Disclaimer: My Wishing star is pathetic...

Onto the next chapter!

Chapter Thirty-Five

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Drake slipped on the rocks again, then felt more than heard his father's deep chuckle as Draco used his head to brace Drake on the cliff.

Eynron had arrived in the Baron's fief to find out if the messenger who had reported Bowen's death was correct, and was furious, spending most of the morning yelling at Draco.

Which the dragon took silently, stifling his laughter with well timed coughs.

Hewe on the other hand had just laughed, not bothering hiding his opinion of the blacksmith's tormenting of the dragon.

Once Eynron had run out of steam, Bowen had retrieved Colin from the castle where he was the only boy among Kara, Piper, Elaine, and Hewe's three daughters.

Seyarra's two young sons didn't count since the oldest wasn't even three.

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Bowen chuckled as he turned in the saddle, careful to keep Colin in the saddle; after rescuing Colin from the women, the two with Geoff and the pair of dragons had taken off for the mountains, heading to explore the caves.

Geoff was trying to convince Drake to just jump up the hill, but the dragon preferred to climb, even if he was doing badly.

"Whoa!"

"Drake!"

...

"Oomph!"

Draco slid back a few feet, grunting at Drake's weight against his chest.

A low chuckle and Draco maneuvered his head to shove Drake back up to the cliff, the dragons too big to use the tree covered path the horses used.

xxx

Drake followed just behind Geoff, and ended up being the "test subject", if he could walk through the passages with his wings unfolded almost all the way, then Draco could fit.

"Hey Draco?"

"Yes Bowen?"

"Any reason why the cave walls are rubbed smooth? And big enough for you to move freely?"

Draco paused, glancing around in one of the larger chambers, almost big enough for him to stretch out fully.

"Must have belonged to a prior dragon...though it's been quite awhile since this place has been resided in."

"How can you tell?"

The dragon replied by letting out a small lick of flames, the smoke and fire curling up towards the ceiling instead of hanging in the air.

"Too many drafts."

Bowen chuckled, shaking his head as his hands rested on his hips while he looked around, enjoying the silent serenity in the cave.

If one looked close enough, they could see how the stalactites and stalagmites were actually arranged, you'd have to be looking down at the spires of rock on the floor from at least ten feet up to see the patterns, but it was a subtle, yet interesting sign of former inhabitance.

"Bowen!"

"What is it Geoff?"

"I think I found the main chamber!"

The man followed the voice, patting Drake's shoulder to let the young dragon know where he was as he walked past him. Drake politely folded his wings in, giving Bowen plenty of room as Geoff's voice echoed from another chamber of the cave.

Bowen figured Geoff was right, the entrance was a cliff view of the rocky narrow shore that edged the cliffs from the ocean, well away from any harbors and too many prying eyes, the drop down had a single human accessible path, but if it ever rained it would be slick with mud.

Colin was wholly occupied counting the seagull nests that had taken residence since the cave's original occupants absence, and Bowen allowed himself a moment of reprieve, closing his eyes as he inhaled the sweet sea air, ignoring the sharp salt taste. Geoff smirked but led Drake through the rough, unadorned and unattended rock formations near the entrance, making the cave look ominous and uninviting, minor deterrent for one just looking and not exploring.

A low growl echoed out from the inner shadows, but Bowen ignored the noise, Draco probably just mad he was the last to get to the fantastic view the cliff held, a perfect view of Northern skies, getting a hint of the sunrise and sunset, and the glorious night sky with one constellation in perfect view pending the weather. And speaking of which, by how the cave mouth sat no one would think anyone would want the wind swept and weather ridden cave, but the deeper caverns were never touched by the elements, a well picked living space.

Bowen internally cursed his inner dragonslayer that had just resurfaced a few months before Draco returned from visiting Selene; instincts automatically picking up the flaws and advantages to the cave, picking it apart like a heathen healer who took apart bodies.

And speaking of dragons, Bowen would need to pull himself from his thoughts pretty soon to keep Geoff from getting Drake to dive off the cliffs into the ocean waves.

Nah, he'd let the teenager "prove" his point first by being shuffled among the rocks by the violent waves driven by the sadistic unpredictability of fate before Bowen would let Drake go after him, or Draco since Drake wasn't the best at hovering yet.

Oh, wait...Geoff and Drake shared a heart...no diving off cliffs...

"Don't even think about it you two."

"Aww Bowen."

"No."

Drake chuckled, choking back snickering and bringing up smoke accidentally as he sat down next to the pouting Geoff, the teen extremely rebellious and hot headed.

Bowen really hoped that whenever Drake hit that so called maturity level of adolescence that Draco could either control the young dragon or that Geoff was long past that mentality of trying to get himself anf others out of stupidity due to sheer recklessness.

A soft cough drew the man's attention, but his son, nor the two "dare devils" had emitted the sound, in fact it was answered by rough scraping of stone for a moment before ceasing with a quiet, frustrated sigh.

Heading back into the cave, it took a moment for Bowen's eyes to adjust from the mid day sun.

And he found Draco sprawled on his stomach and not very happy.

"What's wrong? Hurry up, you'd love the view."

"Bowen..."

"What? Draco let's go."

The man turned, hunger driving him to get back to the monastery or castle soon."

"Bowen..."

"Draco."

"I'm stuck."

Well?

Okay, this will be a three part fluffy sequence, need a lull and delay in the next big plot thing. This fic is long from over!

Thank you to my awesome readers who keep this going!