Nixiesocean: So, er, thanks for reviewing! I've found out that its better to have long chapters less often than short chapters with shorter wait-time. Good for you! BTW, the summer school is 9-12, but I'll still be tired, so the chapters won't be out nearly as often. Sorry!

Chapter 6: Battle of the Wills

"There." The healer said. "That's all I can do." The woman stood and left Lance staring at the form of Sir Eric. She was breathing slowly. The arrow-wound was closed, but Lance was unsure about the other 'injury' that the forest-lady talked about. Lance stroked Sir Eric's hair. It was silky and black as midnight. She seemed to not be as peaceful anymore. She was struggling with something. He watched the sleeping figure make faces. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She was beautiful, in every way. When he looked up again, the Healer had returned with a small amulet. She seemed to know the sadness that was surely reflected in his eyes.

"I cannot help her much more, Prince Lance." He was surprised that she knew his name, but he let her continue. "That you know. But, my liege, I can help you. Take this amulet and put it on. Though she is not awake, the lady will be able to contact you through her thoughts and dreams." She seemed so… he couldn't place it. She seemed to be so familiar in the way she acted and treated him. Something nagged in the back of his mind.

Sighing, he looked back down at the amulet. "How much will all this cost?" He asked, knowing the whole thing would be fairly expensive.

She looked at him dead in the eyes. "I will only ask payment in one way."

"And that is?" He pressed. He was eyeing the amulet now, nervous with someone looking him in eyes. It had been so long.

"I want," She paused. "Her name." She pointed at the sleeping figure that he had despised at her bossiness, then loved when she saved him from this exact fate.

"I don't have it." Lance whispered. "She hasn't told me it."

The Healer looked at him, then spoke in an undertone. "Then ask her it." Lance breathed deeply. How could he ask her for it? The voice had told him that she would say it in her own time, the Healer said she wanted it, but why? What would a Healer profit from having a person's name? If all else failed, he could give her his birth-name. He nodded. He would ask Sir Eric. He put the silver-chained tigerseye amulet over his neck and shut his eyes.

Sir Eric? He asked, feeling the vastness and the closeness of a mind.

A picture flashed in his brain. It was black-and-white. A knight charged another. The lances were colored.

His mind was puzzled, then he thought. Yes. It is I.

Another picture: A man was confused. He had no map and Lance got the feeling that the man ha no sense of direction.

Are you lost?

Nodding.

Why?

Shrugging.

Do you need help?

Shaking.

You just said you were lost.

Nodding.

Okay. This is just frustrating He said to himself

Picture: The woman looked sad. It looked like she was on the bridge of tears.

Oh God… He thought. She can hear my thoughts, even to myself!

Vigorous nodding.

What are you fighting?

Picture: A low wall, easily climbed over. It had a large fissure on the other side, so as not to be climbed back over. A woman was forced over by two men, one holding a bow, the other a sword. They pushed the woman to the wall. She flailed at them, scratching and biting. She was losing. They kept forcing her to the wall. She was desperate now. She turned and tried to run, they halted her. She was pushed back to the wall. The men kept pushing and pushing. She was at the wall now. She was about to be pushed into the large crack on the other side.

I don't understand it. Give a less complex picture.

Shaking.

You can't?

Nodding.

Give another picture.

Picture: A man dressed in black. He had a scythe and looked starved.

Death?

Nodding.

I see. I'm helping you; I've taken you to the Healer that was north of us. She healed you, but she said that a wound of the heart was keeping you from waking up. What is it?

Picture: A couple walking out a temple, hand in hand. The man was dressed in black, the woman in white. Picture: Two entwined rings, both gold.

You're already married?

Shaking.

You're already engaged?

Nodding.

Oh my God.

Picture: Tear. Picture: a man and a woman hugging. She kissed him on the lips. Picture: A knight pointing at his lance.

You love me, not your fiancée?

Nodding.

Aloud, Lance sighed. He was the prince. He had to uphold the laws, and this was one. Her father said she had to marry, then she had to. You have to. Your father arranged it.

Shaking.

Mother?

Nodding.

Do you know who it is?

Shaking.

I see. Is this your injury?

Nodding.

We will figure it out later; you need to wake up. Your body is wasting away.

Picture: Heavy sigh. Picture: The woman woke up. Lance was there. They hugged. Both were grateful.

Yes. I'll be there.

Picture: Smile.

Lance took off the amulet. She was stirring. The Healer looked at Lance. He sighed. "I couldn't. She was worried about other things. Plus, she could only contact via pictures and emotion."

"Then her name isn't a shape or thing. Thank you, that is what I want, Prince Lance. That was your payment. Look, she wakes." Lance looked down at the woman on the bed. She had enchanted him, saved him three times. He thanked the Healer and went back to watching his lady knight. He heard the Healer leave the room.

"Lance?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm here." He leaned over and hugged her. He truly was grateful. Lance turned. Rumbles outside drew his attention.

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Cyrun looked out through her small window. Asnarinth landed in the yard, away from where Prince Lance could see. She opened the small door and left. She hunched over and silvery-gold wings emerged from her back. Clothes melded into her body and her nose turned into a snout.

"Asnarinth." She greeted.

"Cyrun, how is the fairest dragon west of the Gromel Mountains today?"

"No flattery today, Asnar. We have to speak." The silver-gold dragon growled.

"Aren't you now, Cyrun?" The younger dragon asked.

"Stop being such an ass. Prince Lance loves that woman. I can't let her die."

The red-black dragon's eyes narrowed. "You had no problems with killing my Lovely. Why this mortal's?"

"First off, I didn't kill your 'Lovely' she's still alive. Secondly, I know love. You wanted your 'Lovely' out of lust. Lance doesn't."

"Right." Snarled the other dragon. "He loves her because she saved his over-fed ass."

Sighing, the silver dragon sat. "Listen, I can't charge him as much as I normally do, Asnar. He won't be able to pay it."

"He's the prince. He should be able to." The red dragon advanced on the older, smarter silver dragon.

"If I charge him my price, he'll lose what he gained. That's not how I work."

"Just have him pay it, Cyrun. You promised you would."

"I never promised I would have him pay it. I can't charge him the thing closest to him. That is this woman."

"Then get the damn woman's name." Asnarinth replied before taking flight. Sometimes, the silver-gold dragon said to herself, I wish I wasn't in debt to him. I wish some knight would save me one day. Her sensitive ears picked up noise; she quickly shifted into the Healer form.

Prince Lance emerged from the door. Internally, Cyrun heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes, Prince Lance?"

"I wanted to thank you, Healer. She is awake." Prince Lance said with respite.

"And?"

"I haven't asked her." Prince Lance replied.

"I need it, that was my price. You agreed to it, Prince."

"I know. But, is there something else I can give you?" Something he could give to dragon that had everything… except someone to love. Someone to care for.

"No, Prince. There is nothing. Go, my Master will be back after he hunts." She warned. Truly, Asnarinith came and checked on her about every two hours or so, maybe even sooner.

"May we meet him? Surely he must be as nice as you, Lady Healer."

"No, just go." She would make up a name. One she once heard from a man she had healed. "Please." Now she was desperate. She could hear Asnarinith approaching. "Oh damnit, you need to hide. He's too close now." She ushered him inside and took him to her cellar. She opened the door. "Where's your lady?" She asked.

"Here." Prince Lance's girl came over and leaned on him. "Where are we-?"

"You two need to hide, my master is not kind." Cyrun interrupted. They arrived at a small dugout hole. "Stay here, he won't smell you here." She rushed out, transforming once she closed the cellar door. Her silver-shape reached full dragon size as soon as she left the hut. As if on cue, Asnarinth landed outside.

"What's the girl's name?" He demanded, pieces of charred deer still in his mouth.

"I- I," She stuttered. He narrowed his eyes. "Chamaephyte."

"Chamaephyte? No, Cyrun. Her name is not a plant. Give it over, silver."

"Then I don't have it. Neither does the Prince. No one has it, Asnar." Cyrun said. She took a deep breath. "What will you have me do, Master?"

"I have run out of patience, Cyrun. I," He pulled up a claw to her chin. "Have the power to take Draconisis from you. Don't fail me again." Nodding in sumission, she bit her tongue. If she spoke up now, she'd lose her Draconic powers. "Good. Now, I'll be leaving in three days the prince and his little girl should be at the palace or there'll be hell to pay, understand?"

"Yes, Master Asnar." With that to end the conversation, Asnarinith leapt into the sky. Suddenly, he veered back to earth. He landed. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, Cyrun. You smell of human." He charged. "Where are they?"

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He had heard yelling outside. Lance and Sir Eric left the safety of the cellar. They rushed up to the outside. There they saw a red-black dragon, his captor, Lance realized. But wasn't he supposed to be dead? The red-black dragon advanced on a smaller, silver-gold dragon. Both dragons spotted the pair.

"No, Lance, please!" The silver-gold dragon pleaded. "Why did you-" With a wicked backhand, the red-black dragon batted the smaller dragon aside. The silver-gold dragon sounded like the Healer.

"There you are, Lance. Ah, you brought your lovely with you, how clever." Asnarinith said. "Cyrun was telling me how you hid like a rabbit."

"We are not rabbits!" Sir Eric yelled to the dragon. "I may be unarmed and unarmored, but I can still kill you!"

Asnarinith smiled. "You can try, knight. I've been alive longer than you've been thought of." He leaned in his face to hers, gold eyes unblinking. "Now, how about your pretty little name?"

"Don't give it to him, lady!" 'Cyrun shrieked. "He'll kill you!"

Asnarinith turned on the dragon. "You little backstabbing bi-"

"Fight me like a man!" She screamed.

Grinning, the dragon turned to Sir Eric. "I'm not a man."

Through all this, Lance was stunned. He recovered his senses. "Fight me, dragon. She's not at full-strength." Sir Eric stared at him. Then it hit him; the dragon didn't know she wasn't ready. She was bluffing him.

The silver-golden dragon stood and moved between the squabbling triple. "Asnarinith," She said. "I hate you, I've never loved you. Not a drop of admiration!" She grinned. He had known it. "I, do however, have a streak of kindness, unlike you!" She put her wing to stop Asnarinith from attacking the couple. "Kill me. Let them go."

He grinned. "You have a deal, little one. I'll kill you." He reached out a claw and touched her forehead. Cyrun crumbled, but, in her stead, a female with silver-blonde hair and pale skin lay, almost dead. "But I'll kill them anyways!" He hurdled at the helpless pair. He was two feet from them when he hit an invisible barrier. At every angle, the couple was protected. "Damnit, Lance, I'll find you later." He flew off. Sir Eric ran to the body of Cyrun. She was beautiful. And naked.

"Lance, get clothes from the hut. She needs warmth." In truth, she really was cold. Her eyes flicked at the noise.

"Am I dead?" She asked.

"No, Cyrun, just human." The other woman replied. Lance returned. "Here, put these clothes on."

"Human? Why am I-" She thought about the previous events. "He didn't kill me. He took away my Draconisis, my Draconic features." She cried into Eric's shoulder.

"It's okay, Cyrun, we'll help you." The knight promised. "Lance, saddle the horse. She's coming back with us."

And she did.