Turn and Face the Strange [DragonSong]

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan rose carefully and, together, the two returned to the caravan.


The stocky caravan master looked to the both of them with annoyance. He remained silent for just long enough for them to start to squirm before saying, "I have half a mind to send you both packing, here and now, without pay."

Kahroan opened his mouth but Zane cut him off. "But... in light of your bravery, I'm going to give you a chance to explain."

[DragonSong]

River had to bite back a growl--she was still on edge from the whole ordeal--but when Zane spoke she sort of felt like that was her cue. Kahroan had been shot, for gods' sakes, she could handle some explanations.

"We needed to cross the valley," she told the trader, tucked under Kahroan's good arm in an effort to help keep him upright. "A dragonfolk and a shifter don't exactly go unnoticed in Connlaoth--we figured we had a better chance with a group, but..." She shrugged. "Honestly, I'm usually a better travel companion was a wolf. Better fighter, too. We figured it was safest to keep it quiet."

Zane continued to frown at her, as though he expected further explanations. When none were forthcoming, he exhaled sharply and shook his head. "You're still getting half pay. Secrets are all well and good, but something like that could've bit us all in the ass."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan glanced her direction to gauge her reaction. Half pay wasn't unexpected, given the situation. Hells, they would have taken that from the beginning if that's what it had taken to come along. Turning his attention back to Zane, he nodded. "We understand. No more magic, we promise. We don't want that kind of attention any more than you do."

"Right?" he asked River.

[DragonSong]

"Yeah, no problem at all," she agreed quickly. It was worth the relative safety that traveling in a group provided, for however long they could keep it.

Zane gave them a brisk nod, then turned back to taking stock of the damage done to the wagons--there didn't seem to be anything too bad, but one of the wheels had been hit in the initial volley and one of the traders was reinforcing its spoke to ensure it didn't snap.

River let out a sharp breath and pressed a little closer to Kahroan's side. "Well, that certainly could've gone worse," she muttered to him with a small, crooked smile.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan had also been holding in a little of his breath, letting it out slowly as his nerves relaxed. He bumped her shoulder gently with a slight happy rumble in his chest. "Yes. We lucked out with this caravan master. We'd be in serious trouble if he was Connloathian."

[DragonSong]

River hummed an agreement, nodding. "C'mon, let's get you settled for a second," she murmured, trying to guide him toward one of the wagons that wasn't being crowded with merchants and guards.

A few of the traders they passed were eyeing them with either wariness or curiosity--she couldn't quite tell which--and River indirectly caught one's eye as she tried to get Kahroan to sit on the wagon bed. The man dropped his gaze quickly, ears red, and she realized the problem with a low chuckle.

"I think the handful of these folk who got tipsy and tried to pet a wolf are realizing I'm not just a wolf," she noted with some amusement.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan did as Doctor River instructed and sat down, leaving against a crate. He couldn't do much else anyway, not without opening his wound.

"Why would that be--" His eyes widened for just a second as his brain caught up. "--oh! That's funny," he chuckled.

He winced, grinning despite the pain. "Ow... don't make me laugh."

[DragonSong]

"Shit, sorry, sorry." She winced, hands fluttering futilely. "Sorry," she said again, settling for leaning in to peck his cheek quickly before she got to her feet. "Wait here, I'll fetch our packs, I think we've got the water skins in there."

She turned, ignoring the curious looks they were getting as she hurried off to grab their packs from the back of one of the other wagons.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan couldn't help but note that he was again hiding out, injured and in pain. Again, she was taking care of him, and he could do nothing to repay her kindness. But this time it wasn't out of pity; it was out of the love they now shared, the love that had unfrozen his heart.

The dragonman rumbled happily when she returned. He lovingly watched her climb into the wagon before saying, "That was quick."

[DragonSong]

River smiled at him as she boosted herself up onto the bed of the wagon beside him and handed over a water skin. "Not my first round of this game," she said with a soft chuckle. "Even if my mate didn't seem to have a penchant for danger, I've got four little siblings who—"

What she'd actually said registered and her eyes went wide; she floundered a bit, then barreled forward, "Who, y'know, got their fair share of scrapes and worse when we were growing up. I was always the one ducking back to fetch water or bandages. Here, lemme get that—"

She moved to help pop the cap of the water skin, not looking at him.

[MadEmperor]

Mate? Did she really say that?

The labeling of what they were to each other made the exiled islander unbelievably happy. He couldn't fight his happy noise as he drank from the water skin. Once finished, he said affectionately, "They were lucky to have you. I know I am."

[DragonSong]

Relieved that he seemed willing to let her little slip pass—because Gerta had been right, wolves tended to bond deeply and quickly, and before she'd even realized it the word had come to mean something to her, about him—River still found herself blushing a bit at the softness in his voice.

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself there," she warned playfully with a quiet chuckle. Glancing at him sidelong, she added a little quieter, "You...me too. I mean—" She cleared her throat. "I...don't know if someone's ever put my safety first like that. Like you did when the guns first went off."

She gave a soft, breathy laugh and shook her head. "Not used to being a damsel in distress, I suppose."

[MadEmperor]

He shook his head. "Hardly. You've saved me more times than I've saved you. What kind of ma--" He hung on to the last word a bit too long, making it obvious he was going to say mate. "--man would I be if I didn't return the favor."

Gods, now I'm saying it.

[DragonSong]

River huffed in the way she sometimes did when she as amused as a wolf, pressing her shoulder lightly against his. "That smart kind," she told him, though there was color in her cheeks that hadn't been there before that seemed to imply she'd caught his near-slip.

Her expression sobered a bit and she lowered her voice to add, "Really. I appreciate it, and I know you're strong, but... Gods, when you went down, I--" She swallowed. "Just...do me a favor? Promise you'll have as much care for your own life as you seem to have for mine?"

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan put his good arm around her and squeezed her gently. "You have my word. I won't take as many stupid risks."

He rested his chin on the top of her head. "After all, you've given me something to live for again."

"I..." He hesitated, afraid to speak the words. Surely it was too soon for that. And yet, he felt them to be true.

He loved her.

[DragonSong]

She rumbled happily and nuzzled into the crook of his neck when he rested his head over hers, content to simply be for a while. The soft rumbling increased slightly in volume at his words, even as her flush grew a little hotter.

"Sap," she accused quietly through a smile as she settled herself more comfortably against his side to wait for Zane to call them underway again.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan healed quickly, and the two went back to work for the last week of the trek through the valley, which passed without incident.

Connloath
Belkrath

The couple left the caravan at the city of Cainan's Wall, not eager to risk getting any nearer to the mage camps than necessary. Magical creatures weren't outlawed, and neither of them was a mage, but in a nation at war with itself, laws could change at any moment.

After they said their goodbyes, Kahroan looked at River and asked, grinning slightly, "So... just us again, eh?"

[DragonSong]

"Seems so." She matched his grin and took his hand. "C'mon. We've still got a bit of a trek left."

She leaned in to kiss him quickly, then gave his hand a squeeze before stepping back and letting her wolf to the surface, loping off happily into the foothills of the Kilanthro range.


[Continued: here]