The Dragon's Rogue

Chapter 7

It was near dawn before we made it back to the camp. A slow progression of careful stops and wary movements. Twice I spotted shadows back within the trees and called halt to cower within thick bunches of foliage and watch them slither along. I regretted Scet's decision to leave us and warn the Amber Aerie, his senses would have been welcome. As it stood I felt the weight of many lives upon my back.

Relief filled me when the camp finally came into view. Silent lumps of tent with Shifter walking around between, attending to duties. Calm sentries sat up in the branches of surrounding trees. Nothing that would indicate an attack by a frightening new enemy.

"Who's there?" one of the sentries called when we neared the perimeter.

"Lis," I responded, "...and the Dragon Lord."

A soft thud indicated the man had abandoned his post. "You have a lot of nerve Lis," he growled, stalking forward from the trunk. "Thornic has still not awoken. What did you do, poison him?"

The angry accusation hit me like a physical blow. Rud had never liked me, but to accuse me of intentional harm to a pack member? After everything I had done to keep my people safe, after returning to save them, they were still eager to judge me.

Anger bubbled into my stomach, I hardly noticed Cillumn moving in front of me.

"Listen you pile of worm ridden shit, I will speak with the Alpha and deal with his judgment, not yours. And if you ever suggest I would hurt the pack again..."

"The Alpha boy, it is urgent," Cillumn commanded, interrupting my rant.

Technically, the pack no longer answered to the Dragon Lords, so Rud was under no obligation to obey. The habit hadn't died however. He nodded respectfully and moved off toward the camp's center, though he didn't look pleased about it.

Cillumn followed, his pace and the distance he put between himself and Rud suggesting mistrust.

"Lis!" Shaylise frowned as our little progression stumbled by.

I flinched. Shaylise was Thornik's current lover, and she had been Adda's friend as well. Kind to me, for the most part, for my sister's sake. The one shifter who's opinion I might have cared about. But her expression said that she had revoked any positive opinion. She glared at me as I moved past, following the Dragon Lord that should have been unconscious when her lover should not.

The general opinion that I had betrayed my people was obvious by the time we reached the Alpha's tent.

"Wait here," Rud commanded before disappearing inside. A crowd had gathered, but it was not a group of welcome, most of the pack stood silently, gazes flickering from me to the Lord.

"Lis," my mother whispered from the crowd's edge. I pretended not to hear. Even from that one word her disappointment was palpable.

"Lisrith," the Alpha growled, stepping from his tent. He was a massive man, both in breadth and height. A veritable symbol of health and power. Deep chestnut hair covered his head, cut short and neat. A rough patch of stubble grazed his cheeks and chin and hazel eyes glared out from beneath heavy brows. He was dressed in scouting clothes and loaded with weapons. It occurred to me that he was likely preparing to search for me, as was his duty when a pack member went missing. He halted, spending long moments glaring at Cillumn. At last he turned to me.

"You have gone against pack protocol...again."

"No one else would search for Adda," I defended. "I decided..."

"You decided what was not your decision to make," he snarled.

"Regardless," I persisted and he tensed at my insolence, nostrils flaring. "I did it. And what I have discovered is of great importance to the pack." I launched into a detailed description of the nights events, minus a few moments that were nobody's business. Giving no one a chance to interrupt.