"Just a few more days" I think to myself as I wake up and see Colt sleeping next to me. He must have come down here in the night to sleep with me, Drake and Geoff. I kiss his cheek and rub his hair out of his face. He smiles in his sleep and blinks his eyes awake.

"Hmm, good morning," Colt says as he cups my face and then looks at me concerned, "What's wrong?"

"I just wish that stupid comet would come and pass over already. It feels like torture having to wait this long."

"I know but we just need to be patient. How's the baby?"

"Still in there and kicking. I need the privies and then I need to stop by my hut. There are still people that depend on me."

"I'll come and help you," Colt says as he helps me get up to get dressed including the new tunic.

"This light blue tunic is ridiculous. You know my work sometimes is dirty. Mixing medicine, sorting and collecting herbs, dealing with sick and bloody patients," I groan in discomfort as I put on one of my looser dresses for my massive belly.

"I know I know but better to wear it than risk a whipping," Colt says as he hands it to me.

"Colt, you know in the old days, I would have thrown this accursed tunic right in the river or turn this is into changing rags for our baby," I sigh as I slip it on over my head and smooth it out over my dress.

"I know," Colt kisses me and rubs my belly, "But-

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna be without when I go out. I don't want to risk hurting our child," I assure him and put my hand over his, "What are you hoping for? A son?"

"A son would be wonderful but…. I hope our daughter would just like you," Colt says as he nuzzles my neck.

"Well, I don't care which one it turns out to be as long as they live by the Old Code like us, "I chuckle warmly and nod my head to the door, "Let's go get some breakfast and see to those patients my assistant. Looks like Geoff and Drake aren't gonna wake up anytime soon."

(Geoff's P.O.V)

As I wake up, I see Kalias and Colt heading up the stairs. She must be going to see the people she hadn't been able to treat. I saw yesterday that people were writing notes and sticking them on her door. I had no idea she was that sought after, no wonder they say she's the greatest healer in the realm. She's always had a sort of magic about her and from I saw the other day and yesterday morning, it seems she won't have to worry about healing herself anymore.

I get up and go over to the water basin to wash my face. I can't believe how long it took to make one dress. But as long as it makes her happy, it doesn't matter to me. It looks beautiful hanging up in her wardrobe next to the other dress she has.

I look around for my sword, but then I remember what happened yesterday. That jerk Roland broke my sword and pushed me into the river. I hated having to lower my eyes to him, even if what he said was true. Where does he get off being so high and mighty? It was like he thought he was a prince or something, just because he's got that fancy red and gold tunic. If I had that, he wouldn't be acting so smug. I need to get out of here; the dungeon may be all fine and dandy for Kalias and Drake, but not me.

Speaking of which, I can't believe that crazy dragon. He deliberately went against an order from Kalias and Friar Peter. I didn't know he had it in him. Maybe his dragon instincts kicked in and he needed to get out. I can understand the feeling of wanting to get out for a while. I look at Drake; he is sound asleep. I think I will go out for a bit and then bring him out later.

I go up the stairs and out the door. As I walk down the road, Brother Thomas stops me.

"Good morning Geoff."

"Good morning Thomas."

"I was walking by the stables and saw that it's beginning to look rather dingy. Would you please see to it that it is clean?"

"All right I'll get on it," I say to him as I think to myself, "Dang it. I forgot about that."

"Thank you," With that, he takes the rake he had in his hand and made off for the gardens.

I head for the stables. Normally I would have argued it, but for some reason I don't feel like it. It takes most of the morning, but I am able to get all the animals cleaned up, fed and cleaned out their pins and stalls. Finally, I use a pitchfork to spread out hay for them.

"There all finished. Now I'll just get you guy some fresh water and that will be it for my chores today," I say as I pet one of the cows and puts my pitchfork and shovel away to collect the water buckets.

I go over to the well and set them down. As I crank the lever, I see a couple of the king's knights and the town crier coming.

"HEAR YE, HEAR YE. NEWS FROM THE CASTLE! LORD OSRIC, WITH THE KING'S PERMISSION, HAS DECLARED THE ONLY TRUTH SHALL BE SPOKEN. ANYONE CAUGHT LYING WILL BE GIVEN 7 LASHES. ALSO, ALL PEOPLE WITH GREEN, TAN, AND BEIGE TUNICS MUST BE INDOORS BY SUNDOWN, FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY.

LONG LIVE THE KING!"

"Great, my back will never be the same," I groan to myself as I carry the buckets back to the stable and fill the troths, "Most of the time I try to be honest, but I have fibbed a couple of times. I just hope no one catches me."

As I make several trips until they are full, I keep thinking about the declaration they made today. I can't believe I have been given a curfew.

"This is not fair. Just like it's not fair that Drake should have to stay in that dungeon. But maybe he doesn't have to. I wonder how he would feel about a second outing," I think to myself, "With Kalias and Colt gone, it would be a perfect opportunity for him."

With that thought in mind, I smirk and make my way back to the dungeon and to his bed.

"Drake," I say to him and shake his arm, "Drake come on, wake up."

"Hmm, what," He groggily asks as he opens his eyes and yawns. I back up as he stretches out his legs and wings, "Ok, Geoff what do you want?"

"Hey I was thinking about yesterday. Just out of curiosity, after your visit to Friar Peter, were you happier outside?"

"Well yes and no."

"Would you mind explaining that?"

"No because part of me was scared that Kalias was going to find me or someone else was going to see me. And yes because it felt good out there. Everything was brighter and fresher. I could hear almost everything and I heard everything that guy Roland and his friends said to you yesterday."

"Yeah I figured that," I rolled my eyes and smirked, "You want to feel those good feelings again?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you go with me back out there."

"What?! Oh, no, no, no. That was a onetime thing. I don't think that would be a very good idea Geoff."

"Look Drake, I will admit it probably wasn't a good idea going out there alone, but I will be with you this time and I can keep an eye out for you. Come on Drake."

I watch him look away. I can tell by the look on his face that he is thinking about what I just said.

"Come on Drake," I think to myself.

"You'll make sure that no one sees me?"

"Yes."

"All right. Just for a little while."

"Great. Come on, let's go!"

He gets up and we walk up the stairs to the door. I get out the key Kalias let me have. She said that it was Brother Gilbert's and since I knew about Drake, that I should be able to get in and out of the dungeon. I open the door and walk out first to see if anyone's around. Luckily for us, no one seems to be around.

"Ok it's clear. Come on."

Drake looks around for a moment and then comes out of the dungeon. I have him follow me till we get to a wall. He picks me up and jumps over it.

"See, smooth as silk," I tell him as he sets me down. I point to a cliff overlooking the monastery.

"Let's go up there. I want to show you what you have been missing."

We walk past some more houses and duck when we see a kid coming out of her house. Luckily for us, her mother came out of the house to bring her back in and shuts the door. We both let out a sigh of relief and sneak past it. Once we are clear of the houses, we run up the hill to the top of the cliff.

Drake settles himself on a smaller ledge and stretches out his wings. I am amazed at how big they are.

"How do you feel Drake?"

"Better. It feels good to actually stretch out and not have to worry about breaking something. It feels a little cold though."

"Yeah it usually does at higher places. So what do you think?"

"I think this place is amazing. There is so much room out here. I almost wish it could be like this all the time."

"It could you know? You may think this is a great place, but not me," I say to him as I look at the castle.

"No, Geoff it couldn't and what did you mean by this isn't a great place?"

"It's Lord Osric. They made some new rules stating that 10 lashes will be given to anyone caught without these stupid tunics," I yell at him and pull at the tunic, "And to top it off, everyone wearing these things and tan and beige tunics has to be indoors by sundown! I mean who does Lord Osric think he is?! Next he will be telling everyone what to think."

"If they want to let him do that, then he probably can," Drake says as he scratches his neck with his back paw.

"Well not me," I tell him as I take the tunic off me and throw it over the cliff.

"You're throwing your new tunic away? I don't think that's such a good idea Geoff."

"Well I do and good riddance to it. I wish I could get away from here. Why don't we both just leave this place?"

"What, leave?"

"Yeah you could fly us away from here."

"I, I don't really feel like flying," He says and puts his head down.

"Sure you do. What do you think those wings of ours are for," I ask him as he stretches out his wings and looks at them. Then I point to a mountain range in the distance, "You see those mountains? Past them are other lands and adventure and glory. I'll bet there are other dragons over there too."

"No Geoff there aren't," Drake says to me in a sad voice, "Kalias said so."

"I bet Kalias has never ever been over those mountains or anywhere else for that matter."

"That's not true," He retorted and stamped his paw, "She said she and Father used to go flying all the time and she's even been to Avalon."

"Ok I will give her credit for Avalon, but I still think we ought to do it and then we can come back and be more famous than Bowen and Draco and even Kalias," I try to convince him while at the same time getting very irritated, "All you have to do is just open your wings and jump Drake."

"Nuh-uh, nothing doing," He stubbornly snaps at me, "I'm staying right here. I like it here. And if flying is so easy, then why don't you do it?"

"You know maybe it would have been better for everyone if I was the dragon and you were the stable boy," I yell at him and walk away.

"Go ahead, I'd like to see that," He yells back at me.

"Stupid dragon," I mutter to myself.

"Fine, if he wants to stay here for the rest of his life, then I'm not going to stop him," I think to myself as I walk down the hill and start entering the village.

I look up and see a couple of soldiers on horses and look down at myself.

"Oops," I say as I remember that I threw my tunic away. I turn to go back to look for it and there are some more on horses.

"Look, he hasn't got a tunic," One of the soldiers points out to the others.

"Uh-oh, this is not good," I think to myself as they start surrounding me.

"Let me see if I can read your minds," I tell them in a calm manner, "You are probably wondering why I don't have on my tunic."

"Yeah we are," The leader said to me and smiled. It wasn't a pleasant one either.

"Well you see, today was the day all the monks clean the privies. And old Friar Gustav must have thought my tunic was a rag or something. Because he used it to…"

"10 lashes for the tunic and 7 lashes for the lie," The leader says to me, grabs me by my shirt and pushes me into his buddies.

They start pushing me towards a post and I see one of the others grabbing a whip out of his horse's saddle bag.

"Oh man! This isn't happening," I think to myself as I feel them start pulling my shirt up to remove it.

"It seems we have lost our way," I hear a familiar voice. We look up and see a foreign old man and two boys standing there. I remember seeing them the other day, "Would you be so kind as to point us in the right direction?"