A Knight and his Squire (Closed for Apollo Wilde)

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus was thankful that the moss near this clear mountain stream was perfect for bathing: dry and rough without being too hard. He felt like he hadn’t had a good scrub since this damned war manhad started. He gathered a clump of the plant and tossed it to his friend Bruchus, a fellow knight of Salariche. The whole company was either bathing in the river or drinking on the bank to celebrate their victory. A few were trying to do both simultaneously.

The only one missing was Albus’s squire. The man was unerringly modest. Albus assumed it was because of the man’s half-dragon heritage. He was probably embarrassed to go about unclothed. Albus thought that was silly. After all, they all knew he was half-dragon, and no one cared. The men of Salariche were not like the bánfeen.

“I wish our dorchalfe allies were sharing in our celebration,” Bruchus mused.

“I’m sure they will, Bruchus. They’ve more rebuilding to do than we have. I’m sure that needs seeing to. You know their captains will be at the banquet, at a minimum.”

The other knight clapped Albus on the back as he was bending down to scrub his bare legs in the cold. With the river at this temperature they needed to wash and converse at the same time. “I don’t care about seeing them eat, Sir Chevalier. I wanted to see them bathe.” He’d used Albus’s title teasingly, with a warm smile.

Albus almost fell into the water. The dorchalfe knights were all female, except for a few males among the mages. “Sir du Grijs! Chastity is among the chivalric virtues!”

Albus felt bad calling out the man’s words, but Bruchus wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. “Albus, come now. A few coarse words among men won’t diminish our order. Not in the eyes of God or in the eyes of man. Or elf, dwarf, whatever. We just won a great victory today! Enjoy it!”

Albus hemmed and hawed, but protested no further. Bruchus was a good man, even in his coarseness. The rest of the washing went quickly, largely due to the cold. Before long, Albus was sitting in a circle of his fellow knights and their squires, putting on his leathers for the road. His own squire was still nowhere to be seen.

One of the dorchalfe captains rode into the camp, her helmet removed to reveal her white hair, pointed ears, red eyes, and dark gray skin. She made for the circle of knights, and spoke to Knight Captain Capimacha for all to hear. Originally from Lucente, the island nation to the south, the man was short, with copper skin and dark hair and eyes. He had earned the undying trust of these Salarichan men, however.

“I’m afraid I’ve been sent to ask for more of your aid, Captain.”

Omu smiled at her in jest. “Out of wine and you want some of ours? You’ll have to fight us for it, dark elf.”

Albus tied his boots as she continued. ”I wish that were my request. It seems a small band of goblins has taken the opportunity provided by our conflict to raid one of our surface outposts. We expected them to steal supplies and leave, but they seem to have taken residence. Our forces are occupied with the rebuilding effort, and that outpost was manned only by one of our teams going through surface acclimation. They’re still blind. I came to ask you to clear out the goblins and rescue my people.”

Omu was serious now. “How small is this band of goblins?”

“Very small. We estimate half a dozen of the creatures.”

Now the Lucenti laughed again. “Oh, two men could clear them out. I’ll ask for volunteers. The men have earned their rest, and I’d like to avoid taking it from the unwilling.”

Albus had his head halfway through his mail collar when he spoke. ”I’ll go, sir.”

He heard Omu say something to the dorchalfe in a low voice before he popped his head out. Albus repeated himself, just in case. “My squire and I will deal with these creatures, and catch up with the company.”

Omu nodded. “Alright, Albus, alright.” He spoke to the rest of the men. “Next time I expect one of you to step up, though. Albus deserves a rest as well.”

Amid the grumbling and nodding, Albus finished getting dressed. He found his horse and his squire’s, but the man himself was still nowhere to be seen. Albus grabbed the two sets of reins and began wandering the camp to search for his errant friend.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

It had taken a bit of time to get to a part of the river where the voices of the other soldiers were quieter, the water calmer, and the overgrowth thicker, but it had been worth it. This far away, the water was much deeper - and it hadn’t taken long for Taika to strip and wade in as deep as “he” could go. Tilting her head back, she sank further into the water, feeling the tips of her pinned up hair catch the water. No matter; it would be dry before the day was out. And once they were back at a settlement, it would be easier for her to take a nice, long soak in a heated tub. Now, as much as she wanted to linger in the water (she figured her dragon ancestry might be why she loved to swim and would be happily content to lurk on the river stones beneath the surface), she knew that it wouldn’t be long before someone would come looking for her. And that she wanted to avoid.

To the uninitiated, Squire Taika was the type of male beauty that was feminine in every grace, whisper, and movement. The type of lordly, wan, nearly sickly looking male that would instantly draw female attention and adoration from a distance. It was easy to blame it on her ancestry - her father was, after all, a dragon. Her dragon features, rather than being menacing, were ornaments hung on an elegant tree. Her skin was a warm russet, and seemed to glimmer as if covered with a faint copper dusting that varied to gold under the sunlight. Though she was as skilled of a warrior as those she served with, her skin was blemish free - something to do with an expedited healing ability that the water certainly aided with. Even the nastiest of sword wounds seemed to dwindle to nothing within the span of a few days. Above her hair line, she had two curved horns, a burnished brass in color that seemed shorter than they actually were due to the sheer amount of hair that she had. Like the golden highlights of her skin, her hair seemed a living, breathing thing, separate entirely from her. It was flame colored - literally, starting gold from the scalp and turning into orange and red as it flowed. It was rare to see her with it down - and when it was, it seemed all the more like a living flame, despite her attempts to tame it. It was thick and bushy straight from her scalp, before being carded back into innumerable twisted locks, resembling rope, or finely woven yarn. Her ears were long and pointed - shorter than an elf’s, but longer than a human’s. With her hair pinned up, it revealed that a good portion of her hair line beneath the locks was shaved clean, revealing black angular tattoos etched into the back of her skull and down the nape of her neck.

Her face was that of angles - high cheekbones, a slightly square jaw and a sharp chin. Her forehead was high and broad, perhaps such a way to hold up her horns. Her eyebrows, like her hair, were thick - and she had them partially shaved, so that they were little more than two orange dots over her eyes - eyes that were slightly reptilian if one ventured to look too long. It wasn’t that they were slit-pupiled; nothing that much from her father. But their coloring was a bit too iridescent around the iris, too flat in the pupil. And when she was angry, or annoyed, they seemed to go still and lifeless. They too, were gold, with slight red flecks. Her nose was slightly upturned, with broad nostrils, and her mouth was full, resembling the curving arc of a bow, with a natural downturn that could either suggest haughtiness or sorrow. Something about the combination of those sharp angles and fullness gave her face this idea of delicacy - something that could be easily imagined, but simply wasn’t present.

Cupping her breasts idly beneath the water, she glanced down at her nails. More like claws, they were curved and incredibly hard - what scale armor sought to reproduce. Letting go of her breasts, she frowned as she dug under a nail with another, freeing up a bit of dried blood and dirt from beneath it. Not typically given to such shows of “self love” as touching herself, she’d sniffed the wind, once, twice. Her breasts were tender - she’d initially thought that it could have been from her bindings. Sure, bindings were all well and good when she had but walnuts on her chest, but now, it was getting far more difficult (and time consuming to make sure everything was down.) She’d taken to wearing a breast plate a size or two too large to make up for it, but after a long campaign, one of the greatest pleasures was to divest herself of all of that.

But now…

“Shit,” she grumbled to herself. She wasn’t given to profanity (and around the others, she wasn’t given to much by way of speaking, period), but the situation called for it. The timing of these things seemed to get worse every year. Maybe it would hold off until they were on leave, back settled somewhere, where she could sneak away to the brothels and relieve herself.

Another sniff of the wind, a twitch of one of those ears. It seemed that there was no shortage of benefits her dragon heritage had given her: increased strength, durability, wings (which she kept neatly folded against her back, out of sight), a rudder like tail that, if applied correctly, could sweep the legs from under a horse, (which she kept wrapped around her waist, outside of her armor. It would pass off as a thick red belt, with a fine tuft of tawny colored fur around the last foot or so of it) dragon’s breath, increased lifespan. But there were certainly its disadvantages - she grew sluggish in the cold, collected far more things that she could do with (and had to work incredibly hard to manage her possessiveness), her appetite was that of 10 men, and that was on a GOOD day. Still, though, as she slipped out of the water and hurried to get dressed, the trade off was worth it.

___

By the time Albus found her, she was dressed again, that placid semi-smile that had made many a town maiden swoon and dream about the mysterious squire on her lips. She wore leathers like the others, and though her station was lower, the finery of her armor made her appear as one of them. Dragon crafted, after all; she’d watched her father make her shoulder guards, scowling all the while. They were the only spot of color of her armor - a brilliant deep ruby red that, in certain light, looked as if they were finished with fresh blood. Her father shed them, and, for the longest time, was content to toss them into the trash, until her more enterprising (and human) mother told him that there was money to be made. His argument? His little girl was going to benefit from them before anyone else. So it wasn’t uncommon for her to receive the occasional dragon scale armor, shield, along with gushing letters from her father, with more revealing endearments erased by her mother.

Well, except for the constant note of, “Bring home a handsome man!”

Right.

As Albus approached, that mysterious little smile slipped from the placid to the truly pleased. “I must apologize,” she said, making sure her voice slipped into a masculine tone. “It took me a bit longer than I anticipated to find a quieter spot to bathe.” Though she knew no apologies were truly needed, it was the right, and natural, thing to do. “You’re concerned,” it was added not as an afterthought, but after a quick search of Albus’s face. “More fighting?”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus Chevalier had no idea how his squire, Taika, always seemed to be able to read his mind. He never felt the need to keep secrets, but if he did he knew it would be hopeless.

“Nothing to worry about. The dorchalfe are occupied with the rebuilding efforts, and they’ve asked us to rescue a unit of their soldiers, still surface-blind, from a half-dozen goblins.”

He and Taika both knew a half-dozen goblins would struggle against even two untrained men. Goblins were small, but their real disadvantage was their lack of intelligence. Unless they scavenged it from some corpse, they didn’t even use real armor or weapons. They always attacked like animals, too, charging ahead as loudly as possible. The dorchalfe must be extremely vulnerable before they adjust to the light of the sun, or they would have made quick work of a lot more than six.

“It’s a day’s ride south. Shall we camp on the way or try to take them in the evening?”

Albus knew most knights didn’t actively seek out their squire’s advice as often as he did, but that didn't concern him for two reasons. One, he felt like they were squandering an important resource. True, knights were almost always more experienced than their companions, but a second set of eyes on a given problem is always helpful, even if the advice isn’t ultimately used. Two, Albus’s squire was not like other squires. Taika, being half-dragon, was actually older than Albus by some number of years. He’d been a squire for other knights when Albus himself was still a page. Albus had no idea why Taika wasn't a knight, yet, himself, but he didn't want to ask because he didn’t want to risk either embarrassing the man or chasing him out of his service.

“I’m sorry to spring this on you. The truth is I volunteered. You know I prefer these excursions, when it’s just the two of us on our own. There’s something about it that makes me feel more like a true knight. We’re a two-man chivalric brotherhood, out righting the wrongs of the world! I hope you don’t mind, old friend.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Ah.”

Brief, to the point, and so low that the sound could have been imagined: in short, a typical response from Taika.

Still, there was a bit more to be said. Taika’s gaze drifted from Albus to scan the sky - seeing and not seeing. Contemplating the question, and going through all of the alternatives, pros, and cons, of an answer. Her Time was coming up, but there was still a few days, perhaps a fortnight, before it could no longer be ignored. Her body was warming up to it - that was undeniable. But far too early to mention it to Albus.

“Goblins are braver at night, and may have the benefit of numbers,” she finally said. “It would be best to take them during the day. Perhaps the delay might lure them into a false sense of comfort.” She stroked her tail as she spoke; Albus would recognize it as the standard, “Taika is thinking” gesture. “The variable is how desperate the dorchalfe are. We do not want to delay for want of caution and risk their ire, after we’ve worked so hard to maintain their good graces. A conundrum.”

Taper hands trailed over her tail, tangled, idly, the faint fluff of the end of it. She was very protective of her tail (not of the least, having it pulled was less than pleasant), but times like this, she wished that Albus would do the stroking for her. That would have been nice. Having his hands on her in general would be nice. Perhaps without the bulk of their clothes - Albus, from the times that they’d slept pressed up one another in the field, had always run warm, and had no problem with her cuddling closer, excusing any improper intimacy to her heritage. And he would be half-right; she was always the closet to the fire, the one that huddled under layers and layers of blankets, till only the tips of her horns showed.

Her cheeks grew warm - and she realized she had been silent for longer than usual. Clearing her throat, she started again. “But perhaps I am wrong, and a night assault would be best. Braver goblins still do not amount to much. I’m not wounded or tired - I do not mind the ride. Will you need your rest?” Consideration for Albus, coming from any other, could have come across as condescending. They’d simply spent too much time together that it was understood that Taika spoke out of pure concern; over the years, she had learned quite well the limits of the human body, and how she exceeded them without trying.

“I do not mind that you volunteered; I would expect no less from you, my brother.” Again, that small, genuine smile; the one that burned itself into memory, it was just such a smile. The way he’d said it, that “old friend,” that, as of late - within the last years, a flicker before she had started The Change, and now, growing more with each passing season, made her feel warm to her core. How funny that such simple words, spoken so truly, could carry such weight.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus smiled at his dear friend. The day this man got his own knighthood would be a bittersweet one indeed for Sir Chevalier. His smile warmed Albus’s heart as well. He’d missed spending time with his friend during their exhausting campaign. “I feel invigorated after my bath, but thank you for your concern. As always, your reasoning is impeccable. There’s a chance, though, that we’ll have a bit of help if we attack at night. With the sun down, it’s possible the dark elves will be a bit more capable. If we free them they would surely help us rout the goblins. Let’s do our best to get there tonight. If the cold becomes unbearable, however, let me know.” He put a hand on Taika’s arm for a moment, just under the dragonscale pauldrons. “I know the night’s chill is difficult for you, and if we have to stop, we’ll stop.”

They were on their horses in moments, and riding south. The scenery was beautiful. They were riding at the edge of the massive Halverdens, a mountain range that spanned nearly half the western coast of the continent.. The stark, inhospitable peaks on their right, snowy and rocky in turns, contrasted sharply with the rolling, verdant hills on their left.

It quickly became clear that Albus had misjudged the distance, however. They were riding warhorses after their battle, not their usual travelling steeds. These animals simply didn’t have the stamina. Maybe they would make it by nightfall, but it was more likely that they would have to stop, even if Taika was able to handle the biting mountain cold.
They stopped for what would have been a quick lunch, but their horses needed rest. Albus searched for edible roots while Taika looked for what he could gather for their meal. A bubbling brook would give Albus the water he would need to boil whatever he could find. He was excited to stumble on some mountain sage and chives. Trail meals were usually a bland affair, and wild herbs would be a welcome addition.

He made it back to their makeshift camp with several promising tubers, and retrieved his pot from his horse’s pack. The vegetables were boiling away while he waited for his squire to appear.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Taika, despite her affinity for chasing (and devouring) smaller animals, seemed to have a way with larger beasts of burden. When they stopped, Talk was quick to check over her horse. The creature, an aristocratic black horse who seemed carved of obsidian, instantly placed his large head on her shoulder. Though, for a dragon-half, Taika was small, next to her war horse, she seemed downright diminutive. The horse himself was large - a sturdy creature that had the mass of a draft horse but the ability of a racer. Besides Albus, the horse, simply named “Boy”, was possibly the only creature outside of Taika’s family that received any outward kindness - or downright sweetness. There was no mistaking the affection there as she stroked the horse’s muzzle, careful of her claws. Once she was assured that their horses had ample food, water, and a place to rest, that was when she went off on her own.

It was no small feat for her to bring down most quarry, but getting close to the mountains, with the stink of battle in the air, the pickings were rather slim. A fact that she was all too aware of as her stomach growled audibly. The faintest rustle behind her - ah, a hare. Not much - but perhaps…




By the time Taika returned, she was not empty handed. A bit disheveled, mussed, but certainly not empty handed. “Two birds with one stone,” she mused, “The fur will give me some additional protection from the cold.” In her hands she held 4 hares - skinned and dressed. There was blood on her hands, on her claws, but her attire was otherwise spotless. “Unless you want them for anything,” she added. There was some blood on her lips, around her mouth, suggesting that perhaps she caught more than she brought back. Enough, at least, to take the edge off of her hunger and still have enough meat to share.

“We can eat, check on the horses, and then potentially set off.” There was a distinct chill coming from the mountains that she wasn’t fond of, but if she kept moving, it wouldn’t exhaust her as much. “Thank you for your concern, but as long as we keep moving, I’ll be fine against the worst of the chill. Best, then, that we attack at night.” The idea of a night battle in the mountains wasn’t something that she relished, but enough action would keep her from shutting down entirely. She did have a tendency to collapse into a hibernate state when too cold, and it took quite a while for her to awaken, let alone recover from it. She wondered how her father fared during the winters - but the sight of his grizzled face in her mind answered that:

“I slept through it, like any other civilized being!” And then he’d pull her in for cheek rubs and would rub his scratchy beard against her cheeks and muss her hair till she almost howled.

She was always reluctant for them to press closer in cooler weather - and usually relied on Albus’s being so attuned to her that he would often be the one that made the first move, without saying much. He’d been much more talkative about it when they were much younger, but now, it was something he typically offered with an outstretched arm and little else. It was, again, a thought that sent an errant, and very pointed, warmth through her. Far more pronounced than it should have been, and she frowned. She would have to be careful.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus was happy to see that Taika had gotten some meat, and some fur for himself. “Thank you, Taika. I think you should use the furs. Do you need any help, or my sewing supplies?” Albus, like any knight worth his title, was used to repairing all his equipment himself. The squires were supposed to handle it most of the time, but all the knights had been squires at some point, and they kept their skills maintained in case of emergencies.

The meat went into the pot with the vegetables, and they sat together while it boiled, Albus putting his arm around the other man for warmth. Salariche was a warm climate, and Albus struggled occasionally in these mountainous regions himself, but never as much as his squire. He was happy to provide what warmth he had, and it helped him stay warm as well. It wasn’t uncommon, in extreme conditions, to share body heat. It was just that, with Taika, it didn’t take much cold to count as “extreme.”

Once the stew had boiled and been dished into the hammered metal bowls they carried, the two men ate together in companionable silence. Both of them were thankful for the warm meal. The stew was surprisingly flavorful for a foraged meal, and Albus was thankful for it. He needed to replenish his stores of Salarichan spices once they made it back home. The chiles grown in the south of Salariche could give the illusion of warmth almost as well as the real thing.

They checked on the two horses. Albus’s dark gray beast, Char, was almost as large as Boy, Taika’s black warhorse. It was fitting, since Albus himself was just slightly shorter than his half-dragon squire. Both were doing surprisingly well, considering the rough terrain, bitter cold, and their own unsuitability to the distance they’d already been put through. It must have been Taika’s doing. He’d always been good with domesticated animals, despite his predatory heritage. Albus needed to stop being surprised when the man got more out of their horses than anyone else would be able to.

Albus hopped onto his saddle and nodded at Taika atop Boy. “We’ll ride all the way if you can make it, but it’s only going to get colder. I’ll be cross if you fall out of the saddle on me, Taika. I know you could heal yourself, but we’d be the laughingstock of the mountains if you fell in front of all these people!” He spread his arms, gesturing to the empty landscape.

The rest of the ride went much the same as the first. Despite his earlier words to Taika, Albus was feeling his exhaustion seeping in. They’d woken before dawn to repel the bánfeen’s attack. The battle, plus almost a full day of riding, with only a cold bath in a mountain stream for rest, had taken its toll. He wondered how his squire was faring. He knew the man’s endurance far outshone his own, but he wasn’t tireless.

Once the sun started to set, Albus started getting nervous. If he remembered the map correctly, there was supposed to be a pass that they crossed shortly before arriving at the outpost, but they hadn’t seen it. He looked over at Taika, and the man seemed focused on his riding. It was getting dark, though, and the knight was worried about the horses being unable to see where they put their feet. The cold was getting to him as well.

The anxiety of the situation helped Albus keep his focus. It was a lucky thing, too, because he only barely saw the path as they were almost upon it. He turned to tell his squire that they were close, and noticed Boy veering slightly to the side.

“Taika!”

Albus was really worried when the half-dragon didn’t reply. He pulled on Char’s reins to ride next to Boy. His squire still wasn’t responding. Albus put a hand on the man’s arm. Even through the mail, Albus could tell he was freezing. He must have passed out from the cold. Fortunately, since he hadn’t been receiving direction, Boy had slowed to a trot. Albus reached across to put his hands on the reins and slowed both horses to a stop. Hopping off Char, Albus steadied his squire’s steed.

He needed to pull Taika down and get him on the ground so he could light a fire. They were so close, but even if they weren’t going to attack tonight the knight needed to get his squire warm. He planted his feet wide as he tugged on the squire’s leg. He knew Taika was heavier than he was, and he was trying to be careful. He wasn’t careful enough, though. Taika began to slide off the horse, but he wasn’t able to guide him down slowly in the dark. The half-dragon’s weight came down on top of Albus, and he was knocked to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of him as Taika fell on top of him. The knight of Salariche lay there, trying to catch his breath, his half-dragon squire smothering him with his body. He was glad no one could see him except the horses.

Albus worked his upper body out from under his squire, and started pushing to roll the man over onto his back. He pressed on the man’s chest, and was surprised to find a noticeable softness there. Taika must have let his half-dragon constitution overindulge. He would need to encourage the man to train a bit harder and work off that padding.

He finally got the half-dragon rolled over, and he gathered some brush to light the wood that was strapped to Char’s pack. It wasn’t long before he got a fire going. He let it build. They weren’t going to stay here in the open overnight, after all, and if it drew out the goblins all the better. Albus pulled his squire closer to the fire, and lay next to him. Safety being much more important than propriety, he huddled close, draping one arm and one leg over his dear friend’s chilled body, rubbing his shoulder to generate heat.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

There were a few things in life that made Taika truly happy - and being physically close to Albus was one of them. Even before her Change, it had been a sense of comfort, and not just with the warmth that his body provided. If she was going to be honest with herself, she knew that sometimes she was lonely. Being prideful, she would never admit to it. Being a dragon-half didn’t exactly make her an outcast, but it didn’t do much to create friendships either. At best she was a novelty - at worst, someone to be persecuted. Thankfully, the latter didn’t happen much, and was largely confined to other dragons who thought humans beneath them, and her existence an aberration.

Eating with Albus had to be another thing that made her happy. Sometimes Albus would go over the events of the day, or comment on the weather - he was typically the one that started conversations. Not that she found it difficult to add to it once he started; she just wasn’t one to start things. When she did, it was typically in a time of crisis, and she was aware of the weight that her words held. For her words to mean anything, they would have to be sparingly offered, something her father had drilled into her well. Granted, her mother often also got what she wanted, but her mother was a sociable chatterbox that thrived on attention, something Taika absolutely loathed. And, between bites of rabbit, she mused on the flavor of the stew itself. Not gourmet fare at all, but much better that field rations. Finding the rabbits had been a definite windfall; while she could subsist on vegetables and grains, too long on such protein meager foods could bring her to her knees. Meat was a must. The rabbits she’d managed to devour before she brought these back had taken the edge off, but once the stew was finished, she felt her stomach rumble. It hadn’t been enough. With some luck, she’d be able to hold out.



What was that about luck?

In-between the rumblings of her stomach and the chill of the wind, her eyes felt heavier and heavier. It was taking so much effort for her just to keep straight. If it had been anyone else, she would have questioned if they were lost, but Albus typically had a good sense of direction - unlike her. To her credit, she COULD actually navigate, but translating that into actual directions was something that lost her. After all, people couldn’t get from town to town by such directions as “Turn right at the red tree, and then, walk until your feet get a little tired and then there will be a jasmine bush, make a left there.” Huddling deeper into her layers and her armor did nothing to keep the wind out, though the rabbit furs she’d wrapped closer to her torso did make a difference. She knew instinctively to add extra layers to her chest, then her head and ears if she could manage it. Her tail she had wrapped around beneath her armor. It was a tight fit, but anything to keep her more reptilian features from being directly exposed was better than nothing.

In her barely conscious state, she could feel herself slide - then nothing.



When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. She couldn’t fully register where she was; just that she was so, so cold. Past the point of shivering (which, to be fair, she didn’t actually do). Her skin felt like ice, her horns so chilled that they burned to the touch. Cold to humans was nearly arctic to her, and no matter how much she trained, prepared, or tried to mentally prepare herself, it was still her greatest weakness. In this state, she couldn’t see and her memory would lapse. Thankfully, her sense of smell was still as acute as always - the burning wood, but, oh, more than that - Albus. Even as she closed her blurry eyes, she smiled, a faint, wan thing. His smell was all around her: his sweat, the grime and blood from his armor and clothing, the faint herbal soap he used on it, still tangled in the rough threads of his undershirt, and him, beneath it all, that distinct smell that was the core of what he was; she could get lost in it all. Safety, home, pleasure - it all swam together, easing her deeper into her hibernation.

He could feel her grow warm before she attempted to open her eyes again. Though she was still cold by human standards, she had warmed up enough for the most minimal functions of her body to work. As she opened her eyes this time, her golden eyes were sharp, focused, and thoughtful - a sign that she had returned to herself. Rather than jerking to her feet, she simply lay still within his arms.

“How long was I out?” It was asked as she pressed her face against the side of his throat, nuzzling there. It was an out of line gesture, the logic in her brain screamed at her (when they were younger, she was much more outwardly affectionate to Albus - hugs, cuddles, tackles, holding hands - but after The Change -and a stern talking to-, she was a bit more restrained), one far too familiar and childish to use, but he was so warm! And it felt so good. Her nose was like ice against him, her lips colder still, and to match his gesture, she snuggled closer, slipping between his legs. With his leg over hers, it wasn’t difficult. Unwinding her tail from beneath her armor, she wrapped it slowly round his waist. She didn’t put the full weight of the appendage of him; it would have been enough to knock the wind out of him. She wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of the words.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus had dozed off against his friend’s body. He was thankful Taika wouldn’t tease him about it. All the other knights would, and most of the squires, if they knew. Part of it was Albus’s exhaustion, but it was also the comfort of shared contact. The two men had grown up together, and felt at ease with each other, even with the kind of touch that most considered odd at best and improper at worst. It also helped that the man smelled so good. Albus had never mentioned it to him, but he always smelled to Albus like he was wearing a small amount of some kind of spicy, smoky, and simultaneously floral perfume. It must have been his draconic heritage.

”How long was I out?”

Albus slowly blinked. Oh God, had he drooled on his friend? That would have been embarrassing with anyone else.

“Umm...huh? How long? Uh, hmmm. Okay.” He took a deep breath. It was still very dark. “I--I don’t know, Taika.” He started to move, but in his sleep his squire’s tail had wrapped around the knight’s waist. He extricated himself and went up to one knee. “Alright, old friend. Are you warm, yet?” He gently slapped the man’s chest. “If I’m going to have to catch you as you fall off Boy on a regular basis, you’re going to have to lose a bit of this padding you’re carrying. I must be slacking in my training regimen for my squire.” He smiled so Taika would know he was teasing.

Looking into the distance, Albus could see a bit of light from the now visible outpost. Hopefully it was still early enough that their nighttime raid wouldn’t turn into a morning raid. Judging by his level of exhaustion, he assumed they hadn’t been asleep long. He was glad they had a reason to plan, as well. He had always valued Taika’s council, and he wouldn’t want to charge in without it.

“Hmm...Central tower, low walls. Won’t be able to see inside until we get in, unless we go up the mountainside. That might take too much time. What do you think, Taika?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Somewhat.” Hesitation, then, pressing closer to Albus. There was still a chill to Taika’s skin, her tail a pale reflection of the heat from the fire. “It’s colder than I thought it would be, and I’m still a bit hungry. That will not help matters.” She looked up into Albus’s concerned face, her expression carefully neutral. It would have been entirely too easy, perhaps preferable, if she had lied about her weaknesses. But not to Albus.

Though a deep hissing within her body asked, no, demanded, for her to press closer, to try and mold her body to his, she aided him with lifting her tail from his waist. The heavy appendage slipped from around him with a quiet rustling, the red scales glimmering like fire opals. Tentatively, she shifted her tail behind her, testing how it responded. There was a delay there, a hesitation, in the movement. She was getting there, but not quite.

“I’ll need 30 minutes to be battle ready. I will not be at my best, but I will be able to function.” Her best, of course, was the same as having ten able bodied warriors, due to her strength alone. And she was still so young, by dragon standards at least. Her mouth was open, prepared to say more about her state - and then he slapped her chest. Commented on it.

She snapped her mouth shut with a faint click, and fought the blush that was threatening to overtake her. She’d taken plenty of ribbing from Albus in the past - punches on the shoulder, slaps on the back. But never had he touched her chest. For a moment, her eyes went that reptilian, tell-tale flat black of annoyance, cold and dead. If she were a cat, her ears would be laying flat against her head. “I would request that you not do that again.” Her words were low, bordering on a guttural growl. When she spoke, sparks flickered around the corners of her mouth. In all of the time that they had been together, it was the first time, in recent memory, that she showed such irritation at Albus. She would never directly hurt him, but, when she was younger, she had, in times of extreme duress, spat a little fire at him. It was clear that he’d crossed a line.

However, knowing that her point was made, she switched gears. “We make sure the horses are out of danger. Then I fly you over the wall and use my breath to route them. The dorchalfe can take over after that.” She was clearly still addled by her brief (and incomplete) hibernation. The plan she suggested was nowhere near the careful, thought out affairs that she usually came up with. “I want this over with,” she added, her voice ending in a rumbling growl. She was awake, she was still cold, she was annoyed, and he’d just called her fat. Well, not her exactly, but her mammalian brain wasn’t up and running fully yet. “And I want to get somewhere warm and sleep for three weeks.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

As soon as Taika asked him not to do it again, Albus knew he’d gone too far. The poor man must be sensitive about his weight. It didn’t make any sense to Albus. Taika was fantastically strong and fast, and Albus hadn’t noticed any softness until he felt it.

“I apologize, Taika. It was a jest, with no basis in reality, but it was too far and it shan’t happen again. You know you’ve nothing to worry about. All the rural maidens and tavern wenches always make their glances at you before settling for one of the less noble of our brothers, you know that…”

He let it lie after that. If his friend didn’t want him to mention it, he wouldn’t.

“We make sure the horses are out of danger. Then I fly you over the wall and use my breath to route them. The dorchalfe can take over after that.”

Albus was surprised at the strategy his squire suggested, but he quickly agreed. He loved flying with Taika. He loved being a knight, but it didn’t give him many opportunities to do something just for the fun of it. The sheer joy of winging through the air, even if the wings weren’t his, was something he almost never turned down when his friend offered.

The cold and the exhaustion were affecting them both, but Albus felt reinvigorated after his scandalously comfortable nap. “Once the dark elves are free, I’ll help them clear out what remains of this goblin band and gather the horses. You find somewhere warm in the tower and I’ll join you once everything’s settled.”

After tying the horses to a nearby shrub, Albus grabbed his sword and shield, and Taika’s as well. After all, the half-dragon’s hands would be full of Albus. “Whenever you’re ready, Taika.”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She responded to Albus’s apology with a soft “hm” of consent. What else was there to say? It was clear that Albus was sincere, and at the very least, concerned about his squire’s “expansion.”

As Albus spoke, she was adjusting herself within her armor. Her wings, if left unbound, were still prone to involuntary spasms - say, if she were surprised, they would unfurl. In her younger days, she’d hit many a knight and squire in training with them. Though she had gotten better about it (and was rarely surprised, as an example), it was easier to keep them neatly folded back against her and covered by her armor. Her father, being the far-sighted creature that he was, had made slits in the back of her chest plate to allow her wings to slip out if she needed them. However, in her cold-addled state, the normally smooth motion was fumbling and jerky, punctuated with several pauses. Though she said nothing, her normally placid face was growing stormy in her irritation. It was like a drunk trying to thread a needle.

Getting exasperated by the whole affair, Taika sat down (still, calmer than a human counterpart would have been), took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Then another. Then another - and on this exhale, her wings neatly slipped through the space made for them in her armor. They were half-mast now, and, as she stood up, stretching her arms overhead, her wings matched the motion. They were truly majestic - twice her height, and powerful. The “body” of the wings suggested fine kid leather - so smooth they looked, and were nearly translucent. They were of a pale carnelian red, fire flickering through them illuminating the fine spiderwebbing of her veins there. The frame of her wings were of a darker red with that fire-opal, copper-esque highlight, a marbling that apparently was the result of her mixed heritage, as her father was nearly uniform in his red coloring.

Unwrapping her tail from her waist, it too, was stretched out behind her - and she seemed to relax. Though it seemed effortless to those who watched, her tail was a rudder - and an integral part of her anatomy. Keeping it wrapped up around her waist threw her balance off immensely, and felt unnatural. If she were in any other situation, she would walk with it hanging behind her. It was a testament to her training that there was no visible difference - save for the one she was too tired to conceal from him now. Her posture relaxed, and she leaned back, secure in the fact that her tail was there. Flying with it wrapped around her waist was out of the question.

Once Albus had gathered their weapons, she simply held out her arms, as if to welcome a child. Once he was comfortable against her chest, she hooked her arms under his.

“Ready?”

Less of a question, and more of a statement. She’d barely wait for his response, and, with one mighty beat of her wings, they were half-way in the air. A second, then a third, and they were still higher.

And then, an epic fumble.

The problem with flight, of course, is that the higher one went, the thinner, and the colder, the air got. Combining with the wind from the mountains, Taika nearly lost her grip on Albus, and nearly plummeted like a stone. To her credit, she made only the strangest growling squeak as the wind caught her open wings and promptly buffered them both back past the camp, hurtling backwards in a clumsy somersault. Her tail whipped out, struggling in the current of the wind, to set them upright. Her grip on Albus tightened to nearly painful, and she snapped her wings against her body - causing them to instantly lose altitude and plummet towards the ground.

Before they were an unsightly mash of human and dragon parts, she opened her wings again - and they were jerked back into the sky. This time, though, she appeared to have a much better handle on the wind. Though the wind was high, and unpredictable to a human, she was now navigating as well as a sea-worthy captain in a storm. In time, there was an odd grace to her movements - a shift of her tail, a folding of her wings, a canting to the left and right. If she had been in better spirits, it would have been an exhilarating and fun flight, now that she knew what she was doing. The only thing she could focus on was getting the hell out of this cold wind that was already whittling at the little that was left of her patience and stamina.

Soon enough (mercifully), they were overhead the camp, and she said one thing to Albus:

“Duck.”

How to describe her Dragon’s breath?

It varied from dragon to dragon, of course. Some had elegant beams of magical energy. Others, fonts of water. Hers was the most “traditional” - a plume of fire that issued from deep within her. This close, perhaps Albus could feel heat gathering in her stomach, the faint whine of air being supercharged, the faint odor of burning spices - cinnamon, saffron, incense, almost- as something within her caught. She parted her lips, took in a deep breath, exhaled -

And the tiniest plume of fire hiccuped from her.

She blinked. Tried again - and again, that meager little cough of fire.

“Mm.” It was as close to a loud swear as Taika got - at least in his presence.

I. Don’t. Have. Time. For. THIS.

Spurred by her deep rage, the fire seemed to roar to life within her, and when she opened her mouth again, an inferno spilled from her lips, illuminating the camp and cutting a wide swath through the grounds. Goblins, caught by surprise, shrieked and scattered. Swooping low enough to drop Albus safely to the ground, she did just that - and then, with her wings unfurled to their fullest, she breathed another jet of flame, indiscriminately for her. And, to those watching, she would appear to be an irrational, fire-breathing dragon.

Not her best moment, but hey, it would get the job done.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

These high mountain winds were unpredictable and dangerous. Taika never wavered in flight, at least that Albus had seen before. Those handsome, powerful wings were sure in any weather. Still, Albus wasn’t worried. Sure enough, they recovered and soared over the camp.

Another out of character bout of difficulty for Taika left him struggling to breathe his fire. He may have overcompensated, because on his third try Albus smelled the scent of burning hair: his own light brown locks. Albus would need to make sure they got some well-deserved rest after this. It was a knight’s responsibility to take care of his squire, after all.

Albus tucked and rolled on landing, hopping up to set Taika’s equipment on the ground. Grasping his own, he charged the green, diminutive goblins as they ran in their rough leather loincloths. The closest one was tossing whatever he could find behind him to delay the charging knight. Chairs, table, benches, weapon racks: the courtyard was littered with furniture the dark elves had used for training. What the goblins hadn’t burned for firewood was on the ground.

“Nitezes!!!” he cried as he ran from Albus.

He chased them away from the tower, and ducked inside. The building was simple, but well constructed. Currently, it was even more of a mess than the courtyard. Goblins do not make conscientious houseguests. They had already made the place their own, with a few small animal skulls and a small campfire inside, threatening to burn down the wooden tower. They had completely ignored the perfectly functional hearth a few feet away. Albus raced up the stairs, and found the dorchalfe on the second level. The poor things were still squinting, even in the darkness of the night outside.

They were soldiers, acclimating to the surface so they could join the fight against the bánfeen. They might not even know the pale elves had been routed. They were bound, sitting against the wall. Albus hadn’t been followed, so he quickly cut their bonds. There were more than enough weapons on the ground, indoors and out, for them to arm themselves.

“Some of you need to put out the fire down below before it burns down the building! If you can move it to the hearth my squire and I would appreciate it. The rest of you, with me! Let’s send these creatures to the hills!”

Albus stepped out into the courtyard to see a disaster area. Wooden furniture was thrown on the ground and on fire. Clay jugs were broken and leaking. Fabrics were torn and fluttering in the wind. Three of the goblins seemed to be trying to mount some sort of organized resistance. They were gathered in one corner, lifting a wooden table to use as a shield against a fire-breathing half-dragon. Albus could only shake his head at the absurdity of it all.

He heard a scream from the side. One of the other goblins was jumping at him, If he’d just stayed quiet it might’ve worked. As it was Albus simply clocked the little creature with his shield. His green little body slumped to the ground, unconscious. A group of elves filed out behind him.

Albus walked toward the more organized goblins, scanning the sky for his friend.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

The buildings offered some protection from the winds, enabling Taika far more control over her wings here than on the way in. As she settled in to land, she breathed another bout of fire, the normally impressive pillar of flame coughing out into a sputter as she landed. She was a bit unsteady on her feet, but the heat generated from her fire and that of the goblins was enough to keep her moving, at least for a bit longer. The courtyard, despite her indiscretion, wasn’t entirely engulfed in flames. Score one for her.

Unlike Albus, the few goblins that were left had clearly figured that they were out-matched by the dragon half. Suited her just fine; from what she could see, she could take these things bare-handed. And some sort of livestock had been caught up in the blaze; she could smell its roasting flesh and her stomach audibly growled. Turning in the direction that the wind told her was cooking meat, she’d missed the one goblin that had been hiding, thinking his odds against the burning furniture was better than going up against this strange creature from the sky. As Taika turned her back, he figured then would have been the best time to strike. And perhaps it would have been - if it had not been for Taika sweeping her tail as she turned, instantly catching the goblin and sending him flying back a few feet, before he slammed into a burning pile with something akin to a splat.

“Hm.” She glanced to figure out the source of the sound - and once determining that it wasn’t a threat, she approached the burning table shield. The goblins had, apparently, had a bout of common sense and realized that hiding behind this table probably wasn’t the best idea, and as such, had abandoned it. Fine with her. Eyeing all of the materials that were smoldering or sputtering, she simply reached in and piled them together. Her ability to breathe fire, of course, gave her some resistance to flame - at least, on her body. The parts of her with hair (such as the top of her head) were still susceptible, in some strange fluke of genetics.

Now that the flaming debris had been gathered into one spot, she crossed her legs, neatly, and sat in front of it, her hands held out to warm them further. Though it would appear to have been a selfish gesture, in her cleaning up all of the burning materials and getting them focused into one spot, it not only contained the fire, but provided additional illumination - and eliminated some of the additional cover that the goblins had.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

The goblins ran, and Albus finally saw Taika. His squire was gathering up the burning furniture and piling it together to make a bonfire. Albus didn’t blame him. The cold had been hard on the man, and a roaring bonfire was the quickest way to dispel it. He just hoped the dark elves didn’t mind.

Albus was chasing the three goblins he could see when he felt a weight hit him in the back. It must have been one of the others jumping onto him. He felt little hands scrabbling at his chainmail armor. The troublesome imps were quick; he had to give them that. He felt a blade bounce off his shoulder. Thankfully his mail held against the lightweight attacks.

Reaching up to grab the goblin, he felt surprisingly sharp teeth bite into his glove. Instead of pulling it out, he shoved his hand in deeper and grabbed the little monster by the jaw. He heard it gag, and he pulled it over his head, throwing the creature several feet forward onto the edge of Taika’s bonfire.

The goblin jumped off the burning furniture, but his loincloth had caught fire in the high-temperature blaze. The goblin pulled it off, but it snagged on something and dragged along on the ground behind him, and the creature took off running in a panic. The image of the goblin being chased by his own flaming loincloth, little green prick bouncing in the cool night air, gave Albus some small comfort as he held his bleeding fingers.

He turned back to see that the dorchalfe had routed the remaining goblins. Pleased that rest was imminent, he walked over to speak with the dorchalfe officer.

“Sir Chevalier, at your service, my lady.”

The dark elf bowed, squinting in the firelight. “Corporal Sareci Jahl. Thank you for coming. Were you on your way to Stadtiefe?”

Albus smiled at the opportunity to deliver good news. “From, actually. Early this morning we routed the bánfeen alongside your able countrywomen, and rode here once word of your plight reached us.”

The bruises and scratches on the poor woman’s face didn't keep her from smiling at this information. “Routed? So it’s over, then?”

“As far as we know. Our intelligence indicates that even if they refuse to surrender, it will be some time before they can gather the forces to pose a significant threat. If they do, you won’t face them alone. The knights of Salariche stand with you.” Albus loved this part of his job. Being able to tell people they were safer than they’d thought, that a danger had been removed, was always a joyous occasion.

Albus started walking toward the gate, nodding to ask the woman to walk with him. She had to hurry to catch up on her shorter legs, so he slowed his pace. “If you rode all the way from Stadtiefe today, you must be exhausted. Where are your mounts?”

Albus appreciated the concern. “We left them tied near the brook. I’m headed to retrieve them now. We are fairly spent, if I’m being honest. Especially my companion. His race struggles with the cold.”

The dark elf nodded. “Of course. We hope you’ll stay the night? It’ll be a bit rustic for true dorchalfe hospitality, but we’ll do our best.”

“That’s what I wanted to speak to you about. We need warmth and sleep, but we also need food, and my squire in particular needs meat. How are your stores, Corporal Jahl?”

She smiled. “The pests ate or spoiled everything they could find, but they missed our smokehouse, full of kills from two nights ago. Hunting is an important part of our acclimation training.”

Albus gently slapped the woman on the back. “Splendid! Let me get these horses boarded and then I’ll come to ask you about sharing some of that meat!”

“It would be our pleasure, Sir Chevalier.”

This day (well, night) was turning around! It wasn’t long before Boy and Char were boarded for the night, and Albus was next to the bonfire, placing enough warm smoked game in front of his friend to feed half a company! That was the same moment that two of their rescuees approached from the tower.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” one of them began. “We wanted to thank you for your help tonight. We were wondering if you two would like some company to help keep you warm? These mountain nights can be cold…”

These were beautiful women, fit and healthy little things with smooth, soft skin that shone in the firelight like polished jet. One had deep red eyes, and the other’s were a bright, rich purple. Were he a lesser man, Albus would not have hesitated to say yes.

“Oh my ladies, you tempt me! Unfortunately I am a knight of Salariche, bound by an oath of chivalry that precludes me such delightful dalliances.”

They were very quick to focus on Taika after that. Perhaps they’d been hoping Albus would refuse. “How about squires of Salariche? If they are not so bound, we would both be happy to warm your bed…”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

The combination of the heat and an actual meal did wonders for Taika. In the light of the fire, she seemed more alive, more flushed, as she somehow managed to devour nearly everything in sight, double-fisted at times, and still as delicate and as genteel as a prince. It truly was a mystery how she was able to do these things. To her left grew a pile of bones picked absolutely clean and glittering in the firelight. If one watched her eat, they would notice the pronounced canines, fangs, even, and even her more human “teeth” had a sharpness to them that wasn’t quite human.

Finally nearing the end of her repast, she lightly dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin she’d produced from some fold of her armor. Dragon-half or not, she still had manners. In light of such mishaps of before, she had enough to her senses now to feel a bit embarrassed that she had not acted as decorously as she should have. By the time the two women approached, Taika was wiping her hands, neatly folding her napkin as she finished.

She chuckled at Albus’s response - typical of him. He did keep to his vows, no matter what the temptations were. As for her, she held up a hand, politely, but a clear expression of dismissal.

“Your offer is kind, but not needed,” she said, in that dulcet murmur. Human or not, her speaking had the typical affect: the two women, dropping their warrior appearances, both seemed to blush and bite back giggles. It worked for Taika; flustering the same sex typically resulted in them leaving her alone without feeling insulted. Others may have elaborated about their inability to be a good bed partner, or mention vows, as Albus had, but Taika offered no elaboration on her refusal. “But-”

The two women snapped back to attention. The one with red eyes looked as hopeful as a little girl receiving a new pretty ribbon from her father. “If you would like to do something for me-”

The violet-eyed one stopped herself from nodding eagerly.

“I would much appreciate it if you and your fellow warriors would rest well this night. You have earned it. Your hospitality has been more than this humble one deserves,” and she inclined her head, a genteel movement, and then, lifted those piercing golden eyes.

If the two women could have spontaneously combusted from pleasure, they would have. It was much to their credit that neither one of them reacted - much. There was a warmth in those dark faces, across those cheeks, a hunching of shoulders, a swiveling of hips that spoke louder than words could have. The two, summarily dismissed, turned their backs to the pair - with only the one with violet eyes looking behind her, a bit sorrowfully. Taika offered her a kind wave, then turned her attention back to the fire. She envied those women - allowed to be what they were, to express their desire. Ah - to be fair, she was the one that had chosen this life. She could have easily become a warrior woman in her own right.

Why had she done this? Wasn’t it about time to leave all of this behind, to truly go out into the world on her own? Maybe. She looked into the fire. The dancing orange and red, so like her own hair, offered her no response. She tightened her lips. This campaign was nearing its end, if it wasn’t already over in all but in written treaty. Perhaps in the time afterwards, she would move on, find another adventure, but…she looked up, discreetly, at Albus, and her heart lurched at the thought of leaving him.

Just great.

“I will have to hunt before we leave to replenish what I’ve eaten,” Taika said, looking over at Albus thoughtfully. “It is only fair.”

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus smiled and shook his head. He had lost count of how many times he had witnessed a scene just like that one. The man was a magnet for drawing hopeful prospective female companions. The most astonishing thing was how they always seemed to walk away happy. Albus couldn’t always tell if they even realized they had been rejected. It was remarkable. Taika was remarkable.

He was looking forward to their trip home. Being out in the wilderness, just him and Taika, always felt more comfortable and stress-free. The other knights never seemed to understand him. He didn’t mind that most of them didn’t take their vows as seriously as he did, but he always got the feeling they looked down on his sincerity. Taika didn’t. He wasn’t as vocal as Albus about reverence for their chivalric vows, but he at least accepted Albus for who he was.

“I asked them to light a fire in the hearth, if you’d like to go inside for the night. It would be a steadier heat.” It would also be nice not to need a tent. Walls and a ceiling were always a pleasant alternative to truly roughing it. “We should wait until morning to hunt, anyway.” He looked at his friend’s heavy eyelids.

The man’s face was entrancing. Albus could see what these women saw in Taika. He was kind and noble, with elegant, almost feminine features. Instead of the fear that would likely be inspired by a full dragon’s countenance, Taika’s inspired curiosity and contemplation. The draconic influence gave him symmetrical classic beauty highlighted by an intriguing novelty of inhuman embellishments. It was enough to make even Albus, who had no interest in other males, feel drawn to Taika in addition to their longstanding and deep friendship.

“Are you alright, my friend? I was concerned for you earlier, when you fell unconscious in the saddle. Is there any assistance I can provide?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Inside would probably be best.” Not quite the inn that she was hoping for, but better than nothing, and the walls would aid in keeping the heat in. She was aware enough that though she was feeling better, it wouldn’t last once the fire went down, and no amount of rabbit furs would be enough to keep her warm, even if Albus was to bed down with her.

She could feel Albus’s eyes on her, though she kept hers focused on the fire. It wasn’t the first time she knew he was looking at her - and of course, there were variations in his gaze. It made sense, of course - a knight was supposed to look after his squire. And she was aware enough to know that her features generated plenty of stares. Albus did as well, though she’d yet to figure out if he was aware of it and simply didn’t care, or if he was oblivious to it. Though she did her best to watch it, she knew that since her Change, she was far more prone to staring at him than she used to. And it was always worse around her Time - that’s when he seemed to simply glow with masculine beauty, strength, prowess. In more desperate moments, she had to stop her mouth from physically watering when she looked at him.

Thankfully, he’d asked after her well-being, and she chuckled. It was a soft sound, fleeting. “I am doing much better now; the food and the fires have helped. As has the bit of action. But I fear I will need more rest.” Breathing fire was a task - even moreso in a weakened state, as evidenced by the pathetic flames she’d huffed earlier. “Hunting is to benefit both us and them; I do not want to be caught unawares in the cold again.” There it was: embarrassment. It would be impossible for anyone else to catch it; there was no tell tale wavering in her tone, no change in her expression. But to Albus, it would have been as clear as the moon overhead. “Thank you, my friend, for looking after me. It will not happen again.”

She was frustrated with herself - for being caught unawares. As a squire, no, as a dragon-half, she should have been prepared. She should have had extra rations; should have stayed longer to keep herself warm. And as much as she would have dwelled on her mistake, it wouldn’t be of any help. The only thing to do was to move forward: and be thankful that Albus was with her. “Please excuse my shortness earlier,” she added, recalling how ‘grumpy’ she’d sounded after routing the goblins. “The cold and hunger…do not agree with me.” Which was putting it mildly.

Then he’d asked about “assistance.” Taika, for a moment, felt her face grow warm. She told herself it was the fire. Looking back into the dancing flames, she smiled - a faint thing that touched her lips before fading. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to keep my bed warm?” It was playful, from her, an echo of the kind offer from the women before. Taika left it unspoken that she did indeed, regardless of the weather, sleep better with Albus next to her.

Would she ever get to sleep with him as she actually was, though?

No; never.

His vows not withstanding - which she did not begrudge him - he was far too proper to even consider sleeping platonically with a member of the opposite sex. Though…if she were to be honest, she would have welcomed carnal knowledge of him; perhaps lend her own experience to guide him through the gates of Love, with kindness, with understanding, with patience, with joy - but there was no point in humoring something that would never happen. Albus had to have known, though, that she did not keep the same vow. They had been together too long and he was too familiar with her Time - that embarrassing span of a week where her dragon heritage could not be ignored, and she had to ‘breed.’ Though she was better able to manage it as she got older, it was still a hassle to deal with, especially while she was on campaign. In the past, she typically managed on her “own”, in more ways than one. And, if luck actually held out on her (she would be willing to overlook this debacle), they would actually be somewhere where she could get away to help herself once her Time came. It was coming; she knew that - but she still had a few days. Good luck within bad that the hibernation, brief as it was, had pushed back the clock in her body.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“Hahahahaha!”

Maybe it was the lack of sleep addling his mind, but Albus thought it hilarious when Taika imitated the infatuated dorchalfe and their bed-warming offer.

“Well said, my friend, and of course I will help you stay warm tonight. It’ll help me as well, and you know you’re the only one I’d consider it with.”

He thought about Taika’s embarrassment about falling asleep and his apology for his very tame, in Albus’s opinion, snap at him for jesting about his weight.

“And no apology is necessary, Taika. We’ve known each other too long to let small offenses fester, and we must let each other know when we’ve strained congeniality, as I had.”

He held up a hand to forestall the objection that he knew would never leave his squire’s lips, but was at the forefront of his mind all the same.

“I had. And do consider holding yourself to a more reasonable standard. You’re the best squire Salariche has, by a long shot. Most of the other knights would’ve collapsed by now with the day we’ve had. Enjoy the victories, friend. They’re rare enough.”

He stood, and offered his arm to his beloved squire. “Shall we go lay by the fire before I fall asleep out here?”

Albus was in a good mood. Even though their enemy had been only a few goblins, they’d come out mostly unscathed. The primary source of his emotional high, though, was the prospect of spending more than a week out in the field with his friend. It was really his favorite part of being a knight.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

At Albus’s laughter, she allowed herself a wan smile, before stretching her arms overhead. The food and fire had worked wonders, and she already felt scores more alert and present. Standing, she flexed her powerful tail behind her, careful not to knock anything (or one) over with the gesture. There seemed hardly any point to coiling it round her waist now - and it was an added relief not to have to bother for once.

Slipping her arm through Albus’s, she mused, silently, on his apology - anything not to focus on how warm he was, through the layers of armor. Or how neatly his arm always fit through hers, despite the height difference. All she allowed herself to focus on was the night air, the snaps of wood from within the fire. Above them, the night sky was clear, the clouds blown away by the mountain wind, and the moon a vivid white.




She awoke before him, and, carefully, slipped her tail from around him. They’d gotten quite entwined over the night, and getting her tail free would be the least of her problems. They were face to face, wrapped up in each other’s arms. It would have been slightly amorous, had those around them known of Taika’s true gender. But in her mannish clothing (she’d taken off her armor alone) that fit her loosely, the effect was more like two mischievous boys who’d fallen asleep after a long day at play.

Craning her head upwards, she could feel his breath on her throat, on the bottom of her chin. She had to stop herself from letting out a little grumble of contentment; had she her way, she would have stayed right there with him. A glance towards one of the windows showed the fading pinks of dawn - it was early, and she had a promise to keep. And her storage bags to fill. Thinking, however, that Albus would be sore if she went hunting without him, she craned her head back down.

“Albus.” A whisper, as she struggled to move one of her arms from under him. He had a leg slung over hers, much as they dozed before, and she had her legs between his. The urge to press closer, or even to kiss his forehead, flitted across her brain. His face, in sleep, was free from care, and disarming in its boyishness. Unable to resist, she allowed herself a small touch - a brushing of hair away from his forehead. “Albus,” she repeated, a bit louder.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus was in that in-between space, transitioning from asleep to awake. He felt peace, comfort, and contact. He could smell spice and smoke and beauty. He saw the dim warmth of the sunrise filtered through his closed eyelids.

He felt some of that warmth and contact pull away, and he reached out in his drowsiness to pull it back. It slipped out of his grasp.

”Albus.”

He heard someone calling to him, but he was so comfortable! He didn’t want to leave. He felt movement. A hand gently stroked his face.

”Albus.”

The voice was louder now. He was a little more alert, as well. His body was pressed against someone, hip to hip and chest to chest. His legs were wrapped up with another pair of legs. His sunrise rigidity was pressed against his belly. The body he was pressed against was soft and warm, and they were separated by thick clothing.

That was good. Albus would be horrified to wake up and discover that he had broken his vow. Well, horrified and also quite a bit excited. As much as he truly took his chivalric chastity seriously, he was looking forward to his eventual marriage for more than just love, companionship, and a family of his own. Though he yearned for those three things passionately, he also craved physical intimacy and sexual release.

The body against him now even felt feminine, and his subconscious was enjoying that. He nuzzled his nose a bit against the collar of the person he held, and then he woke up.

“Hmmm? Oh, Tie-guh. Yezh...guh merrin.”

He smacked his lips, dry from his deep sleep. He blinked, and opened his eyes to see the face of his best friend staring back at him.

Albus’s entire face contorted in a deep yawn before he spoke any further. “How are you feeling?”

Hearing Taika’s reply, Albus’s response was a warm, contented smile. He was glad his friend was feeling better. He was as well. This was the warmest he’d felt since before the battle of Stadtiefe. He didn’t want to leave. Taika wouldn’t have woken him up without a reason, though.

“What’s your plan for the morning? You said last night you wanted to hunt, right?”

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Laughing gently, she leaned down, and touched her nose to his. “Hunting it is. I thought that you might be sore if I went without you.” The urge to shift, to lay straddle atop him was strong - it tugged at her from deep within. How she managed to work her way entirely free without any additional incident was a mystery to even her, but manage it she did.

Standing free of him, she snapped out her tail like a whip, careful to avoid him and knocking anything else over. The sunlight that was beginning to filter through was thin, but it already seemed a warm caress, tugging her on and outwards. There was a certain bit of wanderlust that she had that kept her feet itchy - now that the action was over, she was eager to get hunting, and then on the road again.

“From here, it’s home again, right?” She couldn’t help the excitement that crept into her voice. As much as she enjoyed wandering, she also enjoyed coming home - happy to see her father, even her meddling mother, her older sister. And, well, “home” also meant the ability to take care of herself. Though the temporary hibernation had set her physical clock back a bit, all it took was the unconscious desire from Albus, the feel of his length pressed against their bodies, to almost make up for lost time. It would pain her to admit it, but she would need to say something. “If so, all the better. My Time is drawing near.” The last was said with, she hoped, appropriate nonchalance. A “Oh, hey, by the way, I’m about to turn into a lust-crazed lizard person for a week sooner than later, so, you know, might want to watch out for that - oh, hey, I think it’s supposed to rain tomorrow” tone that she hoped would convey some security. After all, Albus had been with her through several Times - and should know how to handle them by now. Typically it meant giving Taika space - though there had been the awkward situation or two where he hadn’t kept his space, and had been, somewhat, on the end of Taika’s affections.

It may have been easy at the time for Albus to have hand-waved it away, thinking that Taika was simply caught up in the moment, and certainly, there had been a bit of that. However, as she got older, had spent more time with him, the more her Time drew her closer to him. She took pains to put as much physical distance between the two of them as possible - even as it felt like her heart was being squeezed. He had his vows, and she meant to respect them. It was the very least she could do.

“Either way, I plan on catching enough to replenish that that I ate yesterday, and then, of course, to ensure that I have enough provisions for the road home.” She smiled at him, that faint quirking of her lips that was the ghost of a smile. Her hair was mussed from sleep, loosened from the bun that she typically wore it in, and cascaded down past her shoulders in almost a living mass of vibrant color.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Albus didn’t envy his squire the troubles he had during his Time. Keeping the chivalric virtue of chastity was hard enough without a biological imperative to breed on schedule. In the past, it had created a bit of awkwardness between the two of them, as Taika’s biology was a bit less picky about the gender of its romantic target than the man himself was. Albus knew how to handle it now, though. Some time in the wilderness alone would be just what Taika needed.

As for the hunting, Albus did hate missing it. He was barely any help at all, but it was so much fun to see his squire bring down game. Oh, Albus was a competent hunter, more than capable of feeding himself in the field. It was just that his contributions were always so meager compared to what Taika brought in. He wasn’t ashamed of it. Who could compete with a half-dragon anyway?

They walked outside, and Albus grabbed his bow off his pack. It was a short thing, unsuitable for battle but good for hunting. He was capable of shooting from horseback, but today they walked out on foot. They made quite a pair: the human knight and the half-dragon squire. Taika’s wild mane bounced in the mountain air. Albus felt refreshed, and he hoped Taika was comfortable. He still keenly remembered taking his unconscious friend off Boy’ back the night before, and he worried.

The morning went quickly, hiking through the mountains. Taika ranged ahead regularly, but Albus appreciated that he always came back to check with him. Albus was even getting some kills! He’d caught four rabbits and a goat so far! He was sure Taika was getting more, and he was also pretty sure he wasn’t going to get much more unless they dropped their kills back at the outpost. Dragging them around made him much too slow and loud to be very effective.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Overall, not a bad day’s work.

Hunting was as much luck as much as skill, if not moreso, and timing was everything. This time of year, animals were still out and about. The young were on their own now, and half of Taika’s time was spent simply watching the wildlife rather than avidly hunting. Just by remaining still, the forest in the mountains told her its story. Chipmunks and squirrels chattered to one another, guarded territory, while birds settled into the branches overhead. Rustling in the underbrush typically resulted in the occasional rabbit. She’d let many of them pass; it would be easier to bring down something much bigger to replenish what she’d nearly inhaled the night before. She was hoping that she could land a deer - a buck would be ideal.

So, she waited.




When she checked in with Albus, she had a fine young buck across her shoulders. “Young” would be the operative word; his antlers had barely begun to come in. “Not quite the trophy I would have wanted to thank them for their hospitality - but I think it will suffice, for now. What do you think?” She turned curious eyes to Albus. The ease with which she carried the buck was scarcely eyebrow-raising; it was something that a strong human male would have managed. Perhaps not as easily, but not impossible.

All the same, she set it down on the ground, kneeling to carefully set it on the grass. “I feel like I ate much more than that,” she mused, looking down at the creature’s eye socket. Like Albus, she preferred to hunt with a bow - though it was possible for her to use her bare hands alone to bring down whatever she went after. A testament to her marksmanship, the buck had met his end cleanly, with an arrow through the eye. “Though I don’t think it would be that easy to bring back more of his kind.” She nudged the still body with a booted foot. She’d forgone her armor this morning, but had managed to wrangle her hair back into its usual bun. With her hair away from her face, her horns caught the light and glistened. With her tail out and behind her, she looked as if she was more of a forest deity rather than a simple squire.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“I wouldn’t worry about it. They seemed to have plenty. We’ll offer them your deer, and my rabbits and goat we’ll butcher for our travel rations.” Albus knew the dorchalfe would appreciate the deer, but he was pretty sure they didn’t even need it. Corporal Jahl had told him that hunting was part of their acclimation training, and even last night it had seemed like they had plenty of meat available. Of course, a good knight would only take so much advantage of hospitality, and Albus agreed with his friend that they should bring back what they could to replenish the dorchalfe’s stores.

Albus smiled at Taika. The man was a fearsome and beautiful image, standing on the mountainside, horns shining in the midmorning light. Even Albus, who had no physical attraction to men, could admit that there was something intriguing and enticing about his squire’s appearance. He attributed it to the man’s dragon half, adding just a bit of danger and exoticism to his otherwise human features.

Albus picked up his animals, and they walked back to the dark elf outpost. Most of the elves were sleeping, but they nodded to the guards on duty and received salutes in turn. Albus smiled to notice that it was the same two elves that had propositioned Taika and himself the night before. In hindsight it made sense that it would be them. They must have been sleeping during the night in order to be well rested for guard duty today. Almost as soon as they entered the outpost, they heard one of the guards call out.

“Rider!”

Albus sat his quarry down and walked back to the gate to get a look at who was riding in. He could tell by the horse’s gait that it was a courier. This wasn’t a leisurely trot, but neither was there any panic or aggression. It was also small enough to be a dorchalfe, likely riding from Stadtiefe. His suspicions were confirmed when she rode in, dismounting immediately and addressing him.

“Sir Chevalier?”

“Yes, soldier…”

“Private Mori, sir. I was sent with a message for Corporal Jahl, but Knight Captain Capimacha asked me to pass this along for you. It came from the capital.”

Albus accepted the envelope from her hand as one of the guards came down to speak to her.

“Private Mori, Corporal Jahl is sleeping in the tower.”

The courier thanked her, and Albus turned over the envelope in his hand. The stationery was fine, and the wax seal unbroken. He took a deep breath. While his loyalty to the sender was unquestionable, his affection for him was often strained. Those complicated emotions weighed heavily on him as he held the seemingly innocuous paper in his hand.

Albus turned to his friend. “Taika, it’s from my father.”