Iskierka tried to blast the chain with fire again, again it did not work. She snarled in her anger, in frustration and perhaps though she would not admit it to herself: defeat. They had brought the chains over shortly after Granby left. She had tried to fight and to explain to them that she would not fly off, but they would not trust her. The only reason she allowed it was in order to make them go away. Besides, they had threatened her again with Granby's reassignment. Iskierka tried again and finally hissed, curling around herself and dropping a wing around her body in order to shield herself.
Temeraire will hear about this, I will tell him as soon as he gets back! She vowed to herself as she shivered. Temeraire was ever on the quest for better treatment of dragons and he would not want to see her so mistreated, she was sure of it. Furthermore, she would be sure to tell Granby what they had done to her.
Would he care? A small voice inside her asked. Would he care if you were treated cruelly? After all, he did say he would've waited a hundred more years then to have you as a dragon. Iskierka huffed; she would not permit herself to think on it. Surely Granby couldn't think her that was not as though she meant what she did. She certainly had not meant for it to result in such tragedy; she had only wanted a chance to fight that Grand Chevalier. The Kazilik shook her head and lay her head down on her front claws, the wind would not let up; the chains on her legs and body keeping her from flying chafed at her scales. The painful swelling in her sides had grown worse over the past few days. She wished Granby were here to at least talk to. He would always talk to her and make sure that she was comfortable. Sometimes when it was particularly stormy out he would come and see her into a nice covered area, under a tree or something. He would even lay his jacket over her head at times and then she would make a fire and he would keep it going throughout the night as they sat together. Iskierka longed for one of those nights now. She reflected upon them with happiness and resolution. Captain Little would sometimes come by too, Iskierka liked Little, Granby was very fond of him. He was quiet and always very polite to her, though he was not nearly as fine and Granby himself and seemed to be adverse to personal appearance. His dragon, Immortalius was not very splendid but well-spoken and so the four of them would occasionally talk into the night by the fire.
From what she understood, it was one of the few times when Granby and Little could be together and they would often sit close and intimate with their arms around each other. Once or twice they would kiss and it would make her happy, proud even; because Granby was happy and loved as he should be. Oddly enough she did not find herself jealous, at first she had but Immortalius had explained to her that it was a different sort of love and so after much reassurance she saw this and was happy to see the two of them enjoying each other. Even if it proved inconvenient to her plans to make Granby rich. She sighed again; even Temeraire would be better company then these chains. The pain in her side jolted her again; she hissed and tried to stand up moving around.
"Here you are my beauty!" Iskierka snarled to behold Timmons, one of the young ensigns. He was a slow and stupid boy who somehow thought he was an officer at the age of fifteen. She did not respond to him. "Brought you a nice cow I did!" Iskierka glanced at it; under any circumstances she would have mauled the cow within minutes but not tonight. Tonight her stomach felt full with anxiety for Granby.
"I do not want to eat." The boy looked dumbfounded, and then approached closer.
"Well, that is a first! Why ever not" She snarled again, thumping her tail in impatience. Timmons jumped backward eyes wide but did not run away. Iskierka rolled her yellow eyes.
"I am not hungry because my Granby is gone and might be out battling the French without me. He may be injured or worse and because I am chained here like a prisoner! I would break these chains if Granby's reputation was not at stake and you should be grateful that I am so selfless. I am not hungry because Granby will not be home tonight and because there is a terrible pressure on my sides which will not go away! Bad meat or old wounds acting up! Now leave me alone or take these chains off, do something useful. I do not want a stupid cow!" Timmons looked at her perplexed but said nothing for a long time. When he did, his voice was timid.
"Granby will be alright, he is a more seasoned fighter then most of us. He will be home soon enough with any luck. I cannot remove your chains for if I do, you would surely fly off and I would be blamed and thrown from the corps." Iskierka hissed and flicked her tail once more.
"I already told you a thousand times I will not fly off!" The young man did nothing but brought the cow closer. She eyed it with disgust, the smell of it making her wish to vomit and she coughed a great deal before Timmons said,
"If your side hurts, I can have one of the surgeons look at it for you." At least he was trying to be pleasant. Iskierka shrugged him off. There were no surgeons here; they had all left with the rest of the crews for Waterloo. The only men who could be considered surgeons here were assistance and apprentices.
"Very well," she sneered. He nodded and walked away. "Wait! Has there been any word from Granby or from Temeraire?" The young ensign shook his head and laughed stupidly.
"It's only been a few hours Iskierka, we are not likely to hear from them anytime soon." He left without further ceremony to her anger. She would not brood; she tugged on the chains a few more times just for good measure and still they would not budge.
Maybe I should put more effort into it. I could then fly off and see to where Granby has gone, I could find my way well enough and once there I would drag him back with me and we would leave Admiral Roland and her lot. Maybe Temeraire and Laurence could come with us, and Little and Immortalis too. We would start our own covert with better rules and get lots of capitol and be very rich. She smiled at the thought of it, but knew it was impossible deep down. Granby would never forgive her for disobeying orders and breaking restraints much less for suggesting desertion. She sighed and eyed the cow which had since grown cold, it was no use. Uncomfortably she fretted for Granby, searching the skies with each passing moment in hopes to see a courier fly be with some sort of news. None came, nor did sleep for each time she began to close her eyes, visions of Granby being shot or stabbed filled her head. Thoughts of dread, thoughts of guilt, tugged at her and when they did not, the ever unpleasant chain made her spirits low. Softly she tilted her head back and keened slow and long hoping that somehow Granby would be able to hear.
It was too quiet the next day when Iskierka awoke from a troubled sleep. She roused herself and thumped her tail, the chain still there. Her belly empty, she forced herself to eat the cow which Timmons had brought. It was cold and gross but she made herself eat it none the less while she looked around. The covert was deserted, she realized wide eyed as she swallowed with difficulty. All of the dragons who could be spared had taken off, even the youngest ones. Their crews had gone with them, as had the surgeons and the cooks. The only inhabitants that remained were herself, Timmons and a few other lowly workers. She hissed and puffed out her chest, steam jutting from her spikes like whistles. The pain on either side of her choked once again as she let out a roar of surprise and discomfort. It was not a stabbing pain so much as it was a swelling pressure as though someone was putting a great boulder against her wings. In anger she tugged at the chain several more times and again it failed.
"Damn them! Poor Granby is all alone in some forsaken battle getting shot at and attacked and I am not there to fight. Well, they will be sorry without my help. Perhaps they will learn their lesson and next time they will not chain me like an animal." She growled this while she stood and stretched out. She tried to walk to where a trough lay a few feet away but while she was almost there, the chain caught. In a fury she twisted her neck and wriggled her body to break it free, no longer caring if it were to break and Granby were to get in trouble. She would explain that it was not his fault. It still did not work. Timmons came out just in time to see her working at the chain with her fire which narrowly missed his arm.
"Iskierka!" He screamed and did not come closer.
"There you are, I am thirsty and this chain is preventing me from drinking. Move it closer or let me go, I will not fly off." The boy rushed to the water and pushed it forward for her. She hissed and lowered her head to drink, the chain around her neck pulling painfully but she ignored it and only gulped faster. Timmons watched her drink her full. Iskierka looked up suddenly, hearing the beat of wings.
Let it be Temeraire with Granby, she asked. It was not; instead it was a Flamme de-Glorie. Timmons started and backed away, Dully nearly shrieked like a small child as he too backed away. Iskierka's first though jumped to worry, the battle had been lost, Granby had been killed or captured and now this dragon and its captain had come to bring her the news, or to take over the covert. She rose up her wings and spit more steam from her spikes. Without warning the dragon opened its mouth and breathed fire upon the court yard, Iskierka twisted away frantically and hissed recovering.
"Who are you?" The dragon beat its mighty wings as it came closer. In an answer Iskierka pushed herself upwards trying to meet it but to no avail.
"It's a pity you are chained to the ground I see," it said in an accent that betrayed its nationality as French. "I was expecting more of a fight!" Iskierka snarled, glancing at the chains which held her.
"You are a coward! Come and fight me on the ground if you are so courageous!" The dragon's mouth twitched in a smile as it landed, facing her. She hissed at it but he only laughed.
"I would fight you and win too, if I were not on strict orders otherwise."
"What are your orders?" Iskierka fumed, he was not within striking distance.
"My orders were to simply destroy the covert at Loch Laggan. You left it rather exposed; we have flown around it at night and saw there were no other dragons besides yourself so the rest of our formation flew back to Waterloo to fight. Now only I must fight you and take over this lake, and you are chained so I suspect it will be rather easy. Tell me, where is your captain or is that the reason you are chained?" Sorrow hit her at this moment in her breast, even this French beast new she was unwanted by her captain. She only hissed, opening her jaws menacingly and beat her wings though the clamps around them stung. He laughed again and breathed another stream of flame across the court yard, sending stones to glow and topple. Smoke caught on the wooden buildings sending them up in flames. Iskierka reared flapping her wings, wishing Temeraire was there, he would take on this beast. She wished at least Granby was here to break these chains, for the two of them to do battle against this dragon together. She snarled and struggled against the chains.
"Poor little dragon, maybe I won't kill you after all. You are so pathetic." Iskierka roared and lunged but the chains across her buckled and she tripped. The Flamme-de-Glorie stepped closer, looming over her as smoke filled the air.
I'll be blamed for this, they will reassign Granby and I'll be sent away or executed. Oh Granby we must leave! I don't care!
"No Lumie're. We have our orders." A man climbed down from the dragon's shoulder, he held a pistol in his hand and aimed. Iskierka roared again and breathed flame of her own.
The man dodged its wake, brushing embers off of his coat. He smiled and cocked the gun, pointing it at her head. In a flash she swiveled away roaring, her wings going up, a loud crack and a gasp.
I'm sorry Granby…She whispered. Iskierka had seen many men die but she had never thought to fear death herself. It was cold; a shadow that always taunted them in every battle but never actually struck. Now she lashed out against this death, only to see Timmons. The boy laid face down, blood pooling from his head, the gun feet away already being consumed by flames. She looked at Timmons then comprehended; in a final effort she threw her weight forward. The chains snapped and cracked she let loose flame of her own as she snapped at the captain who screamed as her claws burrowed into his body. He coughed and fell forward beside Timmons. Iskierka then rounded on the Flamme-de-Glorie who looked blankly at his dead captain. The Kazilik saw the chance and took it, her fangs setting into the other dragon's throat. Blood ran hot and wet down her neck and face. Lumie're thrashed horribly in her grip as his talons raked against her unprotected sides making large wounds. She refused to let go, thinking of Granby. Would he be proud or disappointed, she had already killed one dragon and captain. Now she had killed another one. He would hate her, even if Lumie're and his captain was French. The dragon's claw racked down her side as he struggled to get away, she roared in pain, dropping him.
The smell of burning wood filled the air; her sides ran freely with blood as she shook her head trying to get her bearing. Lumie're moaned on the ground, slowly bleeding out, she felt no pride in it but only walked over to Timmons. His eyes were still open in fright. Iskierka looked at him for a moment.
So this is death. She wished Granby was here, she wished he could lay a hand on her side and heal her wounds. But he was not here; he could be dead like Timmons right now. The thought of it stabbed at her. Iskierka roared in pain and in uncertainty as she took off. But she would not flee the covert. She flew over its courtyard and its many buildings trying to save them by holding water in her mouth and sending it out over the fires. As the sun fell, so did her strength. She was still bleeding and the flames had all but destroyed the buildings. Finally she collapsed in the yard, the French dragon and his captain were dead, young Timmons who must have jumped to unarm the captain in order to save her was dead, the covert was ashes. After courterizing the wounds with her own fire as Granby had taught her in the Incan Empire, she curled up. She only thought of Granby. Nothing else would matter, so long as he was here. Unlike the previous night, sleep came fast and heavy. The air was heavy and warm, though she hated it, it calmed her.
Pain shuddered through her as she awoke with a start. Her mucles quivered with pain, twitching and trembling all down her sides. It was a strange sensation that she assumed was the wounds. She huffed for breath, panting and tired. Timmons body lay dead before her, his dead eyes looking in her direction only fueled her pain. It built up tremendously and she roared cried out again.
"Granby!" She keened loudly. Something released suddenly and she lurched forward gasping. "Granby, Granby." Thoughts of him, being shot and strangled filled her eyes as she closed her eyes and shook. Trying to distract herself, Iskierka turned around looking at herself then saw through the dark something large and round in the stone coated in slime. Free of chains she turned and curiously nosed at it. Its surface was smooth, its color pure black with reddish stripes, it was polished and still. She examined it closer then realized with shock,
It was an egg.
Oops, Iskierka has an egg after that drunken night in the cow pasture! I wonder whose it is! I hope this chapter was to you liking, I didn't really know how a dragon in the Temeraire universe goes about having an egg, but I imagined it was something like this! Reviews appreciated, thank you!