CHAPTER 15: Falling in love & flying from fear

Kendra woke from her impromptu nap in her tiny airship feeling groggy. Her entire body ached and was sore like she'd done a full body workout. She stayed under the blanket, not wanting to face the real world just yet.

It didn't make sense.

That blasted dragon didn't make a lick of sense.

The fact that she hadn't killed him didn't make any sense either. She'd had him dead to rights; close enough that she wouldn't miss and he couldn't have dodged, but far enough that he couldn't have charged her before she'd loosed the arrow.

She had him.

Why had she let him go?

Why?

Eventually she stopped letting her brain run in circles, pulled the blanket off and sat up. It was mid-morning and the sun was shining down. Its rays were casting intricate patterns on the ground below through the clouds and leaves. The river beneath her airship filled the air with the relaxing sound of running water. The birds were singing and small animals were sneaking up to the river to take a drink of water.

It was a little slice of paradise.

It was the kind of view that she wanted to have outside the window of her house one day. You know, when she actually owned a house. It was peaceful, serene, and stood in stark contrast to the uncertainty in her soul. She sat there just listening and watching for several minutes, hoping her dark mood would lift. It did, but not fully. It was hard to remain depressed amid such natural beauty and serenity.

She breathed deeply and exhaled slowly.

She needed to figure this out, and she couldn't do it alone. That only left one option: she needed to return to Arcanum and talk this over with Falkaan. He was the only one who might possibly have some insight. Plus, she needed to talk this out with someone, and she literally didn't know anyone else.

Well, there was Luminar Kossel. But there was no way she would even consider telling him about it.

The decision made, Kendra hauled up the anchor and made ready to set sail. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. She needed to know why she had failed. More importantly, she needed to figure out what kind of hold this dragon had on her because she didn't like it.

Not one bit.

* * *

Rachel leaned over the side of the Argo for the dozenth time that morning. Ethan and Alana were still down below and appeared to be talking, but she was too far away to hear what they said. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but they had been down there for a long time; long after Alana appeared to be fully recovered.

Finally, they started climbing the rope ladder.

When they reached the top, Alana went directly to her and quietly said. "Can you join Ethan and I in the captain's cabin?"

"Sure, why?"

"You'll see." The wood elf whispered with a smile.

Her curiosity peaked, Rachel followed the chocolate-haired elf while Ethan told Anthiel to set a course for Taloni's mine

"Okay, what's going on?" The redhead asked curiously when they were all in the room and the door was shut.

"Beth's alive." Ethan said with the biggest smile she had seen in a long time. "Okay, not technically alive, but she's walking around."

The redhead grimaced. "A zombie? Or a revenant? How did you run afoul of a necromancer? They are probably the most dangerous people in the Ten Kingdoms."

"Not like that." Alana said shaking her head, and curiously she had a rather wide smile on her face too.

"She's walking around on the Astral Plane." Ethan explained. "And further, she can touch things in this world."

"Nope, that's not how it works." Rachel shook her head. "All of the great mages say you can't affect the normal world while on the Astral Plane."

"Beth, would you give our Doubting Thomas a poke?" Ethan said to no one in particular.

"Who's Doubting Thom- hey!" Rachel jumped back as something poked her in the shoulder.

Ethan and Alana had identical grins plastered on their faces.

"Beth?" Rachel said aloud.

Something gently tapped her shoulder twice.

"We've been taps to communicate; two taps for yes, one tap for no." Ethan explained.

"So, you're saying Beth is in the room and on the Astral Plane?" Rachel asked.

Tap, tap.

"Pretty much." Ethan replied.

"That's... that's just incredible." She breathed. She had heard of people traveling the Astral Plane before, but doing so after death? And being able to touch things in the normal world while in the Astral Plane? That was completely new.

"How?" The red-headed teen asked.

Ethan shrugged. "We can only get so far with yes-or-no questions. Even getting her name and that she was on the Astral Plane took some time."

"So that's what you were doing under the Argo for so long." Rachel nodded. "Well, it's good to see you Beth, though can't actually see you." She said wryly.

Tap, tap. Which Rachel took to mean "you too."

The redhead looked around the rather small group of people in the captain's cabin. "Why didn't you want to tell the others?"

"Two reasons." Alana said.

Ethan nodded. "First, I don't know how Kendra keeps finding out were we are, so I didn't want to say it in the open."

"Makes sense." Rachel nodded. "What's the second reason?"

Alana grinned. "I thought Raklan could be taken down a peg or two. Beth agreed."

Tap, tap.

Rachel started chuckling. "That's going to be priceless."

Ethan's eyes twinkled. "Just wait, it's getting near lunchtime and he always eats early."

After taking a moment to imagine that - which brought a huge smile to her face -Rachel took a moment to process the scene before her.

She rather vividly recalled the tension between Alana and Beth before the blonde's death... Or maybe she should say half-death? Partial death? Anyway, she also vividly recalled how unhappy the wood elf had been when Beth was around, mostly because the blonde had been keeping her from Ethan.

However, Alana didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable right now. In fact, she looked radiantly happy.

Rachel didn't understand.

Alana and Beth had been cordial before - the elf more than the human - but there was unavoidable tension because they were both in love with the same man. For some reason, that tension seemed to have completely disappeared. In its place was a positively glowing wood elf who didn't seem bothered by the idea of having a romantic rival - or former romantic rival - walking around the ship being able to see and hear everything.

Why?

Why wasn't she bothered?

And of course, there was another romantic rival about to enter the picture in the young Fey girl, Taloni. She could see that situation becoming a nightmare with three women all vying for the affections of a single man. She'd never seen such a thing end well before.

Ever.

She frowned. "So, have you talked to Beth about our young Fey friend?"

"Not yet." Ethan shook his head. "Probably should have mentioned it sooner though."

"Beth." Alana said with a smile. "Are you okay with sharing Ethan with a young Fey who's fallen head-over-heals in love with him?"

Moments, later, Alana's smile got even wider. "Yeah, I didn't think it'll be a problem."

"Wait, you're okay with that Beth?" Rachel asked.

Tap, tap.

"Two taps means yes... right?" The flame-haired teen asked.

"Yup." Ethan said, and he seemed to have noticed it was strange also. "This can't be a coincidence. Both of you were very upset at the idea of 'sharing me' just a few weeks ago. What changed?"

"I don't know." Alana shrugged. "Would you rather we were fighting like golems and trolls?"

"No, I just think it's..."

"...strange?" Rachel suggested. "I don't think it's a coincidence either."

"Oh?" Ethan and Alana said at the exact same time, then simultaneously glanced at each other and got identical dopey grins.

Rachel couldn't help but smile; their synchronicity was incredible sometimes. She turned to Ethan "If I had to guess, I'd say it's a side effect of you bonding with multiple women. You seem to have somehow made them all okay with sharing you." She tried to keep any note of accusation out of her voice, but wasn't entirely successful.

"Yeah, that would make sense." Alana nodded, leaning her head on Ethan's shoulder and saying with a chuckle. "I suppose it's a good thing, otherwise we might kill each other."

Rachel didn't react outwardly, but her friend's casual acceptance of such a deep change was unsettling to her. She was glad Alana wasn't upset anymore, but she wasn't sure that this was better. She didn't like the possibility that Ethan had changed her best friend, even though she was sure he'd done it unconsciously. To his credit, it seemed to bother him too, judging by the expression on his face.

"And this change doesn't bother you?" Ethan asked the wood elf.

She picked her head up off his shoulder and looked at him shrugging. "Should it?"

"It would bother me if I thought I was being changed without my knowledge or consent." He replied.

She nodded. "I suppose it should bother me too, but it doesn't. Not in the slightest."

"Beth, does it bother you?" He asked, paused a moment, then looked at the two visible women with a slight frown. "Apparently not."

Rachel pursed her lips.

Something wasn't right about this. She'd heard that men with multiple wives could encounter problems with them getting along, and this seemed like a built-in solution. However, that didn't make it a good solution. It raised all kinds of red flags for her. If she didn't know Ethan the way she did, she would've been very worried for his wives.

"Wow; you'll have three wives by the day's end." Alana mused.

"Scary thought." He agreed.

Alana gave him a seductive look. Moments later he got a look of pure shock on his face. His head whipped around to look at the wood elf so fast that Rachel was surprised he didn't strain something.

"What happened to the innocent wood elf I married?" He wondered aloud.

"What did she-" Rachel began, but then stopped and shook her head. "No, never mind; I don't want to know."

Alana looked at Rachel and opened her mouth, but then turned beet red and closed it again.

"Speak your mind Rachel." Ethan said. "I can tell there's something brewing in that brilliant brain of yours, and you're usually pretty dead on."

Rachel considered. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn't sure she wanted to say it with Beth and Alana in the room. Not knowing what to say, she remained silent.

Alana stared at her for a moment and then cocked her head to one side. "Would it be easier if Beth and I left?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Alana stood up. "Come on Beth; let's go have some fun with Raklan." The wood elf kissed Ethan on the cheek then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"You know," Rachel said after the door had closed behind her best friend. "She's absolutely crazy about you."

"Yeah. I'm not sure why, but yeah; she is." He agreed with a huge smile before getting more serious. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about them." She indicated the two women who had just left. "I know you'd die before letting any harm come to Alana, and I think the same is true of Taloni and Beth. But that only applies to intentional harm."

"You think I'm harming them unintentionally?"

"I don't know." Rachel ran her hands through her hair. "It's possible though. I think we can agree that they've changed. They used to compete for you and now it seems like they almost enjoy sharing you. You can't deny they've changed."

"They have." He nodded. "I definitely didn't do it on purpose, but I do think that I - or maybe my dragon side - is what changed them."

"Agreed." She nodded. "I suppose this change isn't too terrible because it's likely to make all of you a lot less stressed. I don't like it, but that's not what concerns me."

"What does?"

"You've changed them once without your knowledge." Rachel said with a somber expression. "So here's the question: What if more changes are coming without your knowledge?"

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I don't know."

"Me either; and that's what scares me."

He sighed heavily. "This dragon thing is a major pain in the ass."

"Then maybe you just need a tail-ectomy." Rachel said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood.

He blinked at her, then chuckled and looked at her like he was seeing something new for the first time. "You're funny. You've been on the ship for weeks and I only just realized that."

She glanced at the door through which his wives had just exited. "You've been busy."

"Well thank you." He said. "I always appreciate your counsel. You're wise beyond your years, you know that?"

"Thank you." She smiled. For some reason, she always felt better after he complimented her, even more than other people. She wasn't sure why, but she definitely did.

"I need to think about this for a bit." He finally said. "Do you mind giving me the room?"

"Not at all." She turned toward the door, then felt compelled to add: "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't. You're a good friend Rachel."

"Likewise." She replied, only realizing it was true after the words had escaped her lips.

She left before he could reply...

Then stopped short.

She nearly burst out laughing at the sight before her.

Raklan appeared to be trying to eat something out of a bowl with a spoon. But every time he tried to take a bite, the spoon was pushed slightly off course, spilling the contents. He was now holding the bowl directly under his mouth, but the dribble of food down his front told of several failed attempts before he had taken that precaution.

Alana was leaning up against the railing and clutching her stomach in silent laughter. Her face was red from laughing and there were tears coming out of her merry eyes.

Finally Raklan gave up and flung the whole bowl and spoon over the side of the ship, muttering: "I was that hungry anyway."

Rachel caught the wood elf's eye

They both nearly doubled over in silent laughter.

* * *

Taloni had no words for what she was currently feeling. There was a nervous, restless feeling in her that she just couldn't shake. She had gone for a run, done all her meditation exercises, prayed, and even tried... She could barely bring herself to think about it; she'd... 'touching' herself to get rid of the feeling.

It wouldn't leave.

It was like something inside of her had awoken when she bonded with Ethan. She suspected it was a side effect of her Fey heritage, but there were no adult Fey around to ask. She just felt so... so...

She groaned in frustration.

She felt like her body was going to explode if she didn't do something about this feeling. She needed some kind of release; some way to let the pent up pressure escape. Unfortunately, she didn't have a way. The feeling seemed concentrated around her hips and chest, and nothing seemed to alleviate it.

Nothing.

Her dreams were filled with visions of her naked on a bed with Ethan. She couldn't quite tell what they were doing, but she knew it's what she desperately wanted. Sometimes, Alana - and occasionally Rachel - were there helping her and guiding her so she could pleasure Ethan better. Sometimes, one of the women was even more... involved.

She turned beet red at the memory of what she'd dreamed of last night and how the wood elf had touched her. At the same time, it made the area between her legs incredibly wet. She couldn't believe that such a thing had occurred to her. But her mind occasionally drifted back to the dream in which-

"Tee!" Prayla said.

Taloni jumped, not realizing her friend was talking to her.

"I swear girl, where has your mind been?"

"Somewhere." She replied evasively, looking around the shack in which she lived to see her best friend had just entered through the rickety door.

Prayla raised her eyebrow. "It's been four days, and he said he was just going to Arcanum to buy something. If he was going to come back, he would've already."

The Fey shook her head. "No, he wouldn't leave me."

She remembered that one brief glimpse of him she'd gotten when they had bonded. It was like seeing a town from the sky, except it was his personality and soul that was laid out before her. She couldn't remember anything specific, but she got a very strong sense of who he was.

He wouldn't leave her.

She knew that.

She knew it with a certainty she couldn't explain; she knew it in her heart and in her bones.

"Come on Tee, I know you've been dreaming of escaping this mine for your entire life, but you can't keep your head in the clouds. I wish he was coming back for you too, but it's time to face the facts."

Prayla sat down next to Taloni and looked her in the eyes. "He's gone Tee. You need to make peace with that."

"I don't think-" Taloni started to say, but was interrupted by the alarm bell.

"Airship Ho!" A sentry cried. "Airship ho! North by northwest!"

"It's him." Taloni said with a huge smile, then jumped off her bed and ran out the door.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was high in the sky and shining, as it was nearing noon. The sky itself was a nearly cloudless blue, though not too hot and a slight breeze blew through the mining camp. On the horizon, she could see the Argo slowly approaching and her heart soared.

The Fey heard Prayla follow her out and turned to give her a wide smirk. "I told you he'd never leave me."

Prayla looked dumbstruck.

The look of disbelief didn't leave her friend's face as the Argo approached, nor when its ladder was rolled down, nor when Ethan - with his disguise gem activated - climbed down, followed by Alana and Rachel.

Taloni threw her arms around Prayla and gave her a huge hug. "I'm going to miss you. You've been a wonderful friend and I'll never forget you. I might even come back and visit if I can."

Prayla hugged her back. On instinct at first, then more tightly as she seemed to come back to herself. She hugged the Fey girl so tightly she thought she might suffocate.

The human girl sniffled. "I'm going to miss you to Tee. You better visit, or I'll sic the dragon hunters on you to bring you back."

Taloni chuckled.

Prayla cried.

They held each other for almost a minute before letting go. When they did, the two young women had tears of both sadness and joy.

"You can get out of this hellhole Tee." Prayla said as she wiped her eyes. "Go, leave, and promise me you'll make a wonderful life for yourself out there."

"I will." The Fey nodded.

"Good, now go see that fiancé of yours."

Taloni nodded and ran toward him. She wasn't really thinking, and only slowed when she realized that Thaltien had already come out to meet him. She stopped just short of them and resisted the urge to throw her arms around Ethan's neck and kiss him.

They were standing at the edge of town. Thaltien had several armed guards nearby, obviously still not trusting the dragon near his mine. However, the guards looked relaxed, so perhaps they didn't know that Ethan was a dragon. Come to think of it, she and Prayla hadn't told anyone, nor had she heard rumors around the camp. Perhaps Thaltien hadn't told anyone either?

"So, the dragon is dead?" Thaltien asked.

"No, but he's gone." Ethan replied. "Your mine is safe."

"That wasn't the deal." Thaltien said gruffly. "You were supposed to kill the dragon in exchange for me freeing Taloni. Driving it away just means it'll return later."

"If I may?" Rachel interjected. "We drove the dragon away, meaning his hoard is unprotected. We didn't take any of it because we had injured that needed tending. I don't know how large Havorleth's hoard was, but I'll bet it's large enough to buy Taloni's freedom ten times over."

Thaltien harrumphed. "I suppose that's true... if the dragon is really gone."

"Feel free to double check." Ethan said. "His lair isn't that far from here."

Thaltien called several of his most trusted scouts forward, got directions, and dispatched them at speed on horses to verify Ethan's story.

"Until they return, Taloni is not to leave the camp." Thaltien said, then abruptly turned and walked away. Ethan watched him go, the scales on his shoulders seemed to have risen threateningly...

Then he saw her.

He seemed to relax and a wide smile crossed his face.

"Hi." The diminutive Fey said sheepishly.

"Hi." He replied, his disguise gem not hiding his true form from her eyes.

She felt a small burst of happiness come over their fledgling bond. It made her heart melt and her loins shiver. She couldn't wait until tonight. Once those riders had returned and Thaltien had freed her, she planned to... to... Every part of her body screamed to do something, but she was only vaguely aware of what that thing was. Or rather, she was having trouble admitting to herself what she wanted to do.

Alana caught her eye and winked. Somehow, she got the impression that the wood elf knew exactly what she was feeling.

"Um, hi?" She said again, not knowing what else to say.

"You already said that." Ethan chuckled, but she didn't get the sense he was laughing at her. "How have you been?"

"Um, I've been good. I think." She was suddenly very self-conscious.

She was keenly aware that she hadn't fixed her hair or her dress. She hadn't done anything to fix herself up to be more attractive. She glanced at Alana, who looked radiate and radiantly happy. She was so beautiful and Taloni didn't know how she could compare.

"Um, how are you?" She finally said as she tried to surreptitiously smooth out her dress. She also ran a hand through her hair nervously, hoping to smooth it out.

Apparently, Alana saw right through her because she put a hand on his shoulder as he was about to reply. "Ethan, its Taloni's wedding day. The groom isn't supposed to see the bride on the wedding day; it's bad luck. Would it be okay if I go help Taloni prepare, and you can wait here?"

"Uh...?" He looked at her confused. Alana tilted her head slightly, there was a brief pause, and then he nodded like he'd heard something and turned back to the Fey girl. "Sure, I'll see you later."

Alana nearly skipped forward, hooking Taloni's arm in her own and leading her away. Once they were out of earshot, she whispered into Taloni's ear. "Don't be nervous; it'll all be okay."

"Are you sure?" The Fey bit her lip and honestly felt a little inadequate next to the gorgeous wood elf. She just seemed to glow with inner happiness which made her look at least twice as beautiful as the Fey teen remembered.

She just wasn't sure she could compare in Ethan's eyes.

"I'm absolutely sure." The wood elf beamed, then stopped and looked at her. "What's wrong?"

Taloni looked into Alana's beautiful hazel eyes, down at the ground, then back up. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"Oh dear girl." The shorter wood elf rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you know what Ethan went through so he could free you?"

The Fey shook her head.

"Well then, let me tell you. I promise your doubts will disappear when you hear what he went through to save you."

* * *

Hailey leaned her willowy frame over the edge of the Argo's railing, looking down on Alana leading a nervous Taloni away from a slightly confused Ethan. The sight did her heart good. When she thought about everything they had gone through - about everything she had put them through - she thought they deserved nothing more than a happy ending.

Her though...

She still had nightmares about killing the champion. She still had a hard time imagining Jason smiling at her. She didn't know what she would do if she wasn't able to go home, or even if she was able to. Either way, she didn't know how she would live with herself.

"As Ethan would say, penny for your thoughts?" Anthiel's melodious voice came from behind her. The high elf was drop dead gorgeous as ever. Today, she was dressed in a flowery dress with leather breeches. The contrast was odd, though somehow it worked

"I'm just thinking." Hailey deflected.

Anthiel wasn't fooled. "I know, that's why I asked."

Hailey hung her head, letting her long straight hair partially conceal her face. "I killed him, the champion I mean. He absolutely deserved to die, but I can't forgive myself for killing him. He was horrible; the scum of the earth and yet I can't..."

She turn to the elf. "Why?"

Anthiel nodded. "We've been rather busy of late, but I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"You have?"

"I have." The high elf nodded. "I've been meaning to ask you, why did you kill him?" For some reason, Hailey got the impression that Anthiel wasn't asking because she didn't know, but rather because she had something to say on the topic.

"Because I wasn't smart enough to avoid digging two graves." Hailey replied, thinking about the popular saying.

"Oh?" The high elf looked skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure; I was there wasn't I?"

Anthiel looked out into the cloudless blue sky. "I wasn't there, so could you describe what happened after Ethan arrived?"

Hailey did so, the event not feeling so traumatic now. The old man in the prison had been right; talking about it had helped. Anthiel listened almost without comment until she finished.

"So, you had left the room and your anger was gone. You returned to the room when he shouted for the guards. Is that right?"

Hailey nodded.

"And you threw the knife right after... What?"

"After he threatened to hurt Vienne."

"So did you kill him for yourself - for revenge - or did you do it for your friend?"

"I... I don't know." Hailey suddenly wasn't sure and turned to look at Anthiel.

The elder woman had a knowing look on her face. "That's what I thought. Hailey, you know from personal experience that killing another person is a terrible weight on the soul. But the reason matters. Take Alana for example. I think we can agree that she's one of the sweetest, most tenderhearted women in this world. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes."

"Even before she bonded to Ethan, she killed a couple men and yet it has never bothered her. And while I cannot be perfectly certain, I think you can guess why."

"It was self-defense?" Hailey suggested.

"That's probably part of it, but I doubt it's the whole reason why it doesn't bother her."

"Oh." Hailey said as she realized what Anthiel was getting at. "You mean it's because she did it in defense of others."

Anthiel nodded. "So I repeat my earlier question: why did you kill him?"

Hailey closed her eyes and thought back. She had left the room and only returned when he had shouted for the guards. She'd been standing there when he had started to threaten Vienne. She had just reacted on instinct. She remembered thinking that she couldn't let anything happen to Vienne and that as long as he was alive, she - and Hailey herself - would be in danger.

"Huh." Hailey cocked her head to one side. "Maybe it wasn't about revenge. Maybe I just assumed it was because that's all I've thought about."

"That's my point." Anthiel smiled. "It didn't take long to see you're racked with guilt, but I don't think you need to be. You may have gone there to kill him for revenge, but that's not why you ended up killing him. You killed him in self-defense and to save the life of another; who could fault you for that?"

"You have a point." Hailey replied.

"I know." Anthiel said with a wink.

* * *

Having made good time with ideal wind, it was only late afternoon when Kendra landed her tiny airship in the Arcanum docks. She couldn't help but contrast it with the last time she had docked less than a week ago. The last time, she had enjoyed returning to civilization. The stench of the dock, the bustle of the crowds, and the excitement of hunting a dragon had made her nearly elated.

Now...

Now she didn't know what to think.

She paid the dock fee, ignoring the hopeful eye of the dock master who was obviously hoping for another gold coin. She walked nearly on autopilot to Falkaan's ship; The Midnight Sun. She boarded without preamble or announcing herself.

"Hey captain, she's back." A grizzled man yelled from the quarterdeck. She assumed it was Damon, his pilot.

"Kendra." Falkaan's voice came from the hold and she heard someone ascending the steps. "I trust your hunt was successful and you're returning with-" He stopped when he saw her. He stared at her appraisingly for a moment, then beckoned her below decks.

She followed almost mechanically, her legs carrying her forward without conscious effort on her part. He led her to a small table below decks and poured her a small glass of mead.

She downed it in one gulp.

"What happened?" He asked.

She told him.

She told him the whole story.

She told him everything, leaving nothing out as she had done before. She told him about Luminar Kossel's prediction, she told him the full story of The Arena, where the dragon had killed her and then saved her life. She told him about tracking them down and how she had let a dragon order her around. And finally, she told him about the dragon saving her life again and the emotion behind his eyes when he spoke about the wood elf.

She left nothing out.

Falkaan leaned back in his chair and stroked his goatee. He was silent for several moments before replying. "You have a problem Kendra; a very serious problem."

"I know."

"I don't think you do. For most of your life, you've harbored an intense hatred of dragons. For as long as I've known you, you always referred to every single dragon as an 'it'; never a 'he'. The thing that stuck out most about your story was your use of pronouns."

He leaned forward. "You never once called this dragon 'it'; you only said 'he'. You even called the other dragon which they fought an 'it'. But this steel gray dragon - this Ethan - you only ever referred to him as 'he' or 'him'; never 'it'. Did you notice?"

"I think so?" She replied.

"You changed Kendra." Falkaan sighed. "You changed a fundamental part of how you view dragons, or at least this dragon."

"You might be right."

"You fell for it Kendra." He shook his head. "How many times have we been tricked by dragons? How many times did their primal cunning put us - our whole team - in jeopardy? How many times have they proven to be snakes with wings, and just as devoted to the truth?"

"True, but you didn't see him."

"Kendra, Mr. Damon and I have talked about this at length. There's clearly something about this dragon that's unusual. From the beginning, the reward was too large. I suspected there was something else going on; that his crimes were more serious than Lord Delmar would admit. I even entertained the idea that this dragon might be different for a time, but consider his actions. Everywhere this dragon goes, death and destruction follow."

"True." She conceded.

"I know you're more religious than most in our line of work. Doesn't the Book of Light talk about how to tell the righteous from the wicked?"

"You will know them by their deeds." She quoted.

"Exactly." He nodded. "At a certain point, you have to look at the full balance of what someone has done."

She looked at Falkaan. "Maybe the death and destruction that follow him are because he's being attacked? I was responsible for much of the destruction, and you for some of the rest. Maybe he's not evil, maybe he's being attacked?"

The dark elf gave her a strange look. "Do you hear yourself Kendra? You're defending a dragon."

She groaned.

"Shit; I am." She grabbed the bottle of mead, filled her small glass and downed it in one go. "What in Saidow's Lair is wrong with me?"

"I don't know." He replied sympathetically.

"He saved my life." She added quietly. "Why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense. He had nothing to gain by saving me and everything to lose... both times."

It was Falkaan's turn to consider. "True. I'll admit that doesn't make sense."

They were both silent for almost a minute before Kendra spoke again. "Saving my life once didn't make sense. Twice? It's inconceivable. And how in God's name did he use lightning? That's supposed to be Illuminar's own weapon; a weapon of pure light being wielded by a dragon? It doesn't make sense!"

She pounded the table in frustration.

It was maddening.

Infuriating...

...and yet...

"Do you really think this dragon might not be evil?" Falkaan asked, and it was an honest question. He sounded doubtful, but he was asking.

"I have no fucking clue." Kendra sighed. "I really don't."

She touched her dragon tooth necklace. She had been so determined to take revenge on all dragons for what they had done. But had she missed something? Were all dragons really just beasts without feeling or human emotion, or was this one possibly more?

"There's only one thing to be done." Falkaan said. "We already have the official story from Lord Delmar. But remember what happened to me; sometimes the official story isn't the whole story. You need to find this dragon again and get his side of the story."

She snorted. "Yeah, like he would tell me. I tried to kill him a couple of times now, he'd probably attack me on sight."

"Perhaps, but he also saved your life twice when he didn't have to." Falkaan countered. "If this dragon really is different - if he really isn't as bad as all the rest of them - then he might hear you out."

Kendra frowned. "I doubt it."

"Then perhaps discretion is the better part of valor. Track him, stalk him; see where he goes, see what he does, and you'll see his true character eventually. Sooner or later, you'll learn the truth."

"I hate it when you're right."

"I can't help it; it comes naturally." He smiled.

She tried to laugh, but it came out more like a snort.

"And hang onto that Dragon Slayer too, Illuminar knows I can't use it." He glanced at the stump of his arm.

"Thank you."

She reached for the bottle again but he intercepted her hand. "Mead won't help, Kendra. You need to get to the bottom of this, if only for your own sanity."

She nodded and withdrew her hand.

"Then I should get going." She stood up. "I have a pretty good idea where they are, but once they've left..."

He nodded and stood up too. "It was wonderful to see you Kendra. I hope our paths cross again soon."

"That would be great; take care old man." She said affectionately.

"God-speed Kendra. I hope you find the truth."

"Me too." She nodded. "Me too."

* * *

"He really did all that?" Taloni asked when Alana had finished her story.

The wood elf nodded. "Absolutely. You're a wonderful girl Taloni. He might not know what to do with two wives yet, but he definitely likes you."

"You think so?"

"Oh dear girl." Alana swept the slightly taller Fey into a huge hug. "Of course he does. Why, anyone can see you're a delightful girl, not to mention beautiful... and he's not blind."

The Fey nodded, then looked around the shack they were in. It was where she slept with several other young ladies who didn't have family in the mining camp, including Prayla. Right now though, Alana had turned it into a makeshift prep room. She had spent quite a while primping and fussing over the Fey girl's hair, and they'd gone through her clothes trying to find something suitable while the wood elf told the story.

Taloni felt like she could cry with happiness. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Alana opened her mouth, closed it, and then cocked her head to one side. "Would you prefer I was mean?"

"No!" she replied a little too fast. "I just mean that... you know, from what I've seen women don't like it when another girl makes a move on their guy."

"Ah, but he's not 'my guy'; I'm 'his girl'. That makes all the difference."

"I don't understand. How can you be 'his girl' if he's not 'your guy'?"

"It's... complicated." The wood elf replied. "I could try to explain it, but I get the feeling you'll understand perfectly once Ethan takes you to bed tonight."

Taloni felt her cheeks grow warm and had a sudden urge to hide behind the nearest large object. She also had a completely opposite urge centered on her hips that made her want to go tackle Ethan and... and let him do what Alana had just mentioned.

She settled for hiding her face behind her hands as she sank onto a chair.

Alana knelt in front of her and spoke softly; kindly. "Taloni, there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Those urges are completely normal and healthy. In a few hours, you'll be able to act on them, and it'll be absolutely fantastic."

She didn't move her hands. "Are you sure?"

"That it's normal or that it'll be fantastic?" Alana asked.

"Both."

"Oh, well actually I'm sure of both." She said with a huge grin.

Taloni felt a comforting hand on her knee. She didn't understand why the wood elf was being so nice. Weren't women supposed to be mean when someone threatened to take their man?

"Are you sure it's okay though?" She peaked through her hands. "I mean, you don't mind that tonight I'm going to... well, you know."

"Why would I mind?" The wood elf gave her a seductive smile.

Taloni was forcibly reminded of a certain dream she'd had and suddenly had trouble forming a coherent sentence. "I... Uh, um... I don't know?"

"I certainly don't mind. In fact, I brought it up with Ethan earlier today."

"You... you did?"

"Of course. Do you want to know what I said?"

Taloni nodded.

Alana slid onto a seat next to her, leaned close and whispered into her ear. Her voice was soft and slow, like a she imagined a lover might speak. "I asked if I could be there when he takes you to bed."

Taloni felt her brain freeze.

She understood every word that the wood elf had said, but the order in which the words were assembled didn't make any sense at all. How could she want to be there? Why did she want to be there? She moved her mouth soundlessly as she tried to get the words out, but they wouldn't come.

Alana leaned back slightly so she was close, but not whispering into her ear. "He said that was fine with him as long as you didn't mind."

Taloni was struck by the rich hazel color in Alana's eyes. They were filled with kindness, compassion, and more than a little arousal.

She didn't know what to say.

She was mortified at the thought of being naked with just Ethan; she couldn't imagine taking her clothes off in front of Ethan's gorgeous first wife. What if she didn't measure up? What if Ethan was more interested in the brunette than herself?

"You're really nervous about tonight, aren't you?" The chocolate-haired elf asked.

She nodded.

Alana looked at her long and hard. "It would make you really uncomfortable if I was there, wouldn't it."

She hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Okay, then never mind." Alana said with a smile. She did look a bit disappointed, but seemed more concerned for the Fey than for herself. She put her hand on Taloni's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It will be fine; Ethan is an amazing lover. Just let him take the lead and everything will work out perfectly."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." Alana beamed. "Now, let's get you all dolled up for your wedding."

"But, aren't we already married?"

"Certainly bonded, and he would probably admit you're married. But do you really want to skip the wedding ceremony?"

It was Taloni's turn to beam.

She was sure the ceremony wouldn't be much given the short notice, but she thought it could be nice.

Prayla joined them a bit later, after finishing a mysterious errand about which she refused to say anything. She kept giving Taloni little cat-that-ate-the-canary grins though. Alana seemed to know something about it too, but wouldn't share either.

The two of them spent the next several hours fussing over Taloni to make her look absolutely perfect for her wedding. Alana turned out to be quite good with fabric and thread. Prayla had conned one of the other girls in camp out of a white dress, which Alana altered to fit Taloni perfectly. She even made slits in the back for the Fey's wings.

They spent a long time doing her hair and Prayla horse-traded her way into a little bit of makeup. It felt slightly foreign on the Fey teen's face, but once she saw herself in a mirror she thought it was all worth it.

"I look-" She stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"Absolutely stunning." Alana finished.

Her sun-kissed skin positively glowed. Part of her long, silky, honey-blonde hair was elegantly twisted into bun on top of her head, leaving the rest to flow down in such a way as to set off her face. She had always been described as 'cute' before, but this was the first time she actually felt beautiful.

The dress accentuated her breasts, making them appear large enough to notice, whereas before she always felt flat-chested. The dress also lengthened the line of her legs, making her look like a real woman.

She sighed.

Alana hugged her from behind, a proud smile on her face as she rested her chin on the Fey's shoulder. "Oh yeah, you're going to drive Ethan nuts."

"I am?"

"Absolutely, in the best way possible." The wood elf said with absolute conviction. "He's going to be drooling over you before he-" She glanced at Prayla, then whispered into her ear. "-before he tears your clothes off and makes you feel better than you ever thought possible."

Alana's warm breath on her neck plus the idea of being naked with Ethan... She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Damn girl, what happened?" Prayla said. "I've been trying to get you interested in guys for years now, and you acted like an ice queen. Now, you're like a total nympho."

"That's not... I mean, I wasn't-" She started to say, but was interrupted when the door to the room opened and Thaltien walked in.

"The scouts are back." He said without preamble. "The dragon wasn't lying, so you're free. Turn around and I'll remove the collar."

Taloni stared.

"What?" She finally got out.

"The dragon bought your freedom." Thalitien replied simply. "Turn around and I'll remove the slave collar."

She blinked.

That was it?

After eighteen long years of yearning for her freedom, could it really be over that quickly?

Alana smiled. "Turn around, unless you want to be wearing that in front of Ethan tonight."

She turned around almost automatically and pulled her hair off the back of her neck. Thaltien walked up, she felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck, a slight tingle as he used a bit of magic on the collar - which was enchanted to only respond to his unique mana signature - and then the collar fell off and laid on the floor in front of her.

She stared at it.

That one small strip of leather had held her captive for most of her life; now she was free. It had happened completely without warning or ceremony. It all felt a little anticlimactic.

"I always liked you Taloni." Thaltien said gruffly in an almost fatherly way after scooping the collar off the floor. "When things don't work out with that dragon, come on back and I'll pay you good; no collar needed." He turned to leave, then stopped at the door and glanced back. "You look good." He grunted, then left.

"Well that was-" Alana started to say, but didn't seem to have the word.

"-abrupt?" Prayla nodded. "That's Thaltien."

"Congratulations!" Alana exclaimed as she gave Taloni another big hug. Prayla made it a group hug moments later. They both squeezed her so tight she felt like she would be flatter than a pancake when they were done. When they did finish, she took a couple of deep breaths.

Prayla then pulled Alana aside, whispered something in her ear, and then turned to Taloni. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go outside." And with that, she rushed out the door.

"What's she up to?" Taloni asked.

"Just finishing up some plans now you're officially free. Hang on, I've got to tell Ethan something..." Alana said, her eyes looked unfocused for a moment, then turned back to the Fey girl. "You'll see."

Prayla returned a few minutes later smiling from ear to ear.

"What?" Taloni asked.

"Oh, you'll see." Prayla said in a sing-song voice.

Taloni went to look through the door, but Prayla blocked her way. "Trust me, just wait."

"It'll be okay." Alana said with a mischievous smile. "And I promise you won't regret it."

Taloni could feel the old Fey curiosity creeping up on her, but she decided to try her best to curb it.

It didn't work.

Alana and Prayla tag-teamed her for the next hour, double checking her outfit, perfecting her hair, and doing anything else they could think of to keep her inside. By the time they got her lined up at the door, she was burning with curiosity.

"Hold on a moment." Alana said with her head cocked to one side as if listening to something. The door opened a crack and teenager with red hair that faded to blond at the tips held out a bouquet of recently picked flowers.

"The sun has just set, and it's perfect." The redhead said as she held out the bouquet, which Alana took and then the redhead left.

The wood elf grinned as she handed the bouquet to Taloni. "Okay go outside and just head up the aisle."

Taloni opened her mouth to ask, but Alana and Prayla both shooed her out the door with the bouquet in her hands.

It was amazing.

Incredible.

The sight almost made her cry with joy.

It looked like the entire mining camp was in the open center of the camp. They were all standing and looking in her direction expectantly. They formed two groups, with a long aisle between them. Everyone was dressed in their very best clothes, which meant they were only threadbare and not worn through.

Standing at the head of the isle was Ethan. Just beyond him, Anthiel was standing wearing a formal looking dress and holding a copy of the Book of Light. Someone had taken one of the unused, pre-formed support arches and placed it at the end, just behind where Ethan stood. They had decorated it with beautiful flowers that matched the bouquet in her hand.

Behind them, the sun had just barely set, casting the partially cloudy sky in a beautiful mosaic of reds, oranges, and purples. She had rarely seen a sunset so beautiful, and it was providing the backdrop to the event.

It was a wedding.

A real wedding.

Her wedding.

And it wasn't just a poorly cobble-together affair either. This looked a like a lot of thought had gone into it. And given the short time they had to set it up... She couldn't imagine how much work and how many people must've come together to make this happen. She could feel her eyes beginning to moisten.

It was beautiful.

It was perfect.

"Go." Prayla whispered from behind her and nudged her forward.

"But how did you..." She trialed off.

Alana smiled. "Prayla spread the word through the camp, and Rachel and I were guiding Ethan through the setup. Now go; your groom awaits."

She had to admit, Ethan did look very handsome. She could see the gossamer outline the disguise gem projected. To everyone else, he would look like a man dressed in slightly formal clothes that accentuated his figure. She saw a dragon; her dragon.

Well, hers and Alana's.

She took a tentative step forward, then another.

As she began walking, Anthiel handed the Book of Light off to Rachel, pulled out a small flute and then began to play the traditional Fey wedding march. Everyone in the whole camp was smiling at her. It wasn't a large camp, but she knew all of them. They had all turned out for her. She felt tears of joy beginning to collect at the corners of her eyes.

She couldn't believe they had done this for her.

It was amazing.

Every eye was on her and they all seemed happy for her. It was surreal as she walked up the aisle. She had imagined having a wedding of course, but never imagined it would be a reality. It was like a dream - the most wonderful dream she could possibly imagine.

In typical Fey tradition, the bridesmaids followed the bride, and Prayla was trailing right behind.

When she reached the top of the aisle, Ethan gave the traditional Fey bow that the groom customarily gave to the bride. He butchered it badly, but she could tell he had made a real effort to get it right and she felt like her heart would melt.

Then he offered his hand, which she took.

"Thank you for this, it's amazing." She said softly, her voice breaking slightly.

"Alana deserves most of the credit, but you're welcome." He smiled back, exposing all of his sharp teeth. It should've been scary, but it wasn't. Not on Ethan.

She felt like she would die of happiness.

"Dearly beloved." Anthiel began, after taking the Book of Light from Rachel. "We are gathered here today in the sight of Illuminar and these witnesses to join these two in holy matrimony."

Taloni barely heard most of the service.

She was too stunned, too shocked, and too amazed at what everyone had done to pay full attention. By the time Anthiel got to the vows, Prayla had to nudge her to make sure she was ready for them.

Anthiel cleared her throat. "Do you Ethan, with full knowledge and consent; take this woman, Taloni, to be your wife in the covenant of marriage? Do you swear to keep and provide for her all of your days, committing to treat her with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances to the best of your ability, and allow only death to separate you?"

"I do." He gave her a wide smile. It reached his eyes and she knew it was genuine.

Anthiel turned to Taloni. "Do you Taloni, with full knowledge and consent, give yourself to this man Ethan, to be his wife in the covenant of marriage? Do you swear to follow and obey him for all of your days, committing to give yourself only to him; and to the best of your ability treat him with honor, love, and respect in all circumstances, and allow only death to separate you?"

"I do." Taloni said, barely able to breathe.

"Then in the name of Illuminar, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ethan, you may kiss your bride."

Taloni's breath caught.

He gave her a lopsided grin, put his hand around her waist, and pulled her close. Her entire front was pressed up against him, which made her tremble in anticipation. She was bent backwards slightly as he leaned over her. She sucked in her breath in surprise at his boldness. The ache in her loins which had plagued her for days returned in full force.

Before she could even think, he was kissing her.

It was amazing.

She instinctively reached her arms up and hooked her elbows around his neck as his tongue touched her lips. She parted them with a silent moan, but his tongue didn't enter; he just played at the edges of her lips. Just as it felt like he was about to enter, he suddenly pulled back, ending the kiss abruptly.

"Huh?" She sighed as the wonderful sensation abruptly ended.

He had a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Somehow she knew that he'd done it on purpose to tease her. A tiny part of her didn't like it, but the rest of her nearly screamed in delight. She didn't understand it, but the denial make her shiver in delight and anticipation...

And he knew.

Somehow he knew.

At that moment, she realized he would be doing this for the rest of her life... and she loved it. She knew he would tease her mercilessly to heighten her arousal before taking her and making good on his sensual promises. A tiny part of her hated it, but that just made the rest of her love it more.

* * *

Rachel couldn't help but tear up slightly as Anthiel finished the service. The diminutive Fey bride looked adorable, beautiful, and blissfully happy. Likewise Ethan - though disguised - also looked very happy. There was no doubting it was genuine either.

He was really happy.

Rachel looked around at all the people who'd turned out. It seemed like the moment Prayla mentioned that Taloni needed help with her wedding, everyone had dropped whatever they were doing to help. It was obvious that everyone here loved her.

Half the women in camp had started baking for a feast afterward. One of the men had volunteered a wild hog he'd hunted earlier that day as the main course. Most of the younger girls had scattered at the call for flowers and returned with enough to supply a good sized shop. Ethan had been running around, talking to Alana and Rachel herself the whole time as they had helped him set this up.

It was really amazing what everyone had put together for the blissfully happy Fey teen.

Strangely, no one seemed bothered that there was a dragon running around the camp. She assumed that was because only Thaltien knew. It seemed like extra guards had been posted around the mine entrance, but otherwise everyone seemed blissfully unaware of the dragon in their midst.

Alana was watching next to her with a very proud look on her face, and it looked like she had teared-up in joy at one point in the service. Rachel couldn't pretend to understand why the wood elf had worked so hard to help Ethan get another wife, but she looked radiantly happy. Rachel had watched closely as the couple said their vows and they both looked just as happy.

It made the redhead slightly jealous.

She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to walk down the aisle in white. She tried to imagine the man who would be waiting for her, but couldn't. She thought of all the marriageable men she'd known in her life, but none of them quite measured up to Ethan. One came close, but-

Wait, what?

She shook her head slightly.

Since when had Ethan become the standard by which she measured men?

She had a high opinion of him, but she hadn't realized it was that high. She frowned, feeling slightly disturbed at the subconscious change that had taken place in her thoughts.

Hmm...

Everyone broke and started moving the tables into place for the wedding feast afterwards. There was no rhyme or reason to the seating, and she ended up at a table with some of the more taciturn miners. They were polite, but barely spoke to each other, let alone her.

She spent most of the meal feeling alone at a crowded table.

The food was good, and she found herself continually glancing over at the center table. Ethan and Taloni both looked very happy and she felt another slight twinge of jealousy. The Fey teen was only a year younger than she was, and she wished she could walk down an aisle in white soon. Sadly, there were no suitors on the horizon and none likely to appear because she was a fugitive.

She sighed; that was life.

Feeling lonely, she looked around to see what the rest of the Argo's crew was up to. Hailey had engaged Thaltien in conversation and even seemed to get more than terse replies. Anthiel was mingling like she was born here. Raklan had engaged some of the burlier men in a drinking contest. Serif was involved in some sort of game that resembled the ancient and noble game of chess.

She didn't see Alana, but since the wood elf was so short that didn't bother her. What did bother her was the wood elf's acceptance of sharing a husband. Taloni was a nice girl, but she felt like her friend deserved better than to merely be one of several wives.

She grimaced and shook her head.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alana asked as she walked up, which shook the redhead out of her reverie.

"I'm... I'm not sure." She replied honestly.

"Oh?" The wood elf said as she sat down next to her.

"I don't understand; how are you so happy about Ethan marrying another woman?"

She smiled mischievously. "Let me flip the question on its head; why shouldn't I be happy?"

Rachel opened her mouth, worked it soundlessly for a moment, and then finally spoke. "I don't even know how to answer that."

"Why?"

"Because I literally can't imagine why anyone would want to share a husband."

"Yeah, I couldn't until recently either." Alana acknowledged. "But I have to admit, the idea has really grown on me."

"Why?"

"Um, a couple of reasons." The chocolate-haired elf replied. "First, I never had siblings growing up. I always wanted that familial connection and I never had it. I realize that Taloni and Beth aren't my sisters, but I think they're the closest I'll ever come to having them."

"But don't you worry that he'll be too busy with his other wives and he'll have less time for you?"

"Not really." She said simply. "Ethan really cares about me. I'm certain that even if he ended up with a dozen wives, he'd do everything possible to make time for each one of them."

"But with three women - assuming he can bring Beth back - don't you think you'll get less time with him?"

"I probably will." The wood elf conceded. "But if felt like I wasn't getting enough time and I needed to talk to him, don't you think he'd make time for me?"

"Yeah, he would." The redhead conceded.

"Me too, so I'm not very worried about that."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "So what are you worried about?"

Alana bit her lip, then glanced away. She took a deep breath, then looked back at her. "I know it's silly, but I'm worried I won't be a good wife and he won't want me anymore."

Rachel had to work hard to not laugh out loud, and apparently it showed on her face.

"What?!" Alana said defensively.

"You do realize you're basically his dream girl and you're working to help him bed other women right? What man could say no to that?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I just... I want to be wanted."

"Trust me, he wants you."

"I know, and I don't mind if he wants other women, as long as he still wants me." Alana said, and Rachel got the feeling this particular insecurity had nothing to do with Ethan. She didn't press for more information however.

She looked out over the crowd to where Ethan and Taloni were. He had just whispered something into her ear and she had gone a brilliant shade of red. The wood elf released a subconscious sigh of contentment as she watched her husband with his new bride.

Rachel shook her head, not understanding at all. "You said there were other reasons that the idea of sharing a husband has grown on you?"

"Um, yes."

Alana's cheeks got slightly flushed and she didn't meet Rachel's eye for a moment. The redhead knew that whatever she said next next probably wasn't what she had just been thinking about.

"I like the idea that I'll always have another woman around to talk to, no matter what."

"What do you mean?"

"Um." She thought for a moment. "Well, friends move and change over time. My parents knew a few people who drifted away over the years and others who eventually didn't want to associate with them anymore. I always worried that if I had friends, they'd do the same. But if we're both married to the same man, that won't happen."

"You'd be stuck together, even if she was horrible." Rachel countered.

"I suppose that's true." Alana admitted. "But Ethan's a good judge of character and I don't think he'd marry anyone truly awful. I'm pretty sure I could get along well with most people, but that's not what I meant."

"Oh?"

Something changed on the wood elf's face. She looked softer, kinder, more gentle; there was a yearning in her expression that the redhead hadn't seen before. "Imagine that Ethan married just one woman who I was really close to; a true friend. I would know that we would always be together because we were bound together by our husband. Doesn't that sound wonderful? To have a close, intimate girlfriend who you knew will never leave..."

She sighed.

"Hmm." Rachel mused at the thought.

"That sounds heavenly to me." The elf sighed again. "We could get so close and I could trust her with anything, and she could trust me. I would probably be friends with his other wives and we'd get along. But with this one, I could be truly close without fear of losing her to time, distance, or just that we'd drift apart."

The smile on Alana's face said it all.

She was trying to be calm, but Rachel could tell that this idea held incredible appeal for beautiful wood elf. She seemed to light up at the idea that she could always have a close friend who would never leave. Come to think of it, that didn't sound too bad to Rachel either.

"Does that make sense?" The chocolate-haired elf asked.

Yeah, it does." The redhead conceded, having never considered that before.

They were both silent for a moment while Rachel pondered it. It really didn't sound too bad. She still wasn't crazy about sharing a husband, but the ideal of having a friend who was - sort of - tied to you through marriage with a shared husband sounded wonderful; except for the shared husband bit.

"You really don't mind sharing your husband?" Rachel finally asked.

"I would rather have part of Ethan than all of another man." Alana replied simply. "That may sound strange, but it's true."

Rachel shrugged.

Ethan was a good guy, but the ideal of marrying him wasn't nearly attractive enough to make up for the idea of sharing a husband. Sure it was attractive, but it wasn't nearly attractive enough.

"Oh, and there's one more thing." Alana said. "It would be really handy to have another woman around to help with housework and kids."

"Huh?" Rachel said.

"Well, it's hard to watch kids and do chores like dishes, laundry, and things like that. But with other wives around, one of us could watch the kids while the other does the housework, and we could trade days, or maybe split it up depending on who likes what. They could even watch the kids if I wanted some time alone with Ethan, or I could watch the kids if they did. Doesn't that sound convenient?"

"Um, yes?" Rachel resisted the urge to chuckle. "But you do know you could hire a maid to do the housework and a nanny to watch the kids if you needed time, right?"

"Oh." Alana cocked her head to one side. "I hadn't thought of that."

Rachel did chuckle this time. "It would've been my first thought; Lord's daughter."

"Ah, good point." The chocolate haired elf replied. "But am I making sense?"

"Um, a little." Rachel conceded. "But I'm not sure I could do it. I don't think I could share my husband with someone. I want him to focus on me, not split his attention among several wives."

"Do you though?" Alana raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want that?

"Yes."

"Hmm." The wood elf mused. "So, how did you like the people at your father's court focusing their attention on you?"

The redhead grimaced. "I hated it. I couldn't stand the simpering fools who made their lives revolve around me. They had no backbone and no spine; they were weak men and I had zero patience for them."

"How about the suitors that courted you?"

"They were worse." She rolled her eyes. "They seemed to think the best way to get me to fall for them was to follow me around like a puppy trying to get my attention. It was so..." She saw the look on Alana's face "What?"

The wood elf was looking at her with a barely concealed smile. "So you didn't like them because they focused too much on you?"

Rachel opened her mouth to reply, then caught what she was smiling at. "Touché."

"I'm just saying: What woman really wants a man to make his life revolve around her?" She asked. "Isn't that kind of off-putting?"

"Yeah, a little. But not nearly as off-putting as the idea of my husband bedding another woman."

Alana opened her mouth, paused, her cheeks turned slightly red, then she closed her mouth again.

"What?" Rachel asked confused.

"I'm just saying, perhaps it's better if your husband isn't entirely focused on you. Men like that are just so..."

"...weak? Simpering? Contemptable?" The redhead suggested.

"...unattractive." Alana finished. "Ethan will focus on me, but not exclusively on me. He has other concerns and while I know he'd charge an army for me, he doesn't suffocate me by making his life revolve around me." She smiled contentedly. "I like that."

"I suppose that makes sense." Rachel conceded with a sigh. She still didn't want to share a husband, but at least the wood elf wasn't blindly doing whatever Ethan wanted.

"Besides." Alana added. "I thought you wanted to become an Arch Mage. How would you do that if your husband was absorbing all of your time?"

"True."

"I'm just saying, life being married to a man with other wives has its upsides."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Says the woman who's only done it for what, an hour?"

"True, but I have a feeling it'll grow on me very quickly." She smiled.

"You're serious." Rachel said, trying to wrap her head around the idea. "You actually like the idea of being part of Ethan's... harem?"

"Absolutely." Alana let out a sigh that was so small and soft it must've been unconscious.

She did look happy.

Very happy.

Rachel didn't understand it, but she did.

The redhead nodded. She definitely didn't want the same thing, but at least she could see why it appealed to her friend so much. Some of those reasons even appealed to her, though not enough share a husband. Alana seemed to be doing her best to make the idea attractive though.

Rachel chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're trying to convince me to share a husband."

She laughed at her joke, as did Alana. However, the wood elf's laugh was slightly awkward, forced, and possessed an uncharacteristic lack of genuineness.

Hmm...

Alana cocked her head to one side as if listening to something, then turned to Rachel. "I need to go." She stood up and rushed off.

The redhead was rather conflicted as she watched her best friend leave. At least Alana had actual reasons, but she was still worried the elf was being unduly influenced by Ethan, or at least his dragon nature. The influence seemed to be limited to her tolerance of him marrying other women, but that didn't mean it wouldn't exert influence elsewhere given time.

Rachel looked around again.

Hailey was still talking with Thaltien, and Anthiel had joined them. Taloni's former owner was moving his hands in the air as if he was showing them something on an invisible map, possibly even giving them directions.

Serif and Raklan were both still involved in their respective games while Alana was jogging toward the Argo. Ethan and Taloni had moved a short distance away from the others at the wedding feast. Despite her misgivings, they really did look happy.

She was a bit jealous.

All she had to look forward to tonight was an empty hammock. Another lonely night without another person there to keep her company. She was used to it, but that lonely ache in her soul never seemed quite satisfied. She wished it could be though, if only for one night.

She sighed.

If only.

* * *

Ethan led his new bride away from the reception as twilight faded into true night. The moon had already risen and provided more than enough light for his dragon eyes to see perfectly.

He called to Alana telepathically. *Could you please get the weight reduction necklace from the Argo?*

*Absolutely.* She had a smile in her tone, though there was some nervousness too.

*What has you so excited?* He asked, glancing back to see her jump up from her seat next to Rachel.

*It's a wonderful day, and I just had a good talk with Rachel. I'll tell you about it later.*

*Okay.* He replied, then turned his attention to the Fey teen walking beside him. He had no trouble seeing her in the low light and the torches and lamps placed around the reception had a wonderful effect on her beauty. She much shorter than him, though a couple inches taller than Alana's five feet. Her skin looked sun-kissed and her long, honey-blond hair was silky smooth and flowed like water.

Her face was small and round, and while he thought she was gorgeous, he knew she thought of herself as 'merely cute'. Her eyes were a brilliant, otherworldly lilac color and were full of life. Her breasts weren't large, but they looked firm and shapely. Her waist was quite thin, and her hips quite full.

She was beautiful.

On her back were two sets of wings that looked like a cross between a butterfly and a dragonfly. He'd seen them shimmer iridescently in the sunlight before, and they too were beautiful. Her dress was cut so that it went around the wings and tied at the nape of her neck.

"So, where are we going?" Taloni asked as they passed the ladder to the Argo.

"I have something special in mind. It's sort of a gift, though technically it's only a loan."

She looked at him curiously.

He reached out and brushed the top of her wings, which lay hanging down her back and motionless. She shivered slightly as he did so, and not because of the cool night air. Her wings reached just past her perfect bubble butt, which was well worth looking at.

"I thought we might try some flying." He said with a smile.

Her face fell. "I would love to, but I doubt I'm strong enough. My wing muscles have certainly weakened from lack of use. Thaltien had someone add a wing restraining enchantment to my collar after my child wings fell out."

He stopped. "Wait, your wings fell out?"

"Of course." She nodded. "My child wings fell out when I was about thirteen, then my adult wings started growing in."

"Huh, so it's like human teeth; interesting." He said, then started walking again. "How are they different?"

"Child wings aren't large enough for you to fly, but I could jump eight or nine feet into the air before they fell out. Could you imagine trying to parent toddlers or five-year-olds who could literally fly away from you?"

He laughed. "Oh man, that would be a nightmare."

She nodded, then looked back over her shoulder forlornly. "I doubt I could do much more than a toddler now though. It could take weeks to build up the strength required to actually fly."

"I thought that might be the case." He said with a smile. "Luckily, I have a solution for you."

She looked doubtful, but hopeful. "Really?"

"Here it is." Alana said as she ran up to them.

Ethan took the necklace from her, kissed her forehead tenderly, and smiled. "Thank you."

"Have fun you two." The wood elf said with a knowing smile, then kissed him on the cheek and ran off again.

"What's that?" The Fey said as she eyed the necklace.

"This is a very handy necklace that reduces the wearer's weight, making them weight about a tenth as much as normal. I've had people wear it so they were light enough that I can fly with them on my back. I thought it might help you to fly too."

She looked like she was about to cry with happiness. "Really?"

"Yup." He said with a wide smile.

Taloni stared opened-mouthed at him for a moment, then leapt forward, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him like she never wanted to let go.

"I can't believe you did this." She whispered as she did an excellent impression of a hydraulic press. "That's just so... I... thank you so much!"

He pulled back enough so he could look her in the eye. "Anything for my wife."

She smiled. "You do have more than one wife though."

"True, and I want the best for all of them." He looked into her eyes as he considered part of what that meant for her. "Did it bother you that I kissed Alana just now?"

"Not really." She leaned her head on his chest, arms still around him. "I realize that you have another wife and that you have every right to be affectionate with her. I guess it would only bother me if you kissed her, but wouldn't kiss me." Her face fell at the thought. "That would make me sad."

Ethan put on a mock serious tone. "Well, I suppose if I have to kiss you I could suffer through it."

She sighed. "You are terrible, you know that?"

"You're not the first person to tell me so." He chuckled. He leaned back and looked at her for several moments. Her lilac eyes were shining with happiness and contentment. He leaned in and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

She returned it and he was struck by the difference between kissing her and Alana. Neither was better than the other, but they were definitely different. Alana's kisses were full of a deep passion borne of their shared experiences and deep bond. On the other hand, Taloni was more tender, reserved, and hesitant. She was clearly unsure of herself and it showed, but her young love, innocence and tender affection show too.

"Yeah, I'll definitely keep kissing you in the future." Ethan said when their kiss broke.

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"Me too." He said, staring into her lovely lilac eyes. "Hey Taloni."

"Yes?" She replied, staring back at him with those same eyes full of love.

"I love you."

She closed her eyes as if to savor the moment. "I love you too."

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. She sighed extremely softly. He nearly purred. The both breathed deeply at the same time. He felt like a missing part of his life had just come back, or perhaps he'd found a piece he didn't know he'd been missing.

It felt good.

He let go of her after several tender moments, and then held up the necklace. "Now, let's get those wings of yours working."

She smiled widely, took the necklace and put it on. It looked good on her.

"Well go ahead; fly." He urged.

* * *

Taloni took a deep breath. She could do this. She'd done it with her child wings, and these new adult wings couldn't be that different... right? She looked up at Ethan, who had an encouraging smile on his face. He'd also just told her that he loved her for the first time, which did wonders for her already radiant mood. She could do this...

She hoped.

"Go ahead, you can do it." He said looking at her wings, then at the small clearing in the trees they were in. There was certainly room to try.

She took another deep breath, said a quick prayer to Illuminar, and then looked over her shoulder and began to slowly move them. It felt strange. She hadn't felt her wings move in many years and it was odd, but at the same time very natural.

She gave a small jump, and even the little movement of her wings combined with the weight reduction necklace made a difference. That little hop carried her two feet into the air and she came back down more slowly than she was used to.

Ethan grinned. "I knew you could do it. Try a little higher."

She did. This time she started beating her wings at a moderate speed. Even so, they moved so fast they were a blur.

She jumped.

This time it was a strong jump, augmented by beating her wings. She made it over a dozen feet into the air before she lost her nerve. Looking down, she could feel herself start to get slightly dizzy as she realized how high she was. She slowed her wings so she sank back to the earth. She felt slightly dizzy and took a moment to recover her bearings.

"Well done." He said with a proud smile. "Now that you've stretched your wings, how do you feel about going flying with me?"

"With you?" She asked.

He opened his wings slightly and nodded. "We should be far enough from the camp that they won't see me and freak out, plus it's dark; so absolutely."

She nodded, a small knot forming in her stomach. She had never been that high before and it had made her feel slightly lightheaded. What if she was afraid of heights? What if she wouldn't be able to really fly? Or what if she got dizzy and lost consciousness while flying and fell to the ground. What if now that she could fly, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to?

"Taloni, what's wrong?"

"How did you know?" She bit her lip.

"We're bonded remember; I can sense your emotions." He took both of her hands and pulled them up so they were between them and looked in the eyes. "What's wrong?"

She trembled slightly.

Could she admit she might be afraid of heights? What if he didn't like that about her? What if he thought she was weak? What if it changed his opinion of her and he didn't like her anymore?

He looked at her for a moment, narrowed his eyes, and then without warning scooped her off her feet. He held her with one arm under her back and another under her knees.

It felt good.

Safe.

Comforting.

He gave her a grin, then spread his wings and leapt into the air. She yelped and threw her arms around his neck. She could feel the powerful flapping of his wings on every down stroke as they rose higher into the air. She closed her eyes and held on for dear life.

"It's okay, I've got you." He said as he slowed their ascent, then spread his wings and they glided away from the mining camp, just above the tops of the trees.

For one brief moment, she considered opening her eyes. Then her nerves got the best of her. She held on even more tightly to Ethan, pulling herself into his chest as tightly as possible as she felt the wind rush past.

"Nothing bad will happen, I promise." Ethan whispered into her ear. "Feel what I feel and relax."

Suddenly, a strange sense of euphoria and a confident calm came over their bond. She didn't actually feel that way, but she could feel that he did. She was in his strong, muscular arms and she could feel how confident and carefree he was.

It felt good.

Her nerves started to calm and he started flapping his wings again, taking them higher. She started shivering, and not from the cold night air that was rushing past. She suddenly felt afraid of heights. She'd known it after the second jump earlier; she was afraid of heights and she would never be able to fly because she was afraid.

She didn't want to be afraid, but she was.

Still he flew higher.

For a couple of minutes, he beat his wings hard as she felt them constantly rise. Eventually, she opened her eyes to peek and slammed them shut again almost immediately. They were so high, even her Fey eyes couldn't make out more than an outline of the camp far below. Even then, mostly because of the torches placed around the periphery. They must be hundreds - if not thousands - of feet from the ground.

"Now, tell me what's wrong." He said as he spread his wings and started gliding to reduce the noise.

Taloni started hyperventilating. She couldn't do it; they were too high. Her brain seemed to lockup and she couldn't get her thoughts in order.

"Shhh." He said as a wave of calm swept over her through their bond. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. It's the height right? I felt your fear over our bond when you saw how high you'd gotten on that second jump."

She nodded, still keeping her eyes closed. She needed to calm down. She tried to concentrate on the calming waves of emotion coming through her bond with Ethan. It took almost a minute, but she finally calmed down enough to speak.

"Then why did bring me up here?" She finally got out.

"Because I could tell how excited you were to fly, and I wasn't going to let fear rob you of the joy."

"But how will being up here help; this is worse." She opened her eyes a crack to peek at the ground, than closed them and buried her face in his chest when she saw how far away it was.

"Because there are two ways to get over something you're afraid of. The first is a lot of time and coaxing while you build up your confidence. The second is to have someone who you trust throw you into the deep end, while making sure that nothing bad happens."

"What do you mean by the deep-" Taloni inhaled sharply as she realized what was going on. "No, no you can't. I can't."

"Yes you can." He said kindly. "Look at me."

She kept her eyes shut and clung to him like her life depended on it.

"Taloni; look at me." He said again. This time his voice was just as kind, but there was a commanding reverb in his voice that made it almost impossible to ignore. She probably could have ignored it, but chose not to.

She slowly moved her head up and opened her eyes a crack. He locked his cat-like eyes with her lilac ones and she felt something inside of her shift. He seemed to be staring into her soul and she found that she couldn't look away. She couldn't close her eyes, she couldn't do more than blink, and even then she couldn't keep her eyes closed.

"I love you, and will never let anything bad happen to you; understand?"

She nodded, still not able to break eye contact.

"Will you trust me?"

She nodded again.

His gaze softened, and she could look away again. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and buried her face back into his chest.

"I can dive much faster than you can fall." He explained. "We're very high up, so you'll have plenty time to start flying on your own before I need to catch you. I'll be right next to you the whole time."

"Okay." She nodded, her breath coming in slightly ragged gasps. The only thing keeping her fear at bay were the waves of calm and confidence coming over her bond with Ethan.

"I'm going to count to three, ready?"

"Yes." She said while shaking her head.

He chuckled. "Remember; I'll never let anything bad happen to you. Ever. Okay?"

"Okay." She said, determined to grab his neck the moment he said three. Unfortunately, he seemed to have predicted this.

"One... Two..."

He let go.

She screamed and started falling.

The wind whipped past her face, blowing her dress and hair in every possible direction. She shivered and felt completely paralyzed by fear. She was falling. Oh dear Illuminar in heaven; she was falling!

"Relax, you can do this." She heard Ethan from somewhere nearby.

Opening her eyes a crack, she saw that he was barely ten feet distant, gracefully falling right along with her. He glanced at the ground repeatedly but mostly kept his eyes on her.

"Come on, you can do it." He urged.

"I can't." She yelled back.

They were halfway to the ground.

"Flap." He commanded as he locked eyes with her for barely a moment, and a strange reverb filled his voice that made it hard to ignore.

She closed her eyes and started flapping for all she was worth.

It worked.

She could feel her free-fall slow, and then stop altogether. The wind stopped whipping past her and became a gentle breeze on her skin. Her breathing slowly returned to normal as she sat there in midair, wings beating quickly to keep her aloft as she hovered.

She'd done it.

She opened her eyes and looked around.

She was perhaps a thousand feet from the ground, veritably floating in midair. She looked down expecting to feel the same paralyzing terror grip her mind, but it didn't. She was hovering aloft with her own wings, under her own power. That knowledge seemed to make the fear fly from her head.

She was struck by the beauty from up here. The sky was partly cloudy and the moon shone through many gaps in the clouds. The earth below was bathed in moonlight, with the clouds blocking the moon's light in intricate patterns which were displayed on the ground below.

It was spectacular.

She had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life.

"I knew you could do it." Ethan said as he slowly circled around her. Apparently he couldn't hover in one place like she could.

"This is amazing!" She shouted in delight.

"Yup, and I can't experience it with anyone else." He said. "Alana can't fly, and probably wouldn't want to if she could. I know you're coming a little late to the party, and I thought it would help if we had something that we could do, just the two of us."

"Really?" Her heart felt like it was flying as high as she was, maybe higher.

He nodded. "Now, how about a race?"

"You're on!" She yelled in excitement and took off like a shot.

She heard Ethan laugh and glanced behind her to see him turn and begin flying after her. It didn't take him long to catch up, even with her beating her wings as fast as possible. As he went by, he rolled so his back was towards the ground and ran the back of one hand along the front of her body as he passed by.

His hand grazed her entire body; from her foot, up her leg, then across her hip, along her waist, up-and-down the curve of her breast, and then finally brushing her collarbone before he spend on.

Something in the air changed.

Suddenly there was this tension that seemed to radiate from her whole being. The familiar ache that had started to grow ever since bonding with Ethan came back in full force. Her whole body seemed alight with a strange tingling sensation that was concentrated around her hips and breasts.

She moaned softly.

Ethan gave her a predatory look that seemed alive with hunger, yet was also playful and mischievous. The lust in his eyes excited her and made the fire in her loins burn brighter and hotter.

He wheeled in the air and came back at her.

She dived.

She wasn't sure why, but it didn't feel right to simply give up.

She wanted him to chase her, to catch her. She wanted him catch her so badly... but she had this deep, primal need to run from him so that he would chase her. She barely had enough time to wonder if this was a Fey instinctual reaction before he was almost upon her.

She gave him a flirtatious smile before twisting in the air and just barely evading his clutches.

It just felt right for her to run this way, knowing he wouldn't stop until he'd caught her. Something deep inside of her - her Fey heritage perhaps - couldn't even consider not running. Something she didn't understand was driving her...

And it was thrilling.

It was exhilarating.

It was wonderful.

She dived straight toward the ground, all of her fear completely gone. She needed to be among the trees. He might be faster, but she was far more maneuverable. She saw a large patch of dense trees and made for it; she would have the advantage down there.

She glanced behind to see her husband, but he was nowhere to be seen. She twisted her head all around looking for him, and only saw him at the last moment as he flew straight at her. She beat her wings furiously and threw herself to the one side. Ethan's hand brushed her leg as she nearly cartwheeled in mid-air to avoid him.

Their eyes met for a brief moment as he passed. They were both smiling. He was clearly enjoying chasing her as much as she was enjoying being chased.

Maybe more.

She broke his gaze to drop like a stone toward the forest below. He looped around, tucked his wings like some great falcon and dived after her. She beat her wings harder and made a beeline for the trees. The few seconds he'd needed to turn had given her an incredible advantage in time, but he was very fast when diving.

She picked a small gap in the tree tops and made a beeline for it. There was only two hundred yards until she was safe in the trees, but Ethan was half that distance away. She whirled to face him and didn't even attempt to move, but hovered in mid-air.

He looked shocked as he made a beeline for her.

She grinned, and at the last possible moment she beat her wings furiously to gain a couple feet of altitude. He was diving too steeply to pull up and made to grab her legs. She jerked them up against her chest, only to set them back down as he passed, actually stepping on his back as he shot under her at almost frightening speed.

He had overshot.

She let herself fall into the gap in tree tops, taking refuge among their branches. She caught herself and began to fly through the tree limbs, keeping a sharp eye out for the dragon above. She had been winding her way through the branches for a few minutes before she realized something.

This was as natural as breathing.

She felt at home doing it because it was just so natural; it was instinctive. She felt like she had been born to do this.

Of course, she hadn't spent much time flying and her muscles were telling her about it. Already they were beginning to ache, even with the necklace that reduced her weight. She landed on a thick branch and started healing them. They wouldn't grow any stronger healing them this way - they had to heal naturally to get stronger - but it would allow her to keep flying just a little longer.

Once that was done, she looked upwards through the foliage to see where her husband was. She didn't see him. She frowned and looked around. That's when she realized that the wildlife in this part of the forest had become eerily silent. There was barely a sound to be heard. No insects, no crickets, and no small animals

Something in the back of her mind tingled and she leapt off the branch and into the air in the nick of time. Ethan sprung lightly onto the branch she had been occupying just moments before, his wings folded as he relied on his powerful legs in the dense foliage. His cat-like grace well-fitted with his posture and movements.

He was hunting.

She was prey.

And they both loved it.

He leapt at her again and she only narrowly avoided him. She turned to flee, flying through the treetops at breakneck speed to avoid her pursuer, though she hoped not for much longer.

He was right behind her, leaping through the tree branches nearly as fast as she could fly. She headed lower, hoping fewer branches would allow her to fly faster. That turned out to be a mistake because he was even faster with fewer obstacles in the way.

She felt his finger brush her foot and she beat her wings furiously, heading for a clearing up ahead where she hoped she could get enough height to escape, but not so much that he could fly. She burst through the clearing and headed up, only to realize her mistake.

Ethan leapt out of the foliage and instantly deployed his wings. She thought she'd have more time, but he didn't give it to her. With two powerful flaps of his majestic wings, he was on top of her. She tucked her wings, hoping to fall out of his reach - while at the same time hoping she would finally be caught - but she didn't escape this time. His hands closed around her wrist.

He had caught her.

Finally.

Taloni sighed as her strong, masculine husband pulled her body into himself. His arms were wrapped around her waist and he leaned in to smell her the nape of her neck before blowing warm breath over it.

She shivered.

He flapped his wings, taking them higher into the sky. She relaxed completely in his arms, feeling no need to run anymore. It was like a switch had been flipped in her mind. He had caught her, so now she felt like he had the right to claim her. She shuddered again; she was so looking forward to that.

She look looked down as the ground fell away, then he rolled her around so her front was pressed up against his chest. There was a hungry gleam in his eyes as the dragon looked up and down her body. He growled; a low, rumbling growl dripping with lust and anticipation.

She moaned.

She relaxed completely in his arms. Her head and legs dangled in an arch. The dragon ran a hand over her front, while supporting her limp body with his other hand.

His hand reached around to the slender cords that held the back of her dress together. She felt a claw brush her skin before hearing a tearing sound and the dress loosened around her chest. She looked up at him as he smiled, then he pulled one shoulder of her dress down and then the other. She slipped her arms out and the wind pushed the dress down around her waist.

Her nipples instantly grew hard, not only from the cold wind rushing over them, but also from arousal. Anyone looking from below would see the back of a topless Fey being held by a dragon. She didn't think anyone was watching because they were hundreds of feet up and it was night.

She was exposed; laid bare before him...

...and she liked it.

* * *

Ethan looked down at his beautiful bride and felt a primal satisfaction filling him. He had hunted her down, caught her, and now he was going to claim her. He ran his hand along the bare, tanned skin that no other man had seen or touched. He almost purred in satisfaction. This was as it should be; another unsullied piece of feminine flesh to add to his growing stable of broodmares.

He shook his head at the foreign thoughts.

That wasn't him...

Was it?

Taloni was more than that; much more.

He saw a beautiful girl who was incredibly sweet and loving; a delightful young woman who was as innocent as she was sexy.

Yes... yes she was an amazing collection of body parts; small but firm breasts to nurse his offspring; wide hips to bear them; and long legs to wrap around him while he filled her repeatedly with his seed.

The dragon growled with lust and anticipation.

This time - unlike last time - he would fill his broodmare properly; with a dragon, not some pathetic human weakling. Worse; the thing taking up space in his first mate's womb was a human female. The dragon shuddered in disgust and revulsion at the waste of perfectly good breeding stock on something so weak and pathetic.

*Ethan, are you okay?* Alana's voice rang out in his head. *I'm feeling some, some... strange things from you.*

Ethan shook his head as Alana's question brought him back to his senses. He must've zoned out, though how he could've done that with the vision of beauty in his arms was beyond him. He couldn't quite remember what had been going through his mind though... Hmm... Regardless, it was gone now.

*I'm fine Alana, I just must've zoned out or something.*

*Okay, have fun with Taloni.* She replied with a knowing tone.

*Oh, I will.* He said, turning his full attention back to the Fey teen.

The night was virtually silent except for the wind rushing by. Ethan extended his wings, feathering them enough to slow their speed and turn the wind into a gentle breeze, though they were still going fast enough to remain aloft.

He had one hand under her waist, one under her back and neck, and his prehensile feet were supporting her slender legs. She was incredibly lightweight with the weight reduction necklace, and seemed to almost float in his arms. Her arms were hanging down, dangling gracefully in the wind and she was slowly moving her fingers in the breeze.

He adjusted his wing slightly, and began to glide in long, slow, lazy circles in the sky, flapping occasionally to maintain their altitude. He moved his head down and nuzzled her neck, following that with gentle kisses and licks with his long, flexible tongue.

She moaned in response

Her hair whipped around in the breeze, but strangely never seemed to get tangled as Alana's and Beth's had done when they had flow with him. He assumed it must be because of her Fey heritage.

She relaxed her shoulders and leaned her head even farther back, giving him better access to the sensitive skin of her slender neck. He took full advantage, covering every inch with the most gossamer kisses; nuzzling and licking in equal measure until he could smell her arousal, even though it was downwind in the stiff breeze.

Then he heard a tiny, faint voice that sounded like Taloni. *Please put it in, please.*

He looked up at her, but her lips weren't moving. Come to think of it, he hadn't really heard it with his ears either.

*Please, I'm ready please.* The voice came again.

It was still extremely faint and quiet, but definitely there, and this time he realized what it was. She was communicating telepathically with him. She probably didn't even realize she was doing it, but she was.

He listened again as he began to attack her neck and shoulders with sensual caresses with his lips and tongue. She moaned, and subconsciously spread her legs. She pulled her dress up and then lifted her slender legs from the support of his legs. Then - avoiding the membrane of his wings - she wrapped them around his hips and hooked her ankles on top of his tail, which put her in a perfect position for breeding.

He started salivate at the thought of putting his brood in this fertile young Fey. The Fey were creatures of magic just like dragons, and thus her body would make a perfect incubator for his young.

He shook his head.

Every time he took one of his wives to bed, this side of him reared its ugly head, okay, not ugly; he did want to see her belly swell with his child, but this was a bad time for the dragon to make an appearance. .

*Please, please I'll do anything just please...* Her voice came again in his head, followed by her moaning out loud.

He smiled. "Your wish is my command."

* * *

Taloni had never felt so wonderful in her entire life. Ethan's hands and body were touching her seemingly everywhere at once. His gentle kisses and caresses had lit a fire in her loins that rivalled dragon's breath in intensity.

She had been silently pleading for him to take her fully. She'd never wanted anything so badly. She had already wrapped her legs around him so he'd have easy access, she just wanted - no, needed - him to make a proper woman out of her.

He smiled. "Your wish is my command."

She let loose a breathy sigh at his words, and moaned loudly when she felt something brush up against her nether lips. She tried to push her hips down to take him, but he wouldn't let her. He rotated his hips, keeping what she wanted just out of reach.

The arm under her back slid up and his strong fingers held her head up. She looked into his catlike eyes. They were warm and full of tender love, but there was also a primal force behind them.

"Relax." He commanded, his demeanor changing slightly and becoming more dragon-ish; more predatory... but it was still Ethan.

She felt his eyes bore into her soul and her body obeyed his command without conscious thought; without her asking it to. It obeyed him of its own will, completely ignoring her own will.

Not that she minded because a moment later, she felt his massive cock push into her virgin pussy. With his powerful arms holding her in place and his eye capturing her will, there was nothing she could do to stop him. She didn't want to stop him either. Her pussy was completely relaxed, and it had no choice but to part as he pressed himself inside of her.

It was heavenly.

It was everything she wanted... and more.

Some part of her brain seemed to melt as the primal, primitive part of her being came alive. The thought that she was made for this - that this was her purpose - came into her mind as she stared into the dragon's eyes. The thought was carried by some powerful force into the back of her mind. She had just enough time to realize how strange those thoughts were, when she felt his cock press up against her virginity.

"Please." She whimpered, but needn't have bothered.

Ethan never slowed his pace. He pushed inexorably forward, stretching her until she felt a sharp pinch as her hymen broke.

He had taken her.

She was his.

Time seemed to slow as that realization dawned on her. She felt the wind pass over her body and realized she should be cold, but she wasn't. She could feel her wedding dress that was bunched up around her waist flapping in the breeze. Her hair tickled her back slightly and pleasurably as it was blown around by the wind.

She felt Ethan's warm body pressed up against hers, his arms around her, and the exquisite feeling of him being inside of her, completing her and making a real woman out of her. She understood why Prayla had been so interested in this. It was wonderful.

Life was perfect.

In the back of her mind, she felt a thought growing. It was a strange thought, but held incredible appeal for her. He owned her, and she knew what that meant; he was her master. Not in the way Thaltien had been, where she wished to escape. Quite the opposite, she couldn't imagine a better thing in the world than being owned by Ethan; than him being her master.

She wasn't sure where this certainty had come from, but she knew it had taken hold deep within her. It had a primal edge, and for a brief, fleeting moment she thought it might've come from Ethan, yet he wouldn't think that way. But where else could it have come from?

The dragon bottomed out, and she felt him brush the entrance of her womb.

She moaned.

"Thank you master." She breathed.

The dragon growled in return, then pulled back, eliciting a slight whimper until he pushed back into her again. He continued this slow, languid motion as she felt her passion begin to build. She wasn't entirely sure what it was building to, but she knew it would be incredible.

He was so wonderful, pleasuring her like this, his gentle thrusting making her sigh and moan. He was taking incredible care of her, and serving her pleasure exquisitely...

Wait.

She shook her head.

That wasn't right.

It wasn't right for her master to serve her; it should be the other way around. The pleasurable plateau that had been building started to crumble as she realized something was terribly wrong. As much as she enjoyed him pleasuring her, she wanted to pleasure him far more.

Unfortunately, there was no way she could do that up here in the sky while they were flying around. She needed to be on the ground, at least until her wings were strong enough. Or if not the ground, then maybe a bed...

"Stop." She whispered.

The Dragon growled but didn't slow.

She smiled and asked again, making it a simple request and hoping that her master would listen. "Could you please stop for a moment master?" She asked.

The dragon seemed to falter, then his expression softened. He was suddenly less primal and more caring; more Ethan, less dragon.

He stopped thrusting.

"What's wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Nothing." She assured him. "But could you please fly us to the Argo?"

"Yes, but why? Are you cold?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine, I just want to try something, if there is a bed we could use."

"Sure." He cocked his head to one side, clearly confused. He started to pull out, but she clenched her legs.

"Please don't slide out." She asked. "I like this feeling."

"No problem." He said with a huge grin as he banked for several seconds, then began flying in earnest.

The flapping motion jostled everything, making his cock move inside of her anyway. The friction and heat began to build again as she considered how she could pleasure him. Just the thought of doing that was turning her on more than when he had been thrusting mere moments ago.

Two minutes later, they were circling high above the Argo as he looked around, probably to see if anyone was looking. Two minutes later, he made a low approach, coming in so the Argo was between them and the camp. He landed on the deck rather awkwardly, as he was still holding her and - at her request - he hadn't yet slid out of her

"Thank you, can we go to the cabin, please?" She asked, hoping he would agree. "And please don't pull out."

"Sure, and I won't." He said slowly, clearly confused.

She leaned up against him, and after he folded his wings she wrapped her arms around him too. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, her arms around his neck, and his cock was still exquisitely, wonderfully buried in her sopping wet pussy.

He carried her like that into the captain's cabin and closed the door behind them. "What now?"

She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Could you please lay on the bed, um... on your back?"

He smiled, walked over to the bed, sat down and then leaned back. Only then did she let go of his muscular torso. "Thank you master." She said.

"Master?" He looked alarmed and stiffened. "Why did you call me that?"

"I like calling you master."

"Taloni, you are not trading one slave owner for another." He said firmly.

"I don't mean I'm your slave." She said quickly. "I just mean that... I don't know. I want you to be my master."

"Taloni-." He started sitting up, but she gently put her hands on his chest.

"I know you don't like the idea of owning slaves, and I don't want to be your slave exactly. I just feel like I need..." She trailed off, not know how to explain it. It made perfect sense in her head, but she wasn't sure she could quite get it into words.

"I need to call you master." She finally said. "You were willing to risk your life for me only hours after we met. You're the best man I've ever known and I just vowed to follow you everywhere and to obey you all of my life"

"Yes, but you're not some kind of slave."

"I know, and thank you for freeing me." She smiled. "I don't want to call you master because I'm your slave; I want to call you master because I want that place in your life. I want to serve you and help you however I can without being a slave; not because I have to, but because I want to."

He opened his mouth, worked it soundlessly for a moment, then closed it. He gave her a strange look as he shook his head. "I don't understand."

"But I do, and I love that idea." She said. "May I?"

"That's what you want?"

She sighed. "Oh, more than anything."

* * *

Ethan felt his brain overloading trying to comprehend what the tiny Fey girl was saying. That, and there was also the extremely distracting sight of a nubile, eighteen-year-old naked girl straddling his hips with his cock buried firmly inside of her. She was an absolute vision of loveliness and he was have tempted to give her whatever she wanted, simply because she was so beautiful and sexy.

"Could I please call you master? I won't if you don't want me to, but I would really like to. May I please?"

Ethan had never had a naked woman who was currently impaled by his cock all but beg to call him master before. At this point, his cock was probably as hard as diamond and equal in strength to an industrial "I" beam.

The primitive part of his brain - the dragon side - was screaming yes. It was screaming that this incredibly young and hot piece of ass was exactly suited to just that: being his obedient, subservient mate who called him master and was a slave to his every whim.

He pushed that part of his mind down and away as hard as he could.

The fact that his dragon half wanted this was reason enough to say no in his book. He opened his mouth to say no, when a realization hit him. "You're going to treat me that way regardless of what you call me, won't you?"

"Unless you tell me not to, yes." She said, then bit her lips.

He could tell she desperately wanted to call him master. He couldn't understand why and it didn't make sense; not one lick of sense.

"Please?" She asked again.

She was so sweet, innocent, and trusting. Not to mention she had a body to kill for. At the moment, her honey-blonde hair was rolling down her shoulders and just barely obscuring her breasts. She had the toned body of someone who worked all their life. The way she sat there so confidently and yet also so vulnerably was intoxicating and highly erotic.

"Okay, but just for tonight." He heard the words slip out before he could stop them.

"Thank you master." She said, then began to move her hips around his cock.

"You're sure that's what you want?" He asked.

She nodded. "Now relax master, I want you to lay back and just enjoy yourself as I pleasure you."

He felt highly apprehensive about the idea, but could tell she really wanted that and didn't have the heart to say no. He put his hands behind his head and tried to relax as she started to move and circle her hips. She had barely any technique, but more than made up for it in desire. Just the way she was trying was more arousing than any sexual experience he'd ever had, outside of perhaps a few with Alana or Beth...

And she had no experience.

He could only imagine what taking her to bed would be like once she'd gained some.

* * *

Taloni started working her hips, paying very close attention to Ethan's face to see what he liked. Whenever he seemed to be enjoying himself the most, she would continue moving her hips that way.

"What would you like me to do master?" She said as she rocked her hips back and forth.

"Enjoy yourself." He said.

"Oh, I am... I..." Her breath caught as that incredible heat in her loins hit a new height. She was sure it was building to something, and she knew she'd get there eventually, but wanted to take care of him first.

His eyes narrowed, then he smiled wickedly at her. "You know what would really turn me on?"

"What? Please tell me and I'll do it." She moaned.

"I want to see a gorgeous Fey cuming on my cock." She said as he locked eyes with her. "I want to see her turn into a puddle of whimpering pleasure who can barely stay upright for the sensations that are coursing through her body."

The damn broke.

Taloni felt his words hit her soul and all the tension in her body released at once. She felt a slow, trembling buildup throughout her entire body before erupting everywhere at once. She did everything she could to remain upright, but it was just too much.

She started to fall forward, but caught herself by placing her hands on Ethan's chest. It only helped a little, as her arms felt like they didn't want to support her weight. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. A strange trembling coursed through every fiber of her being. She couldn't believe how incredible it felt, like every single part of her body had been dipped in molten pleasure.

It took her a minute to regain her breath. Her entire body was soaked in a light sheen of perspiration as she looked at Ethan and asked the only question that mattered to her. "What that good master? Did you enjoy it?"

"I absolutely did Taloni." He replied as he gently stroked her cheek. Something in his tone made her think he was saying that as much for her benefit as because it was true. "In fact, I enjoyed it so much, that the next time you do that, I'm going to cum inside of you."

The blazing fire in her loins - which had never really gone out - returned with a vengeance. She ground her hips into his, almost desperate to bury his cock as far inside of herself as it would go.

"Thank you for letting me pleasure you master."

"I should be thanking you." He said.

"No master." She moaned as she lifted herself up and let herself slide slowly back down. The sensation of his massive cock spreading wide and filling her up was absolutely incomparable.

"I feel like I was made for this." She sighed again as she began to rock her hips, repeatedly impaling herself on his cock. "Please let me keep serving you like this master, please?"

Something in his demeanor changed.

There was definitely something of the dragon behind his eyes and posture too. He suddenly looked completely relaxed; as if lounging while being ridden by a naked woman was the most natural, normal thing in the world.

He looked at her with abject lust, but also like he was somehow looking down on her. Like he was merely getting what he deserved, and she should feel grateful for being allowed to pleasure him.

She was.

"Thank you for letting me pleasure you master." She said again. "I'm so..." She sighed. "...so grateful."

The dragon looked at her appraisingly. "You should be."

"I love serving you master." She replied, though it took some effort to make the words coherent.

The dragon growled approvingly.

She was getting near the climax; she could feel it. The wonderful tension throughout her entire body was pulling even tighter, like a bow ready to fire. She arched her back, ready for the release...

Which didn't come.

The tension just stayed frozen there, like a catapult ready to launch.

The dragon chuckled. "Is it proper for you to finish before your master?"

"No." She breathed. Of course she shouldn't. He was her master after all and he deserved to have his needs satisfied before hers were.

In the back of her mind, she could tell that this was the dragon speaking, not Ethan. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. Ethan was the opposite; he put her first and probably wouldn't even consider finishing until she had.

The duality was intoxicating.

On the one hand, the powerful, primal dragon relished its position as her master. It looked down on her from on high; a powerful lord and master to serve and she felt like she needed to please him to remain at his side. On the other hand was Ethan, who always put others first and loved her unconditionally. He would never leave her behind, and would never abandon her.

The combination was exquisite.

"You already came before your master once, didn't you?" The dragon said in almost an accusatory tone.

"I'm sorry master." She breathed as she tried to remain upright. "I love you master."

Ethan shook his head as if to clear it and then smiled. "I love you too Taloni."

"Oh, master." She sighed, which turned into a moan.

He rolled, putting her underneath him as he took over and started thrusting gently into her. She spread her legs as wide as they could possibly go, nearly doing the splits in attempt to give him easier access so he could penetrate her more fully and deeply.

Suddenly, his eye flared and the dragon seemed to return in full force. Ethan's tenderness disappeared, replaced with the primal force of nature that was the dragon. He locked eyes with her, boring into her soul as he spoke.

"You will serve me."

"Of course master." She sighed.

"You will derive great joy from serving me." The dragon said as it thrust deep inside of her.

"Yes, master, I would love that master." Taloni said, and she meant it. She wanted to serve him; he had done so much for her and she couldn't think of a better way to repay him.

"Good. Now, beg for my seed." It commanded as it sped up its thrusting, making her breasts jiggle slightly with each impact. Her brain was having trouble keeping up with the sensations.

"Please master, please may I take your seed?" She pleaded. "Please, I want to, I'm ready to, I'll do anything."

"Anything?" It asked.

"Anything you want."

"You'll serve me faithfully?"

"Yes master."

"You'll bear as many of my offspring as I decide to give you?"

"Yes master."

"You'll serve me with your body as often as I wish?"

"Oh, yes master." She groaned at the thought, wishing he would ravish her as often as possible, just as he was doing now. "Please master."

"You'll pleasure my other mates and please them with your body if I so choose?"

She hesitated only a moment. "Yes master."

The dragon growled at her hesitation. "Beg me; beg me to allow you to please my other mates."

"Please master." She said instantly. "Please may I pleasure your other wives?"

"You may little one; you may." It said.

"Thank you master." She breathed, not quite believing what she'd just said. For some reason, her saying that had been accompanied with a burst of arousal and she could feel herself getting even wetter. She moaned; he could do such incredible things to her...

She smiled. "I love you so much master."

The dragon faltered for a moment as Ethan's loving expression started to return. But then the dragon steeled its face and looked her, much like a rancher might look at breeding stock from its herd. "I won't breed you tonight, but soon..."

It growled.

Whether in anticipation or frustration she couldn't tell.

"Yes master." She said as its gaze held her in wonderful, beautiful captivity. "Whatever you want master."

The dragon looked absolutely triumphant and its gaze intensified. It locked eyes with her and she felt its gaze bore into her soul, even deeper than before.

"You won't consciously remember this." It commanded. "It will be like a dream on the edge of your thoughts; always there, never seen. You will abide by what you promised - what you begged to do - but won't remember promising it."

"Yes master." She said almost automatically.

Her thoughts began to fog over...

He brain clouded...

Her...

...

What...?

She felt startled.

She shook her head in confusion.

Suddenly she felt somewhat disoriented.

The rhythmic thrusting of the dragon on top of her brought her back to her senses. It smiled at her slyly and then it seemed to retreat. Suddenly, instead of the dragon thrusting inside of her, it was her dear, sweet, tender Ethan. He looked momentarily disoriented, but certainly found his rhythm quickly.

"You are so beautiful." He said.

"Thank you master." She arched her back, pushing her breasts and hips deeper into him.

He paused, just long enough to tenderly run a finger down her cheek. "I am so lucky to have you."

She sighed. "Thank you so much master."

Ethan pushed deeper, burying his cock inside her up to the hilt as his hips impacted hers. She felt so full. Not only physically, but in every way possible. She felt like her heart was as full as her virgin channel, and her happiness as full as passage that Ethan was vigorously thrusting into.

She hit the precipice and felt ready to fall over it.

"Now my gorgeous bride; cum for me." Ethan instructed, his loving expression and tender movements stood in stark contrast to the powerful force behind his eyes.

She came.

She came and felt the world fall away.

Everything; everything in her mind, everything in the room, everything in the world, except the feel of his cock and the firing raging throughout her body faded into the background. The wild fire coursed through her, and she was vaguely aware of opening her mouth to try and let some of it out.

She nearly blacked out.

The tidal wave hit her like nothing else ever had. The closeness of her husband made it all the more special. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She reflexively wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself closer.

Her entire body convulsed, spamming completely out of control. She was vaguely aware that she was nearly screaming in pleasure, but it was so hard to make sense of anything, of the sensations coursing through her body.

Then she felt it.

She felt a burst of warmth as he spent himself inside her virgin womb.

The sensation brought on an entirely new feeling. A wave washed over her body; not a wave of pleasure as before, but a wave of tenderness; of closeness. It was like their bond had deepened and she felt so incredibly close to him. She had given him her virtue, he had given her his seed. It was the most intimate exchange a man and woman could have.

It was wonderful.

She felt the tension, that fire in her loins, drain and turn into a powerful feeling of contentment and satisfaction. She suddenly felt like she had run a marathon and her body needed a break; needed rest. She could think of nowhere better in the universe than right here with her husband; her lover; her Ethan...

She smiled as she realized that 'her Ethan' didn't sound quite right, just as Alana had said. He wasn't 'her Ethan', she was 'his Taloni'. The wood elf had been right: she did understand it perfectly now.

They clung to each other as her strength finally gave out. She collapsed onto the bed and welcomed the bliss of sleep as it rushed upon her. Without a doubt, this was the single greatest day in her entire life, and this the greatest moment in the greatest day.

With her husband arms around her and his seed inside of her, she was completely, perfectly, and incandescently happy.

That was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Alana made her way away from the party and toward the ladder to the Argo. The wedding feast had wound down a few hours after the bride and groom had slipped out. However, the raucous laughter and inebriated merrymaking told her some would be celebrating into the wee hours of the morning. She sighed, Raklan was sure to be among them so they wouldn't be leaving until at least mid-morning.

She climbed up the ladder thinking about her earlier conversation with Rachel. She wished she could get across how happy she was for Ethan and Taloni. She'd be lying if she said there wasn't a twinge of jealousy for what the Fey girl had experienced earlier that tonight.

Judging from the noises she'd made - which were loud enough that several people in the camp had glanced toward the Argo - Taloni had enjoyed her wedding night immensely. She remembered her own wedding night as quite possibly the single happiest moment of her life.

Well, later that same night waking up to realize she was carrying Ethan's child was also a serious contender for best moment ever. She reached the top of the ladder and rested her hand over her womb.

She sighed.

She could feel the tiny little life pulling miniscule amounts of mana through the Ether. Being able to feel her baby growing inside of her was just... there were no words. The dream she'd had where she was nursing her daughter came to mind and she felt her heart melt.

Okay, there were three contenders for 'best moment ever'.

In the back of her mind, she had another moment in mind for a possible future fourth contender for that title. Sadly, that didn't seem like it would ever happen; Rachel was just too opposed to the idea of sharing a husband.

The wood elf made her way below decks to the forward area where the crew's hammocks were. She passed Serif's unnervingly clean personal space and Raklan's chaotic mess of a personal space and ducked through the blanket Anthiel had hung to give the girls some privacy.

"Oh, I didn't know anyone was up here." She said as she saw a mess of red hair that faded to blond at the tips hanging down from one of the hammocks. It almost looked like that part of the hammock was on fire.

"Don't mind me, I only got here a few minute ago. I'm just..." Rachel yawed as she glanced at the newcomer. "...just tired; it's been long day."

"Yes it has." She nodded fervently, then looked around. "Is my old hammock still free?"

"Um, I may have put some clothes there for storage, but you can just dump them on the floor; I'm too tired to get up right now."

"Thank you." Alana said, and then carefully lifted all of Rachel's clothes out of the hammock that she'd slept in before marrying Ethan. She carefully set the clothes on the floor, making sure not to wrinkle them, and then climbed into the hammock.

"I take it Ethan asked you to let him and Taloni have the captain's cabin tonight?" Rachel asked.

"He didn't ask, I volunteered to sleep down here." She replied. "I thought it would be easier on Taloni. It would be a lot having me there when it's already a little nerve wracking being naked around your husband for the first time, you know?"

"Actually I don't, but I can imagine." Rachel mused. She made a thoughtful sound. "Have you thought much about the sleeping arrangements after tonight?"

Alana felt her cheeks grow warm and was incredibly grateful that the hammock was deep enough and large enough to hide her face from her friend. They were large enough to comfortably fit someone of Raklan's size, so it was easy to sink down into it. Her brain had flashed back to that dream where she'd woken up in bed with Ethan and a few other women, one of whom had been Rachel.

She felt a strange combination of pleasant nostalgia and guilt for the dream. She was absolutely certain that Rachel would be horrified to know that she'd dreamed about kissing her.

"Alana? Are you asleep already?" Rachel whispered.

"No, I'm just thinking. I'm not sure what we're going to do." She thought about sleeping away from Ethan and hated the idea. Like, really hated it. She hadn't been married a whole week yet and was already so used to sleeping next to Ethan that she felt his absence acutely.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rachel asked as Alana heard her shifting in her hammock.

The wood elf peaked up to see the redhead looking at her with concern. She couldn't help but notice that Rachel had beautiful eyes.

"I know I've only been married a few days, but I don't like sleeping alone." Alana admitted. "Is that silly?"

Rachel smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. If I had a husband, I'd want to sleep next to him too."

Alana nodded and they both laid back down.

They both laid there in the dark for some time. Alana could tell by Rachel's breathing that she wasn't asleep either, though the redhead wasn't tossing and turning the way she was. It seemed like no matter what she did and no matter how she adjusted, she couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep.

"You too huh?" Rachel said after quite a while.

"Yeah."

They were both silent for a minute before the wood elf spoke again. "I miss him."

"I know." Rachel replied. "I don't fault Ethan for how things turned out with Taloni, but I don't like how it hurt you." Alana noticed there was a slight hint of protectiveness in her tone, which made her feel quite loved.

"I'm not hurt." Alana said leaning up again.

"Really?" The redhead frowned. "You just seem so... well, hurt right now."

"I love that he took Taloni to bed." Alana smiled, then added at the other girl's quizzical look: "Really, I do."

"Then what's wrong?" The stunning redhead asked.

"I don't like not sleeping next to him." She admitted. "I'm not hurt, just a bit lonely tonight."

Rachel nodded and then leaned back into her hammock where the wood elf couldn't see her. Alana couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard Rachel whisper something in reply. It was so quiet that a human probably wouldn't have heard it; but her elf ears did. It sounded like the redhead said "Me too".

The wood elf felt her heart ache.

Ethan and Rachel had undeniable chemistry and they seemed to like each other well enough. She didn't think it would take much for that little spark to be fanned into a wonderful flame that would bring light and warmth to them both.

Sadly, that didn't seem likely.

Her friend was too opposed to sharing a husband. It would be nice if she would change her mind, but that would take a near miracle. She was glad their earlier conversation had gone well, but doubted it would make much difference the long run.

"I wish I could help." Alana eventually said.

"Thank you." Rachel said, and it sounded like her voice had cracked just slightly. Several seconds passed and it sounded like Rachel had sniffled softly, again quietly enough that most humans wouldn't have heard it.

"I'm sure you'll get to sleep next to Ethan tomorrow." Rachel said after a minute. "Then you won't have to sleep alone."

Alana wouldn't have been surprised if Rachel had silently added "like me" at the end of that sentence too.

"Yeah, I hate sleeping alone." Alana agreed.

For almost a whole minute, Rachel was unnaturally still based on the sound of her hammock. Finally, there was the unmistakable creaking sound of someone crawling out of a hammock and then two soft barefoot steps on the deck before a redheaded teenager appeared above Alana's head.

"Is there room for one more?" She asked, and the wood elf's heart melted when she saw the teen's face. Her eyes were very sad and she looked far more world-weary than her nineteen year-old face would have normally suggested.

"Of course." She carefully rolled in the hammock and Rachel awkwardly climbed in next to her. The hammocks were all one size, and since they would comfortable fit someone even larger than Raklan, there was plenty of room for the two petite young women.

They laid in the hammock awkwardly for a moment until they almost naturally fell into a spooning position, with Rachel being the big spoon. There was nothing sexual, sensual, or provocative about it, and Alana was glad of that. It felt more like what she imagined having a sister in bed with her would feel like.

Rachel's body was warm, and the tiny wood elf snuggled closer to her. The redhead put her arm around the chocolate-haired elf in a comforting, almost protective fashion.

"Thank you." Alana said, as she felt drowsiness begin to weave the restful threads of sleep through her head for the first time that night.

"No, thank you." Rachel replied sleepily.

The redhead made the most adorable little sigh as she seemed to cross the threshold between the waking world and the dream world. The wood elf was fast following suit, but had enough time to relish the simple joy of falling asleep next to her best friend; the girl who was closer to a sister than anyone else ever had been.

She let loose a sigh of contentment.

Ethan seemed very happy from what she could tell through their bond. Taloni certainly was happy judging from the wedding earlier and noises from the captain's cabin. A beautiful baby girl was growing in her womb, and they would get Beth back soon. Rachel was laying in the hammock next to her, the rhythm of her breathing relaxing the wood elf as she reached the edge of sleep. She half mumbled a word of thanks to Illuminar as she drifted off.

Right now, all was right with the world.

* * *

CHAPTER 15: EPILOUGE

"You can wait there Agent Dawson." The receptionist said absent-mindedly as she waved toward the seats in the corner of the room and continued typing away on her computer.

Selene sighed, nodded, and then headed towards one of the chairs and sat down. She took a deep breath and told herself it would be fine for the hundredth time that day.

"It's okay, there's no need to be nervous." She reminded herself under her breath. "Everything will be fine. You'll do great."

She looked around the room, more to distract herself than anything else. There was no TV, but several potted plants brightened up the place. It was a typical FBI field office; nothing more, nothing less.

"Agent Dawson, the Special Agent in Charge will see you now." The receptionist said a few minutes later.

"Thank you." Selene replied before taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly and standing up. She smoothed the non-existent wrinkles on her pencil skirt and walked to the door.

She took another deep breath, then opened it and walked in.

The office of the Special Agent in Charge looked much like she had expected it to look. There were several windows that gave it a slightly airy feeling, at least as far as possible in a corner office. There were a couple of plants, most of which looked fake. The one which didn't look fake was clearly not long for this world. The Agent's desk was slightly less cluttered than most, and the man himself was on the phone.

He waved her in and indicated a seat as he listened to whoever he was talking to. He was a slightly short, slightly overweight, slightly balding man who nevertheless didn't look sloppy. He looked professional, though his suit clearly wasn't high-end and his watch was probably bought at the local Wal-Mart. He reminded her of a shorter, balder version of J. Jonah Jameson from the Spiderman movies.

Selene sat down in the chair and waited for him to finish his conversation, which was seconds later. He hung up, took one look at her, smiled and shook his head jovially.

"Relax." He said. "You look more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"Yes sir." She replied formally.

He raised his eyebrow.

"Sorry sir."

"Nothing to apologize for." He said kindly. "I remember walking into the boss' office on my first day. You could've powered half the city with the nervous energy I was giving off." He shrugged, then grabbed a file and started looked through it.

"I see you scored in the top ten percent of your class." He mused.

"Yes sir." She replied proudly.

"Don't get all excited, grades don't mean shit."

"Sir?"

He closed the file and looked at her. "Good grades are just that; good grades in a classroom. I've seen agents at the top of their class fail spectacularly. I've also seen one dumb idiot who scored at the bottom, but did so well they made him the Special Agent in Charge of a field office."

He nodded toward his own diploma on the wall as if to drive the point home. "There's a lot more to what we do than grades. Passing your field agent exam is like finishing middle school; you know enough to not completely fail, but you're far from 'there', if you catch my drift.

"I do sir."

"Good, then welcome to the office agent Dawson. As it turns out, you leave on assignment in one hour."

Selene sat up straighter in her chair. "I do sir?"

"Yup, that's what that call was about." He gestured to the phone. "Got a sheriff downstate who wants to loop us in on a local kidnapping. Seems there were a few over the last several years with the same MO."

He looked at another file in front of him. "One of the early cases was a Hailey Oswald several years back. Her boyfriend Jason Stiles and best friend Melinda Estelo reported that she went missing while jogging in the local state park. There've been a few others, but this most recent one crossed a serious line."

"What line sir?" Selene asked.

"They got half a class that was on a field trip." He sighed wearily. "Two teachers and half a dozen kids are missing, and all the evidence points to an abduction."

"In a State Park sir? Can't the local law enforcement track them with dogs?"

"Didn't need to." He replied. "They left plenty of footprints after it rained the night before. But the footprints completely stop in the middle of a clearing without a trace of where they went. It's like they vanished off the earth... or were loaded into a helicopter more likely."

He picked up the file and handed it to her. She took it and mostly succeeded in preventing her hand from shaking in excitement and nervousness.

"Grades may not count, but knowing the case does." He said as he sat back down. "You should have that file half-memorized by the time you get down there. Agent Mason will be here soon and you'll drive down with him, so get a car from the lot. He'll be your supervising officer, and you're on a tight leash as it's your first assignment."

"Yes sir."

"Then good luck, Godspeed, and bring those kids home."

"I will sir." Selene replied.

He shook his head. "Never make promises you can't keep Agent Dawson; never. Victims will hate you for it and you'll end up hating yourself. Tell them you'll do your best and make good on that promise."

"Yes sir." Selene said a little more cautiously this time. He was entirely right of course, and she internally vowed to remember that.

"Then you're dismissed."

"Thank you sir." Selene stood up and left the room. She looked at the file after she arrived at the vehicle lot and signed out a vehicle. It wasn't the biggest file she'd seen, but there were a half a dozen reported missing persons cases that were suspected to be kidnappings, all fitting the same MO. They were taken near the State Park and dragged to the same clearing where their tracks would disappear abruptly, as if they'd simply walked off the earth.

The pictures of the tracks were so incredible that couldn't wait to see them in person. She could help but wonder what could've possibly made the tracks stop so abruptly.

She couldn't wait to find out.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she sat in the FBI SUV waiting for Agent Mason to arrive. She had made it, she was here, and she had just been given the kind of case she been hoping for: one that would really make a difference...

...If she could only figure out where the kidnapped kids had gone.

TO BE CONTINUED...

***I hope you all enjoy reading this story as much as I love writing it. You seem to judging by your comments, (and the star ratings) so that makes my heart happy. :)

Also, sorry about the editing misses last chapter. I was feeling under the weather while editing it and clearly missed a bunch. Sorry. :p I have tried the volunteer editors, but the few I tried wanted too much editorial control over the story and characters. So yeah, I'm solo on editing for now.***

STORY TAGS: dragon, magic, medieval, elf, teen, romance, virgin, harem, cuckquean,