Sei paced the perimeter of their establishment, gaze firmly locked on the horizon. On the other side, a second warrior did the same thing; together, they circled and circled and circled the establishment again, sharp eyes watching for any unusual change in the horizon.

Nothing ever did change. At worst, they encountered a rabid boar; once, Sei had to gather a small company to dispatch a harpy. The bandits steered clear, for the most part. Their scouts never returned, and eventually the various groups of them stopped sending them. Whenever they got their claws on such a scout, they were fairly sure it was a newly formed group of vagabonds. They learned quickly.

These two were almost done with their shift; the sun was setting. The next group, at nightfall, would consist of four, instead of two. The night was always more dangerous. Despite the boredom at looking at the same scenery for five hours without break, Sei only just started relaxing. He rolled his shoulders as he lazily paced, planning out the rest of his evening.

Perhaps he would attempt to talk to the Daughter. She was in no less a black mood when she returned, after Mika chased after her, but she was pensive, rather than enraged. They'd been friends since they were cubs; he loved her. It would be a good compromise: she would marry him, and Sei would play a supporting role. It would fulfill the letter of the duties the Chief was so, so insistent on forcing down their throats, and Sei preferred it if she stayed there, in the tribe, with them. It was dangerous. Her companions, but for the children, seemed to be fairly trustworthy, but this was Kirin. No one would be skilled or trustworthy enough for Sei to trust them with her. That was just how it was.

Sei's attention was snapped back to his duty at the sound of his companion's voice, at the south face of their village. His tone was urgent; Sei dropped to all fours and sprinted back to where his comrade was, skidding to a halt in the dusty, dry grass. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes scanning where the other warrior would have been looking.

Even though the other Woren pointed, it was unnecessary. Sei saw it, and gritted his teeth. "I don't believe it."

"They're following the Destined Child, still."

Sei swore an oath to Namanda. "Go organize our defense. I will report to the Chief."

"Yes, Sir."


"Do we have enough provisions to get us back to Dragnier?"

Mika shrugged at the question. "If we're taking Kirin, no."

Nina frowned at him. "We already know that we're not taking Kirin, Mika. Stop brooding about it, please."

"I'm not brooding," he snapped back, "and we don't know that we're not taking Kirin."

"She's their princess," Nina told him tiredly, going about the rest of their packing. "They need her here."

"She says she wants to go."

"What she wants really doesn't matter."

Mika stopped what he was doing to glare at her. "I don't believe you!" he snapped. "What she wants is the only thing that matters!"

Nina dropped her bag on the cot she was standing before, and glared right back. "I don't believe you," she shot back. "You've spent your whole life around royalty. You know that when you are royalty, you have a duty to your people. Your people own you-"

"Is that what you believe, Nina? Really?" he cut her of vehemently. "That you're not your own person? That you're bound, inexorably, to the 'will of the people', just because of who your parents are?"

His tone was hurt, venomous, and angry, and Nina flinched, understanding just how hurtful such a statement would be to Mika. "That's not quite what I meant," she protested weakly, but he was already gone. She sat down on her cot, face in her hands. That was exactly what she'd meant. And, considering who Mika's father was, and what the 'will of the people' for Mika was, it was horrible.

"Excuse me, Princess. May I enter?"

The request, coming from their host no less, made Nina smile tiredly. "Of course, Chief Leon. It is, after all, your home."

"Of course," the Woren replied, his tail swishing in good humor. "That doesn't change the fact that this is a private chamber and entering without permission is in bad taste. Unfortunately, I fear my question might be in bad taste, as well."

She stood to face him fully, respectfully. "I'm good at diplomatic answers," she replied with a smile, smoothing her slacks. "I don't mind questions, of any stripe."

"Very well. I am curious about Mika."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Why is he so… boorish?"

Nina grimaced at that. "Please don't misinterpret his bluntness for disrespect or unkindness," she replied. "That is just how he is. Mika is a very good, very loyal man."

Leon chuckled quietly. "I did not mean to imply anything disparaging about him," he replied, his tone slightly less formal than Nina's. "My daughter is an excellent judge of character. An endorsement from her will gain our complete trust- which she had provided to you all," he added. "It is simply that, while we've encountered many Dragons in our past, we've never encountered one quite as, as you put it, blunt."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it," Nina said, after a moment.

And then she said nothing else. Expecting more of an explanation, Leon prompted, "Is it because it's merely impolite to discuss another outside of their presence?"

"No," she answered immediately, with a shake of her head. "It's not that. This is a private conversation between two sovereign rulers; it really isn't any of Mika's business if I chose to talk about him. Ryu's… maybe. Being his lover might nullify it being his business." Nina smiled as Leon laughed appreciatively at her quip, and continued, "No, it's because it's against Draconic law to discuss it. Both Ryu and Mika have chosen to honor this law. I have no right to violate it against their wishes."

Much to Nina's surprise, Leon rolled his eyes. "It's that stupid law that says that if a parent doesn't acknowledge a child, the government can't either, isn't it?" he groused.

"How do you-"

"It's an abusive law," he said, forgetting politeness in his irritation. "I've seen abused cubs. It was his father, wasn't it?" Then, without regard to any attempt the Princess would make to answering him, he gasped sharply, "He thinks that-"

"No!" Nina cut him off. "I can't speak for him, obviously, but with what he's been through, I think that if he thought that of you, he wouldn't still be here. Kirin wouldn't be, either."

"It was that bad?"

She was stunned at the change of tone. This wasn't the brusque, blunt leader of this tribe. This was a father, unable to fathom another mistreating a cub. Unable to understand it. It made her feel ever so slightly better; his appalling lack of empathy for his own daughter had concerned her, and she'd been glad Mika intervened. But why could he show it for a complete stranger and not… "It is those ridiculous laws that keeps this tribe from aligning ourselves fully with the Draconic nation. I know this stance is the odd one out of the tribes, but we will not condone abusive and racist laws. In this culture, you create the cub, you care for it. And if you don't feel care for it, you damn well better pretend you do."

Nina refocused on the discussion. "That brings its own danger," she said, her tone still diplomatic, as if this were merely a friendly debate between rulers. "If a child is not loved by his parents, the parent will resent the child. Emotional abuse is just as bad as physical."

"That is why we add to pretend," Leon replied. "Love isn't merely an emotion. It is an action as well. One can behave in a loving fashion towards someone, even if they hate them. It may be difficult to, but it can be done."

"That's true," she conceded, reminded of how Ryu described his uncle's marriage. His aunt seemed to have that type of love down pat. His uncle, however… "So, just out of curiosity, what does the tribe do when the abuser is a person in a place of high power?"

He shrugged, his tail flicking. "We chieftains aren't above the law of the tribes. We'd be subjected to the same punishment meted out to the poorest of the poor."

She sighed. "As it should be. Unfortunately, the Dragons seem to have different ideas about who is accountable for what."

"What does it matter? He is a Dark Dragon, is he not? They have no rights anyway." Leon's tone was disgusted as he spoke. "His father wouldn't have any power to exercise."

"His father was a Light Dragon."

There was a still, a break in their conversation, as Leon mulled this over. Finally, he said, "I thought you could not speak of it."

Nina threw up her hands, her frustration over the situation finally getting to her. "I'm not. I'm not, damnit, but how is it going to get fixed if no one talks about it!"

"Perhaps that is why that law exists."

That gave her pause. "Perhaps. But you know what? Mika is as much their Prince as Ryu is. I don't know how they can justify treating him like he is an animal because his father is a bitter, temperamental fool!"

Leon's tail stopped flicking; his ears fell back slightly. His eyes narrowed as he spoke. "Wait just a minute, Princess. Are you saying that Prince Kirai refuses to acknowledge his own son because his mother is from the wrong clan?"

"No! Of course not!" Nina exclaimed, aghast. "Prince Kirai is a wonderful man! I know this for a fact; I've dealt with him personally! If it was his choice, he would-"

Nina's protest was cut off at the sound of a horn, loud and frantic. "The watch has seen something," Leon said, striding towards the guest hut's exit. Nina followed him as he made his way to the perimeter of their village, where both Sei and his partner were standing. Leon cursed as Sei pointed out to the horizon; Nina cried out in horror as she followed Leon's gaze. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"You must leave," Leon said immediately, turning to head back to the building they had been in. "I'll send one of our adolescents to round up the Prince and his cousins. You start preparing to go. I regret it, but I can no longer spare a warrior to escort you. I'm so sorry."

"Wait, what? We're not going anywhere!"

Leon stopped short, and turned back to her. "You can't stay here, Princess," he protested, bewildered. "It is of the utmost importance that the Destined Child is not caught by the Myria's forces!"

"Who says we will be?" she fired back. "Dauna has been destroyed, and it is because of us! Hundreds died, defending us! All three of us are capable fighters. Leon, iplease!/i"

The Woren chief stared at her grimly, his answer obvious on his face. Nina squared her shoulders, preparing herself to argue that he couldn't force them to run. Finally, he said with a slight bow, "Very well. We will be honored to fight alongside such noble warriors."

"Thank you," Nina replied, graciously bowing back. "You won't regret it."

"I hope not; for my regret, in this case, may very well be the world's regret."

"We'll be alright. Just worry about getting your warriors prepared! We'll hold our own," Nina promised, darting back to the guest hut. She burst into the room, relieved that her hunch had been correct; Ryu was there again, the kids sitting solemnly on their beds. "Ryu!"

"I know," he said in a low voice, panic just below a calm veneer. "We have a problem."

"What-"

"I can't find Mika."

Nina didn't have time to respond before Leon burst in, eyes wild. "Have you seen Kirin?" he asked frantically.

Ryu growled. "She's missing as well?"

Leon's eyes narrowed. "He ran off with her."

"Mika wouldn't do that!" Ryu snapped, standing.

Before Leon could retort, Nina cut in, "We don't have time for this! Teepo, take your little brother and go with Sir Leon; he'll take you to where you'll be safe."

Nina glanced at the Woren chief to check that there was indeed a safe place for them; he nodded slightly, and said, "But what about my daughter?"

"What about her?" Nina said. Before he could protest again, she said grimly, "Kirin is a grown woman and a very capable warrior to boot. Mika, too. We don't have time to look for them. We have to focus on defending the village."

"But-!"

"What if your roles were reversed, Sir? What if it were you that was missing? Would you want Kirin to focus more on finding you than on defending her people?"

Leon scowled hard at her, his ears back, but her point was made. "Come," he said to the two rather frightened children. "You will be sheltered with the other cubs and adults who cannot fight."

As Leon led them away, the brothers glancing back fearfully as they scurried to keep up, Ryu said darkly, "I really would rather find Mika. I'll never forgive myself if something happens to him."

Nina strapped her leather chestplate on. "Mika is even more capable of defending himself," she said numbly, "if not more. He's a Dragon, after all."

"Yes. A Dragon forbidden from using his power."

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not."

She checked her bow and quiver; she'd need to fletch more arrows after this battle. She might even have to resort to using her dagger. At least the bow was in good condition. "Well, I do hope that common sense will override your stupid laws."

Ryu frowned. "Normally I'd agree with you. This one actually does have a basis. A very good one."

"I'd still prefer his survival over obedience," Nina retorted.

"He wouldn't. Not in this case. He won't use those powers."

"Why?"

Ryu closed his eyes as his lovers' turned to him. He felt so sick by now. He couldn't believe this was happening. "You don't want to know."

And then he stood, getting his own armor and sword ready for combat, leaving Nina to wonder what the devil was wrong with Ryu. This was more than just concern for his cousin, disgust with their laws, or the stress of being chased and the weight of his destiny. Something was extremely wrong.

She was afraid, and she didn't know what she was afraid of.