Fire and Ice: A Begining

By:

Kelly Brennan and Josh Lowmaster

CHAPTER 1

"Stupid...overgrown--ouch!--bushes...sent from Hades, I'd swear..."

Kandaer attempted to pry a branch out of his wingfeathers, growling as the tiny thorns grabbed them and ruffled them up horrbily. He finally ripped it loose and took a few cautions and slow steps forward, then fell silent again as he spotted his prey, just off to his left. It was a deer, about half his size, peacefully grazing on some grass in a small clearing of the forest. He froze, every feather flat, eyes set intently on the deer as it chewed on the plants. He'd been chasing this one for hours, and was about to just give up and go find a rabbit. But that would ruin the challange, and Kandaer loved challanges as much as he hated Royalty.

He remained motionless, waiting for the perfect time to strike. He was staring so hard and intently that he was surprised he didn't burn a hole through the deer's face. He ever so slowly lifted a talon and turned himself around, inch by inch, his head in the same spot.

Snap!

He froze again as he stepped on the twig, making the deer's head shoot up and look around, a blank expression in its' eyes. It backed up a few steps, turned, and looked some more, then started to trot towards the brush again.

It's now or never...Kandaer thought, and he lunged from the bushes, feeling multiple thorns scraping him. He didn't care, he just wanted to get this deer killed and go home. He lunged after the slowly retreating form, taking the animal by surprise. The bushes had really messed up the height he would've prefered to get, and knocked the deer over, instead of landing on top of it, like he would've done.

Apparently, the deer--who had several small cuts from the previous encounters with Kandaer--was now fed up with him, and jumped up, head down, its' sharp antlers waving at him. It pawed the ground and twitched every few seconds as if it were ready to attack. Kandaer placed his wings close to his body and kept his legs spread as he continued watching the deer. It charged him bravely, but Kandaer rolled to his right, and the animal missed him completely.

He jumped back up, ready to avoid another attack, but the only thing he saw was some waving grass. He groaned and slumped down in the dirt, tired. The thing had outwitted him! What an insult! A deer--not the brightest of animals--had outwitted him!

The tracks were fresh, and Kandaer suspected that a deer wouldn't take the time to try and throw Kandaer off its' path, and he considered stalking it some more. He looked up through the thick canopy of leaves above him and saw a red glow cast upon the clouds. The sun was setting.

He stood and shook his milky white feathers, yawning hugely. He opened his wings slowly and flapped once, then twice, gaining enough power to get all four legs off the ground. He powered through the treetops, with no warm air to help him rise, and brought himself up to a decent height, heading for home.

**********

Silvyn Crazvyt sighed in annoyance as Kandaer's form finally appeared, making a smooth landing at the front patio of his aerie, nothing more than a square box made of wood stuck up in a tree. Silvyn preferred the ground living. He had had a few unpleasant problems with tree-top and cliffside aeries involving wind and gravity.

He made a lazy turn and circled his friend's home for a few seconds, making sure that he was still awake. A light did come on, and Silvyn made just as graceful a landing as Kandaer had. The first thing he noticed as he looked in Kandaer's main room was the surprising amount of junk he had collected over the years. The guy had an amazing eye for finding precious stones. Silvyn had suggested he go out to the Royal Mines to find jewels for the Lords and Ladies of the nations, but Kandaer had refused the offer, calling himself an amateur and "without enough skill." Bah, the gryphon could find a coin from a mile up.

Granted, not his entire main room was jewels, but one small wall was lined with some of the larger stones he had collected. Along another wall were scales and feathers from old friends, some of whom left, and a few who had passed away. Kandaer knew almost more dragons than gryphons, because the whole top two shelves were dragon scales ranging in size from human dinner plates to stones.

"Kan?" He asked, cautiously padding into the main room. He didn't like barging in on people.

The gryphon's head appeared from around the corner, squinting into the bright light. "Sil?" He wondered, and sniffed, nodding to one of the piles of cusions in the corner. Silvyn walked over to it and laid down, as Kandaer emerged again, going around another corner. Silvyn called out after him.

"Kan, you left the group!" He said, allowing the slightest hint of frustration to enter his voice. "That's the fourth time in three trips. You can't go flying off like that." He continued talking as Kandaer emerged again and finally took his place across from Silvyn, wrapping a steaming, herb-soaked bandage around one of his forelegs to relax the muscles. "It's dangerous, Kan." Silvyn said, getting the feeling he was being ignored...again. "If you get hurt or lost, we won't know where you are."

Kandaer surprised Silvyn by laughing. "Sil, calm down. I'm a good enough hunter to take care of myself."

Silvyn thought of the perfect response. "And that is the reason you came back a week ago with a pulled wing muscle and several gashes down the side of your neck, right?"

Kandaer smiled as he continued wrapping the foul-smelling cloth around his leg. "I didn't know wolves moved in packs." He sealed the bandage with a pin, reached over, and rubbed Silvyn's head. "Don't worry. I always come back in two pieces or less."

Silvyn smirked, then turned serious again. "Kandaer, if you don't stop running off on your own little vacation, I'm going to ask Nitehawk not to allow you on hunting trips."

Kandaer was taken by surprise at this, to actually hear one of his closest friends mention banning him from the hunting groups. He stared at Silvyn in mild shock for a second, then shook his head and shrugged. "Well, that's up to you. You guys are always so slow to pounce that I could start playing a game of Datri's Pearls with myself while you guys 'change position,' 'get a better angle,' and 'get into focus.' I can go on solo hunting trips if I want."

"Not for at least six more years." Silvyn said. "Nitehawk wants the buddy system until we get at least to be twenty-four years of age."

"Nitehawk can go eat Elf's Weed." Kandaer said acidly, catching Silvyn by surprise. Kandaer had never talked about Nitehawk that way, not even when his foster father forbid him from leaving his aerie for a month. Kandaer saw Silvyn's expression and rolled his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, Sil, I respect Nite greatly. I call him father...isn't that enough? But to have him take control of his Council power so soon and to set out these rules right off the bat is annoying. He never did this to me. He was the most lenient person I ever lived with. He encouraged me to travel the nation. He almost made me leave his aerie once I got old enough--well, that makes sense. I wasn't perfect anyway. Maybe it had something to do with the jewelry I kept losing."

Silvyn waited as Kandaer continued rambling, then interrupted him before he got into a good groove. "Kan," He said, giving up. "It's either you straighten up and cooperate, or you can sit at home and get the leftover deer hides that the hunters bring in. Clear?"

Kandaer was not taking a liking to this conversation, obviously. He felt his anger rising ever so slightly, and eyeballed Silvyn, who flinched.

"Hunting does not have to be a boring sport." He said, flexing his talons. "It's either sit around and wait for a deer to cross my path, then follow it for miles, like you and the others prefer, or my way, which is hitting it while it's not suspecting it."

Silvyn's shoulders dropped and he sighed. "I guess I'm not going to change your mind." He said sadly. "I'm going off to talk to Nitehawk."

He stood and walked to the door, and finally the meaning of his words hit Kandaer. He jumped up and hurried after Silvyn, but stopped at the doorway as the blue and crimson gryphon kited off into the dark night.

"Fine!" Kandaer yelled out after him. "You're just another false friend! Go off and whine to Nitehawk, I don't care!"

And with those words said, he turned back into his aerie, blowing out the lights, and heading into his bedroom. He didn't care what Silvyn said. He was going to hunt anyway, even if he had to do it alone.

**********

Nitehawk entered his aerie, hearing the squalling of his two-year old son, who didn't want to play, sleep, eat, or cry, but had to choose one of the options. As always, he chose to cry. Kitiki was basically a long, lithe form of mostly fur and a few feathers, and was the loudest, most annoying child in the village, by far. Well, that might have to do with the fact that he was currently the youngest child in the village.

Nitehawk rounded the hall and entered the bedroom, where his mate, Rirrik, was trying to quiet their son, who was tugging forcefully on his mother's wingtip, half playing and half whimpering in typical two-year-old sadness. He saw Nitehawk out of the corner of his eye and let go of his mother's wing, shutting up instantly and comically trotting over to him.

"Daddy wanna play?" He asked hopefully, his eyes lighting up.

Rirrik groaned. "Of course. He plays with you and chews on my wing today. Tommorrow, you babysit."

Nitehawk grinned at her and picked his son up by the scruff of the neck and placed him in his pen, where the little brat clawed and hissed at him playfully. Nitehawk reached down and scratched his son behind the ears, and the child fell over almost instantaneously, asleep.

"Touch of death." Nitehawk said, smiling at his sleeping boy. He turned to Rirrik, who was pulling the sheets of the bed back to the bed with her beak. She looked at him and smiled. "Kitiki wanted to play one-man tug-of-war with our bedsheets, apparently." She said. "Either that, or they were a fierce monster he had to kill."

"Maybe both." Nitehawk said, slumping down on the bed the instant Rirrik got the last sheet in place.

"How was your day?" She asked, the exhaustion she felt starting to seep into Nitehawk's brain. He looked up at her and rolled his eyes.

"First I had to get the Redleaf and the Silentwing boys to stop arguing again, then I had to negotiate with their older brothers, who were arguing about aerie territories. Apparently Dendiv thought that his plot of land included Werti's sunning stone. After that, I got a message from Windcat, who claims that he won't be able to make it to our little outing. He didn't say why, but I know it's because he doesn't like me." He fell silent, about to fall asleep, then remembered something.

"Ah, yes. Silvyn has banned Kandaer from hunting trips. Kan keeps going glory-hunting and not big game-hunting."

Rirrik chuckled. "He's not happy about that, I'll bet."

"Silvyn did seem a little nervous about saying it." Nitehawk agreed. "But Kandaer's smart enough not to kill anybody until he's older."

They both laughed and put their heads down, falling into a peaceful sleep that not even Kitiki, when he woke up again, could disturb.

CHAPTER 2

Sunfire turned a map over and over in his talons, looking at it quizically.

"Umm, errr, well, I think that if we take a right at that marked post, we'll get to the end of the forest in a few day, at about...," he pointed at a part of the map in the west near the mountains by the end of the cresent the jungle was located in, "here. I hope."

"Oh, that sounds encouraging!" retorted Afala, "You should leave the navigating to the tree dragons!"

Sunfire snorted. Wyndheart, the cool-headed one of the group, sighed and said, "Please stop bickering. We'd never even move if our journey was left to you two!"

"Give me that!" shouted Softwin. She grabbed the map from Sunfire, and pointed to it, "I say we follow the river down to Shyan. At the city we can refill our supplies."

"I second that," said Tyroe, calmly.

"Well," Sunfire grinned, "we can't go against the word of the High Princess, can we?"

"Oh, shut up!" said Softwin.

Sunfire just grinned more.

Softwin sighed, and started off down the river.

**********

Softwin and company stumbled into the front gates of the wall surrounding Shyan. Shyan was one of the smaller major trading centers in Adalia. The place smelled of spices and herbs, lumber and steel, smoke and sweat. The journey here had been long, but quite uneventful. They hadn't met many creatures on the road, and most were traders, or traveling nobility. Softwin had tried to stay away from the latter, she would rather not be noticed as a member of the royal family, or as royalty at all. Now muddy and soggy, she was sure she didn't look the part. In the books, traveling was exciting and full of danger. She was coming to realize life isn't like the books.

Wyndheart looked up at a sign hanging on a building showing a sleeping dragon curled up. "This must be an inn," he said, "Should we check in a room?"

Sunfire nodded, "Sure, me Hearty, let move on in!" He strode through the swinging doors of the inn.

The rest of the group groaned at Sunfire's joke and followed him.

A burly lesser dragon, towering at least 4 heads above them, sauntered up to the travelers and boomed, "Welcome to the Snoring Wyvern! I am Sylarr, the innkeeper! May I help you?"

Softwin stammered, "Errr, ahh, sir, we'd like a room to stay in for a few days..."

"Sure, sure, my dear! Please, follow me!" said Sylarr. As he led them down a hallway, he continued speaking. "So, what are you young ones doing in this town? Travelling? Ah, adventuring, I bet. Did quite a bit o' adventuring when I was young, as a matter o' fact. Travelled all over. Even visited the royal courts! Oh yes, in Kandamarra, and even at the High Court in Tyrrian! I bet there isn't a fellow in town who's travelled more then me! And how'd I get stuck here running an inn? Well, let me tell you.......oh, wait, here's your rooms!" The travelers sighed with relief. "Feel free to come and go as you please.....I never forget a face." He grinned, "That also means you can't sneak out of town with out me knowing. Have a nice day!"

Softwin and her friends shrugged of their bags on the floor of the first room.

"Well," she said, "what should we do now?"

"Let's have some fun! Traveling along dirty roads sure isn't any. Shyan's pretty big, they must have something entertaining to do here," said Sunfire.

"I prepose that we re-stock," answered Afala, "We may seem to have enough supplies now, but it's better to be safe then sorry." Tyroe nodded.

"I, for one, would really like to get washed up," said Softwin.

Wyndheart chuckled, "I definately second that!"

**********

"So," asked Wyndheart, "how have you enjoyed your time away from home so far?"

Softwin sighed, "Well, it's been alright. I just thought it would be a bit more exciting."

She and her friends were sitting in the main room of the inn. This early in the afternoon, there really wasn't anyone there. Tyroe and Sunfire were playing stones in the corner, with Afala watching them. Wyndheart and Softwin were enjoying a late lunch of salad garnished with field mice. Neither of them was a big meat-lover, despite the fact that they were built as predators.

"Well, I guess everyone isn't born to have great adventures like those you read of in some books. Then again, we're both still young, who knows what the next day will bring?" stated Wyndheart.

"I guess you're right. I guess a boring good life is better than an exciting bad life, anyway."

He grinned, "Most likely, though I think people who believe that still wish for a more exciting life."

Softwin shrugged and went back to her food.

**********

Softwin hummed a little song she had learned when she was a fledgling. They were one week out of Shyan, and heading towards Riverford. She was ahead of her friends by a good bit, enjoying the cool wind and warm sun. The days had been much too nice to be stuck on the ground, and Tyroe and Afala said they didn't mind if the gryphons flew instead of staying with them. The tree dragons could always communicate mentally if they wanted to.

As if on cue, Tyroe mind-spoke to her. :A large being, approching from ahead. Not in sight yet, but I can feel him. I can't feel any hostility, but it doesn't seem friendly, either:

:I'll keep my eyes open: Softwin answered.

Then, it was in sight. And what a sight. The creature had to still be half a day away on foot in traveling distance, but it still filled the sky. As it came closer, Softwin could make out a serpentine head, heavely ridged, and blindingly bright silver eyes. Its huge leathery wings beat up a storm every time the swung down. The five talons on each of the four legs could have squashed a fully-grown gryphon each. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was a Great Dragon!

Softwin was frozen in place in the air. Then it spoke to her.

:You. It's you:

"What!?!" she screamed out loud, "What do you want me for!?!"

The Dragon obviously didn't feel like anwering. Coming in impossibly fast for something that size, it screamed and grabbed her with its fron talons. Sunfire and Wyndheart were there also, attempting to beat back the massive form.

"Let go of her, you daemon!"

"Give 'er back! Stop!"

All their attempts were futile. With one beat of the Dragon's wings, they were being thrust far back. And in another beat, the Dragon and Softwin were gone.

**********

Softwin was still screaming when the Dragon said to her, :I'm sorry I had to do that. Most creatures wouldn't have waited for an explination, so we've started just grabbing them out of the sky. I've never really liked doing this, but it's all part of being a Dragon, I guess:

Softwin mind-spoke back, :But why? What do you want from me?:

:I do not know. The Great Council makes the orders, I mearly follow. I am taking you to them now. Oh, my name in Morningsky Avannial'shia'tor:

:Err, hello, I suppose......uh, I'm Softwin:

:Yes, I know. Are you comfortable?:

:I guess as comfortable as I can be in a Dragon's talons:

:Good. We will take a short rest soon, I have been looking for you for a long time, and even us Great Dragons need a rest:

**********

Softwin had no idea where she was. They had stopped for a rest on the ground a while ago, and the Dragon was sleeping, but with one eye always open. Softwin figured that even if the Dragon closed her eyes and she slipped away, Morningsky could find her very quickly, since she could probably see the half the world when she was flying. She sighed, and decided to get some rest, too. Suddenly, the Dragon's head snapped up like a whip. Softwin screeched and leaped into the air.

"Oh, sorry if I startled you, m'dear," said Morningsky, "The Council just contacted me. Seems as if Rylakishan'osofa'kytikishan was wrong. You're the good one! Sophia is the bad one! Oh well, we all make mistakes, even us Great Dragons. Owch, but confiscating you would have been a big mistake, like catastrophic! You're the Mo....wait, you shouldn't know that! Anyway, sorry for the fuss. My, twelve centuries wasted! Ryla is going to here it from me......." the Dragon took off in a bounding leap, and was gone.

That was much too much for Softwin to handle. This is so weird. Or maybe I've just gone insane? Or is it a dream? Well, the only way I can find that out is to go asleep. Then, when I wake up, I'll be back with my friends....I hope.

CHAPTER 3

Nitehawk looked out over the assembled villagers, watching as the stragglers kited in and landed within hearing range of him. He sighed deeply...he hated to do this, but it was the only choice to protect these people.

"Everybody listen up!" He called out, halting the chattering going on between the gryphons, most of whom were annoyed at the fact that they had to wake up at such an ungodly hour. They all looked at him, some wide awake, others with their heads lying on a friend's shoulder.

He waited as the last few conversations ended abruptly, then spoke to them. "Ok, listen up carefully now, this is important." He lightly kicked a sleeping villager in front of him, and grinned as the gryphon popped his head up and stood, almost at attention.

"We have rumors running around that Flametounge, our resident Magestic Dragon, has been acting up. He ambushed Kaylain and Teirde while they were heading down to Batri to visit some friends."

A concerned rumbling swept through the group, and Nitehawk quieted them down again. "They made it out safely. They reminded Flametounge of our little agreement, and he flew off. They reported in from Batri this morning."

"What does this have to do with us?" Someone asked in the back. "We all stay in the village."

Nitehawk shook his head. "Flametounge has breached our hunting grounds before, and he's also been known to attack our set flight paths. If he's jittery about something, he'll do it even more. I'm not allowing anyone to leave the village until he calms again, and the hunting grounds are being reduced."

Most of the people took this kindly, but one gryphon in particular hissed and flew off, all eyes following him. Unsurprising to Nitehawk, it was Kandaer. He wondered what he was doing wrong to make Kandaer so angry. It's not like the lad ever went sightseeing outside of the village, so why should he be concerned about these limitations?

**********

Nightime, Kandaer's favorite time.

He crouched in his aerie's doorway, watching as one of the village patrol flights flew over, making sure nobody went off alone. The voluntary guard made a lazy turn, his eyes always searching the ground, and the sky.

Kandaer waited until he got to the opposite side of the village, then slunk out of his aerie and opened his wings just as he started to fall from the tall entranceway. His cupped wings silently caught air, and he flapped back once, powering his body forward with a hardly audible swish of feathers. His chest scraped the ground, but he pulled up slightly, flapping every few seconds, heading to the forest. It would take some fancy maneuvering to avoid being seen, now.

He entered the thick canopy, his eyes well-adjusted to the dark, darting all over to search for tree branches. He prided himself on forest flying.

He weaved back and forth, doing barrel rolls and inverted flying when necessary, nimbly avoiding branches and leaves, and all the while staying out of view of the guards. After a few minutes of fast and intense flying, he pulled up into the cool night air, breathing deeply. He looked back and saw nothing but treetops, so he pulled up higher, almost to the clouds, using the scarce moonlight to show him the ground below.

He flew south a few more minutes and smiled as he saw his target, a common road used by the few humans that travelled through here. It was vacated now, so he decided to land.

Roads looked strange from the ground. He hated walking along them, since he felt like he was being confined to a predetermined path with no choice on where to go. He slumped down next to the road and finished catching his breath, then took off again, flying over the road to the West, soon passing by the very active city of Conarros, which glowed brightly. He passed by multiple villages and trading towns, feeling lucky he was the only one flying. He was known well enough by many traders that they would wonder why he was out this late.

He reached a small loop in the road, where it turned around and rejoined with itself, and kept flying. He was doing a little reconnaissance mission. He looked out over the wide open space, a huge field that had to stretch for miles. He flew a little longer, knowing he had the whole night to memorize his surroundings. He was going to need them soon.

He did fly for hours, until he got the feeling that it was getting close to dawn. He cursed himself for his stupidity, realizing that he had a very slim chance of making it back to Vagabond's Haven before everyone woke up. He made a tight turn and power-winged back, giving up his altitude for speed, wishing he had the speed of a dragon.

**********

Silvyn poked his head into Kandaer's home, oddly quiet and dark. Not even Kandaer slept this long! He walked in, heading to Kandaer's bedroom. He opened the door and took a quick look inside, and grinned. He was there, fast asleep, head buried in a pile of sheets. Silvyn walked up to the snoozing gryphon and poked him once. Kandaer groaned and turned his back to Silvyn, putting a free wing over his head. Silvyn grabbed a feather and yanked, pulling out the icy white primary. That woke Kandaer up. Loudly.

"What are you doing?!" He yelped as he jumped up and faced Silvyn. "I'm not even near my molt yet!" He winced and looked at his outstreched wing, looking at the place where the missing primary was. Luckily it wasn't noticable.

Silvyn tossed Kandaer's feather aside and patted him on the head. "Don't worry, little one, it will grow back." He said, grinning.

Kandaer frowned at him. "I'm a year older than you."

"Yes, but I am a Council member, and you'd better respect that."

"I don't respect anyone seventeen or younger." Kandaer said, smiling slightly. "And you fall into that catagory."

"I don't respect anyone eighteen or older." Silvyn retorted, still grinning. "Which is why I'm always in trouble."

Kandaer sighed and sat down, apparently tired again. "What do you want?"

Silvyn pointed out the window at the sun. "It's late, Kan. It's almost time for the fledglings to go to bed, in fact. How much sleep did you get last night?"

Kandaer shrugged. "I don't know. I just remember blowing out the lights and going to bed. The normal hour."

Silvyn looked at him skeptically, but didn't argue. If Kandaer said he slept all night, then Kandaer slept all night. Silvyn changed the subject.

"Kan, listen. I'm sorry about banning you from the hunts. I just did what I thought was right." He said, feeling a little sheepish. Kandaer chuckled at his expression.

"It's all right." He said. "I'm sorry about what I said to you."

Silvyn nodded. "Good. Now that that's all over with, I'm going hunting." He said mockingly, then ran out of the aerie before Kandaer could hit him with something.

Kandaer considered flying after Silvyn, but didn't. It seemed that all blue and red gryphons could outfly Kandaer. He had no idea why. He was in great shape, and flying was his favorite hobby, but Silvyn always found a way out of a turning battle.

Kandaer had made it home with seconds to spare. He entered his aerie (unnoticed, luckily), and right when he shut the main door, he heard laughing and talking below. That was all he remembered, because he slumped down on his bed and was asleep in less than a second, it seemed.

He was glad Silvyn had gotten him up, or he would've been a little rushed. He had no doubt he would've slept very late indeed, at least until they boosted the guard coverage in the early morning. He would've had trouble getting out of the village. His white feathers didn't help hide him, either. They reflected even the slightest hint of moonlight. The only dark colored feathers he had were around his eyes, which were a stark black, like an osprey band, but wrapped around his head like a raccoon's mask.

Fledglings are going to bed now, hmm? He thought, looking out the window at the sun. Yes, it was late. He would have just enough time to do what he wanted. He turned back into his bedroom and grabbed a pack from behind a table, and began putting necessary items in it. Warm blanket, several bags of gold coins, feather-dye, and other items. It took him a long time to pack, but he finally finished and put the bag on his back, strapping it on with little difficulty, although it always helped to have a partner assist. He couldn't afford to let a partner know what he was doing.

He grabbed some parchment and a writing stick and wrote a quick message on it, then put it on his bed where someone was sure to see it. He waited a few more minutes, and the sky was dark yet again.

He snuck out the same way he had the previous night, heading off to the West. He wasn't coming back for a good long time.

**********

Silvyn snatched the note from Rirrik, who flew off to the Council building without encouragement. Silvyn looked at the hastily-written message in surprise.

To whoever finds this note,

I am leaving for a while. I have no idea when I'll be back,

or if I'll even be back soon. Just make sure that Nitehawk

knows that I have finally gotten sick of his new ways, taking

control of the village so quickly. And make sure he knows that

I think he's rushing all of his desicions. I'll be off exploring.

All Haste,

Kandaer

Silvyn growled and stuffed the note in his beak to deliver to Nitehawk, taking wing with incredible speed. When they found Kandaer, he was going to get such an earful...

**********

Kandaer landed at the base of the Tarrchi Mountains, using them as a natural wall to protect him from the strong winds coming from the North. He sneezed, feeling his energy sapping away as he walked on.

Rain and sleet beat down on him madly, soaking him to the bone. He had forgotten completely about packing a rain blanket or a tent, for he figured he would just stop at a nearby inn. Now he saw the stupidity and haste of his planning.

He sneezed again, and sniffled, his legs starting to give up on him. He had been flying in this godless cold weather for hours, then it started raining, forcing him to land. Now sleet? He saw a crevace in the rocks that looked like it might be able to hold him, and squeezed himself inside, curling up into a ball and pulling out his blanket. He shut his eyes and fell asleep, hoping he would wake up in the morning to continue on.

CHAPTER 4

Sunfire and Wyndheart wasted no time in starting after the dragon, watching it fade into the horizon. Tyroe and Afala watched them soar away. Afala sighed.

"There they go, flying off without us," she said.

Tyroe shrugged. "Oh well. I suppose we'd better keep going to Riverford."

Afala nodded, and the calm and effecient tree dragons continued on their journey, as if nothing had happened.

**********

As a few drops of rain dropped on Softwin's beak; she woke up. And realized it wasn't a dream. By the Wind, what happened yesterday? That was.....beyond comprehention! Where am I? How am I going to get back home?

She started crying, the salten tears mingling with the clear rain. But after a while, she pulled herself together. You asked for adventure and excitement! Well, now you have it. Shedding tears won't help. You still have a pack with you, better check what's in it.

Softwin looked at the crumpled bag lying near her, and hoped that the rain, still falling, hadn't ruined anything in it. She dragged it and herself under the relative protection of a tree. Opening the pack, she found some food, a novel, a blanket, and some other odds and ends. No map, no compass. This isn't looking good.

Later, the rain stopped, and the sun rose. That helped brighten Softwin's mood. Ok, the sun rises in the East, and that's a sign of hope, so I'll go East, to the rising sun. She grinned. How nice and symbolic.

**********

Softwin sighed and crouched behind a low bush. She disliked the taste of raw meat, but she didn't want to use her supplies up, you never know when they might come in handy. So she was hunting. A small creature stood a bit in front of her - she wasn't sure what kind of animal it was. Softwin had been hunting for half a day, she'd figured now that she wasn't very good. Of course, she'd never had to do it before. She shifted a paw, and crack, a branch snapped. There goes the creature. I'm going to have to get better then this, or I'll never surive. If I'm lucky I'll run into a town or something in a few days. I hope. Softwin sighed again, and went off to look for some more prey.

**********

Wyndheart sighed. They had been looking for Softwin for days, following the direction the Dragon took, but they had seen neither hide nore hair of either of either of them.

"Well," said Sunfire, "looks like another fruitless day. We'd better get some rest."

Wyndheart nodded. Neither hide nore hair, but Sunfire and him were both good king's men, and they would never stop looking, even if it took them their lives. Besides, Softwin was their friend, and friends don't let friends wander around the earth aimlessly.....and alone.

CHAPTER 5

"He's heading West!" Rirrik said to the volunteer search parties. "Get him back here, but don't hurt him. You have to get him back here! It's too dangerous out there for someone his age with such little experience outside of the village. Once you find him, report in to the other teams and have them help bring him back, even if it means dragging him by the tail."

The search parties nodded and took off, splitting off into groups of three, heading off into the sunset.

**********

Kandaer opened his eyes slowly, still dripping wet, and lifted his head. The aches in his neck made him think about going back to sleep, but he couldn't. If he slept even longer, he wouldn't eat. And he was hungry. He wished he had packed some dried food--he planned on hunting the whole time, but he was too weak to hunt.

He looked at his map, looking for Wind Peak, then looked around at his surroundings, mostly at the mountain. He crawled out of his crevace to get a better view, and saw Wind Peak, far off against the horizon. It stood out very well, and was beautiful with the sun striking it in the early morning.

He compared the distance of the mountain to his map, and made a wild guess that there was a town just South of where he was by the name of Yielle. He stretched, aching horribly, and packed his blanket away, shaking off his feathers, water flying all over. He slung his pack on again and opened his wings, testing them to see if they were flight-capable. They were wet, in pain, and stiff, so he decided just to walk there.

It had taken several hours, but he made it to Yielle, entering the small town and walking through the center road. He felt a little out of place, for it was inhabited mostly by humans and a few elves, but he saw a pair of gryphons joking around near one of the houses.

He continued walking on slowly, looking for a place to eat. He reared up in surprise as a human child and a gryphon fledgling ran by, right in front of him. They ignored him completely and continued on, laughing and slipping on the slick cobblestones.

Kandaer saw an old gryphon, easily a hundred years old, sitting next to a human house that was remodelled to look like an aerie. Feeling odd (and hoping the stranger understood his accent and grammar), he walked up to the elder gryphon, who was a dull gray color, with faded blue lines running down his sides and neck.

"Eh, excuse me, sir," Kandaer said carefully, and the gryphon looked at him, instantly attentive and friendly.

"Yes, lad?" The gryphon responded, shaking his feathers. Old feathers flew off and settled in the dust around him, and he looked at Kandaer again. "You had a question?"

Kandaer nodded, looking curiously into the gryphon's shining blue eyes. He didn't look as old, and didn't act like it, either, if you got closer to him. "Yes, I was wondering if you know of any places here that serve food. Fresh food." He corrected quickly, and his host smiled.

"You're one of those who eats food straight from the forest, eh?" He said, smiling. "Can't blame you. I always preferred fresh deer, elk, rabbits...just don't try fox. It tastes awful." He nodded to the door and stood. "Come on in, I've got a whole room full of real food."

Kandaer thanked him graciously and followed, taking a seat in a corner of the main room. It was decorated with many amazing items, including foot-long fighting claws used by only Royal warriors. They still had their silver shine, and were arranged neatly on the wall, next to a blue and black uniform, which was cut perfectly to fit a gryphon's body. It had a gold design on the back, of a mustang rearing up. Next to that uniform was another one, this one red and black, and yet another, a plain brown leather uniform with a black stitching of a Royal Crest on it. On the walls were other fighting claws and countless awards and medals.

His hostpitable ex-warrior emerged from the back room, with two human servants pushing out a cart of fresh food, which included deer, turkey, and a bowl of water. Kandaer took an eager sip of the water, ears perking up in surprise at the sweet taste. He lapped up some more, and his host smiled.

"You looked tired, in pain, and very sick." He said. "That'll heal you up quicker than lightning." Kandaer nodded and lapped up a little more, then began eating, attempting to ignore his generous helper. After a while, the elder looked at him curiously and spoke.

"You're awfully quiet. I'd appreciate some thanks for helping you." He said, his voice becoming sharp.

Kandaer pointed up at the three uniforms, many medals, and fighting claws. "What did you do?"

He became friendly again. "Royal Guard." He said proudly. "Made it to the rank of Gold Talon. Protected the King Leyiwlen and Queen Hffar down to the southeast. I was the first Royal Guard to bear the Firewater name." He puffed up his chest proudly. "Yes, I am Kyriit Firewater, proud commander of the Night Wings," He pointed to the first uniform, "And Executive Officer of the Bloodfeathers." He pointed to the red and black one. "And that leather one is my cadet uniform that I wore during the Battle of Heaven's Anvil, where my cadet group was pulled out of training to assist in defending the troops there."

Kandaer nodded. "And I'm Kandaer Icefeather." He said, returning to his meal, showing now signs of interest.

Kyriit glared at him. "I don't take kindly to strangers who barge into my home, eat my food, and then ignore me." He said angrily. "Do you have a reason for your actions?"

Kandaer nodded, swallowing some of his food, feeling his muscles relax from the water Kyriit had given him. "I don't like anyone who is affiliated with Royal matters, to put it nicely."

Kyriit growled at him, but Kandaer continued eating, although he knew that the ex-Royal Guard could maul him in a heartbeat. "Listen, boy, I am no longer affiliated with any Royal persons, living or dead." He said. "My name was wiped from Royal records, my family banished from the city. Not a Royal soul remembers my name now."

Kandaer looked up at him, his curiousity sparked. "Why?"

Kyriit scoffed. "You don't deserve to know, you little kitten. Maybe once you get used to the fact I am 'Royal,' I'll tell you. But for now, I'd reccomend you be on your way before my anger gets the best of me."

Kandaer took the last bite out of his food and got up to leave. Kyriit left the room when Kandaer stood, but Kandaer called a good-bye out after him anyway. After all, he was an intersting person...

**********

Nitehawk looked up at the patrols, who had just returned. They all had somber faces, and hung their heads. He felt a creeping sensation in his spine. "Well?"

One of the scouts poked another with her wing, and the black and orange striped gryphon scratched his head, unable to look Nitehawk in the eye.

"We didn't find him." He said sheepishly, his voice hardly audible.

Nitehawk sighed. "Not one trace? Nothing?"

"He must've gone somewhere else. Maybe he just wanted to throw us off by writing that note."

Nitehawk dismissed them and sat in thought. Where could Kandaer be? He couldn't have travelled that far out West...well, he could've, but the area was so densely populated that Kandaer probably wouldn't have liked it. There were also quite a few dragons there. Not all were friendly, Nitehawk had heard. And he knew that Kandaer stayed to the south of the mountains, because there was desert to the northwest.

But where else would he have gone? South? Did he go east? Was he right under their noses, hiding in Conarros or Batri? Or was he...dead?

Nitehawk cleared his mind and left the Council room, heading home, not interested in finishing his day.

CHAPTER 6

Softwin was really hungry. If she didn't get food soon, she was going to wind up inhaling all her rations in the pack. She eyed the creature in front of her. As if sensing her, it frollicked away up ahead. Not again....

********

Kandaer silently stalked the deer a few yards away. On the count of three, he would pounce. One........two...... The creature leaped away. Darn. Not again....

He followed the deer swiftly, quickly pausing when it stopped to graze. He leaped out of cover toward the animal. A green blur came crashing out of the underbrush, and the startled deer ran off. Kandaer made contact with the blur, and they landed in a heap on the forest floor. He blinked when he noticed it was a gryphon.

"What were you doing? You don't hunt like that, making all that noise and all!"

"Well, gee, I'm sorry. Next time I'll go all dainty-like so as not to frighten it!" the other gryphon shouted.

Kandaer snorted and sat back. The other gryphon was a female, mostly a dark green color, with a golden belly, purple face markings and stripes on her legs, and wing feathers of red in the center, branching out from orange to golden. She was quite dirty, and still a bit soggy despite the fact that the rainstorm had been days ago.

**********

Softwin studied the gryphon in front of her. His face was white, with a black mask around his eyes and black ear tips. The rest of his body was a light grey color, except his wings, which were a silvery white. He was a bit more decently clean then her, though far from miraculous.

"Well," she said, "excuse me for ruining your little hunting expedition."

He shrugged, "It's ok, I guess. I could always find another deer."

"Oh, so that's what they are," she remarked.

He raised an eyebrow. "I guess you're not from around here."

"Well, no.....I'm visiting a cousin near here for the first time. I'm from Kandamarra." She might not be able to hunt, but she could lie. An unfortunate part of court etiquette. "My name is Softwin." Not much of an exotic name, and no point in lying - this country bumkin shouldn't recognize her.

"I'm Kandaer," the male said.

"So, Kandaer, what are you doing way out here?" she asked.

Kandaer stared at the gryphon sitting opposite him skeptically. "You know, there are other places around here other than Kandamarra." He said. "You are within four miles of several different villages. I live a few miles north of here." He thought for a moment. That name...Softwin...it sounded like he had heard it before. He thought he had heard it before, but he wasn't sure.

He pushed the thought out of his mind and they sat in silence for a moment, with Kandaer attempting to clear his head from the heavy collision, and Softwin scratching patterns in the dirt with a claw. She lifted her head again and addressed him.

"Do you have any food with you? I haven't eaten anything decent in a while."

Kandaer shook his head. "I like my food fresh. But if you're willing to fly a few miles, several inns have some sort-of fresh food. And beds. You could get some rest." He looked at her and chuckled. "And a way to dry off."

The female gave him a sour look and swiped at him, but he backed out of her reach. She must've felt self-concious, because she shook herself off, spraying a little bit of water around the area. "So, you live around here and eat fresh, raw meat?" She asked.

Kandaer nodded slowly. "Yes...I don't believe that I know anyone who doesn't like raw meat. Why?"

Softwin swallowed. She must've sounded like a fool, saying that. She had to remember that commonfolk don't like their food cooked, or fancied up a bit. She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

"I sometimes like my food...less fresh. Cooked." She said. "And I sort of like greens." She knew that the last bit was a small risk, because she now risked being laughed at. Luckily, Kandaer just smiled.

"Well, you'll need some help getting food way out here, if you plan to travel any farther. There isn't a town for miles."

"I don't feel like staying at an inn tonight, either. Maybe I can stay at your village?" She asked. "Better yet, since you sound like you're the hunter here, can you catch me my dinner?"

Now Kandaer did laugh. "No, I don't offer my services to other people. If you want food, you get it yourself."

Kandaer looked behind Softwin and noticed another deer in the distance, his head just poking through the grass and trees. He walked up next to her and pointed. She turned and saw the deer, then looked at him.

He shrugged. "Your meal." He whispered, then lowered his head so he wouldn't be seen. She crouched down a little and started to walk forward. Kandaer stopped her and put a talon on her back.

"Down further." He whispered, and she did so. "Keep your head high enough just so that you can see it. Move slowly, and take your time. Keep an eye on the ground, too, watching for anything that might make noise. Deer have great hearing. You have to make sure you keep quiet."

Kandaer watched as she continued on, losing sight of her in the bushes. He envied her body coloring. He would've killed for green feathers. He hid behind a tree and watched the deer peacefully grazing.

He saw her again, lunging from the bushes in perfect form, front talons outstretched, wings slightly spread, head forward. The word "beautiful" flashed through his mind, but he shook his head and watched as she made a perfect hit on the deer. He heard a little bit of a struggle, then saw Softwin's head pop up again and look around. He trotted over and looked from the deer to her, noting the precise talon marks and lack of damage to the surrounding environment.

He looked at her and shook his head in surprise. "That's...wow. Where did you learn to tackle things like that?"

She blushed. "Well, it's um...," she searched for an answer, telling him she was a member of the Red Eagles, and had military background from the best, would give her away, "...a family trait!" Kandaer stared at her increduously. "My father taught it to me, just like his father taught him."

"What would you use that for? You couldn't really hunt at all, so it couldn't have been for that." he asked.

"It's just a tradition!"

Kandaer shrugged. "Well, if you say so. I can't argue with family traditions." He said, then grinned. "Eat up, then we'll go visit my home. It isn't too far north."

**********

Softwin followed Kandaer's kiting form, hoping that he knew where they were going. If she looked down, all she saw were trees and the occational clearing. She was finally filled up on food (though it wasn't a gourmet meal), and felt like flying some more. Her feathers had dried off, but she still had a ragged look to her, and she and Kandaer looked like everyday country kids, even though one of them had much more power.

"Down here!" He called back to her, and slowly began a descent. She followed, and he pointed at a precariously high aerie. "That's mine. Stay there for a while. I'll be right back." He said, and flapped off towards the center of the town. Softwin landed in the doorway with a little difficulty. She wasn't used to this at all. She turned and looked at the village, a peaceful little place with very busy residents.

She turned and looked into the aerie, noting instantly the amount of clutter. Some of it was expensive, but most of it was just things Kandaer must've found interesting. She wandered through the rest of the aerie, which looked smaller on the outside than it really was. In a few moments, Softwin heard a pair of thumps at the door, and navigated her way back to the main room, almost running into Kandaer.

They both jumped back in surprise, then chuckled. Kandaer motioned to a pile of cusions in the corner of the room, and she walked over and laid down on them, as Kandaer walked back into another room. He was gone for a while, giving Softwin time to think.

Where were Sunfire and Wyndheart? They had to be looking. Softwin doubted that Afala and Tyroe would be looking as well, since they were ground-bound. Where was she exactly? She had to find a map, or else she'd probably never get home. Someone in this village had to have good food. She could get some off of them. It was dishonest, but at least she'd get back alive.

Kandaer emerged from the back room and took a seat opposite her. He looked at her a long time, shook his head, and said, "Pouncing traditions."

She blushed and nodded, following her story. "My family has been known in Kandamarra for surprise tackles." She shrugged. "It's...well...a bit of a welcome. If you're pounced by someone in my family, then you're welcomed." She smiled, mustering up any and all Royal acting she could. Kandaer never saw the truth, and leaned forward, intrigued.

"Tell me about yourself." He said, leaning his head on his talons. "Your family history must be very interesting."

Softwin looked thoughtful, "Well, let's see....my father, Takshan, is an innkeeper. I've pretty much lived in or around that inn, the Golden Talon, for all my life. We have a very large family, so I was never without playmates. One day I just decided to go out and see the world. I didn't go very well prepared, I guess..... and that's pretty much it. Nothing special." Gods, I didn't want to lie this much to him! "So, how about you?" she asked.

Kandaer thought for a moment, then finally spoke. "Well, I haven't lived here my entire life, but I've been here a good portion of it. Lived with my family for a while, but they were all but wiped away by a mage accident. I ran away and came here. This place is called Vagabond's Haven, and pretty much all of the people here are runaways from other families and villages." He grinned. "Keep looking, and you might find someone from Kandamarra."

"I hope not," Softwin whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just saying that's sad about your family," she lied.

"Ah...thanks."

A dead silence followed, with both of them staring at the floor. Kandaer looked out the window.

"It's dark already?" He said, surprised. "I think I've been staying up too late and sleeping too much." He nodded to the back room. "I got a place for you set up. It's not luxury, but it's not a slum. Good enough for a night's sleep." He smiled. "You look like you could use some rest."

Softwin smiled and thanked him, then went to the room to rest. She slept sounder than she had in days.

CHAPTER 7

"...and those are the Moonlords. They come from a craft maker background. If you need any walking sticks or canes for a two-legged friend, go to them. Over in that aerie are the Soulsmiths. They make very impressive daggers, used mainly by elves, who pay very well for them."

Kandaer continued pointing out the aeries and telling Softwin about their inhabitants, occasionally introducing her to the people if they weren't busy. She was a little nervous and shy when he introduced her, but seemed to calm down once they got to talking for a little bit.

Kandaer nodded to another building, nothing but a wooden box about four times larger than an aerie.

"In there is where we keep extra supplies. Food, blankets, curtains, you name it. You can find anything but an aerie in there." He said, smiling. "When I was little, I'd spend nights in there because it was practically luxury. I had enough food to last through the night, and plenty of warm blankets. Of course, every time I got caught."

They laughed and continued on, until Kandaer felt someone hit him from behind, and they rolled in the dirt, landing in a heap farther down the path.

Softwin yelped in surprise as Kandaer was tackled by the blue and red gryphon, sending them both tumbling down the road. She hurried over to help, but saw that Kandaer was fine. They untangled themselves from each other and laughed. The blue and red male scratched Kandaer's head.

"I was gonna kill you once you got back, but when I saw you, I couldn't." He said, laughing. He met eyes with Softwin. "Especially if you've got company. Female company, even." He chuckled as Softwin and Kandaer turned red, then pried even more. "So, Kan, you run off for adventure and come back with such a lovely creature?" The male walked over and nuzzled her. "Pleased to meet you, m'lady."

Softwin chuckled coyly, and Kandaer put him in the gryphon equivilant of a headlock and smiled at Softwin.

"Please ignore my lustful friend." He said, then let him go. "This isn't the first time he's attempted to seduce someone."

"It's my nature." Kandaer's friend shot back, shaking his feathers to smooth them. "I am irresistable."

Softwin smiled at Kandaer and then looked at the flirtatious one. "No you aren't." She said, then walked between them, unable to keep herself from smiling as Kandaer laughed uproariously. He caught up with her, still chuckling, unable to stop. She grinned at him. "Who was that?"

Kandaer stopped chuckling for a minute to catch his breath. "That was Silvyn." He said. "He has established himself as the flirt here. Can't get through a single day without pestering at least one young lady. He tried to do the same thing with the princess of Reddian." Kandaer shook his head. "I don't know what he was thinking. How anyone can fall in love with Royalty...it's disgusting, almost."

Softwin swallowed. What if he found out the truth? What if someone recognized her and told Kandaer? She had no idea what he would do. She wanted to find out.

"Tell me, Kandaer," She said, trying to remain calm. "I have a question for you."

Kandaer nodded. "Go ahead."

"I read a really interesting book one time about a princess who left her home to go adventuring. She met a commoner who hated Royalty, but didn't tell him that she was a princess, and they fell in love. But the princess didn't want to keep the truth from him, and ended up telling him." She paused for a second. "What would you have done, if you were the commoner?"

Kandaer didn't take much time making up his mind. "Make her leave. If that commoner truly hated Royalty, he would have forced her to leave. And if she didn't, I would've left. I wouldn't be caught dead with Royalty." He tilted his head in curiousity. "What did he do?"

Softwin was taken by surprise with this question. "Oh, I...I don't remember the ending. It was so long ago." She said, then sighed inwardly when Kandaer nodded. She continued on. "Why don't you like Royalty?"

Kandaer looked at her suspiciously. "Why? You seem very curious about this subject." He started to feel something was wrong, but tried to ignore it.

Softwin shrugged in indifference. "Just wondering. I'm a very social person. I like knowing things."

Kandaer looked at her for a few more seconds, then shrugged. Either she was telling the truth, or she was an incredible actress. Kandaer couldn't see the faintest hint of a lie in her face. "I don't like Royalty because they have such better lives than me." He said. "They have the finest foods, lives, jewelry...everything. And they always seem to act like they deserve it. They always walk around so properly, sneering down on people like us. And when they think that everything in the kingdom is fine, good, and happy, there are always people dying of starvation, or disease, or crime. Often in the same city the Kings and Queens live in. I could go to any town within a thousand miles that has a King or Queen and show you true poverty."

Softwin nodded, and Kandaer thought she looked a little upset about something. He frowned and moved his head so that he could see her face well. "Softwin? Is everything ok?"

She nodded, then seemed to perk up. "Yes, everything's fine. You just reminded me of some friends I have." Softwin said, a little too happily. Kandaer cracked a smile. He knew she was covering something up now. He didn't want to press, though. Light reflected off of something half buried in her chest feathers. He saw a gold chain running around her neck, and grabbed it (but trying not to startle her), lifting the necklace up so he could see it. It was a beautiful ruby, and Kandaer's eyes widened. It had to be worth a small fortune.

He stopped walking and looked up at Softwin, who had turned red with embarrassment. "Where did you get this?" He asked in bewilderment. "No, better yet, how did you afford it?"

Softwin shrugged. "A present." She said quietly. "I have a friend whose father knows a human miner and a professional jewelry-maker."

Softwin barely kept herself from whimpering. This lie was going very far...too far, she thought. But hopefully she would be on her way home before she had to admit the truth to him. But he was nice. And kind of attractive.

She shook her head and gently grabbed the ruby back from him, letting it hang back down, and they continued walking in silence. She decided to break the silence and looked up at him.

"How about a hunting lesson?" She requested, and Kandaer smiled.

"Of course. Always glad to teach you what should be your instinct."

He got a smack on the back of the head for that remark.

CHAPTER 8

"So, you've come back."

Kandaer winced as Nitehawk circled him. As soon as Nitehawk had found out he was back, he had called him to his aerie for a private talk. Neither was looking forward to this.

"Why did you leave?" Nitehawk asked. "No, I know why, you don't like my new ways. Couldn't you have talked to me about your problems? I know you're not stupid, Kan. We could have discussed this as adults."

"No we couldn't have!" shouted Kandaer. "You're the leader, we all must follow you and your rules. I bet even the Council members don't have much say."

Nitehawk looked hurt. "Come on, Kan, I just didn't want anyone to get hurt. That's part of my job, keeping the village safe, no matter if some people don't think what I'm doing is right."

Kan shrugged, "I just don't like having restrictions on my life, I guess."

Nitehawk nodded, then asked, "Then why did you come back?"

"Well, you see, I met this girl," he shuffled his feet, "and she was sorta lost. I couldn't just leave her there..."

"Oh, I see. I'll have to meet her. So, would you have come back if you hadn't run into this female?" said Nitehawk.

"I don't know. Maybe..."

"Oh, Kan," said Nitehawk, "I'm very sorry I angered you. I would really like it if you would stay at Vagabond's Haven, if you want to."

Kandaer nodded, "I understand." He backed toward the door. "With your leave..?"

Nitehawk nodded, "You may go."

Kandaer left.

He silently walked out of the aerie, absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Are you ok?"

Kandaer leaped into the air and squawked. He turned and saw Softwin looking inqusitivly at him.

"Ye...yeah, I'm fine. Geeze, you scared me!" he said.

"Sorry," replied Softwin. "You sure you're ok, you don't look so good."

"I'm fine!" Kan snapped.

Her eyes widened. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just need some time to think."

"I understand." she anwered.

He kept walking ahead into the forest to think, until he noticed she was walking at his side.

"Why are you following me?"

"I thought you might want the company. It's never fun to be totally alone." Softwin said.

"Look...Softwin....I really apreciate you company, but I just need some time alone. It's pretty late. Why don't you go back to my aerie and get some sleep?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "Goodnight, then," she said, and then turned back toward the aerie.

**********

Softwin entered Kandaer's aerie, and went into the back room where her bed was set up. She lay down and lifted up her necklace so she could look at it. I hate lying. When I get back home, I don't want to ever lie again. She sighed. Especially not to Kandaer. She had mixed emotions about him. Sometimes she really liked him, at other times she wanted to hit him. It was not as if she had never been with commoners before, but she'd never felt this way about someone before... And he doesn't even know who I really am! I can't tell him, he won't like me anymore....but I can't lie forever! I just don't know what to do!

She stared at the ruby for a little while longer, then lay down to go to sleep.

**********

Kandaer kicked some odds-and-ends from near the door to his aerie. It was very late in the night, and he was really tired. I'm confused. I don't know what to do with my life. He shrugged to himself, and checked in the back room to see if Softwin was asleep. She was curled in a corner, breathing rhythmatically. He smiled. He hadn't felt like this toward a girl in a while....but he knew she was keeping something from him. Yet another thing he didn't know what to do about. He wanted to talk to her, tell her how he felt about her, but he was...kind of afraid. He just didn't know what to do. Kandaer looked at her again. I'll talk to her later, he thought. It was a bit chilly tonight, and he saw her shiver slightly. He got a blanket and set it over her, and then went to his room and fell asleep.

**********

Today was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was beating down, and there was a slight wind to cool you off if you got to hot. Softwin stretched out her wings to their fullest, and sighed contentedly. She was sunning on a rock not to far from the village, and was thoroughly enjoying herself. Somehow you could forget the world around you when you felt this perfect.

Her eyes were shut, so she heard the fluttering of wings before she saw the person approaching. She looked and saw Kandaer walking up to her. She smiled at him as he sat down next to the rock. "Hello Kandaer."

He smiled awkwardly, his ears standing straight up. He shuffled nervously as he looked at the scenery. Softwin could tell he had something to say.

"Kandaer?" She said curiously, tilting her head to look at him. "Is something wrong?"

He ground his beak for a few seconds, then decided to talk. He lowered his ears and looked down at the ground.

"Softwin, I have a lot to say to you. I know it's been only a few days, but..."

She felt a chill, despite the fact that the wind had stopped. She nodded. "Continue..."

He looked at her, and his face showed no sign of joking. "Softwin, like I said, it's been just a few days, but I've really taken a liking to you."

"A liking?"

He grinned strangely. "Well, more than a liking." He was silent for a moment. "Quite a bit more."

She felt a little light-headed from hearing this. He liked her! This anti-Royalty commoner liked her! But what if she told the truth? Maybe she should keep it some more.

"I have another thing to say." Kandaer said after an extended moment of silence. He scratched a claw on the rock. "Softwin, I think you're keeping something from me." He cut her off with a motion of his talon. "Don't deny it, I'm positive you are. Now you can either come right out and tell me here and now and get it over with, or you can wait." He smiled, taking away the sting of his voice. "But I expect to find out before you leave again."

Gods, what am I going to do?! she thought. She decided to ignore that comment. "I....need some time alone for a little while."

"Ok," he said, "I'll see you later?"

Softwin smiles, "Yes, I think so."

Kandaer started to turn away, but was startled when she got up and nuzzled him. She saw his startled face, blushed, and turned away. Kandaer grinned a goofy grin. Maybe this isn't turning out so bad after all.

**********

A few days later, as Kan was walking through the village on the way to his aerie, Silvyn approached him.

"So," he said, "how are things going with that girl of yours?"

Kandaer grinned. "Pretty good, I guess. There's something about her that she's keeping from me, though, that I just don't understand."

Silvyn nodded, "Ah, the feminine mystique. So, have you swept her of her feet, or does she have you on a leash?"

Kan made a playful swipe at him, "Shut up, you overgrown ball of feathers!"

Kandaer's friend chuckled. "So," he asked, "have you ever thought that this is the one?"

Kan shrugged, "I don't know. I'm still very confused."

"Yeah, you're sure not as sauve and cool as I am, so you would be confused."

To Silvyn's surprise, Kan just sat down and said, "Whatever."

"Well, gotta go, I see an attractive young female over there, and she's looking pretty lonely," he grinned, "See you later."

Kandaer continued on his walk, when Softwin hurried toward him and said, "I'm going to leave tomorrow. I....need to go back home." I can't stay here anymore! Not with him!

Kan just stood there with his beak gaped open, and she continued, "I'll need a map, though, and some supplies, can you help me get them?"

"Yes," he said. Well, this is it. It's now or never. He steeled himself. "I'm going with you."

"What?! But....y...you can't! This is your home!" she stammered.

Kandaer shrugged, "I may have lived her for a while, but it's not really home." He blushed, "Maybe I can find a home with you."

I can't believe this! she thought. I can't get away from him! I can't keep lying to him, but I can't tell him the truth! But.....I want him with me! I...I.....

Softwin put on her lying face, and said happily, "That would be nice. So, you'll help me get the stuff?"

Kandaer smiled, "Of course! Tomorrow morning we'll leave, and then it's off to your home!"

Softwin smiled back, but inside she was in turmoil. What am I going to do?!

CHAPTER 9

Kandaer and Softwin flew along, laughing with each other, looking on the outside to be without care. But each had their own tumulous inner thoughts.

Does she feel about me the same way I feel about her?

How can I keep lying to him?

What is she keeping from me?

I've never felt quite this way about someone before!

Darkness fell, and they settled down in a thicket to eat something and sleep. As the munched on some dried meat, Kandaer took out a map and pointed to a titled dot on it.

"That's Yielle. We'll be stopping there tomorrow to stay for the night. I've been there before, I know a keeper of one of the inns. An interesting ex-Royal Guard named Kyriit Firewater," he said.

"Oh," said Softwin, "sounds nice." I hope this Firewater guy doesn't know who I am....

Kan started to grin, but he yawned in the middle of it. "Well, we'd better get some rest now."

Softwin nodded. Kandaer lay down near the pile of bags they had taken with them and closed his eyes. They widened with shock when Softwin came over and lay down next to him, their sides touching. She noticed his expression, grinned, and snuggled closer. He smiled, and soon both of them drifted off into a deep sleep.

**********

Softwin looked around the town that they had just entered. So this is Yielle, she thought. It was a small town, much smaller then Shyan, but had a more home-like quality to it. Childern of all species ran through the streets, and their parents stood around chatting easily with each other. Kandaer nuzzled her to get her attention, and pointed with his beak towards one of the larger buildings in the village.

"That's the inn," he stated.

She smiled and headed toward it. She started as a old, yet still powerful, gryphon walked up to Kandaer.

"Didn't expect to see you here again, boy," he said. "Be staying at my inn? Make sure you have more respect toward me this time if you're going to."

"Yes, sir, I am," Kan replied.

The gryphon turned toward Softwin. "Are you with him, girl?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but then shook his head and said, "Follow me."

They entered the inn. It was still early in the afternoon, so there were no other patrons inside. Softwin was just as glad; less people who might recognize her. The old gryphon showed them to their rooms, and excused himself.

"Was that Kyriit?" she asked, as they set down their packs.

"Yes," answered Kandaer. He seemed to be in deep thought.

Softwin grinned, "I thought so. He seems the ex-soldier type."

"So," said Kandaer, "up for some lunch?"

"Sure."

The went down into the main room of the inn, and ordered some lunch. Softwin tried not to gasp when she noticed Royal Crest on the uniforms. She recognized it. The Crest was from one of the Twelve Clans her father had conquered and unified back in his youth. She was silent as they ate.

"Are you ok?" Kandaer asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, thanks."

He smiled, "So, how do you like it here?"

"It's a very nice town."

"Yeah, it's nice and cozy," he said.

They sat in the inn talking for a while, and as it started getting darker, more people came in to eat and rent rooms. Kandaer noticed Softwin getting kind of restless, and then she said, "I'm getting a little tired. I think I'll go to our rooms now."

She hurried up the steps, but gasped when Kandaer intercepted her.

"I'm going to stay up for a bit longer, but I.....umm......wanted you to know something before you went to sleep," he said.

"Yes?"

"I....love you."

She gasped. Gods, why me? Why him? How did we get tangled in this web?!

He noticed her expression and blushed, "Sorry if I startled you......I just wanted you to know."

Softwin blushed too, and nodded. She nuzzled him, and ran into her room, and started crying.

Kandaer stared after her, and then slowly went back down into the main room. I wonder how that went? I hope she's ok.

Kyriit approached him after he sat down.

"So, what are you doing back, and with a Lady, nonetheless?" he asked.

"A Lady?" Kyriit had said the word as if the person who owned the title had power. "You mean Softwin. She's no Lady, just a commoner, like me."

"I hate to dissapoint you, but I'd cut off my own wing if she's not a member of Royalty," Kyriit said.

"What?! How would you know?" asked Kandaer, astounded.

"Boy, I've lived around Royalty for most of my life. They are very easy to spot when you've known them. Look at the way she walks, it's as if she owns the world. The way she speaks, eats, even breathes, it all points toward Royaly," he stated simply.

"That's not true! She told me herself she was just the simple daughter of an innkeeper!"

"She obviously lies like Royalty, too. Haven't you ever suspected anything? Or are you that blind, boy?" Kyriit snapped.

Kandaer thought back. The slight flaws in her stories, the phoniness of her excuses, the necklace......

"It can't be true!" he yelled. The next moment he was running up the steps, and he skidded to a stop and threw open the doors to Softwin's room. She looked up at him, shocked.

"Tell me who you are! Who you really are!" he screamed, his voice pitching high.

"I am Softwin!" she yelled back.

"No! Are you some lying member of Royalty? Some snobby high-born Lady? Tell me!"

She was crying now. "I.....I am Softwin, High Princess of Adalia."

"Liar! Tell me the truth! I don't want any more of your lies!"

"I tell you the truth, now! I am the High Princess of Adalia, Duchess of the Western March, heir of the Chutni Sea, Lady of the Whispering Pines, Heart of the High King and Lady, Soul to the Heir, daughter of Lord Taylwin Clan Rocwynd, the High King of Adalia, King of Tyrrian, Duke of the Chutni Sea, Conqueror of the Faighst Desert, Unifier of the Twelve Clans, General of the Esteemed Red Eagles!" she chanted.

"Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!" Kandaer yelled. He grabbed a picture hanging on the wall and threw in on the floor. After that, he went into a complete frenzy. He roared and smashed everthing in the room he could reach with his talons. Splinters flew around the room, and feathers and stuffing from pillows clogged the air. Softwin screamed, and ran out of the inn, tears streaming down her face. Kandaer stopped, sides heaving.

He looked around the room, his mind a complete blank. His brain snapped back and he looked around the room, amazed at the damage he did. He heard voices and footsteps behind him, and looked from the door to the window.

Great. That must be Kyriit coming! The last thing I need now is to tangle with a Royal Guard!

He nodded to the window and lunged out of it, leaving his bags behind. He heard a loud, gruff voice behind him and flew faster, knowing that a certain innkeeper was on the way.

More realization sunk into his head, and he began frantically looking around for Softwin, which slowed down his flying speed, giving Kyriit more time to gain on him.

Where is she, where is she...gods, please, let me find her!

He saw a rapidly retreating form in the distance, heading West at a high speed. He power winged his way after it, and it began to take the shape and color of Softwin.

Those little Royal things are fast! She's almost out-flying me! Wait a second...Royalty, speed...

He twisted to his left hard and pulled up, looping very tightly, almost blacking out. Kyriit flashed by, missing him by less than a feather width. Kandaer again powered forward, trying to guess when Kyriit would arrive. He had two more successful guesses, but then Kyriit landed a pair of perfect slashes on his side, making him curl up and roll from the sudden shock of pain.

He opened his wings again, which he had involuntarily closed, and decided just to evade the next few hits. He and Kyriit twisted for a long time, and Kandaer was shocked at how well he evaded the Royal warrior, but then he remembered the age difference between them.

He looked at Softwin's retreating form. :Softwin!: He cried out, feeling several more slashes and much more pain. :Don't go! I'm sorry! Gods, Softwin, please come back!:

He screeched in pain as Kyriit got the better of Kandaer's exhausted flying attempts and caught Kandaer with a fisted talon, blurring his vision. His wings faltered and he began to fall, but was able to make a half-decent crash landing near the forest. He groaned and stayed still, feeling to dizzy to stand. He heard a thump behind him and turned to see Kyriit, angrily walking up to him. He snagged Kandaer's crest feathers and lifted his head.

"Listen, you cocky little kitten," He snarled. "It was insulting to hear you talk to me that last week. It was even more insulting to have you barge back in here with some female you seem to like a lot, then learn she's like me and then decide to not only cuss her out, but also to trash my inn because of it. Now I am giving you two choices: Come back and tidy up my place and earn my trust, or become even more injured."

He winced in pain as Kyriit continued yanking out Kandaer's crest feathers. "I'd prefer pain right now." He snarled back, wishing he could get into a position to land a few of his own hits on Kyriit.

"Let him go."

Kyriit's head spun around in surprise, but never released his grip. Kandaer craned his neck to look, and saw Softwin standing nearby, a few tears running down her cheeks, but looking as beautiful as Kandaer's wildest dreams.

"He's coming with me." Kyriit said gruffly, then picked Kandaer up. "Come on, boy."

They started to walk past Softwin, but just as Kyriit passed, Softwin lashed out several times with shocking speed, connecting on each try with some part of Kyriit's body.

She glared at him again. "I said let him go."

Kyriit looked at Softwin and growled, but flew off in silence, not wanting to tangle with two people younger than he, one with just as much training.

Kandaer smiled awkwardly at her. "Thanks." He said. "I owe you one."

CHAPTER 10

They were able to get their equipment back, even though Kandaer had to pay a steep fee for the repair of the inn room. Kyriit didn't say much, but Kandaer knew what he was thinking: And don't even think of coming back, little whelp.

They walked for a while, because Kandaer didn't trust his wings and head enough to attempt flying. With the help of Softwin, they had stopped the bleeding from Kandaer's side and head, but that didn't take away the pain. He winced every time he made an odd turn.

They walked in silence for a long time, neither side willing to utter the first word about their confrontation. Kandaer was having too much time trying to ignore a tension headache while he thought.

Great. Out of one problem and into another. I'm starting to wish I had never tried to follow her. I followed my heart, and ignored my reasoning. I shouldn't have acted that way. Gods, I acted like Silvyn. And it's her fault!

He cursed himself for thinking that. It was unfair to blame Softwin for her lineage. Why didn't I think like that for the rest of the Royalty I've met? I'm so blind by prejudice that I can't see the good in people. And Softwin is a really nice person.

Should I leave her tonight? No, that'd be abandoning her. She needs as much support as I do right now, and that's the easy way out. Should I just help her get home, then say good-bye to her? But I don't know if I want to leave her...

He was stuck. They stopped for the night, speaking only when needed, and sticking to the subject at hand. She slept farther away from him than she had the first night on their journey. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't sleep. He was exhausted, but sleep would not come.

He had many choices, some of them still unclear. He could leave, he could help her, he could ignore her, he could listen, he could like her as a friend, he could still live near her, he could keep in touch with her, he could still love her for who she was...

He felt himself sinking into a hole, unable to get out. He felt driven by his emotions.

Well, stupid bird, if you're listening to your heart alone, bring your brain in to assist. You use it sparingly, anyway. It probably has hundreds of ideas for you.

Kandaer started reasoning with himself, and one by one, his problems dropped away and he began crawling out of his hole. In the end, he realized that she probably was afraid of him, and needs him to help her. He realized that friendship with her would be the easiest and safest route, but to continue loving her would be work, and maybe dangerous. He might have to accept a new lifestyle if things did work out like he hoped. But he liked challanges.

Softwin was back in the inn. Kandaer was there, pacing around her, throwing insults at her. He struck her several times, drawing blood. He continued tearing up her self-esteem, angrily snapping lies and curses at her.

She had covered her head with her wings and was curled into a ball in the corner while he screamed and hit her, crying. She could hear nothing but his insults, and could feel nothing but his claws. And he wouldn't stop!

She opened her eyes and snapped her head up suddenly, and the inn was gone. She was back next to the road.

"Softwin? Are you ok?"

Softwin turned and saw Kandaer looking at her with a concerned expression. She nodded quickly and backed away from him once he moved closer.

He looked at her curiously. "Softwin, you must've had a nightmare. It's all right. It's over." He looked down at her petrified form sadly. "Trust me, Softwin."

He lay down next to her, making her jump slightly. He put a wing over her and carressed her cheek with a talon, calming her down. She was still a little afraid that her dream was some sort of vision of the future.

Kandaer nuzzled her and spoke quietly and soothingly. "Softwin, I've stayed up all night thinking about my options."

Options? She thought, frightened. What options?

"What options?" She said aloud.

Kandaer stroked her cheek some more. "I have a lot of choices. The way I see it, friendship is safe. Friendship is an easy explanation. I thought about leaving you here alone, but I hate the idea."

"So..." Softwin said, voice shakey. "Are we just friends now?"

Kandaer was very quiet for a long time. Softwin looked at him and saw him staring at the dirt. He finally looked into her eyes.

"Softwin, I don't care who you really are. I don't care that you are Royalty. I accept that as the way you really are, and I still want to be more than friends."

Softwin waited for him to say something negative, something she hoped he wouldn't say, but he didn't. He was silent, and they stared at each other for a long time.

She swallowed. "So, you've forgiven me for lying to you?"

Kandaer nodded and stayed silent.

Softwin smiled, her fears gone, and nuzzled Kandaer, a gesture that he returned gratefully, and just as happily.

Sleep, when it came again, was peaceful and filled with sweet images.

**********

"It's been almost a month..." Wyndheart said, trying to warm up his tired and cramped wing muscles in the cold morning air. "Maybe we should find Tyroe and Afala and rest back home for a while."

Sunfire looked at his map while Wyndheart continued flapping his wings to warm them up. "Let's keep looking. There's a group of villages nearby. Tundri, Azdieth, Batri, and Yielle. Let's search there." He smiled at Wyndheart when the tired gryphon slumped back down onto the ground. "Then we'll go home."

**********

Nitehawk looked up as Silvyn entered his Council room, wearing hunting clothes and looking quite ragged. He walked up to Nitehawk and stood beak-to-beak with him.

"Have you noticed that Kandaer is gone again?" He said forcefully. "I thought that when you said you would have a talk with him, you would tie a rope around his legs and wings."

Nitehawk smiled. "Quite the opposite, Silvyn. I gave Kandaer permission to leave Vagabond's Haven whenever he wants. Is his aerie still cluttered up?"

"Yes," Silvyn said, "Why?"

Nitehawk nodded. "Then don't worry. Kan hasn't moved out yet."

Silvyn's beak gaped open in shock. "You gave him permission to move out?! You're letting him run off with some beautiful girl to live happily ever after, and won't even let me visit my relatives?!"

Nitehawk growled and grabbed Silvyn's beak. "Listen, like it or not, you are part of the Council, and I need you here at all times. Kan is not part of the Council, and like all other Council members, is free to live where he wants and move out if he likes. I don't own these people."

"Technically, you do." Silvyn said through a clenched beak, and recieved a smack from Nitehawk.

"I want you to shut up right now. Not another word! Now get out of here before I get really mad."

Silvyn glared at Nitehawk and stalked off, leaving Nitehawk with a sense of guilt. Was that how everyone thought of him?

CHAPTER 11

Softwin watched Kan fly along side her. He was pretty much healed, but she still saw him grimace a few time while pumping his wings. She slid alongside him.

"You sure you're ok to fly?" she asked.

Kandaer nodded and grinned, "Yeah, most of the kinks are worked out. I'll be up to my usual excellence again in no time."

She gave him a shove and chuckled. "Your usual egotistical self, you mean."

They had been getting along well these past few day, both trying to forget the incident. But sometimes, when they stopped to rest, Softwin seemed to shy away from him. As they stopped for the night, Kan decided to ask her why.

"Softwin, is there something wrong?"

She sighed. "I guess I should tell you. I keep having dreams....bad dreams...."

"Do you really think I'd hurt you?" Kan asked, shocked.

"They're not just about you....it's.....it's so confusing. Wars, people I know hurt, dying...." She shook her head. "I just don't know. I'm scared...."

"Oh, Softwin, I'm sorry," he said as he put his wing over her protectivly. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

She nodded slowly, and then nuzzled him. "Just being here with me helps. Thanks a lot."

"It's no chore to be here with you, let me tell you that," he said, and grinned.

She tried to smile back, but yawned in the middle of it. Kandaer chuckled, then yawned, too. Both curled up together for a night's rest.

**********

Sunfire sighed and shifted on the bed in his room at the inn. He and Wyndheart had arrived in Yielle yesterday, and when they asked around for a gryphon who met Softwin's description, they had been directed to this place. The innkeeper, something-or-other Firewater, had been curtious enough to them at first, but as soon as they described the girl they were looking for, he became decidedly hostile. Something about Softwin's cocky kitten friend who trashed one of his rooms. Firewater refused to tell them more, but did say that they had left going West. Well, that means she's probably going back home, which is good, he thought. This princess-chasing thing had gotten old quick. And I always thought I was the rambunctious one.

Wyndheart came up into the room and slumped down.

"Well, I talked to the innkeeper for more information," he said. "He wouldn't say much about Softwin or the guy she was with, except that they had a fight and he totally trashed one of his rooms."

"I hope she's ok," said Sunfire.

"I think she is. Trained by the best, remember?"

Sunfire nodded. Softwin had been a fairly good military student, she could hold her own. What was she doing going around with a country gryphon, though? She definately had some explaining to do when the caught up.

**********

Rain. It was raining? The sun was blazing, the day was dry. Rain? Softwin shook her head. No, it's not raining.

The rain beat down, plastering her feathers. There was no sun. Wasn't the sun just out? Softwin shook her head. There was no sun.

A large gryphon reared up ahead of her. No, he was not so large. He fought off the rain. Fought off the rain? Lightning struck, thunder rumbled. The gryphon cried out. The sun rose, and the rain was banished....now there was sun.

Softwin woke with a start. These dreams were coming more often, sometimes more then once a night. More often then not, they involved people and places she didn't know. Almost always there was sun in them. Frankly, she was getting quite freaked out.

She took a few deep breaths and looked around. It was still night out, and pitch-black. She looked at Kandaer, curled around her and sleeping soundly. She smiled softly and scratched him behind his ears gently, and he sighed contentedly and nuzzled closer, oblivious to her dreams.

She stopped scratching him and thought for a while, wondering what these dreams could mean. Each one was different, yet all had the same feeling--the same attitude--and each one was stranger than the last.

They weren't exactly frightening, but they did give her a certain sense of dread, even though she was asleep. It was as if her brain knew what was happening, but she couldn't wake up, even if she tried. It was as if the dreams didn't allow her, like they had a message.

Softwin felt a cool breeze and saw the slightest hint of light. It wasn't as late as she thought. She sighed and put her head back down next to Kandaer's, determined to get a few more hours of sleep.

**********

"Did that innkeeper say when Softwin had left the inn?"

Wyndheart was silent for a second as they flew along, and Sunfire waited patiently for him to answer.

"He said about two days ago, I think. But he also said that her male friend got pretty banged up--he wouldn't say how--so that means the couldn't have gone far." Wyndheart said, sounding more sure of himself as he finished.

Sunfire nodded. "Great. Let's follow the road. Softwin always liked to stick to landmarks."

**********

Water flew into the air as Softwin tromped into the river to wash. She ducked her head under, and shot it up, creating a mini-fountain. She chuckled as a few drops landed on Kandaer, who was watching from the bank.

"Hey, I said I didn't need a bath!" he yelled.

"I can at least try to make you look half civilized!"

"Pampered princess!" he shot back, grinning.

Softwin turned toward him and fanned her wings, spraying Kandaer. He looked over at her, water dripping down his beak.

"Why you little..." he said. She laughed as Kan ran into the river after her. She led him on a chase down the river, water flying everywhere. They took a sharp turn, and Softwin dropped out of sight.

"Hey! Softwin!" Kan yelled as he looked around for her. He crawled out of the river and scanned the forest. He couldn't see a sign. "Softwin! Hey, where'd you go?"

A slight creak from a tree branch was his only warning. She came soaring out of the underbrush and crashed right into him. They tumbled together on the ground, chuckling. It ended up with both of them lying on the ground near the water, eyes locked.

Kandaer felt a chill that had nothing to do with the water as he stared at Softwin, who stared back at him. He reached his neck out and nuzzled her gently, and she returned the sentiment. He felt the chills recede and suddenly became very warm.

He grinned and spoke, keeping his voice low. "Look at us. A pair of sentimental idiots, sharing a moment in the middle of nowhere, and we both look like drowned rats."

Softwin chuckled and moved around next to him, snuggling close. "Being sentimental isn't a crime."

"Being a princess and looking like a drowned rat is." Kandaer said, chuckling. Softwin gently smacked him on the beak and grinned. Kandaer looked at her again and smiled.

"You know, you have very beautiful, swirly coloring." He said, and Softwin blushed and thanked him. He thought for a second. "You know, you need a nickname."

Softwin smiled. "It is ok if I call you Kan, right?"

"Of course." Kandaer said. "Why wouldn't you be able to?"

Softwin shrugged. "You can call me Goddess." She said, and grinned slyly.

Kandaer chuckled. "No, I prefer something much more subtle." He said, and traced the purple band around her eyes with a talon. "How about Swirl?" He asked.

She smiled and nuzzled his neck. "Then Swirl it is."

CHAPTER 12

Silvyn sat out on the small, makeshift "patio" of Kandaer's home, feeling depressed. He knew that he'd never be able to leave the Haven until either his Councilship was revoked or something damaging to his reputation happened that really pushed Nitehawk over the edge.

He'd been getting sour looks from the other Council members at their meetings. The fact that he was the youngest one amongst them and still trying to gain total respect didn't help. Because of this, he began snapping at them, insulting them, and simply walking out of meetings, disgusted with the way they kept looking at him and critisizing him.

If only Kandaer were here! He whined silently. He always helped me out before. Now he's gone, and been gone for a long time. I just don't get it! I was always superior to him any many aspects...I could outfly him, outsmart him, and outplay him in a game of stones. Then why does he get the girl and run off to gods-know-where with her?

He sat and sulked for a little longer and watched the other villagers fly or walk by. The population had risen to thirty-five people, almost an all-time high for the village. Somehow, people heard about the Haven, despite the fact that it wasn't listed on any maps.

:Silvyn, with me.: A voice said, and he looked up to see Nitehawk gracefully kiting above, blocking out the sun. :We need to talk.:

Oh, lovely. Silvyn thought. I wonder what his greatness wants to pin on me now. That's all I am, a pawn. I have no say in the meetings, almost, I'm stuck here in this dirty, boring place, and--

:Come on, Silvyn.: Nitehawk said, and Silvyn sighed, but followed, forming up next to Nitehawk as they glided to Nitehawk's aerie. They landed, and Nitehawk nodded to the back room.

"This way." He said, "Unless you want to get tackled by a playful fledgling."

Silvyn smiled slightly and followed Nitehawk, but one false step sent a creak through the floorboards. Silvyn and Nitehawk grimaced, but it was cut short by a high-pitched squeal.

"Sssssiiiiilllllvvvvyyyyynnnn!!!!!" Was the only thing he heard, and then a blur emerged from a side door, flew through the air, and latched to the back of his neck, growling and gnawing at his feathers.

Silvyn chuckled and reached back to pry Nitehawk's son off, but the little fluffball was latched on like there was no tomorrow. Rirrik casually strolled after her son while the two males attempted to disentangle the youngster, without much luck. She looked at the scene and chuckled.

"Hello Silvyn." She said, then sighed. "Hang on."

Silvyn nodded to her in hello, and she walked back into the other room, emerging with a small red, blue, and green ball, and tapped it against the doorframe. It began playing an old lullaby, and the colors began changing and shifting.

"Mmmmoooommmmyyyy!" The tuft of feathers yelled, and it lunged back towards his mother, snatching the ball out of her hands and rolling along the floor with it. "Don't play with my toys!"

Silvyn chuckled, but then caught Nitehawk's eye, and fell silent. Rirrik shut the door to the play room, and Silvyn entered the back room with Nitehawk. He shut the door and took a seat across from the Chief Elder, who sighed deeply.

"Silvyn, you seem upset." Was all he said, then, as an afterthought, apologized for the actions of his son. Silvyn grinned, but then assessed Nitehawk's comment.

"Yes, I am." He said flatly, eyes defiantly locked with his superior's. "I'm controlled by not only my mother, but also by you and the rest of the Council. And frankly, the Council doesn't seem to like me."

Nitehawk stared at Silvyn blankly, making him nervous. Finally, the Chief spoke. "Silvyn, you're absolutely right. The Council spoke with me, and they are unhappy with your attitude."

"What attitude?" Silvyn scoffed.

"That one." Nitehawk said, grinning sadly. "And the fact that you can't stop flirting with everyone's daughter."

Silvyn turned red, a rare thing for him. He never knew that the ladies' parents would find out about him...!

Nitehawk continued. "Silvyn, I admit it. I have been unfair to you. I've been unfair to all of the Council members by keeping them tied down here. I was even less fair by letting Kan run off and not letting you go visit people for a few days."

Silvyn was shocked silent. He'd never heard Nitehawk apologize about something of this matter!

"I would love to let you leave and go travel freely, but it would be unfair to the other Council members." Nitehawk said. "And I can't offer everyone that option, because I'm sure you'd all leave instantly for an extended vacation. I'm thinking of giving everyone leave time, but I still need to think about it."

Silvyn felt that he was about to gain freedom. "Well? Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Nitehawk said, then fell silent, shaking his head. "Silvyn, you've been a great contributor to the Council, but I'm afraid I have to do this. It's even worse since you are the heir to the Main Chair in the Council."

Silvyn swallowed and nodded, and Nitehawk took a deep breath. "Silvyn, I'll come right out and say you have a bad reputation here. You're the flirt, you're the tough-guy-wannabe, and you're the showoff. You've got an attitude I've only seen in major cities, and an attitude that often got those big-city gryphons arrested for something or other. I've never seen anyone like you in a small village, let alone in this one. And once Kandaer left, you've gotten...well, worse."

Silvyn felt his heart sink as Nitehawk paused. "Listen, Silvyn, I hate to do this, and don't hold it against me, but I'm going to remove you from the Council and evict you from your aerie. Your mother has been informed, and she's set up an extra room for you."

Silvyn's beak gaped open. "What?! I'm losing privilges just because nobody likes me?!"

Nitehawk winced. "Silvyn, please, it's not my fault. The entire village voted on this, and they think it's the wisest choice if you live with family and cool down a bit. You're turning into another Janil...and not even you would like that."

Silvyn couldn't argue against that, and didn't try to. He just nodded somberly as Nitehawk wrapped up. "Your Council seat will be given to Hurkas. You will be allowed to travel freely, but will be unable to move out. Once we have proof you've calmed down and are more mature, you can do whatever you like." He swallowed, and Silvyn could tell that he had a hard time delivering this order. "You may go."

**********

"Nice one!" Kandaer said, smiling, as he trotted out from the bushes to where Softwin was standing, a deer lying at her feet. "It's getting enjoyable watching you hunt."

She smiled. "I still prefer greens."

Kandaer made a face and nuzzled her, then looked down at the deer. "Well, I can be sure that I have dinner, at least. You have something to garnish your...greens..." He said, and shivered.

Softwin smiled and helped Kandaer get the deer back to their camp by the road, but they stopped about halfway there when a deep growling came from nearby. Kandaer held her still with a talon.

"Put the deer down." He said quietly, and they lowered it onto the brush. More growling noises came, and Softwin became edgy when she realized that they were surrounded.

"Wolves." Kandaer whispered to her. "At least five. Tougher than you'd think."

"How do you know?" Softwin whispered back.

"I met an unhappy family once."

She nodded, and Kandaer took a few cautious steps forward, with Softwin glued to his side. He knew what he was doing, and she wasn't going to argue with him.

There was a rustling behind them, and they slowly turned around to look. The deer was gone completely. Kandaer's eyes widened, and Softwin looked at him in worry. He swallowed, and his silver eyes bounced around the area, looking very carefully.

"That's not a wolf pack." He said nervously. "Wolves can't drag deer that fast." He caught her eye and took a deep breath. "Fly."

They lunged up, wingtips almost colliding, clearing the canopy just as thrashing and snarling noises emerged from below. It must have been an ambush. Softwin didn't want to know what it was.

They landed in a clearing, laughing in giddy amazement and shock. Kandaer smiled at her. "Swirl, you should've seen your face! You looked like a kitten stuck in a hollowed-out log!" He said, laughing.

Softwin blushed and chuckled, then cast a shy glance at him, making him fall silent and look at her curiously. She smiled at him. "You looked really smart out there." She said. "You looked like you knew exactly what was going on."

Kandaer shrugged and modestly scratched his head. "Well, I just listened for clues...it was nothing very amazing."

Softwin smiled and nuzzled him, purring quietly. He nuzzled back, then put a talon around her neck and pulled both of them down, where they landed with a thump. She laughed and nuzzled closer, and Kandaer did the same. Softwin hoped that he didn't have plans for a while.

Sunfire flew in lazy barrel rolls, trying to keep himself entertained as they flew back West. They had been flying for almost two complete days, on and on and on, with very few hours of sleep. If they had any chance of catching up with Softwin and her accomplice, it would hopefully be soon, because Sunfire's wings were starting to burn with pain.

"What's that?" Wyndheart said, pointing down next to the road. Sunfire squinted and looked carefully.

"A few packs. Probably some lost supplies. Let's go search for stuff."

"The owners might be around." Wyndheart reasoned.

"The owners might also be playing stones in the magical Realm." Sunfire scoffed. "Come on, we're running low anyway. They might not notice a few missing compasses and and blankets."

Wyndheart shrugged and they landed, searching through the bags of trinkets. Sunfire plopped a compass and some dried food into his own pack, but then saw something that caught his eye. He snatched it from the pack and held it up, beak gaping.

"Wyndheart! Wyndheart! Look! It's her!" He rattled, then tossed the amulet to his friend, who caught it and did a double take.

Engraved on the amulet was the Rocwynd family crest, and also at the top was inscribed, "Princess Softwin."

Wyndheart stuffed the amulet in his pack. "Fly! Now! Search for her!" He ordered, and Sunfire complied. They launched into the air and skimmed the treetops. Sunfire's eyes darted all around, then he veered right when he saw a clearing. Wyndheart followed, and they landed in the clearing. Sunfire saw two forms in the tall grass, and landed close enough that he could get a good view. Wyndheart landed close by, getting his talon stuck in a gopher hole. He cursed silently, and Sunfire hushed him.

"Did you hear that?" Softwin asked, looking out in the direction of the sound. Kandaer stopped nuzzling and followed her gaze to the grass, and shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't hear anything."

Softwin waited a few more moments, then shrugged and smiled to Kandaer. They continued snuggling, each with a wing draped over the other. She became lost in the moment, and didn't notice the approaching footsteps.

"Softwin?" Came a familiar voice from behind her, and she and Kandaer jumped high into the air, spinning around to see who interrupted. Standing in front of them was a baffled Sunfire, staring blankly first from Softwin to Kandaer, then back again. Softwin turned a bright red and looked away. "Hi Sunfire."

Kandaer looked at her. "I suppose that you two are aquainted...?"

Softwin nodded and explained to Kandaer who Sunfire was, and then Wyndheart emerged from the grass, just as surprised as the rest. Suddenly, Sunfire grinned hugely. "Softwin, you have no idea how good it is to see you again!"

Kandaer watched in bafflement as the three gryphons talked with each other, but whenever Sunfire attempted to tell Wyndheart what he...witnessed...Softwin would throw him a glare that only a princess could throw, and he would fall silent.

"What?" Wyndheart asked after the third time Sunfire was cut off by Softwin's stare. "What's wrong?"

Softwin smiled sweetly. "Nothing, Wyndheart. And you don't want to know." She looked to Kandaer, who was lying nearby, watching the other three with interest. "Now, let's get home. We will explain, right Kan?"

Kandaer shrugged. "I guess, but can we go get dinner first?"

CHAPTER 13

Softwin flew along with her friends. They would be back at the Great Aerie soon. Home. But after that? Where is my life heading? She looked over at Kan, soaring at her side. And what about him? What's my future with Kan?

Wyndheart, at her other side, turned toward her and asked, "What are you thinking about? The dreams again?"

She had told Sunfire and Wyndheart about her dreams, but neither of them understood the visions any more then she did. Or the incident with the Great Dragon. Softwin had a feeling she was missing something important, but there were more immediate things to take care of now.

"Not particularly, just life in general," she answer, and then grinned. "Everyone back home always said I thought too much."

He grinned back. "That's no bad thing. Better to think too much and waste a few days than rush right in and end all your days."

Softwin nodded, and Wyndheart directed his speach to Kan.

"And what about you, friend? Any special thoughts, revelations, words of wisdom?"

Kandaer shook his head. "Nah, just your average, everyday thoughts."

Sunfire joined in and said, "What, girls, food, and fun?" He laughed.

Softwin shifted over and mock-hit him over the head. "We're not talking about remidial minds here!" she said, chuckling.

"Sorry, Princess, I didn't know farmboy over here was a learned scholoar!" Sunfire retorted.

"A turnip is a learned scholoar when compared to you, sir," noted Wyndheart.

Sunfire put on a hurt face, and everyone burst out laughing.

**********

Silvyn paced around his new room at his mother's aerie. This is so unfair! And it's getting old. No more complaining for me, oh no! I'm going to do something! I'm leaving! Kan got to, so why shouldn't I?

He stomped into the living room, walked out of the aerie, and took off.

Not too much later, he stopped. Oops. I don't have anything with me. A map would help....some food, a compass.... Silvyn turned around and headed back to the village. Nitehawk was waiting for him.

"And just what were you doing?" he asked.

"Umm, just going out for a little fly, you know...."

Nitehawk shook his head. "You were probably trying to run away. I'd better keep an eye on you."

Silvyn just stuck out his tounge at him and sulked back into his room. One day I'll get away from here.

**********

Tomorrow they would reach the Great Aerie. Kandaer was a little edgy. No, that's a huge understatement. He'd be entering a palace, meeting Lords, Ladies, the High King himself! Things every commoner always dreamed of. Gods, the High Princess was in love with him! It was like a childhood fairy tale. Kan looked over at Softwin. He'd really like some quiet time with her, but with her two friends here, they hadn't had any time alone.

They had stopped flying for a while and were thinking of setting up for the night. They were just entering a city that he had learned was called Shyan, a trading town with not much look forward to in the morning except a meal at one of the inns, and that was supposedly an insult.

They checked into their rooms, each of them being crowded into something about the size of a wagon--too small to be called a room--with two beds and little floor space. Kandaer watched as Softwin, Sunfire, and Wyndheart argued about who would get a bed, and while they were doing that, chuckled and set himself down on one of the beds, folding his ears back and putting his head under his wing, and was soon asleep, while the other three continued arguing.

He awoke early the next morning to see Sunfire in the opposite bed, Wyndheart sleeping on the wooden floor, and Softwin curled into a little ball next to him, sleeping soundly. Kandaer grinned and nibbled her ear, and she slowly lifted her head and smiled sleepily at him.

Kandaer smiled back. "Well, your home is quite a ways from here. We should start on our was as soon as possible."

Softwin nodded and leaned up against Kandaer. "I'm just wondering how my parents and brother are going to react when I tell them I've fallen for a commoner who lives weeks away."

Kandaer was silent for a moment as he thought. He'd considered doing this a whole lot the past few weeks, but didn't have enough courage. He shrugged. Well, it was now or never, and he couldn't see any drawbacks.

"Swirl?" He said, and she turned her head to look at him. He stared directly into her eyes, a warm feeling taking over his body. He nuzzled her once--mostly to calm himself--and spoke.

"Princess Softwin," He said in deadpan seriousness, and Softwin looked at him curiously. He continued, "I'm not planning on going back to Vagabond's Haven. I know good from bad, and I am positive that what I am about to ask is for the good. Princess Softwin of Clan Rocwynd, I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul. Will you marry me?"

Not a word was exchanged, but Kandaer knew what she meant when she laughed in joy and held him close.

**********

Kandaer gasped as they entered the Great Aerie. It was huge! Golden, jewled buttresses soared up to hold the high stone ceiling of the main hall. Lords and Ladies walked by, exchanging nods or bows with Softwin and her friends. They walked for what seemed like ages, crossing by numerous other hallways, all seemingly more beautiful then the next. Then they came upon a pair of huge doors, carved with all sorts of creatures and creations, with a huge relief of the Rocwynd crest in the center. Softwin pushed them open.

"Softwin!"

Kandaer stood to the side with Sunfire and Wyndheart as Softwin was eagerly welcomed home by her parents, the High King and Queen, and her brother. He couldn't help but feel intimidated at the sight of these people, especially Lord Taylwin Clan Rocwynd! Kandaer had heard tales of him when he was still learning how to flap his wings correctly. His presence totally outweighed the beauty of the throne room.

Kandaer waited as Softwin was greeted by her family (with a few tears shed from her mother) and then watched as Sunfire and Wyndheart were welcomed back. Then, the High King himself stood in front of Kandaer, looking down on him curiously. Lady Nightsky and Prince Lytetalon stood around him, making him twitch nervously. Partly from all the attention, partly from fear, and partly from the claustrophobia.

"Who is this, Softwin?" Lytetalon asked slyly, finally, turning his head to look at his sister, who stood nearby, blushing. "Where'd you pick this one up? Opeiga? Riverford?"

"Dad, mom, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Kandaer Icefeather. He's from Vagabond's Haven, off to the East."

"FIANCE?!?!"

"VAGABOND?!?!"

"WHAT?!?!"

Chaos followed, a thousand questions flying through the air. Softwin tried to answer them, but all she could catch were snatches of phrases. The other courtiers stared at the knot of gryphons in confusion, some asking if there was anything wrong. Kan and Softwin tried to calm her family down.

"Ok, ok, one at a time!" shouted Softwin.

The noise continued.

"Please, be quiet," asked Wyndheart.

Everyone stopped.

"Thanks, Wynd," said Softwin.

"No problem."

She briefly told the story of her journey, from the attack by the Great Dragon to the reunion with Sunfire and Wyndheart. She omitted some parts, such as her lies to Kandaer. She thought her parents noticed some gaps, but they didn't press. Some day, she might tell them, but for now, it was best to keep the story simple to avoid confusion.

"A commoner from the East is your fiancé?" Lytetalon asked, surprised. "Wow, Softwin, I thought you'd get someone more important and with higher status." He caught Kandaer's eye and patted his neck. "No offense, though."

"None taken." Kandaer said, seeming to be more at ease as Softwin watched. "I've gotten the dirty country boy looks before."

Her father turned to the four young males standing nearby. "Could you excuse us?" He asked, and everyone except Softwin and her parents left.

"Dear, I respect you decisions as much as mine, but are you sure you're making the right choice?" he asked.

Softwin nodded, "Yes, daddy. There's something about him that....goes perfect with me. We're two halves of the whole, I guess."

He looked at Nightsky, who nodded.

"Well, then, congratulations! We'll have to start the wedding preperations....you are still the High Princess, you know, and we'll need all the royal paraphenalia. I'd better start getting all the invitations ready, too!" Taylwin grinned and nuzzled his daughter. "I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to speak more to this gryphon who's taken your heart so."

"I'm sure you'll love him," said Softwin.

CHAPTER 14

Rirrik watched as her hyperactive son dug his claws into the walls of their wooden aerie, clawing his way up to the top of the wall and gnawing at things on the top shelves. Rirrik sighed and reached up, grabbing Kitiki by the waist. Her son squawked, flapped, and writhed, trying to escape the awful grasp of his mother, but wasn't successful. Rirrik placed him back on the floor and corralled him with a talon towards the front door. Her son shrieked with joy and bolted out the door, causing the two twin Thunderwing brothers to bound out of the way as the diminutive creature screamed by.

She chuckled as they waved a surprised good-bye to the speeding, howling, and stumbling grey furball, then continued on. Rirrik let her son run rampant through the village, knowing that one of her neighbors would snatch him and bring him back if he did anything stupid, like always. It gave her time to think.

She couldn't remember how long it had been since Kandaer left. Weeks? No, that wasn't long enough. It was more like months. Nobody had heard a word from him. Not a sound, and she suspected that that girl he ran off with had snatched his heart for good. She had asked him about...what was her name? Softwin?...while he was still being hospitable to her at Vagabond's Haven. She was curious to know if he was...interested...in her. Naturally, Kandaer, being the conserved person he is, denied any sort of long-term relationship. Rirrik had just grinned at him and walked off.

Yes, she was pretty sure that Kandaer was not coming back, except to get his things. And he'd probably do that in secret, late at night, when everyone was asleep, so he wouldn't attract curious neighbors like flies. She wasn't surprised, actually. Rirrik was starting to wonder when he would fall for someone, since it had been a while since he had talked to any female as a friend, let alone a future mate.

She sighed. The reason he was being so shy to the opposite sex was obviously because of his trauma with Saira. She swore that the boy had no luck whatsoever with his love life, but Rirrik suspected that he had his head on straight now.

"Let go!"

She lazily looked up at the approaching gryphon, with her son dangling from her beak, desperately trying to get away to play. Rirrik smiled as her son was placed carefully between her forelegs.

"Thank you, Steava," she said, smoothing her son's ruffled feathers. "Right on cue, too." She smiled.

Steava chuckled. "He found a new toy: My tail." She said, then flapped her lithe tail in front of Kitiki, who grinned and swiped at it, snarling playfully.

Rirrik laughed. "Yes, he seems to think other people's body parts are meant to be attacked." They looked down at Kitiki as he watched a fly closely, as it buzzed around his head. It landed on his beak and his eyes crossed, then slumped on to his side as he lost his balance. They both laughed, and Rirrik thanked Steava and walked back into her aerie, Kitiki in tow.

**********

Softwin and Lytetalon had spent a lot of time catching up, and most of it included Softwin's daring tales of adventure.

Well, that's how interested Lytetalon seemed in the stories.

"So it went from you acting like a klutz and messing up his hunt to passionate nights in a meadow?" He said, grinning. "This is such a perfect love story, it should be a novel."

Softwin smiled and shrugged, but inside was laughing at Lytetalon. That's what he thinks. I haven't told him about Kyriit and my little white lies.

She did feel a little guilty, though. These people were her family. But she wasn't going to tell them about how Kandaer went crazy and almost attacked her, for fear of having him thrown out of the Great Aerie for attempted murder of a Royal Family Member. She would tell them after the wedding. A good while after the wedding.

Kandaer was off with two of his new friends, Sunfire and Wyndheart, being given a tour of the Great Aerie and the surrounding areas. It gave him the perfect chance to unwind, and it gave her the perfect chance to amaze her brother without fear of interruptions from courtiers or her parents, who were busily discussing decorations and invitations with supervisors and other important personages. If they had questions, they knew where to find either of the lovers.

Softwin continued telling Lytetalon her stories, while he sat in front of her listening.

"Wow, Softwin, you've had more adventures than I ever wished I could have." He said, smiling. "Mom and dad always wanted me around for the important things."

She shrugged. "Of course, you're the prince. Princes always get more attention than princesses in the books. Princes are the warriors, the wise ones, the seductors in some cases. But Princesses? Oh, we're the ones that strive to adventure, are always defended by the handsome rogue who will later become our husbands and run off with us, and we always get captured by dragons." She fell silent and caught Lytetalon's eye. He grinned in surprise.

Softwin chuckled, just as surprised. In rational thinking, it was all true! She did strive to adventure, she did fall in love with the handsome rogue, and she was captured by the dragon!

Lytetalon shook his head in disbelief. "And you always said that the authors of those books were dreamers with too much spare time."

Softwin smiled. "They are," she said. "They've just been studying me, obviously."

**********

Kandaer and Sunfire laughed and talked as they glided in towards the Main Hall's entrance. He had been talking with Sunfire, and at first, found him as a brazen, wild person, with not many uses for his brain. But as they got to talking, Kandaer began to take a liking to him. It was frightening, though, because he reminded Kandaer so much of Silvyn!

Silvyn..., he thought. I wonder how he's doing? Gods, I wonder how everyone is doing.

They approached the huge double doors to the main hall, and Sunfire quieted him. "It's late." He said. "Believe it or not, people sleep way out here." He said, grinning.

Kan cocked his head at the doors. "I still here voices, you sure they're asleep?"

"Most of them are," Sunfire grinned, "That's probably either a late night governmenting problem, or they're still arguing about details in your wedding."

A shout came from the inside. "No, no, NO! That's totally unethical! It goes against the whole plan!"

A feminine voice retored, "I'm telling you, if you DON'T add that to the wedding, I'll ship you off to the nearest fishing village. You can do decore there!"

The other voiced squeaked. "You really wouldn't do that, would you?"

A pause.

The voice squeaked again. "As you wish, my Lady."

The feminine voice growled. "This is MY wedding you know, and I want it perfect!"

"Yes, Lady," added a new voice, "but it is one of the biggest events of the year. It must be up to protocol."

"To Hades with protocol! Ug, this is enough for one night! Goodnight!"

Kandaer and Sunfire heard the gryphon approach and throw the door open. Softwin stood there, looking bedraggled and tired. She looked shocked to see them.

"Oh, hi there," she managed.

"Trouble again?" asked Sunfire. "This is the, what, fourth night in a row you've walked out on them."

She shrugged. "Oh well, I guess "royal protocol" goes before my own personal wishes. At least they succumb to some of them!"

Kandaer nuzzled her. "It's ok, I'm sure they're doing their best for you. You deserve it."

"Thanks," she said, grinning. Then she yawned. "Sorry I can't stay to chat more, I'm dead on my feet."

"That's ok, see you tomorrow!"

CHAPTER 15

Kandaer woke up to a knock at the door of the room he was staying in. He raised his head drowsily.

"Come in," he croaked.

High King Taylwin strode into the room. Even though it was early morning, he looked bright and awake. He sat down next to Kan's bed.

"Good morning, son. Mind if I talk to you a bit? You are my daughter's fiancé, you know. I think I deserve to get to know you." He grinned.

Kandaer bolted upright. "Yes, sir, Your Majesty, sir!" he said.

"Please, no titles, we're almost family, you know."

"Uhh, ok, sir....umm, ok."

"How are you this fine morning? Excited about the wedding?"

"Yes, of course!"

Taylwin grinned. "Of course you would be. I wondered who could catch my daughter's heart, and keep it. She has her moments, you know."

Kandaer had to smirk at that last statement.

"So, mind if you tell me a bit about yourself? I've heard Softwin's tale, but nothing about your early life," Taylwin asked.

He had such a presence that Kandaer found himself telling Taylwin his whole story. He started with the magic accident at his home and ended with his meeting with Softwin. Taylwin listened attently, never interupting. At the end of the story, he spoke again.

"Very interesting. It always helps a good king to know what is going on in his kingdom, even if the area is so far away the people there can't even recognize the High Princess when they see her." He winked at Kandaer.

Kan chuckled. Taylwin's next words actually shocked him.

"Would you like to learn of my life?"

"Uhh, sure, sir! Uh, I mean, I've heard the tales before, but never from the person who experienced them."

"And you don't know which tales are lies or not."

With those words, Taylwin started telling him his story, from his very birth. To Kandaer's surprise, he never got bored. Most of the tales he had heard concerning the High King had been the truth, or near it. He truely was a great person. Kandaer hoped he could do half as well as the husband of the High Princess.

**********

I've thought about this for weeks now. I've planned it, dreamed it, and tasted it. There's not a chance in Hades that Nitehawk is going to keep me here.

Silvyn stuck his head out of the door, feeling the breeze run over his face. He craned his head and looked around, making sure the late night watch was away. It was dark out, there was no moon, and Silvyn knew exactly how to get away.

He lunged out of the door, hoping a huge search wouldn't be formed for him like they did for Kandaer. He hated being the huntee and not the hunter.

Low to the ground...skim Nitehawk's aerie quietly, below the window. You know he's watching for you. Avoid the large rocks; it's not necessary to draw blood.

He buzzed Nitehawk's aerie, keeping his body still to avoid feather rustlings. He stayed at a low altitude glide for a while, holding his breath. He made it to the trees, and let it out, thankful he made it. He flew on for a while, just above the treetops, almost blind in the night, but heard another pair of wings flapping, and cursed as he looked around for the source.

:Going somewhere, Silvyn?: Nitehawk asked, no trace of amusement in his voice.

Silvyn flapped all the harder, not caring which direction he was going. He whimpered as Nitehawk's invisible wingbeats kept steady pace with him. He picked up the pace, moving to full speed, but still Nitehawk kept up with him.

:Go away!: He snapped, slowing down again as his wings tired. :How can you find me?:

:Haven't you noticed my coloring is perfect for the nighttime?: Nitehawk asked. :Tell me, can you see me?:

:No.:

:Exactly. Plus I have better eyesight than you, obviously. I've been watching you ever since you stuck your head out the door.:

Silvyn banked and lazily turned back towards Vagabond's Haven, his invisible mentor hovering nearby.

:Can't you just let me leave?: He begged. :You'd have a lot less problems with me.:

:I have no idea what you'd do in a big city.: Nitehawk said. :Your attitude could get you killed within a year, if not a few months.:

:I'll be fine.: Silvyn said. :I never told anyone I was going to live in the city.:

:But it'd be the perfect place for you.: Nitehawk said. :Plenty of people similar to you, big aeries for cheap prices, and not to mention plenty of young ladies to try your luck on. Silvyn, in a city, you're bound to find at least one lady who likes you.:

The only thing Silvyn could think of for that was to sulk the rest of the way home.

**********

Softwin stretched out lazily in the sun. She was finally getting some time off from the wedding preparations. It was going to be a very big ceremony, despite any arguements on her part that she wanted it to be a small family afair. Oh well, I guess I can't have everything I want. She smiled. At least Kan will get to see a real display of royal paraphenalia. A lot of people were attending. Stop thinking about the wedding, you need to relax. She put her head down next to Kandaer's, lying next to her. He opened one silver eye and smiled at her, the laid his head across her neck gently.

"Nervous?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Of course. This is a big day coming up, and with it comes more responsibility."

Kandaer chuckled. "More so for me." He said, smiling, as he pulled his head back and stretched. "The last time I was ever a member of something really important was the hunting squad in the Haven, and they demoted me once I only managed to catch our group a half dozen rabbits," he said, laughing. He then turned oddly serious all of a sudden. "Gods, I wish I knew how they're doing."

Softwin shrugged. "We have very fast couriers. You could send a casual message to them, and they could send one back without ever knowing you're going to be Prince." She said, smiling.

Kandaer grinned, but shook his head. "You'd think they'd feel a little suspicious when a Royal courier pays them a visit. Remember, they don't know you're the High Princess."

Softwin thought for a second. "How much really big political news reaches the Haven?" she asked, mind elsewhere.

Kandaer shrugged. "Quite a bit, from what I hear. But Nitehawk usually keeps it to himself, since nobody really cares about politics out there."

"So a Royal wedding would be big news still?"

"Of course."

Softwin chuckled. "One way or the other, they'll find out that little old Kandaer Icefeather is a future Prince." Kandaer tilted his head in curiousity and Softwin explained. "Nitehawk will get the news, 'High Princess Softwin marries Peasant Kandaer Icefeather,' and it will be village-wide knowledge in less than a minute. Then you won't be able to avoid the curious travellers to visit you."

Kandaer groaned, but smiled. "This is going to be rough."

She chuckled and snuggled close to him. "But you'd better make it through."

Kandaer smiled and nuzzled her. "Swirl, for you, I'd do anything."

**********

Taylwin dismissed the most recent batch of wedding planners whose imaginations were much too overactive and unpractical, then ordered that there be no more visitors for the night.

Nightsky smiled at him. "They're more elegant than we are, with those decorations."

Taylwin nodded. "But I don't think we're going to plate the entire Main Hall with gold just for the wedding."

"Somebody suggested that?"

Taylwin chuckled and nodded again, then slowly sat down to relax for a while. Nightsky sat for a moment in thought, and Taylwin watched her, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, she did. "I haven't talked with Kandaer as much as you have," she admitted. "Does he seem like the patient type?"

"Not really," Taylwin said, "He's more patient than most people, but not by much. I'm sure he told you his story. Remember some of the decisions he made in the past?"

Nightsky nodded in realization. "Yes, I do remember," she said. "And our daughter isn't the most patient creature living today, so when do you think the wedding should be?"

Taylwin shrugged. "Let's ask them tomorrow. They said they were going on an evening flight and didn't want any disturbances, so let's honor their request."

**********

"When should it be?" Softwin repeated her mother's question, knowing she looked like a dunce while she thought. "I hadn't really considered when. Soon?"

Her parents laughed. "That's all we were able to come up with, too." Her mother said.

Her father nodded. "I had the invitations made with an unspecified date, so we will need to know. All of the guests should be here in four days, three, if they really hurry."

Kandaer looked from Softwin to Taylwin to Nightsky as the three pairs of eyes fell on him. He shrugged. "Don't ask me," he said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm not one to set the dates of Royal ceremonies. I'm new at the job."

"How about a week?" Softwin suggested. "That way, everyone will be able to get here in time and settled in. Will the decorators be able to get ready in that time?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," responded Nightsky. "I'd give them two weeks to get ready."

"Ok, two weeks in fine with me. You, Kan?" asked Softwin.

"Fine by me," he shrugged.

"Two weeks it is. I can't wait!"

CHAPTER 16

The Great Aerie was in full celebratory decor. Streamers and banners hung all over the walls and ceilings, and everywhere there was joyous noise. People crowded in the halls, all shoving to get closer to the Main Hall. For today was the wedding of High Princess Softwin, and royalty abounded in the halls. Lords and Ladies rubbed elbows with peasants and farmers, Dukes and Duchesses with pig-herders and sailors. The ceremory was about to begin, and no one wanted to miss a thing.

The Red Eagles guard stood side by side along the hall, commanded by Highbreeze. Beside the central dais in the Main Hall, the greatest lords and ladies sat in thrones. The Elven King of Faighst, the Lord of Kandamarra, and other important rulers paid sharp attention. On the dais, High King Taylwin and Lady Nightsky awaited to perform the ceremony. Royal bards strummed hymns on their harps and lyres.

Kandaer waited on one side of the dais. He was preened to perfection, feathers gleaming in the light. Jewels and gold adorned him. He shuffled nervously. I can't believe I'm getting married! This is......indescribable! I must be the luckiest gryphon alive!

A fanfare of trumpets announced Softwin's arrival. She entered the room, proud and beautiful in royal splender. Kandaer's heart seemed to stop as she approached closer. She smiled at him as he joined her to walk the rest of the way up the dais. They both would've sworn everyone within a hundred miles would have heard their hearts beating.

"Today," intoned Taylwin, "we gather here to unite two hearts, to make their souls one." He continued speaking of the joys and trials of marriage, and the melding of two into one. Then it was time for Kandaer and Softwin to speak their vows.

"Forever will I love you, beyond life, beyond death. Today we become a new unit, today we start a new life. My soul belongs to you and no other, this I swear. Come with me, let us live and love together."

Softwin smiled at Kan as tears trickled down her face.

Taylwin turned to the whole community, and announced, "Here is one soul in two bodies. From this day forth, these two shall be known as the High Prince Kandaer and the High Princess Softwin, joined in mind, body, and soul. Let us rejoice in their union."

Cheers rang out, shaking the whole palace. Bells tolled, and everyone rejoiced. There was dancing and singing, tears and smiles, music and laughter. But no one in the palace had more joy in their hearts then Kandaer and Softwin.