This story is set between when Bowen and Draco meet Kara and after they've visited Avalon. Kara is back in her village for awhile, stirring up the rebellion. Forgive me if it seems "pieced together", but the fight and the ending were what came to me first.

And FYI: It is NOT a romance fic. I don't support them when they're inter-species (yuck!).

The sounds of early morning in the village were normal. The blacksmith, sweating away, tapped away at some horseshoes. Farmers were talking amongst themselves about the long drought and complaining that the blacksmith shouldn't be using fire around such flammable fields. Women were sewing and shucking corn; complaining that the blacksmith smelled bad and the farmers weren't working hard enough.

Aster pushed aside the flap that served as a front door to her hut. She smiled and looked at the rising sun. It was a beautiful day; the sky was clear or any clouds, the sun was blazing down and a balmy breeze was blowing eastward.

She picked up a basket that she had woven in the past. It was patched and rubbed through in areas, and she made a note to start on a new one; one that she wouldn't sell to anyone. One that was woven tightly around the bottom so the customer wouldn't have to come back once the basket broke soon afterwards…

Aster grinned to herself when she thought of her marketing technique. Angling the basket on her hip, she picked up some spare money and set off towards the small market to buy the day's meat and some vegetables.

As she passed by the council's house, she overheard one of the old men mention to his friend that there had been a strange wind, blowing from the north. It didn't bode well, he said. A northeastern wind brought evil and bad luck, he claimed.

She passed it off with a roll of her eyes and kept walking. Nineteen years, she thought. Nineteen years in this village, from being born to growing into a woman, and never had anything ever happened save for a troupe of traveling bandits that had drunk too much and were quickly sundered by a band of the town men. Aster had never seen evil or bad luck that hadn't been brought on intentionally, most of it being her faulty baskets.

She had just reached the market when a shadow fell over the area. It was a strange shape, and she looked up at the sun to see what cast such an ominous shadow.

Aster's eyes went wide when she saw what it was. The silhouette of a monster! A dragon!

She ran for cover, like everyone else around her. Diving behind a trio of barrels, she cowered, awaiting the town's fate.

The dragon dove, bellowing and spouting flames. A huge ball of fire fell on the expansive fields of straw that had been collected the day before, and the entire valley surrounding the village was instantly ablaze!

The people screamed in fear. A group began praying to God to deliver them. Aster didn't move, however. She was looking at a figure that had just ridden in on a horse. He was dressed in black and had long, wavy blonde hair.

"Where is the leader of this village?" he demanded.

A man came forward. "My name is Alfred. I am the leader. What business have you? If you can run, do so! We are under attack!"

"Ah, sir. That is my business. I am a dragon slayer. Three bags of gold and you will have that dragon dead before sundown," the newcomer proclaimed.

"Three bags of gold!" Alfred demanded. "That's horse manure! We heard from a village east of here that a maiden sacrifice quelled the dragon's fury!"

Alfred turned back to the town. The people looked to him for guidance, but offered their opinions to one another.

"Shouldn't we pay, my lord? A maiden sacrifice sounds a bit harsh for our town!"

"A maiden sacrifice? Sounds horrid, if you ask me…"

"Aye. What would a dragon do with a maid?"

"Eat her, probably. Less armor and less fight than a knight."

Aster quivered in fear. Should Alfred decide on the more macabre of the choices, she prayed he wouldn't remember the time long ago when all his pants went missing and he found them hidden in one of her baskets…or the time she had sold him the largest and most expensive of her baskets and the bottom dropped out as he was carrying some very valuable cloths through a muddy field…or the time-…

But her thoughts were broken as Alfred yelled to the crowd.

"We won't be extorted! Where is Aster Ravenson?"