Lady of the Veiled Vale

Gods and Dragons

Kevin found them both asleep, though his sister was under the covers while Raiden dozed atop them, leaning against her. They were holding hands like an old married couple. He looked around for the baby, but it was nowhere to be found.

   He'd been grooming Blue when Tay came to get him. While his sister did not have the strength to operate the lift, he did. It took him longer to make the journey, since his dwarven arms were considerably shorter than the demigod's, but at last he made it. Now here he was, and everyone was asleep while the baby was missing.

   He went to the side of the bed and shook Raiden by his shoulder. A hand shot to his throat before he was fully awake, but was quickly withdrawn when he saw who he had hold of.

   "Sorry, soldier's reaction. What's the matter?" he asked.

   "The baby's gone!"

   Raiden patted the boy's back. "We know. Your Gran took them to be raised by dragons."

   Kevin stared at him like he'd gone mad.

   "Do you happen to know if Darien was a dragon, by any chance?" The unexpected question caught the boy off-guard.

   "No, why?"

   "Because your sister just laid three eggs." Kevin laughed hysterically. He wasn't sure now who had gone mad.

   Raiden sat up straighter. "Look, son, we're all as baffled as you are. But Gwinn is only half dragon. The midwife said that the only way for her to lay eggs is if the... father... was also at least half dragon. Now, maybe you don't know this, but some dragons can shapeshift. They can appear human." He gave the boy a gentle shake with the last sentence.

   Kevin dropped heavily into the chair by the bed. "I don't know. I just don't know anymore. Three, you say? Well, I guess that's why she got so big..." He drifted into thought, and seemed to get lost there.

   Many long minutes later, Samantha barreled into the room, waving two sheets of paper in their faces and babbling about a chimera and Darien.

   This woke Gwinneth from her much-needed rest. She grumpily demanded that someone make sense, or she would throw them all out. The men glared at Samantha, who thrust a piece of paper at each of them. She let the pictures do the talking for her.

   "I don't believe it," they said simultaneously; then swapped papers. "I still don't believe it," they chimed together.

   "Well, I don't know what you don't believe," Gwinn said testily.

   Kevin silently handed his paper to Raiden. Gee thanks, Kev, he thought sourly. He sighed and handed his Lady the first wanted poster.

   "This is who attacked Glenryss."

   She stared at the drawing, but to their surprise said "I believe it. After the things he said, and the fact that Sanctuary was forbidden from letting him in, I believe it. What's the other picture?"

   Raiden handed it to her. "Hmm, that would explain the barbs. I didn't know they could regrow the things, but it does explain it. Are they in cahoots?" she asked Samantha.

   Raiden looked to Hrrtel, to see if she were repressing an emotion she didn't want them to see, but he was looking at them with a perfectly calm expression, before he closed his eyes and started snoring.

   "Why is it that the most rational person in the room is the one who just gave birth?" He asked no one in particular.

   Samantha's jaw unhinged. "She just what? And nobody told me?" She started looking around for the baby, just as her brother had. "Where's the baby, then?"