A few weeks passed, Drake figured Dannika forgot about her promise of teaching him to read. Good, he thought, less wasted time spent. So after a particularly freezing night where the rain was freezing before hitting the ground, Drake stumbled into the weapon shack; tired from chipping ice off Roemaki's palace walkway.

Flossur, as usual was sleeping off his alcohol. Drake peeled his wet, frozen clothes off and stepped into the shower, located near the back of the shack. For a moment, the water was hot but it quickly faded to cold. Drake silently cursed the lock on the heater. Flossur always kept the heater locked so Drake couldn't use it.

He had just stepped out of the shower, shaking from the cold when he saw a shadow move. His adrenaline spiked as he jumped, stumbling back. Dannika appeared; not appearing bothered by his half nakedness.

"Somaki," Drake rushed, realizing a split second later that he had referred to the lizards' patron. "What the hell Dannika!"

"I'm sorry, I came here and saw you weren't around so I waited for you."

He caught his breath, and consciously tugged his towel closer around his middle. "You think? I've been melting and chipping ice off your father's doorstep for the last fourteen hours. What do you want?"

"I thought," she trailed off, embarrassed. "I just thought we'd start-you know teaching you."

"Now?"

She shifted from foot to foot. "It's the only time I have where I'm not being hounded by some official or council member."

"Just forget it." He skirted around her, picking up clean clothes and dressing himself in the dark, hoping she wasn't peeking.

"No, I'm not backing down. I'm doing this for you whether you want it or not."

"Not after I work fourteen hours, okay? So piss off." He regretted his snarl the moment it was out of his mouth. She was only trying to help in a way that she knew. She wasn't slick enough to pretend he hadn't hurt her. Her hurt was gone as quickly as it had come, her face blank.

"I understand. I'll just go then." She turned, pulling her jacket hood up as she went.

Drake tried to suppress his guilt. She's a no-good reptile who is only after her own gain.

Damn.

"Dannika."

She paused and half turned to him. He kept his eyes on everything, but her. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. If you want to teach me to read and whatever, you can…"

She nodded.

Awkwardly, he gestured to his cot. Upon sitting he felt ashamed of it as she followed him. It was a cheap piece of crap Flossur had found on the side of road in one of the Ducaine slums.

She sat, unfortunately right on the end of the bed that didn't have a support underneath. Without thinking, Drake grabbed her around the middle as she sank through with the cushion to the floor. They found themselves quite close to each other's faces. He could feel every heartbeat as her pulse quickened and very breath as she tried to relax.

"I'll sit there," he suggested, wanting to trade spots quickly so they could forget the discomfort of the situation.

"Sure," she stood with some difficulty and waited for him to take her place.

She started with the alphabet, a string of letters and characters Drake had seen all his life. She drew them out on a slate slab Flossur kept for drawing out his designs. It wasn't until almost dawn, when the two realized the time.

" Oh Somaki," she stood, her round white blue eyes on the dirty window, beyond its pane the sky was lightening. "I have to go." She slipped out without another word.

…..

Barely three hours later, Drake was shaken awake. Flossur's wide face was floating above him.

"Get up duck! You are late!"

Drake blinked sluggishly, his head fuzzy from tiredness. "Late."

"Yeah," Flossur wobbled a little bit from the hangover he was experiencing. "Roemaki's furious…the walk is frozen solid, Ole D'Jinni slid three Shins (quarters) of a nor. Fell on her arse, the ole girl." (foot)

Drake tried not to smirk, and then he groaned. "Get someone else to do it." He turned over.

Flossur yanked him up and out of bed by his shirt. "You will get up, you lay-a-bout."

"Flos-" the duck griped. "I'm tired."

"And I'm awake, if I'm awake then so are you."

…..

"And I'm awake, if I'm awake then so are you." The Saurian's words rang in his head as he headed back out into the monstrous freezing rainstorm. Within seconds he was drenched and combing the ice balls out of his feathers on his way up to the castle.

Pike was already there, thick outdoor gear covering him from head to tail. "What took you kid?"

"Never you mind, give me a shovel."

An unknown figure threw one at him hard. He caught it before it hit him in the face.

Farris, the duck from the dungeon closed the distance between them. His face set in a sneer. Behind him, a select few of the prisoners were waiting, uncertain. "Catch up on your beauty sleep?"

Drake scoffed, "have I wronged you in another life?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Farris snarled.

"Hey!" Pike cut in, "Get to work before Roemaki comes out and fans all of our hides."

"I don't take orders from skeez, cold-bloods like you…you're another one, another Saurian ass kisser, except you missed the boat for top dog."

Drake tackled Farris before he thought his actions through. Morjana had always said his temper would get him in trouble the older he got.

Farris, taken by surprise at first, quickly recovered, and drove his knee into Drake's chest.

"Drake!" Pike yelled over the howling wind. "Knock it off!"

Despite the pain in his ribs, Drake held onto the duck and managed the flip Farris over his head. Farris slapped into the ice on his back, the breath knocked out of him.

"Take that, you dick." Drake pulled to his feet in time for Farris to grab him in a headlock.

A powerful hand grabbed Drake by the arm, jerking him painfully away from Farris, whose hand slid from around his neck. Choking, he fell back on his butt. Flagelen, Dannika's bodyguard was standing between the two.

"Are you two done?" He growled, his eyes flashing red.

Farris glared at the Saurian and then stared at Drake, trying to stare him down. "We're fine." Drake let Pike pull him to his feet.

"Saurian lover," Farris muttered.

Flagelen swung around too fast for anyone to realize it, "what did you say slave?" His teeth bared.

Farris lifted his chin up, "Saurian lover," he spat, loud and clear.

Flagelen's large bucket sized hand swept across the duck's face, knocking him back.

"No," Even though Farris had prompted Drake into a fight and tried to choke him, Flagelen was too big to teach the duck a lesson. Drake stood up. "Don't."

Flagelen's eyes slid his way, calculating. "Fine," he spit out. He bent down and hauled Farris to his feet. "If none of you ladies work out your differences and have this walkway cleared by the time I return, all of your asses will be in slings."

Drake knew it was a hollow threat. Flagelen wasn't as brutal as Roemaki, but not quite as soft as Dannika was turning out to be.

Pike picked up his fallen shovel and began chipping at the ice. After a moment, Drake followed suit.

Farris kicked at a block of ice, sending it spinning into the dark swirling snow and freezing rain. "Saurian Lover."

…

Morjana slipped unnoticed by some guards, Flee was the main problem. He would do anything to get back in Roemaki's good graces; even if it meant screwing her over.

She padded down a dark hall, mindful of keeping her tail in check; it wouldn't do well for her to whack something in the hall and give herself away.

A figure was waiting for her at the end of the hall. She cast one more glance over her shoulder and then moved forward, slowly.

Flagelen turned to her.

"I don't have much time," she whispered.

He nodded, not speaking and drifted toward her, his hand reaching out to her. She closed her eyes as his hand rested against her face.

"Dannika is coming closer to knowing the truth…" He murmured. "She has your intelligence."

Morjana made a noise, "no, I'm not. If I was smart, I would have left Roemaki by now."

Something caught his eyes; he turned her head and surveyed her bruised face. "He hit you?" His tone was menacing.

"It was my fault, I knew better than to argue with-"

"It is never your fault, Morjana. Why the argument?"

She took a breath, "it was about a slave who was in my care as an infant."

"This Drake Ducaine."

She looked up, "you know him?"

Flagelen let his hand drop from her face, "Dannika speaks of him often, and I pulled him and a prisoner apart a few minutes ago. He's head strong for a slave, Morjana."

She grimaced, "I know. It'll either make him or damn him."

Flagelen froze as he thought he heard a noise close by. Then he turned to Morjana, "I'll see you in a few days."

She didn't want him to leave, but knew it was inevitable. "Goodbye." She slipped into the shadows.