(This is a slightly edited version due to issues in the timeline, feel free to skip to the "!!!" if you do not wish to reread the entire chapter)

The Dream

"How is Lord Allendale? I hope we have found him in good health," said Edith Woolvely, setting her tea onto a beautiful redwood table. Also on the table was an equally beautiful Chinese vase.

"The doctor says he is doing as well as can be expected," replied Lady Allendale, setting her tea down across from Edith's and folding her hands into her lap. She was about to inquire about Edith's son's health when suddenly the ground shook, causing the tea cups to rattle. Lady Allendale stood up and begged to be excused. She rushed out the door, ignoring the footmen trying to convince her to stay inside. She walked quickly to the empty paddock. The footmen who were following her were dragging their feet as the large dragon came into view. Temeraire's black hide was unmistakable, but difficult to see at night.

"Hello Lady Allendale," said Temeraire cheerfully, or at least as cheerfully as he could with Laurence missing.

Lady Allendale smiled up at him and said, "Hello to you too, Temeraire," and after a moment asked, "Where is William?"

Temeraire's shoulders hunched and he said low, "I do not know; Wellesley says he is dead, but Admiral Roland says he is alive…" He paused and placed Laurence's coat and sword before Lady Allendale and continued to say, "There was a battle earlier today near the mouth of the Thames. We have pushed Napoleon out of England, but he himself escaped from the battle. While they were fleeing, Lien created a wave with the divine wind and she is very unpleasant and is always trying to hurt Laurence. When I tried to stop the wave, Laurence was swept away by it."

As Temeraire finished his speech, he made a low whining noise. Lady Allendale did not understand most of what Temeraire was talking about, but her face washed over with empathy at the creature's misfortune. "I am sure he is alive, dear. He will turn up somewhere. Pray do not worry."

Temeraire put his head low and hunched down and asked, "May I stay here tonight? With Laurence gone, I am quite lonely and do not know what to do with myself."

Lady Allendale looked at the big black dragon and suddenly realized that beneath the beast façade there was a lonely child inside. She reached out and stroked his soft muzzle and looked into his huge blue eyes. She was proud of her son for teaching this dragon and loving him as though he were the dragon's father.

"You may stay, dear creature," said Lady Allendale after a short pause, "and if, God forbid, William is not found you may stay here as long as you wish."

After a little while, Temeraire asked a little skeptically, "Do you think God can help us?" and Without pausing for an answer he continued, "I remember Laurence trying to read to me from the Bible, but apparently I said something wrong and he stopped trying. But on the way to Africa, he said I did not need to worry because I did not have something called 'original sin'."

"That is good to hear," said Lady Allendale, a smile creeping into existence, "and I am sure God can help us. Just pray to Him for help." After saying this, she turned and started walking back to the manor. The footmen tried to hurry her along and looked shocked that the dragon had not eaten her.

"My Lady," said Temeraire before she had gone more than three steps, "I am afraid I do not know how to pray." Temeraire looked away and at the ground, apparently a little embarrassed at not knowing how to do something most humans learned as small children.

"My dear," said Lady Allendale, ignorant of the fact that Temeraire was instantly reminded of Laurence the moment she uttered those two words, "Simply bow your head and ask."

* * *

(I hate to interrupt in the middle of the story but I must warn you that the next section is full of analogies and may be difficult to understand. Please read slowly for full comprehension.)

"Captain, we are nearly in range of the French ship," reported Riley.

Suddenly, Laurence was aware of his surroundings. He was in his cabin aboard the Reliant. The light roll of the ship was gently swinging his hammock. He did not want to wake up, but soon the excitement of an upcoming battle forced his eyes open.

"Very good, when we are in range we will fire upon her and close to board. Remind the gun crews not to hit her below the water line," said Laurence after he got up from his hammock. He turned to look out his cabin window to see the French ship, the Amitie. It looked like a fine frigate, but her sails were in a sorry shape.

"I will be on deck in a moment, Captain Riley," said Laurence dismissing his Lieutenant.

"Begging your pardon sir, but you have called me Captain," said Riley on the way out of Laurence's cabin. A small gleam came to his eye at the notion of becoming a captain himself."

"Yes I have," replied Laurence, "You are the captain of the Allegiance are you not?" At this Laurence furrowed his eyebrows, a slight pain appearing at the back of his skull.

"As you say, sir," said Riley, finally exiting to the deck, tossing a concerned look towards Laurence on the way.

Laurence sat down behind his desk rubbing his temples, the pain in his head increasing. He called his steward in to help him into his coat, and when he was fully clothed in his bottle-green coat and trousers and his plumed hat, he strolled up to the deck to survey his ship, the Temeraire. He looked up at the great black sails flapping in the wind. He walked over to the rail and looked down at the glossy black wood. Laurence loved his ship and his ship loved him back. He directed his gaze to the French ship, the Lien. It was nearly identical to the Temeraire, yet at the same time it was completely different.

Lieutenant Riley walked over to Laurence, his eyes full of concern as he asked, "Sir, are you feeling well?"

Laurence smiled and turned towards Riley to say cheerfully, "I am perfectly well Mr. Granby. How else could I feel sailing on such a magnificent ship that chose me?" Laurence grimaced in pain and rubbed his temples. The Temeraire was nearing the enemy and the battle was about to begin.

"Fire," said Laurence so quietly that only Riley had heard him.

"Open fire!" shouted Riley, and the battle began.

Laurence calmly paced the length of the deck, rubbing his temples while musket shot and splinters rained around him. Laurence saw a group of young ensigns running to a hatch to grab supplies and Laurence stopped one of them.

"Do not go down there," said Laurence calmly and a split second later the passageway where the boy would have been exploded into splinters as a cannon ball flew through the bulkheads.

"Thank you sir," said Morgan before he scurried off to find something to do. But before he had taken his third step, he fell to the deck with blood streaming from his neck where he had been shot. Laurence shook his head and stepped over the body calmly and continued to pace the deck, until Riley ran up to him panting.

"Sir," gasped Riley, "Permission to board, sir?"

Laurence nodded and calmly said, "Permission granted Granby. We must stop these transports before they reach England."

Riley opened his mouth as if to say something, concern in his eyes, but all he said was, "Yes, sir," and he jumped over to the enemy ship with a dozen men.

The fight was not the same as any other battle Laurence had been in. The men moved in slow motion, but at the same time the battle passed by quickly and Laurence found himself facing the French captain kneeling in the blood and offering Laurence his sword. Laurence ignored the sword and watched as an enormous egg was brought onto the deck. The egg split perfectly down the middle and with a blinding light it disappeared and left a pure black dragon hatchling in its place.

"Temeraire?" whispered Laurence, though he was not sure why.

"Better that he should sink to the bottom of the ocean than be with you!" shouted the French captain as he tackled the hatchling and knocked it and himself over the railing.

"No!" shouted Laurence as he rushed to the rail, only to see the yellow trails of silk from the captain's robe hanging off the side of the ship.

* * *

!!! (Due to a slight timeline issue I had to revise parts of this section) !!!

"No," mumbled Laurence "Temeraire, no"

Captain Green stared down at the man in pity. As they had reached the ship doctor, two days earlier, Laurence passed out and minutes later started mumbling in his sleep. It was agreed that Green would take the captain's cabin and Laurence the first lieutenant's. Two days later, in the afternoon, Green had walked into Laurence's cabin to find him mumbling about the Temeraire.

"Sir, can you wake up…Sir?" asked Green, shaking Laurence's shoulder gently.

Laurence gasped as he jumped back into reality drenched with cold sweat.

"What a despicably strange dream," said Laurence. After recovering his wits he turned to Green and added, "I have no idea what it was about. I was aboard the Reliant, and then… well I do not understand what was going on for the rest. I knew the names of some crewmen that I have never met."

"Sir, it is likely you met them between the day you woke up on my ship and the day your memory stops. Sir… Laurence, the doctor believes you suffered a blow to the head and that is what has caused your memory loss. I am afraid we do not know if you will get your memories back or not," said Green, and at the end of this speech he felt the need for a glass of port.

"No, thank you captain, but I would rather have some time to myself," said Laurence when Green asked if he would like to join him for a drink. As Green was leaving he noticed Laurence looking at a jagged scar on his left shoulder, apparently it was a new scar from Laurence's perspective.

Captain Green sighed and returned to the deck relieved that Laurence was okay, but he was concerned for Laurence's recent loss. The poor man could have married, had children, or been promoted in the past three years and he may never know. He could partially understand the pain Laurence was feeling, so many wonderful things could be lost to him forever, but on the other hand, ignorance is bliss. It was just as likely that many bad things had happened to Laurence in the past three years, but Green was sure he would rather remember all the bad than forget the good.

"Wing, two points to larboard!" shouted a lookout. Green paused in his brooding and turned his attention to the approaching dragon. It was flying no colors.

"Mr. Young," said Captain Green, and when he saw he had the gun-deck leader's attention he added, "Tell the men to load the guns and bring the pepper guns up to the deck. If that dragon does not fly the British colors, we will have to fire upon it." The Lieutenant nodded and went below decks to carry out Green's orders. Green turned to look out to sea and pondered some more. He wondered at the cruel mistress Fate, and how with one hand it could elevate a third lieutenant to Captain of a ship-of-the-line, and with the other hand reduce a captain to a prisoner of his own mind.