A Dragon's Tale Ch. 38

She cocked her head to one side.

Hmm.

The two guards none-too-gently made her get onto the other wooden 'bed', then secured her hands and feet into the iron manacles with her feet towards the wall, and then left without a word. Her hands were firmly secured at her sides, and her feet mostly together. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was far from painful. After several minutes, she heard movement and craned her neck around to look towards the door.

And elderly woman entered, though she didn't look too old. Her hair was mostly gray, but the innkeeper's daughter could still see some darker color interspersed on her graying head. Despite that, she looked youthful and full of energy; excited even. She moved like a woman twenty years younger than she appeared, and the age difference between her appearance and movement seemed very odd.

In fact, the old woman reminded Sarah of Lady Ekthros for some reason.

She wasn't sure why, but she did.

She definitely did.

"Well hello dear." The woman said as she strode up to Sarah. "You won't make any trouble for me will you? Your friend did and I had to pull out the paralysis cuffs. You won't make me do that, will you dear?"

Sarah shook her head vigorously.

"Oh, that's good." The old woman smiled, and Sarah couldn't tell if she was filled with childish glee -- like a kid getting a present -- or malevolent glee. She clearly was excited though.

"What... what do you want?" Sarah whispered, her voice horse and her body trembling slightly.

"To solve a puzzle." The old woman said, looking at her like she was some fascinating trinket in a shop.

Sarah swallowed.

* * *

"Permission to come aboard captain?"

"Absolutely granted." Ethan nodded at Anthiel, then added as she came up the gangplank, "Thank you so much for your hospitality. I literally don't know what we would've done without you, Ralgar, and Mirella. You've been wonderful to me and mine, and I don't know how to say thank you."

"Make me pilot of the Argo, and we'll call it square." The high elf replied with a grin.

He frowned. "But you already are."

She shook her head. "Not since I left Lord Borden's employ, oh... about a half hour ago. He originally chose the pilot, but you're the Argo's owner now; you have final say in all crew decisions."

"Wait, you left Lord Borden's employ? Why?"

"Because you need a pilot." She said simply, then nodded towards Taloni. "She has a gift for airship piloting, but she's not ready to go solo yet. She'll likely be better than me in a few years -- maybe sooner at the rate she's improving -- but not yet. Until then, you need a pilot; especially if we engage another airship."

"I'd be honored to have you as the pilot of the Argo." He nodded.

"Thank you. Then unless you object, I'll finish overseeing the loading."

"Be my guest." He nodded.

The high elf instantly took charge, and he noticed the pace of the dockworkers increased significantly once she did. He was mostly standing there watching, since he really didn't have a clue how to help or direct. His disguise gem was off, and it was rather strange that he was only getting an occasional fearful glance.

Taloni was inspecting the rigging, flying about and flitting between the masts and crossbeams like she had been born doing it. She was humming a joyful tune as she did, and he almost felt himself get choked up as he watched the former slave dart around in the air as carefree as a bird on the airship she loved so much.

He walked over to the Argo's railing and gave it an affectionate pat. "I'm glad we didn't lose you." He said quietly to the ship. He really hadn't realized how much the ship had become a home to him until he'd walked back onto it after facing the real possibility of losing it.

It was his now.

It belonged to him.

His own airship.

He looked around at all the places where significant events had occurred. The rear of the quarterdeck where he'd proposed to Alana, the scorch marks where Kyrupto's flames had struck, the bow of the ship where he and Rachel had that long conversation on their wedding day, the area in front of the captain's cabin where they'd all shared so many meals, the cabin itself where he slept with his wives; this ship was full of good memories. He hadn't realized it until this exact moment, but he would've been heartbroken to part with it.

The Argo.

His Argo.

He patted the wooden railing, a smile coming unbidden to his face. The only thing that would make this better is if Sarah was here. His smile faltered for a moment as he thought about the innkeeper's daughter. She was still betrothed, and as much as he wanted her to be here with him, he also didn't want to see her again; it would be too painful knowing that she would marry someone else.

He swallowed hard.

He took a deep breath and looked around again, trying to focus on what he did have. Kendra had already docked her little canoe-sized airship to the Argo's weather deck. She had stowed it off to the port side about halfway between the Argo's mast and the ship's bow before going back to Ralgar and Anthiel's house. The tiny airship could come in handy at some point, especially since it was faster than his own airship.

He smiled.

His airship.

He gently patted the Argo's wooden railing again, and then gave it a little rub. "We're lucky to have you." He said affectionately tohisairship, which made him smile even wider.

"Oh no Ethan, you only get seven." Alana called with a laugh in her voice as she came up the gangplank with Rachel.

"Hey, what was that last-minute errand you two wanted to run?" He asked.

"See for yourself." Rachel replied, then pulled something out from behind her back. It was his war hammer, but the head was slightly different and it took him a moment to place it.

"You put the dragon steel head on it." He grinned.

"Well, I paid one of Lord Borden's armorers to." Alana clarified. "Rachel and I figured that since we couldn't do it on the Argo, and since we were going to be fighting orcs, you'd like the surprise."

"Do I ever! Come here." He said to the couple.

They came over and he kissed them both.

"Have I ever told you ladies that I love you both?"

Alana put on a mock-pensive expression. "You know, I'm not sure you have."

"At least not recently." Rachel added with an amused grin, then put on a mock-sad expression. "Don't you care about us anymore?"

He shrugged as he suppressed a laugh with a mock-dismissive wave. "Nah, I'm getting pretty tired of you two."

They both stuck their tongues out at him for a moment.

"Careful, I might put those tongues to work next time you do that." He winked.

"I'll hold you to that." His first wife replied.

"I'll hold youwhile you do that." His fourth wife grinned, then her expression got more sincere. "But I love hearing you say it my lord."

"It." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "Please my lord?"

He let his affection for her show as he spoke. "I love you Rachel, I love you Alana."

They looked at each other and wide smiles split their faces as they looked at him and spoke at the same time: "We love you too."

"Now, there are just a few stragglers..." He said, then thought to everyone. *Beth, Kendra; we're almost ready to make sail. And Kendra, is Selene with you?*

*I'm just leaving father's house now.* Beth replied.

*Selene is with me, and you should see us in about thirty seconds.* Kendra said.

True enough, Kendra and Selene came around the corner thirty seconds later, followed by Ralgar and Mirella. The high elven woman had a genuine smile on her face, but she clung to her husband's arm nevertheless. They made their way through the dock area and to the Argo's gangplank.

"Permission to come aboard captain?" Ralgar asked, stopping just short of the gangplank with his second wife.

"Ralgar my friend, you, Anthiel, and Mirella are welcome on the Argo any time."

Mirella beamed.

Her husband led her up the gangplank, stopping in front of them. "I'd like to reintroduce my second wife: Mirella Kiarien, called 'Caring Hostess'."

Selene did a double take. "What?"

"The rules of how an elf can take a new nickname are complex." Ralgar said to her. "But applicable to your conversation earlier with a bit of stretching. Thank you Miss Dawson; you have helped my wife in a way that I couldn't."

Mirella beamed, and her eyes were quite moist as she did so. "Thank you so much Selene."

"You're welcome." The Brazilian woman replied, and Ethan couldn't help but notice that she looked much happier than she had in some time.

About that time Taloni landed nearby, her inspection presumably having been completed. Not long after, Anthiel made her way down from the quarterdeck as the last of the dockworkers left the ship, the loading having been completed.

"Congratulations Mirella." Anthiel said as she hugged her fellow wife.

Mirella seemed a bit too choked up to reply, but her smile was ear-to-ear.

"Hello handsome." Anthiel nearly purred as she turned to her husband.

Ethan internally winced and turned to Kendra and Selene. "Is that what it's like being around me and my wives all the time?"

"Pretty much." Selene said with slightly pink cheeks while Kendra nodded, looking slightly green.

Oblivious to this -- or completely ignoring it -- Anthiel gave Ralgar a kiss that was just barely on the right side of decent behavior in public. Her husband took it in stride, not looking the slightest bit embarrassed. Mirella's cheeks turned slightly pink though.

"Mirella." Anthiel said when her kiss had broken. "I'm counting on you to keep him in practice for when I see him again. Make sure he gets lots of... 'practice'..." She looked at her fellow wife. "...because I want to help deliver a baby in the not-too-distant future."

The mahogany-haired elf turned beet red, but was grinning ear-to-ear as she nodded sheepishly.

"One more thing Ethan." Ralgar held up a stiff leather tube that Ethan hadn't noticed he was carrying. "I hope to have many excellent games when we see each other next."

Ethan took the tube, and on the outside in a beautiful script was written 'Pente'.

"That particular one has stones for eight players, shouldall your wives ever feel like joining you." Ralgar continued, then glanced at Rachel, Selene, and Kendra. "Though I suspect only a few will truly enjoy it."

"Thank you." He grinned.

"My pleasure." Ralgar nodded. He glanced at Anthiel and then back at Ethan. "Take care of her; she's my favorite first wife." He winked at her.

Ethan chuckled. "Will do."

Ralgar gave him a sharp military salute. "May Illuminar guide you in the path of light as you travel."

"And you as well." He nodded.

Mirella and the ladies all gave each other hugs, and then the visitors left. Beth was arriving with her family as they were leaving, and so the mahogany haired elf hugged the blonde teen before the latter boarded the ship. Behind Beth were two men dressed as servants carrying a small trunk between them that looked like it weighed a ton. Knowing her, it was probably full of books.

Beth's younger brother Charles looked like he had shot up nearly an inch in the two months since Ethan had seen him last, but he was the age for it. Beth's mother looked quite happy, though sad too as she looked at her daughter and the departing airship. Lord Borden looked...

Displeased.

Very displeased.

Even the air around him seemed a bit constricted. His mouth was a thin line and it looked like he was just barely holding back a frown. When his gaze met Ethan's, he got the distinct impression that the older man wanted him dead. He couldn't help but wonder about the events in The Bank's vault a couple months ago. The Borden family came aboard, the servants carrying the trunk towards the captain's cabin at Beth's direction.

However, her father came straight to him. "I would have words with you, dragon."

Ethan regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Follow me."

He briefly considered bringing the older man to the captain's cabin just to put the massive bed in front of him and rub his face in it. However, he didn't think that would be wise, so he led him to the bow of the ship instead, away from the others.

"I presume my daughter has told you of our agreement?" He asked without preamble once they'd arrived.

"Yeah."

"Then know this: you, your wives, and your crew have nothing to fear from me... as long as Beth lives." He set his jaw. "But let me be clear: should anything happen to her, I would naturally be released from the bargain. Then you would find that Lord Delmar and I might suddenly have more in common."

Ethan bristled, the implied threat against his wives making his ever-present dragon side seethe in anger. His voice came out low and deadly. "And let me be clear; if youever harm a single hair on the head ofany of my wives, I swear to Illuminar that I will tear you limb fromfucking limb."

He growled low in his throat.

Lord Borden didn't look cowed, but he did raise an eyebrow. "Curious. You seem to actually care about them."

"You bet your ass I do." He hissed. "And Beth too, not a single ounce less than the rest."

"But if you were forced, you wouldn't choose her over the rest." Lord Borden retorted with disdain.

The dragon growled. "If you were forced to pick between your children, what would you do?"

"Kill the godless son of a bitch who tried to make me choose."

"Then you know how I feel."

Lord Borden inclined his head in concession, but he still had traces of a scowl on his face. Perhaps a somewhat more understanding scowl than before, but a scowl nonetheless.

Ethan scoffed, then nodded his head back towards everyone else and the two men returned to them. Beth said goodbye to her family with many hugs and a few tears before they left. Her father gave Ethan one last glare before he disembarked.

"What did you two talk about?" Beth asked hesitantly after they had left.

He told everyone.

The blonde shook her head. "At least you didn't come to blows; that's something."

"How did lunch go?" Alana asked.

"Good." The blonde's expression became much more cheerful. "A little tense at the beginning, but father relaxed a lot once he realized it would just be the four of us. I think he was surprised that I came alone, and he seemed quite shocked when I told him it was your suggestion."

"Good." Ethan nodded, then turned to Anthiel. However, the high elf subtly shook her head and then glanced pointedly at Taloni, so he turned to her instead. "Take us out."

"Me?" The Fey teen froze.

"You've done it before." He pulled her into a hug. "You're becoming such a capable pilot, and I'm really proud of you for it. You can do it."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are you sure you want me too?

"Yes." He said firmly. "I won't make you, but I want you to and I know you can."

"Okay master, then I will." She paused, then spoke again with a smile. "Thank you for placing so much confidence in me master. It really means a lot."

"I haven't placed any confidence in you that you didn't earn." He smiled back. "My beautiful Fey wife is an amazing woman, and I feel lucky to have her."

Taloni beamed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Selene casting her eyes down to the deck at this, but didn't get a chance to ask since there was a stampede to the quarterdeck to offer Taloni moral support.

* * *

Selene followed everyone to the quarterdeck as Taloni started issuing orders to Serif and Raklan to begin the undocking procedure. Unlike when they left Nalatia, the Fey teen needed no prompting from Anthiel. She knew exactly what needed to be done, issued the orders to get it done, and the two crewmen obeyed without hesitation. Sure, she said 'please' and her tone wasn't commanding, but it was confident.

It was good to see.

Judging by the proud look on Ethan's face throughout the Argo's departure, he thought the same thing.

"We are at cruising altitude master-- err, captain, and on course for the mines." She said proudly after asking Serif and Raklan to start deploying the sails. However, she frowned slightly after speaking. "I don't like calling you 'captain', I much prefer calling you master."

"You know, I've kind of gotten used to you calling me master." He cocked his head to one side. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I like it coming from you."

"I like it too master." The Fey beamed, and then gave him a hug.

Selene smiled, then her smile faltered as she looked at Ethan's wives clustered around the ship's wheel. They had never excluded her, but she found it really hard to feel included. They were all such wonderful people and she was just...

She shook her head.

She had felt really happy that she'd played a part in Mirella getting a more appropriate title, but that had been a fluke; something she did completely by accident. Plus, Ralgar said he'd bent the rules about elven titles a bit, so she hadn't even done that properly.

She sighed and headed down the stairs to the main weather deck, away from the happy family.

"Hey Selene, wait up."

She turned to see Ethan coming down the stairs after her.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "I noticed that you look out of sorts."

She hesitated. "I'm... Okay-ish."

"Ish?"

"Ish." She nodded.

"Anything I can do to help?"

She glanced at the collection of wonderful women still gathered near the ship's wheel and then gave him an apologetic look. "Not with this."

"Oh." He frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She was almost tempted to tell him what was bothering her. She knew he'd listen. Hell, his wives said he was a great listener. But what was she going to say: 'Hey Ethan, I'm feeling inadequate because you and all your wives are amazing but I'm not'. Yeah,that would go over well.

Real mature.

"No, not right now." She finally said.

"Okay." He nodded. "Well if you change your mind, I'm always here. And if you'd rather talk to a woman, I'm sure one of my wives would be happy to talk."

"I know." She replied, and managed to keep a note of bitterness out of her voice. Of course they would be happy to because they were wonderful women. She just wished that she could measure up to them.

"Ethan." Beth called as she came down the stairs.

Selene was tempted to retreat to the front of the ship, or even to the lower decks. However, Ethan had turned so that the approaching blonde and herself would form a nice triangle, so he was obviously not trying to end the conversation. She decided to stay, at least until it wouldn't be awkward to excuse herself.

"Dominus, the rest of us were just talking and we had a question." His youngest wife said as the rest of them came down the stairs.

"What if one of us wanted to have a boy?" Beth continued. "I mean, we all know you can give us girls--" she gestured towards Alana's womb. "--but what if one of us wanted a boy?"

Selene noticed that Kendra, who was the last down the stairs, perked up just slightly at this question.

"Um..." He ran his hand over the top of his head where a human's hair would be. "I have no idea. I know I could have dragon boys; but elf, human, or Fey...?" He frowned. "I have no idea. I'm happy to have girls, but I would also like... Hmm." He tapped his clawed foot on the wooden decking. "Yeah that's a really good question."

"Do you know how to find the answer?" Taloni asked.

"Well, I'm guessing that you haven't read anything about it." He said to Beth.

The blonde shook her head. "Every book I've read said that dragons can only sire dragons, but obviously we know that isn't true now." She gestured towards his pregnant first wife again.

"Right... right..." He frowned. "I'm not really sure who we could ask then. Maybe Elder Goman?"