Kitten, where are you?

Part one

By Commet

Author's Note: Ok, here's the deal. There are a few things you gotta know before you read this. First of all, Kaddar was assasonated (His anti-poison bracelet was replaced with a plain one, and someone put a death potion into his soup), and the throne was taken by his brother, one who's eager to follow in Ozorne's footsteps. Second of all, ever since their little journey through the realms of the gods, Numair is tryingto teach Daine to enter a creature's mind and not get stuck— that's not going so well. Well, that's about it! READ!

Kitten sat on a cushion, whistling and chirping loudly. She was scarlet, and very angry. She didn't like being ignored for such long periods of time. Daine sat a little of to the dragons right, cross-legged, her eyes closed, and paying absolutely no attention what so ever to the blood-red creature that was about to explode— she was hungry, and stork-man insisted for her to stay. Daine gave out an exhilarated sigh and opened her eyes.

"I can't do this!" She cried. Numair, who had his fingers on her temples, stepped back.

"You're just not used to going into a mind of an immortal creature."

"Odds bobs, I'm not!" She accepted the goblet of water he offered her and drained it. "It's like she's completely blocking me out! Maybe my magic just isn't supposed to do this?"

"Nice try, magelet. All right, you may rest for a few minuets. We'll go to supper right after we try one more thing."

Kitten followed Daine and the stork-man out into the dinning room, where Alanna, the Baron of Pirate's Swoop, and Their Majesties waited.

"Bad lesson?" Laughed the Lioness, seeing the annoyed looks on their faces.

"Horrible." Put down Daine. Kitten chirped in agreement. The girl had been trying to get inside her head again. She usually didn't mind, but tonight she was already mad at Daine for delaying supper, and when a dragon is mad, soon they'll learn, she does not cooperate.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a runner, covered with sweat, dashed over to the Baron, bowing swiftly to Queen Thayet and King Jonathan as he passed them. He whispered something to Gorge.

"WHAT!?"

"The sentries report at least two hundred men on horseback. There-hundred more a-foot and some twenty boats." Continued the runner. "We have no reason to believe that reinforcement will not come." Gorge looked at his companion.

"We are experiencing a little surprise attack." He told them. "Get the villagers inside the castle. Daine?" She nodded and when outside to tell the animals to behave, and to calm down her wild friends. "Numair, you know what do? Dampening spell or no, we need you out there." Their majesties and Alanna had already left. The baron grabbed his bow and rushed out after them. Kitten remained in the room, eating a roll and bobbing back and forth. No one cared where the little dragon went, oh no! They just concerned themselves with their mortal affairs! Too busy to even notice that she might still be HUNGRY!

~

The situation turned out worse then estimated. Reinforcements did come, and not small number of those either. Every villager who could work a weapon— any weapon— was put up to fight. Daine summoned up all the creatures in her range, and even asked some get the word out to those out of it. Numair, after finding out that the dampening spells were much thicker then last time he fought them, was forced to sit in mediation for as much as twelve hours in a row, not daring to break concentration. King Jonathan worked the Dominion Jewel. Still, when the battle was over, Pirate's Swoop could not be in worse shape.

Bodies lay everywhere— more of their own then of the enemy's. Practically every mage was unconscious from the effort of even small magic, like lighting a fire, because as much as Numair worked, he couldn't block out the whole spell, so he was concentrated mainly on the healers' quarters. The animals that had survived the battle where terrified, and most needed to be fixed. Daine spend all her time and energy on these poor things, wishing in spite of herself that her wild magic would just jump out of her, like it did once on some birds before she could control it.

Kitten was nowhere to be seen. Daine wasn't really worried about her. The little dragon did a glory of the job of looking out after herself. And Daine remembered that she did seem cross with her and Numair around the time of attack. She decided to let her cool off before attempting to go out looking for her— she had enough to do as it was.

~

"N-Numair? Would you p-please come here f-for a moment?" Daine's voice was weak and shaky. She was staring wide-eyed at a piece of parchment, holding it out in front of her as though she was afraid it would explode. The mage looked up from his scroll.

"What is it?" She was breathing hard.

"P-please come here for a moment." He rose and walked over to her, looking very concerned. Taking the parchment in one hand, he put the other around her waist to catch her if she fainted, with she threatened to do any moment now.

"Great gods." He whispered. "How could they ever…" Daine burst into tears, flinging her arms around his neck. They had Kitten.

To Veralidaine Sarrasi from His Empirial Majesty, Kind Jhonus of Carthak.

We are to notify, that we have taken hostage of the dragon Skysong. We ask in return for the dragon, the surrender of Veralidaine Sarrasi to the kingdom of Carthak. You have until the next full moon to present you bail, otherwise the dragon will be disposed of.

"They've got Kitten!" She whispered to Numair. He tightened his grip around her.

"We'll get her back. I promise."

Disclaimer: You know the drill, none of there guys are mine except His Emperial Majesty, King Jhonus. Got that?