A Tale Of Two Dragons (12 page)

“Emyr has always had much bigger goals than to be a mere Elder.”

“Like taking the throne?” Braith asked.

“Well—” Aledwen began, but Crystin held up her claw, her gaze on Braith.

“Gods, child,” Crystin said with a sigh. “What has that ridiculous asshole done now?”

Addolgar opened his eyes and smiled into the face staring down at him. “Braith . . . you’ve aged beautifully.”

Old Braith grinned. “Thank you. But I’m Braith’s aunt. Remember? Owena?”

“Oh. Right. You fucked me dad.”

“Aw, dear.” Owena patted his shoulder. “Everyone’s fucked your dad.”

“I know. He’s quite proud of that. Am I going to die, Lady Owena?”

“Just Owena. And no. You’ve got your father’s constitution and your mother’s will to live. Because how that She-dragon survived her time as bitch Addiena’s companion, we have yet to figure out.”

“Now, now. That’s treasonous talk.”

“I like to live on the edge.” She winked at him while wiping blood from her hands with a big cloth. That’s when Addolgar realized he was in his human form.

“Hey. I’m naked!”

Owena laughed. “You are. And I realize that my sister was right. How like your father you are, sweet Addolgar.” She leaned in and whispered, “I see why our little Braith likes you.”

“Does she?”

“Can’t you tell?”

“I’m male. I have no idea what you females are thinking.”

Owena laughed again and said, “I’ll get her. She can show you herself.”

Owena turned to go, but Addolgar caught her arm, gently held it. “She didn’t think she was welcome here.”

“She was wrong. We never turn a Penarddun female away. Ever. But her father had other plans.”

“Does she understand that?”

“She’s learning. It’ll take time. He . . . he made sure she felt completely alone.”

“She’s not alone,” he said simply. “She has me.”

Owena smiled, and gods, he saw Braith in that smile. “We’ll make sure she learns that too.”

“Well, don’t be too pushy. You don’t want to put her off me. But feel free to put in a good word.”

Laughing again, Owena patted his shoulder and walked out of the chamber. But Addolgar didn’t know what was so funny. He really wanted her to put in a good word for him.

 

 

Braith looked up as Owena walked into the chamber. They’d all eventually shifted to human so they could help with Addolgar since Owena said it would be quicker for Addolgar to heal that way.

“Should I assume from that smile he’s going to be all right?” Braith asked, needing to hear something good.

“He’ll be fine,” Owena said on a laugh. “That boy is . . . entertaining to say the least.” She dropped into a chair catty-corner from Braith, wiped her brow, and let out a long breath. “I hate artery work. Do the wrong thing and you could have the one you’re trying to save bleeding out all over you.”

“I’m so glad that didn’t happen.”

“Me, too. I’ve heard it’s quite a mess when it does.” Owena looked around. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Went to town to get food and wine.”

“Ahhh. To celebrate your return to the Penarddun fold.”

“Have I returned?”

“Are you asking me because you’re subtly telling me you’re not? Or because you’re seriously not sure?”

“Well, I’m not subtle.”

Owena chuckled. “Nor was your mum.”

“Why was she with him?” Braith asked.

“With your father?” Owena thought a moment. “Because she wanted you.”

“She could have had me with anyone.”

“Not every She-dragon finds a mate because not every She-dragon wants one. Your mother never wanted one. She liked fighting and she liked us. That was it. But she wanted you. She had you named when she was still a hatchling. But she needed a male to make that happen. The problem was finding a male willing to have an offspring outside of mating. When she couldn’t, she turned to someone who wanted anything
but
his mate’s love. Then she had a son . . . so she tried again. She had another son, so she tried again. Then she had you and she had what she wanted.”

“And my father had what he wanted.”

“Sons and a title.” Owena rolled her eyes. “I always hated your father. Scum on a dying pond has more integrity than your father.”

“Doesn’t that lack of integrity taint me? Being his daughter?”

“You’re not his daughter,” Owena snapped, one finger pointing at her. “You’re your
mum’s
daughter. You’re a Penarddun. Just like your mother and your mother’s mother and her mother’s mother. Going back a millennium. Your father was nothing more than a means to a very important end.

“But,” Owena went on, leaning back in the chair, “it seems his time is over.”

“He’s betrayed the Queen.”

“No. He betrayed Addiena. That’s a fool’s game.” Owena studied her. “And she sent you to catch him?”

“It was either him or me.” She glanced over at the chamber where Addolgar recovered. “If it wasn’t for Addolgar and the Cadwaladr Clan, the Queen’s Guard would be tossing my head off Devenallt Mountain as we speak.” Braith ran her hands through her hair. “Is it true?” she asked. “Did my father really threaten to—”

“You know it’s true, Braith.”

“Do I?”

Owena leaned in. “You
know
. Penardduns don’t lie. We hit. And we hit because we know we’re stronger than most males. In fact, we’re so strong it’s hard for us to find males willing to put up with us. But you know, as a female, that if we could have, if we thought for a minute that your father wouldn’t carry through with his vile threat—we would have come for you. We would have been there to lay your mum to rest. To perform all the rituals she was due. We
never
would have let you face that alone. Not the daughter of our dear sister. And definitely not a female of our line.”

Braith finally had to ask, “What about the males of our line?”

Owena shrugged, flipped her hand casually. “We care for them. Love them. I have two of my own.” Her flitting hand swept the air. “They’re around somewhere. And I love them.” Her lips pursed a bit, and Braith felt her heart tighten when she recognized the gesture as one her mother had often made. “They are a bit stupid, though.”

The pain around Braith’s heart lessened when she had to laugh. “Aunt Owena.”

“They can’t help it, you know. It happens in the egg,” she reasoned. “As soon as they grow that genitalia, intelligence goes right out the window and we’re left with this thing that just wants to stick it in any hole.”

“
Aunt Owena!
”

“Oh, tell me I’m wrong!”

“Well,” Braith admitted, “I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Of course you can’t. But that’s all right. We’re Penardduns, which means we accept males as they are. Handsome but stupid and useless without us.”

“That is very giving of you,” Braith teased.

But Owena said, in all seriousness, “I know.”

 

 

Addolgar opened his eyes again and announced, “You’re young again, Braith of the Darkness!”

Braith frowned. “What?”

“You’re young again. I saw you much older and you were still astoundingly beautiful. But now you’re young again . . . and you’ve multiplied.”

“Multi . . .”

Braith looked over her shoulder and snarled at the additional versions of herself. “Don’t you lot have something else to do?”

“Come on,” one of the copies said to the others. “She’s got her claws into this one.”

“You need to learn to share, Braith of the Darkness,” said another.

“You need to piss off, cousin.”

One copy grabbed another copy’s arm. “Come on, sister. She’s attached to this one. You might as well give it up.”

With some grumbling, the copies departed, leaving Addolgar alone with the original. The perfect, delicious original.

“How do you feel?” Braith asked him.

“Not bad. But I think that’s because the Older You had me drink some ale that’s completely wiped any and all pain from my system. I want to bring some of that home.”

Braith dropped her head, but he could tell from the way her shoulders shook that she was laughing.

“Well,” she finally said, “I’m glad you’re all right. I was worried.”

“So was I. But Older You took very good care of me.”

“You should know, Addolgar, that Older Me is Owena. And I wouldn’t call her Older anything, if I were you.”

“Good idea. The lasses hate that.”

“Yes. We lasses do.”

Braith tucked the fur covering around Addolgar’s body, but he pushed the covers off again.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Get in.”

Braith’s eyebrows went up. “Get in? Are you mad?”

“No. I need you to help me heal.”

“Addolgar the Cheerful, you need no such thing!”

“Owena!” Addolgar yelled out as Braith desperately tried to cover his mouth. “Braith won’t help me heal!”

“Gods, child!” Owena called from the other chamber. “Just get into bed with the big idiot. It’s not like he can do anything with as much of your aunt’s ale as I made him drink.”

Addolgar grinned. “See? She agrees with me.”

“Oh . . . fine!” Braith went around the other side of the bed they’d moved Addolgar to once Owena had used Magicks to force his body to shift to human, and got in next to him.

“Aren’t you going to get naked?”

“No, I am not going to get naked!”

“Owena!” he called out. “Braith won’t get naked!”

“Why are you making the poor lad work for it?” her aunt called back.

“I am not getting naked!” Braith yelled so everyone would hear it. “So just leave off!”

“Someone’s no fun,” one cousin announced.

“Poor Cadwaladr!” said another.

“Heard his father never had to work so hard,” another piped in.

“There’s truth to that!” admitted an aunt.

“I’ll get naked!” offered another.

Pulling the covers up to cover both her and Addolgar, Braith settled into his side while yelling, “I swear by all the gods, if I have to come out there, there
will be
all hells to pay!”

There was finally silence from her kin after that announcement, and that’s when Addolgar knew he’d been right. “Just like I said, Braith of the Darkness . . . you’re finally home.”

“And how do you know that, Addolgar the Cheerful?”

“Because your beautiful smile tells me so. Now cuddle me close so I can hold you while I sleep.”

Braith did just that, placing her head against his chest and her arm around his waist. Addolgar wrapped his arms around Braith, sighed happily, and kissed the top of her head.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Braith,” he told her.

“So am I. Because clearly my kin can’t be trusted around handsome dragons weak from blood loss.”

And he adored the fact that she sounded a bit jealous when she said that.

Chapter 15

“Time to eat!” a voice bellowed, and Addolgar’s eyes snapped open to see one of Braith’s aunts standing over him. “You hungry, Cadwaladr?”

“Always,” he admitted.

“Good.” She motioned to a platter of meat she’d rested on a side table by the bed. “Owena wants you to eat. So eat.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The She-dragon grunted and walked out of the chamber.

“Is she gone?” Braith whispered.

“Aye.”

“Am I that loud?” she asked.

“Not at all. Braith, you barely speak.”

“Why speak when you have little to say?”

“You have tons to say, you just think it instead. But what you’re thinking shows on your face. And it’s usually
scathing!
”

Braith giggled at that because they both knew he was right.

 

 

Braith sat up, the smell of fresh meat rousing her stomach. She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink but Bercelak’s jerky and lake water since they’d left the pub. Even nicer, someone had cooked the meat for them. Much easier for their human forms to digest, and she always enjoyed the smell of freshly cooked meat.

But before she dove headfirst into the platter of food, she studied Addolgar’s face. His color was back, and he seemed stronger than he had the night before.

He returned her gaze before suddenly announcing, “You’re so beautiful.”

Braith let out a sigh. “Damn. I thought you were getting better.”

“Sorry?”

“I thought you were getting better. But it seems you’re still off from the loss of blood or my aunt’s ale.”

“Because I told you that you’re beautiful?”

Braith frowned. Addolgar did sound . . . better. Stronger. More like himself.

“Well . . . I guess,” she admitted. “I’m just not used to it.”

“Get used to it. I hate having to constantly argue my point with you.”

“I didn’t think we were arguing.”

“We would be if you kept not believing me when I tell you how beautiful you are.”

Gods, she wished he’d stop saying it. It made her feel uncomfortable. Mostly because no one had ever said it to her before. Definitely not her father or brothers. And no other male dragon she’d spent time with before had said the things to her that Addolgar had said and continued to say.

Things that she had to admit—at least to herself—she loved to hear even while they made her uncomfortable.

“We still have to retrieve my father,” Braith said, trying to change the subject.

“Trying to change the subject, I see,” Addolgar announced.

“Well, we do need to retrieve him.”

“I know. And we will.”

“You seem awfully confident about that.”

“Your father has not decided to spend his life in the Northlands. I’ve been to the Northlands, Braith. It’s nothing but snow and ice and miserable dragons and humans. Your father may be a miserable bastard, but he wants the Southlands. The Northlands is not what he wants, and he has to know he’s not strong enough to ever get them. He couldn’t even manage his own daughter much less a bloody Lightning Horde. So I have no doubts we’ll find him. Now kiss me,” he ordered.

“You are awfully surly this morning.”

“The pain in my leg is brutal. My head hurts because I think I’m hungover from your aunt’s blasted ale. And you haven’t kissed me yet. So, aye, I
am
surly.
I’m allowed to be surly!
”

A sentiment bellowed at Braith. And one that made her giggle.

“What’s so funny?” he grumbled.

“You’re much more terrifying when you’re cheerful. When you’re surly, you just sound like a cranky hatchling.” She thought a moment before adding, “Like Bercelak.”

“There’s no need to be so bloody rude, Braith of the Darkness!”

 

 

Her smile lit up the chamber and it brought Addolgar joy to see it. But he was feeling very cranky because he was in pain, so he refused to tell her any of that. Instead, he snapped, “You should have gone after your father yesterday while he was still on Outer Plains territory. Like I
told
you to.”

“And left you to die?”

“If necessary.”

“That would have been bloody stupid.”

“The fact is that now we’ll have to travel deep into Northland territory to retrieve your father.”

“You said he wouldn’t go there.”

“I said he wouldn’t stay there. I didn’t say he wouldn’t go there. But we can’t wait for him to return here with a bloody Lightning Horde at his back.”

“I don’t know why you’re getting angry at me. When we discussed this last night—”

“Last night I was drunk on that demon wine your aunts make! This morning I see everything quite clearly!”

“Well, you know what else you can see clearly?” she snarled. “My ass!
As I walk away!
”

Then she was off the bed and gone from the chamber, leaving him alone, in pain, and still cranky.

Surprisingly, yelling at her had not made him feel any better.

 

 

Braith walked until she’d found her way outside. Once she stood under the early morning suns, she took in a deep breath of the cool Outer Plains air and tried to stop herself from going back inside and pummeling Addolgar the Brainless. Because he deserved a right good pummeling!

“Good morn, cousin.”

Braith turned and saw three of her cousins sunning themselves on boulders. Like lizards. Lizards in human form.

“What are you doing?” Braith asked.

“Enjoying the suns,” replied one.

“It gives our scales a lovely bright hue,” said another.

Braith blinked. “Except you’re all in your human form. So how does that help your scales?”

They stared at her for several seconds before one stated, “You’re a bit of a know-it-all, aren’t you?”

“How is that . . .” Braith shook her head. She wouldn’t go from arguing with one idiot to arguing with three.

When Braith didn’t say anything, one of her cousins asked, “Do you think your father would have really killed you if our mums tried to contact you?”

“Yes,” Braith said plainly. She’d accepted the truth of that late in the evening as Addolgar had slept beside her.

“That’s so sad.”

Braith shrugged. “Eh.” She could no longer dig up the energy to care about what her father did, would do, or would like to do. If he’d had his chance, he probably would have strangled her as soon as she’d hatched, but he’d always been a bit terrified of her mum. With good reason. Her mother would have twisted his head around until it popped off his shoulders if he’d ever touched Braith.

“Well, uh . . .”

“Braith,” Braith filled in for them.

“We remember. I think I remember playing with you when we were hatchlings. You’re Braith, and I’m Caron, Crystin’s eldest. This is Ffraid, Owena’s middle daughter. And this is Delyth, Aledwen’s eldest.”

“We’re glad you’re here, cousin,” Ffraid told Braith. “Our mums worried over you constantly. So now maybe they’ll shut up about you.”

For some reason, the muttered words made Braith chuckle.

“And now that you’re safe with us,” Ffraid went on, “we can show your father what it really means to fuck with the House of Penarddun.”

“Aye,” Caron agreed. “Once we get your father back here, we’ll deal with him.”

“Get him back here?” Braith asked.

“Aye. Mum sent out Heledd—that’s Aledwen’s younger daughter you chatted with last night—and two of Ffraid’s sisters. They’re good trackers. They’ll track him. And once we know where the bastard is, together we’ll hunt him down and show him that Queen Addiena should be the least of his fears.”

Braith stepped closer to her cousins. “Hunt him down . . . together?”

“Oh, luv,” Caron said sadly, “do you still care about what happens to your father?”

“No,” Braith said flatly. “I guess I’m just trying to understand. All of you will be coming with me and Addolgar . . . into Horde territory to help me bring in my father?”

The three She-dragons sat up and gazed at Braith.

“
Of course
that’s what we mean,” Delyth replied. “You’re no longer in this alone, Braith of the Darkness. You’re one of us.”

“And that bastard father of yours no longer holds your safety over our heads,” Ffraid added.

“But I wouldn’t worry, cousin,” Caron said, lifting her face up toward the sunlight and closing her eyes. “He’ll be out of your life soon enough and then you can decide what you’ll do next.”

“Do next?”

“Like move here with us for training,” Delyth said.

“Or spend your time with that hunk of Cadwaladr meat.”

“Oh. Uh . . . yeah, uh . . .”

“Look!” Ffraid crowed. “She’s blushing!”

“I am not!” Braith shot back.

“You are! It’s so cute!”

“I am
not
cute!”

“Of course you’re not, luv,” Caron told her. “You’re a Penarddun. No one will call us beautiful or heart-stopping—”

“Oh, no,” Ffraid cut in. “They do call Penardduns heart
stoppers
.”

When her cousins said nothing, “Get it?”

That’s when they started laughing at a confused Ffraid. “What?” she asked. “Wait. Are you laughing at me or at my joke? Because my joke is quite witty.”

Fed up with sitting around, feeling miserable and still cranky, Addolgar threw his legs over the side of the bed.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Owena asked as she walked into the chamber with another jug of that cursed ale.

“I’m getting up. I can’t sit around, doing nothing—”

“That’s exactly what you’re going to do until that leg heals.”

Addolgar stood up, felt pain shoot through his leg and right into his back, making his head hurt even more. He ignored it. “My leg’s healed enough,” he lied.

Owena sighed and stepped back. “Oy!” she called out. “The Mountain is trying to walk on that leg.”

Addolgar stopped, focused on Owena. “The Mountain?”

“What do you want us to call you?”

“By my name?”

“Eh,” Owena said, sounding just like her niece.

Three more of Braith’s aunts walked into the chamber.

“What’s going on?” Crystin asked.

“I think he’s trying to leave,” Owena answered.

“Where are you trying to go, Mountain?”

“Stop calling me Mountain. We have to find Emyr. If you hadn’t realized, your niece’s life depends on returning him to the Queen.”

“Oh, for the sake of the gods,” Crystin sighed out. “This is already being handled.”

Addolgar, now hopping around on one leg trying to reach his travel bags and the human clothes within, asked, “Handled?”

“We have our best trackers hunting down that ponce as we speak. If they can’t bring the idiot back themselves, we’ll do it, kick him around a bit, and then pass him off to your precious Queen to finish him.”

Resting his hands on a wooden chair, Addolgar looked over at the four She-dragons. Like Braith, they were all tall with strong shoulders and necks, powerful legs, and bright eyes, but, he sensed, there was an inherent lack of understanding among them that he hadn’t had to worry about with Braith. She understood things quite clearly. But the She-dragons of the House of Penarddun as a whole . . .

Addolgar just didn’t know. He knew little of royals, but the ones he’d had any dealings with were nothing like these females. The Penardduns had no servants, wore mostly trousers when they were human, and liked to brawl. With each other. True, he really liked that about them, but it still had him very worried.

“The trackers you sent,” he said, “they weren’t your daughters, were they?”

“Of course they were. Our daughters are the best trackers you’ll ever find.”

Addolgar briefly dropped his head. When he was in a better mood, he’d probably handle this with more skill. But he was in pain and cranky.

“You let your
daughters
go into Northland territory?
Horde
territory? With Lightnings? The dragons who kidnap our females, cut off one of their wings, and force them to be their mates?”

Owena frowned. “I thought they didn’t do that anymore.”

“Of course they do!” Addolgar bellowed. “They just took Davon the Elegant from her kin’s cave. And you lot sent your defenseless daughters to face them!
Alone!
”

“Ohhhh,” Crystin said. “So we need big, strong males like you to protect us from big, strong males? Is that it?”

Addolgar wagged a finger at Crystin. “I have sisters, Lady Crystin. And you’ll not trick me with that one.”

Owena walked toward him. “Don’t worry about our daughters, Mountain—”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“—they’ll be just fine. They know how not to be seen. Especially by big, strong males of any species. So you can get back into bed.”