Forest Keep 31
#33 of Forest Keep
XXXI
After much coaxing James wrestled a sated and sleepy Cill back to her warm bed where she promptly curled up and went to sleep. Wiping his sweaty face with a damp cloth he sat down at his table and looked at his scroll, with a weary sigh he picked up the pen and started copying the runes down as he had been instructed to. He had no wish to be turned into a pig so soon by a tetchy dragon.
After a couple of hours he found that he could barely keep his eyes open and after washing the brush out he carefully put the set away and staggered over to where Cill was quietly snoring, lifting one of her unresisting wings he crawled up beside her and let it fall over him gently before falling into a deep satisfying sleep alongside his mate.
Deep in the forest there was an impromptu and noisy meeting going on amongst the fairy population. It had been many centuries since a noble dragon had come to dwell in their forest and there was much discussion about how to greet the new inhabitants. That it was a female claiming the territory was unusual but not unknown. But what of her mate?
King Dougal hammered his scepter on the arm of his chair.
"Silence!" he bellowed to the noisy throng of excited fairies, sprites, brownies and pixies that were camped out in the throne room of his oak tree.
There was an embarrassed hush as small knots of little folks coughed and snorted themselves into silence under the stony gaze of their king.
"That's better" he rumbled, pulling on his long mustaches and beetling his bushy brows at them. There were a few muffles titters but in general, silence reigned.
King Dougal slowly stood to stand before his throne "We have a new visitor to the forest" he announced, ignoring the fact that everyone had seen the bright fiery plume and heard the echoing roar that had brought them all here.
"Has anyone seen this dragoness nearby at all?" he asked the sea of upturned faces. There was a general shaking of heads and choruses of 'No Sire" from the gathering as he paced back and forth in front of them.
The king was getting the feeling that it was up to him to start making some decisions and sighed. Surely that lack of initiative amongst his people was why they had been pushed out so far into the forests. This trod was small but easy to protect so long as not many humans came through, one or two woodcutters could be mazed and easily confused but if they got curious and came in numbers the trod would have to be moved again and no-one wanted that.
"Very well then, who saw where the claim came from?" he asked.
There was a general silence until one small fairy put his hand up meekly.
"Yes lad?" the king leant over to see the youngster. He was a typical forest fairy with nut-brown skin, pointy ears and gauzy wings that were even now fluttering with nervousness.
"It came from the large stone building of the humans sire" he mumbled. There was a ripple of shock amongst the various groups. Had the humans managed to capture one of the noble ones?
"Are you sure lad?" the king asked, his eyebrows shooting up into his receding hairline as he absorbed this news. The young fairy nodded enthusiastically "I was up in the treetops and could see clearly, she was on the edge and had her wings spread wide."
The king looked at the older quieter elves sitting to the left of the throne room "Can she be being held prisoner?" he asked them "And if she is, should we not attempt a rescue?"
The council members murmured quietly between themselves until one stood "We find it unlikely that a noble one would be able to be held against her will, but we should attempt to find out more information. I suggest we send a scouting party to the human's stronghold to investigate further."
The king shuddered "All that cold iron and the fell Christian curses make it difficult to enter there but I'm sure there are some doughty souls here who would risk their lives for the sake of a noble one" he looked pointedly at the suddenly silent crowd. For some reason many were unable to meet his gaze and he felt a rising shame in his heart. Surely there was some backbone left in his people?
Standing up slowly, the small fairy who had spoken earlier raised his hand. "I would go Sire" he said quietly.
The king nodded slowly "well done lad. You have a great heart for your small size"
He looked carefully around the room "Is there another who would go with him on this task?"
There was a sudden stirring to one side of the room and a green-skinned hunter-fairy stood to one side, her eyes flashed with pride and she waved her small bow. "I shall go also. If this noble one is trapped we shall free her and bring her safely here"
The king nodded approvingly "so be it, tomorrow we shall see if this dragoness is safe and what is to become of her. Now, come here both of you and let us talk"
The pair of fairies came up to the throne and bowed low to the king and elders before leaning forward to hear their instructions.
The morning light filtered through the slit windows of the former storehouse and fell on the snoring forms curled together on the bed. Cill's wings twitched slowly and she cracked open an eyelid only to slam it shut again swiftly. Her head! It was like a thousand needles hammering inside. She let out a groan and flinched as the noise reverberated through her skull.
James stirred sleepily beside her and reached up to stroke her sides gently "Good morning love" he murmured to her. Her response was to groan quietly once more and curl up tighter. "Not so louuuud" she moaned to him mentally, her forepaws covering her eyes. "Why does it hurt?"
James grinned ruefully "ah... well... you drank a little too much ale and it can make you feel bad afterwards" he rubbed her neck slowly and moved up to her tense wing muscles. "It goes away quickly though if you drink lots of water"
Cill reached out and grabbed the water bucket, draining it swiftly before handing it to him 'More!"
James grinned and slid out from beneath her wing "As my love demands" he said pulling on his breeches and slipping barefoot out the door running down to the well before she could come up with a suitably caustic comment.
Filling two buckets at the well James hurried back to his room and offered them to his thirsty mate who drained them eagerly. "What happened last night?" she asked him "It's sort of blurry"
James grinned and went back to massaging her shoulder muscles "you drank an entire keg of ale so I'm not surprised you don't remember much. It takes us humans that way too though I think I'd be dead if I drank that much in one go"
Cill slowly relaxed under his kneading and purred as her headache slowly faded away under his caress and healing touch.
"After you drank it all we went up to the battlements and made mad passionate love there until you terrified everyone indoors by roaring and flaming your way through an amazing climax"
Cill's ruffs flushed with heat "Oh my" Mixed images ran through her mind as she recalled with a little more clarity. "a-and then what?" she asked with some trepidation.
James coughed modestly "then I pulled up my breeches and managed to get you home. It wasn't easy you know."
Cill sucked a talon nervously "Whatever will they think of me? I remember now. I claimed the keep as my territory." She gave a pleased shiver as she felt his fingertips dig into the soft hide of her wing muscles.
James grinned at her as he straddled her neck to get a better position "They were a bit scared. But I don't think they realized that you own the place now though" he snickered "better not tell Lord Duncan"
Cill stretched luxuriously and dug her talons into the bedclothes "I don't think anything will come of it as there are no dragons for many leagues around and I'm not encroaching on another's territory"
James nodded and wet a cloth from the basin "It was certainly amazing to see and hear...not to mention feel' he added with a smirk. Climbing back into the bed he slowly rubbed down her belly with it, polishing the silvery-fine scales there.
Cill grinned at him "Oh? I'll have to try it without Ale next time then" she purred, rolling over a little so he could reach and clean her somewhat sticky vulva of the residue from their passionate mating.
James smiled and carefully wiped over the pouting lips "Well, not too much ale, a little makes you feel good and doesn't give you a sore head in the morning" he planted a kiss on her sex and then leaned forward to do the same on her muzzle.
Cill nodded and gave him a lick along his neck "It did taste nice though. I wanted to keep tasting it. I've never tasted anything like it before"
James flicked an admonitory finger against once of her fangs "and you'd wake up every morning with a headache and sore gut. I've been drunk a few times and the next morning is never pleasant"
Cill nodded and stood up slowly "I don't think I'd like that. It was pretty unpleasant waking up"
Rinsing the cloth in the basin James agreed with her "I don't do it anymore. That makes me kind of rare back home where they think I should be out drinking and wenching every night." He walked up to the door and peered outside "it's not too bright now. Are your eyes alright?"
Cill nodded and tucking her wings close pushed through the door behind him. "Shalla and Tomako are coming to visit again today" She murmured quietly "I hate to say it but I don't trust her at all. But I have to be hospitable"
James nodded and stroked her neck slowly "I liked Tomako but Shalla seemed to have the air of a spoilt brat who'd had her latest toy taken away"
Cill gave a murmur of assent and watched the novices stretching and groaning as they eyed the pile of lances waiting near the edge of the training area.
"Looks like you get to practice with your lance again" she murred to him "try not to throw it out of the keep" her paw gave his rump a surreptitious stroke.
James patted her snout and grinned 'you go have fun with Shalla and Tomako. Try not to flame them "
Cill gave a mock puff of smoke and pushed him at the pile "I'll let Tommy know when they arrive too...I think there is something going on there and I can't wait to see what happens"
James waved at her and went to pick up a lance, hefting it over his head he began trotting round the inner wall of the bailey in his morning physical.
Cill waved a wingtip at the other novices and slowly walked over to the inscribed ring to make sure it was still intact and to clear away any debris that might have blown over it.
She felt the travel spell charging slowly and stepped back as the bubble formed within the ring. The mists cleared slowly and the young dragon twins stood there and looked around. Tomako looked a little concerned and seemed hesitant to step out of the portal.
Shalla was looking worse. In fact she looked terrified and Cill didn't realize why until Tomako bowed his head and intoned the formal ritual of greeting of one dragon entering another's territory.
"With peace in my heart and no malice for you and your kin I beg permission to enter. My talons are empty and I bring no harm"
Cill belatedly realized they had sensed the territorial claim she had placed on the keep and were in fact in breach of etiquette. Trespassing on another's territory could lead to trouble unless permission was granted. She hastened to assure him that he was welcome "You have my permission Tomako. You are welcome here both as a guest and a friend."
Shalla's muzzle showed a range of emotions as she struggled with this new development.
How dare this common cow have a territory of her own when she was barely older than her? She chafed at the requirement of having to bow and beg permission to one she considered her inferior.
Cill looked at Shalla's expression and sighed. Without the proper ritual she would be justified in banning the spoilt brat from her home now.
To her surprise Shalla had been considering her brother's words and decided to bow to the rules.
Lowering her head respectfully she repeated her brother's words "With peace in my heart and no malice for you and your kin I beg permission to enter. My talons are empty and I bring no harm". Inwardly however she still seethed at the indignity though she knew she was being irrational.
Cill smiled warmly and held out a paw to her "Be welcome Shalla, I bear no malice and hope you will enjoy your stay here. I know Tommy has wanted to see you again. Oh I love that shade of blue on your talons"
Shalla felt a surge of pleasure at the compliment and took Cill's paw with a smile "I know Tomako's been busy and eager to return" the pair left the circle and stepped into the bailey proper.
Tomako nodded and waved a rolled up scroll he'd been keeping beneath a forearm "I need to talk to the blacksmith!"
Cill smiled as they strolled down the gentle incline towards the training field. "You know where he is so go talk to him. Don't scare him though. The humans are still getting used to us"
Tomako nodded eagerly and headed down to the cluster of tradesmen's buildings with his scroll clutched tightly in his paw.
Shalla took a sidelong glance at Cill and flushed "M-may we talk?" her tail swished nervously in the grass as she wondered how to proceed.
Cill cocked her head "Certainly, Shall I let Tommy know you are here first?"
Shalla held up a paw "N-no...Not yet. I need to know a few things first and...I don't know how to ask"
Cill blinked, this wasn't something she had expected "come back to my room and let's see if I can answer some of your questions then." She smiled and headed back to the storehouse with a nervous Shalla trailing behind her.
Tomako slowed as he approached the smithy. He didn't want to panic the humans in his rush to blurt out his ideas. Taking a deep breath he peered around the corner and smiled as he saw the blacksmith hard at work.
Sitting on his haunches he waited patiently for the man to finish hammering the metal and watched as he quenched it in the trough of water with a huge cloud of steam.
Mastersmith Desmond wasn't expecting a dragon to appear from behind the cloud and gasped in surprise and apprehension. "Good god lad, don't do that" he managed to blurt out after recovering his wits.
Tomako managed to look contrite and apologized "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to interrupt you"
Desmond sighed "Oh don't worry about it. What's that you've got there?" he asked pointing a burn-scarred finger at the scroll Tomako was carrying.
"Ah... well if you recall I spoke to you about armor for me?"
Desmond nodded "Aye that I do. And about how heavy it would be and the cost of it"
Tomako unrolled the scroll partially and laid it across an anvil "this is what I had in mind for the design" he said,"Can you make them?"
Desmond snorted as he looked at the drawings "O'course I can make them. If I had enough steel and mail." His finger stabbed at the drawing "but here, yon greaves wouldn't let you move your legs properly nor would you be able to fly without exposing the underside of your - err - shoulders" he finished lamely, not knowing what else to call them.
Tomako nodded "I'm sure there are many improvements you could make to the design. But don't you have enough steel or chain mail?" he asked, his heart sinking.
Desmond shook his head "Nay, those robber barons in the new forest have increased the price of coal and it's the best and closest source. We have plenty of raw iron and tin ore but without coal we can't do a lot with it"
Tomako grinned; this was even better than he had hoped "So you just need fire?"
Desmond snorted "not just 'fire' dragon boy, It has to be far hotter than normal fire to melt the metals together and alloy them" He pointed at a pile of large steel ingots by the anvil "they're just so much shiny bricks without a forge-heat to melt and work them in"
Suppressing a huge grin Tomako picked up an ingot and placed it in one of the forge-moulds "Well, I may not be good at designing armor. But I know all about fire"
Desmond watched apprehensively as Tomako inhaled deeply and pursing his lips blew a slow semi-liquid stream of flame over the ingot that swiftly sagged and flowed into the mould under the astonished gaze of the smith.
"Is that hot enough for you?" he asked with a smirk.
Desmond shut his mouth with a clacking sound. "Damn lad...How long can you keep that up for?" Already his mind was working frantically, telling him here was an opportunity not to be missed.
Tomako shrugged, his wings rustling noisily in the forge. "We can breathe like that for a long time, not much can withstand our breath and we replenish quickly too"
Desmond's fingers drummed on the anvil as he thought quickly "I think I see a way for both of us to profit from this, lad" He looked at the cooling ingot in its mould and grinned. "You want to make some armor and I need heat to make our swords and armor too...what say you and I work together on this and see how we go?"
Tomako nodded eagerly "I do not know how to make armor though so -" he flicked his gaze aside briefly "- I'd have to be taught" he looked at the human sized tools and room.
Desmond waved a hand dismissively "I've only got one apprentice "he looked round the forge "Who seems to have disappeared again...another would be welcome" he held out his hand and smiled widely as Tomako grasped it eagerly and shook it as he had seen Shalla do.
"I think you'll do well once you can make your own sized tools"
Tomako blinked, he hadn't thought of that "Could I? I thought I could try and shift down into human form. That would make it easier though I wouldn't be able to keep it up for more than a day or so"
Desmond thought "That would certainly make it a lot easier on other people here. Not to mention Ronald my apprentice. Can you still breathe fire in human form?"
Tomako nodded swiftly "oh yes, the form shift is mainly cosmetic. It doesn't prevent us from using our natural abilities"
Desmond grinned widely as he thought 'forged in dragons flame...wont that bring in the customers!"
He rubbed his hands together in glee "right lad, when can you start?"
Tomako smiled toothily and rolled up his scroll "How about now?"
Shalla nervously followed Cill into the large storehouse that was now her home. Looking round she could see the large bed and other items that went to make up a cozy lair. The fire globes were dimmed as the sun streamed in pleasantly and warmed the air.
She was wondering how to word her questions and what Cill would think once she asked them. This was foolish she told herself, all over a silly human that wouldn't make a good meal!
Cill made herself comfy on the bed, unintentionally filling the air with the mingled scent of previous matings that made Shalla's ruffs flush.
"I'm sorry we don't have proper loungers yet, but James is still trying to find a human who can make them without asking too many questions" she said as Shalla shifted uncomfortably on the carpet. "Now, what did you want to ask?"
Shalla gulped a little and then felt foolish about that too. Holding her head high she looked at Cill and tried not to let her voice quaver too much.
"I-I know we haven't always gotten along in the past and that you don't really like me or trust me that much. But I-I've been thinking a lot and Tomako told me some things that made sense and I'd like to apologize for causing trouble" She shuffled her forepaws on the carpet and went on "At first I thought you had chosen a human as a pet and embarrassed everyone in the clan by doing...things...with him and I know a lot of the others thought the same way too"
Cill was astonished, Shalla was the last dragon she would have expected to admit mistakes and accept responsibility for them. She held up a paw gently and spoke "Is this about Tommy?" she asked quietly and was startled to see two large tears trickle down Shalla's snout slowly as she nodded. "I-I made a fool of myself in front of him and blamed him and got angry at him and he behaved with better manners that most dragons and I don't know how I can face him again knowing that." Cill forestalled the outpouring of grief by slipping off her bed and hugging the young dragoness warmly.
"I know Tommy wants to see you again and you did let him kiss you. When you left last time you were looking forward to coming back and seeing him again. What happened in the meantime?" she murmured as Shalla quivered with unfamiliar emotion.
Shalla sniffled a little "I couldn't get him out of my head and it made me angry then Tomako came and said he was thinking of starting his own lair and that me angry too as I'd be left all alone at home" she looked at Cill with startlingly bloodshot yellow eyes "What did your parents do when then found out you were seeing a human?"
Cill coughed "It was a little messy; my mother didn't take kindly to James at all. I suspect your father is the same, yes?"
Shalla nodded "He was furious when my mother sided with the others and stopped any challenges to your joining ceremony." Cill's eye ridges rose in surprise. The other females were helping her? Why?
"And why did she do that Shalla?" she asked, curiosity tingeing her mental voice. "I thought there was something odd at the ceremony and so did James"
Cocking her head Shalla thought a little "The older dragonesses are all pleased at what you've learnt from James they have picked up from your mother and I think they hope you'll both be able to teach them more new things"
Cill frowned a little "taught them what?" Shalla blinked "well your mother told Mella and Mella called some others...and..."
"Go on" Cill said in a somewhat dangerous tone of thought.
Shalla gulped "Mella heard from your mother about your mating and how she did what you said you had done with Nokala and showed it all to Mella who showed it to the others who went home and tried it with their mates... and well, they certainly enjoyed it"
Cill flushed, not knowing whether to feel angry or flattered. They had found out about the licking and matings and her being on top and were all copying it? They had let her join with her mate in the hope of learning more sex techniques from her? This would take a lot of thinking and some strong words with her mother and Mella.
Shalla sighed "I know my father would kill Tommy if I took him home again. I don't know about my mother though"
Cill took Shalla's forepaws in her own "Don't rush into it, I felt awful about falling in love with a human at first. But it has worked out ok for now"
Shalla nodded and looked at the ring around Cill's third talon "Is that his gift?" she asked peering at it eagerly "he must have lots of gold!"
Cill grinned "His family isn't poor and he gets a small amount each month to spend. I don't know much about Tommy's family. Why don't you ask him?"
Shalla nodded slowly "I will, thank you Cill and I hope you can forgive me for the past"
Cill nodded "We all grow up sooner or later Shalla; I hope we can be friends and help one another. I'm always willing to listen if you need it. Now go and hunt Tommy down so you two can talk about yourselves." She said with a grin "and don't forget what I said about not rushing into things"
Shalla smiled and headed out into the bailey, looking for Tommy.
Cill smiled to herself and murmured privately to James "tell Tommy that Shalla is coming to get him and she's painted her talons a nice shade of blue for him"
She shared the amused response of her mate and tried not to laugh.