Disclaimer:

I don't own anything to do with the Harry Potter universe, J. K Rowling has that honor. I also don't own anything to do with Temeraire, that wonderful Naomi Novik does. I'm just borrowing the verses for a bit.

QUICK AN: Some people commenting here (think there is two right now) and in other places but read it here, have pointed this out and I am just going to add this here so they can see it, as a few of the commenters have either turned their PM off (on the other sites too) or are hiding behind guest accounts. This is also a preemptive thing for anyone who is thinking of doing the same as them. I know a lot of things aren't canon in this story, that is point of an AU, things can change according to how the fic author wants them. Please stop pointing it out, it won't make me change the story and all its doing is filling up my inbox with many variations of the same message. If you don't like it, move on to something you do enjoy.

Chapter 4: The truths we make.

The early morning sun bathed a worried Temeraire in it's soft orange light, warming the dragon to a comfortable temperature as he watched with sharp blue eyes the agitated form of his Captain. The man jumped from off a nearby supply crate - where he had been perched quietly for the last four hours to observe the deck - and moved to lean on the side rail right next to where the black dragon currently rested his head. Laurence sighed heavily while looking out on to the slowly moving waves around them, bruised hands gripping the rails tightly as his face set into the scowl worn by those lost in a particularly deep and troubling thought.

Temeraire knew it wouldn't be long before his friend would shoot the large transport pad being towed behind them a critical look, as it was something Laurence had done quite often since they arrived on the ship. It was the morning after the first battle that the dragonet had participated in and so far neither he nor Laurence had been treated poorly by the Frenchmen around them, indeed, it seemed the men were quite a bit more amused than worried about the Englishman on board now, probably more to do with how fanatically French Temeraire was than anything Laurence himself had done.

'Though what is so amusing about my loyalties I do not know' he mused to himself, mirth rising up in him to replace the worry as his Laurence did as was predicted and looked out at the pad where Julien still rested, healing and now under a rotating guard of armed men on the other ships, watching from the rails. 'Which is quite unfair! He came to save us!'

But that was the crux of the matter, Temeraire knew, as his brother had gone out without a Captain and without permission, into a battle with the enemy. The only thing that had really saved them all from becoming prisoners of the English was Julien's newly discovered talent. Temeraire was still in awe of the skill - and so were the people on the ships who had demanded and gotten a spectacular demonstration of the attack from where Julien had rested uneasily on the pad - and he wondered even more what his own special talent would be. It was obvious that he would have one, because he and Julien were brothers even if it looked like they only shared one parent, so he would surely have some kind of ranged attack of devastating effect!

'I hope it is not a thunderbolt, I would like to be unique from my brother' though it would be nice to share such an attack with his sibling, thinking of all the things two lightning throwing dragons could do as a unit, the idea that he was 'just the same' as Julien chaffed a bit at his pride. 'I have to be different, do I not? We do not look completely the same, so we must be different breeds in half at least...'

"I would not mind if you were the same as your brother, my dear. His skill is not one to sneer at, I should say." Laurence suddenly spoke up from where he was still standing at the rail, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, with a soft expression on his beat up face as he watched his mount think. At some point during the black dragon's mental journey the man had turned around to face Temeraire so he now leaned on the rail with his back to the quiet sea instead of looking out at it.

It was then that the dragon realized his last few thoughts had been voiced aloud with his growing internal distress and quickly rushed ahead to assure his rider all was well.

"Yes, it is a very useful skill, though I would like to be different, if I can. Some fire breath would be nice, yes? Or perhaps acid? I would like to shine in my own way if this makes any sense?." the black dragon finally explained, his Captain nodding in understanding as he pulled away from the rails to join Temeraire, reaching out to comfort him. "I know, dear one, but even if you have no ranged attacked at all, I will still cherish you all the same." the man answered, patting the large nose in front of him with a fond huff. The dragon hummed happily in response and smiled at the attempt to lift his mood.

"What are you two whispering about?" come the playful call from the pad behind them, disturbing the touching moment between the two. Temeraire smiled and half stood on tired, aching legs to turn about in order to look down at his stupidly grinning older brother. Julien looked a fright in his current condition, covered in many visible wounds - though cleaned, many had to stay open to the air so could not all be covered by bandages - and sporting areas where the flesh was horribly swollen and distorted.

Most of the swelling had been caused not by the battle, but by the medical crew's poking and prodding. His left wrist was splinted so that it would heal properly, it having been torn open before being splinted to fetch the pellet that had buried itself deep inside, so it was much fatter than the right wrist and did not at all look natural on the otherwise properly proportioned young dragon.

The eye with the damaged brow was still sealed shut from the swelling there, the doctor saying it would stay that way for a few days yet before Julien could see out of it again. All the other marks and tears were quite nasty to behold but Temeraire had been reassured multiple times by many different people that his brother would heal just fine and be able to fly again with no difficulties.

'If they ever trust him that is' irritation lanced through the younger dragon as he thought back on the shouting match of yesterday between Julien and his Captain, Gregory. A shocking thing to witness at first, it soon became alarming as although it was obvious that Julien cared for Gregory very much and would take no other as his Captain, the dragon was NOT so enamored with the whole Captain and dragon relationship as to just give in and show his belly when Gregory pushed or threatened. Indeed the other dragon had already proved he could and would fly off into trouble without being manned at all and it did not appear to be too much of a hardship to him.

It was apparently a worrying thing in the minds of the people surrounding the downed dragon as he roared his defiance at them. Julien had used quite a few very not nice words to describe how people expected him to behave, some words were quite vulgar and had been heavily stressed in certain ways that made for an interesting listen. Temeraire had been confused by a few of the terms his brother had thrown about, but it was plain to see that Laurence and a few of the other men around there had not only understood perfectly what was being inferred - they probably all did now that he thought on it - they had also been quite embarrassed about it.

Of all the terms used he was mostly itching to ask Laurence what being 'buggered up the arse' meant, but he had enough understanding from their reaction - horrified disbelief on some and scandalized amusement on others - that he shouldn't bring it up in polite company...ever.

Whatever the reasons for Julien's different outlook on his relationship with his Captain and the world in general, it was clear the rest were not pleased with what they had been told and Julien's career in the Corps was surely on the line.

Shaking himself from the dire thoughts, Temeraire hung his head unnecessarily over the rails to shout back at Julien. "We are not whispering, you just cannot hear us from where you are"

A bark of laughter and some shuffling drifted to the younger's ears. "Still, what is it you not whispering about, that I cannot hear so well because of where I am?" came the cheeky reply, earning an ungentlemanly snort from Laurence as the man climbed up onto Temeraire's shoulder to look out better onto the platform below.

"If I will be spitting thunderbolts or fire. Or perhaps acid." came the casual response from the overgrown lizard child, Laurence smiling again as he rubbed Temeraire's face in obvious affection when the dragon had pulled his head up for a pat. Julien dramatically flopped over onto his mostly uninjured side with a huff of exasperation that was no doubt directed at Temeraire's new obsession; first it was how well a flier he would be compared to his brother, now it was if he was going to be spitting something more 'severe' - in his mind - than lightning. "Already you are planning to usurp my very important position in the Corps. I should be offended."

Temeraire very maturely stuck his tongue out but soon affected a concerned look. "You are not in too much trouble then? You will be able to fly with the Corps like the others without being guarded?"

Julien laughed at that and grinned again. "I am not trusted while I am out here. Once I have a crew on me I will be fine"

'Ah, so they believe if he has a crew, he will be worried for more people and will not be so eager to leave them behind' Temeraire thought with a growing frown 'Though I have no crew and already I am not too pleased with the idea of being separated from Laurence, where as Julien left Gregory and did not seem too upset. Perhaps it is different for everyone?'

And that would need some looking into. If not all dragons thought the same way, then why do the people expect them to? It was 'well known' the attitudes dragons had towards their Captains and it was almost a given that when a dragon was harnessed it acted a certain way from then on out. What makes some dragons so attached to their crews and Captain that they could not function without them for more than a few short hours, but others - like Julien - could actually go without seeing their Captain for quite a while and not have a mental break? Temeraire was not sure how he himself would react as Laurence had not left his side since they were paired at Temeraire's hatching, but he did know he felt very strongly on the subject of being separated from him over long distances.

Just the idea of his Captain being on the ship while he went out on a flight brought some anxiety welling up in him. Perhaps he too would be unable to do anything overly important without knowing Laurence was well every hour they were away from each other. Or maybe he would be fine so long as he knew Laurence was safe BEFORE he left and than knew there was no way he would come to harm while Temeraire was out.

It was a mystery and Temeraire loved mysteries...well at least he thinks he does, this would be the first true mystery aside from his and Julien's breed identities that he had encountered. So far it was interesting.

"I should think your current situation is much more dire than mine. How have you and your Captain been treated so far?" Julien's voice floated up, pulling Temeraire out of his musings and he perked up, pleased to help bring his brother's mood up further.

"Oh, things have not been so bad. No one is overly bothered by us. They seemed more worried about you than Laurence to be honest. I do not think they are going to make a fuss." Temeraire replied, chuffing at his Captain when the man scoffed and shook his head.

"They will, eventually. It will take time and we may make well make it into port before it is brought up. But you can be sure it will be." The man said, sliding off of Temeraire so he could sit down on the deck next to him, pulling his boots off to inspect his feet like he had been doing since Temeraire hatched. When Temeraire - after having observed this strange behavior when they were still 'lost at sea' - asked why this was done, Laurence explained that the feet would get nasty infections if they were not kept clean.

Temeraire still did not understand even now why this was so as it did not make sense to the young dragon; if there were no wounds, how did they get infections? Human skin was nightmarishly odd if it could just decide to get infected from a little dirt and sweat being left on it for a while, and the dragonet was glad he had scales instead, for the constant care humans had to preform on themselves just to keep from getting sick sounded quite tedious.

"Yes, they are waiting for something." Julien agreed, shifting so that he was mostly sitting up again "Commands from higher up perhaps or you may be right. They might not be too concerned at the moment over a former Navy man for the English being Captained to a French dragon. Bigger and more pressing matters you see."

Julien paused for a moment as if in thought before he continued. "Besides, you can be trained up to see things our way a fair bit faster than an English Aviator already set in his ways." Julien added the last with a pointed look at a now standing Laurence, the man having completed his inspections and replaced his boots.

"A lie though." Laurence said, staring down at Julien with a truly dismayed expression while tugging feebly at his coat, as if the coat itself was more of an answer than his words, and perhaps it was. Temeraire felt left out of the conversation suddenly as he was not at all sure what his Captain meant by the comment; what exactly was a lie?

"Only if you make so. You are here now and unless you wish to loose Temeraire in some way-" and here Temeraire saw Laurence pale drastically and start to shake his head in denial, a lance of fear racing through Temeraire at the thought as well. "-then you must let go of your past. You will become a prisoner or worse if you resist, and Temeraire will be either paired with another Captain or sent to the breeding grounds if he refuses."

Another pointed look that seemed to sear into Temeraire's Captain. The man's very soul must be burning with how powerful that look was. Hell, Temeraire could feel that gaze and it was not directed at him at all.

"And should he give them issues over that, they may just see him as more trouble than he is worth. We both know what happens then." Julien said firmly, his eyes shifting away as he turned to regard the sea around him, effectively ending the conversation on a bitter note and releasing Laurence from whatever hold his gaze had placed him under.

Temeraire did NOT like this at all, he had missed an important bit of information, he was sure of it, and whatever it was held a very powerful sway over Laurence.

"Are you well, Laurence?" Temeraire cautiously nosed his still unusually pale Captain, keeping his movements slow and gentle so that he would not push his friend over. Laurence looked back at him and smiled weakly, patting the large muzzle with a strong set of smacks.

"Yes, I think so. I am just now having to come to terms with my new place in the world, all at once. Before now I could ignore it, you see. Brush it under a rug and pretend all was exactly as I wanted it. But that is far from the truth, my dear, so very far from it"

The man sighed heavily and leaned forward onto the rail so he could look out at Julien's napping form while he spoke. "I will be a traitor to my homeland, the place I was born, the people I love. To the person, whomever they may be, that I would eventually marry and perhaps form a family with. To my own countrymen. To all those of my blood, who do not even know if I yet live or if I am lost to them forever. "

Here he paused with a defeated air about him "Temeraire, I know you do not understand this fully, but I have had a life before you that was rich in a great many ways with people, places and events. Even the possibility of becoming more than I was, a Captain of a ship is a grand thing, but to one day perhaps make Admiral? Now though..." the thought hung at the end, empty of emotion.

"I had much and not very much at all" the man finished with a sad smile. Temeraire felt horrible at this moment in time, unable to help his friend feel better and yet also not quite grasping, as his Captain said would be the case, what the issue really was; he did not have all these other things to miss like Laurence did. He had his Captain, his brother and Gregory, the only beings that mattered to him right now, all of them here with him. If he had a home to miss and a large family...maybe if he thought of having a lot of Laurences and Juliens and Gregorys, a place where all these people would live and then suddenly have them all ripped from him...

That hurt. Just thinking of loosing the ones he had right now was bad enough, but multiplying them and then thinking about loosing them all, maybe having to fight them on the other side of the war...

"I think I understand. I would be very sad indeed if I had to fight Julien because we were on opposite sides. I think I can imagine having a lot of you and my brother and then just not having them anymore. It hurts. I am sorry you are hurting, Laurence. Can I do something to make it hurt less? Or not do a thing?" he pleaded, setting sad eyes on his Captain, who was blinking rapidly and then very pointedly not looking at the large dragon next to him. Laurence made a sound like he was trying to speak but his words were caught instead. After a moment more of silence, however, he did manage a strangled "No, Temeraire. Just be yourself, that is enough for me"

Temeraire did not believe him. Not one word of it, but chose to let Laurence have his time of sadness. It would pass eventually and then things would be alright. "Mayhaps we can speak to the Emperor, he might let you write to your family so they know you are safe? Maybe reading their words back would make it hurt less?" he asked, unsure if it was the right line of thought or not. Laurence still would not look at Temeraire, but his stance was more relaxed and he seemed less like he was planning on jumping over the rail.

"Perhaps. Though some people's words may cut all the more once they find I am in league with the French now" Laurence finally turned to look at his dragon with shining eyes that appeared far too wet for Temeraire's comfort. "I will be fine. Do not worry yourself over much. This is no one's fault but my own, that I would not accept that my fate was here after you hatched, always clinging to the false hope of returning home with a dragon for the English." He reached out and rubbed the large forehead tenderly "Now it is hitting me all at one time. So I must adjust. Time, my dear, all I need is time...and your support."

Temeraire nodded quickly, lowering his head until it was laying on the deck so Laurence could sit down and still rub him. "I will, Laurence, I promise!" he said earnestly, his eyes trying so hard to show that he was truthful. Laurence smiled, and although the expression was still a little more wet than he was happy with, Temeraire knew his Captain was better already.

"I know you will" he whispered then cleared his throat and sighed "I will need to learn more French, I suppose, if I am do this thing right." Temeraire felt the world slide into place at that point, his heart soaring in the clouds as Laurence turned to face him fully and start questioning him on how to say certain things in French.

The black dragon was sure he had heard a fondly soft "Oh, well done Temeraire! Well done indeed." come from the pad where his brother slept, but the other dragon was facing away so he might have imagined the whole thing in his moment of happiness.

End chapter four.

AN:

A Temeraire POV this time. Yes you will get to hear the 'explosive argument that happened the night before this chapter takes place, but it will be in flashbacks as needed. It is essentially a longer rehashing of the whole slaves/pets convo Harry had with Gregory back when he first hatched. And it will be brought up again many times during Harry's new life as a dragon, both in this 'book' and in the other 'books' of the Thunder God series. Especially once Harry sees how the Chinese treat their dragons compared to the rest of the world.

Laurence makes a tough decision though whether that new attitude continues once he is actually a French Aviator or not remains to be seen. One thing's for sure, his loyalties and heart will be tested for a while yet, one does not just forget where they came from after all.

Got a question, which dragon would you like to see brought into Harry's fold? No matter their affiliations or breeds or loyalties. (I'll figure it out if the same dragon gets enough votes)

Leave a name (I've no list) of a dragon in a comment and a reason why you think it would be a good addition to Harry and Temeraire's little group. The dragon obviously won't be brought in right away, but I want to have enough time to brew up a way to bring them in (especially if they are a main character that has a huge effect on the Temeraire Series) which is why I am asking now. Do keep in mind that if I don't decide to kill this dragon off at some point that it would be going with Temeraire and Harry when they get 'tossed' to another universe (Next book of the Thunder God series)

Not sure when the next chapter is coming out, as I'm busy doing other stuff on top of getting another chapter of The Chameleon done AND finally getting my original novel dusted off (after eight years of not touching it) and revised/edited in the hopes of getting it published this year. Also trying to get some way of earning money, so pretty busy doing that. If you're interested in seeing some art of mine, I do have a Tumblr and an Instagram, both under the name of TheMadDalek. I have some pics of Julien and Temeraire as well on Tumblr.