Saabys: Continuing last chapter…

Soon enough Geoff was sitting at the left hand of the King and watching with amusement as Drake got Sojourn to try most of the food set on their own little table behind the King's chair. Sojourn was frankly suspicious of the Human-made sustenance, and took great care to sniff everything over before eating. In the end she was contented to just nibble and sit.

The foreign dignitaries were dealt with through long, and exceedingly boring, speeches of state. Geoff had nodded off at least six times during the proceedings and been kicked awake by the captain of the guard beside him. The most startling thing was when Sojourn got so bored she fell asleep, and her head went right down into a bowl of potatoes. Drake quickly woke her and licked the potato from her snout.

Once the boring debates were over the King called for silence, "I am pleased to tell you all that tonight I will announce the heir to my Kingdom."

A profound hush swept over the room, even the dragons paying attention at this point.

"I have decided that the Heir should be one who does not follow every tradition, a young man who has powerful allies and a good heart that could rule the land as did King Bowen in olden days. My choice of Heir is Dragon-brother Geoff."

Geoff went pale and began to choke on the wine he was sipping. His face turned purple within seconds and the captain of the guard pounded on his back a couple times until he could breathe again.

The room was filled with shocked and arguementive mutters, no one willing to speak out for fear of the dragon's wrath. Slowly it subsided and the entertainment began again.

"Y-your Highness… I don't know anything about being a prince!" Geoff muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you personally. You just be here by the noon meal every day." The King muttered back.

Later that night, Geoff had retired to a room, not feeling well after his shock. This left Drake and Sojourn with nowhere to go and the whole night on their paws. Drake wanted to show Sojourn around the castle, but first she had to be announced to the King.

Drake led Sojourn to before the King, and was surprised as she announced herself and followed Royal protocol down to a tee. Where had she learned that? He most certainly didn't teach her anything about the ways of men during their short time together.

The court was astounded by Sojourn, but turned suspicious when she did not answer any of their questions about her past. When she was pressured she moved closer to Drake for comfort and spoke, "I grew up alone among humans far to the south. Early on my humans were attacked and killed by others of their kind that were drunk, and I was too small to fight them. That was the last time I ever saw anything. Once the carnage was over I found that in my fear I had run far into unfamiliar lands. I probably would have died there had I not been found by a pack of wolves that led me to a kindly old sage of the East. The woman and her wolves took me in. The woman taught me how to speak in the tongue of Dragons, how to use fire and ice, and how to fly. The wolves taught me how to hunt, how to track by scent, how to fight, and how to listen to Nature. One day in winter I went out hunting with the wolves for the big game that traveled through the pass. The hunt took a few hours, but we returned successful, with me carrying a few elk home to the old woman. It was the blood on our snouts that kept us from realizing that something had gone terribly wrong until the last moment, until a spear impaled Deus the alpha. It was they. The same human men who had attacked and slaughtered my first humans. They had come for the old woman, accusing her of being a witch. They had killed her and hung her body out in front of our cave. The wolves scattered in confusion, with Anaya commanding me to follow her. She led me far away from that place, to a cave the old woman had taken me to once before. There I was given the Flame of Hrordeshikar to lead me to where I would be able to find hope for my Kind…" she snorted and laughed, "It led me to the last residence of Hrordeshikar. To the place you call Draco's Cave. And I've lived there for the past few months up until this morning when Drake found me."

Sojourn looked saddened once she finished, and Drake nuzzled her neck, purring comfortingly as she leaned against him. The King looked solemn.

"Very well Sojourn. Let it be known that you are welcome here. You and the hope you bring." The King said.

They were dismissed. Drake led Sojourn to an area away from the commotion, where they lay down together and just rested a moment in the other's company.

"You know Sojourn, now that Geoff has been named Prince, we will be alone like this a lot." Drake said.

Sojourn smiled, "I know. It will be good as I get settled into the area. I just hope I can get all the way settled before winter."

"You will Sojourn, I know it. I'll be here to help."

The two of them got up and went for a walk in the woods, while Sojourn sniffed at the autumn crisp leaves and Drake watched her every move, the familiar longing and an unfamiliar feeling of lust taking hold. It had as much to do with the season as anything else: it was autumn, and though neither of them realized it, Sojourn was fertile.

Drake rumbled and nipped her on the tail, intending to complete what had been interrupted earlier that day. He was being driven wild by her scent. She crouched out of instinct, trembling when she felt him move her tail aside.

Drake mounted her, being careful of his claws. He bit down in the back of her neck, taking immediate control and forcing her to stay beneath him. Her trembling against his belly aroused him further, and he took her then.

However he wasn't expecting her to cry out in pain. He had heard of this from Geoff, and remained still until her pain faded and she told him to continue.

Their roaring could be heard from the castle.

The next morning Drake woke feeling very self-satisfied. His new mate lay beneath him; snuggled up against is belly and purring in her sleep. The morning's chill was being slow to dissipate, and Drake was glad she hadn't woken from the cold.

All of a sudden Sojourn snapped awake and tried to flee, only the rope still holding her to Drake impeding her effort.

"Sojourn, what's wrong?" Drake asked, and at the sound of his voice she relaxed and stretched, waking up the rest of the way.

"I'm sorry, I heard Humans coming." She said, voice begging forgiveness.

"It's okay, a lifetime of habit cannot be broken in one day." Drake purred. "Now, let's pick up Geoff and go home."

Saabys: Okay, so I went against Kantri's grain with the whole season and mating thing.

Kantri: Just because I won't tell you exactly how dragons look as they mate…

Saabys: Spoilsport.

Kantri: inter-species pervert.

Saabys: One of these days I will get to read those.

Kantri: Over my dead and melting corpse.