping lightly beside him as they set off for the tower.

Desmond wiped his damp brow with the back of his hand, he was used to heat but he wasn't sure that he could deal with too many more surprises. He also made a note to add the spear to the keeps tab. No sense in wasting an opportunity to profit after all.

Katreen followed Duncan up the many stairs of the tower a little awkwardly, her legs not well designed for such ascents. She would sooner have flown up but she did not want to offend her host so soon after accepting his gift. They eventually entered the solar at the top of the tower and she looked around at the room as he hurriedly tidied up and made a place for her on a nearby couch before taking his own seat.

He was equally fascinated and curious as he looked at her more closely; she had a birdlike quickness and the grace of the large cat that was her lower half. He felt somewhat guilty for staring as she cocked her head curiously at him.

"Forgive me Lady Katreen," he murmured, "I have only just begun to get used to dragons and I am both bewildered and impressed by your appearance and I hope you forgive my curiosity"

. Katreen nodded understandingly "It is understandable. We tend to avoid humans for most of the time and usually encounters result in violence as your kind tends to look upon us as dangerous predators while we look upon you in much the same way."

Duncan nodded and poured out goblets of wine, hoping his strange guest would be able to consume it without being poisoned.

"You are obviously excellent hunters and take great pains to remain hidden" he murmured, offering her a goblet "please- I do not know if you enjoy wine so if you would prefer something else... "He trailed off as she cupped the goblet with her paws, the concealed talons making a slight clinking noise against the sides of the metal cup.

"I shall certainly try it" she responded archly, watching as he sank back into his seat and took his own goblet, she took a sniff and could only really smell fruit juice and a hint of oak.

Duncan raised his goblet to her "A thanks to our friends who brought us together and I hope a good relationship with you and your pack," he said solemnly before taking a sip of the wine.

Katreen felt a little out of her depth but she recognized a ceremony when she saw it and responded in kind.

"I thank you and the noble one for inviting us here and I hope also this brings us closer together" she felt her nares flush at this last phrase and couldn't help letting her eyes roam over the human once more before dipping her bird-like tongue into the goblet to taste the wine.

Her eyes widened in surprise, this was some tasty fruit juice! She tried a little more and felt it tingle on her tongue before slipping down her gullet where she savored it a little more in her crop. She would have to get some of this for the others to taste!

Duncan relaxed a little as he saw she was obviously enjoying the wine. He leant back in his chair and sipped a little more himself whilst trying to think of things to make small talk about.

"So what animals do you hunt in the forest?" he asked, more to start the ball rolling than out of real curiosity.

Katreen deftly licked her beak clean before replying "Oh Sheep, Deer and pigs. Though pigs are harder to kill without a spear"

Duncan nodded "Oh yes I have been boar-hunting and it always amazes me how far along the spear they can shove themselves"

Katreen looked up at him with renewed interest "you hunt also? I thought humans raised their own sources of food?"

Duncan gave a shrug "I happen to enjoy tracking my prey down and using my own skills to claim it." He pointed to the wall where several sets of antlers hung "I do share the meat with the keep. We usually hunt for special occasions or when venison and pork are in short supply"

He was rapidly beginning to realize that hunting was very important to the gryphon's - perhaps too much so as there seemed to be little else to discuss.

Katreen cocked her head to one side and surreptitiously licked the last dregs of wine from the goblet "perhaps you would like to hunt with me one day" she offered, feeling bolder than usual for some reason. "I would like to try this new spear"

Duncan placed his empty goblet upon the table with a soft thump "That would be most enjoyable," he murmured, "I believe we would be a good team, though I cannot fly" he shrugged his shoulders ruefully.

Katreen's beak quirked in her odd version of a grin once more. "I shall return and inform the pack of the meeting and our odd alliance, there will be some who will not believe it or trust you at first however" she gave a downcast glance at this statement.

Duncan nodded "I shall spread the word that if seen, gryphon's are not to be hunted or treated as enemies. It will take some time for this to penetrate beyond the forest however but it will help"

Katreen nodded slowly, casting her gaze around the room "That will be good news to our pack, we dislike having to hide or leave a kill because of humans"

She got to her feet and wandered over towards the wall where a tapestry hung beneath the antlers; pressing her palm curiously against it, she cocked her head and peered at the small characters and buildings woven upon the cloth.

"What is this?" she asked, stroking the pattern carefully, bright eyes blinking slowly as she leaned towards it or a closer inspection.

"That's called a tapestry," explained Duncan "It is a picture made from fabric that shows this keep as it was some one hundred summers ago. It was a lot busier then, one of our rulers kept it as a home in the winter but after he died his son decided to stay in London all year round"

Katreen's talon traced the fabric, as she looked it up and down, clucking softly when she realized that she could see the room that she was in upon the cloth. The conceptual jump quite significant for her." I could fly in here next time," she murmured, "If that were allowed of course?" her voice rose at the implied question.

"Please feel free to visit me anytime "Duncan replied, "It gets lonely up here sometimes and I often get ambushed by the responsibilities of running of the keep. An occasional visit from a lovely gryphoness would be most welcome" He flushed as he realized what he had said, yet Katreen seemed not to have noticed, at least not outwardly. However, he could not help feeling somewhat bewildered. Why should he feel such an attraction to her?

James and Cill cuddled together in their bed as they relaxed, they still had some time before returning to Marre's workshop to continue their lessons so Cill had one wing outstretched as James ran his hands down along it carefully massaging the muscles and pinions. He could not help a chuckle as a picture of Duncan and Katreen walking arm-in- arm wandered unbidden across his mind.

"You really think so?" he asked his mate as she also gave a rumble of amusement at the image.

"You saw the way he looked at her. I didn't know a human's mouth could open so wide," Cill murmured quietly to him as she stretched luxuriously "he was practically drooling"

James grinned as he worked his way further down "I don't think he has a partner or mate" he replied, running his fingertips along her membranous wings. "He might be feeling a little like I did. I do think I did well though"

Cill turned and gave him a fond lick along his neck "Mmm -We shall have to tell Tomako and Shalla to be careful when your friend is here. I don't know what happened but Tomako looked a little distressed when he arrived"

James nodded slowly and realized he had not considered the effect two dragons wandering around freely would have on Caroline - now that Cill's disguise would pass muster, at least from a distance - they would have to ensure that the pair steered clear of the keep until she had gone. He hoped that they had covered the immediate problems and Caroline would not have any suspicions once she arrived and that she would be tolerant of seeing his ring on Cill's pretty finger.

"Do you think we should go down and see them?" he asked, digging his fingers into her tense back muscles, working them loose with practiced movements.

"I think it would be a good idea. They do not know much of the area so might be feeling a little lost." Cill purred at him "but - it can wait until you reach my tail"

Tomako growled in frustration and painfully removed himself from the thorny grip of the gorse bush he had flown into unwittingly. Who would have thought sheep would be so nimble? He looked at the small tears in his belly hide and grumbled - It would have been good if he had inherited some form of healing power from his sire instead of a good sense of rhythm and muscles.

He had seen how James had healed Cill at the mating ceremony and he found himself wondering how that had happened. Was Cill a healer too? He stretched out his wings and sighed gustily, scenting panicked sheep on the wind. He carefully cast his invisibility spell and flapped up into the air once more.

Deeper in the forest, there was a gathering of a more somber kind; eight ruffians gathered about a small campfire, roasting a sheep of their own as they contemplated the day to follow. The news of a traveling noblewoman and more importantly - of her intended route - had been a powerful inducement to spend the night here. They had already taken the measure of her protectors and considered themselves more than ready to overcome any resistance.

No wine or ale were being supped - being professionals; they knew that they needed all their wits about them for the coming ambush. Knives sharpened and held over smoking oil to cover them in darkness and avoid telltale nightshine. Arrows fletched and checked quietly; swords were ground slowly with oilstones to remove nicks. There was a quiet murmur of conversation that reflected the quality of the men, slow and cautious with an strong undertone of menace.

Shalla had finished with the bed and was contemplating her next move when distracted by a concerned thought. It was not coming from another dragon though she recognized it immediately. Probing a little harder she felt uncertainty, concern and fondness as well as a myriad of other fleeting emotions.

She sat down and considered her response, now she was effectively an outcast from her family and possibly her clan, she did not have to worry about being found out nor having her parents upset at her. This revelation came as something of a shock and she found herself feeling unusually cheerful as she realized the implications of their hasty decision to leave the lair.

Though she definitely wanted to go and see the source of these thoughts she held back, partly from her own uncertainty at her current position but more from her realization that things could now move ahead with little or no hindrance and she was not sure she was ready for that yet.

She grinned to herself, Tommy would certainly be closer now and there would be no need for sneaking out to be in his company. She could wait until tomorrow then surprise him, perhaps invite him out with some of that oil Cill had mentioned, her long tongue licking at her muzzle in anticipation.