Lady of My Heart Ch. 06

I turn to find Yelani in charge of all the assembled Shamans and yelling for the Cinos captives to be freed immediately. She begins to try to get the Shamans of both sides to calm down and discuss the situation with Bryynthde, when a sudden hush comes over the group. The oldest of the Ruoh Shamans points upward and makes a keening wail. A dragon is circling in the sky and it roars loudly before beginning to dive straight down into the village.

-

I think I have gotten used to this flying thing now. I grip the harness tightly as Bryn begins an all-out plunge into the Ruoh village. I can see Jax standing over Ames, and it is all I can do to keep from leaping off Bryn's back in midair. She pulls up, sharply landing in the midst of them, and I hear the harness creak with the stress.

I am off her back and to Ames' side in an instant. She stirs as I take her in my arms and smiles. It is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. Then I see the rope burns and the bite marks and I roar in anger.

"Dragon, she is not harmed badly, most of it is superficial. She is still drugged though and has been causing some trouble here in her intoxication. We need to try and keep her calm. If she feels your rage through the bond she will go off again. I beg of you, calm yourself."

"Jax, I do not care how many she blasts. When I get through with the one that has done this to her there will be little left to blast anyway."

We are interrupted by Bryn's mental shout for quiet.

'Enough! All of you, and especially you little sister, you know what our mission here is to be! Calm yourself and your mate. We have matters to discuss with the Shamans of both factions. This was against the rules and both factions have broken rules recently. None of it will go without punishment I assure you.'

Silence descends on all assembled, so quiet that you can hear the insects buzzing in the air. Ames stirs again and begins to nuzzle my neck, embarrassing me. Jax steps forward and lays her hand on her forehead, soothing her back into sleep.

'First of all there will be no more raids. It is time you learned to live together as a race and raise your cubs in a more proper manner. From this day forward Cinos and Ruoh will live together in pairs! Because the Ruoh have transgressed by using drugs and other forbidden means of coercion, the female of the pair is to be lord and master of the home. She can, if she sees fit, throw the male out of the home, retaining all property and wealth.'

Despite their fear both the Cinos and Ruoh begin to yell and argue amongst themselves. This one blames that one and the yelling escalates in volume and vehemence. Bryn watches it for a moment and then she has had enough. She rears up on her hind legs roaring and turns to blast a small hut nearby with a great gout of flame. The result is a stunned silence.

'I said that was enough and I mean it! Now, not only do you have to learn to live together as a race but you must also foster alliances and join with the other races in friendship. Your race has been isolated and backward far too long. Yelani has served the Cinos in the capacity of envoy. She has experience in dealing with other nations and has seen how pairs live and raise their children. She is to be Queen until such time as you are fit as a people to make decisions as a whole. When that day comes you will be allowed to choose leaders among yourselves. I will enforce these new rules most strictly until you are able as a people to regulate yourselves and then I will step aside and allow you to do so in peace. I am not a god, I am a dragon, and it is time I relinquish my control of your people. You will grow and become a legitimate nation of people in your own right without my interference.'

A ring of Cinos warriors immediately surrounds Yelani and she begins shouting orders. I do not envy her this organization and commingling of villages and peoples.

Lady Jax, I would ask that you depart immediately for your people's capital and inform the King of the happenings here. Little Sister and I will take Ames with us and stay with her in a safe place until she is free of the drugs' influence. The Demon prepares an attack on your capital this very moment and we will be there when it is time for us to strike and end his meddling forever. Come little sister, bring your mate and let us go now. Everyone has much to do.

I scoop Ames up in my arms and climb clumsily on Bryn's back. All I can do is hold Ames in my arms and hook my feet into the harness. We will have to fly carefully or we will both go tumbling off. Jax calls out to me to wait and runs up clutching a small bottle.

"Dragon take this, you will need it. The drug has ... side effects that you will have to help Ames deal with. This elixir will give you the strength and stamina to give her what she needs."

I have only a moment to grab the bottle and puzzle over my mother-in-law's giggling wink before Bryn launches us into the air and away from the village.

-

I have never seen the like of the beasts that chase us now. I fear we may not make it to the city gates before they are upon us. The Demon has summoned them from where I know not, and they are not pleasant beasts to look upon. Great hulking beasts, with the head of a dog and the body of a many-legged serpent. One has caught up to the rear guard and snatches a screaming man from his mount's back.

The gates swing open before us and archers rain arrows down among the beasts chasing us to no avail. It seems their ugly greenish hides deflect them like twigs. We pass through the first gate, the doors are slammed shut behind us and I hear them crashing into it in frustration. Making our way past the second gate, I give the signal and the portcullis comes crashing down. Surely that will hold them off.

I make my way to the courtyard to dismount and a half dozen messengers assault me with urgent requests. The first to speak tells me the city is rapidly being surrounded and preparations are underway for a siege. The second tells me that Bedrian is in the royal apartments and requests my presence as soon as possible. There seems to be a problem with my son. The third brings news that my in-laws are not happy with the memorial planned for the Queen and are threatening to declare our treaty invalid.

I wave the rest away in disgust; have they no sense? If we do not fight off this latest attack there will be no kingdom to have a treaty with. Though it pains me to do so, I tell the messenger from Bedrian that he will have to deal with my son on his own because I cannot go to him now. I make my way to the wall to climb to the battlements and assess the situation. Just as I look out over the scene I see the Lady Jax and several Cinos warriors riding for the door and yell out to the guards to let them in and provide what covering fire they can.

The Lady Jax is brought to me and sinks down to her knees in exhaustion.

"Easy Lady Jax, rest, catch your breath. You cannot deliver news if you fall over dead. Guards, have someone bring the Lady water and a good stout brandy before she faints!"

It takes her a few moments to regain her breath. She begins to tell me of all that has happened with Ames, Dragon and the Cinos and Ruoh peoples. It seems if we can hold off this siege long enough for Ames to recover, we will have powerful allies to assist us.

-

Ames begins to stir in my arms and I try and soothe her through our bond. Riding is precarious enough but she is not strapped to Bryn at all and I am terrified of her slipping from my arms. She opens those beautiful green eyes, looks up at me with a smile and my heart melts. I thought many times that I had lost her forever and I am just so happy to have her back in my arms that I cannot resist the tears that begin to flow freely down my cheeks. Ames begins to squirm again and I clutch at her in panic. She manages to get upright and swing around facing me, riding before me on Bryn's back.

'Careful Little Sister, she is still drugged and may get... frisky with you. The Lady Jax was giggling because the drug is also a powerful aphrodisiac. I am trying to get us to a safe place for you to flush it from her system as quickly as I can. Just hold on to her tightly and keep yourself anchored. I will fly as gently as I can.'

Bryn is laughing again, though I fail to see exactly what is funny about this situation. Ames has other things on her mind it seems, she grabs me by the head and I am the recipient of the most passionate and fiery kiss I have ever experienced. Before I can react she has both hands sliding up under my shirt to cup my breasts and I gasp as she begins biting my neck and trying to squirm closer to me.

'Yes, it is time for me to block things for a while. I will land as soon as I can, sister, and will try my best to allow what privacy I can.'

The thoughts barely register in my mind, Ames' hands are everywhere and I can feel her rising passion through our bond. She pulls her hands free of my shirt, only to grasp it across the front and literally rip it from my body, sending it flying off into the sky. Her hot urgent mouth assaults my breasts and I moan in pleasure. My hands now begin to roam too, as if they have a mind of their own. She is nearly naked anyway and it takes little effort to rip the tattered remains of her clothing away.

She suckles strongly at my breast, dropping a hand to my trews, snaking inside to cup my sex, making me arch my back and curl my toes in pleasure. I mimic her actions and we are both moaning as we plunge into each other in unison, fingers pumping and thumbs swirling as the tension in us mounts exponentially. I reach out to her through our bond but the connection is ephemeral in her intoxication. I begin to feel the tension in her body coming to a peak and recognize she is almost there just as the first wave of pleasure washes over me. I struggle to keep going and drive her over the edge with me, both of us screaming out into the open sky.

We collapse against one another panting, heads on shoulders and I breathe a sigh of relief that we did not fall off. I realize, as her mouth makes its way back to my breasts, that she intends to continue. There is nothing that I can do except allow it and continue as well. Our combined juices puddle beneath us and make my seating slippery, sending another jolt of fear through me.

'Bryn! How long does this drug last?'

' I do not know, little sister but I am about to land now. It is a small meadow with a stream and far enough from anything that you will be safe and private for as long as you need. I will stay nearby and guard your activities.'

As soon as Bryn is firmly on the ground Ames clutches at me and tips sideways off her back into the grass. Before I can even react she is atop me and heading downward, her lips and tongue insistent in their demands. I vaguely notice Bryn taking off again, packs, gear and all, as Ames reaches her goal and my world focuses on that hot mouth working me into a frenzy yet again. I am barely able to get my breath enough to demand she turn so that I may return the attention before I am overtaken by another intense burst of pleasure.

As I bury my face in her center I feel her through the bond, the connection is stronger now and pleasure washes back and forth between us in an ever-strengthening tide. I reach down between us to tease her sensitive nipples with one hand as I plunge two fingers to her depths with the other and circle her clit with my tongue. She moans into me as she spasms around my fingers and I am rewarded with a gush of sweetness. Back and forth we go and each orgasm seems to be stronger than the last; I cannot begin to count them. My limbs tremble with exhaustion and yet still she is not sated. I switch and begin to slowly gently slide my tongue in and out of her, worrying her clit with my fingers and she arches her back, rearing up to scream, her walls clutching at my slippery tongue and she crumples atop me in an unconscious heap at last.

I wake to the sound of retching. Bryn is standing quietly beside Ames as she leans against Bryn and retches yet again. I rise stiffly and make my way to the packs now lying beside a small fire. Taking a cloth, I go to the stream to soak it in the cool water and bring it over to place it on the back of her neck. All I can do is hold her long hair back out of the way for her and pat her gently on the back. I feel helpless and small.

Finally her sickness seems to ease and I take her hand leading her to the stream. I know my Ames well, nothing will please her more now than a bath. As soon as she is able we must get to the capital. If the Demon is attacking, I may be able to come at him from behind and catch him unawares.

-

Men scream and the walls tremble as yet another of the strange dog serpents climbs to the battlements as if they are nothing. A group of wizards blast it with fire and the warriors on the wall run at it, to heave and push it back over and it falls to the ground outside the walls with a sickening sibilant squeal. I am not sure how much longer we can hold them off and I see my brother's form pacing in the midst of his troops. The Demon is waiting for his moment to come.

I turn to look back at our men on the walls and am suddenly struck with a loud commanding voice in my head.

'Prepare your men King. Bryynthde and Dragon are nearly upon you. We come to assist. Do not allow them to fire upon us!'

A large blue grey form streaks in from the East and Ames is deposited in front of me as the form streaks again into the sky and straight for my brother's form. I can vaguely see Dragon on the back of Bryynthde and she wields a terrible looking blade. The first pass they make is off by just far enough that she cannot reach the Demon. He ducks and calls forth several of the serpent hounds to defend him.

Bryynthde lands and sprays the hounds with huge gouts of flame as Dragon dismounts to run toward the Demon, her blade raised. My brother's form seems to shimmer in the air for a moment, and then splits apart in a sickening green cloud of mist. There stands the true Demon, towering above Dragon as she reaches it and attacks.

The Demon lets forth a great spew from out of its gut, covering Dragon in its acid filth, but it streams down her armor harmlessly. She goes in for the kill, and the Demon raises a great armored arm as if to block her sword, but this is no ordinary sword and it slices through the arm like a twig. The Demon bellows in pain and anger; even the walls shake beneath my feet. Dragon circles and moves in again, thrusting, burying her sword nearly to the hilt in the Demon's middle, then hauling it free and making a great backhand slash that meets the Demon squarely in the neck sending his head flying. There is a great sucking sound and a rush of air and the Serpent hounds simply vanish, leaving nothing but the blood and offal of the battlefield behind.

-

I don't know who is worse, Cordial or myself. I am offended that the midwife felt the need to force me from the room. Cordial is pacing and nervous but refuses to go inside the room next door with Stephan and their surrogate. It seems we are both to become parents today. I never would have expected to become one but it has come to be. It took many months of reassuring Ames that I still loved her despite her condition and would love the child as my own and many mornings of holding her hair while she was so very ill but today we are to have a daughter.

I think back now to that shimmering image I was shown in the dragon's lair and realize now who the little girl with the fiery red hair and tail was. It is nice to know that she and the new prince will be friends and that Stephan and Cordial will get their wish of many children. My thoughts are interrupted by the midwife calling me back into the room. The babe is almost here and I cannot wait to meet our daughter. I know she has her mother's eyes.