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Wind and waves. The battering of the salty water was something that Alaine had become comfortable with in his travels, and something that he found almost comforting as he hunkered his shoulders down and rested his head on his forepaws. The otter-kin clambered over the rigging with a grace that only their kind seemed to possess. He often wondered if they had any bones at all given the way that they moved through narrow holes in the nets, diving and dropping, spinning and leaping. The boat was moving against the waves, the channel and water so swift that a single misstep might sweep them away forever, but they had absolute faith that the boat would be there beneath their paws when they dropped down. A faith that was rewarded many times over as several of them dropped and thudded against the deck with muffled sounds, barely stopping as they moved. He marveled at them their grace, dragons didn't move that way.

With a groan, the crimson dragon shifted, his legs stretching out before him in an attempt to uncramp his shoulders. Even if he had been able to fly he wouldn't have really been graceful, he would have been powerful and inspiring, awesome with the beat of his wings and the speed of his dive, but there was little fluid grace in the way a dragon moved. It was at least something of a comfort as he tried not to knock the boat--ship, as he had been corrected--about with his movements. He weighed too much to really do more than small stretches at a time, if he actually stood up, his attempt to balance would likely upset the boat to the point of damaging it. At least, that's what he had been lectured on when it been finally set into the water, but it was easier than swimming and he didn't have to plot a course based on where he could crawl out of the water for brief spurts.

"H'Are we almost there?" Oake spoke up from beside him, the satyr perched on a rolled barrel with a pile of rope at his hooves. "H'It's been days."

"Very nearly, we can no longer see our home, and I've been told that soon the waters will start to grow colder as we pass through the channels that will bring is to Santoran Harbor." Alaine answered and sniffed the air again. "It's already colder than we are used too."

"H'It would be h'easier h'if we flew." The young buck muttered, pulling the ropes up higher in his lap to try and coil them.

Age had brought about a new side to his little fawn. When Oake had been small and childish, he had been a happy youngster, easy to love and be loved by, eager to please and be happy, but as he grew older his temperament became sharper. Rowan had told him that it was largely due to his age, he was starting to grow old enough that it was hard for him to be confined to places that were small on territory and filled with unavailable females. Satyr males roamed, that's what they did, they were always moving their territory and claiming females of their own, they needed great swathes of it in order to have many offspring and it was being denied the youngster. He was temperamental, angry and frustrated, all of which Alaine could understand and sympathize with, but it still chafed him to have the little creature behave to contrary to his former nature.

"There will be more to do when we arrive than you can imagine, Oake." Alaine yawned, gaping his jaws open wide and then shook himself as much as he dared. "And having you on dragon-back would only mean that you would arrive last of all, and then you would bemoan that you had been left behind."

"H'I don't think h'it would be that far behind." Oake settled the rope beside him and stood up, balancing on his hooves naturally as he flicked his large ears up on either side of his head. "Will there be h'other satyrs at Santoran Harbor?"

"Unlikely, but not impossible." Alaine answered, his eyes shifting towards the bow of the ship. "It's an inhospitable harbor that is largely there to allow the dwarves to trade in our southern waters, they are the ones that rule there. Otter-kin will be there, perhaps a few of the cold weather species', I have heard that there are even ice-drakes found in the mountains...."

Alaine trailed off as he stared at the roiling blue seas. He had grilled the otter-kin that had traded that far south, the dwarves were a race that preferred to be left alone. They spent their lives in small villages based around mines. They didn't care for jewels as the elves did, though they did trade with the elves often enough, they were enamored with rare metals. They lived with humans, who populated nearly ever land Alaine had heard of, and controlled most of the southern continent. His people had gone here, the mountains were home to ice-drakes, not true dragons, but near enough that they had supposedly been welcomed and allowed to stake out territories where they could live in peace following the slaughter. One of the otter-kin, a likely young captain by the name of Brookes, had quite happily told him about the dragons. It was limited knowledge, his kind refused to leave the mountains, they refused to deal with other races, refused to even fly over the cities.

"But there could be." Oake persisted, his ears held up high and hopeful, breaking through Alaine's thoughts so the drake gave his head a slight nod.

"Possibly, there will be land enough to keep away from them if you wish though." He sighed and stretched out, feeling the rolling of the deck beneath him. "Come, I think I am shedding, I would be glad for your agile fingers with my scales."

Anything to keep the young buck busy and out of trouble, as of late, Oake had shown a disturbing trend towards starting fights with other young males. It was enough to make the drake want to pin the satyr under a forepaw and keep him there, and enough to make him grateful that his offspring were young enough to be untouched by such hormones.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Oake greedily looked over the bow of the Chasson, his hands clinging to it as his hooves perched right at the edge of the wood as the ship was unloaded. Otterkin were moving down the gangplank easily, most of them with sacks slung over their shoulders and laughing to one another good naturedly as they called out to the humans and strange barrel chested creatures that were moving through the streets. Dwarves, that's what Alaine had called them, but they were certainly more human like than he had expected. He perched himself as best he could, doing his best not to give into the urge to bolt down the gang plank as the otter kin tied off the ship. The dwarves, and even most of the humans, seemed content to give them a few looks, others were talking cautiously, but there was no great amount of fuss for their massive ship sliding into port. One would assume their arrival would herald something of a royal greeting, or at least a City Council to acknowledge that they had come from another land.

The Chasson was bobbing further out where the deep hull wouldn't run around, as well as hiding the fact that Alaine was present. He had come onto the secondary ship, Torane, along with Ruoro, Yi'Sayith, a youngish elf, and an older human named Balio as part of the main party. It was hard not to want to bounce off the ship, but the other three looked quite contained as they stood at the head of the ship and watched. The elf was covered in thick white furs, her ears tucked into a hat so that they were hidden from the biting chill in the air, the human had his own heavy clothes, only Ruoro and Oake were left in their own fur. It was bitterly cold, the parts that had only thinned down fur were feeling it, but the excitement helped keep him in check as he hopped off the bow and moved towards the other representatives. Balio and Ruoro were both far beyond his years, but Yi'Sayith was close enough and friendly enough that he ended up settling down beside her.

He didn't know her well, only that she was one of the few elves that had remained without a dragon beside her or a husband. Alaine's distrust of elves was always on the surface, but he had done his best to teach the satyr the treat them equally. He understood that distrust, he had grown up on the stories of what had happened to his home, but Yisa was easy to get along with. She had no animosity towards anyone and generally seemed to prefer a peaceful existence with her magic being used to shape their homes and make their lives easier. Even Alaine seemed to regard her with a certain amount of benevolence, which was saying quite a lot given the fact that Rowan and Amber both had to keep a handle on him when the elves needed something addressed.

"I wish we could leave the ship." Yisa murmured as he came beside her, her shoulders huddled up into the fur to try and keep them warm. "If I could move I would not be miserable."

"H'I know, but h'Alaine will be h'over soon." He glanced back towards the Chasson, which was rocking slightly as the otter kin worked to latch down the series of anchors along one side that would allow for the dragons bulk to slip over the opposite side without disaster.

"You need to work harder on saying your vowels." Yisa glanced at him with a slight frown forming right at the apex of her brow.

"H'I try, my mouth h'isn't like yours." He pointed out, twitching his soft velvety lips.

"It takes very little to carefully pronounce, though. You would be taken more seriously." The elf shifted her eyes towards the port and grimaced. "I think the main town is up further near the mountain valleys, not down here."

Oake stopped arguing and glanced towards the snowy white mountains. There was snow everywhere, and not simply a small dusting that he was used to from growing up, the snow covered everything to the point that he was nearly positive that he would almost be hip deep if he moved away from the cleared roads. The dwarves drove huge deer along the road ways, hooked up to sleds, to pull easily through the mess. The deer were nothing like the ones they saw on the islands, these creatures were at least eight feet tall at the head, and that didn't even count the wide spread antlers. They were muscular and came in every color from grey and white to dark sable with lighter points. He hadn't expected there to be so much movement here, nor so many buildings. Talk of this continent had made him think of it as a rough wilderness. His nostrils flared, drawing in a steadying breath before doing his best to keep his hands to either side.

There was a massive splash in the ocean behind them, a crash of water and the faint sounds of the otter-kin calling to one another as the Chasson was rocked by Alaine's departure. Even as he started to say something to Yisa, wings flashed in the sky above them and the words died on his muzzle. He knew dragon wings, he could even tell who it was despite the fact they might be high enough that their colors didn't show. It wasn't a dragon. The creature was roughly shaped like one, but the wings were larger and more expansive, the body was too thin and long to be a dragon, the head shaped all wrong with a short muzzle and stub horns that caught the light. It made a circle above the port, the head tilted down towards them as if measuring what was happening, the wings beating slowly before the strange thing righted his course without a single attempt to land or call out a greeting. It was over in a second and the wings suddenly drove down and the creature sped towards the mountains.

"What was that.." He whispered, trying to see the pale form that slipped against the snow white mountains.

"Probably one of the ice-drakes, not too many winged ones out here, must be one of the older ones." Ruoro commented, watching the retreating figure. "He won't bother us, they're peaceable form what I've heard. Like to keep to themselves."

"C'mon, Alaine is coming to shore, we need to be down there to present a united front. Dwarves really don't care about much as long as you have coin to spend, but a dragon coming up out of the water might end up with a few drawn swords." Balio gave a gesture towards the deep red form pushing through the waters, surging towards the rocky shore. "We've still got to secure lodgings and set up here."

Oake continued to watch the sky, half expecting to see other wings rising up in answer to the first set, but there was only the blue sky with whisps of white skies. Somewhere in those mountains dragons lived, dragons that were, if Alaine was to be believed, entirely different from everyone had ever known. Were the drakes with them? Against them? A shiver of excitement went through him as he started down the walkway and heard the muttering from the pier as Alaine came closer to shore.

~ ~ * ~ ~

"Skies and fire." Alaine gasped as he pulled himself from the water, every bone in his wings were screaming in unadulterated pain from the cold.

The moment he had slipped into the icy waters he had regretted it. It had been like a hammer to his chest, engulfing him so that he was forced to struggle just to keep his head up. He had withstood cold before, but this cold bit through to bones that were badly healed and throbbing, his wings hurting to the point that even flexing them had been a torture as they joints had grated against one another. He had envisioned his swim to be a slow graceful slide towards the shore, something that would draw attention, but he would have his dignity, but the icy waters made that impossible. Instead, he was forced to lunge up with his paws scrabbling at hard ice coated rock to haul himself out dripping, his lips twisted back with a soundless snarl as his wings dropped to either side of him, the sharp ache a torment as he swung his head about immediately to look for the rest of their party. Dwarves had no respect for the weak, sick or elderly, the injured perhaps, but only if the injury could be turned into a form of strength.

Damn and blast.. He stepped from the water and forced his wings to close, the moment they settled he regretted it, feeling bone scrape against bone so that his jaws clamped tightly shut to prevent a hiss of pain.

"H'Are you h'okay?" Oake's first words made him grimace as he shook the water from his scales, not that much fell away, it was already turning to ice. "Let me help."

"Fine, I am unused to these currents." He dismissed the satyr's worries, his eyes locked on the few dwarves that were watching them. "Did you see the drake up in the air? Just a moment ago?"

_Distract him. Just keep his mind on something else entirely. _ He padded over the rocks, hooking his claws out to keep the slippery ice from sending him tumbling down into a graceless fall.

"Yes..." The fawn looked hurt at the rebuff, but Alaine only parted his jaws in an attempt at a smile to reassure him.

"It's good that he saw us, or at least me, perhaps it'll make our journey a little easier if they know we are here." He could feel his wings throbbing as he stepped onto the road and gave a turn of his head, trying to look aloof. "A dragon arriving should stir them, I hope."

He had heard of this city from Ruoro, he had assumed Santoran Harbor would be something that was a little more rough and tumble instead of well finished and polished off. The roads were ancient looking, created with massive stones that were as large as his head in some spots, walls and buildings rose up despite the rough weather, looming over the town with polished grey and black exteriors. They weren't roughed out, there were no thatch roof tops or wood houses, everything looked to be made of stone, likely the product of the mines and what had been hauled out, but that didn't make it look as if it had been created swiftly. The city was only partially in view, the rest obscured by the mountains that rose up in ragged lines that jutted towards the sky in an almost violent landscape.

"H'Are you sure you're h'alright?" Oake persisted as Alaine stepped onto the road and tried to ignore his bones trying to tell him that he needed to get warm.

"I am fine, come, let's go over to the others and greet our hosts. I am sure they have questions." Alaine softened enough to smile down at the little buck, slowing his steps so that Oake could easily keep up with him. "What do you think of it? Different enough?"

"Never seen h'anything like it." Oake admitted and trotted at a neat pace. "H'I thought there would be forests, though."

"No, not here, it's too cold from what I've been told." Alaine countered and saw Ruoro watching him with a hint of anxiousness. Two humans and a dwarf were waiting for them on the pier, the dwarf was the one that garnered most of his attention.

Legend had it that the dwarves were short humans, but that could hardly be the truth when they were seen up close. The one in front of him had dark skin peppered with a sheen of grey, almost like rock dust, but he had already been told that most dwarves had bold skin colorations. The beard was braided and bound into a neat queue at the chest which was barreled out and muscled. He stood about the average height of a human, but there was more muscle to him, the neck was thicker, the arms brawnier, every part of him seemed to be designed to be larger than life. The dark slate grey eyes were trained on Alaine entirely, they didn't even waiver towards the satyr, he was being measured by the stranger which made the drake lift his head and fight the urge to tighten his wings to his sides where their broken state would be less noticeable.

At home, he was nearly revered for his greatness, his deeds and cunning, they didn't look at his wings as anything more than something he had overcome. He had grown used to the younglings looking forward to him and staring at him with near hero worship, he had become accustomed to those that visited his Lair were ones that would tip their heads down and allow for his authority. He had forgotten that others would know nothing of him, they would only see the dragon that approached them. He wasn't old, despite how his aching bones might feel, he was a dragon in his prime, but obviously one that was no longer a force to be reckoned with. He was scarred, still, no matter what oils were worked into his scales or the rich diet that had added meat to his bones, he still bore the traces of his adventures and bondage. He was larger than those gathered, but obviously not the threat that a flighted drake in his prime might be.

_I have become spoiled. _ He thought as he arrived in front of the group, leaving Oake to leap onto the pier itself as he settled on the hard rocks, his head comfortably tall enough to be at a level with the small gathering.

"Alaine, this is the Piermaster, Chavel, he has come to greet us to Santoran Harbor and comes to see what items we might have brought for sale or trade." Ruoro dipped his head. "I felt it better if you were the one to answer."

"Your kind do not often come down here, not for many years." Chavel spoke up with a sharp accent to his words. "Nor do they swim to the harbor, dragon, or bring with them trade."

"It is my kind that I am interested in, not trade, Piermaster." Alaine answered and tried to keep his focus on the conversation and not Oake he was moving towards the other representatives. "I come representing the Honsen Archipelago, those who have accompanied me have affairs in trade routes, but my affairs lay in the mountains and finding the dragons that retreated here."

"Which islands?" Chavel kept the drake's attention, he didn't like that Oake went to stand next to the elf, it still made him bristle, despite the fact that Yi'Sayith was one of the more congenial of her species.

"We represent them all. Some races did not send their chosen diplomat, but have allowed others to speak for them in the matter." Alaine tipped his head towards Ruoro, Balios, Yisa and Oake. "We have coin and raw metals to trade for a house in which to settle ourselves, our company seek to stay on the ship and in quarters in town while I seek out the dragons who have made a sanctuary here."

"You'll be hard pressed for that," Chavel seemed to grimace slightly as he spoke. "They are here, of that we know, but they do not come into our cities or let us into their own. The only way in or out is by flying and to that you have no hope."

"He'll get through." Oake spoke up, the young buck's ears back and eyes hardening. "We will get through, if you tell us where to go. Give h'us a direction h'and we'll push through."

"Better to be asking the mountain what rock is its first." The dwarf gestured back towards the looming peaks. "The dragons hide, they do not wish any, the ice-drakes would know and they come here, but they would not betray their kin."

He had seen the ice drake, he had been shocked at how long and strange it had been. The body had looked like a dragon, almost, but stretched out so that it was lean and muscled. His sharp eyes had seen the coloration of white and blue and silver, but had found little more detail to the strange creature who had circled briefly and dark eyes had regarded him before speeding off. He knew very little about the creatures, only that they were somewhat like dragons and had a decent amount of intelligence to them. It was immediately easily to see just why the dragons had been welcomed here if the ice drakes had been the ones to hold sway, they seemed very much alike, at least in generalities.

"I am a dragon, they will speak to me." Alaine answered and gestured towards the town. "If there are any in town I will speak with them."

"You are half a dragon." Chavel answered, his tone almost pitying so that Oake suddenly let out an outraged snort. The other-kin moved to wrap a paw around the young buck's hand to keep him silent, Alaine simply met the dwarf's eyes without flinching. "They will be unlikely to tell you anything when you can't find a way to reach where they tell you. To bring an elf here, besides? Likely they will awaken you with a torn throat, all know the wars and sundering in the north."

"That is my affair to concern myself with and my throat is well protected." Alaine slanted a look towards the elf in question. "She represents the defectors from the war and has as much disdain as any for what havoc has been caused by her species."

"And I can speak for myself." Yi'Sayith spoke up, her voice hard and cold. Alaine let her, just that achievement had taken him nearly a decade, he would never be able to regard them fondly, but the elf had at least proven herself over the past years as not being actively aggressive to those who were rebuilding their lives.

_And she has never ridden a dragon, nor sought one to tame. _He thought to himself as the lean, bundled, form tilted her head in a slight bow.

"I bring no trouble, I come only in the hopes of repairing relations that will allow myself and my fellows the ability to have trade routes as others, as well as open shops here that might be mutually profitable." She was well spoken enough at least. "You mine gems, those are useful for us and not for yourselves, we might both find a place here for profit."

"Be that as it may, you'll be watched." Chavel gave a nod of his heavy head. "If you'll start unloading, I'll see you to the Magistrate and see about housing."

"That would be appreciated." Alaine rumbled and stood up, the idea of warmth was almost enough to make him lose his dignity.

"You, not sure how to house you." The man's brows drew together for a moment. "It will probably the stables, not much, but warm, long as we find an empty one. Not meant to fit dragons nor drakes into the houses."

"A stable would be fine, I have little interest in remaining in town for long." Alaine answered, his eyes sliding towards Oake briefly. "Other dragons will be arriving soon enough, they will be able to set up our own accommodation's higher in the mountains so as not to stress your resources.

The boy had spent all his life on an island being trained to fight and protect himself, he had been lectured in the old legends and tales, sat at the knee of any number of species, but now the youngster's eyes were wide and confused. He hadn't been prepared for this sort of massive town, and certainly not in a dignitaries roll, but he had to be taught. Ruoro was a fine fellow to learn from, the otter might be more comfortable on the sea, but he had learned a sweet tongue when it came to bargaining for trade routes and new lands. It would take time for Oake to learn it all, but the boy would eventually learn it all, he was what they would need in the future.

~ ~ * ~ ~

A dragon! A strange dragon. Xaal flexed her talons against the cold ice and watched as the red drake walked form the pier, her eyes focused entirely on him. He was red, she supposed, though the black scarring over his body made him seem almost striped as he walked behind the group of two leggers. She couldn't recall the last time a dragon had fled from the north, but it had been decades upon decades, the north was held by the elves and those poor beasts that had been enslaved. This creature that moved through the town was barely a dragon, the wings were seated at awkward angles as if the bones refused to line up properly. They couldn't be usable, there was no way that he could even glide on them, not when he had swum to shore like a serpent. It wasn't the dragon that was disturbing, but the band that he was following behind.

"On the ship, you are sure, all of them?" She reared back onto her haunches, turning her head to regard the ice drake that was sprawled out beside her. His heavily horned head was watching the gathering as well, liquid black eyes trying to see what she saw.

"Yes, all of them. They traded ships, but they are all together." He answered and spit out a splatter of ice onto the rocks. "An elf is with them, you see it?"

"I see it." Xaal gave her head a rough shake, hissing at the lean form that was in the motley group. "It is strange, too strange. He could be a slave they want to trade, or a lure to bring us out of hiding."

"He seemed to speak freely with Chavel." Misaro pointed out, coiling his elongated body around itself so he could conserve his body heat. His wings were so strange, the thick sails were forced together to form a tent over him so that all of his heat was gathered. "A slave would look cowed."

"We don't know what was being said." Xaal gave herself a shake and lifted herself up to regard the ice drake. "Will you set watchers on them? I would prefer to take council before anything happens."

"There are many of my flightless drakes that trade their labor in the city, they will keep watch and know to keep their muzzles shut." Misaro's dark eyes softened. "He may only be a refugee, there are rumors from the north."

"Rumors." Xaal hissed bitterly. "Rumors do me little good. They are enemies until we have facts, watch them, there are others who may have more input on a flightless dragon and what he means."

"Of course." Misaro answered with a soft rumble, the ice drake turned his eyes back to the city. "You are safe, Xaal, the pact stands, they will go no further until you have decided, but it would be a shame to turn away one of your kin who is so obviously broken."

Xaal didn't answer the rebuke, she threw herself up into the air with a beat of her wings that sent snow raining down on the ice drake. Kin? The flightless thing was no kin to her, she knew all too well about the dragon riders and their broken mounts, to say nothing of those enslaved or degraded. They knew no honor, had no sense of self, they were tools that were used by the elves. The only thing that stopped her from requesting Misaro's aid in turning the dwarves against the creatures was the fact they were joined by other species'. It would require thought and care before they proceeded, but at least the ice drake's would have their keen eyes on all of them, they would not pass past the city until their fates were decided.