 
Amongst the Dragons series

Book II

A Tyrant Amongst the Kingdoms

By

Stephanie Daich on Smashwords

Text Copyright ©2012

Stephanie Daich

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design:

Amber McNemar

www.ethinkgraphics.com

Dedication:

Thank you Emily and Natalie for all your help!

Thank you Nathan. You are my rock!

Table of Contents
Chapter 1

Edward rubbed his hands across his thick brown arms, touching a rough layer that hardly resembled skin, for his flesh had turned to bark.

"Will I ever see my fair complexion again?" he wondered. As he picked at it, the frustration inside him raged, sending tentacles of hate throughout his whole body. The man who did this to him would pay for it! The infuriation exploded, and Edward punched the ground causing his knuckles to throb. He remembered the horrible day when a spell had been cast upon him, changing half of his body to resemble a tree. He rubbed at the bark again, hating it. He had been on an errand for the king when the curse had come upon him. He and forty other men had been placed with the honored responsibility of exterminating the Vegus Forest of the dragons, particularly the queen dragon. They had everything they needed to succeed, including the most important item; the location of the dragon's nest. Because of the vast size, and the extreme danger of the Vegus Forest, the nest had been a mystery for hundreds of years.

"We would have succeeded if Thelton The Dragon Slayer hadn't hexed us," Edward thought.

The Dragon Slayer had brought security to Andleburg for years, being the only man skilled enough to keep the dragons away. A hero, adored by most. Early in his life, he had become an orphan. His humble start did not stop him from moving high up the social ranks. King Wolfgang of Andleburg had promised his fair daughter's hand in marriage to Thelton The Dragon Slayer. Thelton's story had given the people hope about their own futures. For if an orphan of the forest could marry the princess, what was in the way to stop their own greatness?

"Thelton is not a hero. He is a coward. If I ever get the opportunity, I will kill him myself." Edward yelled to the sky as he filled with more venom. His thoughts turned to meeting The Dragon Slayer for the first time. He could almost remember the anticipation he had felt when he learned he would hunt under the kingdom's greatest hero. He shivered recalling the bitterly cold morning when the men had gathered at the castle grounds waiting for Thelton to come out and start the hunt. No one could have been more perfect to lead than the famous dragon slayer.

"Why I had ever looked up to him is beyond me," Edward thought as he looked over the land, but he really didn't see the fields before him, because his thoughts were consumed by his hatred for Thelton. A small cloud drifted above in the bright, blue sky. A flock of birds noisily flew overhead, but Edward didn't even notice. He was too irate to care.

When the call to the king's hunt came, Edward had been elated at the thought of working under such a leader as The Dragon Slayer. As Edward waited at the castle for Thelton to come out and command the expedition, his hands had turned blue from the cold. He and the rest of the men had hoped Thelton would soon hurry out of the castle because the frigid air cut straight to their bones. Meanwhile, Thelton was in the castle lounging with the king, not interested one bit about how cold the men were outside the castle walls. He didn't even care. That was the first sign of problems to come.

"Not one single word."

In defiance when he finally came out, he had gone the direction of the Vegus Forest, not once pausing for the men. The men had anticipated instruction, anything, but they were given nothing. He had walked by them as if he was alone. He didn't want to lead the men, and he despised having them there. They had to scurry around to grab their things and promptly follow behind him. It hadn't taken Edward long to realize what a disappointment his hero really was.

"Where are you going? Why aren't you leading us?" Edward had shouted after Thelton, but at the time, Thelton had ignored him like he discounted the rest of the men.

Thelton really hadn't led the men at any point in the hunt. Instead, he seemed to resent being tied to them. Somewhere he had it in his mind he could slay all the dragons by himself, and he didn't need anyone's help.

"And then he tricked us," Edward said to a nearby squirrel. "He beguiled us by having us travel through the most dangerous parts of the forest. He knew what he was doing, he was trying to weed us out, trying to dwindle our numbers down, but we were stronger than he anticipated." Edward remembered the last night the hunting party was together. Flance of Candleshaw, another of the leaders had offered them whiskey. Flance was a decent guy before he had given them the drink. The men were excited for the alcohol and devoured it quickly. By the end of the night, those who drank it were passed out.

"I knew the whiskey was tainted. I knew Thelton did this to us." Edward kicked at small pile of dirt. It crumbled under his toe.

When the men had woken up after passing out, they immediately saw something terrible had transpired, for their skin was hardening into bark while branches grew out of their sides, and aeiral roots anchored them to the ground. The larger men turned entirely into trees while the smaller men had only their skin or arms turned into bark. It was all rather weird and scary.

After Thelton abandoned them in the Vegus Forest, all prospects of escape seemed lost. All the men were tethered down by the aeiral anchors growing out of their own flesh, and no matter what they did, they could not free themselves. After a long wait, they were finally rescued. Luckily for them, some men from the hunting party had lagged behind the rest of the group. When they caught up to Edward and the men, they tried to cut away the anchors, only causing excruciating pain to the tree men, because the roots had grown out of them, becoming a part of them. They had to stay there and wait until the king's wizard was brought in.

The wizard tried to remove the spell and restore the men back to their natural states. Unfortunately, for some, the spell only broke partially. A few lucky men had the effects entirely removed, but for most of the others, little features stayed, rather it was bark like skin, or even branches growing out of their side.

"The king's wizard was worthless. Was this really the best he could do with me? He should have just left me in the cave to die, for this is no way to live," Edward thought as he sat on the ground and passed clumps of dirt between his fingers. The dirt was cool and soft. The wizard could only remove some of the spell, leaving Edward with thick, bark skin.

It had taken some time for the king to learn it was Thelton who had poisoned the men.

"Thank the forces of good that he is now in the belly of the dungeon, awaiting his execution."

Edward became even more enraged. He stood up and kicked the wood fence he stood by. His toe cracked. He grimaced to the pain. "They will pardon him. I know they will." The whole idea riled him even more. "Thelton had caused men to lose their lives on the hunting trip. Those who didn't die were left with debilitating problems. Thelton is a heinous man and deserves a horrible execution. If the king is not man enough to kill Thelton, then let me. I will do it. I WILL DO IT! I know Trevor would make a good king. I will help him gain the throne. He has done much for our people, and he too was left deformed by the hunt."

As he replayed his thoughts of turmoil in his mind, a terrible itch formed under Edward's skin. Although he tried and tried to get to it, he could find no relief because of the thick top layer of bark. Infuriated, Edward picked up a stone and chucked it down the hill.

"I hate my body, and I hate my life. I used to be handsome. Thelton took that from me." His wife had grown frigid to him since he returned home. She couldn't get used to his new appearance, and she responded to it by closing him out of her heart.

"I would still have loved her if she had turned ugly. What am I saying; she always was ugly, and I had loved her. Who does she think she is to just turn her back to me? She looks like a cow. Does she think she can do better than me? She was lucky to have had me; no one will take her, and if they do, I will kill any man she brings into my bed."

Edward's boss responded much like his wife had. Shortly after Edward returned to work at the quarry, he was fired, for the men were uneasy with Edward working there. The people of Andleburg were highly superstitions. Most of the men at the quarry had thought if they were even around Edward, he would infect them as well. The second day at work, one of the men had a giant rock fall on his hips, crushing his pelvis. Everyone was sure Edward had brought bad luck to the quarry, and he was blamed for the accident. Because of that, they chased him off the land.

He sat back in the dirt. His memories only inflicted pain and added more fuel to his fire of resentment. Edward picked up another rock and chucked it.

"Has life been as hard on the rest of the men?" he wondered out loud. When Edward bent down to pick up another rock, several maidens came strolling up the road. The girls were herding along cows and appeared lost in conversation while their laughter floated to Edward.

"What fine looking maidens," he said as his heart fluttered.

He stood to greet them and tipped his hat. The girls looked up and noticed his grotesque features. Disgust transformed their pleasant faces, and they all simultaneously screamed. Swapping the cow's hind ends, the maidens began to run. Edward looked down at his skin, humiliated by what had happened.

His face twisted, his souls darkened. "I will not rest until Thelton is dead."

...

The day of the execution arrived. It seemed as if the entire kingdom of Andleburg was there, even members from the rest of the tri-kingdoms were present.

"Can you believe that The Dragon Slayer is going to be killed?" the people said amongst themselves. He had been a hero to the tri-kingdoms for almost fifteen years. Although dragons still made their way into villages and destroyed them, Thelton The Dragon Slayer had managed to hunt down and kill those dragons, and to eradicate any other dragon that posed a threat. He was amazingly skilled at what he did.

"There's not a person around that doesn't owe their freedom from dragons to him. It is a shame that he must die. What will we do about the dragons once Thelton is dead? Our village will no longer be safe. The king is making a mistake," a woman said.

"No, the king is right. Thelton's actions killed my nephew, therefore Thelton deserves to die," a man replied.

"But, what about the dragons?"

"There are other dragon slayers. They will keep us safe."

"You are fooling yourself if you think that. Name one other Dragon Slayer in the last ten years, name one," the woman argued.

A huge majority of the women present had swollen, red eyes from all the bawling they did. They couldn't stand the idea of the execution. Thelton was devilishly handsome, and they had lusted after him for years. They hardly cared about his offence, wanting a full pardon for him; however, there were women there who had lost their father, brother, uncle, son, or husband because of Thelton. Those women were ready to watch Thelton die.

Most of the survivors from the failed hunting party were there as well. "His death will not bring back what he took from us, but at least we will get closure," they murmured.

The flock waited as anticipation rose in all. A mob of children held tight to their baskets of rotten fruit. The children were ready to pellet their once hero, for their family meant more to them than he did.

Small chatter spread out on the castle grounds. "What is taking them so long? They are late for the execution. Have you ever heard of a late execution?"

One woman wiped at her bloodshot eyes and said, "I am glad they are late. He deserves a few more hours of life."

When two hours had passed the scheduled time, Welsh of Andleburg, Third Position Advisor walked out to the platform where Thelton would die. "Ladies and Gentlemen of Andleburg," he began. The servant stopped speaking. His face turned white as he gazed over the large crowd. He looked nervously into the pack of people. So many angry eyes stared back at him. He wondered what they would do when he delivered his news. A small number of guards stood below him. Would they be enough to keep him safe? He swallowed hard and began speaking again. "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of Andleburg, I regret to tell you Thelton escaped from the dungeon late into the night. The king has men searching for him as we speak."

His words did not go over well. People were already infuriated at how late it was, but now they were saying Thelton escaped. Rotten fruit and vegetables flew at the Welsh's head. He quickly jumped from the platform and was surrounded by the four guards who would him to safety. Despite the weapons they held, the rotten food met every guard, smacking them along their heads and against their bodies. Welsh already had a few bruises on his face from the assault.

"What should we do?"

"We should get Welsh back inside the castle."

"Let's go!"

The guards rapidly moved Welsh into the castle.

Screaming, wailing, and pure ugliness erupted amongst the people. Many had already speculated the king would arrange Thelton's escape, and now they were sure he had.

"How can he do that to us? He should take responsibility. Wasn't it the king who organized the search party that Thelton had betrayed? Besides, not only had Thelton betrayed the people, but he had betrayed the king. How could the king let him go so easily?"

With the people up in arms, Edward saw his chance. He mounted the platform where Thelton was supposed to die. He looked out at the crowd and saw the venom in their eyes, the same venom he felt in himself.

"Good people listen to me!" he yelled several times until the people hushed and listened to what he had to say.

"I am just as outraged as you are over Thelton's escape. We all know the king allowed it. He loves Thelton more than his own people. This very act makes me wonder if the king is even fit to lead our kingdom, for it was by his very hands that Thelton was picked to lead us. The king needs to take full responsibility for what his leader did to us. We trusted the king so we trusted Thelton.

"Our lives have been ruined by Thelton. Many of our dear men didn't make it out of the forest because of Thelton. We deserve vengeance, we deserve justice; we deserve Thelton's head on a platter!"

The crowd roared in acceptance to Edward's words. They hung on and agreed with everything he said. They were infuriated, and Edward played on it. In fact, he took their fury and built it up.

"Can we trust a king that would put one man above his people? No! Can we follow a king that picks murderers to lead us? No! Can we trust a king that would betray his own people? No!"

The crowd reveled in everything Edward said.

"We are starving. You are hard workers. I know this because I labor amongst many of you. We are humble men and women trying to raise our families. We aren't bad people. We follow the king, but how can we follow a king who taxes us at sixty five percent?"

The people screamed at his words.

"I know I can't handle this anymore. I have already had to sell three of my fields, so I am producing less food than before, and yet I have to keep giving most of what I grow to the king. This is an outrage. When will it stop?"

The kingdom was starving. The taxes were a heavy burden they could hardly carry. Not too long ago it felt like King Wolfgang had been fair and kind, but over the last six years the taxes kept increasing, and he wasn't doing anything to bring relief or aid to his people. Many good people were put in jail because they couldn't meet the tax requirements. Most were always hungry. The king was losing the loyalty of his people.

"Where are the guards? They are cowering behind the door with the king. They realize the power that we the people have. Let us take that from them, let us tear them down; let us reform the kingdom into one that will always put you first."

"Let's break down the doors and take the castle now!" someone yelled out. A roar of approval ripped through the crowd.

"No, not now." Edward said. "As much as I would like to cut the king down to size right now, the timing is not right. We are unarmed, we are untrained; we are unprepared. We have already lost enough sons, brothers, and fathers. Let us prepare our forces, so that when the time is right, it will only be the king and his guards that die."

The castle doors opened and the guards returned. This time they came pouring out in large numbers. The bravery the people felt a moment ago dissipated. The people began to run. Before Edward could get off the platform, he had been apprehended by a guard and was dragged into the castle.

Chapter 2

Thelton watched Indy shut down. She was miserable.

"What has changed in her?" he thought. "I can't understand where her joy has gone. She doesn't even seem the same woman anymore."

Their reunion had been a happy one. He had terribly missed her, and he was sure she had missed him. He felt somehow their souls were combined as one. His soul had been vexed until they were back together, back as one.

For most of his live, he never wanted to be involved with a woman. He had vowed never to let a woman take away his manhood, his power. Princess Alashia had tried often, but he been strong and hadn't let her in. Indy, however, she held something over him, something he couldn't resist.

Princess Alashia was the most beautiful woman of all the kingdoms. She had long blond hair resting at her waist. Her blue eyes were captivating, locking most into her power. She had smooth light skin. Her cheeks had a natural pink to them looking warm and kind. Her perfect features made it hard for most men to look away. Although she was divine with a rich personality, Thelton had escaped her seductive advances. To him, she was trouble.

Thelton was glad he had escaped death. He had half expected the king would let him go. He knew King Wolfgang couldn't kill Princess Alashia's true love. How little did they know how he really felt about her. If they knew Thelton had no feelings for her, they surely would have taken his head and put it in the trophy room with the dragon's heads. He looked at Indy and felt lucky to be with her and not back at the castle. A week ago, he had almost met death, for he had been locked up in the king's dungeon with an execution date in place.

"He didn't kill me so Alashia and I could marry in a year. Oh what he would do if he knew I had returned to Indy," he thought feeling a bit guilty to be with Indy after the king had risked his life to save him.

"How is this my problem? I don't love Alashia, nor did I ever say as much. It was them who had forced me into an engagement with her."

He was glad the king had freed him, hoping the kingdom would respond kindly to the news and not revolt on the king. Thelton had done some bad things that had shaken up the very fiber of the kingdom, and they would expect vengeance.

Thelton rubbed his hands through his sandy blond hair. It had grown down past his shoulders. He was an incredibly handsome man, one who was lusted after by most women. He had captivating black eyes and well defined muscles. The tan skin on his face was splotched with scars and marks. He had a long head with a round nose, a nose perfectly balanced in the middle of his face. His skills were unique to him, making him very valuable to the kingdom at one time.

Thelton studied Indy. Her beauty had changed from the day he had first discovered her. She was barbaric then. She had been living amongst dragons. Somehow, she was part dragon, even though he had no idea how. She had large wings when she opened them, but they contracted tightly when they were closed. The wings were black with outlines of gold, teal, and purple. She had nails as thick as dragon claws. She was as tall as Thelton and as hefty too. Sometimes she was stronger than Thelton. When they had met, her hair was down to the back of her legs, and it was ratty and wild. Now, it rested mid-back.

He chuckled as he recalled their meeting. The pinnacle moment of his entire life had arrived when he was face to face with the queen dragon. He had spent forever dreaming about killing the queen. With a life time of slaying dragons, he became a legend amongst the tri-kingdoms. He had been appointed to rid the forest of all dragons, and he was in their nest with the advantage. While the other dragons slept because of the poisonous vapor he had knocked them out with, he was centimeters from thrusting his sword into the queen's heart.

He stood next to the queen and raised his sword high into the air. Every nerve in his body tingled with excitement. All his energy transported to his arm, and he swiftly brought it down, coming closer and closer to the beast. She was going to die. He would seal his legend in her blood.

Just when his sword had been a hair away from killing the queen, something from behind slammed into his back. His emerald sword flew out of his hand. He had been centimeters away from the queen's heart. The attack was unexpected. Thelton crashed to the ground. The queen's eyes opened.

Someone was on Thelton, punching his side and tearing his skin, instantly drawing blood. Thelton was taken aback. He fought hard and furious with his unknown assailant. The two of them rolled around on the ground hitting, biting, and punching. His enemy was strong and gave him a good fight. Amidst the scuffle, Thelton reached down to his leg to pull out the dagger; but it was already gone. At some point, it must have fallen out. He fought hard, but soon his attacker overcame him. He was pinned to the ground while thick sharp claw-like nails held down his throat.

Through the dark Thelton looked up into the eyes of a woman.

"A woman? How in the world did I just get bested by a woman?" that made Thelton furious. He began thrashing about intensely, but he couldn't break through Indy's grip. She snarled at him, her hands tightening on his throat.

Indy held him down while the queen dragon came over to her side. Indy stepped back as the massive dragon picked Thelton up in her claws. The dragon brought him to her nose, smelling him. Thelton was sure he was about to be eaten. But, to his utter relief and surprise, she dropped him.

Thelton would have killed the queen if Indy hadn't stopped him

His memory made him smile. He looked at Indy and chuckled. "What a start we had." He said. She looked over at him with a blank affect. He had noticed her long hair, still in a braid.

"You are the strangest creature I have ever met. Are you a human or an oversized mutant fairy?" he asked. She stared through him, without any emotion.

"You do have a few human qualities, but you also have wild beast like instincts," he said. Some of her beast-like ways had been the cause of their separation. Now, Thelton solemnly wished he had been more patient with her.

She couldn't help the way she acted. After all, she had been raised by dragons. Thelton had brought some reformation to her, but not much. He laughed at the thought of reforming anyone, for according to the kingdom's standards, Thelton was rough and callused himself. But as much as he had tried, Indy was still very dragon like.

With her back to him, Thelton gazed at her black and purple wings. He liked the mix of gold and teal on their edges. When her long black hair was down, her wings were slightly concealed, but at that moment, they were in full view.

"Hey, how do you have wings?" he asked. She kept her back turned. Indy had only recently been taught to speak, and most of what was said to her she didn't understand.

Unbeknownst to Thelton, he was the very reason Indy had been born, and indirectly, he had a part in her being raised by dragons, for Thelton had saved Indy's mom right before she gave birth to Indy. She would have died if it wasn't for him.

...

Sterling had been a lonely boy, spending his entire life by his father's side, never allowed the chance to make a friend. With his father gone, Sterling was frightened and alone. When he met Indy, she had brightened up his life. She was his best friend, his only friend, opening his eyes to new experiences and wonderful feelings.

Sterling was almost the same size as Thelton, but he was a bit chunkier, and not as strong. He had blond hair, almost white. His hair was finally growing. His father had shaved it all off some time ago when he had gotten lice, and it had taken a long time to grow back. Sterling never had facial hair, for he couldn't grow any. He had a round face full of innocence, and had a kindness about him which was easy to sense. He had lived most of his life being a skittish boy, afraid of everything, but over the last half of the year, he had to learn to be brave, and he was getting better at it.

He knew the day would come when Thelton would come and take Indy away from him.

"Who cares if Thelton had her first," Sterling yelled out loud. "He doesn't deserve her, but I do. She makes me happy, and I can tell I make her happy. We are destined to be together!"

With Indy gone, Sterling felt like he was going to go crazy. To pacify his time, he finished the tree house he had started to build for her. He worked on it nonstop to numb his mind. He was working on making a floor covering out of the Velvet Genulum, a very soft yet sturdy leaf. As he was stretching the leaf, he heard wings in the sky.

Sterling bounced up with joy. "She came home!" he squealed like a girl. He quickly jumped out of the tree house and landed in a pile of dusty leaves, smashing his left hip. His descent was so fast he didn't have time to land on his feet. It stung, but he didn't care. He looked up into the sky in time to watch a giant bird soar overhead. Dejected, he went back to his duties, thinking over and over how it would feel to have her back.

After much contemplation, Sterling decided to track Thelton and Indy down.

"I am going to do it," he said out loud. "I am going to rescue my friend."

Sterling put the sword in its sheath then jumped out of the tree house. He ran off in the direction he had seen Indy fly.

"I'm coming friend, I'm coming," Sterling said.

Chapter 3

The guards left Edward in a small room. He calmly sat down as he waited. Within a short time Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor came into the room.

"How did the people take the news?" Trevor asked.

"They were very angry. Some were crying revolution. They are very tired and hungry. Their loyalty to the king is slipping. The taxes are way too heavy for to bare anymore."

"Perfect. This is exactly how I wanted them to respond."

"What are your plans?"

"I don't know, but I can feel the time for our revolution is approaching. I have done everything I can to turn the people's hearts cold to King Wolfgang." Trevor suddenly looked afraid as if someone was watching him. He stopped speaking and looked around the small room to make sure they were alone. "The taxes at sixty five percent are really angering the people."

"I know. They aren't sure they can endure anymore. Are you sure that King Wolfgang still knows nothing about the high taxes?"

"I am sure. He doesn't allow audience with anyone but me. He never looks past me for news of the kingdom. I report that the people are happy and this keeps Wolfgang happy. What are the people saying about me?"

"They trust you and think that you are fair. It is said that if one has a problem, then go to the castle and meet with Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor. He is kind and he will help."

"Do you think they are ready to put me on the throne?"

"Yes, I do believe our time is here."

"Good. Let us play out their anger to The Dragon Slayer. He is one more disappointment toward their king."

Edward picked at a brown part of his skin. "Did the king really let him go?"

"I don't know, but the idea of the king letting The Dragon Slayer go is perfect in angering the kingdom."

"You should care. I hate what he did to me, and you should too. I wanted to see him die as much as everyone else does."

Trevor's skin had been left the same as Edwards, rough and brown.

"I don't doubt one day The Dragon Slayer will die. But for now, his escape is the very thing we need to stimulate the people into action. Call a meeting at your place every night this week. I will be there. Right now, appoint yourself the revolutionary leader. Let everyone know you have my full support."

"That I can do."

...

Up in the clouds, a calmness instantly stilled Indy's soul. Flying brought her comfort, and for the first time since Thelton had returned into her life, Indy felt free. She hated leaving him, but if she stayed with him, she felt she had to give up the important things in her life. As she flew, a smile spread across her face as she soared over the forest, a forest she cherished and felt a part of. High above everything, a power grew inside her; the ability to choose her path excited her. The stars illuminated the sky, below, the darkness of the forest swallowed everything up, although she couldn't see the location of the dragon camp, her instincts led her home.

Indy landed in the camp, eager to find Sterling. She ran to the tree house Sterling had built her, a home constructed out of love and kindness, as she climbed up the wooden ladder, she remembered being by his side while he built it.

"Friend," she called out as she reached the entrance; friend was the name she used for him. She shoved open the door and pulled herself into her home. Only the emptiness of a barren room greeted Indy, a room eerie without Sterling in it.

Disappointment quickly replaced Indy's joy, for she had expected Sterling to be there waiting for her. Maybe he was moving about the dragon camp. After all, she had run through it so fast, she could have missed him.

She decided to search through the camp. Indy jumped out of the tree house and looked for Sterling, to her surprise, she saw three of her brother dragons huddled together and asleep. Unexpected joy filled her bosom, for she hadn't seen her brothers since she had left them in a war with the Flankton Forest Dragons. She had wondered why they hadn't returned. Only the spotted dragon had returned, none of the rest of her family had.

Delighted at seeing them, Indy ran to her brothers and began hugging each one. Life felt right again because she was with her family, and for the moment, she forgot about Sterling.

Her commotion awoke the dragons. She was nuzzled by two while the third ignored her. They didn't seem to have the same enthusiasm for their reunion as she did, but she didn't even notice. After she had touched them and absorbed their energy, she spun around in front of the dragons, through gestures and dance, she tried to share with them her adventures. The dragons quickly wearied of her and returned to their slumber. Without their audience, images of Sterling returned to her mind. Yes, Sterling, she was looking for him.

"Friend," Indy called out. Her loud voice re-awoke one of the dragons, his eyes fluttering for a moment, then he went back to sleep. Indy dashed from her brothers and continued to explore the area. There was no sign of Sterling anywhere. As she searched, she noticed many trees on the edge of the camp had been toppled. Her curiosity alerted. Darkness penetrated the forest, for the night had settled in, and Indy's question would not be answered until morning.

Indy ducked her head in defeat and went back to her tree house, climbing the ladder she went inside. The house seemed lonely without Sterling. She curled up on the Velvet Genulum and went to sleep.

In the morning, Indy awoke to the sounds of dragons stirring around the camp. The noise flooded her with nostalgia and filled her insides with warmness. Even with Sterling gone, it felt good to be home. Indy jumped out of the tree and called again for Sterling. She noticed the dragons had been joined by the spotted dragon, Indy's sister. The spotted dragon approached Indy and nuzzled her, welcoming her back to the camp. The brothers ignored Indy.

Indy's eyes darted around the camp, hoping to spot Sterling. Where could he have gone? Sadness overwhelmed her. As she thought, the broken trees again caught her interest. She left the dragons and headed to the broken trees. What could have broken so many of them?

About five meters away, something deep teal caught her eyes. Her stomach dropped. Indy ran, hoping she was wrong. Her heart raced at what she saw. It couldn't be real. She bent over the gargantuan stiff body. There lied the prostate queen dragon, her mom.

Indy hadn't seen the queen for a long time. When Indy had first returned to the dragon camp with Sterling, she was very bothered to see the queen not there. She had worried about the fate of her mom. Now, she finally found her mom, but not in the condition any child should see their parent. Horrified, Indy dove on top of the queen's decomposing body. The smell of rotten flesh didn't even register as she explored her mother's cold body; the life had long since extinguished.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!" Indy screamed. Her mother was dead. "Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" she screamed again. How could her mother be dead? There was nothing in the forest more powerful than her mom, nothing. Indy cradled certain parts of the queen's mangled body. She rubbed her hand across the queen as she howled and wailed. Large tears poured out of her eyes, leaving behind a residue of salt. Despair took hold of every muscle, darkness clouded her heart.

With an idea in mind, Indy jumped up and ran out of the area until she reached the Brumbleetrie tree. The root of the tree had powers of healing and restoration. Indy wildly clawed at the ground until she unearthed a good sized root. Wrapping it in her hand, she ran back to the queen's side. Taking the queens disfigured jaw, Indy placed a chunk of the root inside. Nothing happened. She took smaller pieces of the root and shoved them into the open wounds on the queen's body; still, nothing.

A strong and powerful sorrow racked her insides. She shook as she lamented her loss. Her stomach twisted in agonizing knots. The queen's blood stained Indy's skin as she rolled around on the queen's dead body. Her mom was dead; Indy's life felt over.

Indy curled inside the queen's arms and bawled and bawled, the pain ripped her insides apart. Nausea bubbled inside her stomach as she turned her head and vomited, the acid burned as it exited her mouth. As Indy wallowed in the loss of her mother, her other losses came into play as well. She beat herself up over the loss of Sterling and felt tremendous agony for leaving Thelton. A devastation of profound greatness overtook her. Indy bewailed until her throat was raw and no more sound exited.

She had been happy before Thetlon entered her life. Before that point, she didn't know there were humans in the world. She didn't know taverns, hot meals, or clothes. She had been content in her simplistic life. She hadn't needed anything more than what the dragon camp offered her. But all that changed. She had returned home, but it felt empty and incomplete without Thelton and Sterling. But, when she had been away from the camp, life felt incomplete without her dragon family. Would things ever be good again?

Indy stayed next to the queen for another day, but by the end of the day, the stench of the queen was even too much for Indy. Maggots and rats had taken residents all over the queen's decaying body.

Indy desperately craved some consolidation. She slowly, in a trance like state, wandered back into the dragon camp. The spotted dragon lay in the queen's nest, half awake, half asleep. When alive, the queen had allowed Indy to sleep in the nest with her. It was one of her ways to protect Indy, for in her confused state, she had thought Indy was the future queen. The nest had always been an open invitation for Indy, a place she could go when she was scared or sad. Feeling utterly drained of life, Indy sought the comfort of the nest. As she lifted her leg to climb in, a massive blow from the spotted dragon's hand slammed into her body, shooting Indy straight out. She slammed into the ground, banging her head hard against a rock.

Stunned, Indy began to stand a meter away from the nest. The spotted dragon stood up and fully extended her body into a fighting pose, saliva spilled out of the spotted dragon's mouth as she snarled at Indy.

Shocked, Indy stared at her sister. Never in their life together had her sister threatened her. They had been raised side by side, and their bond had been strong, but now, the spotted dragon treated Indy as a threat. Indy's already delicate heart felt like it had been severed in half. She couldn't understand her sister's display of anger.

Numbness billowed through Indy's brain then traveled down her spine and extended to all areas of her body. What was going on? Her mom was dead. Her sister attacked her. Sterling was gone. She had abandoned Thelton. Her life spiraled out of control. Her emotional baggage weighed her down. She didn't know how to carry it. Using every ounce of energy she had, which wasn't much considering she hadn't eaten in some time, Indy slowly moved away from the nest. She understood dragon body language, if she returned to the nest, the next time, her sister would dismember her. As soon as she was several meters away, the spotted dragon laid back down.

Indy dragged her body up the wooden ladder into her tree house. Inside, she laid in the corner, the emptiness only added to her anguished soul. For three days straight she cried, puffiness almost swelling her eyes shut. A gnawing pain ate at her stomach. The acid inside was desperately searching for something to digest. Her energy level continued to plummet. Somewhere deep inside her being, a force stronger than her pulled her to sleep.

...

After finding a rat, Indy returned to the camp to eat it. She had finally left the nest and hunted for food. As she ate, the spotted dragon came to her side, nuzzling against her. Indy sat stiff as a statue as the dragon showed affection. After a minute, the spotted dragon took to the sky. Several days ago it felt as if her sister had wanted to kill her, but here she acted as if none of it had happened.

Not only was Indy baffled, but anger exploded inside her. She hadn't had many relationships in her life, other than the dragons, Sterling, and Thelton. She hadn't had a chance to experience drama and grudges which easily became most of the females in the human kingdom, but at that moment, a grudge was deeply seeding itself inside her chest.

Little did Indy know about the passage of being the queen dragon. The spotted dragon had taken over the queen's reign during the queen's absence. She had declared herself the queen. When the queen returned and challenged the spotted dragon for her nest back, instinct had overcome the two and they fought to the death. The spotted dragon, the new queen, was more than happy to share her camp with her sister, Indy. But, with Indy approaching the nest, she saw a challenge for her place as Alpha dragon. Indy didn't understand the instinctual workings of the dragon world. For Indy, the incident seemed hurtful and cruel. She wasn't angry at the spotted dragon, but she no longer trusted her.

With Sterling gone, the death of her mom, and the attack from the spotted dragon, Indy didn't find joy in the camp she used to. She wondered if she had made the wrong choice returning to the camp, maybe she should have stayed with Thelton. Feeling alone, she found herself fiercely missing him. Not finding any reason to stay at the camp, Indy decided to return to where she had left Thelton; maybe she would try life with him again.

...

A dreadful kink formed in Thelton's thick neck. He sat up as the muscles in his neck popped and pulled.

"Oh," he moaned as his hand cradled his neck. He tried to massage his muscles, realizing he couldn't see Indy anywhere. Panic jerked inside him, and he jumped up. Something slipped out of his lap and landed in the dirt. Standing up, he looked around the area again.

"Where is she? There is no sign of her," he thought. Despite the agonizing throb in his neck, he bent down and picked up a wad of her hair. After examining it, he felt his heart drop. The wad of hair was huge, there was no way it was a small snag. She must of left it for him.

"Did she pull this out and leave it there as a token for me?" he wondered.

Thelton passed the dark hair back and forth between his hands.

"She is gone, I know it." He didn't call out, because he knew she wasn't close to hear. Not being one for sentimental, he took the hair and threw it in the distinguished fire pit.

"If she wants to leave so bad, then let her. What would I want with her anyways?"

Thelton took out his emerald sword, it had been a gift from the King of Andleburg; it was his prize sword, one he had developed a great sense of skill with. The anger quickly boiled over in Thelton.

"Why had I allowed her into my life? I knew better than that." With his sword, he slashed away at a large tree.

"Aaahhhh!" he yelled.

"How dare she, how dare she destroy my life." As he saw it, Indy had wrecked his life.

"I am the greatest dragon slayer in the tri-kingdoms! Everyone respects and honors me. Because of her, a woman, I threw it all away. Now, I have nothing, and worse, I am the most wanted man in the kingdom. How did my life spiral out of control?" With intense anger, he continued to chop at the tree, chunks of bark and wood flew all around him.

"I gave everything for her, and what does she do? She leaves me for another man."

When his arm numbed from the chopping, he dropped the sword to his side. It was time he thought straight and devised the next step in his life. His reign as the dragon slayer was over.

"The first thing I need to do is to leave the kingdoms. I will seek passage over sea and start a new life, and in time, I will rebuild my title, though I highly doubt it. Maybe my life as a dragon slayer is over." Was there something else he could do? He wasn't sure.

Money wasn't an issue for Thelton. He had spent years slaying dragons for kings and selling dragon parts at market. He also collected large stashes of gold and gems which he had mined in-between hunting. He had become one of the wealthiest men in the kingdoms outside of royalty. He never really had a use for money, hiding it in many spots, just in case he would ever find the need for it.

"The first thing I need to do is gather my money, then I will head across the sea."

Chapter 4

Thelton didn't dare leave the forest on the Andleburg side, for now the secrets of it had been discovered, and it was sure to be crawling with men looking for him.

As he walked, he stayed alert. He was surprised he hadn't run into anything dangerous yet. The forest was crawling with trolls, gyroids, rats, razor spiders, just to name a few things. His life had been threatened time and time again, and his skill had always protected him.

Thelton walked for the rest of the day through the Vegus Forest without incident.

"How much longer do I have in here?" he wondered, for he was leaving through a way he had never been before. He was anxious to secure his treasure and start life anew.

Late evening came, and Thelton made a camp. His muscles ached from all the walking. His fatigue lulled him quickly to sleep. As he slept, small green caterpillars zipped out of the tree and landed on the forest floor. In the area he was in, every leaf-top was infested with the caterpillars. At night, when the forest sky blackened, they propelled out of the trees by finely spun silk. The nocturnal insects ravaged anything they could, bringing it back to the trees to feast upon.

As Thelton slept, the caterpillars crawled upon his sleeping frame. Within seconds, hundreds of them covered every centimeter of open space on his body until he was nothing but green. The caterpillars inserted their teeth into Thelton and filled the newly created lacerations with paralyzing venom. When they had emptied their supply of venom, they spun a silken thread over Thelton's entire body, working most of the night in a fabulous unison, completely encasing him in a cocoon. The material was permeable enough where he could breathe through it, yet stronger than steel.

When the cocooning was complete, the caterpillars slithered off Thelton's encased body, while each of them carried a single strand of silk in its mouth. With the silk, they crawled back up into the branches, using a combined effort of hundreds of caterpillars, they pulled their strings together and lifted Thelton into the top of the tree.

For a while, Thelton's mind was numb and dark. At times, a sensation of prickly needles would call to his conscious, yet he was unable to awake enough to locate exactly where the irritation was coming from. Eventually, the little sharp tingles became more prevalent, and Thelton became aware of their existence.

He tried to work through the darkness in his mind and make sense of the obnoxious pain he was feeling. For the moment, he felt disconnected from all his body parts. He tried to get his eyelids to open to see, yet he couldn't locate where they were. He struggled for some time, trying to ignore the stinging overtaking his whole body. Finally, after a great deal of effort, he found his eyelids and flipped them open.

"I can't see," he thought as the panic level rose in him. "Why can't I see?" His mind was still groggy and he couldn't discern there was a layer of silk obstructing his vision.

As his mind became clearer, he thought," It feels like there is something covering my eyes." He went to wipe the material off his eyes, but, "Where are my hands?" He could not get his arms or hands to move. They were tightly constricted next to his body.

As Thelton struggled to locate certain body functions, the paralyzing toxin was wearing off. The more he had control of his body, the more he could feel the caterpillars slowly chewing at his body.

As the sensation returned to Thelton, he began to panic. His anxiety level continued to rise inside his body.

"I must be tied up in some sort of net," he realized.

Thelton tried to thrash around in his cocoon prison. Sweat rushed out of every pore. His stomach churned while he struggled to keep from vomiting on himself. The stinging turned into a painful agony. His skin felt like it was getting munched on. His apprehension level made it feel like he wanted to crawl right out of his skin.

Soon the frustration and pain level spiked to a new high, Thelton passed out. When he woke, he could smell onions. Along with the feeling of being bit, parts of his body burned. He opened his eyes, delighted by the multiple holes that had been chewed through the cocoon. He could now see a little bit. A shiver ran up his spine. He was so cold.

"Why am I wet?"

Acid rain poured down. He had been in this rain before and had easily found shelter with some special leaves. Now, he had nothing. The panic intensified. The rain had the ability to singe off skin. As Thelton thrashed around, he could feel his strength had returned, and the integrity of the cocoon breaking down and tearing apart. He contorted his body back and forth harder and harder until the cocoon snapped. Instantly, he fell to the forest floor, with a painful thud. The crash caused a throbbing pain to shoot up his back.

He hoped nothing broke. He slowly sat up and looked around. Little pieces of cocoon clung to him. He looked around the forest floor and up into the tree tops. He still hadn't figured out what had tied him up. Maybe his nemesis Flance had done it. Although his eyes searched the area, he could see no other signs of man.

When the acid rain had started, the caterpillars had crawled off Thelton and into the branches where they curled tightly against the leaves. From Thelton's viewpoint, they had become camouflaged into their surroundings, and he could not see them, nor was he aware of their existence.

He rubbed his sore back and wiggled his extremities. Nothing seemed broken but everything hurt. The rain continued to burn his skin. Looking down, not only did he see the burning marks from the rain, he saw hundreds and hundreds of little bite marks.

"What has happened?" The rain continued to sizzle his skin. He had to break free. He stood up and began running while he surveyed the area. To his great luck, he saw an opening to a cave. He darted into it, relieved to be out of the burning rain.

...

Indy landed at the last place she and Thelton had been together. Once on the ground, she went over to the fire pit Thelton had dug. It was where they had snuggled together and kept warm. Deep inside, she wished she would have enjoyed time together more. She looked around the place, Thelton was nowhere in sight. The charcoaled pit was the only evidence left they had even been there. Dread overwhelmed Indy; where could he be? They had spent their time together always moving around. She didn't know where to look for him. Was he lost to her forever? Loneliness and abandonment encompassed Indy, her broken heart shattering. The dragon camp no longer felt like home with the queen gone and the spotted dragon acting strange. The forest emanated a vastness which unsettled her, and the thought of going to town without Thelton's guidance seemed utterly dreadful. What was she to do, what direction should she take?

Indy sat down and allowed her mind to replay her memories. Pictures and events flooded her mind, most of them pleasant. A smile spread across her face as she remembered life with the dragons, moving around with Thelton, and her time with Sterling. As she conjured up her memories, a scene of her first hunting trip filled her mind. It was the day the queen dragon had taught Indy and the spotted dragon to hunt. They had flown to a field outside the Vegus Forest into a farmer's field. The queen and the spotted dragon had each quickly and effortlessly caught a cow. As much as Indy tried, she could not lift a cow into the sky. To her luck, a tom cat came by, and triumphantly Indy seized the cat in her claws, for she had grown claws instead of nails. Together, all three flew their game back to the dragon camp. The memory brought such joy to her. With nothing else to do, she decided to return to the field she had caught the cat in. Indy stood up, and stretching forth her magnificent teal wings, she took to the sky.

After an enjoyable flight, she landed in the field of her first hunt. The cows didn't even look up to acknowledge her presence. Her stomach grumbled as she thought about sinking her teeth into one of them. Not really sure how to manage eating a live cow by herself, she abandoned the notion. Instead, she went over to one of the cows and rubbed her hand across its back. She was surprised at how coarse the texture of its fur felt.

"Hey you, get out of my field!" Indy heard a male voice yell. She looked up and from a distance saw a man running at her with a pitchfork. He had been spreading hay around for the cows to eat. Indy didn't feel threatened by him, just inquisitive. Despite the cumbersome tool he carried, he quickly reached her.

Shaking the pitch fork at her, the farmer by the name of Robin continued yelling. "Are you stupid? Get out of here."

Indy sensed the anger in the man. Putting herself in fighting stance, she flared open her claws. Robin stopped yelling and actually took a look at the woman before him. Indy was slightly taller than the man, having a height seemingly unknown for women of the area, and although her nakedness was concealed, her manner of clothing was extremely abnormal, appearing she was clothed in a strange manner of leaf. Robin was no longer threatened by her presence. Now he was curious to the very unusual woman before him.

"What is your name?" he asked her.

Indy relaxed as Robin did, bringing her hands to her side. He was trying to communicate with her, but she couldn't quite understand what he wanted.

"Eat," Indy said. Thelton and Sterling had taught her a few words, but her ability to communicate was very limited.

"Your name is eat?" Robin said mocking her.

"Friend?" she asked, maybe the man knew Sterling.

"No, I'm not your friend," Robin replied rubbing his head.

Indy tried again, "Teltn," she said. Maybe the man knew where Thelton was.

The expression on Robin's face changed to pure hate. "What do you know about Thelton?" Robin shouted.

Indy became excited, the man had said Thelton's name. "Teltn, Teltn." Indy said again.

Robin reached out and grabbed Indy's wrist. "Don't you ever use that traitors name again, unless you know where he is. Do you know where Thelton is?"

Indy wanted to rip the man's hand into shreds, hating the way he squeezed her wrist. But when he used Thelton's name, she relaxed. Would he take her to him?

"Teltn," Indy said.

Suddenly, clarity took over Robin's mind. He had heard the story about the king capturing Thelton after the failed hunting trip. When Thelton was brought in, there had been a strange woman with him, one tall and powerful, with the rumor of wings attached to her back. Could this be the woman from the story? Robin was scrutinizing the idea. He walked around the back side of Indy to see if she had wings. As he searched with his eyes, he noticed her wings beneath her hair. Excitement filled him as Robin reached out and grabbed her hair, flipping it to the right side of her back. He gasped when he saw her wings.

Having the man prod around her body, Indy grew uncomfortable. She swung around and lashed at the man's cheek, her sharp claws tore at his skin, blood dribbled down to his chin. He hardly noticed.

"Oh my, oh my, it is you. You are the woman from the tale. I was sure that it had all been a fabricated tale, but it's not; you are real, you are right here before me, you have wings!"

"Eat," Indy asked, unsure as to his excitement.

Robin thought for a moment. If he could catch the strange woman, she might be a vital component in capturing Thelton. All he had to do was lure her into the barn where his sons were. They would tie her up and use her as bait. Surely there would be a reward in that.

Also, Robin hated Thelton because he had lost his brother and nephew to Thelton's hunting trip. They had followed him into the Vegus Forest where they had gotten stuck in some sort of mud, and without helping them; Thelton had left them to die. Robin wasn't the only one who hated Thelton. His betrayal to the kingdom had left many enemies.

"You're hungry, well follow me, I have some beef jerky in the barn."

He walked toward the barn, but Indy didn't follow, blankly staring at him.

"Eat," he said, using a word she seemed to understand.

Indy's face lightened up, "Eat!" she happily replied. The man turned from her and began walking again, and this time Indy followed behind.

Inside his barn were his three adolescent sons.

"Listen up boys, I need your help."

The boys looked up from milking the cows. They seemed puzzled by the lady with their father. They never had visitors to the farm. Even their mother avoided the farm as much as she could.

Robin began whispering to his sons. "This woman with me was once taken to the castle. She is thought to be The Dragon Slayer's lover; however, I can't imagine any man would want her, especially a man like The Dragon Slayer."

The very mention of The Dragon Slayer had the boy's full attention. Thelton had taken their favorite cousin from them. The families had run the farm together. Their cousin had been like a brother to them. When the king called the men to search the Vegus Forest for the queen's nest, the boys desperately wanted to go with their uncle and cousin, but Robin, their father, forbid it, saying they were needed at the farm. Robin had been angry with his brother for leaving him alone on the farm while he went on a silly dragon hunt.

Indy's head popped up as she heard the man talk about Thelton to his sons. She didn't understand him, but she hoped they would soon take her to him.

"Boys, I think we have the very leverage the kingdom seeks into luring Thelton back. If he knew we have his woman," the man shuddered at the thought of someone loving the wild woman in front of him. His own wife was very homely, but he would take her plain looks any day compared to the abnormal woman in his barn.

"What do you want us to do, father?"

"Get some rope, and on the count of three we will jump on her. I heard she has the strength of ten men. We must be very clever and quick to capture her."

One of the sons went to the back of the barn and returned with a handful of yellow rope. Shaking the rope out, he worked on untangling it. It uncoiled on the ground as each man took a piece.

Robin shook, the excitement of the task made him jittery. "One, two, three," he said. In an instant, all four of them were on Indy. She hadn't been ready for the attack. Anger surged through her. What were they doing? She swung her arms around, desperately trying to claw at them. Her claws tore into their skin leaving deep lacerations on the boys, but they had been quick, and she was tied before she really had a chance to stop them.

In the barn was a small dark coal shoot. Robin shoved Indy into it then secured and bolted the door, trapping her in. Wild calls could be heard within. He was actually surprised at what little effort it took to capture her using rope. Wasn't she supposed to be all powerful?

"Father," Mikkel, the oldest son said. "Did you see the wings on her back? I am not lying, she had wings." Mikkel was awestruck; for he couldn't believe what they captured was real.

"Yeah Father," Harold said, "I saw them too."

"Yes my sons, she does have wings. She isn't a regular woman. In fact, rumor has it, Thelton found her at the Dragon's camp. It is speculated she is part dragon; part human."

The boys had lived a very normal, boring life up to this point. Every day they did the very same thing, take care of the cows. This was the first time excitement had come into their lives. Now, they had a demi-dragon locked up in their coal shoot. They felt powerful for their part in capturing Indy. Inside their chests, their hearts bounded through their shirts. Feelings of grandeur tingled within.

Indy banged inside the coal shoot. Shrill screeching could be heard. Her rage flared because she was tied up in a small, pitch dark space. She couldn't understand why they would do that to her, but they weren't the first humans to imprison her. The king had thrown her into the dungeon. And even though she had found solace and joy in Thelton and Sterling, she was beginning to hate the rest of mankind.

As Robin listened to Indy shriek, he had another idea. "Make sure she doesn't come out of there, I am off to see Edward."

"But Father, what about milking the cows?"

"They will have to wait. This is far more important."

Robin's sons gasped, never had anything in life ever come before the cows. Whatever their father was planning, must be big.

Chapter 5

Sterling couldn't forgive himself for letting Thelton take Indy from him. "Why didn't I fight for her?" Whom was he fooling? Thelton would have killed him in one swipe. The only chance he had would to have stabbed Thelton when his back was turned, but that would be a cowardly way. He wished he would have at least done something to fight for Indy.

Thelton was a horrible man. He had made it so Sterling's father was killed, and he had turned Sterling into a tree-like creature. Sterling was luckier than most of the men Thelton had changed, because the king's wizard was able to turn Sterling's skin back to fair and soft. Only two small patches of bark stayed on the heel of his foot. Sadly, many of the men still had rough, bark-like skin.

He thought about Indy. She meant the world to him. She was all he had in life. With his father dead, he had no one else; no one. Indy was his only friend, and now she was gone. Sterling had searched days for Indy without finding any sign or track of her. He began to burn out, and utter hopelessness filled him.

"There is no way I am going to find her, because Thelton has her hidden somewhere far off." Drained of hope and ambition, Sterling wanted to go home. He had been away for a long time, but then again, he really didn't have one permanent home to return to. His childhood homes consisted of no more than a few caves and one small house. Weariness weighed Sterling's robust body down, a tiredness he really didn't want to face. It was time to get on with his life; however, he didn't know what that life looked like.

A few days before his father's execution, Sterling had been sent on a mission to capture Indy, the wild-woman, and bring her to the princess. At that time, the princess promised to exchange his father for Indy. Without having any idea as to where to locate a wild dragon woman, he had been blessed to find her rather quickly. But, after he had located her, he failed at finding his way back to the castle of Andleburg; therefore, the exchange was never made. His father would have been killed without the exchange.

As Sterling came to know Indy, she became his only friend. He could relax around her, and together they laughed so much. She brought a meaning to his life, one he had never known. His heart broke to think of never seeing her again.

"I guess I will return to my Candleshaw home." The Vegus Forest was deadly around every corner and behind every bush. He had been flown in by Indy, but now he was left alone to navigate his way out.

Carefully, Sterling searched for the way out until he came to an exceptionally dark part of the forest. He looked up into the canopy and noticed the tree branches were extra thick with leaves. The branches grew together, intertwining and weaving in and out of each other, all of them fusing and creating one giant top which was connected to the hundreds of trunks below. As Sterling walked under the peculiar trees, his arm hairs stood erect while his skin erupted in bumps. A chill seemed to surround him. Nervous, Sterling looked behind him and to the sides.

"Is this really a good idea to go this way? Something feels off." Since he really didn't want to turn back, he kept trekking along.

The chill in the air actually became nippy, and Sterling could feel drops of moisture rain down upon him. He really wasn't in the mood to get wet. He hastened his step. "The rain better not last long; at least it isn't acid rain." As Sterling continued, the air became very frigid, and his clothes were drenched with wetness. He looked up to see if he could see the sky through any opening in the leaves, he could not, but he did notice something very unusual, it almost appeared as if the water was weeping out of the leaves themselves.

As he walked deeper into the denseness, the rain turned into little flakes of white powder. Sterling's eyes widened as he put his hand out to catch some. Sparkling, the flakes landed in his hand, they were cold and when he touched them, they melted. His curiosity heightened. "What could this be, maybe some sort of fairy dust?" He had never seen snow before.

Sterling twirled in a circle, as his arms were stretched out, hands opened wide, and his eyes dilated fully. The glistening flakes began to get larger while the air filled with more and more of them. For Sterling, the experience felt magical because he had never seen or heard of snow before. Even though it could get pretty crisp in the tri-kingdoms, it had never snowed there; ever.

The spot of the Vegus Forest Sterling was in often snowed. The snow did not come from the clouds above, but formed from a combination of numerous factors surrounding that part of the forest. What Sterling didn't know, was directly below the ground was a living spring. All the trees in the 80937m² area tapped into an underground spring water. The Nitro rich trees greedily gobbled up the water through their shallow root system. Since the trees took more water than they could store, they wept the excess water from their leaves above; this kept the area always humid and very wet. The soil above the spring was rich in decaying potassium, as the spring water passed through it and the element argon was created, soaking up into the nitrogen rich bark. The spring water sometimes was boiling hot, the argon and nitrogen would distill through the bark out into the air, when the gases mixed with the seeping water from the leaves, snow formed.

Sterling cupped a handful of snow, and brought it to his mouth, curiously taking a bite. A frosty sensation melted on his tongue. The material had no flavor, but he enjoyed the feel. He took another bite, and another, the melting snow quenched his thirst. Taking a new handful, he rubbed it up and down his arm, goose bumps exploded and his skin reddened. Although it was cold, he smeared some snow in his hair, then his face. Taking more snow, he passed it back and forth between his hands, the tiny pile forming a ball. Not sure why, he took the ball and threw it into a tree, it splattered against the bark. After many balls of snow, his hands began to stiffen to the biting cold. He shoved them in his armpits to get warm and switched to using his feet to explore the snow. The farther into the snow flurry he walked, the deeper the snow accumulated on the ground. Sterling found the snow up to his waist as he plowed his body threw it.

Diving into the high snow, he tried to swim in it, which was rather entertaining. Snow filled under his shirt and pants. Quickly, he jumped up screaming, for it was freezing, probably not his best idea. Soon his body temperature began to drop, with wet clothes, numbness overcame his skin. Looking behind him to see how far he had gone, he couldn't see past the snow whirl. He looked ahead, his perception greatly reduced by the thick downfall of snow.

The magic started wearing off as his body began to shake in reaction to his cold, wet clothes, and even though he loved the new snow, he felt eager to get out of it. Disoriented, he no longer knew which direction he had come from and which direction he hoped to travel in. He put his arm over his chilled face to shield it, then picked a direction. With his head down, he kept walking through the blizzard.

After his hands turned white, he put them under his armpits again. He wanted to go faster, but the snow was deep, he practically had to crawl through it. After a long, painstaking walk, the levels of snow on the ground receded and the flurry turned into smaller flakes. When it stopped snowing, he only had a little longer to walk before he came into a new growth of trees, the sky shone through the thinning tops, and the canopy opened up. He smiled, happy to be out of it.

Sterling quickly built a large roaring fire, placing his frost nipped body in front of it. He worked at getting warm.

...

Thelton rummaged through his things, trying to find something to stop the pain in his multiple arm wounds which the acid rain and the caterpillars had caused. Usually he would use dragon scales for healing, but he was out. He remembered the healing powers of Firelake. If he could make it there, he could heal his tender skin, but would there be people at the lake?

Thelton picked up a large stone and chucked it against the cave. He was bitter to have the secrets of the forest known to others. The forest had been his refuge, his safe haven from man, but because of the king's stupid idea to have common men go on the hunting trip, the forest had become free territory to all.

"Of course, if it wasn't for the king's blasted idea, I would have never met my woman. But what did that matter, for she abandoned me, and now I am left with nothing. NOTHING! I have lost my title. I have lost my forest. I have lost everything!"

Thelton looked in his side pack to see if there was anything to heal his pains. The king had put the pack together for him, and he knew of some of the things in it, even though he hadn't spent a great deal of time exploring everything. "What could be in here," he said as he sorted through it. His fingers found a small vial with black tar like substance, on the container were the words, "salve." Thelton opened the lid. A pungent odor hit his nose. He coughed a couple of times, for he wasn't expecting such a strong smell. Having no idea what the salve was, he examined it closer. His skin still stung, urging him to hurry and use the stuff, despite the smell.

Trying not to breathe, he crammed his fingers in the tiny opening. He removed some black goo, smearing a layer over his arms, face, legs, pretty much everywhere. His head began to spin as he inhaled the vapors from the salve, tears poured out of his eyes. "What am I using?"

Although the salve took the edge off the agony, it didn't entirely erase it. When his head stopped spinning, he rummaged through the contents from the king some more. A small package wrapped in floral paper with a thin pink ribbon on top caught his attention. He opened it to find a little box and a letter from the princess.

Thelton's heart throbbed as he remembered the princess. She had fallen in love with him over ten years ago, and somehow through her crafty nature, had convinced the king she and Thelton should wed. They had been engaged, something which inflicted utter misery to Thelton, for at the time, he had no feeling for her, nor did he like life at the castle.

Thelton had been forced to live in the castle as he awaited their engagement and the location of the queen's nest. He felt trapped like a caged animal, completely despaired. He was on the verge of running away when the queen's nest had been found, and he was sent off to lead the hunting party.

Later, when Thelton had been brought into the castle for treason against the crown and for the death of numerous men from the hunting party, he was surprised as to the treatment he received from the king and princess.

He expected fury from them, but instead, they stayed completely dedicated and loyal to him. As he spent a week in the cold, miserable dungeon; the princess stayed by his side. She did everything she could to make the experience less dreadful for him. The harsh conditions struck the princess with a terrible fever, but she refused to leave him.

It was during that week in the dungeon that changed Thelton's heart about the princess. He had always seen her as a very needy, high maintenance woman; however, her devotion and love for him changed his mind. As he listened to her dreams and desires, he found there was much more to her. She had shown love and compassion to him like no other had ever done in his life. At the end of the week, he realized he had fashioned a special place in his heart for her.

The king had also shown a great deal of mercy toward Thelton. Thelton had meant the world to the royal family of Andleburg, and despite his treason, they were willing to pardon him. The night before his execution, the king had strongly insisted Thelton escape. The very act jeopardized the king's standing amongst his people.

Choking back his emotion, Thelton opened the letter from the princess.

My Dearest love,

I don't know if you will ever have the chance to escape, or if you will meet the guillotine by the end of the week. I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart, if the kingdom would allow it, I would take your place in death. I love you so deeply, and I had rejoiced to the day that I was to become your wife.

My gift to you is a vial of poison, created by the wizard. He said all you have to do is put it on your tongue, and you will be dead before you can blink. Please, my love, take it the morning of your execution, for I cannot bear the thought of you walking amongst the people of the kingdom with them throwing rotten fruit at you and saying all manner of hateful words. Were you not those very people's hero; only a week ago? Although they have abandoned you, I never will. Upon news of your death, I too will take the same poison and join you in the next life, for our love is one that was never meant to part.

With so much love,

Your almost wife,

Alashia

...

Thelton wondered if the king knew about the letter. The king must have put the package in his side pack, for the princess was asleep when he made his escape. The king could have seen it as a token of love, since it was all wrapped up in pretty paper, he was probably unaware of the poison it contained inside, or did he know about it? He was very eager for Thelton to escape. Perhaps even the whole reason was to prevent his daughter from committing suicide after his execution. With Thelton alive, the princess still had hope.

Thelton looked deeper in the pack, remembering there was some cheese wrapped in cloth. Eagerly, he opened it and took huge bites. The sharpness prickled his cheeks, for the cheese was aged to perfection. Thelton devoured it all.

He lay back, and despite his burning skin from the caterpillars and the acid rain, he relaxed with a full stomach. As he looked around the cave, he noticed a reflection shining off some of the rocks. huge smile spread across his face. He took his golden sword and cut around a chunk of rock until he was able to pull it away from the cave wall.

The rock, sitting in his hand was the size of grapefruit. There was much weight to it. Without any question in his mind, Thelton knew he held gold. He examined the wall closer; it was plastered in gold.

The thrill of gold kept Thelton working the rest of the day, pulling away as much gold as he could, creating a huge pile, in fact, it was too heavy for him to even lift. Content with his find, he curled up against a wall and went to sleep for the night. In the morning, he was ready to move out.

"I am glad it is no longer raining," he said as he weaved several branches into a mat the gold could ride on. Taking some rope, he wrapped it around the branch matt and secured the rope around his waist. He would drag his prize out of the forest like he did with dragon parts.

Pulling his newly acquired prize, Thelton had only gotten a few meters away when the unmistakable putrid stench hit him; trolls. They had a smell overpowering most creatures struggled to breath in their presence. Thelton quickly untied the rope around his waist. Some coughs escaped his chest. He tried to keep them quiet as not to alert the trolls to his presence. The troll's smell always gave him the advantage. He could smell them before they ever reached him.

Still quietly working, he unsheathed his golden and emerald swords. Behind a bush, he stood in fighting position. Although he could sense the trolls were coming, they didn't know he was there, because, they had never met a human in that part of the forest. The trolls walked by the bush which concealed him, centimeters away from Thelton. His eyes watered to their smell, his lungs screamed at him to let out a cough. With great effort, he suppressed it. Before they even registered he was there, he jumped out and sliced the head off the leader. There were still eight trolls left, quite a large group. Thelton began slashing around his swords, three more heads rolled to the ground. The rest of the trolls scrambled around in confusion.

Two trolls jumped on Thelton's back, dull teeth piercing his shoulder and thigh.

"AHHHH!" Thelton screamed to the pain. He dropped his golden sword so he could use his hand to pull a troll off his back. Grabbing one putrid creature by its greasy hair, he tried to yank it off. The troll only clinched his jaw tighter and anchored his teeth deeper into Thelton's shoulder. Thelton tugged and jerked until he pulled the troll away. With the troll, came a huge chunk of Thelton's skin. Before the pain registered, Thelton beheaded the troll with his emerald sword.

He then extracted the other troll off of his thigh and quickly killed it. Excruciating pain in his shoulder registered in his relay center. Thelton dropped to his knees, tears poured out of his eyes. The powerful sensation radiated down his arm and across his back and chest.

"AGGHHH! Thelton screamed as he rolled around on the ground. "It hurts so bad." He looked around noticing two of the trolls had run off. An ache like none he ever felt before pulsated in his shoulder. Thick blood soaked his shirt. "I need to wrap my arm and stop the bleeding". Thelton went over to where he left his side pack to grab supplies. It was gone, for the last troll had run off with it.

Disappointment momentarily dulled out the pain. Thelton could not let them take his things. When he stood up to chase them down, the sensation in his afflicted shoulder sent him straight back to his knees. Blood continued to pour out of his wounds. His head become light. The bleeding needed to be stopped. If he were to pass out there, the trolls would return and finish him.

Not wanting to be there when the trolls returned, Thelton found some leaves and vines. With them, he made a bandage for his shoulder. Holding the pressure to it for a very long time, it stopped bleeding. "I wish the pain would stop," he growled. The compression he used seemed to intensify the throbbing pain.

With the gloom of his injuries, Thelton leaned against a tree, his breathing labored. He worked hard at clearing his mind so he could concentrate on stopping the pain. With an intense focus, Thelton calmed the hurt inside his shoulder.

As the pain's edge lessening momentarily, Thelton realized he had never been in that part of the forest. He had idea how long it would take him to leave. He hoped he would be out soon, because the trolls had taken all his supplies. He had nothing to fix his shoulder with.

His desire to get pushed him forward. During the next two days, Thelton was fortunate enough to hunt a few small animals and come across a few edible roots. Together, it wasn't enough to provide him with the full energy he needed, but it would have to do.

Chapter 6

Sterling had experienced cold often in his life. He had been raised mostly in caves. He had never known cold like the cold frost nipping his extremities. Even after the fire had thawed his white fingers, he lingered around it, constantly adding wood to keep it high and flaming, for he never wanted to be cold again.

Even though everything warmed up, the next day Sterling's anxiety level peeked.

He wanted to get out of the dreaded Vegus Forest before something ate him. Up to that point, he had been lucky, but he didn't want his luck to wear out. After a filling breakfast of slugs, Sterling put out his fire and continued to look for a way out.

He hadn't gone far when he came across the lung clutching stench of trolls. Luckily, he was in an area thick with brush. He ducked behind a large bush and scooted his body back to the deepest part. Although he was born a hunter, and with his father by his side, he had brought down a few trolls, he doubted his skills. He lacked confidence to face the trolls on his own. He strongly hoped the trolls would be unaware of his presence.

While he hid, the thoughts of being discovered petrified him. His skin became clammy as he sweat profusely. The nerves in his body went crazy and his muscles began to spasm and shake. "I wish I wasn't such a coward, for my father would be disappointed in me if he saw me hiding from a threat."

Sterling tried to talk himself into killing the trolls when they went by. Their horrific odor caused his lungs to partially seize up. It felt like the vapor of their stench lodged inside his respiratory track, hindering his ability to breathe. He had to impede the coughs that strongly wanted to rip out of his chest. A couple of times, a few coughs snuck up his throat, which he suppressed in his mouth, his face turning deep red. Thankfully, the trolls were lost in their mindless noise, and they walked right by the bushes Sterling hid in, having no idea he was there.

As soon as Sterling felt they were far away, he opened his lungs and began coughing and coughing. He coughed so hard vomit came up. As he wiped his sticky chin, he thought of his father's lung disease. His father coughed nonstop. Sterling hoped he would never get it. It was horrible not being able to breath, and coughing so hard only added to the misery. How had his father lived with it for many years? He sure wished he could see his father again.

Thinking about his father, he continued to hide in the bushes. For safety's sake, he let a significant amount of time pass by before he crawled out. As he did, the little thorns on the bushes scratched and tore up his skin.

Once out of the bush, he began rubbing the bloody spots on his arms. He spat into his hands and applied it to his skin. He couldn't stop rubbing his arm, trying to make the stinging stop, every scrape burned. As he walked on, he cautiously kept his eyes and ears alert for any signs of trolls or any other danger. His heart still bounded in his chest. "I really want to get out of the forest."

With his arms an angry red, he picked up his pace and jogged. Looking ahead, Sterling still saw no sign of the trees thinning out or opening up into a meadow. His fear spiked at the thought of never leaving the forest.

"I am silly, for not too long ago I had planned on making Vegus Forest my home with my friend. Of course, that would have been a wholly different experience, for we were in the heart of the forest, in the dragon camp, and the dragons were the mightiest thing around. No creature would have come into the camp, and even if one had, the dragon, or my friend would have protected me."

A smile spread across his face as he remembered his precious time with Indy. He really had enjoyed building a house for her. He hoped she was safe. "What if Thelton hurts her? My friend is strong, she can defend herself, but will she?"

He continued to remember their time together. Unconsciously, Sterling wrapped his arms around his torso and gave himself a hug. "If I could hold her again." He missed her touch and her company. As he tried to comfort his grieving heart, a mosquito bit his arm, then another, and another. While Sterling swatted at them, something pierced the palm of his hand. He looked on his arms. He saw he hadn't been bit by mosquitoes, but it had been something else. Out of his skin projected a bunch of little slivers. He pulled a sliver out and noticed a miniature arrow attached to the end. As he removed the arrows, more of them perforated his skin.

With his body being punctured by a mass of arrows, Sterling ran to escape his unknown assailant, screaming as he ran. With each step he took, the lighter his head became as it started swirling around, darkness took over. Sterling spun around and dropped hard to the forest floor.

After the echo of his fall ricocheted off the trees, little men with manes of hair began propelling out of the tree tops. They came from all over, numbering about thirty. The little men were no taller than a kitten on all fours. With their clay colored skin, wild hair on their faces like manes, and almost naked bodies, they might not have intimidated Sterling if he had been awake, but then again, maybe they would have.

With little clay colored men all over him, a pounding headache roused Sterling out of his sleep. His head seemed to swim in uncertainty while a chill descended his spine. "What is going on? Where am I?" When he opened his eyes, he saw a canopy of trees above his head. "Dragon crap," he said disappointed, "I am still in the forest." He went to move his arm, but it wouldn't move much, for it seemed anchored to the ground by something. He tried all extremities and was met by the same resistance. He really hoped he hadn't been turned into a tree again. He tried to lift his head up to see what had tied him down, but he couldn't raise it far enough.

Suddenly, something dropped onto his face. Crossing his eyes, he looked straight at a small brown man perched on the tip of his nose.

"Ahhhhh!" Sterling squealed. He wiggled and fought, and still wasn't able to undo the mysterious force that prevented him from moving.

"Ahhhh!" Shrieked the little man in return.

"Get off me," Sterling yelled. He really wanted use of his hands to swat at the intruder on his face.

The thing cursed a string of words, words Sterling didn't understand.

Something jabbed into Sterling's cheek. Turning his head to the side, he almost shoved his eyeball into a small spear. After moving his head, he was able to uncross his eyes, giving him a clearer focus of another miniature man.

"Oh no, not brownies," Sterling moaned.

He had never seen one before. In fact, he had thought they were legend. His father once told him a story about brownies, claiming as a boy, he had been captured by them. "They are greedy creatures," he had said. "They will steal anything they can from you, even your own nose if they could manage it." Sterling hadn't believed his father at the time.

As he stared at the brownie, he realized his father had told the truth. The brownies surrounded Sterling's head. "How am I going to get free?" With raised adrenaline and more force, Sterling pulled harder at his right arm, as he did, one of the cords snapped, then another, then another. After some work, he had loosened or snapped five of the cords on his arm.

The little brownies began scrambling around, trying to reattach the cords. As they worked, Sterling pulled at his other arm. With determination, the cords on his left arm began snapping. After his arms were free, he worked on his legs and ended up breaking those cords as well.

Seeing their prisoner had broken free from their restraints, the brownies backed away from Sterling's massive body. After stretching out tall, Sterling knelt down and began roaring, trying to intimidate the crazy looking men. As he did, numerous arrows shot into his arms while a couple pricked his face. Their poison entered his body. His skin tingled. Again the darkness and cloudiness overtook his head. Everything went black and he fell to the unforgiving ground.

Lying on the hard ground, Sterling woke up. He tried to sort through the muddle in his head. "Where am I? What is going on?" He looked at the canopy above. "Oh great, I am still in the Vegus Forest." An itch irritated his nose. He went to scratch it, but he couldn't, for he found his arms tied. He had no recollection of the brownies tying him before, or of his earlier escape. When he had fallen to the ground, his head had banged pretty hard against it. All memories of the last few minutes were gone.

With his recent memories swiped away, he tried to figure out why he couldn't move. His thoughts went back to when he had been turned into a tree. "Am I being turned into a tree again?" As he fought at the mysterious force anchoring him down, the fog in his head dissipated and enlightenment flooded in. He had a feeling he had done this before. He remembered the brownies. He remembered escaping. Looking around, he noticed the little men were once again holding him captive.

"Let me go," he yelled.

Every time he spoke, the brownies yelled back in their strange language.

"Please let me go!" Sterling cried out. "I could have crushed every one of you with my thumb. I chose not to, let me go and I won't hurt you."

Again, the men poked their spears into Sterling's face. Sterling gathered all his strength and snapped the cords. With some effort, he had once again freed himself. This time, he stood up and began running, as he did, little arrows penetrated his skin, and again he fell unconscious to the ground.

Lying on the ground, Sterling awoke with a headache of massive proportions. The pressure was enormous. He thought his brains might blow out of his eyes and ears. He went to cradle his head in his right hand, only to find it tied down.

Was he really tied up once more? "Not again," he growled. This time, he remembered the two previous incidents of being tied up. The game with the brownies was getting tiresome. Without waiting, he pulled at the cords. Soon they busted on his arms. As he worked on freeing himself, the horrendous smell of trolls saturated the air. Great, now he had to get free before the trolls reached him. While coughing and coughing, he worked at freeing his legs. Meanwhile, the brownies took off quickly, practically vanishing into thin air, for they too knew the smell of trolls all too well. Brownies were a favorite snack of trolls.

With the brownies gone and the smell of trolls heavy upon him, Sterling broke free and began scurrying in a new direction, one hopefully out of the troll's path. As he ran, the trolls spotted him from a distance. Excitement flared in the devilish creatures as they saw their dinner run away. Six trolls took off after Sterling.

As he sprinted, Sterling held a good distance ahead of them. The trolls weren't even close at matching his speed. He ran hard, harder than he ever had in his life. As he ran, his ankle caught in a root, twisting it around, he plunged to the ground.

When he came down, he landed hard on his wrist, immediately it throbbed. Trying to ignore the pain, Sterling stood up, his left ankle giving out, and he fell again, for he had sprained it in the root. As he looked over at the trolls, he noticed they were gaining on him. He couldn't allow himself to be caught and torn apart.

Not wanting the trolls to reach him, he jumped up on one leg. Sterling began a sort of run-hop on his right foot. He wouldn't let the weakness in his left ankle stop him. Although the trolls continued to close in the gap between them and Sterling, Sterling kept them a decent distance away. After awhile, the trolls began to tire, one by one they trailed behind, and then they finally stopped pursuing him. Sterling pushed through the agony and kept hopping away. He wanted to completely lose them before he stopped. He didn't want to rest while they regained their energy, making sure he was very far away.

Just when he felt a safe enough distance to stop, he noticed almost a kilometer in front of him, an opening from the trees. The possibility of a way out of the forest sent a surge of adrenaline through him, and he continued his pace until he reached the opening of the trees. Once out of the forest, Sterling ran into a meadow of purple lavender. He was overcome with joy to finally be out of the forest. At the same time, pain racked his ankle. Dropping to the ground, he began kissing it with pure jubilance. He felt a freedom enter him and replace the hopeless he had felt for so long.

Relieved to finally be free from the forest and all of its calamities, he rolled around the flowers and let out several cries of elation. Scoping the flowers in his unhurt hand, he inhaled the pleasant odor. The lavender flowed into his body, using its chemical potency to bring a relaxed calmness about him.

Chapter 7

Edward, along with a mob of ten other men, accompanied Robin back to his farm. As they went toward the barn, they could hear a muffled screaming. Edward's eyes lightened up.

"Is that her?" he asked in delight, rubbing his hands together.

"It is," Robin responded proudly.

Eager to see his leverage, Edward ran the rest of the distance to the barn while his men kept pace behind him. Once inside, he saw Robin's proud boys standing guard in front of a small door. The door had a huge hole kicked through it.

"Did she do that to the door?" Edward asked.

The boys smiled proudly, "She did," they said in unison.

Edward licked his lips, for he could hardly wait to see her. "Let her out," he commanded the boys.

The boys looked nervously at each other. They realized it had been pure luck they had caught her. They could sense her power behind the door, with unease they looked to their father for instructions.

"What are you waiting for boys? Open the door."

Obeying their father, the boys opened the door, and jumped away as quickly as they could. It was a good thing because Indy came bolting out, raving mad.

During her time in the coal shoot, she had managed to slice away the rope with her claws. The only thing containing her was the locked door, and if she had been given any more time behind it, she would have finished breaking through.

Wildness erupted in Indy like she had never felt before, a display she had seen often amongst the dragons, and for the first time in her life, it manifested upon her. Without waiting for the strange men to come to her, she launched herself at the huddled group of captors. She swung her claws around and began slicing through arms and faces. While her hands were busy shredding, her teeth were actively biting anything they met.

Edward had gathered the men for backup, but he really hadn't been prepared to use all of them, for he was unaware of the mighty strength Indy possessed. After watching her, he wondered if he should have brought more. The men tried to surround Indy in a circle, but she inflicted much pain on anyone who touched her, it preventing them from containing her. She grabbed one man's head and took a deep bite out of the back of his neck. Another man had grabbed her wrist, and she quickly tore through his hand. Because of the pain, he released her. As the men worked at capturing her, no one noticed Edward standing in the shadows. Although he was all talk, appointing himself the leader, he was a coward on the inside. The untamed creature before him was terrifying.

While Edward did nothing, the ten men, Robin the farmer, and the boys, worked until they were able to retie Indy up. They had been diligent enough to secure her arms and hands in such a way she would not be able to use her claws to cut the rope.

Every man, except Edward, had multiple wounds Indy had inflicted upon them. They secured her tightly with several lengths of cord. When the men felt confident enough she wasn't going to break through, they relaxed and began chuckling. Soon, they were recounting the attack amongst themselves, turning their afflictions into courageous battle wounds to brag about. As the men became merry at Indy's expense, Indy foamed at the mouth, her breathing labored.

She hated mankind. Thelton had been kind to her, a little on the controlling side, but nevertheless, kind. Sterling had been amazing to her. Other than them, she hated mankind. Each time she met one, he seemed to want to trap her.

After much boisterous laughter, the men dragged Indy away.

...

On the fifth day, after discovering the gold, Thelton still hadn't found his way out of the forest. He had seen many new plants and a couple of new animals. Weariness settled in. He had captured a deer and was in the process of skinning it. Wolves howled close by. Thelton was hungry. The deer would make a very fulfilling meal for him.

"I really hope the wolves won't find me." He sped up his work, pulling away handfuls of meat. He had gotten focused on his task and failed to notice the wolves surrounded him until he was completely encircled.

With a start, he looked up and saw four wolves pacing around him. He was in trouble. Wolves fought dirty. Thelton gripped his swords with his large hands. He knew the wolves were mostly interested in the deer. He hoped he could get away without a fight, for he was fatigued and wasn't in the mood for any more things biting him.

He cautiously stood, while he held the swords in one hand, he fisted a chunk of deer meat. He tried to slowly move away from the deer. As he did, three wolves jumped onto the carcass and began tearing into it. The fourth wolf lunged at Thelton, sinking its teeth into Thelton's ankle. Thelton kicked at it with his free leg, breaking the attachment. Dropping the meat, he swung his emerald sword in the air, ready to kill the wolf. The wolf dove for the meat chunk and clamped onto it. With the wolf's attention on the meat, Thelton grabbed his things and ran from the area.

It really was not like Thelton to run from a fight. He knew he had what it took to slaughter the whole pack if he wanted to, but he didn't. He was worn out. He just wanted to escape the forest.

Thelton quickly dragged his gold away from the area, keeping steady pace, when to his delight; he could see the trees opening up to a meadow. With the last of his energy, he ran into the open meadow, desperately hoping he truly was out of the forest. Thankfully there was no more forest to be seen beyond the meadow.

As he entered the meadow, he came upon a lone wild boar. With great hunger, he swung his sword into the boar and killed it. His stomach growled a thank you as he made a fire. When he ate the wild meat, contentment overcame him. He was glad to be out of the forest with a belly full of food. Thelton fell asleep early in the evening and slept clear until the next day. He started the next morning by eating more of the meat, then he decided it was time to continue on his way.

...

Sterling entered the outskirts of Candleshaw with peace filling his soul, for he had missed his home kingdom. Rapture filled him as he saw the sights he recognized. As he skipped to a lighter foot, he noticed posters plastered all over trees and barns. It wasn't uncommon for posters to be up. As he walked, he didn't pay the posters any heed. It wasn't until he was right next to one he saw the image on it which made his heart almost stopped.

On the poster was a crude drawing of Indy. The poster said:

NOTICE

Thelton The Dragon Slayer

If you want your wild woman to live,

Turn yourself in!!!!

...

On the bottom was the location to Edward's farm. Sterling stood staring at the poster. He figured it had to be old, because Indy was with Thelton, wasn't she? Had they parted? Thelton was intense on taking her away. He wouldn't let her out of his sights again, would he? Sterling shook because he didn't know what to think. He had to process everything in his mind.

The poster looked new, on crisp paper. The rest of the posters on the barn were old and worn. Indy was in danger.

"They must have gotten into a fight again, and maybe Thelton left her." Sterling decided. "If she had escaped, then someone would have captured her and now they were using her as bait to lure Thelton in." Sterling's stomach churned in pain. "I have to save her before Thelton does and before they kill her."

With the thought of Indy being killed, Sterling turned his back to Candleshaw and ran to Andleburg.

...

Making good time to Andleburg, he stopped at a Tavern to freshen up. As he walked in, all eyes turned to him. The bartender curtly remarked, "No place in here for Candleshaws."

"Is it that obvious I'm from Candleshaw?" Sterling thought. Since he hated confrontation, he immediately turned his back to leave.

"Hey you! Weren't you on the hunt for the queen dragon?" a voice yelled out.

Sterling turned back around. He scanned the tables and found one with four faces he recognized. They had been on the hunt with him.

Sterling smiled shyly. He was very awkward around people.

"Come here, boy," one of the men said standing.

Timidly, Sterling went to the table. Everyone at the table stood up and swatted him on the back. As a veteran of the hunt, he had earned his spot amongst the men.

The bartender, now content to having Sterling there, went back to cleaning cups.

"Sit down boy, your drink is on us," one of the men said.

"Thanks," Sterling replied.

The men spent the next few minutes reminiscing about the disasters of the hunt. After a while, their talk returned to the impending revolution.

"Why do we not strike down the kingdom now, we are ready, the men are ready; what is Edward waiting for?" one of the men asked. "Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor is in the castle and ready to assist us."

"How do you know that is true? It could be a rumor. Why would the First Advisor turn on the king? I think it's a trap," another man said.

"If you ask me, Edward is not fit to lead; he is weak, and not very strong. If we have any chance of taking the crown, we must appoint a new leader."

Everyone agreed as they clinked their mugs together. Sterling silently listened.

"Have any of you gone to see the wild woman that Edward holds?" one man asked.

As everyone shook their heads no, Sterling's attention was caught.

"They say it took fourteen men to capture her. She is half woman, half dragon. She has the claws of a dragon, the wings of a dragon, and the spirit of a dragon. They say that she is Thelton's lover, but no one could understand how anyone could love such a hideous beast."

Sterling's heart thumped hard against his chest, the words they used about Indy were cruel. He dearly loved her, and badly wished he had the courage to defend her name, but he didn't, he only listened.

"Edward plans to use her to lure Thelton in. He thinks it will give the men the much needed motivation to storm the castle if they can kill Thelton first."

Sterling didn't mind hearing them talk about killing Thelton. He and his father had been arch enemies to Thelton for several years. It was because of him his father had been executed. He hated Thelton.

"What if Thelton is gone, or dead? Then what are their plans?"

"They don't know, but in a week's time, they will kill the dragon woman in the town square; which they hope will draw Thelton out."

Sterling began choking on the bread he was eating. "I can't allow them to kill her! I must rescue her before they kill her," he thought.

"You okay boy," one of the men asked.

"Yeah, fine," Sterling said without looking up.

"You don't talk much, do you boy?"

Sterling looked at his plate.

"There is a meeting at Edward's tonight; you are welcome to come. It is said Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor will be there. I am sure you wish vengeance on Thelton just like the rest of us," the man said, scratching his bark like skin.

Sterling saw his chance, for he knew if he could make an alliance with the men, then he might find a way to rescue his friend. Sterling raised his head, and with passion in his eyes, said, "I would like nothing more than to see Thelton die."

Chapter 8

The meeting at Edward's filled up with angry drunk men, men who could no longer access their sense of reason, for the alcohol burned strongly in their brains, which quickly turned to hate and bitterness. Their sprits lifted having Trevor there. They spent the night drinking foul moonshine, becoming angrier, and running their plans around in circles.

Everyone was interested in seeing Thelton die, even Sterling. Thelton had used a potion to turn many of the men into trees. Most of them still held some tree-like qualities. Some of the men had lost a son, father, nephew, or uncle during the expedition. In the men's eyes, there was only one future acceptable for Thelton, and that was death. The problem was; no one had any idea where Thelton was.

Thelton had lived the life of a hermit and almost to the lengths of a vagabond at times, except for he never had to beg, for he had more money than anyone could dream about. The king had become very enthralled by Thelton years ago, stoking the kingdom's interest in Thelton, raising him almost to the level of God-like status. He had welcomed Thelton into his castle and was prepared to eventually turn the kingdom over to him. Then, Thelton betrayed the king and the kingdom. When Thelton turned himself in, that pushed the king to set up an execution on Thelton, for it was what the kingdom expected, and what they demanded.

The night before the execution, the king forcefully insisted Thelton to escape. He feared for his daughter's life, for he knew Princess Alashia would kill herself once Thelton died, and the king could not bear to lose either one of them. Even though Thelton had accepted his impending death, the king ran him out of the dungeon.

When news of Thelton's escape circulated, the kingdom felt double-crossed by the king. How could he put one man above all the men in the kingdom? They deserved justice, they deserved restitution. The king had shown poor judgment, and according to Edward, deserved to be overthrown.

As the night dragged on, Sterling grew restless, pacing back and forth, wringing his hands together. "I want to see my friend. I don't care about Andleburg's revolution; I am from Candleshaw." And although he wanted to see Thelton hang for his deeds, sitting around with a bunch of drunks was not going to make that happen. "I wish I was braver, because then I would just come out and ask to see my friend, but I'm not." Because of his weakness, he endured the long cold night in Edward's yard.

As the men were leaving in the early hours of the morning, one of the men from the Tavern grabbed Sterling and took him over to Edward.

"This man here, he was on the hunt with us, do you remember him? He was turned into a tree, and he will be a valuable member of your revolution."

Edward eyed him up and down, clicking his tongue in disgust, he said, "He looks like he's from Candleshaw."

"I am," Sterling said, not looking Edward in the eyes.

The alcohol in Edward warmed his insides to an instant boil, "The last Candleshaw I met was awful Flance. Do you remember the man?"

Sterling began to sweat. Not only did he know Flance, but he was Flance's son. For a time, all the evil Thelton had procured had been blamed on Flance. The men were just as eager to see Flance executed as they were to see Thelton beheaded.

Sterling emotions came close to spilling over, for he missed his father, but he couldn't let the men know it. They were angry and desperate to spill someone's blood; he best not set himself to be their target.

With all the bravery he could conjure up, Sterling said, "Well of course I am familiar with who Flance is. I was on the same mission as you." Sterling spit on the ground, hoping to display distain for Flance's name, without actually having to say it.

Satisfied, Edward slapped Sterling's back. "Welcome. I will keep my eye on you."

Edward went around and thanked a few more men for being there, then he ventured into his house. Everyone who was still conscious left to their homes.

The night had done nothing for Sterling. All he wanted to do was discover where Indy was. They had talked about her a little, but quickly moved on to their revolution and their hate for Thelton. Sterling waited until all the lights were extinguished in Edward's house before he made his way to the barn. If Edward had imprisoned Indy, then maybe she was tied up there. Quietly, Sterling slipped into the barn. Normally, the two giant sheep dogs would have chased him away, but they had passed out amongst the men, for some of the men found it funny to get the dogs drunk. Sterling was thankful for the stupid state of the men, because now, he could quietly sneak around Edward's property.

He snuck into the barn which smelt horrific. "I bet Edward has never cleared the poop out," he said looking at it piled high in every stall. The animals looked sick and lifeless as Sterling explored their home. Clutter, old broken furniture, and tools littered the ground, making it hard to walk without tripping. Despite the smell, Sterling searched every available crevice Indy could be stashed in; she wasn't there. "What could Edward have done with her? Would he have stashed her in the house?"

Sterling walked back outside, the brisk coldness slapping his rounded cheek. As he rubbed his hands up and down his arms to create warmth, he looked to the house. He wondered if Indy was in there. He doubted it, but according to the men from the tavern, she had given them a huge fight. There was no way the house was peaceful if she was in it. But to be sure, Sterling snuck around its perimeter. He listened intently for any signs of distress; he heard nothing.

Indy's life was in danger. Sterling couldn't afford to make rash conclusions. He decided he would sleep in a bush by the house, and when Edward left for the day, he would go inside.

Waiting for Edward to leave, Sterling fell asleep and slept soundly until the rays of the sun interrupted his slumber. The light rays pried their way into Sterling's eye lids, waking him up before his body was fully ready. As the day progressed on, there was no sign of Edward or any movement in the house. Sterling had convinced himself there was no way Indy was inside, but he had to be sure, so he continued to wait.

As he waited, the day dragged on and despite his best efforts, Sterling drifted back to sleep until he woke to the slamming of the side door. He rubbed his eyes as he peered through the bushes. He could see Edward not too far off. Edward scratched his nose and looked over the field where the meeting from the night before had taken place. A smile formed on his twisted face, and he headed to his barn.

Once Edward went into the barn, Sterling slipped into the house. Inside he stopped to listen. He could hear a fair amount of noise coming from the top of the stairs. Excitement jolted through Sterling, "I found her!" Without wasting time, he sprinted up the stairs and flung the door open at the top. He was not prepared for what he saw.

Sitting in the corner of the room was a sour looking woman. She was surrounded by three young girls, attempting to comb out their hair. Sterling stopped cold. He had expected to see Indy. He hadn't even thought about the possibility of Edward having a family. The woman saw Sterling and let out a scream. She stood up fearfully gathering her three girls under her arms.

"Please, please, please don't scream," Sterling stuttered. "I'm, I'm not going to harm you. Just tell me where, tell me where the dragon woman is."

The woman didn't even hear Sterling. Sterling stood in front of the door in attempts to trap her in. Seeing her way blocked, she bent down and chucked the girl's toys at him. As he ducked her artillery, she grabbed her daughters and pushed past Sterling. He had no desire to harm her, so he let her go. Quickly, she ran down the stairs pulling along her three bawling and very frightened daughters. They ran out the front door.

The realization she was running to the barn hit Sterling. He only had moments before Edward would be barging in. He had to quickly finish searching the house for Indy. Franticly, Sterling ran to all the rooms in the house, there was no sign of her. Just to make sure she wasn't stuffed in some compartment in the wall, he called out for her as he went.

"Friend, friend, friend! If you are here, answer me, bang something! Let me know you are here."

Sterling called for her, finding every room empty. As he searched the last room, he heard the side door bang open. Sterling thought about hiding, but it wouldn't do any good. Edward would find him then pound him. He was going to have to fight.

The thought of fighting frightened him, but he had to suppress it, for he was a mighty hunter, and he had fought many wild animals. All he had to do was imagine Edward was a wild animal. Sterling picked up a silver candle holder and ducked behind the door, very shortly, Edward came barging into the room.

"Whoever assaulted my wife, be prepared to die". As Edward ran into the room, Sterling jumped out from behind the door and brought the candle stick quickly and strongly down onto Edward's head. The impact was solid. Edward immediately crumbled to the ground.

"Oh no, oh on, oh no." Tears streamed out of Sterling's eyes. He never liked the idea of hurting another human. He dropped to his knees to see if he had killed Edward. Picking up Edward's head in his arms, he cradled it. Edward breathed out a puff of air.

"Oh, oh, oh you are alive." He felt relieved he hadn't killed Edward. Nevertheless, he felt horrible for knocking him out. What choice did he have? Edward thought he was there to assault his wife. Surely, Edward would kill him before he would have a chance to explain himself.

Sterling rubbed his hand across Edward's brow, "I am so sorry, I am so sorry," he said as he gently lowered the head to the floor. Sterling stood up and ran out of the house.

From the barn, Edward's wife watched Sterling run off the property. As soon as he was far enough away, she ran into the house to check on her husband.

Sterling ran and ran until he was at the opening of the Vegus Forest. Things had not gone as planned. He had hoped to earn the trust of the men and be taken to Indy, but he only accomplished making himself a wanted man.

Sterling stayed inside the edge of the forest for two days, but he realized he had to act fast because they were planning on killing Indy very soon. "I don't want to rescue her just as they are lifting the blade to her neck. I need to rescue her before. I have to do something right away."

Searching his mind, he tried to figure a way to discover where they were keeping Indy. He knew he would have to do it in disguise, for surely Edward and the men would be searching for him. He needed a disguise to hide his short blond hair. Men didn't have hair as short as his, even though it had been growing. He pondered for awhile until he came up with a plan. He would dress as a woman.

It was a good and bad plan. For as a woman, he could wear a bonnet or a shawl, and no one would think anything of it. The bad part of the disguise was, as a woman, he wouldn't be allowed at any more revolution meetings. He would have to win someone's trust who knew something about Indy, gleaning the information about her from them.

Sterling waited until night, then snuck around several farms until he found some women's clothing hanging out to dry. He took what he needed and disguised himself, wrapping a burgundy shawl around his head and under his chin. When he was done, one would have a hard time guessing by appearance alone he was really a man. He grabbed a large canvas set out to dry, for he would need it as well.

In the early morning, Sterling took his canvas to the market and found a spot to set up. He sat amongst all the other merchants, except he was the only one without anything to sell. Many of the male merchants walked by and taunted him. He fluttered his eyes like a woman and giggled in a high soprano. With nothing to sell, he was not a threat to their business. As the market filled with people, Sterling tried to keep his ear open for any words on Indy or the revolution, but none were mentioned. As he waited, he received many curious stares from the shoppers. At midmorning, a lady stopped by his booth.

"What are you selling?"

Sterling began to sweat, he could pull off being a woman if he didn't open his mouth, but once he did, he was sure he would be discovered. He let out a high giggle, hoping she would move on, but she stood there firmly, waiting for a response. Finally, Sterling answered in his best imitation of a woman. "I weave women's hair."

The woman's eyes widened, for she was confused. "What?" she asked.

Sterling squirmed under the thick layers of clothes. "Well come here and let me demonstrate." The lady, curious, stepped onto the stretched out canvas and joined Sterling. He grabbed a handful of her hair and weaved it into a masterpiece, which he piled on the side of her head. As he worked, he noticed she carried a basket of flowers.

"Do you mind?" he asked as he grabbed one. Shocked at his boldness, she let him have it. He took it and secured sprigs of flowers in her hair. As he finished, a few other woman had stopped and were watching.

"Wow, your hair looks divine," someone said.

"It looks like hair for a princess."

Sterling tilted his head back and giggled, "Well, I did use to weave Princess Alashia's hair." Suddenly Sterling blushed, because he had actually met the princess, and he remembered how beautiful she was.

"Do mine, do mine," three of the ladies called out. If his hands had been in the princess' hair, they thought, he would bring luck upon them.

"Wait," said the lady whose hair he had started on, "You must finish mine first."

Sterling giggled, and worked on another strand of the woman's hair. While he spent the rest of the morning creating beautiful hair, a large crowd of women gathered around his canvas. As soon as he finished one woman, he would start on the next, never a moment to rest. His fingers cramped in pain, screaming for him to stop, but he kept going, for as he wove hair, the women waiting their turns, spent the time talking amongst themselves.

He learned about many scandals in the kingdom of Andleburg. A lot was mentioned about the revolution. He heard the best way to bake pies and to scrub the dirt out of garments, but he never heard a thing about Indy. If he didn't find Indy tonight, then tomorrow, she would be publically displayed and killed.

Toward the evening, many of the merchants were packing up their things, anxious to return home to their families. Sterling felt a lump in his stomach as he weaved hair. Why had not one lady mentioned his friend? Indy looked odd compared to the other women. Surely she would be a subject for gossip.

As the market cleared out, Sterling's line stayed long. No one had ever marketed hairdo's, and the women were intrigued, each woman anxious to have her hair as beautiful as the others.

The next customer sat in front of Sterling. He grabbed her hair without looking at her face. He had long stopped noticing who sat before him, because he was fatigued and ready to stop. The only thing keeping him going was he was making good money, which he needed, and he still hoped to find word on Indy.

He weaved the long black hair into intricate designs while the lady's children ran up to her knee. As Sterling attached a braid to her side, he looked down at the lady's daughters. Immediately, fear blocked his air passage and he began to choke. He pulled away from the woman and violently coughed. The lady was busy talking to her girls, she didn't notice the masculine quality to his rattle. Tears spilled out of his eyes as he grabbed the lady's hair with his shaking hands. He quickly finished her hair.

"Can he do mine? Can he do mine?" the three girls begged.

"Of course," she said, as she sat her oldest in front of Sterling.

Sterling quickly braided and weaved the child's hair, anxious to get them on their way. When he was done with the oldest, the next child was placed in front of him. Again, he quickly worked through the child's hair, as he felt the mother's eyes penetrate him. "Does she recognize me?" he wondered.

It was only after he started the third child's hair, inspiration slapped him on the side of the head. Here he had Edward's wife right before him. Surely, she knew where Indy was. He had to say something; he had to take the risk.

"Aren't you the wife of the revolutionary leader?" he asked, keeping his voice feminine.

"Shhhhhh," Edward's wife quickly hushed him, looking around to see if anyone had heard.

Sterling scrunched his shoulders in. Why had he been loud, for now she would be too scared to talk to him? "Sorry," Sterling sang out in a high voice. After Sterling's question, the sour faced lady looked very eager to leave. Sterling slowed considerably down on her last child's hair. He had to do something to get information out of her, but what? Edward's wife refused to look at Sterling anymore; instead she kept muttering comments about him hurrying. Again, Sterling had failed.

Sterling wrapped the last curl around the child's face. Edward's wife looked relieved to have him done. She opened her sash but found no slip coins, the currency of Andleburg.

"Oh, my," she said, her face became dark red to embarrassment. "I have no coins." She looked to Sterling for mercy. Sterling felt like offering her a trade, she wouldn't have to pay if she told him where Indy was. He rehearsed the offer over in his mind, but it wouldn't come out.

"Listen, my husband is two tents down. I will be back." Edward's wife left her three daughters with Sterling as collateral while she ran off.

An impatient customer took the seat in front of Sterling. "That took way too long," she said in disgust. "My husband will be worrying about me; please make this quick."

Sterling didn't hear a word the new customer said. His eyes were tracking Edward's wife until she ducked into one of the few tents left standing. He kept his eye on the tent, watching for her to exit.

"Any day now," the impatient customer said.

"Oh, sorry," Sterling said in his regular voice, he was very distracted. The woman wondered if she heard the hairdresser right, but as soon as he started weaving her hair, she dismissed the masculine voice.

It took a long time for Edward to leave the tent. So long that Sterling was on his third customer since Edward's wife had left. The three girls were restless waiting for their mom to come and get them. Edward finally popped out of the tent and approached Sterling's canvas. Sterling was shaking, hardly able to weave the lady's hair.

"Daddy, daddy," the girls called out as their father approached. They wrapped their arms around him. Edward had come to the canvas in haste, for his wife had pulled him out of an important revolutionary meeting, and he intended to quickly pay off his wife's debt and to collect their children. He stopped as he gasped at Sterling.

Sterling shook violently, sweat quickly pulled under his armpits and at his groin, he thought, "Edward knows. Edward is going to pound me, or even worse, he is going to drag me into the tent with all of his revolutionary buddies." Sterling refused to look up.

"Do you want your money or not?" Edward asked.

Sterling giggled, and without looking up, he held out his hand.

Edward reached down and grabbed Sterling's face and forced his face upwards. Sterling balled up his fists, ready to fight.

Edward winked at Sterling, then said. "Aren't you a fair maiden? You are new to these parts. I haven't seen you around."

Sterling's fists relaxed. He tried to look away, but Edward wouldn't release his face.

"Well, where are you from?"

Sterling almost said Candleshaw, but he stopped himself, because he didn't want to say anything that would make Edward think of him.

"I am from the castle. I used to do hair there," Sterling said in a sing song voice.

Edward looked serious, "From the castle, you would know the layout of the inside?"

Sterling giggled, "Uh, yeah, I guess."

Edward dropped Sterling's face and looked off to the distance. Sterling ducked his head down. Why didn't Edward just pay him and leave?

Edward bent down to Sterling and wisped his lips against Sterling's cheek.

"You know, a very pretty woman as yourself could prove to be very valuable to me."

Sterling giggled while his cheek burned. Did Edward really just kiss it?

"Tell me your name?" Edward demanded.

"Um...well, it is Charity," Sterling stammered.

Edward grabbed Sterling's hand and dropped the owed slip coins in it. He then reached in a pouch and pulled out double the coins, those too he dropped into Sterling's hand.

Sterling giggled again, "I couldn't possibly take more than I am due, and besides, I am not that type of woman," Sterling said.

"My dear Charity, you mistake my intentions," Edward said, as he passed his hands across Sterling's cheek. "I am a man, and of course I would entertain you at any moment you are ready, but today, I seek something different. I seek information."

Sterling relaxed a bit. "What type of information do you seek?" he asked.

"I have a very special meeting in three days. Come to it, and I will reveal my needs at that time."

If Sterling had ever been handed something directly into his lap, the time was now. He took Edward's slip coins and placed them back into Edward's hands.

"You are a strong man. I have but one need."

Edward's eyes perked up.

"I heard that you cage a woman of wild spirits, one that has been bred from the dragons."

Edward frowned a bit, realizing that Sterling wasn't offering what he thought. Nevertheless, he quickly smiled, for he loved the occasion to brag. "I do," he said as he stood erect.

"Take me to see this creature, and I will tell you anything you need to know. I will even set up an audience with the princess if you desire."

Edward's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out. Suddenly, he felt as if everything was aligning perfectly for him.

"Your request is simple and yet easy to fulfill. Tomorrow at mid sun in the town square, we will have the dragon woman on display, you can see her then."

Sterling frowned. "No, not then, not during her execution. I hate the sight of shed blood. I want to see her now, this very minute if I can. If you give me an audience with the dragon woman, I will give you an audience with the princess."

Edward's eye twitched in excitement; an audience with the princess. It could be his ticket to the beginning of the revolution.

"Listen, Charity love," Edward said to Sterling as he caressed his hand. "I am actually in the middle of some very important business just over there in the tent. You wait for me, and when I am finished, I will give you a personal audience with the dragon woman." Edward bent over and kissed Sterling on the lips.

Sterling had to grab his right hand with his left hand, for it was all he could do to keep himself from punching Edward in the face. Edward collected his daughters and returned to the tent. Sterling watched him as the kiss melted his lips and the acid from his stomach rose in his throat.

There were still seven ladies lingering around, waiting for their turn for Sterling to do their hair. Since Sterling had to hang around for Edward, he decided to make a few more slip coins from it. As Edward wrapped up his meeting, Sterling wrapped up hair.

Chapter 9

Thelton walked along a strange countryside for a full day, finally bedding down in an abandoned house. In the morning, he awoke and headed toward the sea. As he got close to the ports, he saw posters all around. He went over to see if any of them were about him. As he suspected, there were numerous wanted signs posted about him, what he didn't expect was a sign addressed personally to him:

NOTICE

Thelton The Dragon Slayer

If you want your woman to live,

Turn yourself in!!!!

The dragon woman dies

in the middle of the Andleburg Square

on the middle day at mid sun of the week that proceeds the

crescent moon.

...

Thelton thought over to the night's moon, "If I am correct, the crescent moon will appear in three nights." Panic overtook him. "How did they capture her? I should have never let her leave my side."

Thelton wasn't sure how long it would take him to get to Andleburg from his spot, but he was sure if he ran hard, he would be there in enough time before the execution of Indy. "If I can get a horse, then I will make it in time for sure. But, even if I get there in time, how will I rescue her? Her death is obviously the bait to lure me in. I can bring down dragons, trolls, and all manner of forest creatures, but I won't have the ability to fight a hundred men." At one time he had bested over forty men, but he had used black magic.

"It is a trap, and besides, she left me for another man. Maybe her execution is not my concern." He tried to push his feelings aside, but couldn't. "Of course she is my concern. I still love her. The first thing I need is a proper disguise. The whole countryside is looking for me, and everyone knows what I look like." Thelton had an idea.

He spent the day running. By nightfall, he made it to a little village with a small tavern. He waited in the dark shadows until a drunk exited the tavern.

"Hey, psst, come here," he beckoned the drunk his way. Panic entered the drunk's heart, for someone calling him from the shadows surely meant trouble. The drunk turned his back to Thelton and tried to run off, but his lack of balance only landed him on the ground with a loud thud.

"Pllleass, don't rob me, I has no money," the drunk squealed, begging for his life.

"I came to give you money," Thelton said, coming up to the drunk's side.

Thelton held a golden rock close to the man's nose, his bloodshot eyes widened. He looked into Thelton's face.

"Why, you're The Dragon Slayer," the man slurred.

"Only in my dreams could I be that man. I am a farmer from Andleburg and I am in need of new clothes and a horse. Do you know where I can get some?"

The drunk greedily looked at the nugget of gold Thelton held out to him. The small rock could keep him in whiskey for over a year.

"Sure, follow me back to my home and you can take all my clothes." The man offered.

"Where is your home?"

"Just a night's journey."

"I don't have that time. Give me your clothes on your back, and I will give you mine. We will trade right here."

The drunk wore a long woolen cloak for traveling. It was old and he would have traded it for a swig of whiskey. He couldn't believe he was being offered a gold nugget for it. He struggled to remove his garments, but he could not seem to get them off. Although he hated to, Thelton helped the drunk out of his clothes. The garments smelt something horrid, and Thelton could feel his skin crawl when it rubbed against his skin. He then dropped his own clothes on top of the drunk's body.

"What about a horse?" Thelton asked as he tried to forget about the filthy robe he wore.

The drunk pointed to a brown horse tied between two others. "That is Alice; you are free to take her, after you leave me the nugget."

Without wasting any more of his time, Thelton slipped the nugget into the drunk's clammy hand. Thelton ran to the horse and unhitched it from the post. After climbing on, he dug his heels into the horse's side and began galloping away.

"Good luck, Dragon Slayer!" the drunk called behind him.

As he rode off, Thelton pulled the hood over his face and tried to conceal himself as much as possible, for if a drunk could recognize him in the middle of the night, anyone could. As he rode, Thelton could feel the bugs of the cloak crawl over his skin, for the clothes had been infested with fleas and bedbugs. Thelton scratched at his chest as the horse carried him through the night.

...

Having made good time, Thelton was in Andleburg the day before the execution. Once there, he went to the town square and surveyed the area. He wished he knew where Indy was being kept, for if he could rescue her the night before, it would be much easier than when she was surrounded by a hundred or more angry men.

Not sure as where to look, Thelton sat in the middle of the square, and as he did, an older woman watched him. She walked by four times, never taking her eyes off of him. Finally, she went to his side and bowed.

"You are The Dragon Slayer everyone is looking for," she pronounced.

"You must have me mistaken. I am simply a man passing through."

The lady clicked her tongue and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I know that you are him, but do not worry, I will not reveal you."

Thelton looked into the women's eyes, "Please lady, I know not who you seek, but I am not him."

"Oh, but you are. They said you would show up in some sort of disguise, probably a long cloak, they said, and here you are, just like they said, looking just like they said."

The scratchy wool tore at his skin, the insects bit here and there, and his sweat penetrated everything. Thelton stood. He needed to get away before anyone else recognized him.

"Off to hide?" the women asked. "Before you do, take my advice. Don't return tomorrow. There will be over a thousand men here to apprehend you. They want only to see you die, and they will make sure it happens. There is no disguise that will fool them, for they are expecting it."

Thelton turned and looked at the lady again. "Will they kill her?" he asked. As he waited for her reply, he looked around the square. There were a few people strolling along, but none seemed to notice him. He couldn't be sure, maybe they were watching him. He felt an urgency to go somewhere secluded to hide.

"Without a doubt," the women replied. "The dragon woman has torn apart five barns already. Any man that tries to detain her, she leaves her mark by ripping them apart or biting them. The men hate her. If she wasn't your bait, they would have killed her already."

The woman thought for a moment, then continued. "Dragon Slayer, that dragon woman is a mean thing. I have seen her with my own two eyes. There is only wildness in her. I am not sure why you would want such a beastly woman, but take my advice; let her die. For one, she will probably tear you apart as well, for she is very strong. Two, it is a trap, and when you show up, they will kill you then her, so either way; she is going to die tomorrow. Three, I have a most fair daughter, and I would readily give you her hand. I don't care what the people say about you, you have always been my hero, and I would proudly give you my daughter."

Thelton saw a couple of men in the distance looking at him, whispering amongst themselves. Thelton knew it was time to leave. Without thanking the woman, he jumped up and ran to his tied up horse and sped away.

Chapter 10

Thelton fled to the cottage of the medicine woman. He knew she would have the power to change his looks. He banged loudly on the knobby pine. From inside he could hear a scratchy voice yell, "Who dares disturb me?"

"It's Thelton," he called back.

The door creaked opened. Inside the medicine women eagerly awaited him. Once inside, the door magically banged shut behind him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. Looking over at the medicine woman, he saw a decrepit old woman, one who looked at least two hundred years old. Her eyes were squished tight with little slits. Her face was prominently wrinkled, with a big nose crinkled in the middle. Her ears were almost the length of her face with wild little hairs escaping from their openings. Each time her mouth opened, a vapor of stink escaped, showing her bare mouth with only four rotten teeth left. Thelton was sure it was her elixirs keeping her alive so long. She looked like death. Her clothes were very ratty and dirty, everything about her made Thelton uncomfortable.

"Thelton, it took you longer than I thought. You know I have been without dragon scales for a very, very long time. Please, bring them to me, bring them to me." The woman's voice rose in excitement, she began shaking. Thelton swallowed hard. He had no dragon scales to give her.

"I know I promised you more scales then you could imagine, but I am afraid that..."

The medicine women interrupted with a high pitched squeal, "You better not be telling me that you have no scales. How can I create most of my potions without those beloved scales?"

The medicine women slithered out of the shadows and brought her haggard face as close to Thelton's as she could.

"You cannot forsake me, Thelton, you promised me scales. It doesn't have to be numbers without end, but at least a bag full for now."

Her breath was rancid, smelling like death itself. Thelton had to choke back the vomit because her breath was making him ill.

"My love," Thelton said. "Things fell apart, everything went wrong, and I wasn't able to accrue the scales for you. I would never forsake you, and in due time, the scales will be yours."

Thelton had supplied the medicine woman with dragon scales for almost fifteen years. She used the scales in almost everything she made. They were a very powerful ingredient. Thelton had always brought more scales around the time she was running out. Last time he had visited her, he promised to return with around fifty dragons' worth of scales. How could he come back empty handed?

The medicine woman caressed her wrinkly dry hand up and down Thelton's arm, her very touch made his skin burn more than the acid rain had. He didn't push her away, because he needed her services.

"If you didn't bring scales then you must have come to fulfill our final conversation, for which I can forgive you for not bringing me scales."

Thelton felt very confused, "What was the moth-eaten woman talking about?" She stood on tiptoes trying to put her face level to Thelton's. Her putrid breath billowed up into his face, his eyes running.

Thelton tried to step back, but she only stepped up to him again.

"Do you come to make me your bride?"

Thelton took another awkward step back, tripping over some cloth on the floor, he tumbled back onto his rear end. The medicine woman quickly crouched over him, smiling a toothless grin his way. "Are you all right, my dear?"

Thelton crab-crawled away from her, despite the pain in his ankle, he quickly jumped up. "I am so sorry, but I told you, I never plan on getting married."

"You were going to marry the princess until they tried to kill you."

Thelton shook his head, "No, no, no, I explained to you I was betrothed to her against my will. I never planned on marrying her."

The medicine woman sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around her legs. She stuck out her decomposing lip in a pout. "You have no scales, you're not going to marry me; then why are you here?"

Thelton stood up. "Listen, I am in a lot of trouble. The tri-kingdoms are all looking for me. I need a disguise I can make it safely to the Vegus Forest. Once there, I will get you your dragon scales, I promise," Thelton said lying, for he didn't intend on ever seeing the medicine woman again, which broke his heart a little. She was hideous, but he was intrigued by her magic.

The medicine woman looked Thelton over as he stood before her in the wool cloak. "It looks like you already have a disguise," she snarled.

"This one doesn't work. I have already been identified, and it was by a woman! No, I need a magical disguise, one that turns me into someone else." Thelton suddenly had a wonderful idea. If she could permanently change his features, then he wouldn't have to leave Andleburg.

"What you ask is simple. I can easily do it for you. As far as I am concerned, you have given me years of dragon scales, so I am in your debt. I will do it for no charge, but you must promise to bring me some dragon scales in thirty days time."

Thelton reached his hand down as an offer to help the medicine woman off the floor. She gladly accepted his hand and he pulled her up.

"Can you make me a thin, short man?"

The medicine women clicked her tongue, "I cannot decrease your physical stature at all. I can only manipulate or increase it."

"How about a husky adolescent, with red hair?"

"Easy," the medicine women said.

As the medicine women gathered supplies to create her potion, Thelton had another request for her. "I am in a lot of trouble at the moment. There may be an occasion where I might need to take out an army of men. Can you help me?"

It was because of the medicine woman Thelton had gotten into so much trouble. He had been prideful when the king had commanded him to lead forty men to slay the dragon nest. He wasn't a people-person and had wanted to do it alone. The medicine woman had provided him with a variety of magical elements, making it possible for him to rid himself of the men, and to escape most dangerous situations.

"How big is your army?"

"At least a thousand strong, if not more."

"Oh Thelton, you ask a lot from an old woman." The medicine went to the back of the cottage and sat down on her flea infested bed.

"I wouldn't ask if I knew that you couldn't do it, but I know that you can. You are the most amazing woman that I know." Thelton tried to lather her with praise. He really needed her help.

The putrescent cheeks of the medicine woman filled with a small amount of color. "You know I'd do anything for you." She said to Thelton, and winked. He hoped it wouldn't take long, for he was weary of her flirting with him.

As the medicine woman concocted some magical antics, Thelton paced about her small cottage.

Chapter 11

Edward weaved his fingers through Sterling's fingers and led him along. Sterling's thick callused hands did not surprise Edward, for most of the women had rough, callused hands from the hard labor they had to endure. Edward was still under the assumption Sterling was a woman, and Edward planned on using his charm to see how far he could get with the woman by his side.

Behind Edward and Sterling trailed five men. They knew Edward was married, but he seemed to have an interest in a new woman each night. They walked a long time until they reached the edge of the Vegus Forest, a part Sterling had not been to.

"We tried keeping her in barns, but she was too wild, she destroyed most of them. Now, we have her securely tied to a tree. The rope was weaved by Josiah, and is of very strong material. There is no way that she can escape this time."

Sterling still feared the forest, but not as much as he used to. He confidently walked toward it, hand in hand with Edward.

"You sure seem brave for a woman." Edward observed. "Most women refused to step a foot in the Vegus Forest."

Sterling wrapped his arm through Edward's, "I am very scared, but I know that you and those strong men behind us will protect me." Sterling kept using his soprano voice. He wondered how Edward couldn't tell it was a fake, it seemed odd sounding to Sterling. As they walked into the trees, Sterling slowed his stride considerably. He had to play the role of a woman.

"Oh, it's dark and scary," he said as he gripped his arm tighter into Edward's. Edward liked how Sterling was seeking protection from him. They walked a few paces until Sterling stopped dead cold. In front of him were five men guarding Indy.

The men guarded Indy as she stood tied to four trees. Each limb was quartered and strongly anchored. Indy's leaf outfit was almost nonexistent. Across her chest were the marks of over fifty lashes, their bright red welts raised above her skin. Filth covered her body and face. Sterling could tell by her hollow cheeks they had probably starved her. Around her face dropped her tangled hair, hair ratted in large knots. Her eye sockets were sunk in with deep dark circles underneath them. Her skin was grey as ash. Defiance blazed in her eyes as she watched the men approach.

Upon seeing her horrific appearance, tears immediately poured out of Sterling's eyes. His heart shattered as he saw the woman he loved tied to a tree. Dark gripping anger formed inside him. Sterling wanted to slam his fist into every man there, but he knew he couldn't. Indy didn't recognize Sterling in his female disguise. As she looked at him she shot daggers of hate his way. Sterling ached to run to her and cut the cords off her body. He yearned to rescue her.

"Look at you, you are crying." Edward said to Sterling. He took a finger and began wiping away a tear. Sterling could hardly contain himself. He swat Edward's hand away.

"You don't have to be strong woman. I realize that she is scary to look upon," Edward said. He tried to pull Sterling into him. Sterling shoved Edward away.

He had to grab his right hand and stop it from slamming Edward in the face. Despite his aversion to fighting, he was pretty sure he could bring Edward down, for Edward's frame was small. "But if I take Edward out, the other men would jump me and I won't be able to rescue my friend." Sterling's anger was at the edge. "I have to get out of here before I end up killing Edward," he thought.

Sterling turned from the men and ran out of the forest. His breathing was thick and labored. His eyes blurred over from the tears. His lip bled as he bit into it because he was mad.

"Hey, don't forget your part of the bargain, Charity. I expect an audience with the princess in a few days." Edward called after Sterling. When Sterling was out of sight, Edward turned and faced his men, "You see, that is why you don't bring women around, they can't handle this kind of stuff."

All the men laughed as if Edward had said the funniest joke ever.

...

About the first hour into the night, still dressed as women, Sterling returned to where Indy was. She had several guards watching over her.

"Hey woman, you don't belong here," one of the men yelled at Sterling.

Sterling giggled while he shifted his weight back and forth, trying to act like he was flirting.

"Is Edward with you?" one of the other men asked.

Sterling recognized the guards. Not only were they the men who had earlier escorted Sterling to see Indy, they had also been on the expedition with him to find the queen dragon.

Sterling giggled and shook his head no.

Two of the men stood and walked toward Sterling. "Get out of here, woman. Edward made a mistake bringing a woman here."

"Listen, men, I have brought you a gift," Sterling said with a huge grin.

"What kind of gift?"

Sterling pulled two flasks out from under his long skirt. Breeham's Concoction. It was known in the tri-kingdoms if you wanted to get the best alcohol there was, then you would go to Breeham, for he made the best. His drink was coveted by all, but highly expensive.

Four of the men licked their lips. The fifth became confrontational.

"Why would you bring us Breeham's?

Sterling's face instantly became stone cold and serious. "I am very thankful for your cause here men, for..." Sterling had to stop, for his emotions set in. Tears began running down his cheeks. "For, Thelton had killed my father, and I am excited you are going to avenge my father's death."

The men looked at Sterling crying. His sincerity struck their hearts and helped them remember their own losses.

"Who was your father?"

The question caught Sterling off guard. He should have figured an answer to their question before they asked it. He couldn't tell the name of his father, for he didn't want them to figure out who he really was. He thought as his mind seemed to go blank. "Who there had been old enough to be my father, and who now was dead?" As he searched his mind, "Royster," popped out of his mouth.

"Royster the Fighter? I didn't know that he had a daughter your age." One of the men said.

Sterling wiped at his tears, then forced out a giggle, "Well, he does." Silence filled the area. Sterling looked over at Indy. Her eyes were still wild. He shivered after looking at her eyes, for he would sure hate to be on her wrong side. Suddenly, the flasks were removed from Sterling's hands. One of the guards carried them over to the other men.

"Listen," the fifth one protested again. "Edward told us not to drink. He demanded we must stay sober while on watch."

"I know, I know," the man carrying the flasks said. "I wasn't planning on drinking them tonight, but they are Breeham's and this beautiful woman brought us a gift in memory of her father, so the proper thing is to accept them, then tomorrow when we have captured Thelton, we can drink it in celebration."

The men thought it over, and even the fifth man thought it was an excellent idea. Sterling blew a kiss at them, then said, "I better get back to mother before she notices I am gone." Sterling turned his back to the men and ran off.

The men tried to return to their previous conversation, but found it very difficult to do with the two flasks of Breeham's staring at them. Picking up a flask, one of the men said, "I have never had Breeham's alcohol before. I have heard that nothing compares."

Another man licked his lips, "It is the best."

"If we break this out tomorrow during the celebration, all will want a drink. Do you realize we will be lucky to even have a swallow?"

"That is true," another said as his eyes lit up. "Let us take our swig now."

"No," the fifth guard said. "Are you guys so quick to forget what happened to us the last time we drank on a mission? We all woke up as trees. Leave the alcohol alone."

A guard ignored the fifth and opened it up, the sweet smell tempted him. He brought the flask to his lips and took a drink, the hard liquid burning all the way down to his stomach. "Oh, that is excellent," he said, and before anyone could stop him he had another swallow.

The flask was ripped out of his hands and was drunk by another of the guards, then it went around the circle, and even the fifth guard took a drink. All the men had to agree it was the best alcohol they had ever drunk, and since it was created for its strength, it didn't take long for the men to be totally drunk and pass out. That is why Sterling used Breeham. It was brewed for its strength.

Behind a bush, Sterling silently watched the men. When the last man passed out, he popped out of the bush and ran to Indy. Indy watched as the strange woman approached her. She snarled, if she could get a chance, she would sink her teeth into the woman's face. Sterling reached up to the cords and began losing them from around Indy's wrists. As he worked, he unexpectedly got head butted by Indy. With her right arm free, she reached out and began tearing at Sterling's face.

"Stop, stop," Sterling squealed, "Please friend, stop."

Indy stopped, but not before she had left Sterling with several large gashes. She recognized his voice, but more than that, she recognized the word he called her, 'Friend". Indy's eyes softened as she looked at Sterling. She was confused, because the one in front of her was not Sterling, but a strange woman.

Sterling ripped the bonnet of his head, Indy immediately recognized him. Tears pooled in his eyes. They were tears of sorrow as he saw her lashes close up. They were also tears of pain, because his cheeks stung where Indy had ripped into them. Sterling put a kiss on Indy's lips, then replaced it with a finger, hoping to hush her.

"Friend, I am going to free you, then you can fly. You must be quiet, so we don't wake up those men."

Indy seemed to understand Sterling. She relaxed as she let him undo all her chords. When Indy was completely free, she melted her body into Sterling's. He held her close as she bawled and bawled. The torture and pain over the last few days had crushed her spirits. The things they had done to her had been horrific.

Sterling held her for a long time. Finally, she let go of Sterling and the wild blaze returned to her eyes. She turned her back to Sterling and charged at one of her captors. She drove her claws into his chest, instantly drawing blood. With her hands busy, she sunk her teeth into the man's face. Seeing what she was doing, Sterling tackled Indy, trying to pull her away, but he had no leverage; she was strong.

"Friend, friend, friend, friend, friend." He said wanting her to stop. Somehow, his gentle voice penetrated her shell of hate, and she turned to Sterling. He pulled her up and away from the guard, who despite what she had done, was still passed out.

"Friend, let's go, please. I need to get you to safety before more men show up." Sterling pointed to the sky as he wrapped his arms around her. "Fly."

Indy opened her large wings and held Sterling tight. Together, they flew off into the night.

...

"Wake up you imbeciles, where is she? WHERE IS SHE?" Edward took the tip of his boot and jammed it into the side of his men, jarring them awake. How could they all have fallen asleep? They were the night guards; couldn't at least one have stayed awake?

The men awoke to the painful and shocking arousal from Edward. Their heads pounded to the massive migraine beating upon their brain tissue. As they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, their intellect slowly emerged from the deep fog concealing it. Each guard's heart leapt in his chest when he looked over to the tree, barren of their bait. Indy was gone, the snapped cords dangling as a reminder she was there the night before.

By the strong acidic smell, the puke covered ground, the empty flasks, and the blank look on all of their faces, Edward could assess they had been drinking.

"You guys drank, didn't you? Why did you do it?" Edward grabbed the biggest man by the shirt and yanked at him to stand, even though the man was almost twice Edward's size, he cowered behind Edward's authority. Edward put his face directly in the man's face. He was so close his spit flew into the man's eyes when Edward screamed.

"She was our sure fire way at capturing Thelton. I thought that you all wanted that. He wronged everyone here, and I had a way to bring him in, but thanks to you worthless bags of slime, she is gone. GONE!"

The rage flamed in Edward. He slapped the large guard on the face, leaving a red welt on the man's cheek. Edward's own hand stung which added kindling to his roaring inferno.

Edward picked up one of the flasks and chucked it at the head of the fifth guard. "Sure, the other men I could see succumbing to the drink, but not you. I expected more."

The fifth guard looked away from Edward. It was true, he had almost stopped the men from drinking, but he allowed himself to be lured into the idea they all would only take one swig.

"Edward, we are sorry, we meant to keep the alcohol until today after we captured Thelton, but we all became weak because it was Breeham's Concoction, and we had only planned to..."

Edward cut the guard off. "I am sick of hearing your excuse as to why you let the most valuable part to my plan escape."

"You planned on drinking it after we caught Thelton? How will you manage to do that, since we won't be capturing Thelton?"

All the men looked away from Edward. They had disappointed him and there was no way they would redeem their actions. In all his plans for revolution, Edward had already appointed the men future positions once he took the crown. The five men knew their promised position was now only an illusion. Edward grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the men. He spit into the center of them.

"What am I going to do, what am I going to do? Without the dragon woman, there is no Thelton. How can I rally the kingdom around me if I do not deliver Thelton's head? How can I? How can I? HOW CAN I? The kingdom will hold the escape of the dragon woman upon my shoulders and yet it was your incompetence that let her escape, not mine. I don't know, I guess maybe it was mine because I was incompetent enough to trust you."

Edward paced back and forth while he tried to devise a new plan. There was no way he could track the dragon woman down, for she had wings and by now she could be anywhere. What would he do? Thelton would not show up to the square if he didn't have the dragon woman tied up. What would he do?

Edward's eyes lightened up. He had an idea.

"I know, I know what I will do. Charity, the girl I brought here yesterday, she was very large in stature, much like the dragon woman. I will get her and dress her up as the dragon woman. The wig maker is sure to have long dark hair we can place on her head. We will veil her face so Thelton doesn't see her. When he comes to rescue Charity, we will apprehend him."

Edward thought for a moment longer. "I don't know. That isn't going to work. How do we create wings? We could stuff something behind her hair to look like there are wings there. Because of her hair, it really is hard to see her wings anyway." Edward paced back and forth, while the fifth guard tried to get Edward's attention; however Edward kept hushing him.

"I can't think of any other way to lure Thelton in. If we don't take this chance, then we will lose any future opportunities. Thelton is magical and can disappear forever if he wanted to. We have to do it today, or the opportunity will be lost to us forever." Edward finally stopped pacing and looked at his men. The fifth one looked like he desperately wanted to share something with Edward. Edward nodded his head at the guard, giving him permission to speak.

"That girl you talk about, she came and visited us last night, for that is where the Breeham's Concoction came from."

Edward's face instantly flushed to a deep red, his anger erupted out of his mouth. "You fools! You absolute mindless fools. Do you not see what has happened? That dragon woman didn't escape on her own. Charity let her free. She gave you alcohol to dull your senses and it worked. She took the dragon woman right out from under you. Did I not tell you not to drink? But you did anyway. Haven't you guys learned anything from the time Thelton poisoned our whiskey? And, yet, here you are again, drinking and allowing opportunities to go by because of the drink."

As Edward mulled his own words over in his head, another thought hit him. Rage cascaded through him as he ran over to a tree and slammed his fist into it, shattering his hand. The pain sent Edward to the ground as he cradled his broken hand and rolled around on the ground screaming. The men uncomfortably watched his display of pain, none of them going to his side to offer comfort.

When Edward finally found the ability to control his emotions, he stood up and walked back over to the men. "I should have seen it. I should have seen it. I cannot believe that I allowed myself to be duped by him again."

"Seen what?" one of the guards asked timidly.

"Charity. Did anyone stop to think she was rather large for a woman?"

"No, because she was the same size as the dragon woman." One of the guards answered.

"Yeah, she was the same size as the dragon woman, but women never come as big as the dragon woman. She is that big because she isn't human. But, Charity, she was large for a woman, and she is human. I don't believe that Charity really was a woman."

The men thought about Edward's words, they had to agree; she had been rather large for a woman.

"Who would want to steal the dragon woman?" the fifth guard asked

"Who else, but Thelton? He came right here in our own camp and we entertained him and allowed him to walk away with the bait. He duped us all and we let him. And then, just like before, he used our weakness for drinking to allow him to win. It is by our own stupidity that we allowed the dragon woman to get away."

Edward sat in the middle of the men, no longer was his wrath focused on them, for he bore as much responsibility to the dragon woman's apprehension as they did. In fact, he was the very one who led the enemy into their mist. Edward snagged his dagger out of his boot and slowly pointed it in everyman's face. "Not a word about this to anyone, do you understand? If the kingdom sees us as weak, then they will not trust us to lead them into a revolution." Edward took his dagger and slit his palm, red drops of blood squeezed out the newly formed wound. He took the same dagger and slit the other men's palms as well. They all shook hands; inner-mixing their blood.

"The only way we can face this is to claim she broke through her cords, and after a massive fight, flew to the sky."

The men nodded as they agreed, the lie sounded solid. "There is one thing we must do to make it look believable. We must return with battle wounds. We must look like we fought hard to keep the wild dragon woman." With that, Edward balled up his fist and slammed it straight into the nose of the fifth guard.

...

The town square hummed with the excitement of people. A vibration of their energy electrified the air with close to two thousand in attendance. The fame of the dragon woman had quickly spread like wildfire across more than just the tri-kingdoms, into outlying kingdoms as well. The people were intrigued by the idea of a half-woman-half-dragon beast. Many looked forward to seeing Thelton captured and executed. Although his abilities were legendary, if he showed up, he was sure to be killed.

Thelton obtained a spot only paces away from the guillotine. With his disguise from the medicine woman, he looked like a fat teenager, having orange hair, and a face plastered with freckles, his skin was smooth and young. No one would give him a second glance. He nervously waited for Indy to be brought out.

"I really didn't know how I will rescue her," he thought. He had anticipated at most a thousand people, but he had been way off. The medicine woman had given him some powerful magical aids, but he didn't have enough for that large of a crowd. Thelton found with his extra layers of fat, he sweated more, and since he was nervous, the sweat poured down his skin.

Chapter 12

Edward almost felt like the tables had turned. He had venomously attacked the king's name when word had gotten out Thelton had escaped. And here he was, about to face the people and tell them the dragon woman had escaped. "Will they turn on me?" he worried. "Will I lose face in front of the people?" he had no idea how this would end. Some of the men there seemed even more hateful to Thelton than he did. Would those very men who rallied behind him, now demand Edward's life for letting the bait escape?

The time had come for Indy to be presented to the crowd; in fact, it had passed by. The people were getting restless awaiting the presentation of Indy. Slowly, nervously, Edward walked in the center of the square. The crowd grew silent, too silent. All eyes were on him. His hair stood up and his skin felt tight.

"Dear fine people of Andleburg and the Tri-kingdoms, I thank you for gathering here today, on what is to be a monumental day, for today we had planned to capture Thelton."

The crowd roared in delight. They couldn't wait to see justice served. Edward's heart began skipping beats while lightness filled his head. "I better not pass out."

"We know for a fact that when we bring out the wild dragon woman, that Thelton will risk life and limb for her safety, which we are prepared to exchange for his head."

The crowd grew tired of his rambling, they had waited long enough, they began chanting, "Bring her out, bring her out."

Edward looked at their faces twisted in hate and anger. They were not going to accept the dragon woman had escaped; justice would be demanded. Edward silently rehashed his lie, the one about their fight with Indy and how she had escaped; inspiration struck his mind. He had a way out, and, even better, it would rally the people even closer to following him in a revolution.

The crowd could tell something was up. They began yelling and cursing. Edward could feel the rage projected from them. He hoped his new plan would work.

"People, People, calm down. Calm down, for I must tell you of a travesty that besought us on our way to the square today."

The people hushed their attention caught by Edward's words. A robust man in the crowd screamed out, "You better not have let her escape."

Edward looked at the people and began his lie. "Dear Loyal Followers, I would never allow her to escape, for I had her guarded by thirty of my bravest men. We had prepared for everything, except the very thing that happened."

The square echoed silence, all eyes were on Edward, every ear turned to him as to not miss his next words. His own guards listened intently. Where was he going with his story?

"As we escorted the dragon woman to her execution, about three hours ago, we were ambushed by the king."

The crowd gasped in disbelief.

"That's right; your very king swarmed in with over two hundred men and demanded the life of the dragon woman. At first we fought, but then, I valuing my men's life, I was forced to surrender the dragon woman. I let the king take her. I heavily hang my head at the loss of our bait."

Edward waited a moment for his painted image to penetrate the imaginations of the crowd, he then continued. "The king has stayed extremely loyal to Thelton. Although Thelton killed many of your fathers, brothers, sons, nephews, and friends, the king still continues to keep alliances with a murderer. He puts one man's life over your entitlement to restitution."

Edward rubbed his hand across his bark-like skin. He used every ounce of concentration to produce four tears which trickled out of his eyes. Forcing his voice to crack, he said his next words in sorrow. "And how many of you out there survived death, only to always have the appearance of a hideous bark-like freak? Thelton did this to me, and he did it to you!"

-Triumph-. His wicked lie hooked its way into the people's minds, they easily bought into Edward's antics, and their hearts swelled in hate. They cursed Thelton's name, and if Edward wasn't trying to pretend to cry, his face would have broken out into a huge grin. "I have done it, not only have I saved my hide. I have found a way to drive more resentment into the people's hearts. As I push them away from the king, I draw them closer to me." It was all he could do not to smile, for he was proud of himself. One minute he had been in peril, the next he was exalted. He was glad Indy had escaped. Pure, ugly rage spread across the crowd like an uncontrolled flame, lapping its fire on all in attendance.

Edward continued on with his tale, "I have it on three accounts the king hides Thelton in the castle right now. That is why the king and three hundred of his men came and took the dragon woman from me today, for Thelton begged the king to rescue his lover. And now, Thelton the Tyrant, keeps in his royal bed chambers not only the princess, but the dragon woman as well."

Hearing the new lies about Thelton, the crowd went wild, their anger spiked to dangerous highs. The men cursed and screamed and demanded justice, now beseeching not only Thelton's head, but the king's as well. Inside his gnarled body, Edward rejoiced. "Not only have I shifted the blame of the crazy woman's escape, but I have rallied the men further behind my cause."

As he listened to Edward's audacious lies, Thelton slammed his right fist into his left hand repeatedly. Standing amongst the people in his fat teenager disguise, his confusion and frustration rose.

"Where is my woman?" Had Edward really ever had her, or was it some kind of lie he fabricated? What was the point of the charade if Edward never had her? And if he had her, where was she now? And the lies about Thelton, how was it the people were gullible to believe everything Edward said? Thelton wanted to charge at Edward and take him out. "I know I can destroy Edward in one swipe of my sword, but I can't escape thousands of angry followers."

Thelton remembered back to the expedition to find the queen dragon. He and Edward had often butted heads. Edward had challenged Thelton often, but at the time, because Edward was such a small stature, Thelton had barely given any heed to him. Who would have predicted the scrawny shell of a man would rise to the level of a revolutionary leader? But he had. It baffled Thelton immensely. Thelton watched as he played into the crowd's emotions, stringing them along with every word he uttered.

Chapter 13

The babblings of Edward continued, talking about the heavy taxes and about putting Trevor on the throne. Thelton grew weary, with no sign of Indy, he decided to leave the area before he could no longer contain the rage he felt for Edward. Hungry, he went to a nearby Tavern for a bite, but he found all the doors locked, for the owners were at the town square. With nowhere to go and nothing to eat, Thelton walked to an empty field and took a seat on a mound of dirt, his body sinking down beneath the long weeds. Feeling a bit numb, he had no direction, and no future.

Sitting in the weeds, Thelton assessed his life. "I had been everything to the tri-kingdom over the last fifteen years. The people have adored me. Everywhere I go, I am hounded by admirers." And although he often despised the extra attention, there was a part of him that loved and craved it.

"Not too long ago, I had the utmost admiration of the king, and despite my tyrant ways, the king still adores me, but I can never return to the castle, for it would be too dangerous for me, and it would put the king at risk as well."

After thinking about the king, Thelton thought about Edward's words demanding a revolution. He wondered if it was his fault. Was he the cause of the people turning on the king? A pain stabbed Thelton internally, "Had I really brought such a curse upon the king, the king who had spent years showering affection and gifts upon me, a king who has given his daughter's hand to me, a king who planned on turning his kingdom over to me?"

Although not a sentimental or emotional man, Thelton sobbed. The sorrow racked his body into violent shaking; tears streamed out of his eyes, and a deep moaning escaped his throat. Thinking about all the evil he had done, an intense pain penetrated his very soul. "I have failed the king. I have failed the princess. I have failed the dragon woman. I have failed myself. What is left for me? The people hate me. My title stripped from my frame. All that is left is a lone wanted man."

Thelton had prided himself over the years of needing no one. He thought relationships made people weak and vulnerable. He kept almost the entire world away. He hadn't realized he really did need people. Maybe not in the way others seek comfort amongst friends, but in his way. He had the admiration of everyone, he had their respect, and anytime he ever needed something, almost anyone he met was willing to serve him because his very presence demanded respect. That was now gone. He now had no one. He now had nothing. Nothing.

He tried to search his mind for one friend. He let his thoughts turn to the medicine woman. At least he had her. The very thought repulsed him. He used her for her dependency on the dragon scales, which brought in good money. He also used her for her magic. He didn't want anything more out of their relationship.

Pushing the medicine woman out of his mind, Thelton thought about Indy. She was the first person he had loved. Where was she? Was she alive? Was she safe with Sterling? As much as he hated having her go to Sterling, at least that would mean she was alive. But, what if she hadn't found Sterling and Edward had really caught her? Did he still have her? Did he kill her? Had he ever really had her? The only thing Thelton felt confident about was that the king had not taken Indy.

The question to Indy's whereabouts still left Thelton tense. With dirty hands, he smeared the tears around on his face. He was a broken man sitting in a field bawling. What he would give to return to the past and undo things. He would never have gone to the king's castle and gotten himself involved in the hunt for the queen dragon. It was that pivotal moment in his life that washed everything else away. Maybe, the medicine woman could reverse time.

Thelton stared into the tall weeds, contemplating his nothingness. If the medicine woman could not reverse time, what would he do next?

...

Indy struggled to keep in flight with Sterling as they headed to the dragon's nest. An overpowering weakness overcame her frame. Because she had spent several days tied to a tree, her muscles had been taxed. Although the men hadn't fully starved her, they hadn't exactly fed her either. Eventually, flying became too much, and Indy had to drop into the forest.

"Why are you dropping?" Sterling asked. His anxiety rose, he hated the Vegus Forest. Although he had made a home for Indy and himself in the heart of it, the perimeter around the dragon camp was extremely dangerous. After both their feet hit the ground, Indy collapsed into his arms, exhaustion permeated her, and she had no strength left. Sterling was scared, for they were not in the dragon camp. They were not protected. His tiny arm hairs stood erect. "Where are we?"

Watching the weakness take over Indy, warm tears moistened Sterling's face. He desperately wanted to help Indy. "What have they done to you?"

Sterling lowered into a sitting position while cradling Indy. He stroked his hand through her hair, and he began singing her a tune. The words of the tune were rather fierce, but since Indy knew very little language, he hoped the melody would soothe her.

After his song, Sterling kept kissing the top of her head as she drifted to sleep in his lap. He wished he could wrap her in a healing balm, her body looked taxed. As Sterling attempted to comfort Indy, he heard a howling in the distance. The skin on his arms perked up; wolves. He was glad they weren't in the Flankton Forest, for it had hell-hounds, which were far worse than wolves in his opinion.

He sat on edge, waiting to see if the howling was coming closer. A twig snapped, making Sterling jump. As he looked around, the place had a certain familiarity to it. "Have I been here before?" he thought back to the hunt for the dragon's nest. "Didn't we come through this part?" He searched every fold in his brain until he stumbled upon recollection. Clarity hit him, for he knew where they were. With great excitement, he sat up.

Gently, he lowered Indy's head to the ground. When she was off him, he jumped up and looked around. The forest was thick with trees and he couldn't see very far in front of him. Being skilled at climbing, he searched for the tallest tree in the area. He had to get to the top. Upon finding it, he quickly scaled it, ascending high above the forest. He rotated his body in a full circle as he looked at the forest around them, searching until his eyes beheld what he was looking for! Not too far to the west, Sterling saw flames flickering in the distance. He almost fell out of the tree with excitement overcoming him. He had been there before, but more important, he knew where relief was. Sterling quickly descended down the tree and jumped to the forest floor. He ran over to Indy and tried to lift her up.

"Friend, wake up, we have somewhere very important to go." Sterling kept trying to pull her up, but she was dead weight.

Gently, Sterling shook Indy, "Please friend, I know that you are weary, but please get up. I can't help you here, but if you walk just a little more, I can heal you."

Indy cracked open her right eyelid, the fatigue illuminated her face. She shook her head and said, "No go. Sleep."

A gripping tiredness controlled Indy. She could hardly concentrate on the words Sterling used. Her mind seemed to black out after momentarily rising to reality, a reality that hurt. She wanted to let go and sleep.

Sterling understood Indy's need to sleep. "If you can give me one more speck of energy, I can heal you. A healing that would erase everything your captures have done to you. Well, almost everything." Gathering all his strength, he grabbed her hands and jerked Indy to her feet. Her body flopped into his arms. She couldn't hold her own weight.

"No, no, no," she cried with her eyes shut tight. "Sleep. Hurt." Why wouldn't he leave her alone? She needed to sleep.

Sterling rubbed his left palm across his forehead, wishing he could carry her. As his hand brushed his forehead, she slipped back to the ground and hit it with a thud, a squeal of pain ricocheted off her lips. Feeling bad he had dropped her, Sterling crouched closer to Indy and cried. In the distance, a wolf howled again. He couldn't sit idle and wait for the wolves to come eat her. He grabbed her face and cradled it in his hands, kissing her on the lips. "Please, friend, you must move on. If we stay here, the wolves or the trolls will get us. I must heal you. You must trust me."

Sterling's words were gentle, landing upon Indy's ears. She wanted to trust him, but she could hardly move. Sterling again stood and tried to pull Indy up, but she didn't budge. Another wolf howled. Indy's arm hairs stood erect. In her fatigued mind, she thought about how she would like to capture the wolf and eat it. She was hungry. She had hunted wolves before, and they were very fierce, but she had easily brought them down. She imagined trying to capture the wolf and the very thought brought more exhaustion to her. Sterling pulled on her armpits again. He seemed very intense on getting her to follow him.

She decided to let Sterling lead her, and going against her screaming cells, she stood up and opened her eyes. Sterling smiled as he cradled his arm against her body, his smile encouraged her, and she leaned into him. The two walked west.

Chapter 14

Edward folded his arms over his chest. He couldn't be more satisfied. "I was moments away from the crowd tarring and feathering me, but with my ingenious inspiration, I have found the perfect fuel to stoke the fire of hate in each man and woman's heart."

When he had found the dragon woman gone, he thought his whole campaign had fallen apart. The people would be furious at him for allowing her to escape. Even worse, he had lost his bait to lure Thelton in. But now, with his marvelous story, the people were ready to dethrone the king and put Trevor in his place. "Sure I want to see Thelton die, but Thelton was merely a pawn in our fight to obtain the throne. We no longer need Thelton's death, in fact, this is better than having Thelton die."

If things had gone as planned and they had killed Thelton, then maybe the town's people would have found justice and peace within. They would no longer need the revolution for they would have been satisfied. But, the whole idea of the king hiding Thelton in the castle and stealing the dragon woman was more than they could handle. They were ready. If he was going to lead large numbers against the king, it would need to be now.

Edward unsheathed his sword and stabbed it into the air. "I say that we no longer sit here and take this! Our king is slipping. If we allow him to rule, he will continue to raise your taxes and take your land. We can no longer stand for this."

"NO!" the crowd yelled.

"If we leave him on the throne, Thelton will marry the princess then one day HE WILL BE YOUR KING! Do you want a murder on the throne?"

"NO!" the people screamed. Their throats burned as they yelled louder and louder. Edward looked at their faces, twisted and contorted in hate and bitterness.

"Let us not sit here and watch them destroy our lands anymore. Andleburg is an amazing place, and they will destroy it. Thelton will destroy it! Let us go now and take the crown!!! Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor is fair. Let us put him on the crown!" Edward stabbed his sword in the air again. The people howled in agreement. Edward had been preparing the people for this moment for a long time. With all their revolutionary meetings and the under work Trevor was doing inside the castle, Edward felt like the kingdom was ready. Trevor had promised him the First Position Advisor position after he became king. Edward couldn't wait to move into the castle.

Chanting began. "All hail King Trevor! Revolution now! All hail King Trevor! Revolution now! All hail King Trevor! Revolution now!"

Their chant quickly caught on. A large number raised their swords or their hands and joined in the chant.

A cynical smile spread across Edward's face. "I love my men!" They hadn't quite prepared to storm the castle that day, but how could they not? There were over twenty five hundred people there. He had hoped to take the castle with up to a thousand men, but to his delight, he had more. He had learned from Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor that the king only had hundreds of guards ready to defend the castle. He didn't have large numbers protecting him. The castle would be easy to apprehend.

As he looked over the crowd, he could tell there men from other kingdoms there as well. They probably weren't interested in joining in on the revolution, for most of them had probably come to see the rare and mysterious dragon woman. However, even if he retained only half the crowd, it would still be an impressive size.

"Then, let us wait no longer. The fate is in our hand. We will bring the throne down. Go home, collect your swords, your pitch forks, any type of weapon you have and meet back in three hours, for then we will take over the throne!"

The town people called out in excitement, for they were going to be part of something big. As they ran back to their homes to prepare themselves for war, no one thought about what a foolish idea it was. They were sick of the heavy taxes, being sure with a new king, their oppression would end.

...

Thirty men mounted their horses, kicking their heels into the horse's sides, speeding as fast as they could to the castle. The guard at the gate saw them coming and opened the draw bridge. The men stormed past him and went straight to the castle door. They dismounted their horses and ran inside.

Running into the throne room, they quickly kneeled before the king. He could see by the look on their faces and their haste they carried with them urgent news. The king flipped his hand toward the ceiling, commanding them to rise.

"Well," he asked?

The leader of the men by the name of Shelven stepped forward, he lowered his gaze. "The dragon woman escaped, there was no execution, and Thelton is still free."

The king sighed, relief filled his chest. He had not wanted Thelton to be killed, for he loved the man like a son.

"But, your majesty, the tides have turned. Edward, the man whom leads them, told the people that we stole the dragon woman and that we house Thelton under the castle walls. He told them that the dragon woman and the princess share Thelton's bed chambers. He also said that soon you would present the kingdom to Thelton."

The king's face reddened.

"Edward is readying the men to take the crown in three hours."

"Three hours!" the king screamed. "They are going to try to take my crown in three hours! Gather all the knights, prepare the walls, if its war they want, we will be ready."

"Your majesty, it is worse than you think. There were thousands of men there today, at least two, maybe three thousand people. Without pulling together the kingdom, our numbers are small compared to those."

The news enraged the king. He picked up his throne and pushed it over some steps. It echoed in the great room as it slammed on the marble floor. The arm rests broke off into a pile of pieces. "So this one man uses my own men, my own army against me?" the king foamed at the corner of his mouth while he spoke.

"It appears so."

His eyes grew wild, his heart pounded in his chest. "I have never gone to war. My reign has been in a time of peace. I really don't know how to go to war. And now we will be severely out numbered. Because I reigned in peace and have been a fair king, I have never dreamed that one would try to take my throne." Sweat dripped off his brow, lightheadedness made him sway back and forth, everything blacked out, and he fell to the ground.

...

Sterling hoisted Indy on his back and half carried, half dragged her the rest of the way. Because of her fatigue, she could no longer make the journey. Sterling knew how important it was for her to rest, but if he could get her a few more meters, he had something better than rest.

After the exhausting journey, Sterling carried Indy out of the trees into a clearing. In front of them appeared a giant lake with fire on the surface. The fire, a flaming mix of fluorescent hues and blazing reds danced on top of the water, flickering and glowing, then shooting up in the sky in an aerial display of mystical power. Indy's eyes widened as Sterling walked toward the lake. She was very familiar with fire because the dragons had used it all the time. She still had scars from where she had been burnt by it. As she watched, she was dazzled as the fire flowed and danced on the water. It flickered and shimmered across the lake. The flames were hypnotic and watching them intrigued her. She could not divert her eyes, for Firelake had control of her mind.

Sterling continued walking straight toward the flames. Indy suddenly panicked, for she didn't understand what he was doing. Did he not comprehend fire hurt?

Indy squalled and tried to get off of Sterling's back, but he would not release her. She tried to fight, but she lacked any energy to pull away. Sterling stepped into the water. What was he doing? Horror shook inside Indy. While the flames licked the side of his legs, they quickly ascended to his hips.

"No, no, no," Indy called out. Sterling kept walking. Indy stuck her teeth into Sterling's neck to get him to stop. The pain jolted Sterling, but he kept going. Soon the flames attached to her calves and began climbing up to her waste.

Indy closed her eyes bracing herself for the pain. It didn't come, but instead a soothing sensation wrapped around her legs. Therapeutic warmth tingled into her skin and muscles. Confused, Indy opened her eyes. The flames had completely engulfed her and Sterling. Her pain alleviated and her body relaxed. Sterling lowered her to her feet. The utter exhaustion turned into energy and power. Indy's brain tingled and she felt a rush of joy overtake her.

Firelake, with its coruscated glow on the lucid waters, was a phenomenon of enchantment. Once touched, its power penetrated the very cells of the body and brought restoration and renewal to weakened beings.

Putting her arms out, Indy watched as the flames danced on her skin. She stuck her tongue out and licked the flames, they tingled her mouth. Using her hand, she grabbed a handful of fire and brought it to her face. The flames messaged her cheeks and nose. Never in her life had anything ever made her feel so excellent. The flames kind of reminded her of the Brumbleetrie tree root. If eaten, it had the ability to heal and bring pleasure. She had often used it on the aging queen dragon; however the flames of the fire consumed her entire frame and surged her with a power even greater than the root.

Sterling smiled to see the life return to Indy. He let out a sigh of relief. There had been a time as he carried her that he didn't think she was going to make it. He didn't know what the horrible men had done to her, but she had seemed close to death. He couldn't believe how fortunate they had been to find Firelake. He had forgotten about it, and even if he had remembered it, he wouldn't have been able to remember how to get there. It was only because Indy couldn't fly anymore they landed close to the lake. Once Sterling realized the lake was close, he knew if he could get Indy to the flames then she would heal, and heal she did.

He enjoyed watching her play in the flames. The color had returned to her cheeks, and she looked absolutely radiant as the flames rejuvenated every part of her. Indy glanced over at Sterling, and their eyes met. He wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her close to him. They hugged and found comfort in the togetherness they shared. Sterling placed a simple kiss on her lips. He was happy to have his friend back.

Chapter 15

Thelton took a prickly weed and pushed the tiny thorns into his skin, sharp pain pulsated at each new poke he made. He didn't know why he did it, but somehow it relieved some of the pain he felt in his chest. As he jabbed, he heard commotion. Above the tall weeds four men ran in his direction.

Panic flushed across his body. "Are they looking for me?" he wondered. Thelton lowered to the ground, not wanting to be seen. As they got closer, he realized they were going to trip right over him if he didn't move, but if he moved, they would see him. Suddenly a smile spread across his face. He remembered, "I no longer looked like Thelton, for I look like some young brat." He didn't have to hide. Thelton fearlessly stood up and walked away from the charging men. His unexpected presence spooked the men. They weren't expecting anyone to be in their field as they ran home to gather their swords, for they were on their way to a revolution.

The men almost ran into Thelton. "Hey kid, what are you doing in my field?" one of the men asked, angrily challenging Thelton. Not wanting to waste his time with the men, Thelton decided to quickly find a common cause so they could part their ways.

"Sorry, I was returning home from the town square. I had gone to see if they were going to capture the amazing Dragon Slayer, when they didn't, I headed home. Sorry I took a short cut through your field," Thelton said. He was trying to make himself sound young and dumb.

The look of anger on the man's face turned to excitement. "You should have stuck around boy, it got really exciting. There is going to be a revolution led by Edward."

"It looks like you already have your swords, come, join us in a just cause," another man said, inviting Thelton to join their alliance.

The color drained out of Thelton's fat cheeks. "A revolution! Against the king!" The words made the acid in his stomach rise to his throat. "Are all those thousands of men really going to charge the castle? The king doesn't stand a chance of such a surprise attack. Am I really the cause to the revolution?" His thoughts tormented him, for he was sure he already knew the answer to that.

Thelton shook his head back and forth. "A revolution. I don't know about that. Why would anyone want to dethrone the king? He has been a good king, has he not?" Thelton asked.

"The king has betrayed us boy, do you not keep up on current happenings? He allowed that horrible Thelton to lead us into the heart of the Vegus Forest then kill us. We deserve justice, and the king cowers behind the crown, allowing Thelton to live in the castle while most of our men are dead."

Thelton looked the man over. He had never seen the man before, so what made him angry at Thelton? The man hadn't been on the expedition with him. "You weren't there," Thelton spit out, forgetting that he was playing the part of an adolescent.

"Well, no, none of us were there," the man said in reply.

"Then why do you harbor such vengeance?" Thelton asked.

"Because, how can we trust a king that would put one man's will over our own? And we are sick of the taxes. We have a way to end it. Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor is in the castle helping us win. When we do, he will rule the kingdom. He has been fair and now the kingdom will finally heal."

Thelton forgot he was trying to find common ground with the men so he could go on his way. He instantly took the defense. "You are willing to a kill our king over a trivial judgment error? Our king has been fair and kind to us. We should be supporting him, not fighting him. Do you know anything about this Edward you follow? And Trevor, how can you even consider putting him as king?" Thelton remembered what a weak person Trevor was on the hunt.

The man's face reddened in anger. "What do you know? You are just a boy. Either join us today or run home to suckle on your mother's paps."

Thelton had to harness in his anger. He wanted to whip out his sword and cut the man down. He easily bested all their skill together. He knew it was wrong to harm them because he didn't like their words, but he wanted to. Using restraint, Thelton turned his back to the men and walked away. He was sickened by their news. They had plans to kill the king. King Wolfgang had been a very kind king. He didn't deserve his followers to revolt. It made him sick that it was all his fault. While walking, the angry men called after him, but he ignored them. They eventually forgot about Thelton as their thoughts returned to their very close revolution. Who cared about a pudgy lad?

As he put distance between him and the men, Thelton thought more about his relationship with the King of Andleburg. The king had done much for him. On his 20th birthday, the king had thrown him a party larger than any party the tri-kingdoms had ever scene. Thelton had been a spoiled fool at the time, and had abandoned the party because he had been bored. He never had thought about the consequences his actions had on the king. He had taken the king's gift and basically spat on it. Darkness swarmed inside his chest. The king had never rebuked Thelton for his selfish act. Instead, the king continued to keep the castle doors open to Thelton, even offering Thelton one of his greatest gifts, his daughter's hand in marriage. There was no way to go back and return the king's kindness. It was too late.

Thelton continued to think about the generosity the king often gave. Once he threw a royal dinner for Thelton, inviting the neighboring royalty to honor him. Very often he would take Thelton on private hunts. The two had spent a lot of time together over the years. Thelton had often reacted with disdain deep inside at all the king had done for him, but now he realized how much it truly had meant to him. The king had loved him. No other person in his life, beside his deceased parents, had loved him. Only King Wolfgang and Princess Alashia. Thelton hated himself for how he had treated Wolfgang and Alashia.

"What have I done in return? I ran from the engagement. I betrayed the king." The dark pit in Thelton encumbered his whole frame. "I have been so selfish, so horrible, and so uncaring to the king. I have spent my life never having anyone love me, and yet, I had the king's love all along. The king and the princess love me dearly, unconditionally. They gave and gave and gave while all I did was take and take and take."

"And now," Thelton contemplated while he continued to walk through the field. His heart dropped to his knees. His body shook in violent sobs, "And now they intend to kill the king because of me." Thelton's body racked in pain, feeling like it would explode in darkness and defeat. For the first time in his life, he realized what a selfish worthless man he had been.

"I cannot let the king die because of me. Maybe I should run to the castle, stand on the king's balcony and turn myself in." But as he thought about it, he knew it was too late. The men were thirsty for blood and power. Turning himself in would no longer be enough. They were prepared to see the king die, and they would not stop until they did. Besides, he looked like a young boy. No one would believe him if he said otherwise.

Trying to decide what to do, Thelton withdrew his swords. The emeralds caught the sun and sent prisms on the weeds. "I can at least try to protect the king."

...

Thelton ran as fast as he could, at times he would have to take a small break to rebuild his energy stores, then he would take off again. With time and a lot of running, Thelton made it to the castle. But he was right, it was too late to warn the king, the gates around the castle were knocked down and the castle was surrounded. Thelton hoped the men hadn't penetrated the fortress yet.

Thelton ran through the broken gates. He saw on top of the castle large vats of oil were being poured down on the tyrants. He was surprised at how stupid the men below appeared to be. Instead of moving out of the way, they seemed to stand there waiting until the burning hot tar spilled over their bodies and singed away their skin. As the men screamed in agony, new men would take their place, and the same actions were repeated.

As he watched the men try to get into the castle, Thelton stopped running and had to think. There was no way the men were getting into the castle anytime soon. Even though the castle seems surrounded with a sea of men, the castle guards were doing an effective job at keeping them at bay. Tempted to pull out his swords and take down the revolutionaries from behind, he realized he would only take out a man or two before the masses would bring him down. As Thelton watched the attack, an idea hit him.

He had lived in the castle for a short time, and while there, the princess showed many of the castle's secrets to him. She taught him about some of the underground entrances into the castle. Maybe if he could come in through one of them, he would be able to save the king before the men broke into the castle.

Thelon backtracked into a wooded area away from the castle. He searched until he found a small open hole in the side of the hill. He ducked in and crawled through a very tight opening, making his way along the narrow dark space until it opened into a cavern. The iron gates that protected the underground tunnels had been ripped out and tossed to the side. Thelton looked through the catacomb ahead and saw the place filled with angry men running through the passage toward the castle. He knew there was another heavy gate at the end of the passage, but he was pretty sure they had been removed as well. Lowering his head again, Thelton entered the catacomb, running behind the men, joining them as they entered into the castle.

When he joined the mob, no one gave Thelton a second glance, for his disguise made him look like any other man there. Panic entered him when he found the inner walls of the castle were infested with men. He was too late to warn the king, but maybe he could find him and rescue him. Thelton searched through the corridors, madly looking for any of the royal family, none were to be found. When he had searched every plausible location, he had an idea.

He remembered a place the royal family might be. Thelton entered a small service quarters. It was empty, not even the revolutionaries were around. The tight room had a giant hutch, a table, and a few cupboards, other than that is seemed like a tiny closet. Thelton quickly closed the door behind him. He remembered how the princess had showed him the secret door in the hutch, telling him only royal blood knew of the hiding place- not even the servants knew about it. It was a room deeply concealed in the castle, meant to protect the royal family during an invasion. Scanning the cramped room one last time, he pulled a small section of the hutch away from the wall. A draft met him in the face. He quickly went in the hutch and pulled the shelving closed behind him.

Darkness penetrated his eyes. He made his way down a dark winding corridor. The walls were cemented in, and a cold draft met him. It was so dark he could barely see, using his hands as guides. He cleared his throat and it echoed in the tight path. Soon light slipped through and things became lighter until it opened into a rather large room. Cowering in the back of the room were the princesses, two servants, and two guards. The guards immediately rushed at Thelton with their swords. He pulled his own out in defense, swinging them at his attackers.

"Wait, stop." Thelton tried to say, but it was too hard to get his words out when he was protecting his life.

The guards tried to stay in Thelton's blind spot, but he was skillful enough to keep them both in his sights. The battle was a bit of a struggle for him, because it wouldn't have taken much for him to kill them. It took a considerable more work and effort to keep them at bay then simply ending their lives. He knew they were protecting the royal family, and he needed them to live, for they would help with his rescue mission. They were all on the same team.

Thelton finally dropped one of the guards to the ground, bringing the tip of his sword into the guard's carotid artery.

With his sword in the death pose, he screamed at the other guard. "Back off." Spit flew out of Thelton's mouth, his eyes blazed over. The other guard quickly backed away in hopes to save his comrade. The princesses watched in horror, greatly fearing their lives.

"Alashia, you must listen to me," Thelton said, directing his words to the princess. Upon hearing the strange man use her name, she bawled even louder.

"Do not fear me. I am here to rescue you." Thelton said. No one believed him.

He continued, "I am Thelton, Alashia."

His words caught the princess off guard. She had never expected such an absurd story to come out of the attacker before her. She looked closer at the intruder. He was a young man, younger than her, and he had a face full of freckles and very pudgy features. There was no way this boy was Thelton.

"Listen," Thelton continued. "The medicine woman gave me a spell to change my appearances. I promise you I am Thelton. How else do you think I knew about this secret room? It was you who showed it to me."

The princess looked at Thelton. What he said was true, she had shown Thelton the secret room, and no one in the world knew she had; however, that didn't prove this man was Thelton. In reality, he had probably captured Thelton and had learned about the room by the sword.

"Alashia, tell the other guard to drop his sword, then I will release this man," Thelton said as his sword still poked into the guard's neck. Sweat beaded up on Thelton's chubby face. It dripped into his eyes and the salt stung them. Tears dribbled down his cheeks.

"Never," Alashia boldly said. She pulled her younger sister into her side.

Thelton had come to help Alashia, and he needed her to trust him.

"Listen, Alashia, I was locked in the dungeon for a week, and during that time you stayed with me almost every waking hour. You brought music in to me, you brought food to me, you told me a story about the time you were eight and had snuck away from the castle and no one even realized that you were missing. You had gotten so filthy that when you tried to return, no one realized that you were really the princess, and they threw you in the dungeon."

"STOP IT!" the princess screamed. "Nothing you say is secret. You are not Thelton, for I know Thelton. You must have killed him, and when I have my guards drop their swords you will kill me too."

"Alashia, when I was first brought to live in the castle, you wrote me a note, bathed in perfume. In it you told me you wanted to run away with me, and you said a few other things I am sure you wouldn't want me to reveal here amongst listening ears."

The princess looked hard at the man before her. He looked nothing like Thelton. There was no way he was him. This man had somehow tricked Thelton into his secrets before he killed him and tried to take his place. How stupid did he think she was?

Alashia turned to the guard who was still standing. "Guard, take him out."

Thelton barked at the guard, "If you get any closer I will kill your friend. Back off. I don't want to kill either one of you, for I will need your help in getting the princess out of here."

The guard stood almost paralyzed, unsure of what to do. Princess Alashia fought back the tears welled up inside her. She had to be strong. She didn't want her guard to die, but she didn't trust the young man who held them captive. She needed the man killed, and if one guard had to die in order for it to happen, then that was the way it had to be.

"Kill him," Alashia commanded again. The free guard stood numb, for the guard under Thelton's sword was his brother. If he tried to kill Thelton, then Thelton would kill his brother.

Thelton began speaking to the princess again, "Alashia, do you remember when we played lovers hide and

seek? You never did find me; it was because I was afraid of what you would do to me when you did. Do you remember taking me to the dragon room?"

As the princess listened to the young man speak, she realized his voice did sound a lot like Thelton's. She closed her eyes and listened, and with her eyes closed it felt as if Thelton was in the very room with her. Her heart leapt. Thelton!

Adrenalin increased. "Stay here," she said to Princess Stephanie, prying Stephanie from her side. She walked to Thelton and peered deep into his eyes. Although the rest of the man before her was foreign, she would recognize those eyes anywhere. Without further hesitation, she flung herself into Thelton's arms and let go of any inhibitions.

"He's gone Thelton, he's gone. They killed him, right before my eyes." She bawled and bawled. Her body shook in her deep sorrow. "He is gone."

Thelton dropped his swords and wrapped his arms around the princess. He cradled her petite body close to his. Her words penetrated his very soul. The revolution was his entire fault, and now, the king was gone.

Chapter 16

Sterling and Indy enjoyed Firelake. The flames exhilarated their very souls, feeling every bit refreshed. Sterling allowed himself to relax and take it all in, but after being in the lake for three hours, he talked himself into getting out. Grabbing Indy's hand, he tried to guide her out, but she pulled away. She wanted nothing to do with leaving. She had never felt so good before, and she was in no hurry to leave the magical realm she found herself in. Sterling lingered with her for two more hours, then he finally left her side.

Indy watched Sterling leave the water, wondering what his hurry was. Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to be carried far away, somewhere she never wanted to leave. On the river's bank, Sterling scavenged for food. Outside of the hypnotic water, his stomach awakened to its emptiness. Hungry, Sterling wandered into the woods a little, but never far enough where he couldn't keep an eye on Indy. She didn't look like she would be leaving any time soon, but he wanted to be cautious.

"I lost her once and never wanted it to happen again. Well, I actually hadn't lost her, she was taken from me, but it was an experience I never plan on repeating."

Along the boundary of the trees, Sterling stumbled across the carcass of en elk; the body must have been there for awhile because the odor was very pungent. Despite the smell, his stomach still growled with its starvation. He went to the animal's side and poked at it, the skin deteriorated beneath his prodding, behind the thinned skin were hordes of maggots. A puff of odorous fumes saturated the air. Sterling stumbled backward, his face turning a pale tint of green. Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry anymore.

After rubbing his eyes from the burning odor, Sterling thought it out of place to have a dead animal in the middle of the Vegus Forest. Not one animal bite mark was on it. Too bad the elk was rotten, because it would have made a nice meal for him and Indy. He knew he needed to find her food, for she looked like she had lost some weight. When was the last time she had eaten?

In his disappointment, Sterling picked up a rock and chucked it at the elk's carcass. Again, the air filled with a malodorous smell. The stench continuously intensified in power. Sterling's eyes stung hard he had to close them, and he choked on the thick vapors, seizing his lungs. He dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe. How could a rotten elk smell so horrific?

It took some time, but Sterling forced the air through his lungs. When he felt in control of respiration, he walked away from the deer, but the smell did not dissipate, in fact, it continued to intensify. As he fought to breathe, Sterling heard a sound behind him, looking over his shoulders, he noticed the elk was being surrounded by ravishing trolls.

TROLLS! How could he be so stupid? Of course the smell had come from the trolls. He should have recognized it, for he had come across plenty of trolls in his life.

Sterling whipped his head around and ran. Maybe they hadn't seen him, or maybe they were too busy scavenging the deer. Sterling ran as fast as he could push his legs. The smell never let up. He glanced over his shoulder; three trolls were on his tail. Sterling bolted out of the trees and ran toward Firelake.

"Friend," he screamed. He hated to get Indy involved, but he knew she probably had the power to take the three trolls down.

Hearing Sterling call out, Indy opened her eyes and looked toward him. From behind him, she saw three tolls. He seemed pretty bothered, but she quickly forgot about him as the tranquility overtook her. The flames covered her whole body. She closed her eyes again as she was swept away into ecstasy.

"Friend, help!" Sterling screamed. Why did she not move? Sterling was mere paces away from the water, planning to dive in, hoping the trolls didn't know how to swim.

Just as he was a meter away from the water's edge, he felt a stinging sensation coming from his right thigh. Sterling looked down to see a troll's teeth clamped onto him. Using the butt of his sword, he tried to knock the troll off. As he struggled beneath the troll, another one jumped onto his head, sinking its claws into Sterling's face, it used its claws for stability, the claws coming centimeters away from nicking the white of Sterling's eye. The third troll jumped onto the hand Sterling held his sword with. Sterling wiggled and flailed his arms, then he tried to throw the trolls off, but without success.

"Friend, help, help!" Sterling yelled. With every moment that went by he could feel the troll's control over him become stronger and stronger. If Indy didn't come quickly, he was a goner.

Hearing Sterling's yelling, Indy once again opened her eyes. She watched as Sterling struggled under three trolls. She couldn't understand why he was playing around. One time, she had brought down five trolls by herself. She was oblivious to the danger Sterling was in, for she didn't see trolls as a threat. Indy's eye's closed as the water lured her back into her paradise.

"Please Friend, HELP!" Sterling screamed again. The trolls were tearing apart his flesh. The unbearable pain made it hard to fight.

Indy wished Sterling would stop calling for her. Again, she opened her eyes and looked over at him. Sterling had blood smeared all over him. At that moment, she recognized the look in his eyes; it was the same look she had seen in many creatures, seconds before she killed them. Was Sterling in trouble? Could he not fight the trolls off? She had thought he could. She thought about saving him, but the water seemed to control her muscles and nerves, for she couldn't seem to make anything move, and again the serenity of the lake lured her back into complacency, making her forget Sterling.

The trolls brought Sterling to the ground where he screamed and moaned as they proceeded to eat him alive. Indy could hear him but his calls seemed to get lost in the deepest crevasses of her mind. Finally, something snapped inside Indy. She gained control of her extremities, opening her wings she flew straight out of the water and quickly landed by Sterling's side.

Taking her right claw, she hooked it into a troll and sent him flying several meters away. She grabbed another troll and brought it to her head and began chewing on its face. With her free hand, she grabbed the last troll and knocked it hard into the ground where it blacked out. When the trolls were no longer a threat, Indy dropped to Sterling's side.

All over his skin were large lacerations from his fight with the trolls. He moaned in agony on the loose dirt. Blood quickly saturated everything around him.

Looking at Sterling's terrible state, Indy reached down and picked him up. Sterling's eyes rolled to the back of his head while blood spilled out of the corner of his mouth. Cradling him in her arms, Indy flew him back into Firelake. After landing in the water, the flames began to ascend Sterling's frame. He regained consciousness. Within a very short time, Sterling could feel the pain from the bites and large open wounds disappear. When he finally felt whole again, he turned to Indy. She stood in the water with her eyes closed, once again enjoying its powerful flames, as if nothing had happened.

Wrapping his arms around her, he cried. "Thank you Friend, you saved my life."

Indy opened one eye. With a smile of pure satisfaction on her face, she closed it and let her thoughts drift away.

...

It took Sterling almost the entire evening to pull Indy out of the water. Once out, they walked hand in hand to the shore next to a dead troll.

Being out of the water, Indy's intense hunger returned. Dropping to the troll's side, she picked it up and began tearing into its flesh. Sterling could smell its overpowering odor, an odor trumping that of a skunk tenfold. "There is no way I will ever be hungry enough to eat a troll; never!"

Indy held the beast up to Sterling as a food offering while slivers of flesh plastered her chin. He quickly shook his head and stuck out his tongue. "Yuck." She turned away and returned to her potent meal. As Indy tore apart the troll, Sterling looked around the area again, and to his luck, he saw a muskrat run by. With quick skill, he drew out his sword and beheaded the vermin.

With his prize in his hand, Sterling found some flint and started a fire. Indy snuggled up to him as he roasted his rat. Normally, he would love cuddling with his friend, because human touch was something he had grown up without, for he had been touched little in his life. Now he had been introduced to touch, he loved it and he didn't feel like he could get enough of it.

With Indy, there was often hand touching and snuggling, and he loved it. Or there were the times they would fly, and Indy would hold him close to her body. The sensation of human contact was alluring to him, that the more he got it, the more he craved it. As he roasted the muskrat, it was not one of those times Indy reeked of the troll she had consumed, simply sitting by her made his eyes water. She had little pieces of troll flesh stuck all over her front, looking at her made Sterling nauseated. He wanted to take her to Firelake and wash her off, but he feared he would never get her out again.

With Sterling by her side roasting his muskrat, Indy felt the night ended perfectly. For the first time in days her stomach was full and comfortable. She had been through an atrocious ordeal with the men who had captured her and tortured her. She couldn't understand their motives, nor could she grasp why some humans, like Sterling and Thelton were kind, while the rest seemed to want to torture her.

During her torture, she had been whipped and starved, teetering on the edge of death, almost losing her will to live. The pain was all consuming. Thankfully, Sterling rescued her and brought her to Firelake. It was strange to Indy that earlier that day, she had struggled to even walk, but after being in the lake, she now sat in Sterling's arms, her body restored and fresh. She felt a vigor and energy she had never known. She could live there forever.

With an astounding vigor, Indy contently looked across Firelake. The flames illuminated the dark sky. They danced on the water, constantly changing colors and patterns. The fire seemed to possess a life force of its own. As Indy gazed into the flames, her mind became hypnotized. Slowly, her eye lids closed, and she drifted to sleep in Sterling's arms.

Sterling, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep. Firstly, who could sleep with the lingering smell of trolls continually being sucked up their nostrils? Secondly, they were in the Vegus Forest. He had felt safe at the dragon's nest, being protected by Indy and the dragon, but being in that part of the Vegus Forest was different. He still vividly recalled the hunting trip he had gone on with Thelton and the king's men. He remembered the acid rain, a gyroid, some sort of cement mud, and other dangers. He was also aware there were trolls, razor spiders, wolves, and who knew what other fearful creature, all waiting to eat him. With awareness, there was no way he thought he would ever fall asleep.

As he replayed all his fears in his mind, Sterling eventually drifted to sleep. When he awoke, Indy was not by his side. Morning rays of sun beat down upon his face, his cheeks reddening from the sun's penetration. Panicking, he stood up and looked around. Where was Indy? He gazed behind him at the tress then to the lake. "I can't lose her, not again." His veins bounded as he searched for her. Finally, his heart settled when he spotted her in the water. Firelake had become like a drug to Indy, and she could not get enough.

The two stayed by the lake for many days. Sterling would spend some of the day in it next to Indy. He also spent his time exploring the perimeters around the lake, never wandering too far, for he wanted to be close to Indy, not only to keep an eye on her, but also for her to rescue him, if needed.

At times, Sterling would feel a bit antsy to leave, but then he would settle himself down when he realized he had nowhere to go to. He often thought about returning to the home he had built for Indy at the dragon camp, but he would dismiss the idea, because he feared Thelton would return and take Indy from him again. They needed to go somewhere where Thelton wouldn't find them.

One place he knew was safe from Thelton was in Candleshaw. "I should take my friend to one of my homes that I lived in with father." But then he let go of the thought as well. With his father dead, nothing was left for him in Candleshaw.

When Sterling could lure Indy away from the water, he spent a lot of time trying to teach her to talk. He greatly enjoyed her company, but he could only imagine how much better it would be if they could speak together. She had already learned a limited vocabulary. He longed for her to know more.

Chapter 17

Over a week passed since Thelton had joined the princesses deep in the confinement of the castle. The shelter had been designed to sustain life for over a year. "We better not be here that long, because I don't think I can handle any more of this," he said as he pulled at his hair. He felt trapped.

For the first time since Thelton had met princess Alashia, she was very quiet. Her face was often twisted forlornly as she mourned the loss of her father. Her sorrow had compounded, realizing all she had known was taken from her. She would no longer play the role of the princess. "If we get out of here alive, I will have to live the rest of my days in Andleburg in disguise, unless we go overseas. Father made me promise him I would go to my cousins overseas if we were ever in danger."

As she wallowed in self-pity, Alashia tried to get Thelton to stay by her side and hold her, but he was nervous and would often leave, pacing back and forth. As she watched him, she noticed a small change come over her. A little piece of her heart hardened as she realized he was responsible for the situation they were in. Because of him, her father was dead and they were in hiding.

"But, what is the alternative? Would I have him dead so father could live?" She couldn't answer the question. "I love Thelton with every fiber of my soul. I can't bear the thought of him dead." As she tried to make sense of her sorrow, she drew deeper into her shell.

Meanwhile, the guards listened closely to the nose in the castle through the thick walls concealing them. At times, they could hear a bit of movement and commotion. For the first few days, the noise was constant. But as the days went by, the noise died down more and more. By the tenth day after Thelton entered hiding, everything seemed almost silent.

The time slowly dragged by. Finally, Thelton decided he needed to see what was going on.

"No one will recognize me. I will be able to sneak about the castle and see if there is a way for us to escape. Give me a week to secure a safe exit for the princesses. If I don't return in a week, then assume I am detained or killed; either way, start making plans without me."

Slowly opening the secret door in the hutch, Thelton looked around the service quarters. The room was dark and barren. He quickly slipped out and closed the hutch. He carefully opened the outer door of the service quarters and slyly peered down the hall. The corridor looked empty.

Feeling it safe to come out, he made his way down the hall with his head held high as if he belonged there. He wondered how the revolution played out. Was there the smallest chance Trevor had failed? Thelton shook his head no. "All that is left of the royalty is hidden in the secret cavern." He carried much responsibility for the princess on his shoulders.

Pondering the loss of the royal family, he made his way to the throne room passing people here and there. Some of the new guards he recognized from the failed hunting trip. There were many men he had never seen before. The closer he got to the throne room, the more people he saw shuffling about. None of them were servants or guards from King Wolfgang. "Had everyone that had been in support of the king died?"

The hierarchy of the castle was still being established. With many unfilled positions, there were hordes of strange faces roaming around, looking for their place. No one paid Thelton any notice since he blended in with the masses.

Following a group, Thelton timidly stepped into the throne room, not sure if his presence would be banned or not. The large room was jammed packed with people, people anxious and tired, people waiting their turn for an audience with King Trevor. The place looked like a circus. King Wolfgang had always keep things elegant and tidy. Now, there were people camped everywhere. The marble tile was dark and sooty. There was a horrid smell lingering about, one of urine and filth. Thelton shuttered at how quickly Trevor let things run down.

He took his eyes off the vagrants and looked to the throne. There the mutinous new king sat, with the blood of a kingdom plastered to his countenance. He held his nose to the sky, his heart black as midnight, a self-appointed king; King Trevor.

Thelton couldn't stand to behold Trevor. He quickly turned away. That was that man who had killed his beloved king! His blood heated and burned his veins. Looking around, he tried to assess the best way to rescue the princesses. He took attention to the commotion around him, analyzing every likelihood he could conceive. Because he was busy laying strategy in his mind, he didn't notice slowly being herded toward the throne.

Upon the realization of being next to Trevor, Thelton's utmost impulse was to pull his swords out and slice off Trevor's head. "I can't figure out how the little man beguiled many people into crowning him king?" Thelton desperately wished he could go back in time and cut Trevor down to size when he had had the chance. During the hunting trip, Trevor had challenged Thelton on a number of occasions. It would have taken nothing for Thelton to have killed Trevor during those times. It would have been better one man died than a nation lost under his control.

Thelton felt himself pushed to the ground by the new king's guards.

"Bow in the presence of the king," they shouted slamming the butt of their swords over his head. His nose crashed into the marble ground, the impact shot pulses of agony in his bridge. Thelton clenched his fists, for he had to resist punching the guards in the face. When the guards were pleased with Thelton's bow, they yanked him up. A small amount of blood pooled below his nose.

"What skills do you have, boy?" King Trevor asked Thelton.

The king assumed Thelton was there for a job. He was being given a chance to work in the castle. This would provide him the clearance he needed to get the princesses safely out. He fumbled in his mind as to what skills to tell the king, for he didn't want the enemy to know his strengths or weakness. What duties would give him the greatest access to the castle in order to help the princesses escape? He must have taken too long, for one of the guards smacked the side of his head with the butt of the sword.

"Don't keep the king waiting."

"I repair things." Thelton said.

"Do tell," the new king urged.

"Well, my Lord," Thelton said as he held back the vomit from his words. His dagger seemed to scorch his leg, begging to be thrust into Trevor's heart. He shook because he was angry. The king thought Thelton was shaking because of his own greatness, but in actuality, Thelton shook because he had to control every cell from killing the tyrant-made- king who sat an arm's length away.

Thelton answered. "The castle has sustained a great deal of damage from the battle. I can go through it and fix all the walls and repair the damage that was done. Even here in your great throne room, look how the marble tile no longer shines. I can repair that as well."

Trevor looked as if the very words Thelton spoke were boring him. Thelton had to think sharp, for the king might send him out of the castle.

"Dear King, you deserve the best; you have earned it. If you want the respect of your people and the visiting royalty, then you must have a castle that reflects your greatness. I..." Thelton hadn't come up with a name for himself yet. He had to think hastily, "I, Tom the smith, can make your castle the envy of all."

Thelton had succeeded, for Trevor had been lured in by his greed.

"Very well, I anoint you the smith of the castle." The king withdrew his sword while the guards pushed Thelton to his knees. Trevor placed his sword on both of Thelton's shoulders and announced, "Tom the smith of the castle." Edward stood next to Trevor and wrote something down in a book.

The guards pulled Thelton up and pushed him aside, he was already forgotten by King Trevor as Trevor assessed the next man in line.

As Thelton began walking away, a man came up and grabbed his elbow. "Come with me, smith," he said to Thelton.

Thelton bit his lip, for he hated being pulled around like some common man. He bridled his anger and let the man lead him down several long corridors until they reached a large room. Before they entered the room, Thelton noticed the walls had already been stripped of any reminisces of the previous royalty.

"Here you go, smith, this room should have all you need. If you find you lack anything, come find me." The guard pushed Thelton in and swiftly walked away.

The room was full of tools that had been there for generations. Thelton really didn't have the talent to use most of them, for his skills had been created in hunting and defense. Regardless of his lack of maintenance proficiency, he was glad to be there, for he would be free to move around the castle, and in doing this, he would create an escape for the princesses.

Thelton spent the rest of the day and the next exploring every inch of the castle. He had become familiar with it during the time he had stayed with the king, a time he wished he had cherished more. Now he used his days exploring every corner and crease in the castle. He had to devise the best strategy to get the princesses safely out. Since he really wasn't doing any repair work, he was really glad everyone was too busy falling into their new duties that no one was monitoring him.

During his exploration, he came across the trophy room where the king had kept the dragon heads Thelton had presented to him. Thelton remembered the princess sneaking him into the room. At the time, it had been the king's favorite room, and he kept a guard over it. Now, it stood unguarded. Thelton went in. The walls were lined in massive dragon heads. Their eyes fixed in a permanent stare, a stare sending chills done most observers' backs.

His heart both soared and constricted in pain. It soared because he was proud of his hard work, seeing the heads reminded him of each and every hunt. They reminded him of the glory he had received from the king and the people. They testified of his greatness. But his heart constricted because he realized the day of his fame had ended. "No one reverences my name anymore, instead they despise it. I have gone from being the most beloved hunter in the kingdom to being hunted. Everything dear to me has been stripped." He bowed his head in despair.

Standing in the room, Thelton concluded there was no way he would leave the dragon heads for Trevor. He would rescue each head. He knew he should be orchestrating the rescue, but much of his planning happened at night. He hated Trevor so much he couldn't handle the thought of him having the dragon heads. After securing an oversized cart, he was able to transport two heads in it at a time. He kept a large canvas over the heads while he wheeled them out of the castle. He dumped them into a hole he dug along the moat. It took Thelton two days to transfer and bury all of the dragon heads, trying to do it as inconspicuously as he could.

At one point, when he had been half way into the removal of the heads, one of Trevor's guards stopped him. Most of the guards were becoming familiar with his face, but this one had never seen him, and didn't know Thelton's business about the castle.

"What do you think you are doing, boy?" the guard asked as Thelton pushed the cart toward the moat. The guard had been checking the perimeter of the grounds.

Thelton bowed, then he rose. "I am the smith of the castle."

"What?" the guard asked in utter confusion.

"You know, the smith. I maintain and fix the castle for our dear King Trevor."

"What are you sneaking out of the castle?" the guard asked Thelton.

Thelton's palms sweated. How would he explain the dragon heads? "Just trash," Thelton replied.

"I don't trust you boy, let me see your idea of trash." The guard lifted the canvas and saw two dragon heads staring at him, the sight startled him and he tumbled backward and fell to the mucky ground. Embarrassed, he stood, angry at his clumsiness.

"That doesn't look like trash to me," he said as he attempted to wipe his muddy hands off onto his equally muddy pants.

Thelton didn't have a response, because he knew no one would consider dragon heads trash. He looked away, not sure of what to do.

The guard poked his sword into the back of Thelton's spine. "Come with me," he said ushering Thelton back into the castle. The cart sat abandoned on the castle grounds. Thelton perspired as the tip of the guard's sword lead him along. He marched Thelton all the way to the throne room, pushing his way past people, going straight to the king.

"I believe this man was stealing from you," the guard said after bowing to King Trevor.

Trevor looked at Thelton, completely bewildered as to who Thelton was.

"What is your business about the castle?" the king asked.

Thelton bowed, and without looking at the king, he said, "I am Tom the smith, I am the smith of the castle." King Trevor looked at him for a moment, then recollection filled his mind.

"Yes, of course, you are the smith. How is your work progressing?"

"Very well," Thelton replied.

King Trevor turned to the guard. "What was he stealing?"

"He was carrying away from the castle two dragon heads."

The king thought for a moment and remembered the trophy room, adorned with the beautiful heads of many dragons. He had actually liked the room and had intended not to change it.

"Why would you take away my heads?" he asked Thelton.

Thelton bowed again, then he stood up. "Those heads are a memorial to the skills and life of Thelton the Dragon Slayer. I am sorry king, I should have asked, but I didn't feel a king as mighty as you would want a memorial in his castle to the very man who had betrayed him in the forest."

Thelton was good with his words, for he knew how to play Trevor. King Trevor's eyes widened as the thought almost became his own. He had never seen the dragon heads in that context before, but the smith was right, the very thought of having a memorial in his castle to Thelton made him sick.

King Trevor reached out his hand and slapped the guard across the face. "Why do you waste my time? This is my smith, and I trust him. You will do the same. Leave him to his business, for he obviously possesses more skill and knowledge than twenty of you."

Thelton flashed the guard a smile of victory as he bumped past him. He quickly returned to his task of removing the dragon heads from the castle. This time he had the king's blessing to finish the job.

Chapter 18

It took Thelton six days to make ready for the escaping of the princesses. Once the dragon heads were all buried, he used the same cart and packed it with provisions for the escape. He left the cart hidden outside the castle walls. He wouldn't need most of the things he packed, but he figured the princesses and guards would.

After watching the activity around the castle for almost a week, Thelton had a pretty good idea where safe passages would be. He knew the best times for escaping and the best routes. The night for their rescue had come, everything was in order, and he was ready to liberate the princesses.

As he walked into the supply room, he was taken by surprise. There he found a table set up in the middle of the room, and gathered around the table were eight men. A game of rocks took place on the table.

"What do you need?" one of the men asked, looking up at Thelton. Thelton's heart dropped. What were they doing there? They had never been there before.

"I'm the smith," Thelton responded.

"Yeah, we know, but what do you need?"

Thelton looked around the tight enclosure. "Looks like you have a fun game of rocks going," he said.

"No room for new players," the man spit out as he shook a handful of rocks in his hand.

"Oh, okay, I would have liked to join," Thelton lied. "But, why do you play rocks in such a small room? I have been all over the castle, and I can show much more suitable rooms than this."

"What I says to you stays with you and me," the man said staring down Thelton. He flung his hands around as he talked.

"Yes," Thelton said.

"The king is very, let's say, selfish. He told us if he catches us playing rocks again, he tosses us out. He says no man is to be idle under his service. I am not sure why we followed him. Is pretty sure King Wolfgang allowed his staff to have breaks, to relax."

Thelton rubbed his hand across his forehead. "This is bad, very bad. I need to get the princesses out, but there is no way I can do it with the eight men loitering about the room. There is no way I can pull this off during the day. Night is my only time, and now these men are in the way," Thelton angrily thought.

"How long you planning on playing?" Thelton asked.

"Whys, you planning on ratting us out?" A flash of hate crossed the man's brow.

"No, no, I was hoping a spot would open up for me."

"Wells it won't, and we's play as long as we's want."

"Well, have a good night then, fellows," Thelton said as he walked out of the room.

"Hey boy, if you tell the king," the man took his finger and brushed it across the underside of his neck as if to signal slitting his throat.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Thelton responded. "Goodnight men."

No one said anything to him as he backed out and closed the door. Thelton sunk down the wall in the corridor. "What am I going to do, for I know the second hour into the night is the best time for escape? It is between guard shifts, and everyone seems to kind of disappear during that time. This is the time I have to bring the princesses out. Why would those men play in that small room? Why this night of all nights?"

Thelton had a pretty good idea the men planned on meeting there every night here after. Thelton could spend the next few nights re-watching and re-configuring his escape route, but he didn't want to. He had already left the princesses down there long enough. He was ready to leave, and now his plans were blocked. "I will wait and see how long their game goes. Maybe it will end soon."

As he leaned against the wall, he planned on sneaking away when the men went to leave, but the game went on late and he drifted to sleep. He woke up as the door opened and the men filed out of the room.

"What's you doing heres boy?" the same man asked very angrily.

Thelton quickly jumped to his feet. "I thought I would stand guard and distract anyone who tried to go into the room."

Another man chuckled as he slapped Thelton on the back. "You really want a spot at the table?"

Thelton returned the chuckle and tried to act sheepish. "Yeah," he said. He grabbed his arm behind his back, trying to look young and timid.

"I tells you what, if we ever need a substitute, you'll be the man."

"Thanks," Thelton said.

He watched as the men walked away. He waited two hours to make sure they had returned to their chambers. While he waited, he walked around the castle, staking out the corridors. Everything still seemed clear.

When he returned into the service room, his heart was racing like there was a dragon in sight. He had been calmer when he knew how the night would go, but now he had no idea. He didn't know where the guards were stationed at the hour. He knew nothing. But, he couldn't wait. There would be a game of rocks every night now.

Going into the room, Thelton softly closed the door behind him, then opened the hutch door and quickly crawled in. He made his way through the empty corridor where he found everyone asleep.

"Wake up," he said as he went to the Alashia and gently shook her awake. She opened her blue eyes and looked up at Thelton. Her heart jumped in fright. She had forgotten how he looked in his disguise, but then she remembered. She was disappointed at seeing the unfamiliar face, but happy for his safe return. She wrapped her arms around him and threw herself into his arms. However, she couldn't bring herself to kiss him, not looking like he did.

After Alashia woke up, Thelton roused everyone else. In the corner of the room was a giant chest full of traveling clothes. They had been left there many years ago. The clothes were very plain and worn, nothing that would be associated with royalty. They were meant to be used for disguises. Thelton had everyone put the clothes on. They were musty smelling, and dirty, itching against their skin. The material was outdated, not up with the fashion of the time. Princess Stephanie mumbled at wearing them, but Alashia put her in her place. The clothes were their best defense against getting caught. The cavern was quiet as they readied themselves. No one talked because of the fear settling in their gut. What if they got caught escaping?

"Listen," Thelton eventually said. The princesses, guards, and servants were dressed and ready to go. They looked like peasants, and smelled like them too, however, their skin was too smooth and fair for the disguise. "I had a perfect escape plan in place, but complications set in tonight. Because of unseen circumstances, we leave later than I had planned. Now, I really don't know what to expect."

"You mean we could get caught?"

"I don't know, possibly."

"Then let's wait it out. We need to leave when we can guarantee the utmost safety for the princesses," one of the guards said.

"No, I think the longer we wait, the harder it will be to leave. Right now, everyone is trying to figure out their role in the castle. The more time we wait, the surer of themselves they will be. The more time we wait, the more time they will discover where their weaknesses are, and they will fortify them. Also, I have secured a job in the castle as the smith; but if they really checked into my work, then they would find I have done nothing. It isn't going to be too long now when they recognize I am a phony. I do not want to be there when they figure it out. King Trevor is a vicious king. He has already killed many servants who have not met his expectations. We must leave NOW!"

"I still think we should be more sure," the guard continued to challenge Thelton.

Alashia listened to the argument and thought about Thelton's reasoning. What if the new king did catch on that Thelton was a fraud? Her heart sunk. She couldn't allow that to happen, for that reason alone they must risk the unknown and leave tonight. Her own safety was an afterthought.

"I am in charge, and I say we follow Thelton tonight, for he is mighty and he will lead us to safety."

"Princess, if I may," the guard asked.

"Go ahead," she said feeling annoyed. She really didn't want to hear a thing he had to say.

"How do you even know this man is Thelton? He could be a servant of the king, waiting to lure you out of hiding. Imagine how you would increase Trevor's power if he wed you."

The princess hesitantly looked at Thelton. "I have to trust him."

The guard tried again. "One more thing, Princess, if I may?"

The princess sharply snapped. "Last thing."

"Would you really put your life in the hands of Thelton? Have you not heard what he did to the king's men? I mean to your father's men? He has been a traitor to the crown."

"Stop it!" the princess screamed then fearfully she covered her mouth. She knew they were deeply surrounded by thick walls, but she still worried someone had heard her.

"Here's the plan," Thelton said. "My first plan was that we stayed together. But, things have changed. I think we would be less suspicious if we went out in twos."

"I will take Princess Alashia out," one of the guards said.

"And I will take Princess Stephanie out," the other said.

Princess Stephanie looked frightened as she watched everything with her big brown eyes.

"Not a chance, I am the best. Therefore I will take Alashia out," Thelton declared.

Alashia began panicking, "I will not leave Stephanie! She comes with us."

"Alashia, we will meet up with her, it is safer this way," Thelton said reassuringly.

Alashia shook her head back and forth. "No, no, no. Stephanie comes with us!"

Stephanie was frightened and put her hands in her black ringlets to cover her ears.

Thelton threw his hands in the air. "Fine, whatever. I have the princesses, the rest of you pair up."

"Where do we meet?" one of the servants asked.

"There is a growth of bushes right outside the southeast wall of the castle grounds. In the bushes you will find a cart with supplies. We will meet there."

...

Thelton and the princesses left first. They quietly moved along the corridors. The halls were empty while most of the castle slept. The floors were loud and unforgiving and each step they made loudly echoed back and forth. The noise made Thelton's muscles tense, and he quickly escorted the princess out of the castle and into the night air. The fresh air blew on the princesses like a gust of freedom. It felt incredible to be out of hiding. A load of stress slipped away as they stepped outside. It wouldn't take long until they reached the southeast wall. As they got closer to the wall, they heard the hounds lock onto their scent; the canines were not far behind, howling as they made their way to them.

"Princesses, we must run."

Alashia didn't look scared as she declared. "We are fine, for my hounds know us."

"I am sorry princesses, for your hounds are dead. Trevor replaced them with vicious, blood thirsty dogs. You must run," Thelton said as he grabbed both princesses' hands and dragged them.

Stephanie screamed as she looked behind her shoulder and saw how close the hounds were upon them, scraggily and enormous, their eyes anticipating the kill. Behind the hounds ran a group of guards.

"Go, go, go!" Thelton screamed. He scooped up Stephanie and continued to run. Princess Alashia was not athletic, and she struggled to keep up with Thelton. Although she pushed herself, the hounds caught her and knocked her to the ground. One wrapped its jaw around her neck, pinning her to the ground.

Thelton dropped Stephanie and withdrew his swords. Just as he was about to shove his sword into the hound holding Alashia, the guards caught up.

"If you slay the king's dog, we will kill you," a guard threatened. Walking to the hound, the guard commanded it to release Alashia. Leaving behind a puddle of droll on her reddened neck, the hound walked over to the guard's side. The guard placed a treat in the dog's mouth, a reward for a job well done.

"Good boy," he said.

"I am Samuel, the head of the night guard. Who tries to breach the castle grounds?" Samuel said as he scratched at the mangy mutt's locks, studying the intruders.

The night was dark and only outlines could be seen, features were lost in the darkness. Thelton clung to his swords. He knew he could kill the four guards if he had to, but he really didn't want to slay another human. Of course, combine the dogs and the guards; he wasn't sure how he would fair.

"I am Tom the smith," Thelton said.

"Ah yes, Tom, we have seen you about the castle," Samuel replied. "Why do you sneak around the castle grounds in the middle of the night like a thief?"

"I am sorry. I can only imagine how this looks. My wife and daughter came to spend the night with me, and I was seeing them off before the rise of the morning light."

"Why do they not visit you during the day?" Samuel questioned.

"Are they allowed to?" Thelton asked.

"Well," Samuel responded, "The king does frown upon it."

"I am sorry, my daughter missed me so," Thelton said. "Will you please spare mercy on me, and I promise I will never bring them to the castle grounds again."

Samuel thought for a moment about his own family at home. He sorely missed them. "I will let you off this once, Tom, but if I ever catch you again, I will report you."

"You are too fair," Thelton replied.

"Now Tom, you must understand I am the head of the night guard, so before I let your family go, I must search all of you."

"Sounds only fair," Thelton replied.

Alashia's heart fluttered, for right before they had left the cavern, Thelton had found the princess stashing out a large number of her jewels.

"You have to leave them behind, for if they search you and find them they will either realize you are the princess, or see you as a thief; either one would end badly for you."

Alashia had fought fervently to keep her jewels. She cried about how everything dear to her had already been stolen, her jewelry was the one last thing reminding her she was the princess. It was her one last thing to take with her as a memorial of her life at the castle. As hard as she fought, Thelton had fought harder. Not even her tears and pouted lip changed his mind. Now, as the guards searched her, she was relieved she had listened to Thelton.

The guards tried to get a close look at Stephanie and Alashia but couldn't because of the darkness of the night. There was a thick cloud cover above the kingdom preventing any star light from slipping through.

When the guards were satisfied nothing was being stolen, they released Thelton and the princesses.

"Tom, you are free to escort your family home, two things though, no, actually three. First, no one is to hear about my mercy. Second, never bring them here again. Third, return by sunrise."

Thelton bowed as he walked backwards, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said.

Thelton grabbed Alashia's delicate hand and wrapped his left arm around Stephanie, leading them away from the guards. Satisfied over the situation, the guards walked back toward the castle.

At the wall, Thelton looked down at Stephanie and Alashia, they were both bawling.

"That was scary," Stephanie said.

"I know, I know," Alashia agreed as she held tightly to Stephanie.

Alashia looked up at the high wall, "There is no way Stephanie and I can climb that, no way."

"I know," said Thelton.

"So what do you plan on doing, throwing us over it?"

"No, I chipped out a small hole over there," Thelton said pointing a short distance along the wall. They quickly went over to it and crawled through.

Thelton took them to the bushes where they found the cart still hidden. Reaching in the wagon, he grabbed a pack for each of them, tossing them to the princesses. Alashia caught hers. Stephanie's came too fast, and she dropped it on her toe.

"Did you pack any of our things?" Alashia asked.

"No," Thelton said.

"Could you not have brought at least one of our nice dresses?" Stephanie whined, "These clothes we wear now are itchy and ugly."

"I am sorry, Stephanie..." Thelton tried to say.

"It is Princess Stephanie." The bold little princess spat out.

"Not anymore. As of this moment, you both must stop thinking of yourselves as princesses. If anyone figures out you are a princess, they will either kill you, or carry you to Trevor. You must see yourself as common women now."

"I am not a woman, and I am not common." Stephanie said, throwing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, you should have gone with the guards. You are high maintenance," Thelton said in a growl. He had no patience for people, especially a spoiled little girl.

Alashia seemed offended by Thelton's words. "Never; my sister stays with me, for we only have each other."

"Don't you have some sisters in other kingdoms?" Thelton asked.

"Yes," Alashia responded.

"Direct me to one, therefore I can leave you in their safety."

"Father warned me if a day like this ever happened then I was to go to my cousins across the sea. He said I would be the safest there, so that is where you will take me."

Thelton's face reddened with anger. "Wow, princess, it is attitudes like that that will get you caught. You will no longer order people around, especially me."

Alashia glared at Thelton, "I will indeed order you around. Because of you, I have no home. It is because of you my father, my castle, my crown, and my freedom were all taken from me. You better believe not only will you protect me and escort me, but I WILL order you around!"

Alashia's hand covered her mouth. She couldn't believe she had talked brazenly to Thelton. She dearly loved him and worshiped the ground he walked on. However, a dark seed of hate for him had imbedded into her heart. She didn't want it there, but it continued to spread despite her love.

Her words stung Thelton, for she was right, it was because of him she had lost everything, and now he was taking away her right to be called princess.

Thelton bowed his head, his words softening. "I am sorry Alashia. I will forever be in your debt. I only tell you these words as a cautionary step. Outside the walls, women do not boss their husband around. They walk several steps behind them, and they are very dutiful. We need to draw no attention to ourselves, therefore you and Stephanie must act like common folk; otherwise, people will stare and wonder."

"I'm not common," Stephanie pouted as she folded her arms across her chest again. Thelton ignored the littlest princess.

Grabbing Alashia's little hand, he led her away from the bushes.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We must get away and fast. I don't know if Samuel will be watching for my return tomorrow or not, but we must not be around if he does. The best thing for us to do is to figure out where we are going, then to get there."

"I told you," Alashia said. "Overseas."

"Don't you have a sister over in Cloats? It would be safer taking you there than trying to smuggle you across the sea."

"Please try to listen to me when I talk. Father told me to go to my cousins across the seas if this day ever happened. I will listen to father, and that is where we are to go."

Thelton rubbed his hand under his chin. "How will we get you across the seas, Alashia? You are the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, surely someone will recognize you."

"All I have to do is wear these ugly garments on the ship, then no one will bother to look at me twice."

"Not so, for they search everyone before they board."

"Well, I don't know how we will do it, but we must do it."

Thelton thought for a moment then looked down at his pudgy hands.

"That's it. I will take you to the medicine woman. There she will put a spell on you to change your looks like she did for me."

Alashia's blue eyes widened. "No way will I go to the medicine woman. I heard she is a very powerful evil witch!"

Thelton hated confrontation. He liked to be in control and he liked people to jump when he said jump.

"Princess," Thelton growled. "You have two choices and two choices only. You either have the medicine woman change your looks; or you go to Coats. There are no other choices."

"Will she make me as ugly as you?"

"For your safety, I could only hope so."

"Is it permanent?"

"No, she said that eventually it wears off."

"I don't want to look ugly," Stephanie bawled.

Alashia wrapped her arms around her sister to bring her comfort. "It's okay. It will only be for awhile."

"It is not safe to linger by the castle wall. We must be going now," Thelton said. He felt a huge urgency to put as much distance between them and the castle grounds.

In a commanding voice, Alashia said, "No, we wait for my servants and the guards."

"Ahhh," Thelton growled. He truly despised working with people, because they were stubborn and difficult. "We will be safer if we travel alone, for what commoner travels with guards and servants?"

"They are dressed in common clothes as well, no one will know they are my servants, they will think we are family."

"No!" Thelton shouted. "We travel alone! It is safer."

Alashia's eye filled with tears. "I have had those servants since I was a baby. I will not abandon them now. They would never abandon me."

Thelton shook his hands in the princess's face. "You are difficult. No, no, no! I feel like I owe you the world, Alashia, I do, but I cannot help you if you fight me on everything, nor will I. If you insist to wait for your servants, then do so, but do it alone."

Thelton's words felt like a punch to Alashia's gut. When he had been in the castle, he had always used soft words with her. Unbeknownst to her, he only had done it because he had feared the wrath of the king. But now Thelton was in charge, he would make sure the princess knew her place.

More tears poured out of Alashia's eyes. "Fine, Thelton, I will follow you." The two princesses held each other and cried.

Thelton turned away from the crying princesses and began walking. The princesses quickly fell into step behind him.

Chapter 19

It had been over a week since Indy and Sterling had come to Firelake. Sterling enjoyed his time with Indy and the waters, but he really felt pressure to figure his life out. What were his plans? He really didn't know. The one thing he knew for sure was he wanted his friend with him for the rest of his life. But where would that life be?

For Indy, back at the dragon's nest would be ideal, for her soul seemed to radiate when she was home. Sterling very much liked the dragon camp, and he wanted to use the tree house he had built her. His biggest deterrent was the possibility of Thelton returning again for her. This time, he would fight Thelton to the death, but he feared it would be his own death. Thelton was a master hunter, while he was still weak. Sterling lacked the skills to withstand Thelton.

The more Sterling sorted things in his mind, the more he became curious as to what had happened after the town people had found Indy missing. "Had Thelton showed up to rescue her? Had they captured Thelton? Maybe Thelton was dead and no longer a threat. If Thelton was gone then we can live anywhere we want."

Thinking about the possibilities, Sterling looked over at Indy. She had put on the dress Sterling had used to disguise himself as a woman. As she played with the dirt around her, Sterling studied her features. He had weaved her hair and piled it atop her head; there were flowers strung all around in it. Her wings tucked behind her. With the dress and her hair style, she looked rather becoming, nothing like the sickly prisoner he had rescued.

He looked away from Indy and returned to his thoughts. "If I want to comfortably live at the dragon camp, I must know if Thelton has been apprehended. In order to do that, I need to return to Andleburg, and for safety, travel only by night. I need a way to find out if Thelton is dead. If Thelton is indeed dead, I can return to the dragon camp and spend the rest of my days with my friend. If Thelton is still alive, then I will create a different plan for my friend and me."

With the intention of returning to Andleburg, Sterling told Indy it was time to leave.

"Fly," Indy offered.

Sterling desperately wanted Indy to fly them out of the forest, for then they wouldn't have to worry about any wild animal, but if she did, she would have to destroy the dress to completely release her wings. There was a small hole already in them where they stuck out, but not fully. So at that moment, flying could not be an option because Sterling didn't want to ruin her dress. With her wings still tucked into her dress, and her hair down, they walked hand in hand out of the forest.

Sterling's heart raced the entire journey to exit the forest, for he knew at any moment their life could be in danger because of the mysteries of the forest. However, he did feel slightly safer with Indy by his side, for she was powerful. To keep his mind off his fear, he worked on teaching Indy more words as they walked.

In due time, and to Sterling's great relief, they safely made it out of the forest. As Sterling led Indy to Andleburg, she began to panic, for she became familiar with the places where she had been tortured by Edward and his men.

"No, no, no, friend, bad place, go, go," Indy said shaking. Fright overtook her features.

Sterling withdrew his sword. "You will be safe. You must trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you again." Sterling didn't fully believe his own words.

Dropping his sword for a moment, he placed both his hands on top of Indy's shoulders. "Trust me," he said.

Indy gazed up into his eyes. Their eyes locked together. She looked innocent, pure. He hoped he wasn't taking her somewhere he couldn't defend her.

The night was pitch black with a heavy cloud cover. As they walked toward the town square, they met an adolescent boy. Sterling's heart rejoiced, for the boy would not be a threat, and with any luck, he would have information about Thelton.

"Boy," Sterling called out to him. "Do tell me the latest news of the kingdom."

The boy stopped walking and turned to face Sterling. "You don't sound like you are from here." The boy replied. His hair was jet black, like the night.

"You are a very clever boy, I used to be from Candleshaw, but I moved to Andleburg some time ago."

"Well, if you are from Andleburg, then you will already know the news of the kingdom."

Sterling was impressed by the boy's wisdom.

"I've been on business boy. Will a slip coin loosen your tongue?"

The boy stretched his hand forward, the slip coin dropped in his outreached palm. The greedy adolescent quickly slipped it into his shirt, then he asked. "How far back must I go?"

"How about two weeks?"

"Let me think, I am not sure what day it happened, but have you heard about the revolution?"

"The revolution?" Sterling said shocked, those where definitely not the words he had expected to hear. Sure the men had been talking about it at the Tavern and at Edward's place, but had they actually gone through with it?

Looking at Sterling's face, the boy was excited to be the first to deliver such radical news. He had been sure everyone, even the surrounding kingdoms, had heard about the revolution. He straightened the top of his shirt and proudly continued. "Ah, I see that you haven't. We have a new king that sits on the throne, for the very people of Andleburg removed King Wolfgang and put Trevor of Andleburg, First Position Advisor on the throne." The boy nervously looked around, as if he would be punished for not properly stating the king's title correctly. "Oops, I mean King Trevor."

"Trevor," Sterling blurted out. He remembered him from the hunt and the meetings. Although he was the advisor, he was a twig of a man. How did he possibly stir the kingdom to follow him?

"If you want to live, I suggest you call him King Trevor." The boy warned.

"Is he a fair king?"

The boy again looked around making sure no one was in hearing range of his conversation. "No, he is very evil. Within his first week he ransacked the villages; demanding everyone's excess. He took fields, homes, barns, cattle, animals, and anything he could seize. He killed anyone who fought back, and these were the very men who put him on the throne. He has also seized many women, forcing them to be slaves in the castle. If these are his doings in the first week, we fear for our ever after."

Sterling stood stunned. How had Trevor placed himself on the throne? Sterling then remembered Trevor was the First Advisor to King Wolfgang. He must have betrayed him and committed Tyranny. With the shocking news of the kingdom, Sterling had almost forgotten why he had stopped the boy.

"What about Thelton The Dragon Slayer, did he get executed?"

"No," the boy spit out in disappointment. "No one has seen him."

"So he still is alive?"

"As far as anyone knows."

Sterling's heart dropped. He had wanted to hear Thelton had been killed. He couldn't spend the rest of his life waiting for Thelton to come in and take Indy again. He also remembered how his father had been blamed and killed for Thelton's evil doings. Thelton needed to die.

"Thank you boy," Sterling said as he turned around and walked back toward the forest.

The boy looked curiously at Indy; she sure seemed large for a woman. He watched as Sterling and Indy turned their backs to him and began to walk away. He stared at her strange wings. Hoping for another slip coin, the boy rammed his open hand into Sterling's side.

"Sorry boy," Sterling said. "I am going to need everything I have."

Sterling wanted to get Indy back to the safety of the forest before the sun rose. He laughed at the thought, the 'safety' of the forest. "There is nothing safe about the Vegus Forest. Maybe my best bet for now is to take Indy back to one of my home in Candleshaw. At least Thelton doesn't know where I live." Sterling turned back around and watched as the boy disappeared into the shadows.

Candleshaw seemed like their best option. He turned to Indy, and pointing to the sky, he said. "Fly."

Indy smiled because she much preferred to fly than to walk, plus she was happy to get away from Andleburg and men. With her claws she ripped at the back of her dress until her wings spilled out fully. Sterling smiled too because he loved flying with her. Indy wrapped Sterling in her arms and took to the sky.

...

The morning light broke through the billowy clouds. A fresh breeze blew from the North. Thelton didn't want to arrive at the medicine woman's house too early, for he had done it once before, and she didn't take too kindly to early visits.

Thelton rapped on the knobby door, inside a croaky voice call out, "Go away or I will cast a spell on you!"

In fear, Alashia grabbed Thelton's hand and tried to pull him away. "Let's go Thelton, this isn't a good idea, I don't feel good about this." A forboding spirit entered her.

"This has nothing to do with how you feel. This is about protecting you. Besides, the medicine woman loves me."

Thelton turned to the door and said, "Let me in, for it is I Thelton, The Dragon Slayer."

"You better have my scales," the old lady called out, the door opened.

Thelton let out a deep sigh, for he had promised her scales for the last two visits. Would her patience hold out?

As he walked in with the two princesses, the medicine woman wildly jumped from the bed and flew toward Alashia. She reached out and grabbed the hood and threw it off of Alashia's head. Then she took her scrawny fingers, and with her browned chipped nails, traced the princess' features. Alashia went stiff.

"Why would you do this to me, Thelton?" the medicine woman asked in disgust. She continued to explore Alashia, seeing her as a major intruder. The medicine woman had always had a crush on Thelton. She felt betrayed with Thelton bringing a woman to her home. And besides, Thelton had sworn up and down he had no plans on marrying the princess, and now there he stood with her. How could he be so brazen?

"Do what?" Thelton asked.

"How could you bring her here?" The medicine women shrieked. She grabbed a handful of the princess's golden hair and yanked on it. Alashia tried to stand brave without expression. Stephanie quietly cried as she saw the medicine woman touch her sister. The medicine squeezed Alashia's face between her sticky fingers, assaulting it with her breath.

"I owe a debt to her," Thelton replied.

The medicine woman dropped Alashia's face then went over to Thelton and got right in his. Her malodorous breath made his eyes water.

"You owe me a debt as well. Where are my scales?" the medicine woman hissed. With Alashia there, the medicine woman lacked patience for Thelton.

Negative vibes radiated from her, and Thelton felt them. She had always adored him, but suddenly he felt threatened in her presence.

"I will get them to you. I just thought you could help me."

Irately, the medicine woman grabbed a vile of glowing green liquid off a shelf and threw it against the door directly behind Thelton's head. A small part of the door smoked as the liquid dissolved away the wood.

She began screeching as she frantically moved about her small cottage. "You lie, you lie. I am sick of your lies. You have no plans of getting me those scales, in fact, you plan on escaping with the princess and never returning to Andleburg. Tell me that I am wrong?"

The medicine woman wrapped her decrepit fingers around Thelton's neck. Her nails poked into his skin. "I could have given you the greatest pleasure in the world, and yet you chose her over me. You have some nerve, Thelton, some nerve."

"I am sorry. I guess this was a bad idea. We will go now." Thelton tried to turn his back from the medicine woman, but she pushed her jagged, rotten nails deeper into his skin.

"Oh, no, oh no, you will not walk out of here like that. You owe me, you owe me." The old hag snaked her other hand over to Alashia and grabbed her face as well.

"I will take what you owe me out of her."

The medicine woman began chanting a spell. Alashia bawled while Stephanie screamed for her sister. Beneath the medicine woman's fingers, Alashia's skin burned.

"Thelton," Alashia screamed. "Help me."

The medicine woman jerked Thelton's head toward Alashia's. "Look, your lover cries out for you. Because you betrayed my love, Thelton, you will watch her sizzle under my hands." Smoke flowed from Alashia's skin. Alashia screamed and tried to fight back, but she could not break the magical hold of the medicine woman's hand.

"STOP!" Thelton roared. He pulled out his emerald sword, swiftly bringing it toward the medicine woman's head. A powerful force ripped it out of his hands and sent if flying into the corner of the room. It hit the wall and dropped to the ground. _Clank_

"You value her life over mine?" The medicine woman screeched. "What has she given you? Nothing! Not even a child? I would have given you the world, Thelton. I have given you the world. Anything you have asked, I have given. Why do you betray me like this, why?"

"I have over forty dragon heads," Thelton cried out. "Forty heads waiting to be yours." He felt desperate in stopping the hag's furry. He had tried to pull out his golden sword, but the medicine woman now controlled his arms.

Thelton's words caught her attention. She dropped Alashia's face. Alashia cusped her cheeks in her hand, exploring her parched skin. She and Stephanie held tight to each other and bawled.

"Why did you not bring them with you?"

"I couldn't rescue the princesses and bring the heads at the same time. I had to get the princesses to safety, then I planned on getting you the heads. I promise."

The medicine woman looked at Alashia and Stephanie. "I don't understand why you had to rescue the princesses at all." The medicine woman asked, almost in a crying voice. Her heart was broken.

"Let us go, and the heads are yours." Thelton looked over to the princesses, seeing the color in their faces gone.

"How can I trust you, Thelton of Andleburg?"

"You must. We have a history together."

Standing over a pile of junk on the floor, the princesses watched Thelton talk. Suddenly, the objects before them seemed to come to life. A rope slithered out from the pile of rags, and quickly lassoed around both princesses, pulling them tightly together.

"If I don't have those heads within twenty hours, your princesses die," the medicine woman warned.

"It will take me longer than that to get them. Give me until this time tomorrow. I promise I will have your heads."

"Fine, you have until this time tomorrow," An hour glass floated over to the medicine woman. "Your time is set, but know if you are even one grain late, your princesses die."

"Thelton, don't leave us here," Alashia bawled.

Thelton tried to go to Alashia's side, but the rope whisked her up toward the ceiling where the two princesses dangled. Alashia and Stephanie screeched in horror.

"You must be going, for look, a few grains have already fallen," the medicine woman said laughing. She was going to enjoy this.

"My sword," Thelton demanded. He held his hand out. The sword flew up from the ground and landed in his hand.

"Listen, if I get those heads for you, I want more than the princesses back, I want a disguise for them, much like the one you made for me."

"You are in no position to make deals," the medicine woman hissed.

"Neither are you, for I know how bad you need those scales. I bring more than the scales, I bring the heads. I know there is much you will be able to do with that. I also know I am the only one who brings you scales, and you are desperate for them. So, I'll say it only one more time, if you want the heads, you give me the princesses and you transform them for a time."

The medicine woman scowled at Thelton, snarling she said, "Deal".

Chapter 20

Making great haste, Thelton returned to the castle where he found instant passage through the gates. The gate guard remembered seeing Thelton around. Without questions, he let him through. Once on the courtyard, Thelton had to figure out what to do with his time, for the dragon's heads were buried along the moat on the inside walls of the castle. He wasn't going to be able to obtain them during the light of day. To occupy his time, Thelton went to the supply room. With nothing better to do, he took a nap. As he slept, two figures entered the room.

"Rise for the king," a guard commanded. Thelton jolted from his sleep, while he wiped the drool from his chin, he jumped to his feet.

"So, is this the type of service you give me, to sleep instead of work?" King Trevor growled.

Thelton was at a loss for his words. He had heard about the king's reputation of murdering servants he felt were slacking on the job. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to be found sleeping.

"I heard you brought your wife to the castle last night," The king prodded. Again Thelton was lost to words, for he thought Samuel had promised not to tell the king. Fearful, Thelton looked away.

"Where are your words, smith?"

"The words you speak are true, dear king." Thelton felt it was better to be in agreement than to argue the king.

"You look too young to have a wife and a middle size child. I am not sure I have seen any of your work around the castle. Walk with me and show me all you have done this last week while under my care."

Thelton's heart pounded in his chest. He had nothing to show the king, nothing. He remembered the swords at his hip, for the moment there was only him, the king, and one guard. Thelton could easily take Trevor down and the guard as well. What he didn't know was how many more guards were up the corridor? Could he make it out before anyone realized the king was dead?

While he tried to figure out what to do, Thelton thought about the princesses back at the medicine woman's cottage. If he didn't make it back, she would suck the life out of them. His hand shook at the thought of killing Trevor, "I can't kill him, for I have to get back to the princesses." It would be easy to kill him, but once he did it, he didn't know if he would be able to escape. He had to make sure he would still be allowed to leave, for if he couldn't, the princesses died. He had to fake his way out of it. Before he could fully make up his mind, the guard reached forward and grabbed Thelton's arm.

"Lead the way," he commanded Thelton.

"King, the work I do has been clearing out debris. So far there is not much to see. Tomorrow I planned on fixing the walls and things like that."

"So, you are telling me for the past week all you have done was haul garbage out?"

Thelton nodded.

"Then why are you my smith? I have slaves to haul out garbage."

Thelton felt his life in danger. He would have to kill Trevor. He wiggled out from the guard, and just as he reached for his swords, five more guards entered the room.

"Oh yes, my fine guards, just in time, for I think we are no longer in need of the smith."

All the guards withdrew their swords and pointed them at Thelton. He had hesitated and missed his chance at freedom.

"You see boy, my job is to rid the kingdom of slothful people like yourself. That is why King Wolfgang failed miserably because he allowed himself to be surrounded by fools like you. Not me. I will only have the most loyal and strong men in my service. I will not tolerate folly in my kingdom."

The king turned his back to Thelton and walked away. Why had Thelton not killed the king when he had the small window of opportunity?

Thelton felt a jolt to the side of his head.

"Move," a guard barked at him. Thelton walked ahead of the five pointed swords until he was escorted to a room packed with people. The guards shoved him in, and without explanation, they closed the door.

"What is going on?" Thelton demanded. He looked around at the mass of people. No one answered him, they only stared.

"Talk to me," he shouted. "Are we in here awaiting our death?" Again, all he got was empty stares. The looks on their faces answered his question.

"Are you guys going to allow them to kill you?" he challenged.

No one answered. Thelton looked around the room and counted. Eighty people packed into the small room with him.

"Look at you, you all look strong enough to fight. You probably fought and killed the previous crown, so you can fight Trevor. Don't just allow him to take your life, fight for it!" Thelton was shocked at the empty expressions the people gave him. They all looked defeated, as if they had already accepted their death. Where was their fighting spirit?

"Join me and fight back," he yelled. As if to shut him up, most of the people turned their back to him.

He couldn't believe it. What had subdued eighty strong men? Thelton paced back and forth, from the hushed whisperings, he learned their executions were already planned and would take place in four hours. "Four hours! That doesn't give me time to plan our escape."

Thelton tried one more time to rally the men to fight, but everyone cowered from his words. "I just can't envision willfully going to the grave under Trevor's sword. There must be something I can do? Why, why, why didn't I kill Trevor when I had the chance?"

Four hours soared by, and the doors opened, behind the doors stood what looked to be two hundred men, all with sword pointed at them.

Chapter 21

Sterling led Indy into a small cave. It once had been one of his homes. He had three homes he and his father had lived in. Since they were hunters, they had moved between the three homes depending on the season. As Sterling settled in, he could tell someone had been there not too long ago, for there were remnants of food on the ground.

"This is our new home," Sterling said with a smile.

Indy paced nervously back and forth.

"Home?" she questioned.

Sterling reached out to grasp her hand, but she pulled away.

"No home," she replied. "Go fly," she said.

"This is a good home. I lived here a good part of my life. We can get you nice things to put in it, if you like."

"Small, don't like," Indy said.

To Indy, it had much of the feel of the dungeon the king had put her in. Coldness from the walls penetrated to her bones. The cave gave her anxiety and she felt like she was going to implode.

Indy began hyperventilating, her head swirled, sweat beaded on her brow; she had to get out. It was too much. She bolted out the cave. Once outside, she began to calm down.

Sterling followed her out. "I guess it is kind of small," Sterling said. "You know, I really never noticed until now."

Sterling grabbed her large hand. "I want you to be happy, so if this cave doesn't work then there is another home we can try. There's one made out of wood. Kind of like the tree house I made you, but different. I am not sure you will like living in a home on a small farm, but I guess we can try it."

Sterling had Indy fly them to the second home. When they got there, disappointment settled in Sterling, for the home had crumbled to the ground and there was only a pile of broken walls left.

He looked at Indy. "I don't know what to do. I know that you would be happy living at the dragon camp, but I can't risk it. I can't let Thelton take you away from me again. We have to go somewhere where he will never find us."

During his conversation, Indy saw a rabbit hop by. She quickly chased after it. Sterling smiled as he watched her, for she was fun to be around, a joy for living, a delight in experiences, hers was a life of pleasure. Everything seemed to intrigue her while she carried a childlike innocence about her. "What can I do to give her a decent home? I want to give her the world," he thought.

Indy pounced on the rabbit and proudly raised it in the air, displaying her catch. Licking her lips, she brought the rabbit to her mouth and took a bite. She looked human, and yet she still had many dragon qualities about her. With a mouth full of meat and fur, she brought the rabbit over to Sterling. He took a bite, trying to avoid the fur. Guilt filled him, because the rabbit was still alive. Surely it would be more humane to kill it first. When she offered another bite, he declined.

As he tried to chew up the meat, he sputtered and chocked. Rabbit hair tickled his throat, ultimately, he spit it out. It was too gross and hard to swallow. Indy laughed at Sterling as he fished fur out of his mouth. The things he did seemed weird to her. As she looked at Sterling, a surge of energy rushed through her and she jumped on him, knocking him to the ground. Playfully, she bent over and took a bite out of his shoulder. The bite was superficial, but it still hurt, and it still broke skin. Laughing, she jumped up and said, "Get me," then ran toward a field of tall weeds. When she got a distance away, she dropped into the weeds, disappearing from sight.

Sterling rubbed his bulky arm. "She bit me," he said. He looked out at the weeds unable to see her. He looked down at his arm again. "Why did she bite me?"

Indy's head popped up and she called out, "Get me."

"I think she wants me to play hide-n-seek with her." Sterling wasn't really sure how the rules went because he had only read about it in a book, never actually playing the game himself. He wondered how Indy knew about the game.

Indy hid under the weeds, her heart beating fast, waiting for Sterling to find her, excitement danced inside her. Sterling stood up and walked toward her. She watched his legs move through openings in the weeds. The closer he got, the more nervous she became. When he was less than a meter away, she couldn't take the anticipation much longer, jumping up, she squealed in elation, then she opened her wings and started flying upward.

"Oh no you don't," Sterling said, leaping forward and grabbing her legs.

He could not pull her down as she tried to kick him off. He was determined to hold on. The battle was on, but too soon, Sterling lost his grip and fell to the ground with a hard thud.

"Hey, that wasn't nice," he called out as he rubbed his sore back. He looked up in the air at her, she was laughing and laughing.

Indy circled above then dropped next to him.

"First you bite me, then you drop me, what are you trying to do, kill me?"

Indy bent over him, looking as if she had a kiss to give him, but she turned on him and playful bit his cheek. Excitedly, she jumped up and ran to a new place in the weeds then ducked down again.

"Get me," she called out.

Sterling rubbed his stinging cheek. "Ahh," he said. "You are playing games with me again." The game was a nice diversion to the gloom he was feeling. He decided to fully throw himself into it. He jumped up and ran to where she was at. She didn't have time to get away. He dropped to the ground and playfully bit her arm, watching closely for her reaction.

"Run," Indy giggled.

She really was playing hide-n-seek. Sterling jumped up and began running, but before he could make any distance, Indy pounced on him sending both of them tumbling into the weeds.

Sterling wrested with her until he pinned Indy under his body. She didn't resist. "I am sure if she wanted to, she could send me sailing off of her," he thought.

"I bet you have never been tickled." Sterling said. "My father tickled me once, it was pretty fun. I will always remember it."

Recalling how his father did it, Sterling grabbed Indy's arms and trapped them above her head with his right hand. He took his left hand and tickled her armpits. The sensation shocked Indy, uncontrollable laughter escaped her. She squirmed around, kind of wanting him to stop, and kind of not.

Sterling loved watching the pure rapture shine out of her. He tickled more; she laughed more. At that moment, Indy looked as if nothing else in the world mattered. Her happiness warmed Sterling's heart. As he tickled her, he was suddenly flung onto his back. Before he comprehended what had happened, Indy straddled the top of him.

"Oh, so you think you are going to tickle me?" Sterling challenged. Before he could fight back, Indy had restrained his arms above his head. She was strong. He fought to escape, but he could barely budge. Indy rammed her claws into Sterling's armpits, her force was extremely painful.

"Oh, stop, stop!" he called out. She laughed, as if it was part of the game, digging even harder. She pierced his skin, and blood trickled out of the newly created laceration.

"Ahhh," Sterling screamed out. "Hurt, please stop!"

This time Indy could tell she really was hurting him. She quickly jumped off with a worried look on her face.

"What?" she asked, raising her shoulders and twisting her face in concern.

Sterling grabbed her arm and began lightly running his fingers up and down it. "Soft, tickle is soft," he said. She laughed at the sensation. He showed her his bleeding armpit. "You do it too hard."

She grabbed his arm and mimicked his gesture. "Tickle soft," she said.

"Yes, you got it, good." And again, before he knew it, she had trapped him to the ground. This time she took her claws and lightly tickled his arm. The trill electrified his nerves. He began squirming around, laughing hysterically. Indy loved his reaction and the two engaged in a full out tickle fight.

...

The night temperature cooled down rapidly. Gathering some of the wood from his old home, he swiftly built a fire. Pulling Indy close to him, they shared the warmth.

"One day, you and I will sit around a fire and we will spend the night talking and talking, and maybe that will be the day you tell me about your childhood. I bet it is amazing," Sterling said as he held Indy close to him. With the shared warmth, Indy quickly fell asleep. Sterling stared at her and thought about their future.

As he watched the flames, they reminded him of Firelake. "I could take her back there to live. Of course, that was on the trail to the dragon camp, so if Thelton came looking for her, he would have to pass through there, then he would find her again, stupid idea."

Sterling found disappointment in himself. Why was he letting Thelton dictate his life? If he wanted to live at the dragon camp with Indy, then he should.

Sterling rubbed Indy's back while she slept. As he did, her sleeve slipped off her shoulder and revealed her skin. Huge angry welts swelled all over her shoulder and back. They were the scars Trevor had left. Even though Firelake had removed the pain, the marks would be there for life.

"No, I can't take her back to the dragon camp, for I must protect her at all costs. If it means living somewhere else, it is worth her life. My homes in Candleshaw are not working out. Maybe we could find another home, but what if Thelton tracked us down, after all he knows I am from Candleshaw." Sterling looked at the welts again, clarity filled his mind. He knew where they should go, a place where they would never see Thelton again.

Chapter 22

The guards marched the men down the corridors of the castle, herding them toward the execution platform. The halls were jammed with people, causing chaos. To Thelton's great fortune, the men were escorted past the service room. As the men's shoulders scrapped along the walls, Thelton ducked into the slightly ajar room, quickly closing it, hoping no one would notice. Without wasting time, he swiftly opened the hutch and ducked into the secret corridor. A guard had seen the service room door close. Making sure no man was trying to hide in there, he threw open the door, ready to kill on the spot whoever he found in there. The room was empty. Since there was nowhere to hide in the barren room, the guard concluded the door must have closed as the men walked by. He backed out of the room, securing the door closed behind him.

Thelton waited the rest of the evening hidden in the secret chamber. He had been close to death. He had also been close to killing Trevor.

"Why didn't I do it?" Thelton didn't believe in directly killing a man, but he felt he would have been justified with Trevor. "If I had killed Trevor, how many more deaths would be prevented?" But, he had lost his chance, and he would forever regret it.

After a long wait, he decided it was time to escape. Just as Thelton pushed out of the hutch, the service room door opened. Thelton quickly ducked back into the secret chamber and closed the hutch. In the room entered the four rock players.

"Why didn't I get out of here sooner? Stupid of me."

The men played rocks through most of the night. Thelton's anger and impatience intensified as he waited for them to leave, but the game went on until it was just an hour away from sunrise. Thelton's eyelids sagged to their weight. "I am not sure I will be able to keep them open much longer." He was relieved when the men left. He waited a little longer to leave, fighting sleep the whole time. Finally he escaped the service room and quickly made his way out to the castle grounds.

Relieved to be out of the castle, Thelton ran to the moat, and as he did, he could hear the hounds on his tale. Having them chase him again felt like a bad nightmare all over again. Thelton knew not far behind the hounds were the guards.

"What am I going to do? I know I could kill the guards, but I really don't want to." He tried to think, and suddenly inspiration was on him. He reached his hand into his side pack. He found a pouch of powder he had accrued from the medicine woman the visit before his last one. It had been part of the magic she had given him to free Indy.

Thelton stopped running and let the hounds catch up to him. He grabbed a handful of the dust and chucked it at each of the dog's faces. The powered was inhaled up their nose and into their brains. Its power took over their nerves causing them to fall to the ground. As the guards reached him, he did the same to them, and they went down like the hounds.

He wished he had remembered about the paralytic powder earlier, for there had been several times where it would have come into good use. The medicine woman promised him anyone hit by it would regain control of their nerves in a day or two. Thelton bowed to the men, then ran to the moat.

After he dug up all the heads, he realized he couldn't carry them all back to the medicine woman; for he would need a wagon. Weariness settled into him. Why did everything have to be complicated? Thelton left the heads and ran to the barn. He could see them keeping watch. Thankfully, there were no dogs to warn them of his presence. Stealthily, Thelton made it to the guards before they could register his presence. He threw dust into their faces. They passed out cold to the ground. Thelton felt powerful.

He loved the powder. Too bad he was on poor terms with the medicine woman, for he desired a barrel of the stuff. With the guards down, Thelton looked to the sky; the sun had started to rise. A dusty pink sprinkled across the sky. He needed to hurry.

Thelton went into the barn and saw the wagons. He realized one wagon alone wouldn't fit all the heads. He would need at least two. Taking an ax, Thelton chopped off some of the components on one of the wagons then secured it behind another wagon; successfully creating a double wagon. He released two horses out of their stalls and hitched them to pull the wagons.

...

Once the double wagon was full of dragon heads, Thelton draped a long canvas over them and headed to the castle gates.

With the noise of the wagons, the guard at the gate looked up, recognizing Thelton as the smith. Word had not traveled yet about the king putting the smith out for execution. Even though the guard recognized the smith, he was still wary about letting him leave with such a load.

"Let me see what is under your canvas," the guard said. He and another guard walked over to the canvas and lifted it. They did not expect to see all the dragon heads staring back up. In fright they both jumped away.

"What is the purpose of this?" a guard asked.

"I am clearing them out for King Trevor." Thelton tried to keep an expressionless face.

"I think the king would have informed us of such a load, for nothing comes and goes through these gates that he has not informed us on."

"Listen men, I am on his errand."

"We shall see," one of the guards said. Thelton didn't have time for their interrogation. He grabbed a handful of powder, throwing it into both their faces. Straight away they fell to the ground.

"I love this stuff!" Thelton shouted out. He mounted back on the wagon and headed to the medicine woman's cottage.

...

Without waiting for an invitation, the door flung open. Thelton stormed into the cottage, throwing a dragon head at the medicine woman. The force of the head knocked her hard to the ground, something in her hip cracked, but because of her extreme elation of touching the head, she barely noticed the throb in her hip.

"Oh Thelton, this is why I love you. Look at the size of this head. I had no idea they were so big, and look at the scales all over its face. Oh Thelton, I love you, I love you, I love you." Her eyes were ablaze while drool seeped out of her floppy lips. The medicine woman pushed the head off her decrepit body and limped toward Thelton.

"Where are the rest?" she greedily asked.

Thelton pointed threw the open door. She hobbled to the opening and saw the double wagon parked outside her door.

"Oh Thelton I love you," she squealed. She tried to jump up and down in her delight, but at her first attempt, her hip gave out and she fell to the floor. She slowly pulled herself up, keeping her eyes locked on the wagon with its most desirable prize.

"Let the princesses down!" Thelton demanded. He looked up at the ceiling where Alashia and Stephanie dangled in mid air, still having their extremities tied up by the rope. Their faces were drawn out with large dark circles under their sockets. Everything had been a daunting nightmare. They kept their eyes on the timer with the sand coming close to running out. They spent the last twenty four hours wondering if Thelton would return before the medicine woman killed them? As they had waited, the medicine woman made horrible threats to them. Their bodies felt numb from being suspended in the air for so long. Their stomachs panged for food, but the horrible smell in the cottage turned the hunger into nausea. They were weak, waiting for deliverance.

When Thelton threw the door open, the princesses' heart leapt for joy. The grains of sands had almost depleted. Soon they would be rescued. As they waited, the medicine woman pointed up at the princesses. The rope untwisted off their bodies. They dropped fast to the dirt floor, a floor covered by garbage and mildew. Everything hurt.

Thelton should have gone to help the princesses up, or to at least comfort them, but instead he haggled with the medicine woman. "My potions," Thelton demanded. Both Alashia and Stephanie scurried over to him and clung to his side. Desperate to leave, they hoped their nightmare with the witch was soon over.

"No Thelton," Alashia whispered through her parched voice, "Let's go." Her throat felt dry, like someone had dumped a bucket of sand down it.

Thelton ignored Alashia. He continued to glare at the medicine woman.

"You have no patience," the medicine woman said to him. She turned and hobbled back to the dragon head and caressed it while purring like some sort of wild cat.

Her antics toward the head infuriated Thelton. She should have gone to her pot to make the potion; instead she was wasting his time. "Of course I am impatient." Enraged, he screamed at her. "Not after what you put me through. We had a deal. The potion, NOW!"

The medicine woman's voice curdled on her tongue. "You are lucky that I keep my word," she said, not liking the tone Thelton used with her. No one ever yelled at her, for it wasn't wise to disrespect her because of the power she held. If Thelton hadn't been dear to her, she would have placed a nasty spell on him for the way he was treating her.

Thelton watched as she continued to admire her new possession. He could hardly control his detest for her. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What?" she asked back.

"Go get my potion then I can be on my way."

"Well, I have to make it."

"How can you not have it made all ready? What have you been doing while I was at the castle?" Watching her lack of urgency maddened him. "What have you been doing the whole time I was gone? You should have had that made and ready to go."

"Please Thelton, we beg of you, let's go." The princesses pleaded as they clung to his ankles. They wanted to get out of the cottage while they were all alive. Besides, they didn't dare drink anything the medicine woman would make. Going there had been a horrible idea, and it was time to leave.

"How can you not understand a disguise is your only way to keep from being killed or kidnapped? It is the most vital part of our escape, so hold your tongues," he barked back. "This is for your protection. It is a must if I am going to get you safely to your cousins."

Alashia began to cry again. It had been hard enough to have been left with the medicine woman. Every moment Thelton was gone she had feared her death, but to have Thelton bark at her after all she had been through, it was too, too much.

"I have spent half my life adoring you, and you have always treated me with respect and kindness, but since you have shown up to rescue me, I've noticed a very rough side to you." Alashia wanted to say her thoughts out loud, but she didn't.

While Thelton and the princess argued, the medicine woman hobbled over to her giant black pot. She gathered her supplies and deliberately took her time in making the potion. Finally, Alashia and Thelton stopped arguing. A thick silence hung in the air as they waited on the medicine woman. In waiting, the princesses grasped Thelton's arm tightly, constricting the blood. He let her.

As he watched the medicine woman work, he regretted this would be his last time visiting her. She had played a pivotal role in his life, of course, because of that role; his world had crumbled around him. Just when Thelton was about to lose it, the potion was finished. The medicine woman hobbled over to the princesses, carrying two small vials with her. She shoved them at the girls then growled.

"Drink."

Both princesses sealed their lips tightly closed and shook their heads. Whatever the medicine woman had concocted, they weren't about to put it in their bodies. With their refusal of the potions, the medicine woman stood limply holding the potions. "These girls waste your time," she growled toward Thelton. "If they don't want my potions, then they should get out of my home."

He went over and snatched the vials out of the medicine woman's hands. He shoved them in the princesses' face. "Drink," he too commanded.

"No Thelton, how can..." During her protest, he shoved the vial of liquid into her mouth and dumped it down Alashia's throat. She sputtered as the unexpected fluid not only traveled to her stomach, but some entered her lungs. Alashia coughed and coughed as she tried to expel the fluid out of her lungs. Without offering comfort, Thelton went to Stephanie.

"Don't make me pry your mouth open," Thelton threatened. Stephanie feared him, so she opened her mouth. He dumped the contents of the vial down her throat. When Alashia stopped coughing, she slapped Thelton, "You didn't even comfort me after it went into my lungs. You make me drink something vile that will soon kill me. Why are you hard-hearted?"

Thelton's cheek burned from the slap. A tinge of remorse entered his heart, for he had been very gruff. Again he remembered all the princess had been through, recalling all she had sacrificed for him. He didn't mean to be hard-hearted. Weariness plagued him while lacking interpersonal skills. Truly feeling sorry for his actions, Thelton grabbed the princess and pulled her into his chest. He hugged her then bent down and gave her a kiss on the lips. Instantly, her anger melted away. The kiss reignited her burning flame for him.

The medicine woman watched the kiss, envy gripped her soul. "You must leave, you must leave now!" She screeched as raging jealousy took over. She grabbed anything she could and chucked it at Thelton and Alashia. Thelton grabbed both princesses' hands and together they ran out of the cottage.

...

Once outside, Thelton continued running, dragging the princesses behind. He tried to push them into a long run, but the princesses were tired, for their bodies were soft and weak, never having to do strenuous things. Their muscles were delicate. They had no energy left. They hadn't eaten in over a day.

"Please Thelton, can we sit down?" Alashia huffed through shortened breath. Her lungs and muscles burned at the workout. The sun was shining bright, and people were everywhere. Thelton feared to have the princesses out where they could be discovered. Alashia was of exquisite beauty, a beauty unmatched. It would only take seconds for someone to realize who she was.

"No, we must get you two safely hidden, no breaks."

As he pulled them along, they passed an area with several large boulders. Stephanie pulled away from Thelton's hand and defiantly sat down on a boulder, flinging her arms over her chest.

"I need to rest," she said, accustomed to ALWAYS getting her way. Because of that, she hated Thelton. All he did was boss her around, and he never once followed any of her orders. What Alashia saw in him was a big mystery to Stephanie.

Thelton looked at Stephanie in disgust and said. "You are something else. Do you want to be caught? Do you want to be killed?"

Stephanie pulled the cloak over her head tighter. "We are disguised well. No one is going to pay us any attention. We are a common family out for a stroll."

Frustrated, Thelton turned to Alashia, "Make her get up."

Alashia unexpectedly sat next to Stephanie and wrapped her arms around her sister. "Thelton, we are tired. We haven't eaten since we left the castle. Your medicine woman kept us bound in tight ropes, and we are warn out. Over the last few weeks we lost our father, we lost our kingdom, we lost everything. Then, we had to stay under the castle in hiding for several weeks. We are beat, Thelton, you must allow us to rest."

As the princess talked, her face morphed. Her cheeks began to puff out while her nose doubled in size, and her silky blond hair became coarse and brown. Large boils erupted all over her skin. Thelton stared in wonderment as Alashia went from the most beautiful woman ever to the most hideous woman he had ever seen. He was sure the medicine woman had intentionally chosen the ugliest appearance she could put Alashia in. Thelton feared the medicine woman may have made the change permanent, but he wouldn't share his fears, for that would only create more anguish to Alashia, and she already had enough stress to deal with.

Stephanie screamed as she watched Alashia change, unaware of her own hideous transformation taking place. Her own features were turning dull and ugly, just like Alashia. Alashia looked down at Stephanie to see why she was screaming, and she screamed herself as she watched Stephanie change.

"What is happening, Thelton? What is happening?" Alashia shrieked. She looked at her hands, watching them go from long and slender to chunky little sausages.

"Don't fear princesses, for this is good, this is the disguise that will get you safely across the seas to your cousins."

"But why must we look repulsive?" Alashia wailed.

"Hey, look at me, I am not much to look at, but it works well, for not one person thinks I am the wanted Dragon Slayer."

Alashia sobbed, "But why must I be fat and have boils all over my skin?" Thelton didn't have any words of comfort. He knew why she had boils. The medicine woman had done it purposely, but he wasn't going to mention that. Alashia and Stephanie bawled and bawled. With everything taken from them, their beauty was the only thing they had left, and now, even that was gone.

As they cried, Thelton's heart softened again. "I have been very hard on them over the last few days," he thought. "I don't mean to, for I know the whole situation is not their fault, it is mine, and mine alone. I have caused the kingdom to hate them and take their father's life. I have been the reason they have lost everything, and now it is because of my doing their looks are detestable." As he glanced at their repulsive faces, he couldn't help but wonder if he had made a mistake.

Feeling remorse, Thelton remembered the time he sat in the field before he had come to rescue the princesses. He recalled how he had bawled and had made a promise to become a better man. Had he done it? No, not really. Sure he had rescued the princesses, but maybe they would have gotten out with their servants help. He doubted it, but maybe they could have, and maybe they would have fared better without him.

Thelton thought about how rough he had been at the medicine woman's house. He had been heart less and cold to them, and he kept pushing them along when they were obviously weak. With their transformation, they were no longer in danger. It was time for him to back off and to treat them kinder.

With the desire to be more compassionate, Thelton pushed his body in between Alashia and Stephanie. Sitting on the rock, he wrapped his arms around both of them and pulled them into his body, providing them comfort. Both princesses melted into him sobbing.

"Listen, I am sorry. I have been hard on you two, and I am truly sorry. I have been stressed these last few weeks, for I have greatly feared for your lives. To me, the utmost important thing was to see you be safe. I am sorry in my attempt to provide for your safety, I have been hard on you two. I am not a people person, and I have never been. It is hard for me to treat people fairly and kind."

Thelton looked down at the princesses, his emotions choked, "I promise from here on out I will work harder at being patient and kind." Thelton's words brought a soothing balm to Alashia's heart which she desperately needed.

Chapter 23

Sterling had Indy fly him to the outskirts of Port Lindon, a quaint fishing village. He didn't want any attention called to her because of her wings. Once they landed a distance away from the village, he removed his shirt and draped it over her shoulders, hoping to conceal her wings. It didn't work to well. She looked fashion peculiar with his shirt over her dress, a large bump in the back, but Sterling felt it was better to look peculiar than to look like a dragon woman.

Sterling grabbed Indy's hand. The salty smell of the sea drifted their way while a cool breeze off the ocean ruffled their hair.

"Have you ever seen the sea?" he asked. Indy looked confused as to what Sterling was asking her. He asked her things all the time she had no idea as to what he was talking about. From where they were, the sea was hidden behind a hill, but Sterling could smell and feel it. With excitement blazing through him, he grabbed Indy's hand and dragged her toward the hill. Indy could feel his emotion and pleasantly followed behind.

They climbed to the top of the hill where they overlooked the sea rolling along the sandy white beach. Foam bubbled on the edge of the sand as the water receded away. Seagulls glided on an air current, their song dancing upon the breeze.

"What?" she asked, pointing to the seafront. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated, the sea mesmerized her and filled her with a rush of emotion.

"That is the sea."

"Want to touch," Indy said.

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go touch."

Indy let go of Sterling's hand and ran to the beach, dropping down she scooped the warm sand into her hands. It reminded her of dirt, but different. She buried her hand in the grains while a huge smile illuminated her face.

"Sand," Sterling taught.

"Sand," Indy replied.

Sterling collected some sand and dropped it in her lap. He did it again. Indy enjoyed the way it felt to be buried under its warmth. Then, he dug the sand into a big pile. Indy stood up and helped. He guided her as they shaped it into a dragon, sculpting a head with sharp teeth, and huge spikes descending down the back and the very long tale. He tried to recreate the spotted dragon out of sand.

Indy jumped up and down in excitement, watching as a dragon formed before her. His hands seemed to hold some magic as he sculpted. Indy grabbed some sand and tried to mimic Sterling's actions; she wasn't even close. When she finished, she had successfully made a lumpy pile.

"Dragon," Sterling said, pointing to his masterpiece.

"Dragon," Indy said with a smile. Deep inside, a small stab of sorrow snuck in as she realized how much she missed her family.

Sterling touched the sand dragon, then he touched Indy. "Dragon."

Indy caught onto what he was saying, for she had always considered herself the same as all the other dragons even though she could tell there were some key differences.

"Want dragon," Indy said, as her face dropped into a frown.

"I know you do," he said, rubbing her hand. She needed her family, and Sterling understood her pain, for he needed his father.

The two of them played in the sand for a long time, a spiritual revival seemed to transform in both of them. Indy loved the warmth radiating from the sand, the smoothness playing in it, and the flexibility in forming it. She liked to create, and when she had lived at the dragon camp, she had gathered dyes and taught herself to paint on things. The sand initiated a creative nerve in her brain which was electrified and ready to be tapped into.

After a long time was spent in the sand, Indy suddenly stood up and pointed to the water.

"Firelake?" she asked.

"No," Sterling replied. "That is water; that is the sea. Can you say sea?"

"Sea."

Sterling jumped up to join her and clapped. "Yes, you are doing so well; sea."

"Sea," Indy tried saying it again. "Want to touch."

"Sounds good, let's go touch."

The two walked to the water and let the tide splash over their toes. Indy had expected it to be warm like Firelake, but it was rather chilly.

"Ohh," she said as the cold water tickled her feet, for it delighted her.

"Wanna swim?" Sterling asked.

"What?" Indy replied.

Sterling walked a ways out, then he flung himself into the water and began swimming away.

Indy threw her body into the water, the salt penetrated her eyes and she screamed. She stood straight up, clawing at her eyes.

"Oh yeah, don't put your head under the water."

The more they played in the water, the more their eyes got use to the salt, and it no longer stung them. Sterling would hold her body and help her swim. Watching her struggle seemed strange to Sterling. "No one taught me to swim. It was something I had picked up on my own."

"Are you tired of swimming?" Sterling later asked Indy. She looked a little warn out. She said yes, so he took her hand and led her to the beach.

The sun set and painted the sky in oranges and red. Indy's mouth gapped open, she was captivated. As they watched the majestic sunset, the cool air chilled their wet bodies. Sterling remembered the last time they had been wet and cold at night. It was soon after they met, and they had spent the day playing around in a stream. At that time, they didn't have a fire to keep warm, so they had spent the night dancing to keep their blood flowing. This time would be different, for he could see lots of driftwood he could start a fire with.

After collecting a large stash of wood, Sterling started a fire in the middle of the beach, a huge one to keep them warm and make them dry. In the morning, Sterling took Indy on a walk along the beach. While strolling through the water's edge, they gathered an impressive collection of shells, things Indy had never seen before. She loved rubbing her finger along their smooth insides. She tried biting one, but stopped when it hurt her tooth. With each new shell she saw, she quickly grabbed it, for she didn't want to miss one. After awhile, there were more shells than she could harvest.

After enjoying the excursion along the beaches edge, Sterling caught several crabs and took them back to where the fire had been. He rebuilt the fire and roasted the crabs over the flames. When they were cooked, Sterling tried to teach Indy how to eat them. It was a struggle for her, for she kept trying to eat them through their shells. Sterling had to repeatedly show her how to pull the meat out. Indy soon lost patience for the crabs and left Sterling so she could play in the water.

When the fire died down, he thought it was time for them to leave the beach and explore the market. Once there, they sauntered around while Sterling looked for clothing stands. It felt every stand only sold fish. "Do the people of Port Lindon ever tire of eating fish?" he asked Indy, as if she had the answer. As they got to the far end of the market, a few mercantile stands came into view. One seemed of particular interest to Sterling. He bounded over to it very excited.

At the stand, laid out on a woven blanket, were books of various subjects. Delighted, Sterling dropped down to the blanket and rummaged through the supply. He found exactly what he was looking for, one easy reader, and the other book taught letters and basic reading.

Sterling gripped the books and stood up. "How much?" he asked the proprietor.

The toothless woman smiled, "What do you have to trade?"

Sterling brought a slip coin out of his shirt and extended it to the lady. She snatched it out of his hand then opened her palm for more. Was she really asking for more than a slip coin for the books?

"These books are very warn. Together they are not worth a single slip coin," Sterling said.

The haggard lady boisterously laughed. "Do you see anywhere else that sells books? You buy them from me for two coins, or you have no books."

Annoyed, Sterling produced another slip coin and dropped it in the lady's hand. A bit perturbed by the high price of the books, he grabbed Indy's arm and led her away from the stand, his new books tucked under his armpit.

Turning to Indy, he held the books up to her face with a huge grin. "This isn't what we came to market for, but it will do us well, for I am going to teach you to talk and to read, and soon we will have long conversations that fill the day." He handed the books over to Indy.

Taking the book, Indy brought one to her mouth and took a bite. Sterling laughed at her simplicity. He took the book out of her mouth and opened it up.

"Look, words," he said as he placed it fanned out into her hands. Indy looked at the writing. Completely unmoved by the written word, she dropped the book on the ground; it landed in dark mud.

Sterling dove for the book. Mud smeared on several pages. He tried to wipe the mud off on his trousers the best he could.

"Don't worry, you will learn the value of books soon enough," he said. He continued to clean the book.

When he felt the book was clean, Sterling grabbed Indy's hand and walked again along the market stands. At the very end of the market, Sterling finally found what he was looking for. There stood a beautiful woman who presented an array of dresses, shawls, fans, and many other things that women found appealing.

"Oh my lady, let me help you pick something out," she sung out to Indy, hoping to persuade a potential customer.

"Do you have anything in her size?" Sterling asked as his eyes darted to goods.

The lady rummaged through her things until she produced a lacey black and red dress. She held it out.

"The dress will fit her heft, but it may be a little short to the fashions of the day. This is the best I can do."

Indy reached out and grabbed the lacy dress, bringing it to her face she rubbed it around and smelled it. The dress interested her.

"May I help you into it?" The lady asked. Sterling thought about Indy's wings concealed under his shirt. "No, I am sure it fits. How much?"

"Four coins," the stand keeper replied. Sterling's eyes popped out. Four slip coins seemed like a lot of money for an outfit. He never spent more than one slip coin on anything he wore.

"Don't you think that is priced high?"

"Look at the dress; it has the finest black and red lace enwove over a silk undress. You wouldn't find a prettier dress at the castle."

"Yeah, but this dress may not even fit her."

"I told you I could help her try it on."

"Not an option," Sterling said.

Sterling looked around the articles to see if there was by chance a more plain dress, but there wasn't. As his eyes searched the stand, he noticed dyes meant to go on the face. Many of the women in the kingdoms had painted dye on their faces. It didn't mean much to Sterling, but he knew the woman liked it. Maybe his friend would like it.

"'I'll tell you what, I will give you four slip coins if you throw in some of that face dye over there."

"Deal," the lady said.

Leaving the market, Sterling carried the dress for Indy until they came to a small alcove of trees. Sterling cut two holes in the back of it to make room for her wings to stick out, then he handed the dress over to Indy, explaining the need to change in the trees. She seemed to understand as she ducked into them and changed.

It took her awhile, but when she came out, she looked stunning in the red and black lace. Sterling's skin warmed at the sight of her, because he couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. She beamed behind her smile. The dress hung above her calves, rather high to the kingdom's standards, but it would have to do.

"Wow, you are amazing," he told her. "I have something that can help you look even better." Sterling had her sit down, and proceeded to reweave her hair, making sure he left enough down her back to cover the bulge her wings created.

After her hair was perfect, he held the face dye in his hand. "Now close your eyes and I will paint your face." Indy stared at him. He took his finger and closed her eye lids for her, they flipped back open. He closed them again.

"Keep them closed," he said.

Sterling stuck his finger in the dye and applied a dark plum across Indy's eye lids. He then dipped his finger in pink and rubbed it across her cheeks. He ended with a wine red color he smeared across her lips.

"Alright, you can open your eyes."

Indy opened her eyes and stared at him, she looked radiant. Sterling's heart not only skipped one beat, but it skipped two.

"And to think some people called you plain and ugly. You my dear, are magnificent!"

Her looks stunned him, and even though she really couldn't tell what he was saying, she could see the passion in his eyes. She liked his reaction.

"It's time for us to find passage on the sea," Sterling told Indy.

He grabbed her calloused hand and led her to the bay. At the bay only two boats were docked. One was a fishing boat, and the other was a small mercantile ship. The mercantile ship bustled with men working hard at preparing it for their next voyage.

Sterling approached the ship. "Where is the captain?" he called up to the men.

"I am right here," one of them replied.

"Permission to board," Sterling called from below. The captain looked down at Indy dressed in red and black lace. His desired her, for he often made many trips without seeing a woman.

"Only if you bring the maiden with you." His comment tickled Sterling, for another man being attracted to Indy complimented Sterling's handiwork on her.

Sterling and Indy boarded the ship. Indy became very nervous, for it seemed whenever there was a large number of men around, she was captured and tortured. Sterling could sense her nervousness, so he caressed her hand and continuously whispered into her ear as he led her to the captain.

"I am Sterling of Candleshaw, this is my friend," Sterling paused for a moment. He had never called her anything but friend. He looked over at her. When he did, a smile broke out onto his face because, at that moment, she looked as divine as a flower. "This is my friend Rose," he said, giving her a name.

The captain lifted one eye, "Not your wife or your sister?"

"Maybe soon," Sterling replied. He lacked wisdom to many of the social standards, and he didn't realize many would see it scandalous for a young man and woman not married to travel together.

"Do you think it is wise to travel with an unwed woman?" the captain cautioned. Sterling couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be. With a puzzled look on his face, he shook his head no.

"Very well, but if her family comes looking for her, we will not fight your battle for you."

Sterling wrinkled his nose, for he was confused to the caution the captain was using. "That is fine," he said. Suddenly Sterling's mind filled with the image of the dragons flying toward the ship, and he began to laugh. If only the captain knew Indy belonged to a family of dragons.

"Do you find me amusing?" the captain questioned.

"No, I was imagining her family coming after us. I promise it won't happen."

"Very well. Do you have forty slip coins for passage?"

Forty slip coins was a large sum of money, but Sterling still had much of the coins the princess had given him a long time ago, in addition to his earnings from weaving hair. He dropped the slip coins into the captain's open hand.

After the money was collected, one of the shipmates led Sterling and Indy below the deck. They were taken down another level, to the belly of the ship. The room was very small and dark with five people sitting on crates waiting for the ship to set to the sea.

"This is where you will stay for the entire trip. You are not allowed to come up to deck. You will not fight with the other passengers, you will not make requests; you will not cause problems. Meals will be brought to you three times a day. They will always consist of rice, bread, beans, and water. If anything I said is a problem then you should leave now."

Sterling hardly listened to the man's ramblings as he found an empty crate big enough for him and Indy. He helped her onto it then sat next to her. Indy looked frightened. The room was small and crammed with people. Sweat built up under her armpits.

"Scared," Indy said to Sterling.

Sterling rubbed her hand gently. "Don't be afraid, this is good."

"Good?" she asked.

"Good," he said back.

Sterling wrapped his arm around Indy and drew her close to him, snuggling her tightly. Indy couldn't understand Sterling's intentions for bringing them into the small room, but she tried to trust him.

Chapter 24

"Thelton, we are hungry." Alashia said.

"Look in your pack. I have put in there a small amount of food."

Both princesses rummaged through their packs. The only food Alashia found was flat hard bread, a chunk of extra moldy cheese, and some nuts wrapped in cloth.

"I found no food," she said.

Thelton grabbed the bread and cheese out of her bag. "It's right here," he said.

"That is not food," Alashia responded.

Thelton rolled his eyes. "Of course it is food."

Stephanie looked at the same things in her bag. She crinkled her nose in disgust. "I agree; there is no food in here."

Thelton rubbed his chin. "Listen, things are different. You are no longer at the castle. You will have to eat the food we have or you will starve."

"I choose to starve then," Stephanie said as she wrapped her arms over her chest.

"Please Thelton, she would do it. You can't let us starve. Is there no way you can acquire different food, real food?

"I could, but that would take time."

"What is your hurry?" Alashia asked.

"We need to get you two to safety as soon as possible."

"We could live here forever and be completely safe. No one will ever recognize us in these hideous bodies."

"True," Thelton said. "But the spell will wear off soon, and when it does, I want you to be safely overseas.

"Yours hasn't worn off yet."

"I know, but when it does, if I am not overseas, there will be trouble."

"I guess you are right, but nevertheless, we still will make time for proper food."

Thelton wanted to protest, but he held his tongue. He owed the princesses for everything that had happened to them. It was about time he started giving back.

With that in mind, he asked, "Have you ever been to a tavern?"

"Aren't they dangerous?"

"They can be, but we will be safe. No one will find trouble with us."

...

Thelton led the princesses to the nearest Tavern. When they entered, ALL eyes were on them. Alashia feared everyone saw past her disguise, but the truth was, they stared at her because of her grotesque appearance.

"Is she contagious?" the owner asked, pointing to the boils plastering Alashia.

"No, she was born with those."

"Who are you?" the owner questioned.

Thelton almost said Tom the smith, but he realized he had to say a new name. "Owen," he replied. "This is my wife Amanda and our daughter Jacey."

The owner twisted his face in disgust, "You married her?"

"My choice in wives is not your concern. Your job is to feed us."

"No, I don't think so. I am afraid you and your cow will have to leave."

Alashia grabbed Thelton's hand and tried to pull him away. Thelton pushed her back.

He reached into his pack. Alashia grabbed for him again. She knew he had the emerald dagger, and she didn't want trouble. Again, Thelton pushed her away. He continued rummaging until he drew his hand out. In his fist he held a gold nugget. Alashia breathed a sigh of relief. It weighed enough to secure enough meals to last for a very long time.

"I stay," he told the owner.

The owner snatched the nugget out of Thelton's hand and led them to a table.

After they were alone, Alashia began to cry.

Thelton tried very hard to be patient. He was tired of her constant crying. "Yes?" he asked, trying to suppress his annoyance.

"I am ugly. I can't deal with it."

"Be thankful you are ugly Alash...I mean Amanda, for if you weren't ugly, then surely you would be caught and wed to Trevor."

They waited a long time at the table. Alashia silently bawled and Stephanie gloomily watched the happenings around them. Finally, a large pot of stew was set in the middle of the table, along with several loaves of rye bread, and a dish of currant jelly.

Thelton scooped several huge spoonfuls of soup into Alashia and Stephanie's bowls. Steam hoovered over the pot. Stephanie picked up her spoon and stirred around the contents of her soup. A chicken foot floated to the top while a single eyeball of something stared back at her. She pushed her bowl away and folded her arms over her chest.

"I am not eating this," she said.

Alashia explored her soup. She found very similar offensive things.

"Thelton, there..."

"It is Owen," Thelton hissed.

"Owen, there is no way we can eat this, I am sorry."

Thelton rubbed his face. "Will everything we do be this difficult?" he asked.

"We are not trying to be difficult, but we really cannot eat this food."

"And why not, for this is a fine soup. In fact, I believe they loaded extras in it for us. There are many people in the kingdom who would feel like they had died and gone to heaven with a soup so fine."

"Well I have died and gone to Hell," said Stephanie.

Thelton flung his hands in front of him. "You know what, I don't think I will ever have what it takes to please you two. You didn't like the food in your packs, so I brought you here. If you can't eat this food, then starve. I will not be responsible for what you do."

Thelton sunk his spoon into the bowl and drew out a hefty bite of soup. He took no time to shovel the entire contents of the bowl into his mouth. Quickly, he obtained seconds then thirds. Stephanie was not only disgusted by the soup, she was turned off by his manners. He slurped and splattered as he ate. Again, she wondered what Alashia saw in Thelton.

After staring at her soup for some time, Alashia made a decision, since she had a little more wisdom than Stephanie, she realized if she wanted to build her strength, then she must eat. She fished around in her soup and only ate a few of the things floating in it. Stephanie, however, refused. Alashia took some rye bread and thickly smeared the currant jelly over it. She took a bite-even the bread was rancid to her tongue. Unable to take more than two bites, she stopped eating altogether.

Thelton stuffed his gut until it felt like it would rip open. He felt satisfied, for he hadn't eaten something good in a long time. When he finished eating, he watched the princesses. Anger filled him as they wasted their meals. "They have a cruel awaking ahead of them," he thought. "At some point they will look back to this dinner and wish they had eaten the soup."

...

The owner cleared the food away from the table. The princesses sat numbly as their stomachs still cried out in hunger. The owner tried not to look at the women, but he couldn't help it, for they were ugly. How could God create such ugliness?

"We need a room," Thelton said.

"Rooms are three slip coins," the owner said.

"Not for me, take it out of the nugget of gold."

"Your women are cursed. If you want a room, it will cost you."

Thelton stood, pushing his chair away from the table. He pulled out his golden sword. "Listen, you and I both know there is enough gold in one nugget to secure me a room for a hundred days, and yet I only ask for one night." Thelton took the tip of his blade and held it under the owner's chin. A group of men in the tavern stood up and put their hands on their sword sheathes, ready to aid the tavern owner if he needed it.

The owner could see the rage burning in Thelton's eyes, realizing Thelton was right. He waved over to his supporters. "Sit down, I am fine."

Thelton lowered his sword and said. "Tomorrow, I want a breakfast then I want three lunches wrapped in paper to take with us, that is all I ask, and that is what you will give."

Dropping a room key on the table, the owner finished grabbing the dirty dishes then ducked into the kitchen.

...

The room was very tiny, not much bigger than a closet. A small bed took up most of the area. There was garbage all over the floor from the last occupants. A moldy smell lingered in the air. Flies buzzed around the dead rat decomposing on the bed.

"No way, no way, no way!" Stephanie said, trying to back out of the room. Thelton herded them in and closed the door. He placed himself as a sentinel in front of it.

"Please Thelton," Alashia begged, "We can't sleep here."

"This place is nicer than your father's dungeon. You spent the whole week with me there, if you can do that, you can do this."

Alashia squeezed Thelton's hand, "That was different because I thought you would be dead at the end of the week."

Thelton went over to the bed and picked the soggy rat up. He tossed it into the corner, wiping the slime onto his trousers.

"If you did it then, you can do it now," he repeated

"There is only one bed," Stephanie said. She was sure Thelton would sleep in it while she and her sister were forced on the floor.

"You two take it, I got the floor." Thelton said, surprising the princesses.

Alashia looked at the moldy garbage on the floor. "Thelton, we can't let you sleep there. You can share the bed with us."

"That would not be proper. I am fine on the floor."

"I insist, and at this point, who cares about proper? Everyone thinks we are married, and soon we will be, so how about we start acting like it."

Thelton looked at Alashia. He had scarcely been attracted to her when she was gorgeous, but now, with her face twisted in ugly, and the huge boils all over her skin, she couldn't possibly think she could seduce him.

"Alashia," Stephanie gasped, "Those are no words for a princess."

Alashia lost it, she screamed at Stephanie. "Just look at us! We are no longer princesses. We are not even ranked amongst the common. We are now the very bottom of the kingdom."

Stephanie folded her arms over her chest and flung her hip to the right. "Still, it is not proper to share a bed with a man you are not wed to. I protest it."

Thelton cleared a pile of garbage on the ground and laid down, "Don't worry Stephanie, I know my place, and it is here on the floor."

Stephanie and Alashia stared at the bed. There had been a dead rat on it moments ago. They struggled at finding the will to move their body towards the bed. As they stared, Thelton drifted off to sleep. After awhile, their legs ached from standing, and Thelton was right, Alashia had stayed with him in the dungeon and it had been worse. Against her desire, she went to the bed and threw back the covers. She could see the remnant of bed bug feces on the sheet. Bed bugs had been a problem in the castle, but the servants had kept the sheets as fresh as they could.

Alashia didn't want to sleep in the sheets, for they were filthy and yellowing, but she didn't want to sleep on the covers where the rat had been. Her body ached in exhaustion. Finally, she realized, "I don't have a choice." Closing her eyes, she climbed beneath the sheets and pulled the covers over her. She tried to pretend she was home in the castle, for if she didn't think about it, maybe it wouldn't be bad.

"Can I sleep on you?" Stephanie timidly asked Alashia, for she didn't want her body to touch the sheets.

"Sure," Alashia replied.

Stephanie climbed under the blanket, atop of Alashia. Her weight compressed Alashia's lungs, making it hard for Alashia to breath. She wanted to push Stephanie off, but she knew how hard the situation was on her younger sister. Soon Stephanie joined Thelton in slumber while Alashia stayed awake most of the night, struggling to breathe, and trying not to think about the bugs that bit her skin.

...

Breakfast was a little easier on the princesses than dinner had been. They ordered the boiled eggs. Alashia ate five and Stephanie ate four. Their stomachs finally felt full. After breakfast, the owner cleared away their plates then brought lunches wrapped in paper. He left them to serve another table. As Thelton gathered his things, a man came over to him.

"Clarence the farmer, I am. You don't look familiar to me. I would guess you weren't from Andleburg. What part of the kingdoms are you from?"

"I have a small parcel of land to the north of the town square." Thelton chose a vague location

"What is your name?"

Thelton paused. What was the name he used last night? He racked his brain, and still nothing came to him. The man stood watching, wondering what the hesitation was.

"It is Orsen," he said. That sounded almost right, but not quiet.

"Well Orsen, may I ask what manner of infirmity has hit your wife and daughter, for they are the most ugly women I have ever seen? I would think if there were such hideous creatures in the kingdom then news would have spread about them."

"Well, in all truth, I have kept them hidden at home, but since this is our ten years of marriage celebration, I thought it be only fitting to take her somewhere to celebrate."

"You are so young looking. You have been married to that for ten years and you still find cause to rejoice?"

Thelton desired the man to leave. His words stung the girls. Thelton stood and ushered Alashia and Stephanie to follow him, which they did. Pushing Clarence out the way, he escorted Alashia and Stephanie out of the tavern.

"Is that how it is going to be? Everywhere we go, is everyone going to remind us about how ugly we look?"

"Keep your cloaks on so they don't see your features," Thelton suggested.

"I feel trapped beneath the cloak. It's hard to breathe."

"What do you want me to do?" Thelton steadied his words as he tried to be patient. Why couldn't they follow his directions without fighting everything he said?

"I don't know. I just don't like this. Why did you have to do this to us?"

"I could have left you to wed Trevor. Is that what you would have liked?"

"At least I would still live in MY castle, I would have a clean bed, nice clothes, and a beauty everyone would envy."

"Really, your freedom means very little to you. You would trade it all for some fluffy things like a dress?"

"Do you call this free? I am being led around the countryside by your barking orders. I am uglier than a child's nightmare, how is that free?"

Thelton motioned to the space in front of him, "Go then princess. Go become Trevor's wife-slave, that is, if he even wants you. He might use your head as a trophy."

Alashia glared at Thelton. She still dearly loved him, but it sure would be a lot easier to follow him if he was still the devilishly handsome man who had won her heart, but he wasn't, for he looked like a spoiled adolescent. The Thelton she fell in love with had never raised his voice to her, but the Thelton before her never stopped barking at her and commanding her around. "Had the potion changed his attitude along with his looks?" she wondered.

Alashia realized for Thelton, things were hard and stressful because he carried much stress on his shoulders. "He will be different once we get to my cousins," she thought, "Thelton will be able to relax, then he won't be so mean. We can fall back in love, and soon marry, things will get better. And, oh yeah, we will all get our looks back."

Alashia bowed her head, and said, "I am sorry, you are only trying to protect us. We will try harder to follow along."

Stephanie folded her arms over her chest, "Speak for yourself!"

"What is the plan?" Alashia asked, ignoring Stephanie's sulky behavior.

"We can make it to the sea today. Hopefully we can obtain passage across the sea, if there are any ships heading out."

"Sounds good," Alashia said.

Thelton guided the princesses along. They grew tired after every hour and demanded a chance to rest. Thelton grew angry inside, but he tried really hard to be accommodating, for he had to keep reminding himself if it wasn't for him, then they wouldn't be in this situation.

It took Thelton way longer than he had anticipated, but finally they had made it to Port Lindon. He quickly escorted the princesses to the bay, fearing any chance for boarding a ship was gone. When he looked over the bay, he found one small merchant ship taking up their ropes, moments from pushing off.

"We must run, or we will miss the ship," Thelton said. It could be a full rotation of the moon before another ship arrived.

"Thelton, I am so exhausted, I don't think I can run."

"If you don't, we will miss our chance tonight."

"Then we will just catch one tomorrow. " Alashia said behind her pale face. She was spent, with not much to give.

"Fine," Thelton said, "I guess you don't mind sleeping in dirty tavern rooms for weeks until the next ship arrives."

Alashia's eyes widened. Thelton had a point; they must make passage.

The three ran as fast as they could to the ship. Alashia's stomach dropped, it looked much smaller than she had been imagining. When they were next to it, she changed her mind, for she really didn't want to go on it.

At the dock, the ship began to coast away. "Stop, please stop," Thelton yelled as he reached out for it. "We seek passage."

Alashia and Stephanie came in behind Thelton. Thelton whispered, "Cover your faces, for if they see them, they will surely turn us away."

Both the girls grabbed their cloaks and pulled them tightly over their face. One of the men walked to the side of the boat. "Ship is full, another one will be here in eight days," he said.

Eight days, sooner than he had expected, but still too long. Thelton hoped to be rid of the princesses soon. He didn't have eight days to sit around listening to them moan and complain.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a chunk of gold as large as a fist. "I am worth making room for," he said holding the gold high into the air.

The captain saw the gold and went to the side of the boat.

"We cannot stop the boat, but if you guys can jump, then you can have passage."

The boat hadn't pulled away too far. Without hesitation, Thelton grabbed Stephanie and threw her onto the boat. His sudden and unexpected throw took her breath away. She landed on the deck, hitting her head against the railing. A throbbing sensation overpowered her as she slipped down onto her bottom.

Thelton reached over for Alashia, but she quickly jumped onto the deck by herself. Lastly, Thelton made the jump.

"Your name," the captain asked.

"Orson," Thelton said.

The captain held out his hand. "The gold," he demanded. Thelton placed the gold in the captain's hand. The captain smiled as the weight dropped his wrist.

"Percy, take them below," he said to one of his ship hands.

The hatch opened and Thelton and the princesses entered the very tight room. They joined forty eight other people in the dark. The room really only had capacity for thirty. Everyone groaned as they saw three more people get stuffed in with them.

"This is where you will stay for the entire trip. You are not permitted to come up to deck. You will not fight with the other passengers, you will not make requests, nor will you cause problems. Meals will be brought to you three times a day. They will always consist of rice, bread, beans, and water. If anything I said is a problem then you should leave now."

The ship hand went out the hatch, and the room completely darkened. Thelton looked around. Each person had been given a very small lantern which they seemed to cling to. There was nowhere to sit and no one seemed to be making room.

Chapter 25

Sterling looked up with his blue eyes and saw the three newcomers stand in confusion. He heard the murmuring from everyone. He felt pity for them. It was took dark to make out their features, only shapes.

In the dark room, Thelton could see a hand waving him over, but he couldn't see who the hand belonged to. "There is room here," he could hear a voice call out. Thelton grabbed the princesses' hands and led them to the offered seat on a crate. The area was big enough for maybe two and a half people, but not three. Thelton and the princesses forced their bodies in, the fit was tight.

"I can't breathe," Stephanie said. "Can we please get off?"

"Too late, the boat has already pulled away."

"I am not sure that this is a good idea," Alashia said. Three creates down some one coughed unceasingly.

"Must I remind you this was your idea? I offered to take you to Cloats," Thelton growled.

"Maybe we should have waited for the eight days and found passage on the next ship."

"It would have been just as bad. They all are," Thelton said.

"But, you don't know."

"Alashia, what do you want of me?" Thelton growled in a low whisper, but it wasn't as low as he had hoped. Several heads turned their way. Alashia kicked his shin.

Thelton and Alashia stopped fighting while an eerie silence filled the space. After awhile, Thelton's eyes accommodated to the darkness, each person's lamp provided them with a small amount of light. Thelton wanted a lamp.

The silence lasted for several minutes, until the soft voice of Sterling could be heard. He had pulled out one of his books and was working on teaching Indy how to read. He had to put the lamp right next to it so they could see the words.

Thelton heard the soft voice. It was low he couldn't understand anything being said, but somehow it had an edge of familiarity to it. He looked over at the figure on the other side of Alashia, but it was just too dark, he couldn't make out any features.

Several days passed and the ship continued its course. Slivers of light penetrated the dark room three times a day when the ship hands would bring the food down. At first, Alashia and Stephanie rebelled against the food offerings, but after a while, the hunger won and they ate barely enough to survive.

By the fifth day, half of the passengers had gotten sick. People vomited everywhere and the room filled with a foul stench. By the seventh day, the ship traveled over stormy waters and all on board were sick. The enclosed space became a locked down cesspool. Everyone was miserable.

Into the third week, most people had recovered. The deckhands had come down and scrubbed the lower deck to improve the environment, and it did help some. By this time, more of the passengers were conversing amongst themselves. Thelton and the princesses kept quiet. The princesses were overcome with despair and had nothing to say. Thelton didn't dare initiate conversation with them because he knew it would only lead to complaining.

Sterling could often be heard teaching Indy, but it was only low rumbles, no audible understanding or recognition to his words.

One day the man on the other side of Indy finally leaned over Indy and introduced himself to Sterling.

"My name is Nate from Andleburg, and I travel with Dustin the Hunter. We can't help thinking you sound very familiar to us."

"I am sorry, your names don't mean anything to me," Sterling said.

"What is your name?" they asked.

"I am Sterling of Candleshaw," Sterling replied.

"We are from Andleburg," Nate said. "Have you been there?"

"Sure, many times."

"Did you live there?"

"No, not really."

"What do you do for work?" Nate asked.

"I am a hunter, like yourselves."

"Hey, we had a couple of hunters from Candleshaw join us on the king's errand as we searched for the queen's nest, maybe you know them?"

Sterling's heart began to race, for they were talking about him.

"You speak about me," Sterling said, "I was there."

"Is your hair blond?" Dustin asked.

"Yes."

Dustin jumped out of his seat and kneeled before Sterling, "I owe my life to you."

That was not the reaction Sterling was expecting. Most of the men had been tricked by Thelton into believing it was Sterling's father Flance, who had poisoned them. Sterling had expected hate when they had learned who he was.

"How do you owe your life to me?" Sterling cautiously asked.

"Were you not the boy that saved us from the gyroid?"

During the hunt they had come across a gyroid; it had the power to control the wind. While the gyroid sat up in a tree, he had caused many whirlwinds to form and they picked up every man on the hunt. As the men spun around and around, many passed out. When the whirlwinds had first started to form, Sterling had covered under a wagon, only because of his scared nature the gyroid had not been aware of his presence. Sterling had planned to stay in hiding until the gyroid left. After discovering every man had been sucked up into one of the gyroid's winds, Sterling realized if he didn't stop the gyroid, some of the men were going to die, including his father.

Sterling had to force himself out of hiding where he snuck up the tree the gyroid sat in and fought it. He overpowered the gyroid and had thrown him out of the tree. But, just before he splattered to the ground, the gyroid sent a wind in that carried him away. When he was gone, the whirlwinds stopped, and the men were safe.

"Yea, that was me," Sterling shyly answered.

Dustin threw his arms around Sterling, "You saved my life."

"Ah, it was nothing."

"Nothing, you have no idea. You didn't get picked up in one of those wind things. I think if I had spun around any more times, I would have died."

"Hey, that traitor Flance was from Candleshaw, did you know him?" Nate asked.

"Flance from Candleshaw was no traitor, and yes I know him, for he was my father." Sterling surprised himself at how brave he was. Usually he hid from confrontation, but he found himself defending his father's name.

"He helped Thelton turn us all into trees?"

"No, never, my father would not do that. He cared about every one of us, and he cared about the king. He had done everything he could to lead us and lead us well. Thelton was selfish and wanted all the glory for himself. He turned us into trees and left us to die, so he could bring the queen dragon in alone."

Sterling fervently continued, "I had been turned into a tree as well. My father wouldn't do that to me. I was all he had. Thelton blamed everything on my father to save his own hide."

"That's right. I remember you back at the castle right after the king had rescued us. You were there defending your father."

Thelton listened to Sterling and the men talk, his disappointment mounting. What was Sterling doing on the boat? Thelton hadn't noticed him there before because everything was dark in the lower deck. Sometimes, he felt things were familiar about Sterling, but he hadn't figured it out because Sterling had always communicated in a low whisper. It seemed his life would never stop crossing paths with either the boy or his father. Thelton felt very uncomfortable. As the hunters venomously talked about Thelton, Thelton was glad no one was aware of his presence on the boat.

"Do you know if they caught Thelton?" Sterling asked.

"No, not yet, they probably never will, he is a master hunter and rumor has it he is living in the Vegus Forest."

"I wish they would catch him," Sterling said, his voice choking up. "My history goes back farther than the dreadful hunt. I met Thelton when I was, just a boy. We met him in the Flankton forest. He chopped off my father's arm, then he tied us to a net and left us to die."

Thelton almost choked on his own spit when he heard Sterling say that. He hadn't cut off Flance's arm. It had been ripped off by a hellhound, one which Thelton had rescued him from. When he talked about his lost arm, Flance had always blamed it on Thelton, and the idea had become planted in Sterling's memory.

"He is a horrible, horrible man. He came and stole my friend from me, but thankfully I have her back. But, the very worst is my father is dead because of him."

Sterling paused as silence lingered in the air. When he continued, he was crying. "My father took the blame for Thelton's killings. He was executed by the king while Thelton ran free. Never again will I see my father. Never again will I have him in my life." Sterling openly cried as he shared his story.

"Father was all I had, for my mom died early and I never had siblings. Father took good care of me and raised me to hunt like him. We never left each other's side. When Thelton took my father from me, he took my world."

"We feel your pain," Nate said, his voice had also become emotional. "My father was on the hunt and he also died."

Thelton flexed and contracted his fists. "I want to slam him in the face," he thought. Some of the words Sterling spoke were true, but some of them had been exaggerated and changed. Those men sat there and defiled his name. As he listened, his attention mulled over a few of the words Sterling had said. What did he mean Thelton had taken his friend, and now he had her back? Did Sterling know where Indy was?

Alashia also listened to the men talk. She suddenly realized she had met Sterling. When Thelton had broken Indy free from the dungeon, Alashia almost lost her mind. She was planning to marry Thelton. She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving her like he did. That's when she made a deal with Sterling. If he captured Thelton or Indy, then she would free his father from the dungeon. Sterling left to find Thelton, but he had never returned. The night before Flance's execution, Flance had broken free from the dungeon. It sounded to her as if Sterling believed Flance had been killed by her father, but he was mistaken, because the execution had never happened. Did he not realize his father was probably still alive?

As Sterling shared his story through tears, the princess' heart was captured. She felt horrible for the man. She cried with him. She could feel his pain and loss for a father. She held the same grief for her father. But, she had the power to remove the man's pain, for she knew his father had not been killed.

"I must tell him about his father," Alashia whispered to Thelton.

"No way," Thelton whispered back. "He wants me dead. If he learns of our identity, he will see all three of us die."

"He doesn't sound like that kind of person."

"Were you not listening, he said it from his own mouth he wanted me dead."

"Well, I am not sure I can blame him, you really have destroyed his world."

"Are you really taking his side?" Thelton snarled in a whisper.

"I just have empathy for him, something you could learn."

Chapter 26

By the fourth week on the sea, restlessness abided and almost everyone was out of their minds. One day the ship unexpectedly stopped. Cheers erupted as they waited to leave the belly of the ship.

The hatch opened, and one of the ship hands called down.

"We have stopped at Terrasa's Port. We will tarry here for eight hours as the ship is resupplied with fresh water and food. Get out and stretch, for we still have one more week at sea."

The passengers couldn't leave the bottom of the boat fast enough, trampling over each other to get out. Once emerged, the bright sunshine burned their eyes. As their eyes adjusted, they struggled walking because their muscles had atrophied and weakened from the lack of use.

During the chaos of getting out, many people had become separated from their loved ones. As Indy stood on the deck, she watched for Sterling to climb up out of the belly of the ship. Instead of Sterling, Thelton climbed out.

Completely taken by surprise, Indy screamed out. "Teltn!" She was excited to see him. She threw herself into his arms. Thelton had long since deduced Indy was on the ship with them. It pleased him much to see her. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her into the air. Indy planted many kisses on Thelton's lips. Thelton returned them, equally as excited to see her. Alashia stood behind them, fuming in jealousy.

As Indy and Thelton reunited, Alashia noticed Thelton looked like himself again. She had expected him to come up in the form of Tom. He really did look devilishly handsome. It was wonderful to see his gorgeous face return. That brought her hope for herself. She looked down at her hands. They had thinned out and the boils were gone. Momentarily, her jealously was replaced with joy. "I am no longer ugly!"

Sterling emerged from the ship to see Indy wrapped in the arms of Thelton. His anger flared. "What is he doing here? The whole reason I endured this nightmarish boat ride was to get Rose as far from Thelton as possible, and here he is, on the very same vessel as us, and I never even realized it."

Sterling drew his sword out and charged at Thelton, "Put her down!" he screamed. Thelton pushed Indy behind him and withdrew his emerald sword. Sterling went hysterical. "Give her back! You have already stolen her from me once; you will never do it again."

"She does not belong to you, she belongs to me." Thelton said.

His words ripped into Alashia's heart. "Why are you fighting for the dragon woman? I am your betrothed!" she shrilled.

Being more skilled at the sword, Thelton slashed the side of Sterling's right arm. Instantly blood saturated Sterling's shirt.

"You will not win," Thelon warned. "Back off. She is where she belongs."

"You cannot have her. She belongs with me." Sterling charged at Thelton with the sword. The two dueled back and forth with Thelton slashing at Sterling.

"I don't want to kill you in front of her, but I will if I must," Thelton growled out, his rage boiling over.

Thelton raised his sword high, ready to charge at Sterling when he was suddenly met by two more swords. Nate and Dustin took a side next to Sterling.

"Hey Thelton, do you remember us?" Dustin asked. Both of the men had thick bark like skin. He looked at the three, confident he still could take them all at the same time. Unexpectedly, Thelton felt two arms wrap around his back, it was Alashia.

"Stop," she screamed, "They will kill you!"

"Back away, I got this."

"I won't. I can't watch you die."

"I told you, I got this!"

Alashia screamed at Thelton. "What are you even fighting for? You are fighting for a hideous creature that isn't even human. Why Thelton, I thought you had promised you heart to me?"

Alashia squeezed tighter to Thelton's neck when unexpectedly she felt herself being ripped away. She had been torn off by Indy. Indy remembered Alashia from the castle. She remembered seeing Alashia hold hands with Thelton. When she tried to fight Alashia at the castle, she had been thrown into the dungeon. Now, she wouldn't let anyone stop her from tearing Alashia to shreds.

With Alashia on the ground, Indy dove at her, shoving her claws into Alashia's thigh. Stephanie stood by screaming and crying. Thelton turned his back to his three assailants and focused on trying to pull Indy off Alashia. Indy fought hard and wildly. Thelton used everything he had to yank Indy off.

Sterling rushed to Indy's side, and cradled her in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes," she responded. She had learned a lot of language during the ship ride.

The captain came running to the commotion, arriving just in time to see Thelton jump on Sterling, while Indy again jumped on Alashia. The four of them rolled around swinging punches and pulling hair.

"You guys are done. Do not plan on entering my ship again! I refuse to allow chaos on my ship. It is too tight for that," the captain bellowed.

"Are you going to let them back on?" Nate asked the captain.

"No way, our ship is too small to have fighting on it. That was one of the first rules we warned them about."

"That is Thelton," Dustin said pointing at Thelton. "He is wanted by King Trevor, we cannot leave him here. Please, leave him under our watch so we can escort him back to Andleburg."

"The affairs of Andleburg are no concern of mine," the captain said.

"But, he is a highly wanted man, and he travels with the princesses, the return of these three would be of great value to the king. You must return us to Andleburg."

"If he is a wanted man, that gives me even more reason to keep him off my ship."

"You must escort us back."

"You are more than welcome to stay at port with him, but they will not be returning on my ship."

When Dustin and Nate had boarded the ship, they did in search of a better life. They saw how the kingdom was crumbling under Trevor's reign. They had no desire to return to Andleburg, but the thought of the reward which awaited them if they not only returned with Thelton, but the princesses, was enough to tempt them to return.

As the ship resupplied, Nate and Dustin talked amongst themselves. If they stayed on the island with Thelton, how long would it be before another ship heading to Port Lindon would stop there? Then, of course, they would have to endure the long passage all over again. In the end, it didn't seem worth it. They decided to get back on the ship and continue with their plans to start their new life abroad.

In the end, the captain left Thelton, Sterling, Indy, Alashia, and Stephanie on the island, abandoning them with the remainder of their rations. The island was small and thick with trees. Close to the shore a spring of natural water seeped out of the ground, the rest was a mystery. Alashia and Stephanie bawled as they watched the ship sail away.

"What are we to do now?" Alashia demanded of Thelton.

Thelton spun around to Alashia. "You are to blame for all of this. You started it, and you shut your mouth as I try to figure things out."

"Hold your tongue; you are to blame for everything. Because of you, we are all banished from the kingdom," Alashia shouted back. "Because of you, Father is dead!"

Thelton turned on his heels, stomping away from Alashia.

...

"Because of your anger, we are stranded on the worst island in the sea. I demand an explanation as to why you were fighting for that wild woman. She looks like she is safe in that man's hands. What exactly are you doing?" Alashia asked Thelton when he had returned.

Thelton didn't have an answer for the princess. Sure, he had germinated tender feelings for Alashia back at the castle. When he was locked in the dungeon, she had offered much compassion to him. His heart had turned to her, but those feelings were slipping away due to her never ending demands and complaining.

Indy, on the other hand had been his first love. He loved everything about her, and mostly she didn't talk or ever complain. He wanted to tell the princess his heart belonged to Indy, but he couldn't. It was hard for him to vocalize he cared for anyone.

"Well," Alashia demanded. "Why are you fighting for her?"

"I really don't have an answer," Thelton replied. He scratched his mangled beard.

"Well, you couldn't possibly think she was prettier than me?"

Alashia's drama was too much. Thelton turned his strapping back to her and walked again into the trees.

Sterling was holding Indy's hand as he watched the confrontation between Thelton and the princess. "How did I manage to be stranded on an island with the one person I hate the most in the whole world?" he wondered.

As Alashia watched Thelton disappear from sight, she turned and looked at Sterling and Indy. "It looks like the wild woman already has a lover, so why won't Thelton accept that and leave that thing alone?" she thought. Alashia continued to study Sterling. "He is more handsome than I remember."

"Do you remember me?" she asked, as she approached Sterling. Indy growled as Alashia came closer. Alashia stopped and cautiously watched Indy.

Sterling made a slight bow then stood. "One would never forget meeting the princess." He looked at her. Not only was everything perfect about the princess' looks, her very demeanor was elegant, and now she was seeking conversation with Sterling.

"I heard you talking in the ship," Alashia said.

Sterling blushed.

"My heart ached with you as I heard you tell the story of your father. I understand your pain. Do you know they killed my father because of Thelton?"

"Yes," Sterling responded. "How is it that you can stand by his side after all he has done?"

That was a real good question. Alashia didn't have an answer. She had fallen madly in love with Thelton years ago, infatuated by him, and despite all he had done, and despite how badly he now treated her, she could not break the connection she felt to him.

Finally Alashia answered, "I guess I just see the good in him."

"What good?" Sterling spit in disgust.

"Hey," Alashia said, "You aren't stuttering anymore."

When Sterling had first met Alashia, he was so nervous to be around her, he could hardly speak. Her fine features had dazzled him so much, he had gotten tongue tied around her. "I guess I have done a lot of growing up since I met you."

"Indeed you have," Alashia said. She raised her eyebrows in approval. Sterling blushed an even deeper red.

Indy's heart was racing, for she was madly jealous of Alashia, and now Sterling was talking to her. Sterling held Indy's hand tight, hoping to keep her from attacking the princess again.

"You know, Sterling, I have a gift for you," the princess said in a raspy, rather sexy voice.

"What gift would that be?"

"A gift of information." Alashia paused, waiting for Sterling's curiosity. When she felt like she had it, she continued. "Your father was never executed."

Her words jolted Sterling. "What do you mean?"

"The night before his execution, your father escaped."

"Are you lying to me?" Sterling asked. He felt blasted by her news, for he never expected to see his father again.

"I have no need to lie to you. I can't tell you if he is alive today, but I can tell you father never killed him."

Heat rose inside Sterling. Could it be true his father never died? He hadn't returned to the castle in time to save him, because of that, Sterling had assumed his father had been killed. He sat on a rock, his heart racing. "You mean my father is probably still alive?"

"Possibly."

"Well, what am I doing crossing the sea if my father is alive?"

A twinkle formed in Sterling's blue eyes. Hope filled his being, and the princess watched the transformation from hopelessness to elation. She hadn't seen hope in a long time, and even though it wasn't her hope, she enjoyed sharing his with him.

"I've got to get back to Candleshaw."

Sterling stared at Alashia. She was beautiful. Looking at her made his heart skip a beat. Her gazes were powerful, and he had to look away. He felt all intelligence drain away under her spell. If he didn't watch it, his stutter was going to return.

"Do you know why I got on that ship?" He felt he could confide in the princess, for some reason she was easy to talk to, and he felt like he could trust her.

"Why?"

"So, I could get as far away from Thelton as possible. What is he doing on this ship anyway? What could he possibly be seeking across the sea?"

"Thelton is taking me to my cousin's house where I will be safe from Trevor. Then, Thelton and I will marry."

"I like the sound of that, Thelton marrying someone other than my Rose". But Thelton's behavior didn't correlate with what the princess said. "I am confused. If he is planning to marry you, then why is he fighting for my Rose?"

"Her name is Rose?"

"Yeah, that's the name I gave her. She reminded me of a flower."

Alashia glanced at Indy who looked pretty ragged from the long ship ride. "Nothing about her resembles a flower; a weed maybe, but not a flower," the princess said as she stared at Indy for awhile. What did she have that the men seemed drawn to?

Sterling could tell the princess had already forgotten his previous question, so he tried again. "Why is he fighting for my Rose if you two are getting married?"

Alashia turned from Indy and looked straight into Sterling's blue eyes. The features on her face were exquisite, pleasurable to behold. Embarrassed the princess would catch him staring, Sterling shyly glanced away.

"I have the very same question, but when I asked him about it, he stomped away. He is difficult sometimes." Alashia pouted and plopped her head in her delicate hands.

Indy could not stand to watch Sterling converse with Alashia anymore. Again, she lunged at the princess. Horrified Indy would destroy the princess, Sterling grabbed Indy and pulled her away. It was the first time he had ever been forceful with her, and it tore at his heart to do so.

Infuriated, Sterling grabbed her roughly. Indy pushed him down. Her eyes were wild as she looked around. Drool seeped out of her mouth, almost resembling foam. Confused and angry, she ran in the direction Thelton had gone in.

Indy took off so fast, Sterling didn't have time to stop her. He bowed his head as the tears snuck out. Was she leaving him again?

Alashia noticed the tears in Sterling's eyes. They moved her, for she never saw softness in Thelton. She liked seeing it in Sterling.

"Are you crying?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Sterling said as he turned away. "It is just something that I do."

"Oh, please don't apologize; it is very moving to see a man cry."

"Really?" Sterling asked puzzled.

The princesses' eyes widened. "Oh yes."

"I'm just crying because I have never had to use force on my Rose, and I did it to keep her from hurting you, but now I think she is mad at me. You know, we have never had a fight. Maybe that was our first fight."

His blue eyes widened. She couldn't comprehend Sterling's words. All her and Thelton seemed to do together was fight. With admiration, she said, "Well, then I envy you, for Thelton and I never stop fighting."

"Again," Sterling asked, "What do you see in him?"

"I am beginning to ask that myself," she said as her pretty little face squinted.

The princess thought for a moment, then she asked, "What do you see in that wild woman? She seems to have stolen your heart and Thelton's. Why though? She is ugly and wild."

"Oh no," Sterling said as his face lightened up. "She is pure, like a child. There is an innocence about her that makes her attractive. We have much fun together, and we always make each other laugh. She is my best friend." Sterling dropped his eyes to his lap. He fumbled with his fingers. "She is my only friend."

"I could be your friend," Alashia offered. She expressed such rapture he couldn't help but smile.

"And me too," Stephanie said. She kind of thought Sterling was cute. She liked the gentleness Sterling used when talking to them.

"Thanks, but if you marry Thelton, then all I will be to you is your enemy." Sterling could not look at Alashia as he said that.

"I decide who I befriend, not Thelton. Don't forget, I am the princess, and I make the rules and the laws."

Sterling laughed at her, for she obviously didn't know Thelton if she believed that. As he laughed, Alashia enjoyed looking at his smile, for she rarely saw Thelton smile. Sterling's smile tempted her heart.

"I should probably go after her," Sterling said. The intense staring from the princess made him uncomfortable.

Alashia wasn't ready for Sterling to leave yet. She hadn't seen anything pleasant for a very long time, and he was pleasant. She wanted to bask in his company longer.

"I don't think you should," Alashia said. "This is a small island, so they will eventually have to come back." She couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth, was she actually suggesting Thelton stay away, and not only that, but alone with Indy? Immediate guilt filled Alashia.

"What am I doing? I am betrothed to Thelton, therefore I should send Sterling out to find him, but I still want some time with Sterling, alone without Thelton here. I like the way Sterling makes me feel," she thought.

"Please don't go," Stephanie whined. The thought of being left on a strange island, while all the men were off somewhere else, frightened her.

Sterling looked at both princesses. They were using their biggest puppy dog eyes to convince him to stay. He felt very torn because he wanted to please the princesses, especially Alashia, her looks enraptured him. However, he feared having Indy leave like she did. "I worry about Rose," he said using the name he gave her, "because I don't want her to get hurt on the foreign island." Who was he fooling? Indy could probably take any beast out there. But still, he hated her all alone, or worse, the image of her running into Thelton's arms. He wanted to keep her as far from Thelton as he could. "I must go after her."

Sterling looked at the princesses again. Alashia reached up and moved the blond hair away from her striking blue eyes. The brightness of her soul spilled out of her eyes. She noticed him staring and flashed another smile, the smile sent his heart into frenzy. Subconsciously, he grabbed his chest to control the feeling. Everything about her appealed to him, the very way she moved her body, said her words, and even the way she breathed.

It overpowered him, and he had to look away. Alashia reached out and touched his hand. Sterling's muscles seized up, and he actually had to think to breathe. She shouldn't have such an effect on him, but she did. In fact, he found he had an attraction to her, one he tried to push away.

"It will be getting dark soon. Please don't leave Stephanie and me here alone. Please."

Sterling turned his back to the hill Indy had gone over. He hated not to run after her, but the princess held a powerful pull over him, and besides, it wasn't right to leave two princesses alone.

"Since it will be getting dark soon, we should probably set up an area to camp at," Sterling said, showing he would be staying. Alashia and Stephanie were glad he wasn't going to leave them alone.

His words brought a new fear to them. Stephanie shivered at the thought of having to sleep outside. She wanted to be back at home in her big fluffy bed in the castle.

"Are we really going to sleep on the beach?" Stephanie whined.

"It is way better than sleeping in the boat," Sterling said, reminding her of the hellish journey they had taken to get there. Stephanie smiled, because Sterling did have a point. The beach made a way better choice.

"Will you two help me gather wood, so I can build a fire?"

Stephanie flung her arms over her chest. "I don't gather wood, I am a princess."

"Oh, I see, little princess. You probably had people that did those things for you. I don't know what to say. I guess I can't make you help build a camp here, but it sure would be nice."

"Build it yourself," Stephanie said as she turned her back to Sterling.

Sterling stood dumbfounded as he scratched his head. He didn't know what to make of the little princess. He turned to Alashia and said, "Do you feel the same as your sister?"

Alashia did feel the same; however, she wasn't going to say it in front of Sterling. Despite the lump in her stomach, she said. "I can help." She then turned to Stephanie and said, "And I suggest you do the same."

Stephanie ran from Alashia and went to watch the water crash into the beach. She began wadding in it, getting the bottom of her dress wet, completely blocking out the idea of work.

"Stephanie, get out of the water. You will freeze tonight if you get cold," Alashia demanded.

Stephanie ignored her sister and explored the waves and the beach. Alashia turned to Sterling and shrugged.

"We aren't really used to being told what to do. We are the ones that tell others what to do."

"Perfectly understandable. It must be a hard transition for you to be a princess then have to ride on that horrible ship. And now, here you are stranded on an island. How could things get any worse than this?"

Alashia's face dropped. "Try having your father murdered in front of you and your castle stolen from you. It already has been worse, it just doesn't stop."

Without thinking, Sterling put his arm around Alashia and pulled her close. "I am so sorry. I can't even imagine what you have been through. I never really had anything to lose. Well that isn't true, I had my father and I lost him. So, I guess I understand a little, but I don't know if I'll see him again. But as far as things, well, I really never had anything. So I don't know what it's like to lose possessions."

Alashia appreciated Sterling's attempt to comfort her, but his rambling really wasn't helping. Sterling looked up in time to see the sun fall lower in the sky. Light oranges started to appear from it.

"Maybe we should gather the wood before it becomes too dark."

Alashia pulled away from Sterling's comforting embrace. "Good idea," she said.

As they gathered the abundant drift wood from the beach, they continued talking.

"So, are you and Thelton getting married as soon as you get there?"

Usually Alashia was quick to respond to a question like that. Her wedding had been postponed way too long. She had been more than ready to marry Thelton. However, when Sterling asked that question, Alashia had a hard time saying yes to him. In a way, she almost wanted to hide the idea she was getting married. It seemed absurd for her to act that way, but she couldn't seem to stop the feelings.

"That was the plan, but now I don't know." What was she saying? Of course they were getting married. She looked at Sterling as he worked hard at constructing their fire. He was affable, unlike Thelton. It seemed natural to share her time and feelings with him.

"What don't you know?" Sterling asked as he continued to work.

"Well, things are changing. For instance, do you see the way he looks at that wild woman? There is a passion in his eyes when he looks at her that is never in his eyes when he looks at me. I'm not entirely sure Thelton wants to marry me."

"Who wouldn't want to marry someone as gorgeous as you?" Sterling blushed, for he couldn't believe he talked so boldly.

Shyly he backed away from the princess. He felt stupid for what he had said. He went to look for more wood for the fire, even though they had a good sized pile. When he did, he missed seeing Alashia blush, for she liked being desired by him. Every man she had ever met lusted after her, except Thelton. He never seemed drawn in by her beauty. She learned her beauty brought her control. Did she like the control she had on Sterling, or did she like the way Sterling made her feel?

...

After Sterling stopped gathering wood, he lit the fire. The sun hovered above the ocean, ready to set. He and Alashia stood with their backs to the warm fire, watching as the sun painted magnificent shades of color across the sky. Energy seemed to shoot out from the sun and penetrate them. When the sun dipped below the horizon, they stared at each other, happy to have shared the moment together.

"I'm starving," Stephanie said as she bounded between Alashia and Sterling. "When are we going to eat?"

"How about now," Sterling said glumly, a little disheartened to have the moment shattered by Stephanie's boisterous presence.

"Please tell me it isn't beans or rice?" Stephanie said.

"Well, that is all we have at the moment, and it is convenient," Sterling answered.

"Can't we look for something else?" Stephanie whined.

"It's probably too dark for that. How about we eat it tonight, then tomorrow for breakfast, hopefully we can find some fruit or something?" Each sentence Sterling used was soft and controlled. He didn't talk to Stephanie with disdain as Thelton always did.

Sterling was a refreshing change compared to Thelton, having him around was a good thing. The three gathered around the fire and choked down their dinner. Each hoping it would be the last time they ate the horrific supply of beans and rice.
Chapter 27

When Thelton had stomped away from the princesses, it was because he couldn't handle any more of their spoiled behavior. "Nothing I do will ever please them," he growled out loud. He had really gotten himself into a mess. Alashia was still as convinced as ever the two of them were going to get married. She was wrong. Thelton had never planned on marrying her. When the king was alive, he had forced Thelton into being engaged to Alashia. Since the king was gone, Thelton felt free to end the engagement. The thing stopping him from calling it off was he felt responsible for the king's death. The princess lost her father because of him. He felt like he had to marry her, to right his wrong.

When Indy showed up, it complicated things for Thelton. He was surprised at how happy he became when he saw her. She seemed to have acted equally as happy. They were perfect for each other. It was obvious they were meant to be together. Thelton wished he could take off with her right then and there. He would have her fly the two of them off the island, but he knew the distance was too far. Eventually Indy would tire and there would be nowhere to land.

As Thelton walked, he scratched his sun burnt skin. He let his eyes explore the island. He had gone over a hill and into an opening of a large forest. The forest was very dense. Being used to the Vegus Forest, he didn't know what to expect. Thelton cautiously walked along, ready to fight off anything the island had to throw at him.

He walked for a while when a baby fox ran in front of him. Thelton pulled out his emerald sword. Vibrancy filled him as he swiftly sliced through the fox. With the kill, a surge of energy powered his soul. He missed hunting so much. Looking at the fox reminded him foxes weren't even a challenge to him, but at that moment, he sure enjoyed killing it. He had been trapped on the ship for so long, and before the ship, he had been stuck running around the kingdoms and getting wedged in all the royal drama. It felt good to be one with the outdoors again.

Happy to be living off the land again, Thelton built a small fire and roasted his fox. When the fox was charred, he ate the meal in delight. The bites tantalized his tongue. The meat was such a treat after eating ship food.

...

The rage escalated in Indy's whole body. She venomously hated Alashia. If she was left to it, she would tear Alashia apart. Thelton had stopped her from hurting Alashia, and now Sterling was stopping her. She felt betrayed by both men. After walking over the hill, she saw the vast expanse of trees before her. They reminded her of her home, calming her with peace. As she aimlessly walked around, a wonderful smell of food hit her. She looked in the sky and saw smoke coming from a group of trees. Starving, Indy followed the smoke until she saw Thelton.

"Teltn!" she called out, excited to see him. She ran over to Thelton and jumped into his bulging arms.

Thelton smiled wide, flashing his teeth, hugging Indy tightly. Had she sought him out? He hadn't expected anyone to come after him, but he sure liked seeing her there.

"Teltn, I smell food, can you eat me?" Indy still wasn't proficient with her words.

"Can I eat you, sure come here and I will eat you," he teased playfully taking a small bite on her arm. Indy laughed, for it was not like Thelton to play games with her. If she wasn't hungry, she would have played back.

"Did I say it wrong?" she asked.

Thelton joyfully looked at her. "Wow, listen to you talk."

Indy proudly smiled, "Friend teached me words."

"Friend," Thelton said wrinkling his round nose. "What a dumb name for him. Do you even know his name?"

"Yes; Sterling."

"Then call him that."

"Why?"

"Because, friend is such a stupid name for someone."

Indy frowned because she didn't like Thelton talking mean to her. Language was hard for her, and she tried the best she could.

"What other words do you know?" Thelton asked.

"I know I am hungry. Do you have more food?" Indy asked again.

Thelton looked down at his greasy hands. He was hungry and had eaten the whole fox. It had been small.

"Sorry, I ate all of it. We can find you something if you want."

"I want."

Thelton took Indy's solid hand, and the two of them walked away from the fire. As they walked, they could hear a horrific howling sound in the distance. It wasn't the howling of a dog, but something very unfamiliar to them.

"Let's check it out," he said to Indy as he followed the noise. Thelton tracked it until he found its source; a group of howler monkeys in the tree tops.

Upon the sight of the foreign-looking animal, Thelton took a staggering step back. "What are those?" he asked. "They look like hairy little men." Thelton had never seen a monkey before, and neither had Indy.

"They look kind of like trolls, but not as ugly," Thelton said as he stared up into the tree with his black eyes.

"Stay here," he said, grabbing the bottom of the trunk. He began climbing it. Struggling a bit to scale up the side, he slipped down at times, forcing him to restart. When he finally came to the top of the trees where the monkeys had been, they had already swung far away to other branches.

"Did you see how they soared across the trees? This is going to be a challenge," Thelton said. He tried to make his way to the other branches, but he was painfully slow at it. Indy tired of watching him and opened her wings and flew up to the monkeys. She reached out and grabbed one in her claws. The monkey howled and howled. Indy carried it in her chest as she landed on the ground.

Thelton had stayed in the lower branches and observed Indy in action. He felt slightly silly for failing miserably. On the other hand, he felt his love for Indy grow. She was a master hunter. He hated to admit it, but she was better than him. He enjoyed watching her hunt.

By the time Thelton climbed out of the tree, Indy had taken the monkey to the fire and had begun cooking it. She was used to eating things raw, but out of consideration for Thelton, she roasted it.

"Look at you, you caught that animal. I am so very impressed!" Thelton said as he got to her side. The sky was getting dark. He grabbed more wood and threw it on the fire.

"You missed, I got it," Indy said, teasing Thelton.

"That's the truth. In my entire life, I never thought a girl would out hunt me. Never. I am embarrassed to even say it. But you did it, you are a master hunter. Of course, I never thought I would love a girl, either." H ran his hands through her tangled hair.

"What is love?" Indy asked.

"I don't know how to explain love. It is a feeling. When you are with someone and it feels so good." Thelton rubbed his tight chest. "It is a feeling right in here, and it happens whenever you are around that person."

"I feel good around friend."

"Nooo!" Thelton's base voice barked. His countenance dropped.

"Oh, sorry, I feel good around Sterling."

"Stop it! Don't think about him. He is nothing. How do you feel when you are around me?"

"Lots of good," Indy said with a big smile. "Do I love you?" she asked.

"Of course you do," Thelton replied. "You have to learn to understand it. Wow, look at you, I can't believe we are talking together. You really have learned a lot."

Indy beamed from Thelton's complements. Her smile put a charm on him, a magical lure he couldn't escape.

As they talked, the deep smell from the roasting monkey enticed Indy. She couldn't wait for it to fully cook. With a large stick, she plucked the monkey from the fire. She found a cool spot and began eating. The flavor was rich and savory and Indy tore into it. Sterling had taught her to eat with manners, but she was ravished with hunger and at the moment, manners meant nothing to her.

Although Thelton was not into manners, the way Indy ate always turned him off. It really surprised him that it bothered him so bad, but it did. While Indy ate, Thelton stared into the fire, trying not to let her savage manners bother him.

"Want some?" Indy asked.

"Sure, I will take a bite, but I am pretty stuffed from the fox." Thelton took a bite, the meat was desirable, but he only took one, for his stomach screamed at him to stop.

By the time Indy finished eating, it had become very dark. Thelton pulled up a log and sat next to the fire.

"Come join me," he said to Indy.

Indy sat next to him and cuddled into his arms. Thelton tingled as he held her.

"I feel good," Indy said. "Is this love?"

"Yes. I feel it too." The moment was perfect, electricity flowed between the two.

"I love you and I love friend." Indy said as she tried to make sense of the new word, love.

How could she talk about Sterling while cuddled in Thelton's stout arms? Thelton's good feeling disappeared. "You must forget about Sterling. It is just you and me now."

"What you mean?" Indy asked, confused.

"I mean you can only love one person. You can't love me and still love Sterling. You must pick only one to love."

"Why?"

"Because, that is how it works."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but it is. I can't love you if you love Sterling."

"Why?"

"Stop asking why," Thelton barked.

"I can't stop loving Sterling. He's my friend. Teltn is my friend."

Thelton stood up and paced away from the fire. He played with his sandy blond hair. "That is not how things work."

"You have two friends," Indy pointed out.

"No I don't. I only love you."

"You love that woman," Indy said in reference to Alashia.

Thelton stopped, for Indy had some truth to her words. "I do care for Alashia," he thought. She had helped him through his time in the dungeon, winning her a special place in his heart. He still cared for her, but he wasn't sure if it was genuine or out of obligation. But, regardless, things would never work out for them to be together, because Alashia was too spoiled, and she cried and whined way too much.

"That woman is my friend, but I don't love her. She's just someone I am helping."

"She's your friend?" Indy questioned.

"Yes, only a friend."

"Sterling's a friend," Indy said.

"That is different," Thelton said. The conversation was frustrating him.

"Why?"

"Just is," Thelton replied.

Indy couldn't understand Thelton. He actually angered her. He was telling her she couldn't be friends with Sterling. Sterling meant much to her. She loved being with him. They brought much joy to each other. And above all, she couldn't understand why Thelton could have two friends but she could only have one.

When Thelton finished pacing, he came and sat by her again on the log. He reached over to cuddle with her, but she stood up and went away from the fire. She didn't care to be by him at the moment.

...

During the night, many strange noises came from the hill behind them. Alashia and Stephanie had been very frightened and each clung to Sterling all night. Sterling tried to act brave in front of the princesses, but truth was, he was almost as scared as they were. None of them had gotten much sleep.

In the morning, Alashia awoke to the delicious smell of something cooking. She looked over to the fire and saw Sterling attended it.

"Good morning," she said to him. He looked over at her and smiled, his smile was fresh and young. He had an innocence about him that was rather attractive.

"Long night, huh?" he asked.

"Very, I am glad nothing ate us last night."

"There were more noises here than in the Vegus Forest."

"What a scary thought, sleeping in the Vegus Forest."

"I actually lived there for a time."

"That sounds scary."

"It was and it wasn't. I lived at the dragon camp and each..."

Alashia interrupted Sterling. "You lived with the dragons?" she blurted out, shocked at such a thought.

"Yeah, I lived with my Rose and one other dragon. You know she was raised by the dragons?"

"That explains a lot. Is she a dragon?"

"We don't know. She is definitely human, but she sure acts like a dragon at times."

Alashia laughed because she understood what Sterling was talking about. Every time she saw Indy, Indy wanted to tear her apart. She seemed like a dragon to Alashia.

"How did you live amongst the dragons and they didn't kill you?"

"I wondered that every day I was there, and there was only one dragon. It only wanted to hurt me once, but my Rose stopped it, then it ignored me."

"Wow, I don't think I could ever live with dragons-sounds too scary."

"I actually felt safe living with the dragon. I thought nothing would dare attack me with a dragon around."

"Yeah, I guess you are right, but still, sounds scary."

"Hey, these look like they are done," Sterling said as he pulled some large bundles out of the fire. Ash flew up and landed in his blond hair.

"What are they?" Alashia asked suspiciously.

Sterling opened a large leaf, inside were some turtle eggs. "These are turtle eggs. I got the leaf really wet, and that kept it from burning up in the fire. I then put the eggs inside and there they cooked."

"Turtle eggs; now that is something I will eat. They were a delicacy back at the castle," Alashia said smiling. Her smile put a charm on him, a magical lure he couldn't escape.

Alashia rolled over to Stephanie and shook her. "Wake up Stephanie, we have turtle eggs for breakfast."

Stephanie sat up excited, for she loved turtle eggs.

"It gets better," Sterling said with a grin. "I also have fresh pineapple."

Everyone dug into the breakfast. It tasted exquisite, especially after eating stale ship food for so long. A tear snuck out of Alashia's eye even though she tried to hold it back, and it trickled down her fair cheek.

Sterling looked worried by the tear. "What is wrong? Does it taste horrible? If it does, you don't have to eat it," he said, apologizing.

Alashia brushed at the tear. "No, it tastes so good. I never thought I would eat good food again."

Sterling smiled. He was pleased his food delighted the princesses.

As they ate, they heard the flapping of wings, looking up in the sky they saw Indy approach them. She landed next to Sterling and gave him a great big hug. Alashia's stomach dropped. She didn't want Indy back.

"Hi, I missed you," he said to Indy and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Indy had a huge grin on her face. She looked like she couldn't wait to tell him something.

"What is it?" he asked, completely drawn in by her excitement.

"I love you," Indy said. "And love Teltn. I love."

"You love me? Wow, where did that come from?" Sterling asked, flattered by Indy's words of endearment. His smile widened in his joy.

"Teltn taught me word," Indy said.

"Well, in that case, I love you too." The words felt foreign coming off his lips. Sterling had very tender feelings for Indy, but love was something that happened between husband and wife. He could see Indy being his wife one day. Actually, he would like that a lot. But was there love between them now? He decided there was. His heart seemed to race at the realization.

As she watched the two, Alashia seethed in jealousy. What was it Thelton and Sterling saw in her? Alashia kept trying to steal glances of Indy without making eye contact. Indy was plain looking and so huge compared to the princess. What did the men see?

Indy could feel Alashia studying her. Every time she looked over, Alashia would quickly look away. That bothered Indy. She wanted to rip Alashia's face, but she held back.

"Do you love her?" Indy asked, pointing to Alashia.

Sterling blushed, the question seemed awkward, especially with Alashia sitting right there. He quickly glanced over at Alashia. She was perfect to behold. She instilled in him a great deal of desire. Sterling squirmed back and forth, not sure how to answer Indy.

Patting Indy, he said. "Sure, I love everyone."

"Teltn say you can only love one person," Indy said.

"Not true, you can love as many people as you want. Well, no, that's wrong too. I guess Thelton is right. You can only have special love for one person. I hope you will choose me one day to have special love for."

Alashia also hoped Indy would choose Sterling and leave Thelton alone. Or was that really what she wanted? She watched Sterling gently rub Indy's arm. He seemed kind and without a bit of malice to him.

"Have some breakfast," Sterling said as he presented Indy with some eggs and pineapple.

"What be it?" Indy asked.

"Turtle eggs and pineapple."

"New to me," Indy said. "What is turtle? What is pineapple?"

"You don't know what a turtle is? I will show you later."

Chapter 28

After breakfast, everyone went into the ocean to wash the layers of filth that had accumulated on them. Their clothes were tattered and they smelt horrible. Thankfully for them, they had become used to the smell.

When they got out, Sterling sat down with Indy and wrapped her hair delicately on top of her head. She looked stunning when he had finished. Although Alashia still didn't see Indy as beautiful, she did notice the hairstyle greatly improved Indy's looks.

"Do that to me," Stephanie demanded.

"Sure, come sit in front of me."

Sterling worked his fingers through Stephanie's hair, creating a masterpiece. While Stephanie relaxed under Sterling's massaging touch, Indy wondered off to explore the beach.

"Where did you learn such a craft?" Alashia asked. She had sprawled out on the beach while she lazily watched Sterling.

"I don't know. I just figured it out."

"That doesn't seem like fitting work for a man."

"So?" Sterling replied.

His response caught Alashia off guard. He seemed confident of himself. He didn't need anyone's approval to recognize his greatness.

"Will you do my hair?"

"I would love to," Sterling replied. When Stephanie was done, she went over to a patch of long grass and took a nap in it. Alashia took her place in front of Sterling. As he weaved her hair, she felt miraculous. It had been a long time since someone had styled her hair. She closed her eyes and pretended she was back in the castle, while one of her maidens was doing her hair. Unbeknownst to Alashia, Sterling shook as he did her hair, because touching her sent electricity through him, an electricity that rattled his nerves.

From a distance, Indy watched as Sterling did Stephanie's hair and it hadn't bothered her at all. But, as she observed him style Alashia's hair, rage filled her insides. The emotion escalated until she finally lost control and charged at the two. Grabbing Sterling's hand, she ripped it away from Alashia's head. In doing so, her claws tore at Sterling's skin, making blood ooze out.

"Please, what are you doing?" he asked as he covered his open wound. He gently tried to push Indy away with his hip.

"Don't like it," Indy said.

"Listen, I am nice to everyone. The princesses are my friends. Not a special friend like you, but they are my friends. It is okay."

Indy plopped in the sand, for she had to think about his words for a bit. She was his special friend, but Alashia was not. She still didn't like it, but she could handle it a little better.

Alashia watched Indy's fit. She could hardly believe how tender Sterling was with Indy. Thelton would have fought anyone if they had tore up his arm like Indy had done to Sterling.

...

When Thelton awoke, he was alone. He didn't have to search the area long to know Indy was gone. She had probably returned to Sterling. Why couldn't she get over him? Thelton had planned on not returning to the main beach front. He decided he and Indy could happily live in the island's forest for the rest of their lives. But, that plan wouldn't work with Indy gone.

Reluctantly, Thelton dragged himself back to the main beach where he knew he would find Indy. Reaching the top of the hill, he looked down at the beach below him. The white sand stretched several kilometers until it ran into a high cliff. The beach was closed off in three directions by the hill, the sea, and the cliff. He looked over at Sterling and the girls. They were busily playing in the sand.

"Why are they idling their time away? If we are going to be stuck living on the island they should start building homes to live in, not playing in the sand." Watching them laugh and enjoy each other, he found himself annoyed. He decided to go and put a stop to it. He quickly descended the hill and came to their sides.

"What are you doing?" Thelton hollered as he joined everyone. When he went over to Alashia, he deliberately stepped on Sterling's sand creation.

"We are having some fun. After that horrible boat ride, we all deserve a rest," Sterling said, with a little rawness in his tone. He had hoped Thelton had been eaten by a forest creature.

"Rest comes later. First we work, then we rest," Thelton said, picking up a large log, he tossed it at Sterling. The log landed on Sterling's big toe. Sterling let out a howl and cradled his toe, it sure hurt.

Responding to Thelton, Stephanie said," Princesses don't work." She didn't even look up. She was having fun playing in the sand, and she was not about to surrender to Thelton.

"Are you forgetting, once you left the castle you left behind the crown? You are no longer princesses and, therefore, you will work."

Thelton's uncaring words were like a knife to Alashia. Why was he so hard hearted?

"I'll do their share," Sterling said without looking at Thelton. Why did he have to be stuck on an island with Thelton?

Thelton reached down and clocked Sterling on the side of the head. "Stay out of this, boy."

The knock was a jolting one. Sterling cupped his head with his hand while stars flashed in his eyes. His head throbbed where Thelton punched him. He wanted to jump up and defend himself, but he knew it was useless against Thelton. Thelton would win every time. Sterling cowered in the sand. At least he no longer felt his toe.

"Don't hit him," Alashia shrieked. She dropped by Sterling's side trying to protect him.

"You stay out of this as well," Thelton barked.

"No, I will not. It doesn't matter what you say, your words can never erase the fact I am the princess and I should be making the rules."

"Oh really, so you know how to survive stranded on an island? Did you hear all the noises from the forest last night? Are you telling me, in your girl princess power, you know how to keep us safe? Is that what you are telling me?"

Thelton's strong words felt very condescending to Alashia. He bullied everyone but Indy didn't seem concerned with the pissing match, so she continued playing in the sand. Everyone else diverted their eyes away from Thelton, all too scared to speak.

"We are going to have some order around here. First thing, there are some great places over the hill for shelter. Second, we need to gather food. Indy and I will do the hunting. You guys take care of everything else."

Alashia stood up and dusted the sand off her lap. She rubbed her hands together to shake loose any more that clung to her. "We can't make shelter over the hill. I want to be rescued from this island, and if we are where we can't see any ships go by, then we will never be rescued."

"Don't be foolish, there is nothing on this beach to protect us from the elements. At least over the hill there are trees we can stay under."

"I won't budge on this one, Thelton. I am not going to put myself in a situation where I miss being rescued. And besides, there are vicious wild animals in that forest. At least on the beach they can't sneak up on us. We will be able to see them coming."

"How do you know what's in that forest, you haven't even been in it?"

"True, but I heard the animals last night, and it's enough to warn me never to go in it."

"Well, you can stay here if you want, but I will stay in the forest. If you want to be protected then I suggest you follow me."

"Sterling will protect me," Alashia challenged.

"Fine, sounds great. The woman and I will live in the forest, and Sterling and the princesses live on the beach."

Sterling couldn't take any more of Thelton's orders. He stood up and got in Thelton's face. Inside he was trembling, but outside Sterling tried to appear dangerous and mean. The two men were the same size, but Thelton was a bit more muscular and bulgy.

...

"We would all be better if you scurried off back to the forest. I can care for the women just fine on my own. But you will not be taking Rose with you, for she stays here with me."

"Who is Rose?"

Sterling pointed to Indy. Rose was the name he had given her when they boarded the ship.

"You are calling that creature Rose? She resembles nothing close to a flower. You should at least give her a powerful name, like Imara."

"Too late. Rose it is."

Indy looked up from playing in the sand. "I like Rose," she said.

"Imara fits you better."

"Imara," Indy said. "Also sounds good."

"Well I am not going to sit here and fight over what we call her. Imara will come with me. Come on Imara," Thelton said.

Indy looked back and forth between Sterling and Thelton as if she had just joined the conversation

"Where are you going?" Indy asked.

"We are going to live in the forest. I think you and I can be very happy there."

Right after he said that, Thelton suddenly felt a large push from behind. Alashia had shoved him very hard. "What do you mean you are going to live with that thing in the forest? Thelton, we are to be married as soon as we get to my cousins. Are you leaving me?"

Thelton rubbed his forehead. Of course he wanted to leave Alashia. He didn't think she had anything to offer, but he still felt a huge obligatory tie to her. He had, after all, been the very cause she lost her kingdom.

"You said it yourself, Princess, Sterling can care for you. To me it sounded as if you had made _your_ choice."

"Why are you so impossible?" Alashia cried as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

"What do you guys want of me? I am trying to keep us safe, and that would be back in the forest. Everything I have done has been for your good, but all you do is fight me on everything. Don't you realize how much I weary from this? Before I met you, Princess, I lived for myself and only for myself. It has taken a lot to try to care for others. You have to try. You have to give without fighting each thing I try to do for you."

Thelton's words hit Alashia, for he was right. She did seem to fight him on everything he did. In the end, all his plans had worked out; well, mostly.

"Your right, I am sorry," Alashia said, bowing her head.

Thelton was surprised. Did the princess really apologize to him? He wasn't expecting that. He actually had expected more fights.

"Well then, let us waste no more time."

Nervously, Alashia continued, "Thelton, you are right about me fighting you, but I am sorry to say, I will still stay on the beach. I feel it is very important to be where we can be rescued; otherwise, we are consigning ourselves to live on this island forever."

"Why did you say sorry if you are going to continue to fight me?"

"I am not going to fight you. I am sticking up for myself."

"Whatever; do what you want. Imara, let's go."

Indy had lost interest in the two bickering; therefore, she had gone back to playing in the sand. She didn't recognize Thelton was talking to her.

"Imara, come on," Thelton yelled.

Indy looked up. "ME?" she asked.

"Yes, I am calling you Imara now."

"What about Rose?"

"Imara."

"Oh," Indy said as she went back to playing in the sand. She loved the way it felt as it sifted through her fingers. She loved burying her hand in its deep coolness only to find when she pulled it out, her hand felt cold, and she missed its warmth.

"What are you doing, come on?" Thelton ordered as he watched Indy mindlessly play in the sand.

Indy looked up again and asked, "What?"

"Let's go," Thelton barked.

"Go where?" Indy questioned.

Thelton let out a heavy sigh. In trying to establish his leadership, he needed Indy to follow behind. Her lack of response made him feel like he was losing control. He had already lost it with Alashia.

Sterling couldn't take any more of watching Thelton boss the women around. He shoved himself back in Thelton's face. "You are not taking her. She will stay with me. You are done taking her away from me. You have your princess, and I have Rose."

Thelton tightened his muscles and without warning, he decked Sterling in the lip. The blow knocked Sterling hard. He staggered back while his lip cracked open. Alashia and Stephanie screamed at Thelton to stop. Before Sterling could react, Thelton punched Sterling in the nose. Sterling dropped to the ground. Thelton pulled out his sword.

Indy had seen Thelton use his sword enough to realize whatever was on the other side of it died. Without giving him a chance to use it, she jumped on Thelton's back. With adrenalin surging, her claws dug at his face and arms. The attack made Thelton drop his sword. Indy and Thelton rolled around on the ground, each swinging and tearing at each other. Alashia feared for Thelton. Sterling feared for Indy. "What kind of man would fight a woman?" he shouted.

He picked up the Thelton's emerald sword and shoved it partially into Thelton's arm.

"Get off her now!" he yelled.

Thelton rolled off Indy. Indy jumped on Thelton's chest and pinned his neck down with her claws.

"Things are going to change! I am in charge, do you understand Dragon Slayer? Me! You only think about yourself, and always have. You make plans that profit you. I think about everyone, and my plans are made to advantage everyone involved."

Thelton simmered under his own emerald sword. As soon as Sterling released him, he was going to teach that boy a lesson he would never forget.

"Now listen closely," Sterling continued. "The women stay on the beach with me. You are free to leave, and in fact, I hope that you do. You are not wanted around here, for all you do is hurt others."

As Indy pushed her body into Thelton's, she began to calm down. Her heart rate decelerated, her breathing slowed. A bit of drool leaked out of her mouth and splashed on Thelton's face.

"Do we have a deal?" Sterling asked.

With all his power, Thelton unexpectedly shoved Indy off of him. He jumped up and seized his sword from Sterling and flipped it around. The sword was shoved into Sterling's side, not deep, but enough to penetrate the skin. Blood oozed out from around the tip.

"I will never make a deal with the son of Flance. I have more skill and power than you can dream. If I want to be on the beach, then I will. If I want to live in the forest, then I will. I will never follow you, just like I never followed your father."

Indy jumped up from the ground and clawed at Thelton's arms. With great force, he pushed Indy aside. Then, Thelton removed his sword out of Sterling's skin. In defiance, he went over to the fire pit where there was still some breakfast left. Thelton sat down and ate the pineapple. While he did, he ran the blade of his emerald sword down the side of his pants and wiped Sterling's blood off.

Thelton had planned on going back into the forest, but since Sterling demanded him to do it, Thelton changed his mind. He would stick around the beach just to show Sterling no one told him what to do.

Alashia glared at Thelton as she watched him eat. He infuriated her. As she glared, she could hear a little whimper. She looked over at Sterling and noticed the blood dripping off him, the remnant of Thelton's anger. Feeling pity, Alashia gathered some leaves and went to Sterling and wrapped his wound. Stephanie curled up into a ball on the beach and bawled and bawled. Oh, how she wanted her old life back.

Alashia's heart formed another layer of hate for Thelton. "I want to disassociate with him." But, she still could not fully close herself off to him. She had such a strong affection for him it seemed nothing he did would fully break it.

As Indy watched Thelton, she realized she wanted to eat. With the fight already behind her, she went over and joined him in the cold breakfast. She didn't hold grudges. In her world, when she lived with the dragons, they always fought. As soon as the battle was over, so were the bad feelings.

Chapter 29

A storm rolled in during the night. The winds were fast and fierce, causing the rain to pellet everyone's faces. The night was miserable, and no one got much sleep. Cold, soggy clothes stuck to chilled skin. In the morning, everything was too wet to build a fire, so Sterling gathered coconut and pineapple for food. They ate the breakfast in miserable silence. Dark rain clouds lingered above, occasionally dumping its load, and then hanging back, threatening to do it again.

"I hope everyone learned their lesson," Thelton said, finally breaking the silence. "If we were in the forest, the canopy would have kept us drier than we were last night. Who knows, there might even be some caves."

"Then go," Sterling said as he jammed a piece of coconut in his mouth.

Thelton had done a lot of thinking through the night. Again, his conscious had won as he watched the princesses shiver in their coldness. "They are such fair and delicate maidens. They should be home safe in their castle. But, because of me, they are stuck on an island." In the coldness of the night, he resolved again to try harder.

"My duty is to the princesses," he informed Sterling.

Alashia's heart fluttered. She was glad to hear he now devoted himself to her again. "Maybe he will be nicer," she could only hope.

Without looking up, Sterling said, "Well the princesses chose to stay here. In order to satisfy the princesses, I have decided to build them a home on the edge of the hill. This way they will still be on the beach, but protected."

Stephanie clapped her hands. "Yeah, thank you, thank you," she said as she hugged her legs, trying to warm up. The muggy air kept them cold.

After breakfast, Sterling immediately worked on building a shelter. He used driftwood, logs, weeds, vines; anything he could find. He had an inventive mind and was able to design a great structure in his head. He spent the next few days working on it. While Sterling built almost nonstop, Indy would come and help him some. When she wasn't helping Sterling, she would go into the forest with Thelton where they would hunt animals for their meals.

Alashia worked around the beach collecting things. Sometimes she would venture slightly into the forest where she would gather fruits, berries, and roots. This went on for three days. By the night of the third day, Sterling announced the shelter was ready. It was tiny, for he had intentionally made it to fit only him and the women.

The women crawled in, relieved to have protection from the storms. After seeing they were comfortable, Sterling went out to the weeds to relieve himself. When he returned, he found Thelton lying between the princesses, happily in Sterling's spot.

"Get out!" Sterling barked. "There isn't enough room in there for you."

"Not true, I am plenty comfortable. You are the one there is no room for."

"You are a man of the land. I didn't make it for you. You will be just fine in the forest."

"Same for you," Thelton smartly replied. He snuggled up to Indy, further annoying Sterling.

"Get out!" Sterling howled.

"Come on, he worked hard on it," Alashia said.

"So you pick Sterling over me?" Thelton replied. He stuck out his lower lip and batted his eyes.

"That is not what I am saying," Alashia said as she sighed.

"Then goodnight."

Alashia didn't know what else to say, so she closed her eyes. She felt bad for Sterling and didn't want to see him stuck outside the very shelter he had built. Thelton was cruel, but she had to admit, she liked lying next to him.

"Hey, I worked very hard on this for three days and you didn't even help. Get out," Sterling barked.

"I didn't help because I was hunting the meat you have eaten every day. Stop eating my meat."

In a huff, Sterling stomped away and went and slept by the fire. Indy, who didn't want to sleep by Alashia, joined Sterling. It only drizzled through the night. For the next week, Sterling worked really hard at building a new shelter. This one was double the size as the first. He decided Thelton could have the smaller shelter and he would take the larger one. On the first night Sterling intended to use it, he had again gone and relieved himself on a bush before bed. When he returned, Thelton and the princesses were in the new shelter, his shelter.

"No, no, no. Get out! This one is mine!" Sterling growled. Thelton had done it again, stealing Sterling's spot.

"There is plenty of room," Thelton said.

There was no way Sterling was going to share a shelter with his enemy.

"Get out!" he yelled so loud his throat became raw.

"Good night, boy," Thelton said. He stretched out his arm and drew Alashia close to him. Despite the harsh living conditions, laying besides Thelton warmed her and thrilled her beyond anything she had ever known. She felt so protected next to him.

Again, in a huff, Sterling stomped away. How could he have been stupid? Frustrated, he trudged over to the smaller shelter. Indy was already in it. She had spent the week sleeping out by the fire with Sterling.

Stephanie watched as Thelton stretched his large body out. He passed wind several times, making the shelter toxic to breathe in. As she resisted breathing, Stephanie despised the man. She had watched Thelton push Sterling out of the shelter.

"I feel bad for Sterling. He was the one who had done all the work." She thought about that until Thelton belched, then she decided it was enough. She left the big shelter and joined Sterling. Indy didn't mind having Stephanie around. Alashia stayed with Thelton.

Later, Thelton took over the large shelter and filled it with various things he found or created. Sterling retained the small shelter. The women sometimes switched places where they slept. Alashia and Indy refused to sleep in the same shelter. So, whatever woman bedded down first, the other woman would go to the opposite shelter. They went back and forth where they slept. Stephanie always stayed with Sterling. She didn't like Thelton and refused to stay with him.

...

The group fell into a routine. In the morning, Sterling would get up and build the fire. Then he would prepare breakfast out of whatever food was available. After breakfast, he tidied things up. While Sterling cleaned, Indy and Thelton would leave for most of the day. Together, they would hunt, and enjoy the forest. It drove Alashia and Sterling crazy that Thelton and Indy would be gone so long.

Meanwhile, Alashia would gather fruits, berries, and roots. Stephanie spent most of the day playing on the beach or in the water. In the afternoon, Sterling and Stephanie would play. Sometimes Alashia would join while other times she would rest or nap. In the evening, Sterling would pair up with Indy. He continued to teach her to read and speak. During that time, Alashia and Thelton would hang out, and Stephanie would always find something to entertain herself with.

Fights often broke out because there was much tension abound. Everyone seemed to have a person around they strongly hated. It made for a boiling pot of contention, ready to spew out at any moment.

Thelton did, however, fight less with Alashia. He worked harder at being more pleasant to her. They spent their time together often engaged in meaningful conversations.

As she spent time with Thelton, Alashia enjoyed the transformation over him. She found her seed of hate becoming smaller and smaller. As they talked, she often became mesmerized by his looks. He had a robust frame and a sexy face. Just one look into his eyes and her mind would go blank. When they talked, they seemed so close. She kept hoping for the day Thelton would stop running off with Indy. She longed to be Thelton's only choice.

As much as Alashia enjoyed being with Thelton, she often watched Indy and Sterling when they were together. Sterling was always soft and gentle with Indy. Alashia felt envy as she watched him caress Indy's skin. Sterling and Indy spent their time together laughing and laughing. They played together and seemed to bring each other much joy. "I wish Thelton would treat me the same way Sterling treats the woman." Even though he had opened up to having conversations with her, they never played or laughed with each other. Their relationship was serious. Alashia would often touch Thelton, but he never returned the touch, and that hurt.

One evening, when she was coveting Sterling and Indy's relationship, Alashia realized she had a similar relationship with Sterling. She thought about the afternoons they spent together. "We play and laugh often. I never fight with Sterling. I _never_ stop fighting with Thelton. In a way I have the same connection with Sterling as Rose does. Although, Sterling doesn't really caress me, he does gently touch me at times, but he doesn't seem as affectionate with me as he is with her. It is obvious he loves her so much. I wish Thelton could love me the same way as Sterling loves Indy."

Chapter 30

One afternoon, while Thelton and Indy were away, Alashia and Sterling were hanging out by the cliff. Stephanie had fallen asleep not far from them. Alashia was telling Sterling how much she missed life at the castle, reminiscing about the big parties her father used to hold. She told him how much she loved the balls and the food. She recalled what it was like to be waited upon. Sterling ate up every word Alashia said. He had been to the castle once. It was far more beautiful inside than he had ever dreamed. He couldn't fathom what it would be like to live in it. Through her words, Alashia helped give him a small idea what her life was like. She weaved her words with descriptions, making him feel like he was there.

Sterling really liked the description about the dances. "I heard a group playing musical instruments once, and it is one of my most cherished memories," he said. After that, Alashia told him all about the music and the dancing in the ballroom. Dancing was another thing he would like to know how to do.

"I would love to learn to dance. I don't feel like I missed out on too much being raised like I was, except for dancing. I bet it was wonderful," Sterling said as innocence flashed across his eyes.

"Well if you want to learn to dance, why don't I show you? We won't have any music, but we can still dance. Have you ever danced before?"

Sterling thought about the times he and Indy danced. He didn't think he could count those because neither of them really knew what they were doing. "No," he said. "I've never really danced before."

Alashia opened her arms. "Then let me do the honors."

Sterling hesitated, not really sure what to do. Alashia guided him into her, teaching him where to place his arms. Alashia worked on teaching him concepts and steps to a few dances. In a way, it was a challenge to her because she only knew the girl's part. It was a struggle to try and figure out what he was supposed to do.

Alashia started Sterling on the Swan, feeling it would be a fairly easy dance to learn. The dance required the two to embrace often and dip back and forth. They practiced it over and over, and Sterling was getting his part down. At times, their bodies pressed intimately together. When connected, an electricity flowed between them. The more they danced, the stronger the force became. As they pushed close together, their eyes locked onto each other. Their temperatures rose. Nothing else existed on that island, it was only them. Their souls intertwined as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes, becoming lost in their own world.

The tension became strong. They were so close to each other. Alashia lost her inhibition and she brought her lips into Sterling's. Their lips locked together and it was if fireworks ignited overhead. The pull between them was powerful. And to Alashia's surprise, Sterling returned the kiss. She had kissed Thelton many times, but he had never kissed back. It felt wonderful to have her kiss returned.

During the kiss, Alashia reached up to Sterling's head and ran her hands through his hair. Sterling brought himself closer to Alashia. Just as he was about to touch her head in return, he felt a tremendous blow across his face. He went flying into the sand. When he looked up, Thelton was standing above him.

"You will never touch her again, do you understand?" Thelton screamed. He grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into Sterling's face. Sterling shrieked as the little grits embedded into his eyes. While Sterling clawed at his sockets, Thelton kicked Sterling's side several times. Meanwhile, Indy tackled Alashia to the ground. Fury raged in her from seeing Alashia and Sterling in such an intimate embrace.

For a moment, Thelton felt content to watch Indy destroy Alashia, for he was outraged to have found Alashia and Sterling kissing. But quickly, he had to stop it, for Indy would kill Alashia. With much effort, he pulled Indy off of Alashia.

"You have to stop," he said to Indy. Her eyes were wild and she was thrashing around in his embrace. He tightly constricted her.

"No, I hate her, I hate her," Indy said. "She needs to die."

"No, you can't say that. You need to calm down."

Indy pushed Thelton off her and dove onto Alashia again. Thelton tried to pull Indy off, but he couldn't. Sterling jumped up and began helping Thelton. With much work, they both pulled Indy off of Alashia.

"You have to stop!" Thelton commanded again.

Indy looked at the two men, her fury burned in her. She turned her backs to them, opened her wings and flew off.

Thelton pushed Sterling out of the way as he reached down and helped Alashia up. She was bloodied and bruised all over. He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the large shelter where he nursed her wounds.

Although Alashia was in much pain, she couldn't help her mind from racing. As Thelton cared for her, she thought about everything that had just happened. She thought about the powerful attraction between her and Sterling. After the kiss, she could admit she really did love Sterling.

"If Thelton hadn't stolen my heart years ago, Sterling would be everything I would want in a man. He is gentle. He is kind. We have much fun together." She couldn't control her heart from speeding up whenever she thought about him, and especially their kiss.

On the other hand, she enjoyed how jealous Thelton had become when he had seen her and Sterling kissing. Thelton was livid, and Alashia loved it. As he cared for her, he was gentle and kind. He caressed the parts of her that were not torn up by Indy. She relished the attention he was giving her. It took her forever to fall asleep, for she had much on her mind. She was madly in love with two men. Which one would she choose? She had a feeling she wouldn't get the chance to decide. "I will probably get whichever one Rose doesn't pick. I still can't understand what is so wonderful about her."

...

Indy landed in the middle of the forest next to her favorite tree. It was one of the largest trees in the forest. She often went to it alone when she needed to release frustrations. As she attacked the tree, her anger unfurled. She shred the trunk apart with her claws.

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her," Indy screamed.

Sterling and Thelton had talked to her extensively about the idea that one day she would have to choose one of them. She would not be able to live with both men forever. It was the one thing the two men agreed on. Whenever they told her this, Indy hoped they would never be rescued from the island. She could live there. She liked living with Sterling and Thelton. She didn't want to live apart from either one of them.

Who would she choose, if that day came? Thelton was the first human she had ever met. They were so much alike. Over the last several months, she had really enjoyed the time they spent as they hunted and explored the island. She couldn't imagine a life without him.

Sterling, on the other hand, was fun. They laughed together and played together. She felt refreshed to be with him. He held a very tender place in her heart. Plus, he had taught her to speak. She couldn't handle leaving him either.

Indy screamed again as she continued to claw at the tree. Life had been much easier before she had ever met humans.

Chapter 31

A fairly large ship pulled into Terrasa's Port. It held over three hundred men. It happened in the evening when Sterling, Thelton, and the women were around a fire eating dinner. Alashia clapped her hands in excitement when the ship docked. "Finally, the day of liberation has come!" Alashia ran to meet them, but Thelton yelled at her to stop.

"You don't know if they are friendly. I and the boy will go and greet them. Imara, you keep Alashia and Stephanie safe."

Indy rolled her eyes. She wouldn't keep Alashia safe.

Sterling and Thelton cautiously walked toward the ship. Both men held their hands close to their swords in case they would need them. Out of the ship the men and women began pouring out. One man, the first mate, came down to meet Thelton and Sterling.

"Who goes there?" the first mate asked.

"Tom," Thelton said, reverting back to the name he used at the castle.

"Tom, where is your ship?"

"We don't have one. We have been marooned on this island without a ship."

"How many are with you?" the first mate asked?

"Just us here," Thelton said as he waved over at the women at the fire.

"Where are you from?"

"Andleburg," Thelton said.

"Ahh, Andleburg, it seems there is trouble there. Most of my passengers are from Andleburg. I myself, am from Shipland. I was transporting wool to Thatcher and stopped at Port Lindon. I was greeted by over two hundred and fifty eager Andleburgs wishing for passage. They were willing to pay me triple the price of my wool. So, I quickly sold the wool in order to buy rations for the passengers and I boarded them. Unfortunately, we have almost run out of food and water. Since we have had to give out such small portions, everyone has been starving for quite some time."

The first mate glanced around the island. "Are you wishing to seek passage on my ship?" the he asked?"

Thelton bowed, "If you would be so kind."

"If you can help us secure food for the rest of the voyage, then I will give your group passage."

"Sounds like a deal," Thelton said.

As the men talked, many of the passengers surrounded them and listened.

"You won't give that man passage," someone called out. "He is wanted in Andleburg." The man pulled out his sword. He rushed at Thelton. Thelton quickly yanked out his sword, making ready for the attack. Sterling pulled out his sword and stood next to Thelton.

"If any of you want passage on my ship you will drop your swords this instance," the first mate yelled. All swords went down.

"What is your crime?" the first mate asked Thelton.

"I wronged the King of Andleburg in a previous life," Thelton said.

"He is Thelton the Dragon Slayer," the other man blurted out.

The first mate smiled as he said, "I have heard about you. You are a legend, for good and bad."

"I swear I will cause no problems if you let me board," Thelton said.

While the men continued to talk, some of the other passengers began to explore the island for food. They were starving. Many went over to where the women were. Alashia and Stephanie clung to each other in fear. Indy stood up, ready to fight.

"Hey, it's the Princesses of Andleburg!" someone yelled out. He had recognized Alashia.

There was much commotion on the island. The people of Andleburg could hardly believe the princesses were alive and right before them. Rumor had it they had been killed back at the castle. Again, the astonishment of the people rose when they saw Indy the fabled dragon woman there, and she was very real. And to top it all off, Thelton the Dragon Slayer was there.

Many of the passengers began bowing down to Alashia. "You must help us princess. Trevor the King reigns with blood and hate. He is the spawn of the devil. He stole our lands, our wives, and our families. Everything is gone and destroyed. He is now preparing to war with the tri-kingdoms. You must go back and retake your kingdom."

Alashia stood tall. She wondered how she looked to everyone. Her hair was nice because Sterling had styled it two days ago, but how did the rest of her look? Her clothes were tattered and she knew she stunk, for she could smell herself. She tried to act brave, but she was scared to death inside.

"I have no army to take back my kingdom."

"We will be your army." another person called out.

"How many are you from Andleburg?"

"Around two hundred and fifty."

"That isn't close to Trevor's thousands."

"We must try, Princess. We left because we had no hope, but with you at the head of the army, we have a chance. We can go to Cloats and get your sister Lucille involved. We can get Candleshaw involved. We must try."

"I don't know. I don't know," Alashia said shaking her head as she wringed her hands together in nervousness.

Thelton came up to Alashia's side and put his arm around the princess. "If she goes back to Andleburg, you would have to accept me to lead the war," Thelton said.

To his surprise, everyone readily agreed. Whatever past feelings they had for him, they had been simmered by the horrible reign of Trevor.

"Thelton, we need to talk alone," Alashia said.

"Everyone, the first mate of your ship needs food. Go and find it. Just over the hill is a forest full of fruit trees. Go gather food, and I will converse with the princess."

When everyone had left, Thelton, Sterling, Alashia, Indy, and Stephanie sat down to talk.

"I think it is a suicide mission. There is no way we can take the crown back with such small numbers," Alashia said.

"Chances are everyone else in Andleburg is as anxious to remove Trevor from the throne. These men can probably gather a large army within days. If the people of Andleburg know you head the army, they will support us. Plus, they are right; let us involve the other kingdoms. The tri-kingdom treaty is broken with Trevor at the head. The kings probably fear for their own kingdoms. With their help, let us all rally together and retake the kingdom."

As Sterling listened to Thelton, an idea came to him. "I have a wonderful idea. How about we involve Rose's family? Anyone that has dragons on their side is sure to win."

"What, you want family to the fight?" Indy asked, shocked.

"That is a brilliant idea," Thelton said, his eyes widening. "Do you think you could?"

"Why would I? I like it here on island," Indy said. She wasn't ready for life to change. She wasn't ready to pick between Thelton and Sterling. And she wasn't about to help Alashia out in any way.

"But don't you want to help do the right thing?" Sterling asked.

"No. I hate Alashia."

Thelton grabbed Indy's beefy hands. "How about for the people of Andleburg?"

"The people of Andleburg tied me up and whipped me."

"Well, I think we can still do it without the dragons, although if you change your mind, it would really help us."

Tears ran down Alashia's face. "I am worn out. I don't see getting my kingdom back. I think we will fail. I just want to get on the ship and join my cousins and spend the rest of the days resting with my husband by my side."

Thelton rubbed his dry forehead. "Do you not care about your people? They die under the hand of Trevor. This is your kingdom and they will always be your responsibility. We must do what we can to take your kingdom back."

"Thelton, I don't know. I don't know." She threw her arms in the air.

"What you do, is what you do. I stay here," Indy said.

As the group debated, the captain of the ship came over to them.

"So I understand we have some very important people on this island. We have been told by many of the people you wish us to turn the ship around and go back to Port Lindon. Is this true?"

"Yes," said Thelton.

"Hmm," the captain said. "I don't know how to make this work. If we returned, we don't have enough food for another five weeks at sea. Many of our passengers are not involved in your politics and wish to continue to Port Thatcher."

"That is fine," Alashia said. "We will continue to Thatcher."

"Here is the deal," the captain said, ignoring Alashia. "I have a safety boat that will carry forty people. My first mate has agreed to transport anyone to Port Thatcher that wishes to go in the safety boat. I will carry the rest of you back to Port Lindon. That is all that I can do."

"Sounds fair," Thelton said.

"Is there enough food to be had on the island to make this work?" the captain asked.

"If you give us a full day, we will use the men and gather meat and fruit. There will be ample amounts if we all work together."

"So be it," said the captain as he turned around and walked away.

"Thelton, I don't want to go back to Andleburg," Alashia said as she watched the captain return to his ship.

"I do," squealed Stephanie. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands in anticipation.

"I'm staying here," Indy said.

"Imara," Thelton said to Indy. "You think this doesn't involve you, but it does. What if Trevor puts out an order to kill the dragons? Your family could die."

"Just like Alashia's father. He put me in dungeon and he sent you to kill family."

"If you help us, I promise when Alashia and I take the kingdom, your family will be protected under our care," Thelton said.

"So you go with Alashia. That's my reward for helping?"

"I don't know where I go. Right now I need to fight for the kingdom I love."

Thelton looked at Sterling. He was being very quiet. "What are your plans?"

"I don't know. So much of it depends on what Rose and Alashia do. My biggest priority is to protect them. I go where they go."

"Well, where will you go if Alashia goes over seas and Imara stays on the island?" Thelton asked.

Sterling felt his heart rip in half. He knew this day would come. He never thought he would have to choose, because he had always assumed he would get whoever Thelton left him with. Now, it seemed he really might have a choice. He didn't know who it would be, for he loved both women.

...

Thelton left everyone to think about their decisions as he led the men from the ship to hunt in the forest. He knew the best places to find meat. The starving people united together and gleaned the resources of the island.

The next day both ships were ready for departure. Thirty two passengers boarded the safety boat with the first mate heading toward Port Thatcher. The rest of the passengers eagerly boarded the larger ship with anticipation in their hearts. They did not look forward to the dreadful trip, since it had already taken five weeks to get to that point due to bad weather, one more week than it had taken Thelon and his group. However, the people were excited to get Trevor out of the castle and get their land back.

Thelton was ready to lead the men. He would avenge Trevor's wrongs and return the kingdom to Alashia, that is, if she was willing to come along. Otherwise, he would do it without her.

Everyone in the ships eagerly waited for Alashia to make her choice. The captain stood with them, anxious to get back to sea.

"Princess," Thelton pleaded. "Choose the right thing. Help me bring your kingdom back to you."

Thelton then turned to Indy and pleaded. "Imara, please come back with me. The island is nice, but it is not your home. Vegus Forest is your home. Come back, please."

"What are your plans?" the captain asked Sterling.

Sterling shrugged, "It depends on them," he said pointing to Alashia and Indy.

"I must be leaving. The ships sail in a quarter of an hour. Whoever wants passage will be on their respective ship." The captain turned his back and walked away.

Thelton felt flustered. The choice was clear, how could they not see that? He needed them to return with him. To really get the people behind him, he needed Alashia at the head. Why was she struggling to regain the life she missed so much?

It had almost been a quarter of an hour when Thelton said in desperation, "Well, what is it going to be? We have to choose now." Both boats sounded their horns. Aboard the vessels, the people called down to them. They were pulling up their anchors. It was now or never.

Thelton knew his decision, but for everyone else, it was a hard choice. One they couldn't make lightly.

And so, everyone had to make their decisions, either to continue across the sea, or to return to Andleburg. The choices would be forever life changing. What would they be?

About the Author

Stephanie Daich loves life, family; learning, dancing, skating, imagining, hiking, camping, fishing, swimming, cannoning, playing music, listening to music, and Writing!!!!!

Other Books written by Stephanie Daich

Amongst the Dragons series:

A Rose Amongst the Dragons I

A Tyrant Amongst the Kingdoms II

A Vigilante Amongst the Foe III

Alora Funk Series:

Alora Funk- The Deliverance I

Alora Funk- The Discovery II

