Hawk's Nest (Tremble Island) (4 page)

Flora finally rose from Hawk’s body and stood awkwardly for a moment. Would he belittle her for her inexperience? Or would he banish her to the furthest reaches of the Hall’s scope? She could not decide what to do while he lay there watching her. Their combined fluids trickled down her thighs reminding her that she was no longer a virgin. The pain that his invading cock caused was a distant memory, but a memory that would allow her to remember how every gift came with a price. She turned away and walked to the shore of the river, and stepped into the icy water to clean herself. Each step caused her sex to feel more sensations and it astonished her that she actually wanted to go back and force his sex into a second round of mutual pleasure. She waded into deeper water until the tops of her hips were underwater. She drew handfuls of crystal clear water over her chest and shuddered from the icy bite on her tender flesh.

She felt him behind her and turned her head to see what he planned to do here in the swift current. It was too cold for the same activities they had enjoyed on the mossy bank. His arms enfolded her as he turned her into his embrace. His hands again sought out her ass cheeks and pulled them as wide apart as they would go, while the rushing water slapped through the split between her furry mons and the top of her butt. The cold water rushed against her sensitive nubbin and she gasped. His fingers slowly slid down further to open her wider so the water could rush in and wash away the fluids that were still trickling from her vaginal channel. She saw the deep crescents that her fingernails had scarred him with and felt a twinge of remorse. Scooping up handfuls of water and splashing it over the wounds washed away the crusting blood droplets and took away the redness surrounding the wounds. “I hurt you, I’m sorry for the pain, but the pleasure you gave me in return, that, my Lord Hawk, will be remembered always.” She kissed each red crescent and she spoke, ending with her lips against his male nipple. “Do you like this too?” she asked before taking the tiny nubbin into her warm mouth and nibbling on it with her small sharp teeth.

His lips were at her neck, trailing kisses and whispered words that she barely registered, before she lost her footing and unbalanced both of them, sending him completely under the water, and her swallowing water as she tried to keep from submerging. He came up sputtering and shaking his head back and forth to fling the water from his hair. He looked at her panicked face and began to laugh. She joined in his gleeful laughter. They waded from the water and got dressed.

Hawk watched as she pulled her fishing lines from the water. She had four nice sized fish for the dinner that she and Fern would share. “Some of us have to be smarter than the fish, we cannot spot our dinner from far above and grab our unwary prey like some others I could mention.” The swat on her ass and the mock scowl topped by laughing eyes set the tone for the afternoon.

He walked with her back to the Village and right to her doorway. She ducked inside before he could steal another kiss, but he followed her. She was his woman now, she needed to know it. She would also need to come to terms with the fact she would be taking on two men as her mates, not just him. They needed to talk, but he could hear the crunching of a wagon outside of the hovel, and Fern would be joining them within moments. “I want you to come to the Hall at first light, we have much to speak of, and that is a discussion that needs to be done in private. If I take you back to the Hall, the temptation of your embrace would be far too tempting, and I am fairly certain your body is too sore for any further lovemaking tonight.” He leaned in for a breath stealing kiss and whispered against her lips as he let her go. “Be there at first light.” Then he turned away, and left the hovel.

The noise and confusion of the returning villagers combined with the influx of prisoners and their victims insured that Hawk would be kept busy for hours. First came the victims riding in the wagon pulled by the lumbering beast. The wagon stopped at the pathway into the Hall, and a small crowd gathered as the victims of abuse were unloaded and taken into the building through the main doors. There were gasps as the emaciated bodies of the wolf cubs were tenderly carried inside. The tiny girl with her ragged shift and skin covered bones elicited gasps and shouts of outrage. The little dragon was sleeping peacefully within an Amazon’s arms. No one had seen such a creature before. Some chuckles could be heard at the sight of the creature, but it made a burping sound as would any baby, the small puff of smoke that escaped the fanged mouth had those closest drawing back, wondering what sort of creature it was. Fern was assisted down from the transport and followed the small troupe into the wide doors.

The victims were handed over to Fern’s coven of witches who had been preparing for her promised influx of patients. The Amazons who were left behind for the Hall’s defense marched outside and lined the steps and pathway to the Hall as Lord Hawk approached. They were a magnificent sight for the villagers’ eyes. The noise level grew too loud to attempt to speak as each Amazon soldier knelt on one knee as Hawk passed between them. They rose as one when he finally stood on the top step leading into the Hall, and flanked him two deep while he spoke to the crowd.

“You have seen the victims of abuse come through our home. They are the very reason that segregation on the Isle of Tremble is not tolerated. The young ones were found chained by the neck with no hope of escape as the buildings burned down around them. Their parents who claim to be fully human left them to die, and as you can see, before that they have been starved and beaten to the edge of death. The defenders of Hawk’s Nest have found the people who have tortured these young ones and are bringing them in for justice to be meted out. Sir Quinlan and our Amazon forces have worked tirelessly to defend all of the citizens under the care of this Hall, and shall continue to do so.

“As most of you know, when I first came here, I sent requests for volunteers to defend the Hall and few came to my call. Those men who have are amongst the ranks of soldiers who will fight side by side with our Amazons. I expect the citizens of Hawk’s Nest to treat them with the same dignity as you would any defender of our home. If not, you will be tried as any other traitor and judged accordingly.

“There will be a publicly held trial of the prisoners at the noon hour tomorrow, here on the steps of this Hall. It will not be said that we are not fair and open in the treatment of lawbreakers at this Hall of Care.” With his speech ended, Hawk walked through the doors, checked to make certain the young ones were being cared for, then took on his feathers and flew out through to still open doors of the Hall. People ducked without needing to as he flew over their heads and continued to climb higher in the sky. Three huge, silent winged owls followed the Master of Hawk’s Nest in a show for the people below. The beautiful sight of the waning sun reflecting on the birds’ feathers was a sight to see. Murmurs of appreciation could be heard, before a noise of a different sort began.

As the prisoners were paraded through town, on their way to the Hall, people lined a path for the Amazons to march the humans through. In front of the procession was Quinlan, he was in his striped cat’s skin, and walked with the great dignity associated with such huge predators. Two male prisoners followed his trail with two of the brightly plumed Amazons holding short leashes attached to thick collars around the necks of the prisoners in their charge. A third male was being prodded by his escort, this man sneered at the crowd and spit at his captor. She backhanded him without missing a step, and his next spittle contained the blood from her tender tap on his cheek. When he tried to spit at her again, she yanked the leash in her hands and he fell to his knees in the dirt.

Several onlookers heard her say to the man, “You can walk, or you may crawl, one way or the other, you will face justice.” The calm way she stated the harsh fact, and the moment that she gave the prisoner to gain his feet was remarked upon in the crowd. It seemed the woman they all knew as the silly daughter of the pig farmer, was indeed a woman capable of rendering a man almost twice her size into compliance.

Her younger brother watched the scene with pride for her actions. He could barely wait to go home and relate this tale to his parents. Seeing his sister in her uniform of golden brown and rusty red colored feathers, made him puff his chest a bit and tell his friend, “That is my sister.” That sentiment was felt by many people as they watched their daughters or siblings escort the prisoners.

Behind the men, four women were being led in a similar manner by an Amazon with a leash in her hands. They were a rag tag looking group with only one of the women showing any sign of defiance. She was older than the rest but still kept pace as she was pulled along. A litter being carried by two more defenders, containing a heavily pregnant woman, was at the rear of the group. One Amazon walked behind all, keeping a vigilant eye out for trouble.

The prisoners were taken to the well used dungeon under the Hall. The former lord had used the place to store his victims and for torturing those he saw fit to indulge his evil hobbies upon. The pregnant female was taken into the Hall, and given over to the mercies of the witches who were coddling the young victims.

Before the evening meal, Hawk’s Nest had two new citizens, and Hawk almost choked with laughter when he was introduced to the tiny bundles of joy. One was definitely a cat of some type from the slant and color of the babe’s eyes, and the other he would wager was yet another dragon baby. It had the same hue to its skin as Drago did. The elder witch asked to speak with him for a moment once he had greeted the new lives. Droxel told him of the whip scars and of the rope burns on the new mother’s wrists and ankles. Her examination of the girl estimated her to be very young and a victim of abuse herself. “I believe she is no abuser, My Lord, from the condition of her body, it is a miracle that she has lived to birth the babies. She has been starved and has open wounds on her back and thighs that should not be there if she is like the others.”

He thanked her and went to the female’s side. The girl was young, he could see the marks on her wrists, and the thin lines of scars across her neck from what must have been something too tightly wound around the tender flesh that cut into her skin. The look of fear of him did not set well in his mind. After seeing the evidence, there was no way she would stand trial for wrong doings to anyone, she was barely more than a child herself.

“Rest easy, little mother, you need have no fear that you will be further abused here at Hawk’s Nest. We do not torture or rape innocents in this place. You will be treated fairly and with dignity. No further harm will be visited upon you. You must sleep now, and allow the healers to care for you, so you may care for your offspring. Before you sleep, I want you to tell me who did this to you.”

By the time her eyes were closed and her breathing was evened out in sleep, Hawk had his answers. The girl was taken from her family as a small child, she did not remember the name of the place she was taken from, only that she was used as a beast of burden until she was used for the men’s carnal appetites. He wanted to go to the dungeon and use whatever leftover torture devices Lord Loris had left behind on the three men. He made plans for the biggest brute. The man had been the one to abduct the young girl in the first place and used her before the others had, too. He would be happy to dispatch the man to the demons tomorrow. The brute was called Ignual, and he would be the prime example of what not to do under the Hawk’s watchful eyes.

Con and Drago flew in late into the night, and were rested and fresh for the day’s activities. Drago laughed as he watched the small dragon burp her smoky offerings. He plucked the little beauty from the arms of her witchy nursemaid and raised her over his head as he spun around. By the time he stopped spinning the little one was making gurgling noises and spitting small flames from her tiny nostrils. He continued to speak in a gibberish tongue to the baby as he cradled her in his arm looking as if the child was his own get.

Hawk grinned at his antics but pulled the proud new poppa over to the corner where the young mother of the newest babies was lying. Next to her in a basket were the two babies lying side by side. “Have a look here, my friend, I think you will be interested to see what lies beneath the blankets.” He waited for Drago to gently slide the blanket back from the newborn babies and watched as the huge man fell to his knees. Drago looked at the sleeping infant in his arm, and then to the even tinier children in the basket. He recognized the dragon features right away and stuck a finger down to touch the newly birthed child’s hand.

For thirty years Drago had been a solitary creature. Said to be the only one of his kind on the island. Today proved that to an untruth. There were two more like him, and if there were these two, there could be more. The babe’s mother was not marked in any way as having the DNA of dragon’s blood, so the father must be a carrier, or the genetics were so deeply buried inside of one or the other, that the dragon gene was only recognizable when a child was conceived. Hawk signaled to a house servant to bring a large wooden chair that was fatly padded with cushions for Drago to sit near the small family. He had to decide what was to become of the babies, Con had made it clear that they would need someone who knew what the little one needed to thrive, and now there were two of them. He wanted to laugh and he wanted to cry in humility. The tiny beings seemed to accept him readily. He lay his head back on the cushion and sought wisdom in sleep. Before he drifted off, he pulled the blanket over the babies in the basket and tucked the scaly baby inside of his shirt, to let it absorb the heat from his body. Once the tiny one was warm, she would change into her human form.

The baby must have been very cold to force herself to change to her dragon. The thick leathery skin would not allow the elements to penetrate it and, by nature, a dragon was hot inside of its skin. They could also eat raw meat and creatures that were otherwise inedible for a human to eat. The little one had learned to survive without the tender care of a loving parent, until this day. This one and the child in the basket would be raised at Dragon’s Eyre under his watchful eyes and training. Someone had to care, and his heart was already taken over by the scraps of human and beast.