Nixiesocean: Hi! I'm up-a-dating. I have no idea why I'm in such a good mood… (pushes caffeine away).
Anywho,
Responses:
simplegrl007: Of course, for one, Asnarinith still hasn't gotten to get back at Ceara, two, Coven has his own motives for working for a Rogue. I think you'd make a good beta: you review really well! I changed Coven's age to make sense: thanks. He's 30 now, better? Then he'd be about 19 when Mira was conceived. And you're right; Dragons are similar to Humans. Ade was truly asleep. I'm thinking Everett, as a father, would know whether the sleep was faked or not. (shrug).
Osmunda Regalis of Daybreak: Yeah, it was my Chapter of Many Cliffhangers. (wink). It did explain a lot, didn't it?
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Chapter 20: Corralling
"They're behind us," Someone startled me into awareness. "Hurry, get Sara." I felt Everett shake me and I opened my eyes. "They're behind us, HURRY!" Gently, I awoke Sara, I guessed since why would Everett ask me to wake the girl on his lap?
Sara woke up without any sort of trouble – what a relief! – and we were on our way, running for freedom, away from brutally abusive natives.
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Are you sure?
Absolutely. She's never lied before.
This is better than expected.
I understand.
I'm on my way.
Are you going directly? I think we should wait for an opening.
I'm the leader, Blue.
I'm the insider, Red.
Shut up.
I'll try that sometime.
Tell me when she's at her weakest.
I will directly.
You'd better.
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"They're not running towards it, Mistress." A new scout reported.
Hyane growled. "We're the best trackers and tracers in Furde! Is it so hard to corral such an ignorant group?"
"No, Mistress," The new recruit reported.
"Good. Get them to the Dragon Gate before I personally whip this tracking group into shape." She hissed in her best regal manner. "The Dragon-Queen decrees it."
"Yes, Mistress," The scout bowed with his right hand over his chest.
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"Wait – hold up." I told her, visibly holding up a hand. "Lord Coven is your father?"
Mira's eyes began to water, "I'm sorry – I don't know why it slipped out. I've never told anyone! Please!" She went onto her knees, "I'm nothing like him! Don't hate me!"
I touched her cheek. "Mira, I would never! I'm surprised, that's all!" Mira began to weep on me. "Shh…" I told her, rubbing her back kindly. "We can continue this tomorrow."
"NO!" Mira shouted. "I can't. I can't leave – he'll – he'll know by now!"
My eyes widened. "He didn't know before?" She bit her lip as tears streaked her cheeks. She nodded. "Mira, honey…"
"Let me continue!" She whispered urgently. "I can't stop now. I'll lost my nerve and it'll all bottle up and he'll find me and he'll hurt me again and he'll make me spy on you and he'll hurt me if I don't follow his instructions and he'll hurt my mom and he'll – he'll…" Mira rambled off and cried into my breeches.
I sighed and held her hands as she cried. "Speaking about it releases the pain," I told her. "I would know."
"Yes, Ceara," She murmured, wiping her nose on a sleeve. Her lip trembled. "As I was saying, my mother was a commoner and my father…" Nothing came out.
"We're past that." I told her, tapping her knee. "That's all right, I understand."
"Okay… So, I grew up a commoner, a servant in the palace." She told me, eyes wide, "I guess I was pretty because boys chased after me, and at five I had a few…" She paused, trying to find the words, "Um, stalkers." She sighed. "The most persistent was Lehy. He was ten at the time, which would make him," She did some mental calculations, "Fifteen now, anyways, Lehy constantly was near me, brushing past or other things. I saw him once even eyeing me. It scared me, and I told my mother.
"She was terrified, of course. She told me, 'I'll see what I can do'." So I forgot about it. After that, Lehy didn't even appear near me. When I asked her about it, she said, 'I talked to your father.' But she refused to even tell me his name." She bowed her head, tears streaming, "At six, I came back to our rooms, and – and my mother was there." She shook her head; "She had her throat torn out. Her blood was everywhere." More tears spilled into Mira's hands. "I was scared. I didn't know who my father was; I had no protection.
"Lehy found me again. He knew about my mother. He knew that I was alone – and took advantage of that." Mira's golden hair spilled around her head, and I noticed, for the first time, the fair blue hairs in her head. They were so white that it looked just like very light blonde hair, no wonder I'd never noticed. "My life was… horrid. Then, I saw you – the Heir Apparent. And I saw kindness around you like a cloak. I thought, maybe, if I could befriend you, then you'd help me. And you have: more than I could ever hope."
My eyes were misty. "I'm so sorry – if only I'd known sooner…"
She shook her head, "I'm a commoner – why should you care? In any case, I asked one of my mother's friends at eight also. I asked her if she knew who my father was. She was unafraid to tell me, 'your father? My goddess, child, you're nothing but a bastard child! Of Lord Coven's get!' At this, I ran terrified. Lord Coven, you see, is well-known for his conquests of both nobility and commoner, Human or Dragon."
"I know." I murmured, rubbing her hands again with mine gently.
"So, I searched him out, wondering if he'd help me find you, and he did – all in the wrong ways. He ordered me to spy on you. That's why, you see, that a Dragon of ten years was carrying the crown. It's far too heavy for anyone but an adult. So, I played my part perfectly, as I was taught.
"I wanted your kindness so much I went along with it, knowing that you'd help, even a little bit." Her blonde head shook with laughter, "And look where I am now, friends with my idol and her handmaiden."
I grinned at her, when she looked up, "I'm happy I could help, Mira, you're nothing like Coven, you know? Can you tell me why he never knew, if your mother went and asked him?"
"I don't know, other than he probably assumed she had a friend – you know, a friend of a friend thing."
I held her hands tightly and she stared me in the eyes. "I will protect you with all my power, Mira Eyen of Dragonhold. I make vows and I don't break them." Except Ade's, my pessimistic side said, Except his. You promised his safety… I sighed, "Come on, I need to go to my Draconic Meeting – how boring."
Mira's eyes crinkled in amusement and we laughed our way through dressing, lightening the mood. I knew Mira hadn't been completely truthful, but I let her choose what and when to tell me.
- - - - - - - - -
Why? I asked myself. Why do they pursue? My breath was coming in short gasps and my feet were hurting from the pounding. Sara was on my back, furthering my load and her head was down against mine as we ran. Everett had Syan and Fiona had kilted up her skirts to make it easier to run.
I didn't tell them, but I knew it was pointless. The natives knew the area, they were better athletes, they probably had some sort of superhuman powers that allowed them such endurance. I knew if we stopped, we'd be caught.
Wait! Didn't we pass that tree before…? The tree we had passed and had very distinct marking, a knot about the size of my fist, black with fire and the rest of the tree covered in moss.
A thought occurred to me: are they making us head a certain place?
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