Disclaimer: The Temeraire Universe and the Temeraire Series is copyright to Naomi Novik. Thus, I do not own the Temeraire Universe or the Temeraire Series. This fanfiction was created under the fair use clause and no profit is being made. None of Naomi Novik's canon characters are used in this fanfiction, or ever will be used.
Author's Note: This chapter is going to be an adventure to read, please enjoy it. As for the upcoming chapter 7, it is overdue, I know. I am sorry, as I ran into writer's block and it took me a while to get back into writing the fanfic. I am hoping to have it finished and posted by the 19th at the latest.
Chapter 6: A Rescue Operation
Saevio blinked his inner eyelids blearily, but soon became alert upon hearing that Citatus was missing. He looked around the training courtyard and the only dragonets he saw were Lentesco and Chlotharius. The Grey Widowmaker raised his head and regarded Captain Morley sleepily, "The training master and the other dragonets have not returned. Perhaps the training master has simply taken them all away on some private lesson?" he suggested, though his tone of voice was hardly reassuring. That was the only thing he could think of...until he remembered Mimosa. A feeling of cold dread settled over him, and he realized that he may have been wrong to keep the feral's presence a secret. What if Mimosa had captured Citatus? Mimosa may not have been the largest of dragons, but she certainly wouldn't have any trouble carrying a dragonet the size of Citatus. The Winchester would have made a convenient target, especially since he lacked the ability to call out for help. Saevio knew he was obligated to tell the others about it, despite the fact he could get into trouble. He took a deep breath and was about to relay his story, but then he was interrupted.
Captain Morley sighed and rested his forehead against one hand in exasperation, "You must have been sleeping quite a while. The Admirals have called another meeting and the training master was ordered to attend. I was not told the reason, only that the lesson was called off permanently for today. The training master can hardly carry on a lesson when he is continually called away. I suspect they may be deliberating about how to counter Napoleon's most recent strategies, but that is only a guess. Most of the dragonets are off in the main courtyard with their respective Captains. You three were left here to sleep since you all needed it," He informed Saevio, though the information was also directed at Lentesco and Chlotharius. Captain Morley took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, "I would not have woken you, but I had hoped that one of you may have seen him before you fell asleep. If you could find it in yourselves to look around the immediate area, that would be most appreciated."
Chlotharius slammed his barbed tail against the ground and rumbled in annoyance. He fixed Captain Morley with an angry glare, "You would dare to disturb my sleep for the sake of that useless pile of bones? I am not surprised that nobody has seen him. He has probably gone off to sulk somewhere. He is forever slinking about like a whipped cur. I am certainly not going to lift a talon for that mongrel. If it distresses you so, then just wait a while and I am sure he will return once he is hungry enough. I will thank you for bringing us news of the training master and the lesson. At least you did not wake me entirely for nothing."
Lentesco hissed his disapproval to the Chequered Nettle, "Chlotharius, that is both rude and unbecoming of you. Citatus is not anything like a dog. And if he slinks around, it is only because you are so mean. Anyway, is that the sort of thing that you would like another dragonet to tell your Captain if you ever went missing?" he asked rhetorically. He then turned his full attention upon Captain Morley, "Pray, do not heed him in the least. He is always this way and it simply does not help matters. I am sorry Captain Morley, however, we know even less than you do. We did not even know he was missing until you told us. I can certainly make a circuit around half the training valley and look. That is where he trains and seems to feel comfortable, so he may have gone there," He suggested and then looked pointedly to Saevio, "If you are feeling refreshed from your sleep, perhaps you would be willing to fly a circuit over the other half?" he asked in a hopeful tone.
Saevio leaped to his feet in an instant and gave a vicious snarl in the direction of Chlotharius. His wings rustled with agitation as he turned to face the Chequered Nettle, "Citatus is far from useless. You are the one who is useless and lazy. Stay here and get fatter if you wish. I should like to see what explanation you give the training master when he returns," he retorted, though his words lacked their usual ferocity. He felt that Lentesco had done a good enough job of rebuking Chlotharius. His attention centered upon Captain Morley next, "Oh, I did not know. I suppose then that you can not interrupt the meeting to inform the training master of this. Are the other dragonets and their Captains willing to help at all?" he queried and addressed both the Captain and Lentesco together, "I am certainly willing to help in any way that I can. I will take the far side of the training valley with the lake, and you can take the other half Lentesco?" he asked hopefully. Saevio figured that if he could search the area he'd been before, he might be able to pick up Mimosa's trail. That way he could hold off on telling them about the feral, at least for a while longer.
Captain Morley gave both Lentesco and Saevio a grateful look, "Thank you, that is most kind of you both. I have asked some of the other Captains and their dragonets, and I also enlisted some of the Cadets to help. Many of them are now searching the main courtyard, and a few are looking over the hills that surround the covert. Xenica dragonet Tenera and her Captain have gone to search the outlying areas around the village. I would have asked full-grown dragons and their Captains, but most of them are still off patrolling the channel. The only ones here are on guard duty and thus aren't allowed to leave their posts. So far nobody has found anything and in an hour or so it shall be dark. The training valley is one place that has not been searched yet. Pray, go quickly then and do not stay out longer than an hour. I do not wish anything to happen to either of you," he informed them. Morley pointedly ignored Chlotharius, not willing to show the beast his anger. He planned to have a talk with the training master about Chlotharius someday soon, but Citatus was first priority.
Chlotharius turned up his snout at the lot of them, "I am not going to go missing, so that shall never come up. Call me names all you want, but I am not going to fly around in a panic and look for him. I wish you all the fun of flying about in the rain. But when you are all wet and miserable, do not come whining back to me about it."
Lentesco tilted his muzzle upward and realized that Chlotharius was right. It had just begun to drizzle a little, but it would soon turn to into a full torrent. The smell of moisture was thick in the air and the dark clouds were low in the sky. Even so, he would not call off the search attempt when a promise had been made. He nodded politely to Captain Morley, "You are most welcome. I shall be off now before the weather turns fierce," he informed him and then looked to Saevio, "That is fine by me. I am not sure how you will handle flying in the rain. You only had your first flight today after all. Use caution and land quickly if the rain is too much for you to handle," he suggested politely. He decided to take up Captain Morley's example and ignore Chlotharius. Lentesco snapped open his angular wings and made a leap into the air. The lemon drop patches on his wings seemed to blur as he beat his wings at high speed. Lentesco turned in the air sharply and flew in the direction of the training valley.
Captain Savill arrived at the training courtyard just in time to see Lentesco take off. He watched the dragonet for a moment, and then directed his gaze across the courtyard as he searched for his own dragonet. His brown eyes centered upon Chlotharius and he grinned, "Ah, you are finally awake. I had hoped that you would be. I was inside working on arranging my quarters. There wasn't much else to do with the lesson cancelled and you sleeping. Would you care to go on a short flight down to the village? I received my pay just recently and I thought I could purchase you a few things," He offered; wholly unaware of the current situation.
Saevio had been about to take off as well, but he delayed for a moment to examine Chlotharius's Captain. The man looked to be tall with broad shoulders and a stocky build. His eyes were a dark brown, and the man's hair was a distinctive russet brown. He didn't look half as intimidating as Chlotharius, and seemed to have a friendlier disposition. Saevio craned his head around to look at Chlotharius, "Well if you are going to stay here, you may as well bring your Captain up on the current news," He suggested, and briefly bobbed his head in Captain Savill's direction. Saevio felt the same sense of urgency that Lentesco did. He flared his slate-patched wings and followed Lentesco's example by leaping into the sky. As he brought his wings down, he noticed a distinct change in the air. The air was thicker with humidity and he had to flap a little harder to stay aloft. Saevio beat his wings faster and darted upward, leaving the training courtyard behind and rising above the valley. The valley looked much darker than it had earlier in the day, though it was mostly because of the low hanging clouds.
The Grey Widowmaker arrowed himself in the direction of the lake and hoped that he wasn't too late to save Citatus. He didn't know why he'd even chosen to keep quiet about Mimosa. The dragonet knew he should have told, but he'd lacked the courage to do so. Perhaps it was simply that he had made a promise and he was loathe to break it. Whatever the reason, Saevio was determined to correct the mistake himself. The wind suddenly picked up, and Saevio found himself having to work twice as hard just to keep level. He could feel the strain in his wing muscles from the effort, but he pressed forward with determination. Several big fat raindrops hit his muzzle, which was all the warning Saevio had before he was struck by a deluge of water. The rain pelted hard against his body, and he had to close his inner eyelids to slits in order to see. Rain came down in sheets so thick that Saevio lost sight of the lake in the distance. Water streamed off him in steady rivulets and his wingbeats slowed involuntarily. A gust of turbulent wind struck at him from the side, and the besieged dragonet was caught by surprise. The strong winds spun him around and he became trapped in a powerful downdraft that both pushed him forward and dragged him down. Saevio was too stunned at first to react and simply flapped weakly as he tried to regain his senses.
Saevio was thankful for his prior experience with sheer winds. He remembered the instructions of the training master well. The dragonet threw all his weight in one direction and tried to level out into a glide, but that provided to be next to impossible with the rain and downdraft driving him down. The rain was striking against him so hard that it stung his sensitive wings, where the scales were thinner. Saevio began to get rather annoyed with the weather, as if it was personally trying to stop him from searching for Citatus. Annoyance soon turned to anger and the adrenaline surge gave him a much needed burst of energy. Saevio went into a stoop with his wings pulled in so that they were half-furled against his body. His vision was soon filled with a sea of green trees. The wind had blown him off course and he must have come out over the edge of the forest, and not the part of the forest by the lake either. Yet, he could see no end to the trees at all. He snapped out his wings to their full extent and then veered sharply to the right. He could not turn as smoothly as Lentesco, but his small size allowed him to dart around swiftly enough. Saevio managed to pull free of the downdraft, and not a moment too soon. His tail brushed against one of the taller pines and he automatically adjusted by pulling up a little.
The wind currents closer to the treetops were much calmer than the turbulent ones at higher altitudes. The rain still came down heavily, and Saevio was completely exhausted. The Grey Widowmaker's wings trembled under the strain of keeping him aloft. He knew he had no choice now but to land. He spotted a narrow gap between the trees and it was all he needed. Saevio stooped downward and slowed his speed, and then he practiced the landing that the training master had taught him. In the end, he managed to touch down with his back legs before he collapsed in an exhausted heap on the ground. The muscles of his wings burned as if they were on fire and he found he didn't have the strength left to move. All he could do was gulp in deep breaths of air and try to ignore the steady rainwater washing over him. It took several minutes before he felt well enough to lift his head and look at his surroundings. Tall pines loomed in every direction and the forest floor was covered in pine needles and fallen branches. There was suddenly a loud creaking groan as an old rotten pine gave way. The event was followed by a loud crash that sounded through the forest. Thankfully, the pine was somewhat to the south of the clearing Saevio was in, and so the dragonet was never in direct danger. Still, it did drive the point home to Saevio that he had to find some sort of shelter.
It took every bit of Saevio's willpower to marshal himself to his feet. He pulled his aching wings against his sides and trudged forward. The ground was turning into mud due to the steady deluge of rain. Saevio forced himself to keep moving and he wove around any trees that were in his way. His pace was slow and his muscles protested every step of the way. He didn't know how long that he walked for. The forest always seemed to look the same and he had to stop several times to rest. Yet, Saevio gradually was able to tell that he was going uphill. When the dragonet finally reached the top of the hill, the sight was disappointing. There was no visible type of shelter, though the downward slope of the hill was covered in a scattering of rocks and large boulders. Several trees were present but most of them were saplings and provided little protection from the rain or wind. Saevio was just about to turn back when he noticed a couple of boulders near the bottom of the hill. Not only were they large and side by side, but they were embedded in the hill and jutted out to create a sort of overhang. His spirits rose and he eagerly began to skid his way down the hill, flaring his wings every now and again for balance. He reached the bottom of the hill and promptly his feet sunk into deep mud. Saevio looked around and noticed that mud was splattered around, as if someone else had been there before him.
Saevio pulled his feet up and slogged through the mud, and he was grateful that it wasn't too deep. It soon became apparent that there were tracks in the mud, though the falling rain had distorted them until they were little more than holes. Saevio would have gone to the shelter of the overhang, but new hope sprung in him that the tracks might have been made by another dragon. He followed them for several minutes, and they lead him over deeper muddy ground. He continued forward until he eventually he hit solid ground and didn't know where to go. It was hard to see tracks without the mud, and Saevio looked around wildly. The rain was still coming down relatively hard, but he was getting used to peering through it. He thought he saw a solid wall of stone in the distance and he rushed towards it, heedless of his pain and the sticks that snapped back across his muzzle. At the very bottom of the cliff was a shallow cave with an overhanging ledge; and in that shallow cave was a curled up and hunched form that could only be...Citatus? The Grey Widowmaker blinked twice but he was sure it was him. Saevio had never been so relieved to see another dragon in his life. He bolted towards the dragonet and called, "Citatus, I have finally found you! All the other dragonets and their Captains are looking too...well except for that useless Chlotharius. I would ask why you left, but I know you cannot answer. Might there be room in that cave for me? It seems we shall have to wait out this weather," he informed him.
Citatus did not respond at first, and it took several long seconds for the exhausted Winchester to raise his head and look. Citatus blinked his inner eyelids in sheer disbelief. After everything Chlotharius had told him, the last thing he expected was that anyone would search for him. After all, he wasn't even a proper dragon. A proper dragon would be able to speak. That was only the least of the things that Chlotharius had said to him. Yet, despite all that, the Grey Widowmaker had come looking for him anyway and had said others were looking too. Citatus was more relieved than anything that the Grey Widowmaker had found him. Citatus thought that Saevio looked completely miserable, especially since he was shining wet and covered in mud, twigs, and other debris. The dragonet quickly rose to his feet and awkwardly shuffled to the side to make room. Citatus then curled up on the ground again and huffed softly, which was the only noise he was capable of making.
Saevio took the invitation for what it was and scrambled inside. If Saevio had been older, he definitely wouldn't have fit. Saevio was shocked to discover that his legs were shaking. He was cold, wet, and completely out of energy. He flopped down on the ground next to the larger dragonet and curled up into a ball. Saevio then gave Citatus a grateful nudge, "Thank you, I appreciate the shelter. It has been a very very very long day and I do not think I could fly right now, even if the weather was sunny. Pray, let us both get some sleep and we shall try to find the covert in the morning," he announced. Saevio found he could not keep awake any longer and his head drooped onto his front feet. He soon drifted off into a restless sleep. Citatus followed suit not long after, especially since he'd also had an exhausting day. The pair of dragonets slept out the storm, and continued to sleep right into the morning.
Both dragons were woken up by a roar that shook the cave. Citatus scrambled back and pressed against the cave wall, while Saevio leapt to his feet and hissed at the impending threat. A large yellow head with white stripes blocked the entrance of the cave for a moment. Then the head lifted away and the dragonets were able to see it was the head of a Yellow Reaper. Saevio stopped his hissing and sat back on his haunches in surprise. The Yellow Reaper was a full-grown adult and had a harness, Captain, and a full crew. The Grey Widowmaker could only conclude that the Yellow Reaper was from Loch Laggan or some other covert. Nearly at a loss for words, he managed to reply with, "Who are you?" before he fell completely silent.
Occasus chuckled at the pair of surprised dragonets, "My name is Occasus and I am one of the dragons that had been sent to look for you fellows. I must say, looking for you two was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The training master will be greatly relieved to know you are both safe. Virtus forbid any of the dragonets and their Captains to look for you two when he returned from the meeting and found out. The dragons of two full formations were sent out to look once they returned from patrols. Saevio, your Captain is up and about and is greatly worried about you. And Citatus, your Captain is eager to see you as well. The dragonet called Chlotharius is neck-deep in trouble. His Captain found out the things he had said to you Citatus, and he was horrified enough that he told the training master. So do not worry little one, for that big Chequered Nettle will not be bothering you again. Now, you both look quite done in. I can give you both a lift back to the covert. My crew will have to make a little room, but that is no big deal," he informed them cheerfully.
Citatus stepped a few paces away from the cave wall and looked up at Occasus with a stunned expression. He had never imagined that the Chequered Nettle would ever be disciplined. Chlotharius was the favored heavy weight after all. To find out that he was vindicated was almost too much for the dragonet. He bowed his head gratefully and then gave a huff of assent to the Yellow Reaper. Citatus then flexed his wings and found they were rather stiff and sore. He definitely couldn't make the flight back to the covert on his own. Still, the Winchester was confident that he could fly enough to get onto the back of Occasus. He tilted his head and waited patiently for further instruction.
Captain Hector Cohen stood up and immediately began to issue orders, "Okay men, I want you all to unclip your carabiners and move down to the sides and clip on there. We need to make room for a half ton Winchester, and a canine-sized Grey Widowmaker," He ordered before turning his attention to the dragonets below, "Citatus, I want you to be the first dragonet to climb to the ledge above that cave. You're the bigger dragonet, so it's best that we get you settled first. Now, once you are on the ledge I want you to leap off and hold your wings out steady. Try to glide your way onto Occasus and land just behind the shoulders. Try to keep your claws up and avoid scratching him if you can. Once you're on, you are to lay down and my men will toss a few harness straps over you and secure you to Occasus so that you don't fall off," he instructed before looking down at Saevio, "Saevio, you are to wait until Citatus is on securely. Then I want you to attempt to do the same thing he did, only I would like you to land on Occasus' back between his wings."
Saevio bobbed his head in understanding, and his dark eyes gleamed with excitement. After the ordeal of the day before, he was finally going to get to see his Captain again. He was also glad that Citatus was going back to the covert, and that Chlotharius had been found out to be the bully he was. Yesterday had been horrible, but this day seemed to be turning out much better. Saevio could never imagine living out in the wild and having to deal with that kind of weather often. It made him almost feel sorry for Mimosa, who'd obviously had nothing to do with Citatus's disappearance. It was a good thing he had followed his feelings and kept his mouth shut about her. Saevio was eager to get back to the covert, but he knew well enough to keep his impatience to himself. They would all be heading back to the covert soon enough anyway.
Citatus did as he was told and climbed his way up to the ledge above the cave. It wasn't all that far and the ledge was solid enough to hold his weight. Citatus tensed up as he gathered himself, and then he made a forward leap. His wings snapped open to cup the air, and then the steady wind surged over his wings. He glided gently towards Occasus and touched down slightly further back than he'd intended. He carefully kept the tips of his claws pointed upwards and walked forward a few feet until he was at the shoulders. The yellow scales were a bit slippery, but the harness allowed him to keep his footing. The crewmen had already moved out of his way, but seconds later a few approached and Citatus immediately lowered himself until he was on his belly. He watched in interest as a couple Midwingman tossed thick leather straps over his back, and then another Midwingman clipped them into the harness on the other side. He tested the thick leather straps and found them to be sturdy enough to hold him in place.
Occasus craned his head around to watch the proceedings and then rumbled with satisfaction, "Well done Citatus, well done indeed. I shall have you both back at the covert before noon if Saevio is able to get on as smoothly. It's a good thing that we get trained in rescues, as well as the standard military training. Pray, hurry if you can Saevio, as I think we are all eager to be back. I was just about to give up the search and head back to the covert when I spotted you both quite by accident," he informed the dragonets.
Saevio didn't waste any time and climbed up several large boulders to get to the ledge above the cave. His claws curved over the edge, and it took a moment for him to prepare for the leap. Saevio jumped and flared his wings open to their full extent. His leap was shorter than he'd hoped, but his wings held steady in the wind. He glided forward and then tilted back to land nearly on top of Citatus's tail. Saevio then backed up a bit and followed Citatus's example by sprawling on his belly. Occasus's crew secured him to the back of the Yellow Reaper with a few strong straps. He folded his wings comfortably against his sides and tried to keep his tail from lashing about in excitement.
Captain Cohen nodded in satisfaction, "Good job everyone. Occasus, pray make sure that all lies well. If it does, then we shall head home with all haste. There are many people and a few dragons and dragonets who are eager to see these fellows," he relayed and a smile graces his lips.
Occasus turned his head forward and then reared up onto his hind legs. He could feel the weight of the dragonets on his back, but they were strapped in securely enough. Occasus glanced back at his Captain, "All lies well. In that case, let us be off. I am as anxious to get back as everyone else," he remarked before unfurling his white striated wings. The Yellow Reaper crouched down and then sprang into the air using his powerful hind legs. His wings beat a slow but steady rhythm as he rose into the air. Yellow Reapers were not the fastest when it came to flying, but they were extremely steady in the air. The weight of two dragonets on his back didn't cause any discomfort. Occasus lifted his head and was able to see the edge of the trees far in the distance. It was ironic that the dragonets had been in the forest, while most of the two formations of dragons had been searching farther out.
Citatus stretched out his neck and tried to see the edge of the forest in the distance. His feelings had now become rather mixed. Saevio wanted to go back to the covert, but he worried that his Captain would be angry with him for listening to Chlotharius and leaving. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been, but Chlotharius had upset him so much that he hadn't been thinking straight. Citatus glanced back at Saevio and wished he could speak to him. He wanted to explain everything and thank him for going to all the trouble of finding him. After a little while he lowered his head and spent the rest of the flight in silence.
Saevio was silent during the flight back to the covert as well. He had his own worries, such as how much trouble Obson was going to be in for leaving him unsupervised previously. He also wanted to find out exactly what Chlotharius had said or done that had driven Citatus to leaving the covert. Saevio had a feeling that it must have been very bad to elicit such an extreme response. Things seemed to happen so fast at the covert. He was only on his third day out of his shell, and yet he already felt much older. His thoughts were soon silenced as he noticed the covert coming into view. It looked like Occasus planned to land at the training courtyard. The signal-ensign to Saevio's left suddenly began to wave a pair of signal flags wildly, both to announce their return and the successful rescue of the dragonets. Saevio peered below and was surprised to see the training master and most of the dragonets and their Captains assembled.
Captain Cohen slapped Occasus's neck fondly, "We did very well for finding them. That's a good eye you had to spot them when you did," he praised the Yellow Reaper before looking to the crew, "All right, I would like you fellows to begin unstrapping the dragonets. We shall be landing shortly and they will most certainly want to see their Captains," he ordered sternly. Cohen then directed one last order to Occasus, "Let us land now. I believe we have attracted much attention."
Occasus looked down at the crowd in the training courtyard and rumbled, "Indeed my Captain; if we do not have the dragonets ready to get down by the time I land, we may very well be swarmed," he mused, though he was hardly alarmed by the prospect. He then descended slowly towards the courtyard and touched down with the ease of many years of practice. Occasus crouched down in order to make it easier for both the dragonets and the crew to get down.
Virtus approached Occasus and rumbled a welcome, "I am glad that you found them Occasus. Many of the other searchers have returned and reported that they found nothing. I was beginning to lose hope, until you came flying in with the signal flags flashing. Thank you as well Captain Cohen, for you also played an important part in the rescue as I understand it," he praised the Captain before turning his gaze fully upon the dragonets, "It seems that I owe the both of you a great apology. What happened to you was partly because of a neglect in my duties. I set the record straight with the Admirals and informed them that I can no longer attend their meetings, at least not while I still have charges under my supervision. Had I been here more often, I would have seen what Chlotharius was up to and disciplined him. As things stand, the Chequered Nettle and his Captain have been sent to one of our most remote coverts. In the past Chlotharius might have been stripped of his Captain and sent to the breeding grounds, but we cannot afford to lose a heavy weight at this point. Besides, that Chequered Nettle would have made a poor choice for breeding, especially if his dragonets bore his foul disposition. On a better note, I believe you both have someone that would very much like to see you now. Pray, get down and be reunited with your Captains. After that, I would like to have Surgeon Darley have a look at the both of you to make sure that there is no permanent damage from your ordeal," he announced in a commanding tone.
Citatus waited impatiently while the crew worked to free him of the straps. He strained his neck forward and saw that his Captain was waiting for him below. He'd thought he'd never see his Captain again, and now things had changed so much. Citatus was briefly distracted when the training master spoke and turned his head to look at the Parnassian. The dragonet then gave a surprised huff upon hearing that Chlotharius and his Captain had been sent away. It was almost too good to be true. Perhaps now he would fit in among the others, and it would be nice not having to worry about Chlotharius bothering him anymore. Citatus wriggled anxiously and realized that the last strap had finally been removed. He rose quickly onto his feet and jumped off rather hastily. He then snapped open his sore wings and glided a short distance to land next to his Captain. Citatus nearly bowled his Captain over with his enthusiastic greeting.
Saevio was very eager to get to the ground and strained against the last strap that held him down. A Midwingman rushed forward and untied the strap, and thus Saevio was free to go. It didn't take long for Saevio to pick out his Captain among the assembled crowd. Obson looked rather haggard with his bloodshot eyes and unkempt hair. The man's expression was completely unreadable. Still, Saevio had never been as happy to see him as he was now. The Grey Widowmaker jumped from the Yellow Reaper's side and churned his wings. He didn't so much as glide as flutter his way over to land next to his Captain. He nuzzled Obson with enthusiasm and then backed off once he realized that he'd gotten his Captain covered in dried mud. Saevio tilted his head and flared his wings excitedly, "Obson, Obson, you won't believe what's happened!" he announced, unaware that Obson had already gotten the full story from the training master. He opened his mouth to relay his story, and was surprised when his own stomach interrupted him with a demanding growl. He had been too exhausted to notice he was hungry before. It had just been one more pain among many. Now his hunger was making itself known, and he gave Obson a plaintive look, "I am glad to see you again my Captain. There were times I doubted I would. I have much to tell you, but first, would you get me some food now?" he asked in a plaintive tone.
A Cadet stepped forward upon hearing the mention of food. The young man had two buckets laden with meat on either side of him. He hauled one of the buckets towards Saevio and explained, "The training master anticipated that you would both be starved after such an ordeal. Pray, help yourselves," he informed the respective dragonets before leaving the buckets behind and backing away.
Obson breathed a sigh of relief when Saevio seemed genuinely happy to see him. He didn't even mind that Saevio had gotten dried mud all over him. Obson had been worried that the dragonet would be angry with him, and he thought Saevio might think he had abandoned him. It took a moment before Obson placed a hand on Saevio's shoulder, "Saevio, I have much to apologize for. I have done you a great wrong and nothing I say can make up for everything you had to go through because of my negligence. I shall strive to become a better Captain in the future. That is all that I can really do," he relayed to the dragonet in an earnest tone. He was a bit taken aback at the dragonet's sudden hunger but recovered quickly, "Of course you may eat; in fact you should stuff yourself silly. You have gone without food longer than any young dragonet should."
The greetings were cut short as the pair of hungry dragonets descended upon the buckets of meat excitedly. It almost seemed to be a race of who could eat the most the fastest. Saevio allowed his hunger to get the better of him and practically inhaled all the meat in the first bucket. Citatus finished his first one only seconds after Saevio. The dragonets eagerly finished off their second buckets respectively, and then proceeded onto a third with barely a pause in between. The two were messy eaters and looked extremely frightful after their meal. Not only were they covered in dried mud, twigs, and other debris, but now they were speckled with blood too. At last Saevio backed away from the buckets and returned to his Captain's side. His small belly was bulging from the meal and he felt much better. Saevio looked up at his Captain and gave a soft rumble, "There is no need Obson. It was never your fault. I was the one who decided to jump from the edge of the drop off, and I agreed to help look for Citatus. I was not forced to do those things. It was my choice all along and has no reflection upon you," he informed him. Saevio suddenly felt sleepy after such a good meal, but he fought against it. There were still things he wanted to find out. He settled back onto his haunches and asked, "I am curious about one thing though. Whatever did Chlotharius say to Citatus that was so horrible?" he inquired. Saevio expected Obson to answer him, but it wasn't Obson who replied.
Captain Morley stepped forward and looked directly at Saevio, "Thank you for finding Citatus and putting your own life at risk for his. I was greatly worried about him. I know exactly what Chlotharius said, because his Captain repeated it to me word for word. Now I shall do the same for you, since you are owed an explanation as well. Listen carefully because I shall only repeat this once," he announced and paused briefly for effect. In a hushed voice he relayed the words of the Chequered Nettle, "Ah, so you are still skulking about I see. I do not understand why your Captain even keeps you around. The training master wishes to use you as a forward scout in my formation, but I think you will be useless for that. I mean, if you Captain gets injured, how are you ever going to relay what you saw if you can't speak? It is not as though you will have a crew like me. I feel rather sorry for your Captain. He will never get any chance for a promotion because of you. Bad enough that he harnessed a Winchester, but even worse that he ended up with a mute. He can never have a conversation with you, and will forever spend his time just trying to understand what you are trying to relay to him. You will become nothing more to him than a pet, and even worse, a burden. Your Captain will never be happy as long as he is with you. He will never take any prizes, and he will be poor and destitute. You have condemned your Captain to a horrible fate. I mean, you are not even a proper dragon. If you were a proper dragon, you would do the right thing and put your Captain's happiness first."
There was a hushed murmur from those who overheard, and then Virtus rumbled angrily, "Yes, it became quite clear after that why Citatus fled. He believed the cruel words Chlotharius spoke because he had little confidence in himself and he wanted to do right by his Captain. I gave Chlotharius quite the lecture once I found out, and then promptly sent them away. I could not stand to have him in my sight any longer. That Chequered Nettle was despicable, and I do not know how he turned out so badly. Citatus, I am sure you Captain has told you now that the words Chlotharius spoke were untrue. You have seen how far others were willing to go to search for you, and I hope you understand how important you are. Now we have a bit of a problem, because we no longer have a heavy weight in this upcoming formation. The French always have at least a few heavy weights in their formations, and we cannot afford to have any less. It would be different if there was a Longwing in this formation, or even a firebreather, but there is not. None of you have any special capabilities that I have seen. As a result, I have put out a request to the various coverts to see if they have a heavy weight dragonet they would be willing to transfer here. I expect to receive an answer within the next week or so. Saevio and Citatus, I suspect you both will want to sleep now that you have eaten. While you both sleep I will have the Surgeon examine you both, as I mentioned before. Your Captains are to stay by your sides while you sleep. As for the rest of you, it's back to training. I want 10 circuits out over the training valley now," he commanded, and watched as the dragonets and their Captains assembled to take off.
Citatus flinched a little upon hearing the words repeated, but it didn't hurt as much as when Chlotharius had said it. The training master was right after all, especially since all the dragonets and their Captains had mustered to look for him, and then two full formations had done the same later on. The Winchester was nearly overwhelmed by the support. He worried a little at the mention of a request for a new heavy weight, but he didn't have much say in the matter. He just had to hope that the new one would not be as bad as Chlotharius. At least he was back at the covert, safe, fed, and in the company of his Captain. It was more than he could ever ask for. Citatus felt sleepy all of a sudden, especially after having had a full meal. He opened his mouth to yawn and then curled up around his Captain. His inner eyelids slid shut and he promptly fell asleep.
Saevio's drowsiness fled briefly at the onslaught of his anger. He couldn't believe how cruel Chlotharius had been. If Chlotharius had been present, Saevio would have picked a fight with him. Size didn't matter much to Saevio's way of thinking. His claws scraped the ground slowly, but there was nothing he could really do. Chlotharius had already been disciplined and Saevio didn't know where he was. Saevio took a deep breath and let his anger go, but its absence made him feel even more exhausted than before. He managed to stumble his way over to Obson and flopped down in front of him. He was asleep seconds before he hit the ground. Although they had slept through the night, the events of the previous day had been taxing and more sleep was needed.
Surgeon Darley moved in swiftly on the sleeping dragonets. It was a lot easier for him to handle them while they were asleep. He started with Saevio and examined him from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. The examination was through and professional. The Surgeon then looked over to Obson and announced, "Your Saevio has taken quite a beating. He has some deep bruises and several cuts, but they are far from serious. I recommend that he is fed regularly and allowed to sleep whenever he can. Rest will be the best cure for him and the cuts are small enough to heal on their own in time," he informed him and then moved on to examine Citatus. He gave Captain Morley a similar diagnosis for his dragonet, and indeed both dragonets appeared to be in similar condition. Both Captains were relieved to hear this and kept a close vigil on their sleeping dragonets once the Surgeon left the area.
The pair of dragonets slept well into the afternoon, but Saevio's rest wasn't to last. He was woken up by Obson's insistent voice demanding him to open his eyes. Saevio rumbled in annoyance and curled in on himself, but then Obson shook him insistently. At last he gave up all semblance of trying to sleep and opened his navy blue eyes. He raised his head sharply once he noticed the seriousness of Obson's expression. Saevio tilted his head to the side, "Ugh, why must you wake me now? I am still very tired," he protested as he slowly rose to his feet.
Obson sighed and gave Saevio an apologetic look, "I am sorry Saevio, but we are under orders to go to the main courtyard. One of the searchers that was sent out to look for you was very late. His name is Territo and he is a Parnassian. All of a sudden he returned with a feral gripped in his claws. He landed in the main courtyard and now the feral is being kept under guard by Territo and several middle weights. An Admiral was called out to deal with the situation. Normally he would have ordered two of the dragons to escort the feral to the breeding grounds, but then the feral started calling your name and kept demanding to speak to you. I don't know how it's possible the feral would know your name, unless she overheard one of the searchers calling for you. That wouldn't make much sense though, since the Parnassian searched farther out than any of the others. Did you by any chance meet this feral while searching for Citatus?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Saevio felt as if he'd been struck in the head with a hammer. He hunched his shoulders and stared down at his claws guiltily. He hadn't told anyone about Mimosa, but he knew of no other feral that could possibly know his name. He felt guilty for not telling his Captain, and because of the fact that Mimosa's capture was indirectly his fault. Sooner or later secrets always seemed to come out. He scratched at the ground nervously and then gave his Captain the short version of his tale, "No Obson, I did not meet the feral while looking for Citatus. I met her after my first flight, after I landed near the lake to rest. I caught the scent of a strange dragon and followed it into the forest. I practically ran into her and she captured me. She told me her name was Mimosa and that she was a feral. She wanted me to promise her that I wouldn't tell she was there. She then told me she had just come to see why there were so many formations leaving the covert. She wanted to stay out of the way of any major battles. I accused her of being a french spy, but she denied it. She then informed me that she is a cross between a Sharpspitter and a Winchester, and that she had left the breeding grounds a while back. I told her I couldn't make any promises, but she let me go anyway. I was torn at first, but then I felt sorry for her and I decided to keep the secret," he explained, hoping desperately that his Captain would not be angry with him.
Obson stared hard at Saevio and crossed his arms over his chest, "You were wrong not to tell anyone Saevio. Even if you didn't want to tell me, you should have told the training master. If she had been a french spy, we would have been in real trouble. We must go to the main courtyard at once and I will tell them what you told me. We are both lucky that you are so young. You did not know any better and the training master will probably see fit to be lenient with you. Let us go now and set the record straight. I do not think you are fit to fly yet, so we shall have to walk there," he announced. He took off at a brisk walk without looking back, especially since he fully expected Saevio to follow him.
Saevio trailed behind Obson with his head low and his wings folded tightly against his sides. He did not dare complain about his aching muscles either. He simply endured the pain stoically and kept Obson's heels within his line of vision. It was a fairly long walk back to the main courtyard and Saevio's feet ached by the time they got there. However, the pain was soon forgotten as they emerged into the main courtyard. The place was packed with plenty of dragons and men. Word had spread fast and many of them had come to take a look at the captured feral. Saevio spotted Mimosa hunched miserably near the north wall, and she was guarded by a Parnassian on one side and an Anglewing on the other. He also spotted a man near Mimosa that carried himself with an air of authority, and Saevio guessed that he must be the Admiral that Obson had mentioned. It was not Admiral Litcott, which was the only Admiral Saevio was familiar with.
Mimosa tried her best to ignore the human that was ceaselessly pestering her with questions. She wanted nothing to do with the human and turned her head away from him. She didn't care if he was an Admiral, or whatever it was that the other humans called him. She was doing her best to control the urge to burst into flight. She could outfly the Parnassian, but the Anglewing would be on her before she got very far. Mimosa was trapped and she knew it, and that just made her all the angrier. Most of all she was angry that the dragonet had given away her secret. She had done as he'd asked and had left the vicinity of the covert, so she didn't understand why he had betrayed her. Suddenly she caught sight of the Grey Widowmaker on the other side of the courtyard. She hissed and pinned him with an accusatory glare and shouted, "BETRAYER!"
Admiral Merton followed Mimosa's line of vision and saw both Obson and Saevio enter the courtyard. He quickly motioned them forward and then turned his gaze upon Mimosa, "Be silent you stubborn feral. You have not given me a straight answer to any one of my questions. Your fate is in my hands now, and I will not have you causing chaos in my covert. I have called for Saevio as you have demanded, but only because I wish to sort out this situation. I cannot do that with you shouting clear across the courtyard. Just have patience, and I will sort this all out soon," he informed her in a confident tone.
Obson was surprised by the feral's accusation, but he knew what it was about since Saevio had told him everything. The feral probably thought it was Saevio's fault that she had been captured. It was just an ironic fluke that she had been captured by one of the dragons that had been sent to look for Citatus and Saevio. He quickened his pace and made it clear to Saevio that he should to the same. It took several seconds before he stopped a few feet away from the Admiral and bowed hastily, "Captain Obson and Grey Widowmaker Saevio at your service Sir. I know now why the feral knows Saevio's name. To make a long story short Sir, Saevio met her shortly after his first flight when he landed to rest by the lake. He followed her scent into the forest and she captured him. She was apparently curious as to why so many formations were leaving the covert. She didn't want to let him go until he promised that he wouldn't tell of her presence. He didn't give her a clear promise, but she let him go anyway and he kept her secret. It was wrong of him to do so and I told him that, but he is young and I don't think he knew any better. It's not as if he was ever trained to deal with a feral, and I'd never talked to him about them," he explained in a chagrined tone.
Saevio half-flared his wings and allowed them to droop by his sides. He felt absolutely wretched now, and he hated to see the accusatory glare in Mimosa's eyes. He picked up the pace and raced forward until Obson stopped. Saevio then sat back with his head lowered and tentatively spoke to Mimosa, "I am sorry Mimosa, I did not mean for you to get caught. The dragon that caught you was not even looking for you. He was looking for me and another dragonet named Citatus. I know it is hard to believe, but I never meant for this to happen. I did not tell my Captain or anyone else at all. I realize now that I had a duty to do so though. So maybe you have a right to be mad at me after all, because I probably would have told eventually," he admitted in a shameful tone.
Mimosa probably wouldn't have believed the dragonet, except for the fact he still looked like a mess. At his explanation, the anger was replaced with a sort of tired acceptance, "I would not believe you, except that you do look rather frightful. I suppose I should not have expected a dragonet to be able to keep a secret for long after all. It is not as though you owe any loyalty to me. You are in harness, and that means your first loyalty is to humans. Perhaps you can convince these humans to let me go? This Admiral fellow is getting on my nerves," She admitted with a look of contempt towards the human that had tried to shush her. She was not afraid of him and she would not be swayed by his authority.
Admiral Merton cleared his throat and raised his voice so he would be heard, "If you think that a dragonet has any influence with me, then you are sadly mistaken. I would like to be able to let you go Mimosa, if only to get rid of the headache that comes with you. However, I cannot do so for several reasons. The first one is that you have seen far too much of this covert. Even if you have no intention of bringing the information to the french, they could get it out of you if you were ever captured by them. The second reason is that letting you go would be against military policy. I cannot make any exception, even for you. The third reason is that we need every dragon we can get. So I will give you three choices. The first is that you stay in the main courtyard under guard and keep an eye on any of the people that come and go here. If you see one in particular that you think you might be able to work with as your Captain, then let me know and I will have a harness prepared for you and you may then stay and serve with the Aerial Corps. The second choice is similar to the first, only I will pick and choose which men might make a suitable Captain for you and then present them to you. The third is that you will be escorted to the neared breeding grounds under heavy guard," he informed her before turning his gaze upon Obson and Saevio, "Captain Obson, you have done well in reporting this to me. It explains much and I am grateful for your aid. Saevio is at fault for not reporting this incident and he will need to be disciplined for it. However, I will leave that up to the judgement of the training master and I will recommend some leniency because of his age. You may both go now and report to the training master immediately. Just be sure that this never happens again," he ordered sternly.
Obson bowed hastily and replied, "Thank you Sir," before he looked down at Saevio, "Come Saevio, this matter is no longer of our concern. The choice the feral makes is hers alone, and it has nothing to do with you," he informed him. Obson lead Saevio all the way back to the training courtyard in silence. The pair both had a lot on their minds. As soon as they got back to the training courtyard, they found that the training master was already back and waiting for them. Obson quickly repeated the story he'd given the Admiral, and waited in silence for the training master's verdict.
Virtus rumbled sternly and glared at both of them, "Both of you have gotten yourselves into trouble now it seems. Obson, you are still due to be disciplined for leaving Saevio unsupervised. Saevio, you are due to be disciplined for withholding vital information. There are any number of punishments you both could be given. Yet, even I have made mistakes in the past few days. This war is putting stress on everyone and mistakes are not uncommon. I am going to be lenient to both of you, but only this once. I believe you have learned your lessons, and so I am going to let it go for now. Pray, see to it that there are no repeats. Now, besides your mistakes, you both have done remarkably well considering current events. These have certainly been an exciting few days. Your two weeks of leave are to begin this very moment. Obson I expect you to read those books I had sent to your quarters. One of those books contains pictures of signal flags, which I want you to drill Saevio in every day. He must get them memorized as well as you have. Make sure Saevio eats well and gets enough rest for the next few days. Then I expect you to make sure he does a circuit around the training valley once a day, just so that his wing muscles gain strength. You are both dismissed," He announced in a voice tinted with overtones of satisfaction. He still saw great potential in the pair, and he planned to put that potential to good use.