A/N.

I do wish there had been more interaction between the two...


"Marigold!" Tara exclaimed somehow finding it in her to sprint faster to the exit, light flooded her vision and she had to squint to see properly and focus on the small limp body in front of her and she found herself calling out to the girl again even though a voice in the back of her mind told her the girl wouldn't be responding.

Tara found herself staggering in the exit way unable to move pass the threshold as she stared at the girl's prone body her eyes blurred with tears, the pod pulsed against her chest in a comforting manner. Such a sweet child always ready to help even if it meant putting herself in danger for the sake of others. She would have made a great Leafwoman someday but looking at the girl, she was unsure if that would ever be possible. "Marigold." Tara heard herself whisper sadly not even thinking she should check if the girl was still breathing.

"Mari...Gold" A new voice took her off guard and shocked her into bolting up right and suddenly the exit and Marigold were blocked by a towering figure. "Is that her name?"

The pod contracted against her chest and Tara found herself unconsciously taking several steps backwards, before realizing what a mistake she had made. Tara could hear the Boggans scuffling behind around behind her snorting and whining, no doubt they had run into some of her men while breaking through those vines the fact that many of them survived made her flinch leafmen didn't just surrender especially when their monarch was in danger, closing her eyes Tara forced herself to focus on the situation at hand.

With at least twenty Boggans in back and their leader dangling in front of her from the tunnel gallows in a frighteningly bat-like manner she estimated her chance of escaping was around maybe, eh, negative one.

Without opening her eyes she directed her eyes downward and clutched the pod tighter, its warmth soothing her and she prayed that Ronin had made it out okay.

Lowering her head she wondered what Donna would do in a moment like this all while silently cursing the fact her mentor had left her so soon.

Finally she glared up Mandrake with a frostiness that could rival Ronin's in his darkest moods.

"What exactly do you want and what have you done to her?" Tara snapped motioning vaguely to where Marigold would be and hoping he didn't notice how her voice cracked at the end.

If he did he didn't show it, instead opting for a hurt demeanor that even the stomper man who liked to poke around their forest would recognize as fake.

"Terra, I expected better of you, is that really how you greet an old friend?" Crossing his arms he clucked at her in disappointment and for the first time she realized his hood was off. "Ronin really has worn off on you."

It's Tar ah, not Tear ah

She bit back correcting his pronunciation of her name as she had a feeling he was doing it intentionally.

"Since when do friends destroy their friends home as a housewarming gift." Tara shot back, taking a forceful step forward and feeling a bit more confident for strange reason."Now answer my question. Both of them."-

"Fine if you must be so blunt" Mandrake said, rolling his eyes and flapping a hand. "I suppose you want to skip the niceties, formalities, honorific-"

"Yes" Tara cut in quickly without thinking her irritation overriding her common sense, thankfully this only elicited another eye roll from Mandrake. "I do."

Without warning he dipped closer until they were almost eye level.

"Now you sound like you're saying wedding vows..." Mandrake drawled glancing down at her strangely, Tara quickly broke eye contact forcing herself to stare at the strange fluffy thing on his head, starting at the crown and disappearing down his neck like a short blue and black mane, how odd.

That was a feature she hadn't noticed on many Boggans, but back to the matter at hand.

"Get to the point."Only when she realized she had sounded harsher than intended did she add "Please" and instantly regretted it as Mandrake let out a loud laugh and she again searched for something to look at other than his face and she noticed with subdued interest he had ears that appeared to be much smaller, more translucent versions of his hood's ears down to the coloring and they twitched at every sound.

How annoying that mustbe, Tara thought coldly, but inwardly she sighed as she realized how un-queenly and her face burned with embarrassment, then she became aware that Mandrake was talking.

"But the fun is only starting Tara lighten up." Mandrake stated with undisguised mirth Tara shot him a look which he ignored. "If you must know though-" he trailed off again making a noise similar to an angry squirrel, which was followed by a soft shuffling of feet as the Boggans behind her left or at least moved out of earshot. "I simply want to talk."

Once again Tara looked at him sharply this time out of confusion.

"Why- about what Mandrake?" She asked in disbelief, all this just to talk?

Yeah right.

He leaned forward again this time his nose bumped her's, Tara flinched but resisted the urge to run that would only end badly. Raising a clawed finger Mandrake gently poked it into the pod she was squeezing like her life depended on it.

"About this little...Thing, of yours."

"Hey!" Tara complained, she had no idea what effect he could have on the pod but she knew it wouldn't get her a nature bound heir, at least not one partial to the side she needed. Tara tried to yank away not realizing that Mandrake had managed to grab her other arm without her noticing until her she felt his claws break through her flesh and a searing pain raced through her arm into her shoulder.

Tears pricked her eyes for the second time that day and she whimpered in pain as the pain continued it's way through her body. Even Mandrake seemed concerned for a brief moment before quickly recomposing himself, he loosened his grip not enough for her to escape but just enough that his claws were not longer embedded in her arm.

"You'll be fine, you shouldn't even pass out. You're much larger than her." He mumbled seeming to be talking more to himself than her.

Even through her pain her curiosity was sparked. "Her?"

Mandrake looked at her for a moment a deep frown suddenly overtaking his visage, his ears twitched wildly and abruptly he released her arm, in a flash he was in her face again and something spongy pressed against her forehead a second later Mandrake was gone leaving Tara standing in the exit way watching bemusedly as a dark sticky substance slid down the bridge of her nose and onto the pod at the same time she noticed Marigold was gone and a soft flutter filled the air and she knew, her prayers had been answered and she bolted from the tunnel.

Ronin was alive and flying straight towards her, Tara was so excited she forgot about the sludge on her forehead until Ronin had finished assuring her Marigold was would be okay and was headed back to moonhaven with a recruit, he looked at her oddly and wiped at her forehead finger. "What is this stuff?" He asked, honestly Tara didn't have an answer so she shrugged and squeezed him tightly allowing a laugh of joy to escape her.

The pod expanded against her with apparent relief, this was shaping up to be a very interesting day indeed.