Iskierka did not eat for three days; Temeraire said nothing at all except when he was trying to get her to eat. Laurence was busy, along with Granby trying to move along their course or make for the nearest possible harbor in order to make repairs. The shipmen and aviators were bitter and sullen more now than ever since they had expected to get some wealth out of the trade of the egg as well.
"Iskierka, it has been three days. You must eat something, look Gong Su has killed a nice fat pig and it would be most rude of you not to eat it." Temeraire said nudging her. He was not permitted to fly for some days due to his injuries and did not want to pester Laurence. He had already read all of the books that he had brought along and was going to see about writing a poem to describe the pirate battle. But when the time came he found he had no words for it.
"I am not hungry." Iskierka snapped at him, she had huddled herself tightly against the side of the dragon deck with her wings closed over her head.
"Is this about the egg?" Temeraire asked his voice softer. She only swatted him with her tail in answer and then fumed:
"No this is not about the egg! What do I care if the egg cracked or got smashed, or drowned in the bottom of the ocean?" Temeraire snarled at her, his blue eyes flashing dangerously.
"I thought you females were supposed to care for eggs!" Iskierka lifted herself up and starred at him, her eyes flashing and spikes ominously admitting steam. She leaned her head in close to him, but not affectionately.
"Who says I must care for eggs because I am female? I care for Granby! I care even for you sometimes and perhaps for Laurence as well because you are poor and so I take pity on you. This is not about the egg. I am simply not hungry, eat the pig yourself if you are so concerned about manors." Temeraire huffed and left her to sulk by herself. For his part he did not know how to feel about the egg. It was not as though it had hatched, so it was never really alive. Dragons had eggs at the breeding grounds all the time and they were taken away nearly as soon as they were laid. Yet he felt sorrow in his heart at the fact that the hatchling would never smell the salty air or fly on the clouds, it would never get to see the world or, (and this was the thing that sorrowed Temeraire the most,) the fact that it would never know the kindness of a captain the likes of which he shared with Laurence. That night it rained, causing the moods of everyone aboard to drop even lower. Temeraire coiled himself up, trying to use his wing as a shield but it did no good. He briefly looked at Iskierka who was shivering in the rain despite Granby's efforts to find her a blanket. Temeraire sighed, remembering what Laurence had always taught him about how he should treat ladies and went over to her, laying a wing on her side.
She did not protest as he laid his tail over hers and put his head close. Despite shaking she gave off at least some heat and Temeraire saw that in her claws she held the fragment of shell close to her. He nosed her gently,
"I am not upset," she affirmed to him. "It is just that I thought that it would make me and Granby very rich and it had been my first egg." Her eyes looked at him and she said in a voice very quietly so that Temeraire was nearly nose to nose with her in order to hear: "Well, our egg. It had been our first egg and I was looking forward to it very much. Because then Britain could never be threatened again and they would live in fear of us. Only now it has gotten cracked and is gone and we shall have to continue on to China empty handed and there will be another war unless we kill them all. That would not be so bad I suppose." She laughed and issued more steam from her spikes. For the first time in his life, Temeraire could not think of anything to say at Iskierka's words. He only puffed out his ruff and finally managed,
"I only wish you would eat something." They said no more but fell asleep, though Temeraire woke once or twice to Iskierka making small strange sounds of distress as she examined the egg, as if she did not understand what had happened to it. Finally she quieted down and while she was asleep Temeraire took it from her, looked at it once, sniffed it and flung it over board into the sea.
"Let them have a few days for pity's sake Laurence," Granby whispered in the cabin that night. Laurence was stooped over a cup of grog shaking his head and scribbling in his small leather bound notebook.
"I didn't know you wrote much." Granby said, taking a seat beside him on a wooden crate. Laurence remained silent for a few moments then mumbled,
"I have had this journal since I was a boy, it helped me when I first left home. It has since served many purposes." He took another sip of grog and closed the journal. "If we arrive in China without an egg they will send their fleets to war. Even if we tell them what has happened they will think we are lying. Britain has beaten Napoleon but she cannot take another war so soon." The small candle reflected both of their eyes as Granby searched for something to say.
"I thought it would be over John," Laurence whispered, his eyes scanning the dark cabin. "I thought Waterloo was the end of it." Granby looked around the dark hold. The men were asleep in their quarters soundly and snoring could be heard all around. Only then did he reach out and touch Laurence's hand squeezing it gently.
"It will be alright Will. I will try talking to Iskierka in a few days and you may try talking to Temeraire depending on how their relations are faring. Perhaps we can subtlety encourage them to have another try at it before we arrived in China." Laurence only nodded, but he took Granby's hand in his and kissed it. They were silent a long time before Laurence shook his head and drew his hand away.
"I do hope we do not start another war. I don't know how we would take it, the corps I mean." Granby nodded. They had lost many friends at Waterloo, as if on cue Laurence said,
"I should have known that Temeraire would feel awful after the egg shattered, judging by how he handled Maximus's death." Granby nodded, as always trying to throw humor into the conversation.
"I never thought Iskierka would care less about it, the egg I mean. I wouldn't count her to have an ounce of maternal feelings whatsoever. They aren't particularly attached to their hatchings or their eggs. Of course we have always reassured them that the eggs are safe and sound. I had never thought they would actually care if something did happen to it." Laurence nodded. Again there was silence for a long time between the two of them. Finally they retired to bed, stealing a brief kiss before going to their separate hammocks.
They made port two weeks later, it would have only taken a day and a half had the Allegiance been in full tact but they were happy for it nonetheless when they docked.
"I do not know if it will work Laurence," Temeraire fretted. They had gone flying briefly and now were making their way back to where the ship was docked in harbor. Laurence had taken this time to ask the delicate question of whether or not his dragon could persuade Iskierka to have another egg so soon.
"She has eaten at least, and no longer broods but I do not know if she will be willing purely for pains sake; it was rather bloody and she was distressed by it when it came time to lay it." Laurence went pale in the face but managed to compose himself. He too had noticed that Iskierka's behavior had improved within the two weeks between the eggs demise and the ships harbor. She had eaten regularly, had been her usual bratty self, demanding to know when she could come ashore and asking what gold, if any would be gotten in the shops at harbor. She had set off with Granby for a private flight of their own early that very morning. Iskierka did not notice the missing egg shell when she had woken up at first. She later asked Temeraire if he had seen it, by which he then said it must have fallen over board during the night. She had only shrugged saying it was just as well and then had complained to Granby that she was hungry.
"I am sure if you put it to her that she will get very rich if she does bring a live egg to China that she will consent to it." Laurence said, looking out over the green mountains as they flew. It had been so long since he had seen greenery. Temeraire shrugged but flew on at an eager pace in the cool wind.
"I shall try, if it makes you happy." He said after a while when the harbor town was in sight. Laurence patted him gently,
"Thank you my dear. You are doing your country a great service once again."
"I am glad, though I think we have done quite enough for England. I think it is time she do something for us in return." Laurence could not disagree with this statement and smiled to himself. They flew for a little while longer before touching down. James and Volly said their goodbyes as well, they would be making back for England shortly.
After walking through the village to see the children and their parents who showed him great admiralty and gifts Temeraire bid farewell to Laurence, Granby and Tharkay and began the nervous task of persuading Iskierka to go off alone with him.
"I do not see any prizes to be had!" She yelled when they had found a remote pool. It had a water fall by it as was surrounded otherwise by jungle.
"That is because there are none." Temeraire said, dipping to drink some of the water. They had flown quite a distance to the place. He had seen it earlier while on his flight with Laurence but it was quite a ways a way.
"You dragged me all the way here for nothing?" Iskierka fumed. Temeraire made his way over to her and looked her square in the face.
"We must try again for another egg before we hit China." Iskierka blinked then shrugged and passed him, taking a drink from the pool herself.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Temeraire was taken aback,
"I was not sure if you would want to after, well you know." Iskierka finished lapping her water and then looked at him.
"Of course I would want to Temeraire." She said smugly and turned to preen herself. "We have no other choice after all." Temeraire puffed out his ruff triumphantly.
"Alright, but we must be quick about it, and we must make sure that it works," his voice trailed off nervously at the end. Iskierka smiled and ran her tail under his chin.
"It will work, you have nothing to fear."
"Are you sure you are ready?" She shrugged again.
"I am perfectly fit." Temeraire smiled, they were silent for a moment. The waterfall ran and for a minute he forgot the corps and England, he even forgot China. They were wild dragons, and this vast land belonged not to some emperor but to them. Iskierka's scales shimmered and her steam rose from her hide mixing with the spray of the water fall. Again the same strange sensation of emotion swelled in him.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" She demanded flicking her tongue across his nose. Temeraire shook his head.
"Nothing, let us be quick about it." Iskierka nuzzled him roughly.
"Oh yes, let us." The mischivious glint in her eyes was undeniable.
To Temeraire's great pride, Iskierka threw up her entire dinner over the side of the slightly more repaired Allegiance a week later.
"Are you sick?" He asked. Iskierka hissed at him, hitting him with her tail about his side.
"Well if I am it's your fault!" As she said this, her mouth tipped in a wry smile. The days to come only reinforced the hint. She ate strange things and complained of a soreness in her sides. She did not want to fly and fretted over Granby more than ever. Finally one day when she would not rise at all and only complained, Keynes was summoned to confirm.
"So you are sure?" Temeraire asked her as she hissed and groaned on her side. Keynes was walking around in circles touching her side which had grown slightly larger very quickly. Granby was at her head, stroking her scales.
"Of course I am sure you imbecilic!" She snarled and kicked at Keynes.
"Give it another week and she will lay it. From the size of her sides it seems as though the egg will be a bit larger than the last one was." This news was received with great pleasure by Temeraire, Laurence, Granby and nearly everyone aside from Iskierka who only groaned unhappily.
The ordeal went quite the same as it did last time. Granby was a wreck and did not take meals. He spent the hours at Iskierka's side or giving orders to reluctant sailors to bring her water and whatever spare cloths could be spared. Iskierka roared and complained and wined and Temeraire was forced to hover above the ship with Laurence aboard him so that she could have the entirety of the dragon deck. It was over sooner, only a mere two and half hours by Keynes's count. When Temeraire landed again Laurence was still on his back when he crossed over to Iskierka and nuzzled her. The deck was covered in blood and slime but was quickly wiped away by the sailors, who were rather reluctant. Granby was so happy he kissed his dragon on the nose and stroked her cheek.
"It is not so hard. Battles are more exciting and more rewarding anyways." She whispered, Granby laughed and before he could answer his dragon was asleep, her head in his lap. The egg was not taken below decks; Iskierka was adamant that it should remain with her. Laurence could hardly blame her, even if it was untraditional to do so. Even in her exhaustion she put great care into making sure the egg was tightly wound up against her and she arranged herself so that the steam from her spikes would trickle down and warm the egg further. The weeks went fast as Iskierka continued to eat and eat, the shipmen managed to construct an skeleton of a bow and it was not long before Temeraire saw the coast again as he flew with Laurence.
"Can you believe we are back?" Temeraire asked excited. Laurence gazed at the vast coast which was China, in his gut something twisted. He had a haunch but was glad to see Temeraire so happy and so he put it aside, smiling and patting the dragon's side.
"No my dear, I cannot. I am quite glad."
*Rubs hand* Sorry about this chapter I know it is quite long. This was one of those nessisary evil type of things to get the plot moving along. I hope it didn't seem too rushed or anything. YES if you got the small hint, this is a fic in which Granby/Laurence are a thing. I couldn't help it! Anyways I hope you enjoy, they have now landed in China and so the shananagins can begin!
Get good Karma! Review/comment! :)
