Aodh cocked an eyebrow and let skepticism flood across her posture and face. “Really, you couldn’t have thought of something else? From what I’ve heard maybe you just like to show off that you live with dragons. You want to feel powerful,” she challenged him and the way Desmevo had flown around scaring her guards. She snapped her mouth shut and watched him hoping she had not gone too far. This was a negotiation. This could turn hostile and she had slipped. However, deep under her self-control, professionalism, and irritation, she had to admit that if she was friends with a dragon, she would love to get this kind of reaction from people as well. Particularly, if they had not been kind and gentle at first.

She felt the curiosity of the crowd judging the exchange. From her peripheral she could feel her guards taking the cue from her and regaining courage. She was defenseless. She was a woman they had sworn to protect and she was willing to stand on the front lines of danger without a weapon and without armor. They were reminded that they had a duty to fulfill.

She glanced from him to the dragon trying to tell if Pendragon really meant it when he said that the dragon had not tasted human. Was it some play on words and maybe the dragon couldn’t taste? Was Pendragon meaning to be upfront with her or was he using half truths to settle her? What did the dragon think? Her brow furrowed at the dragon’s reaction as he licked his maw. “Does that mean he wants to eat us or that he has before?” She realized after she said it that it did not matter why he had licked his lips. Her people were still in danger, and she was making people nervous again.

Why was she here talking to them? Right, she needed to stall and give her people time to arrange defenses or escape. Her eyes narrowed further when Nilo smacked the dragon’s neck and tried to reassure her. Unfortunately, the only dragon education she had was in myths and in secret away from her parents. She did not know how reliable they were, and they did not have much breadth in information.

She had the inclination to cock her head in skepticism since he expected her to already know who he was, but she decided that she didn’t need to be a try-hard. She knew who he claimed to be, and she decided that it did not matter if it was true or not. She was still skeptical of all the stories of his exploits and adventures, but he clearly could live with dragons and she did not know what additional skills he had learned or which dragons could turn up as suddenly as the black she would assume night dragon.

His red hair was unusual. It was something she let herself be briefly distracted by. She only remembered one other person outside of her family that she had met that had such bright hair. He was a boy she had met at a Winter Solstice a long time ago skinny, well-kept, and from a royal family like herself. She had admired him, and he had been a breath of fresh air amidst all of the formal noble celebrators.

She zoned back in as Pendragon smiled an awfully self-assured lopsided smile. He seemed so confident surrounded by uneasy people ready to break into a panic or violence. However, he was accompanied and watched over by a dragon. He had a dragon as a mentor. What did that entail? What could a dragon teach him? She realized she had been foolish to assume that Pendragon had control of the dragons. Maybe they had control of him. Maybe he was their human tool, so they could communicate with humans. He had clearly lived a rough life. Had the dragons hurt him? Was he grateful to them and willing to do anything?

Many of the peasants had run for their lives once a dragon ahd appeared. Very few did not know about the dragon, so they followed the noise to figure out who was causing trouble. Some were curious and decided to risk a dragon, and a sizeable crowd had grown. Aodh would have been willing to listen to him but she did not know what to do with the dragon. She did not want to be assassinated, but she did not want to leave him unguarded, particularly since she did not know what abilities he possessed. She supposed she could have the dragon come with them and be resigned that if he wanted her dead she probably would be by now.

“Very well. I will listen. But I do not have a space that will comfortably fit your dragon.”

She gave orders for her squad leader to tell the other men to continue following protocols and make sure everyone was safe and that they were prepared. The guards part of her original retinue were instructed to accompany her and Pendragon as she tried to decide where they could have a safe conversation while still maintaining the advantage. She began to walk a little aimlessly considering her options. She did not want something close to the heart of the city, and she needed to stay away from her family's escape route. She continued along until she saw the chapel. It was a known meeting place. They could talk here and the guards could try to keep people at bay. It was a medium stone building fairly solid and not very intricate on the outside. A guard opened the door and she followed them inside as they scouted to make sure it was safe.

The guards were privy to much, so she did not wait and let the questions spill out of her mouth, “What is so important? Why are you here?” A little belatedly and with some regret she blurted, “Why do you think I should know who you are?”

Nilo stood there quietly for several moments and waited for a response, hoping that he had played his cards well enough to get someone to listen. He only wanted to help, and he hoped they would believe him. If they didn't, would they stand a chance against the savages that roamed the lands, searching for their next target? Or would they fall like his kingdom had, vanishing without a trace in history and without a soul to remember them. Did Aodh remember his mother and father? Did she remember his haughty brother who had been her age, whom their parents had jokingly suggested she should one day marry?

It had been so long since he had been confronted by a piece of his past, and he found it as terrifying as it was exciting, even if he wanted to keep his identity meticulously hidden away. He shook his head when she asked if Desmevo had eaten people, or wanted to eat them. “He has not eaten a human even once in his life, and you will not be the first.” He spoke with confidence as he tried to reassure them, and he glared at Desmevo for his ill-placed joke. “He was only trying to share some of his humor. He is not very funny.” People-eating jokes were most certainly not appreciated by humans that could easily be crushed beneath his claws.

He could not help his smile as she agreed to hear them out and a sigh of relief escaped him. This meant they had a chance. There was always some anxiety that rooted itself deep within his chest whenever they flew to somewhere new to offer their help. He was always worried that they would turn him away, or refuse his help. In those moments when he first met with a new leader, whether their territory was big or small, he was always taken back to the moments where Desmevo had found him, when his shiny claws had pulled rubble off of his legs, and exposed his burned, gashed, and battered body to the thunderstorm that rages above. He remembered screaming in pain and sadness as the cool droplets from above had splashed against his skin.

Nilo did not want that for Aodh or her people. He did not want that for anyone he ever met, and he would give anything to ensure no soul he met ever endured the same fate as him. “Don’t worry about Des, he shrinks. I believe you will want to hear what he has to say too.” The dragon of night had been born on a full moon some decades ago, and was gifted with the magic of foresight. For most dragons of his kind, their visions of the future tended to be as vague as they were useless, but ever since Desmevo had found Nilo, he had worked on honing his power. It was still not perfect, but his visions had detail that was groundbreaking amongst his kind.

It was Desmevo’s visions that had led them to Khonvoum. He foresaw a great battle with men and beasts alike, and the enemy wore the crest of those who had razed Lavarre all those years ago. Despite his massive size, Desmevo’s steps were silent as Nilo walked with him through the city. Night dragons were known to be the most stealthy killers of all dragonkind, and he was no exception. His footsteps were light as a feather, yet his claws were serrated for maximum damage. He was quite the impressive beast, and he hoped that Aodh would see him the way Nilo did.

They approached what appeared to be a chapel, yet it was nothing as beautiful as those in Lavarre or Caim. It was quite simple. Nilo did not remember anything about Khonvoum’s religious ideals. Desmevo placed his amulet back around his neck so that he could enter, and he shrunk considerably. Now, he was no larger than the common skink, and he perched himself atop Nilo’s shoulder for a moment before he decided to fly around the room. He hated being small. It made him feel vulnerable, and he was thankful that the dragon trusted him enough to give up his size. Desmevo always gave so much to Nilo’s cause.

He cocked a brow as a couple questions spilled from the mouth of the princess. “Shouldn’t I be speaking to your parents? Will they not be angry at you for trying to take on a man with a dragon on your own?” He propped his hands on his hips and gave her an inquisitive look. He knew that his father would have thrown him off a balcony for this kind of stunt. Then again, he supposed it was not his business. He had managed to get a meeting with some sort of royalty, and he intended on taking advantage of it. He could reach the king and queen later.

“You know what? Nevermind. Those are small details.” Nilo leaned up against a pillar and watched his significantly smaller friend twist and turn above, “First of all, I would think you would know who I am, considering I believe I am the only man who lives amongst dragons that also has a habit of world travel.” The words were not spoken in arrogance, as Nilo’s ego was certainly not overinflated, but by now, most people knew of him regardless of whether they believed he was fact or fiction. A man walking with dragons was quite a feat to be discussed.

He bent down to pick a couple of twigs out the joints of his false leg. Things were always managing to get caught in there. “Desmevo and I travel to kingdoms to offer them assistance in approaching wars. You have a war coming for you, and you are blissfully unaware of it. Until now, of course.” He gestured up towards Desmevo, “Desmevo comes from a race of dragons where few are gifted with the ability to see into the future. He has this gift, and he has predicted that war will soon be upon your borders. If you are ill-prepared, you and your kingdom will fall.”

There were no more smiles on Nilo’s face. No, his face was somber as he was a man speaking the truth. Oh, how he wished to tell Aodh that he was the boy she had met, and his kingdom had been one of the ones that had fallen. “I have traveled near and far, and helped save many places from this vicious band of vagabonds. They have an army… and are looking to create an empire.” He swallowed and waved Desmevo down, and the dragon came to perch on a seat near the princess.

It was then the scaled creature spoke. “My vision implies they will arrive during the winter… and will seize your home at the end of your Winter Solstice festival.” The little dragon spoke confidently, and did not seem as bothered as Nilo by the current state of events. “Princess, I have never been wrong before. You should listen to Nilo. I saw lots of snow… but it was not white. It was red with the blood of your people, and they celebrated over the ashes of your monarchy.” A forked tongue darted out as the dragon lifted a claw to pick at his teeth. Desmevo was… certainly something.

Nilo stepped forward again, his brow furrowed and his glacial gaze deep with concern. “We have people that track their movements, and they are headed in this direction, slowly, but surely. There are only a few months left, Aodh.” He took a moment to stick his leg out, though he was not showing off the beautifully made prosthetic, “This… this is what they do to you. You do not even want to see what is beneath my clothes.” The scar at the edge of his mouth stretched with his words. It was a scar they had given him too. “I am marred, and so was my home. It was so destroyed that they did not even want it.” They had taken everything from him.

He swallowed and straightened, his lips finding themselves set in a grim line. “We would like to offer our help. We will help you plan, and we will offer you the power to make it happen.” Caim may be a sanctuary that preached peace, but he had more than a few men that he trusted, and an army of dragons at his fingertips. If Aodh and her family agreed, he was confident that they could be stopped. They would agree, wouldn’t they? “I can promise you, princess, this is our livelihood. We would not let your kingdom down.”

Aodh envisioned how fearful her parents would be that their precious daughter was facing a dragon who talked about eating people. They would be white and frozen before anger and indignation came over them and resulted in them vocalizing their feelings. Perhaps, because it was in a public town plaza, they would restrain their noise or they might start yelling for guards. It was hard to predict where their minds would go. No, they would be much more noisy and impolite than Aodh was being.

She continued to eye the dragon suspiciously but let the matter about the ill-timed “joke” drop. Her mind started to drift as she imagined the carnage and wreckage a dragon could wreak even if he was not trying to be sneaky. People would be running and screaming away from their homes. Bodies would litter the street and blood would stain the snow. The buildings could become completely ripped open and look like a hurricane had blown through. Everyone would remember her as the princess who had let her home fall.

She snapped at Pendragon’s response in her thoughts. Don’t worry. Des knows things because he’s a powerful magic dragon.

She noted that he seemed pleased she had agreed to listen. Why? As she walked whether she was cold or frightened she could not hear such a large animal clacking along behind her. How was he so silent? She was a little amazed at how easy it was for him to shrink down. She had expected dragons to be more prideful and reluctant to shrink without more complaining or force. Would he be easier to kill while he is small? What did this pair think about Khonvoum? Had they traveled a lot?

Now that they were in private Pendragon’s self-control fell away quite a bit. A torrent of questions poured out of his mouth, and she stood there stoically at first before crossing her arms and tilting her head in a subtle way of communicating that his doubt in her abilities was peeving her. “If you wanted to talk to them, maybe you should have tried arranging an audience when we let the peasants send representatives to talk to them instead of frightening the townsfolk,” her voice was tight with self-control.

She did not acknowledge his words any further than blinking a few times for him to continue. She supposed her kingdom was not backwater enough to not have heard the rumors about him. She wondered how much of it was true and how much was exaggerated through further retellings. After Pendragon had asserted that the dragon was the one with the visions she had expected him to start speaking by now. Her brows furrowed as Pendragon became dead serious and her voice lowered. “What?”

She wanted to ask how do you know? When? Who? Where? But she figured someone would be answering those questions shortly or they were saying it now and she would interrupt them. “How do you know we can prepare and protect ourselves?” she finally thought of a question that wasn’t completely dumb. “Can what he foresees be avoided? How did you know to come find us? What in the vision made you know that it was Khonvoum?” Imagine the bad fortune of some other kingdom if not only they were going to be attacked, but the dragon and Pendragon would warn them belatedly because they had come to the wrong kingdom.

She began to rub the temples of her forehead trying to get her brain to think and her heart to calm down. “How do you have people track their movements? Do they remain unseen? Do the attackers care if they are observed? Why do you warn us? Why do you care? Why should I believe you?”

She stiffened bracing herself for whatever the probably inappropriate thing he was planning to show her and was confused that he knew her name. She didn’t think anyone had used it and she had not tried to introduce herself. Oh. A prosthetic leg. Still not great to be showing a princess but nothing that was hidden away. “Why are they attacking? What do they want?” she breathed his injuries making the incoming doom more real. “How old were you when it happened? Where are you from?” Should she have heard about a kingdom that had fallen? He could not be older than 37 years old. Even with the scars and rough lifestyle he still did not look quite that old.

“How can you promise that? Your own home fell.” She made an apologetic face for throwing that in his face, but she was not as confident in him as he would have her be. “What resources do you have at your fingertips besides one dragon? Would he be able to take on this whole army?” She glanced a little dubiously at the dragon. She wanted to ask how he had come to meet a dragon and stay with a dragon, but that was a side track, and probably too personal. “It’s winter. Kingdoms are not supposed to fight during the winter. People could die from the cold and snow.” Should she go ahead and bring her parents into this? Should she make Pendragon and Desmevo leave and come back later?

Aodh liked to ask questions. Lots of them. Some would find it annoying, but Nilo recalled the trait fondly from their youth, when she had followed him about and pelted him with inquiries about every little thing they were doing. He had always patiently answered her, while his brother had liked to roll his eyes and snap at her to be quiet. He was more than pleased to see his old friend once more, and it warmed his heart that there were things about her that were still the same, but he wished that the circumstances were not so dire. The stress and upset that flashed in her green gaze caused sympathy to bubble in his chest.

It tugged at his heartstrings to watch someone he cared about face the same dangers. He wondered if the same fear had been in his eyes when the rogues razed his home. “Desmevo will stay in my bag. He will not come out unless asked, I can assure you that.” Quickly, the shrunken creature tucked himself away in Nilo’s satchel, and he was happy to follow her out into the town once more. They were truly getting somewhere, which was more than he had expected after such a quick meeting. The prejudice against dragons that Aodh mentioned was concerning, though, and Nilo hoped they could reach a compromise.

Nilo snorted as she asked him to clean up, and he shook his head in good humor. “Princess, where am I meant to clean up? I don’t have an inn room, and I don’t happen to carry a bathtub with me.” He tried wiping his face on the fabric of his cloak, but considering every part of him was covered in a layer of dust, it did not do the young man much good. “I suppose they will have to take me as I am. I can be quite charming, you know.” With Aodh on his side, he found himself more confident, as she was bound to be a pivotal voice in convincing her parents.

“Your kingdom should begin by increasing military presence in towns. Fortify your forts and prepare your people. You will need any and all supplies. Food, weapons, clothes, and the like. War is exceptionally brutal… and I would like the least amount of casualties as possible. Preparing your people and building morale the best you can is an excellent way to start.” Nilo prattled on as they walked, offering the woman as much information as he possibly could. She was scared and rightfully so. He hoped that he could soothe her worries, even if it was only slightly.

If he could convince her parents to join his cause, he had faith in Khonvoum and his rebellion. “I’ve visited quite a few times, and am glad to be back. I like the festivals that happen with the solstices. Not all nations celebrate and it is a tradition that I hold dear.” He recalled how the royal city in his home would be bathed in purple and gold. Music filled the air while a menagerie would parade down the streets. The celebration was as beautiful as it was sentimental, and after his kingdom had fallen, he had found some comfort in Khonvoum’s familiar traditions. They made him feel not so alone.

“Desmevo found me… the night my kingdom fell for good. He foresaw me dying in the ashes of my home, and he decided to save me.” He shrugged, as if it had been no big deal and was just another average day in his life. Truth be told, Nilo had many conflicting feelings about what had occurred that night, none of which he had shared with anyone but himself. He was grateful as the castle loomed into view, which allowed him to avoid further talk about his first interactions with his serpentine companion.

It was while Aodh was trying to prepare him to meet her parents that they barged out a door, asking a flurry of questions just as their daughter had. Clearly, they were related. “Greetings, your majesties,” Nilo kneeled before the king and queen with a bowed head, drawing upon the lessons on impeccable etiquette from a lifetime long ago, “My name is Nilo Pendragon… and I come with pressing news regarding the safety of your kingdom.” He was certainly not as assertive as he was with Aodh. These people would thrive better with more formality because it would appeal to their inflated egos.

“My queen, I apologize for the dragon. The sighting is true, I will not lie, but the dragon in question means you no harm. He was my method of transport to get here, you see.” He knew the princess had wanted him to stay away from talk of dragons, but he also knew that hiding the truth from royalty was no small offense. If they were to discover he concealed his relationship with dragons, especially if they were so prejudiced against them, it would only break trust and lead to conflict. “I was named Pendragon because of the way I live with and commune with these brilliant creatures.”

Gently, Nilo reached into his bag to pull out a large ring. On the ring were six scales, each of a different, brilliant color and unique shape. He stretched his hand out to offer it to the monarchs, hoping they would at least examine it. “These scales are from each of the six species of dragon, gifted to me in a display of trust and alliance.” The gifting of a dragon scale was a sacred thing. Dragon’s often exchanged them with their mates following vows of marriage, or chieftains would gift them to their most allies in the ultimate display of loyalty.

“There is a plague upon our lands. A rogue army follows the beliefs of a heinous, insane mage of centuries past, and they are determined to take over any kingdom they can get heir greedy claws on. Ten years ago, they destroyed my home, and since then, I have created a rebellion dedicated to minimizing their damage. We have been quite successful.” They had not been able to stop the army entirely, but they had saved thousands and been quite the thorn in their side. Nilo could only hope that this kingdom would allow themselves to be another success story.

Would they be able to see past their biases and choose what was best for their people? How far their hate ran for the dragon race would truly be the deciding factor. “I have an elite team of scouts and all information is suggesting that they are headed for your kingdom next. Khonvoum is a strong, rich contender that would make a great capital for their empire.” Though he did not say it, Nilo feared what would happen if Khonvoum was taken. Would his rebellion be able to survive then? “I have come to offer my help in preparing and fighting this infection so that they may not slaughter your people as they did mine. They do not deserve Khonvoum, and I hope to help you make that quite clear to them through victory.”

It irritated him, how his sacred object was viewed with disgust, and how Aodh’s parents isolated him from much of their conversation. Nilo knew they needed time to discuss in private, but he had hoped to provide his information and answer some of their questions prior to them leaving him. As it stood, he was a stranger that lived amongst a species whom they despised, and he assumed they were in that room, sowing those same seeds of hatred into their daughter. He only hoped that Aodh could convince them to give him a chance. He only wanted to help an old friend.

Soon they came back, though they did not seem any more welcoming than before. They returned to questioning him, and part of him wished that he had never met privately with Aodh. How many times would he have to re-explain himself? Nilo didn’t sigh, but he deflated somewhat. It did not take himself long to rally, as the greater good was more important than such trivial emotions. He could find better ways to soothe his irritations. Women and alcohol tended to be his go-tos, and hilariously enough, Nilo was quite possibly the most respectful casanova one would ever meet.

“As I stated, your majesties, I have a team of scouts that tail these rogues, and occasionally, I am able to work a mole into their ranks. I can assure you that we are quite organized.” A small smile ghosted his lips. He was extremely proud of the community he had created, and the army that he led. “I have mulitple sources, but I can assure you, they are moving in your direction as we speak.” Nilo followed Aodh’s advice and tried not to mention the vision. He was not trying to lie to them, but he feared she would be right. If he told them about Desmevo’s vision, would they believe him at all?

Nilo understood their fear of dragons. He had once feared them too, and when Desmevo had first discovered him, he had thought he was going to be eaten. This nation held their problems close to their chests, and were very private people. They were proud and independent, which was admirable, but couldn’t they understand that dragons were beings not so different from people? They were flawed, but would Nilo had lived amongst them for all of his adult life, and he was yet to be injured by one. He would not risk taking them to Caim, but he hoped he could show them that the dragons of his sanctuary could be trusted.

Nilo had spent so much time building such a powerful, benevolent reputation, and he hoped they could see his dedication. His fingers tightened around the ring of scales, seeking support from the beings who had turned him into the man he was today. “Your kingdom is powerful. It is self-sufficient and I admire your military. I mean it with all due respect when I say you will lose a war with them. I have been fighting these heinous, brutal men since I was a teenager.” There was no disrespect in his tone, nor was he boasting. There was nothing about war to brag about.

“They have no morals. They are known for kidnapping children who show magical promise and forcing them to join their ranks. They even capture dragons… they abuse them… torture them until they are nothing but a shell to use in their wars.” Nilo swallowed hard, his morality shining through as his eyes glittered with sadness. The destruction they caused… these people did not even know. They lived a sheltered lifestyle, and though it may have been a blessing, it could now prove to be quite the curse, and that scared Nilo more than anything. Then again, he was always scared when it came to war, he just never showed it.

Nilo shifted to take the weight off of his false leg, feeling some soreness in the stump that was left after multiple long days of travel. He had forgotten to bring medicine for the pain, but he was sure he could handle it. “Which is why I have come here to offer my assistance. We have not failed yet. You can trust me, or you cannot, but would I have come here alone if my intentions were foul? Would I have risked the life of both myself and my dragon companion if I did not believe this was urgent?” Gently and tenatively, Nilo unclasped the sword around his waist and set it down in the space between them.

It was not the only weapon on his person, but he hoped the gesture would show that he meant no harm. “My rebels will assist your army, and I can help you create your defenses and organize your attack. However…” He trailed, standing tall as he stared the king and his wife in the eye, “I’m afraid the dragons are non-negotiable. I cannot send my rebels into a battle with enemy dragons in good conscience without my own accompanying them.” There was no anger in his tone, nor did he act as if he was above the royals before him. No, he was simply making his terms known.

“I know where your fear and hatred comes from, and I would like to help change that, if you will allow me.”

Aodh knew that any kingdom had their intelligence organizations and it particularly fascinated her although many men tried to dissuade her from her interest asserting that the daily work was quite boring and unexciting. How did he get the mole back out? What characteristics would make a good mole? Had they ever had one get discovered?

Her mother’s harsh voice interrupted her thoughts. “Moving in our direction?” Aodh’s mother’s brow was furrowed. As in to bring Nilo information and help? That seemed at the moment like it could be invasive. He had not been granted permission to continue to bring his people onto their land. Aodh’s father, Stephen, gave Aodh’s mother, Aileen a look that she had asked a dumb question. Aileen was confused and felt that clarification was needed.

Stephen stiffened a little at the long list of compliments that Nilo gave his military, knowing that there was going to be a “but” at the end, and understanding the rhetorical effect this technique was supposed to have. Blah, blah, blah compliments and then BAM, hopefully he had made his point that he and his people were needed. It was quite the sales pitch. How was this young man and his people supposed to be able to stop an army that could take down an entire kingdom? “Could you fight and defeat these rogues on your own with your own army? How have you helped others? What are some of the plans you hope to bring into place? What has worked previously?” Stephen asked. Why did they need him specifically? Did Pendragon really just have that many more men? What kind of skill did they have that made them so valuable? Although, Stephen reminded himself it could mainly be the dragons and the experience. The dragons themselves if they could be trusted would be a huge asset.

Another thought popped into Stephen’s suspicious mind. If Pendragon and his army could defeat the rogues, then why hadn’t he? “Why have you not defeated them once and for all? If they continue coming around and being a threat, then have you tried defeating them? Why are you only holding them back?” He knew the tales of frightening horrors. He was accustomed to hearing such rumors. They weren’t the loudest because very few were allowed to escape to spread fear. Were the attacking armies not concerned about that tactic? Did they have other uses for the prisoners? Many attacking armies were more savage than basic codes of conduct allowed. It was how they struck fear into their opponents that they would have no mercy. When they came, the people were terrified of their fate and would not be able to find the courage to resist. They hoped that in surrender they would find mercy.

He cast a glance at his daughter. She was not considered a child by his people any longer, but she was young enough he assumed to be forced into the army. She was still malleable and teachable. What would he do if they lost? Would it be better to die than to live under the Rogue Army’s rule? He shoved the thoughts to the side. He had not fought one of the battles that would be coming ahead or even begun preparations. It was too early to be thinking of defeat. It would only hurt his ability to plan if he was already planning on surrendering.

“What causes a dragon to attack?” he asked. Could it be that the main source of dragons that he and his kingdom had dealt with were only the Rogue Dragons? He could feel his brain breaking at the thought that perhaps some dragons were not untrustworthy. “How can they control a dragon?” Dragons seemed so powerful, but then humans were very good at conquering. Would he be able to rally his people quick enough? They were not the most warlike of kingdoms. They would not want to fight when there was no evidence of an imminent fight. “Where is your dragon companion?” Stephen’s voice was rough with suspicion when Nilo brought the dragon up again. It was hardly the most peaceful move to remind them that he had brought a very fierce weapon with him. One that they did not know the location of.

His earnestness was not ringing through to Aodh like he had earlier when they were talking one on one. Stephen did not like the empty gestures that Pendragon kept on pulling out trying to put him at ease. It made him feel like Pendragon was trying to manipulate him, and he did not appreciate it. His smoothness raised Stephen’s hairs and felt false on his ears. Whatever was Pendragon’s rationale for being here it would make sense for him to refuse to be without his own dragons. So, it came down to whether he trusted Pendragon. He did not think that he could. The last line…Pendragon wanted him to stop being afraid of dragons. Why? Why did he care?

He couldn’t just have dragons tromping around on Khonvoum. Not for a while yet if he did decide to give Pendragon a chance. Yet, he had heard about the terrifying army. He had heard what it had done to the van Aslans. Why had they finally decided to turn their attention upon his kingdom? He realized that was a question to ask. “Do you know why they have decided to turn their attention toward my kingdom? Why now?” They could have done it at any time. He didn’t think it would make much of a difference. As far as he could think they were not at a particular weak or vulnerable time. “How did you get involved with dragons? Why have you stayed with them and why have they let you?” If Pendragon wanted to help him overcome his fear and suspicion of dragons it seemed like a good question to start with. “How will you get me past my…dislike of dragons?” he said wryly knowing it was quite the understatement.

Something in Stephen almost made him smile. It quirked at the edges of his lips and only Aileen would have been able to know it for what it was. Ah yes, Pendragon, savior of those who were attacked and director of a fearsome army was a therapist and counselor to those who hated the members of his army, particularly dragons. “Besides being huge and fierce, what abilities and skills will your dragons bring to the table? Does the attacking army have a particular style of attack? Do they have any weaknesses we can exploit? Is it better to stay and wait or initiate the attack?"