I forgot to include a disclaimer in my first chapter, so here it is: Jane and the Dragon is (C) Martin Baynton, Weta and Nelvana. I neither make nor expect to make profit from this fic.

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"Oh, what is that vile stench?" Jester held his nose. "Rake, have you playing in the dung again?"

"Now, now, Jester," said Pepper, placing the evening meal on the table. "That is the smell of a conquering hero." She nodded in the direction of Gunther, who was leaning against the wall just inside of the archway and tearing into a leg of chicken. She lowered her voice to add; "He spent this afternoon burying that, that thing, and has not even changed his clothes!"

Everyone seated at the table shuddered, including Jane. That thing had stunk.

"He must have ridden his horse hard all the way back," said Smithy, softly. "It took ages to calm her and clean her down, and she has slept ever since. It is strange; he has always treated his horse well."

"Is it just me, or is he scarier?"

All eyes turned to Rake, who blushed. "Well I thought so."

"I can tell you one thing that has not changed," muttered Jester. "His attitude. Look at him over there, glaring at us."

"I am sure he is just tired. He probably had a very difficult time . . . ." said Pepper, hesitantly.

Jane was barely listening. At Jester's remark, Gunther had pushed away from the wall, almost as though he had heard. He stood there, fists clenched, for a moment, before spinning on his heel and walking into the training yard.

"Evening, all."

Dragon's loud greeting broke Jane from her observation as he landed on the wall.

"Can I smell wolves?"

---

The next few days passed uneventfully, and life in the castle plodded calmly along. Jane heard no mention of Gunther's knighthood, despite the unusual vigour with which he attacked his training. He left the practice dummy battered and groaning on its springs, and Jane was almost grateful he'd decided not to spar with her.

She gave the dummy an experimental poke with her wooden sword, and, when it failed to bounce back up, decided to practice archery, instead.

"Smithy? I think Sir Dummy is in need of some assistance." She called to the blacksmith, who grinned at her.

"I noticed he was getting a beating earlier." Smithy shook his head in mock defeat. "He should know better than to pick fights with you two."

Jane laughed, and went to fetch her bow and arrow.

---

Gunther was leaning over the wall, gazing out into the harbour, deep in thought.

Jane, walking to her tower, stopped when she saw him, and he nodded at her briefly.

"Uh, Gunther," began Jane, hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

He frowned at the question. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I suppose." Jane turned to go, but Gunther stopped her.

"Thank you, anyway," he said with a brief smile, and then straightened up. "I am going for a walk, I may be back late."

Jane nodded, and then entered her tower. Gunther waited until the door was closed, and then jumped over the wall.

---

"Very, uh, nice cave you have here, Dragon."

Dragon turned from the rune-covered wall he'd been studying, and frowned at his visitor.

"What do you want, shortlife?" he growled. He wasn't sure what to think of Gunther, who was confusingly likeable and detestable at the same time.

"I was hoping to ask a favour, actually." Gunther stepped into the cave.

"Oh, well, life is full of disappointment," retorted Dragon.

Gunther continued, ignoring him. "I need to spend tomorrow night here. Preferably in a deep cavern, without, heh, a leaky roof . . . ." He trailed off under Dragon's glare.

"Gotten into a spot of trouble, have we?"

"No! I just thought it would be very good training. Toughen me up for life on the trail that sort of—"

"I have a very large nose, shortlife," Dragon rumbled, darkly.

Gunther, whose current view of the world contained nothing but said nose, nodded. "I had noticed that."

"It's a very sensitive nose. It notices things that most shortlives cannot. The scent of wolf, for example, on a boy who should not smell of wolf."

Gunther sighed, and sagged visibly. "Please do not tell anyone?"

"I have not told Jane yet, but I do not like keeping things from her."

"They will kill me if they find out!" Gunther yelled, clenching his fists and straightening up. "I can sort it all out, I just need some time. I have everything under control."

"Which is why you plan to hide in a cave during full moon?" Dragon smirked.

"Yes! No! Exactly!" Gunther grit his teeth, and took a few steadying breaths. "If I stay in the cave, it can not get to me. I am not letting it get to me!"

Dragon smirked. "Why not?"

Gunther looked shocked. "Because it wants to kill people, eat people! How can I let it do that? I have sworn on the knights' code of honour to protect the people, not eat them."

"At the cost of your own life, was it not?"

The squire sighed again. "If it comes to that . . . yes. But I will try my hardest to find a cure, first. I just need to find a wizard."

"The king has a wizard," Dragon pointed out.

"Yes, and he is loyal to His Majesty, I cannot trust him not to tell. No, I shall wait out this full moon, and then I shall go on a quest. And I vow not to return, nor to accept knighthood until I am cured!"

The oath echoed around the cave, before dying away. Gunther lowered his raised fist a little sheepishly, but defiantly. Dragon simply shook his head.

I don't understand these shortlives . . . .

---

"A quest?" asked the King, intrigued.

"Yes, Sire," confirmed Gunther, once again kneeling on the floor before him.

"Whatever for?"

"A cure, my liege. For werewolves." He heard a few quiet gasps, and was aware of Sir Theodore's intense stare from the corner of his vision, but remained focused on the King.

The King looked nonplussed. "Why would you want to do anything for those evil creatures? You yourself saw what terror they cause."

Gunther briefly closed his eyes; this was the crucial bit. He looked up and caught the King's gaze in his own steady one. "Werewolves are evil, Sire, and I wish to do nothing for them. But the people they use are not; they are victims just as much as anyone the werewolf kills. Perhaps more so, as they are the ones who must live with it. I have sworn to protect the innocent, but how can I? A cure would be a far kinder weapon than a silver arrow."

The Great Hall settled into silence as the king thought, and Gunther once again closed his eyes. If there was one thing his father had taught him, it was how to sell something. If this didn't work, Gunther was all too aware of the other option, and he was not willing to fall on his own sword just yet.

He had resisted the beast, shut away in a dark cavern by a huge boulder, away from the moonlight. And it had hurt, more than any pain Gunther had known, as though his entire body wanted to turn inside out. But he had resisted, hadn't forced his way into the night, and hadn't let himself turn. But that was only his first full moon, and every day he could feel the wolf inside him grow stronger, storing up its power and rage for next time. He couldn't let it get out.

"Sir Theodore, I wish to discuss this with you."

The King's voice broke through Gunther's thoughts, and he stood.

Everyone else in the hall was dismissed, and Gunther stepped out into the warm sunlight to sit on the stone steps.

He heard footsteps, and turned to watch as Jane walked towards him. She stopped a small distance away and said nothing, so Gunther turned away and stretched out in the sunshine.

It was a beautiful day, and the stones were warm against his back. He felt almost as though he had been wrapped in a warm, soft cocoon, like a baby in a woollen blanket, and sleep was calling him.

A sudden intake of air; she is preparing to speak. Noises from the village; carts, horses, people, too many others to name. Dogs in the yard. A bitch is in heat, and they are all restless. Scent of dragon on the wind, and human nearby. Strong, but not strong enough. Young, tender flesh, smells good . . . .

"That was a . . . nice thing to request, Gunther."

Gunther jumped up and grabbed the wall beside him. It had almost had him. Middle of the day and it almost got him! It was lurking, waiting, grasping at the corners of his mind, and that was terrifying to know.

Everything had been heightened since . . . since the bite, but never to that extent. It was getting stronger.

"Gunther?"

The corner of the stone he'd been gripping crumbled slightly, and Gunther quickly released it. He turned to Jane, and tried to keep his voice steady.

"Surprised?"

"Not so much surprised as confused," she admitted slowly. "It seemed as though you hated the one you brought back."

"For her it was a power thing. All that strength was worth the occasional uncontrollable murderous rampage."

Jane grimaced slightly. "What makes you so sure it is not like that for all the others?"

Gunther smiled weakly. "Gut instinct."

Any further questions Jane may have had were cut off by the arrival of Sir Theodore, and Gunther was grateful.

At least now he'd find out if he got to do this the hard way, or the harder way.

---

"King Caradoc has agreed that you should go on this quest," began Sir Theodore. "However," he continued, before Gunther could so much as heave a sigh of relief, "There are conditions."

Conditions. Damn. But Gunther would agree to anything, so long as he could go.

"Jane is to accompany you."

Almost anything. "Jane? But . . . it could be dangerous! Or pointless! There is really no sense in wasting two knights when one will do, and Dragon would never agree to let me travel with him and—"

"Dragon will stay here," Sir Theodore cut him off sternly.

Jane, who had been glaring at Gunther, gasped. "But Sir Theodore, why? He will never agree to it!"

"Because the castle needs protecting, and this is a task where one needs to keep close to the ground to notice things. It may be, as Gunther says, dangerous, pointless, or both. It will serve as good training for you both." He gazed at the two of them, daring them to argue.

Jane nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Sir. I shall try to convince Dragon."

"Very good," said Sir Theodore, and shifted his attention to Gunther.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Indeed." The old knight paused and studied Gunther for a moment before continuing. "I believe I promised you a knighthood . . . ."

Gunther took a deep breath. I'm going to regret this. "With all respect, Sir, I would like to finish this quest first."

Jane gasped, and even Sir Theodore looked shocked.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, Sir. I made a promise, and I would like to see it through."

"I cannot say that I understand your decision, Gunther, bit I will respect it. I hope your journey is a fruitful one."

---

Gunther stood outside the tower, a cloth-wrapped bundle held gingerly in one hand. The shutters of the window were open, permitting entry to the gentle breeze which cooled the hot summer night. He could just make out Jane as she slept, covers tossed aside and one arm hanging off the bed. She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, and Gunther stepped quickly out of sight.

He waited until her breathing had evened out again, before placing the bundle on the windowsill and stepping back a few paces.

"Sorry, Jane," he said softly. "But I just cannot risk it."

Then, after a final glance around, he spun on his heel and sprinted away from the tower, the castle, and the village.

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A/N: Thank you for your lovely reviews, they're very much appreciated. I try to answer all non-spoilery questions. :) Thanks again also to KrisEleven.