Summary: Danica found Gregory on the battle field, but he didn't die. If a serpent owed a hawk his life, what would have happened differently? Danica's POV

A/N: This picks up right when Gregory tells her to 'end it'. Some of the dialogue is taken from the book in the very beginning, but I did change Danica's thoughts to reflect what's going to happen later.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hawksong, so review, not sue!

"End it. Please." He told me, looking me strait in the eye. Normally I would have recoiled from the scarlet gaze, but I didn't now. It didn't seem frightening at all; just the pleading look of another fallen soldier.

I winced. I wanted to stop the pain, I did, but… how could I take another life? Even a serpent? My eyes filled up with tears, and despite my avian reserve, they spilled onto Gregory Cobriana. He was no longer an enemy; here, fallen in battle, he was a brother, son, a friend who would die because of this endless bloodshed.

I held his hand tightly as I reached for my knife, but Rei caught my hand and shook his head. "Dani," he warned, worry in his eyes.

I looked at him, tears still in my eyes. "It could take him hours to die like this," I argued quietly, hoping Gregory didn't hear me.

"Let the hours pass," Rei said tightly. "Serpiente believe in mercy killing, but not when it's the other side that does it. Not when it's the heir to the Tuuli Thea who ends the life of one of their two surviving princes."

I shook my head sharply, but put my dagger back in my waistband, then lifted up the ends of Gregory's shirt. He winced, that must have hurt. I soothed him while I examined the wound. I'd seen too many to be very sickened by it, but each one still hit me hard. But with more examination, I realized that the wound wasn't as deep as I had thought at first.

Taking my canteen out of my waistband, I spilled some water onto his stomach. I sang while I cleaned the wound, feeling him tighten his grip on my hand. But when I was finished, I saw that the wound wasn't so bad.

Maybe he would live. No, he wouldn't. As long as he was on this field, at the mercy of the bloody air and hard ground, he would die. My eyes overflowed and I let my demi-form wings burst out of my skin. I fluttered them for a moment, then stood up, gathering Gregory in my arms. He was heavy, but with the added strength I received from my demi-form, I held him tightly in my arms easily.

"Dani," Rei said, worried at what I was doing. "What are you doing?"

"Taking him to the Keep," I said, determined. They wouldn't stop me, not this time. I could not stop my own brother from dying, I would save someone else's, serpiente or not. He was responsible for this bloodshed as much as I was.

Not waiting for Rei to argue with me, I beat my powerful, golden wings, and was off.

"Don't worry," I told Gregory as I raced through the trees, avoiding all signs of battle, hoping I wouldn't be shot down. "You'll be alright, I promise. I'm going to take care of you." His blood was trickling onto my shirt, and I prayed fervently that I was right.

"DANI!" Rei yelled, already in the air next to me with the rest of the Royal Flight. He lapsed into the informal with his worry. "What are you doing? You can't bring a serpiente into the Keep! Tuuli Thea will kill you! He'll kill you once he's healed, and slaughter your mother with you! Don't do this!"

I looked at him, my avian shell making me distant and frosty. "I am doing this. He will live; I won't let another one die."

I refused to argue anymore, and beat my wings faster, trying to reach the Keep as soon as possible.

Thankfully, I was not shot at. I would of sang to Gregory as I flew, but the added weight and extra speed was making me breathless. I contented myself with brushing the hair back from his eyes often. The contact was strange for me, but I wanted more than anything to comfort him until we got there, and he seemed not to mind.

I landed in the courtyard, letting my wings fold back under my skin, as if they were never there. And then I realized how heavy he was, and sprouted my wings again, I flew along the corridors, up flights of stairs and into my room, locking my door behind me. I would not let the Rei stop me, not this time.

I laid him on my bed and my wings disappeared. I heard banging on the other side of my door, then Rei yelling clearly, "Get the Tuuli Thea!"

"As heir," I shouted to the door, "I command you not to!" I normally didn't pull my rank, but it was what I had to do now. "If you do, you will be convicted of treason!" I ran to my balcony to lock that door as well.

I could feel the hesitation, so I ignored them now and propped him up on my pillows. The wound had stop bleeding now, and I lifted up his shirt again. I could fix this. I knew I could. I hoped I could. Rei had taught me how to sew cuts and wounds.

"I'll be back soon," I promised, then ran to my bathroom to wet a cloth. I let the cold water soak the cloth, then took a cup from the side of my sink and filled that with cool water as well.

I came back and lay the cloth onto his wound, then moved him to my lap. "Here, drink this," I said, helping tip the water into his mouth. He drank gratefully, and I wondered at that. Didn't he worry it was poisoned? Or maybe he trusted me. That would be strange.

"Thank you," he whispered when the water was all gone. I let his head down slowly so I could get more water.

When I finished tipping the second cup into his mouth, his eyelids fluttered. "No!" I said forcefully. If he fell asleep, he might die. "No, no, Gregory, stay awake with me, please. Don't go asleep, please, please stay awake," I pleaded with him. "Don't go to sleep, stay with me, don't sleep!"

He fought the stupor and I he said so quietly I could hardly hear him, "You have souls after all."

I didn't understand what he meant. Maybe he thought that an avian had to be heartless to go on the battlefield. I knew I had to try to be heartless to turn away from each funeral for my family.

Shaking my head, trying not to think about that, I sang to him. I sang to him, trying to keep him awake, letting him concentrate on my voice. I had been told often that my voice was the most beautiful thing about me. I sang to him of peace and hope, I sang to him every sweet song for children I could think of. I sang to him while I sewed up the cut, I sang to him every song I could think of at least twice. I sang to him until a sharp rap on my door caught my attention and my mother's voice rang, anger coloring her tone, "Shardae!"

This is my first Kiesha'Ra fanfic, so tell me what you think! I won't update until I get two reviews, or else I think it sucks and nobody wants to read it. So, please, if you finish reading, review!