The maddening silence was broken when Tull burst into the small room. His armor groaned as he bowed slightly from the doorway.

“The Father Abbot is here my Lord,” he said in his thick northern accent.

Dellain looked up from his reports. “Here? In the city or the next room?”

“He has just entered the west gate, my lord. He is on his way to the keep.”

Dellain dismissed the man with a wave and glanced at the reports. The work had gone faster than expected, and the craftsmen were nearly done. The Father Abbot would be pleased about that, but all this work for a dead man seemed pointless.

His armor clanked as he stood and walked out of the dingy stone-walled office. He was thankful for the worn dark red rug that muffled his footsteps. It would do him some good to be in the sunlight. He had been reading the reports by candlelight for hours. The one narrow window little more than a slit in the stone provided little in the way of illumination. The whole of the space felt more like a cell than an office, but the grander rooms had been reserved for his most honored Father Abbot.

He left his dingy cell and walked down the winding hallways of the keep. He was sure the Father Abbot would expect to be greeted as he arrived, and Dellain didn't feel like keeping him waiting.

His black armor rattled as he hurried along. He passed the quarters of his men, the kitchen, the dining hall. Finally, he reached the door that would take him out into the courtyard. The sunlight stung his eyes as he went from the dark interior to the brightness of day. He was relieved to be free of the confines of the building and its stifling stone walls.

He quickly walked across the cobbled courtyard to the gates. For a moment he looked up, the white stone towered overhead forming an arch that made him marvel. He liked Whiteford, especially the white stone it was named after. The massive oak gates were wide open, and two men in black plate saluted as he approached.

He saluted them back with a vague gesture. It had been a battle of words and nearly swords to secure the keep for their use. The local ruler was not happy that the Father Abbot was coming here, nor that he expected to be given the cities best fortifications. Even getting the man to remove his guards from the inner gates was nearly a bloody contest. Dellain had to bribe the man heavily to get him to budge.

As he passed the gates, he could see the Father Abbot coming. A grand procession paraded down the street. Twenty soldiers in full armor and livery of red and white walked ahead. Directly behind them walked four priests. They carried incense burners in metal balls hung from chains. They swung the balls, trailing a white smoke in their wake. Behind that was the grand coach. Four white horses pulled it. It was made of metal and wood, painted white with brass trimming and red panels. It bore the unmistakable emblem of Astikar god of mercy. He could see the Father Abbot waiving out the window at the crowds that had gathered. Behind the coach were another forty men. These were all plated warriors in golden armor and red sashes. They carried great two-handed swords that they held aloft like the men before them and walked as one down the street. These were the honor guard. The men tasked with protecting the Father Abbot at all costs. All of them were veterans and held a rank similar to Knight captain. They would fight fanatically to defend the leader of their faith.

Dellain approached one of the men guarding the gate. “Order the guard assembled in the yard,” he said. The man nodded and quickly ran into the courtyard calling for the guard.

Dellain stood there like a statue as the procession wound its way through the city. He held fast as the coach finally arrived practically at his feet, and out stepped the Father Abbot. He was an inch taller than Dellain with a face wrinkled by age, but eyes still sharp and piercing. He wore the layered red and white of Astikar, and on his head was a simple white cap.

“Brother Dellain,” he said with a hearty smile, and a clasping of hands. “I trust all is well in Whiteford?”

“Everything is well Father Abbot, Astikars mercy be praised.” His words were practiced but lacked any conviction as he played the expected game.

“His mercy be praised indeed!” the Father Abbot replied with some enthusiasm.

The Father Abbot turned smiling to the crowds gathered in the streets and gave them a parting wave as he was escorted into the courtyard by Dellain.

Inside the yard, Dellain's men stood at attention. Two rows of black-armored knights with red trims and a red raven's head on the shoulder plate. All of them bore weapons of their choosing, and some of them bore several.

The Father Abbot waived at them too as he passed across the yard to the main doors of the keep itself. It wasn't until they were inside the keep he turned to speak to Dellain.

“Is everything ready?” the Father Abbot asked as they began to walk into the grand hall of the keep.

"The metalwork is complete, the enchantments will follow this very day," Dellain said walking beside him.

“Good, then you have done well,” the Father Abbot replied with nod.

“I don't see why we're wasting so much effort on a dead man,” Dellain stated now that they were safely away from those who might overhear.

“A dead man?” the Father Abbot said as if shocked. “It would surprise you then brother Dellain to know that I have received a message from brother Jessivel. He tells me that he met with Gersius just four days ago and that he is on the road as we speak coming here.”

“Gersius is alive?” Dellain found that hard to believe.

“Indeed,” the Father Abbot said with a slight smirk.

“What did the message say?” Dellain asked as he worried that Gersius might have actually done it.

The Father Abbot explained the message that stated Gersius was directed to Whiteford as per his orders. The letter also mentioned that Gersius was agited and wished to go directly to Calathen. He was not happy about the command. Dellain asked if the dragon was mentioned but the Father Abbot said the letter contained nothing about a dragon.

“Then he has failed, wasted the lives of thirty men, and given up on his mission,” Dellain suggested.

“Perhaps,” the Father Abbot said throwing Dellain a calculating glance. “Tell me brother Dellain what did you think of Gersius's quest?”

“It was a fool's errand, even if he could find a dragon, what chance did he have of getting it to cooperate with him? If the bandersooks hadn't ambushed him, he would have lost his men to the dragon instead,” Dellain said.

“I see, and what if he succeeded?” the Father Abbot asked while raising an eye brow in a calculating expression.

“Are you telling me you believe he may have actually found a dragon and is secretly marching it across the countryside?” Dellain said as he began to wonder if the old man was going senile. “Gersius abandoned the post he to chase after a legend. He squandered thirty recruits, and then dragged his feet getting back,” Dellain said his voice growing angry. “How much longer are you going to put up with his failures? I should be the one leading the armies. I should be the one to defeat the Doan.”

“Maybe you should be,” the father said as if the idea was a good one.

“Are you serious?” Dellain asked as he was taken aback by the very agreeable statement.

“Brother Dellain I believe that Gersius was right about needing a dragon,” the Father Abbot began as they reached an open door. “But I believe that you are right as well. Perhaps Gersius isn't the one best suited to do it.”

They entered a large inner hall where a central rug led to a raised dais. A single plush chair rested on the dais decorated in red and white.

“I see my instructions have been followed to the letter,” he said smiling.

“The mayor and the watch captain both disapproved of our taking over most of the keep, but I persuaded them to let us use it for a week or two,” Dellain replied.

“I am sure I will be able to smooth over any hurt feelings,” the Father Abbot said. He turned now and faced Dellain directly a stern look on his aged features.

“Set your men to watch the gates. I need to know when and with whom Gersius arrives,” the Father Abbot insisted.

“My men are already watching every gate,” Dellain said. “I doubt even Gersius could walk into the city with a dragon unnoticed.”

The Father Abbot climbed the three steps to the cushioned chair and sat down draping his hands over the arms in regal fashion.

"It has come to my attention that a number of Gersius comrades and friends are missing," he said from the now lofty perch. “I will not tolerate brothers and soldiers of the order abandoning their posts. If any of them walk through that gate with Gersius, they are to be escorted here. If any of them resist, they are to be arrested and held. I will not have Gersius encouraging descent in our ranks.”

Dellain suddenly thought of Tavis and Ayawa as he wondered how many more had vanished into the night. Gersius was a popular leader and had many friends that could lead to significant complications.

“All the more reason why I should be knight captain,” Dellain insisted.

The Father Abbot stood tall in his chair and looked down his nose at Dellain as if the very idea was beneath him, but then he spoke, and Dellain was genuinely shocked.

“I have a much higher post in mind for you brother Dellain. A much higher post indeed.”

---

Gersius and Lilly walked down the winding road flanked by dense trees. Their passage was shady but up ahead were pockets of sunlight as the trees gave way to open fields and grazing land. The sight made Gersius uneasy as it could only mean they were getting closer to Whiteford.

They stopped briefly to sit under a tall oak and enjoy a moment of rest. Lilly finally admitted she was hungry and asked what he had to eat. He handed her some dry bread and cheese, and she chastised him for not introducing her to cheese sooner.

He was grateful for the pause. Every minute they spent here was a minute of safety. His morning prayers had been the same, when he asked for guidance about Whiteford he got a sense of dread, something terrible waited for him there.

He looked at Lilly and wondered what the best course of action was now that they were close. Should he bring her into the city as she was now, and show the Father Abbot her transformation? He dismissed it immediately, the strategist in him telling him to keep that secret to himself. He decided on another plan, but he was sure Lilly wouldn't like it.

His mind went over the feeling of dread that lay ahead. If the Father Abbot and his guard were in the city, what possible doom could befall them? Maybe the dread was outside the city? Perhaps the danger was in getting there? He briefly considered that and decided that it might be best to put his armor on. If the threat was lurking right outside the gates, he didn't want to be caught unprepared.

“What are you doing?” Lilly asked as he started to strap on his armor.

“I am just being cautious,” he replied.

Lilly looked around as if trying to spot the danger. “Are you threatened by the cows?”

“I think it is wise to be prepared. There is no danger; please eat your cheese.”

Lilly shrugged and went back to nibbling at the white block.

He watched her as she devoured the bread he had given her, but took little tiny bites of the cheese. Sometimes she looked so innocent and docile. She was beginning to enjoy all the little things human life had to offer, and she found so many of them magical. He in turn enjoyed watching her odd ways. The way she slept on her coins, the way she touched every flower, the way she tasted every food. He loved how she explained every new experience to him as if he had never experienced it.

She also asked a lot of questions. He sometimes felt exhausted after answering them, but still, they went on. She pressed him about why humans did everything they did. Why they ate what they ate, drank what they drank, believed what they believed. He realized that he enjoyed that too, enjoyed being the one to explain the world to her from a human point of view.

He buckled his sword back around his waist, and his mind went back to dread.

“Astikar be merciful, do not force me to use this,” he muttered under his breath.

“I'm done,” Lilly said standing up and brushing off her dress. She looked him in the eyes and smiled. He was always amazed at how tall she was. She was barely an inch shorter than himself, and he was taller than most men. She could meet him at an even level, and he could drink deeply of the ocean blue of her eyes.

He decided to leave his helmet off. It was going to be hot enough as it was. He shouldered his pack and focused on doing his duty and began walking again.

“Lilly, when we get to the city I will go in alone,” he said after they had walked for a few minutes.

“Why would you go in alone?”

"I will meet with the Father Abbot, and tell him what has happened. I will tell him about you."

“Where will I go?” she asked sounding disheartened.

“We will find someplace for you right outside the city, someplace safe,” he said growing uncertain by the second. “You will change into your dragon form, and I will bring the Father Abbot out to you.”

“Why do we even need to let him know I am a dragon, we could keep it a secret until Calathen.” She sounded almost like she was pleading.

“He is the leader of my order, Lilly. I have to report to him that I have found you, or he will think I failed in my mission.”

“Why can't I just walk into the city as a dragon?”

“Lilly, can you walk as a dragon?”

"I," she caught herself as she went to speak. She could walk, her limbs were fine; it was her wings that were the problem. Still, if she needed to, she was sure she could walk, it would just be very painful.

“I am sure I could do it, but I understand your meaning.”

“There is also the problem of you being a dragon. This is not a city with a history of good dragons. The people here might be frightened of you."

Lilly hung her head. In a way, she didn't want people to know she was a dragon now. She was growing fond of slipping in among them and exploring their villages. She didn’t like the idea of them running from her in terror and barring their gates.

“I understand,” she said dejectedly.

They walked for another two hours before he saw the first flags jutting over the hill in the distance. He knew they had to be the walls of the city. Already buildings were appearing up and down the roadside as they drew ever nearer.

There were also more people on the road. Some pulled carts, some had horses and wagons, many were walking just like they were. They hurried about with their lives and passed by often with only a glance at them. Occasionally some of them would notice Lilly and remark about her unusual hair, but all and all they paid them little attention.

“There are so many rod-, I mean humans here,” Lilly remarked while struggling to use the word human.

“You can also use the word, people.”

“You said to call them humans,” she stated.

“I know I did, but we humans hardly ever call ourselves humans, we generally refer to ourselves as people.”

“So,” Lilly paused to think about her words. “Why are there so many, people, here?”

“This is a city, Lilly. There are a great number of people living inside.”

Lilly felt a little uneasy. She had been around people now a few times but never had she seen them in such great numbers.

As they walked on, the walls of the city began to grow out of the ground, rising up and dominating the horizon.

The walls gleamed white in the midday sky, and long white and black banners blew in the breeze. Gersius spotted an additional flag over one of the towers a red and white one, with a familiar star, the emblem of his brotherhood. The city was letting visitors know that somebody important from his order was here.

The sense of dread grew in his heart as they approached and he began to scan the surrounding countryside. He pulled Lilly down a side road away from the gates, which were even now growing larger with every step.

There were several significant buildings here, barns, stables, warehouses. These were buildings with lots of internal space and shelter from prying eyes. They visited several with Gersius talking to the people he found there. Some of them would show them the barns, some of them would tell them to go away.

“You are looking for a place to hide me aren't you?” Lilly asked him as they toured their fifth barn.

"I am not hiding you, Lilly. I am keeping you safe," he said walking around the interior of a large open barn. It was all wood with sturdy walls and a shingled roof. The inside was supported by massive beams that rose taller than any house she had been in so far.

The floors had been swept clean, and the whole of the structure was practically empty except for a small handcart. The interior was dark, but four skylights let in the sunlight that came down in defined beams. Dust could be seen drifting in the air as they passed through the sun's rays, giving the place a feeling of emptiness.

“This might do. The man says he has not used it since the last cattle sale, and his new heard is too small for the barn.”

“So this huge building was built to hold cows?” Lilly asked sounding surprised.

“Yes, why is that so strange?”

“You build a tiny house for people to live in, and you build a giant house for the cows?”

Gersius laughed at her observation.

“It is a barn, Lilly. It wasn't built to do more than keep the rain and wind out, and the cows in. The human house is designed to be warm, inviting, and secure.”

She walked around the center aisle looking up at the skylights.

“So you want me to stay here then?” she asked, her shoulders sagging.

“It is the best way to do this, Lilly. I will go in and see the Father Abbot. I will tell him about you, about the plan, and I will talk to him about your wings. Astikar be merciful he will have the healing ceremony arranged for us by the time we reach Calathen.”

Lilly's eyes seem to light up at that thought, and her lips trembled.

Gersius wanted to make sure she understood how important this was, and he also wanted to make sure she kept her secret.

“Lilly, when I leave I need you to change into your dragon form. I want to keep your human form between us,” he said putting his hands to her shoulders to make sure she was listening.

“I need you to hide your clothes, and your pack. They must not know you can change form.” He took his pack off and put it down by her feet. “Hide mine as well.”

“I guess, but I don't understand why this is such a secret. What will you say when they ask you how I got here?”

“I intend to tell them we came across the country under cover of darkness, and that the farmer does not even know your here.”

“I don't know, Gersius. Something about this feels wrong. Something isn't right. I don't want to be separated from you.”

Gersius held her more firmly and looked into her eyes. “I would die before I let anything happen to you, Lilly,” he said sounding resolute.

Lilly felt something stir inside her at those words, ‘he would die for me?’ She couldn't place the feeling, couldn't tell what it was that twisted inside whenever he complimented her, or held her, or did anything for her. She replayed the words in her head ‘I would die before I let anything happen to you.’

“I do not like the idea of being separated from you either, but I have to go report. I have to see the Father Abbot.”

“I understand,” she said at last. “I will wait here, please, don't take long,” she said as he stepped back.

“I will go as quickly as I can, and bring the Father Abbot here. I am sure he will want to see you.”

Lilly suddenly felt her old worries about what Gersius needed her for crawling back into mind. She felt like she was going to be on display for this leader of his order, and taken into captivity.

Gersius could read the pain on her face, but there was no other way. The sense of dread had grown all morning. He felt it so powerfully that he thought of taking Lilly and running.

As the barn door shut behind him, he felt as if he would never see her again. It was as if she wouldn’t be here when he came back. He could feel something else, a strange sense of loss. It felt as if it was coming from outside him, clawing at his mind and trying to make him take notice of it.

It was a short walk to the city and the safety and protection of his order. Why then was his sense of danger warning him that his doom was upon him? Why did his steps feel like they were fighting him?

“Duty and honor,” he said to himself, and standing tall he walked across the yard and down the road to the city gate.

His mind was plagued with doubt as he neared the gate. He found no comfort being back among people, and the crowds around him made him uneasy. He told himself he was starting to feel like Lilly as he approached the small gate on the road. It was just a simple block tower with a door more than twice his height, and wide enough for two wagons to pass side by side. It split in the middle and opened as two doors swinging outward.

The three men guarding the gate wore simple livery in the cities black and white color, with a coat of mail only over the chest. They were armed with poleaxes which they had all neatly leaned against the wall of the gate. As Gersius approached one of their number, a man with reddish hair and a curled mustache, addressed him.

“Hail priest of Astikar,” he said in a friendly tone.

“Greetings guardsman,” Gersius replied with concern. He noted how people flowed freely into, and out of the gate, the guard paying them no notice, but they jumped at his presence.

“As a representative of our Lord and mayor, I have been tasked with telling all priests and soldiers entering the city that his most divine holiness, the Father Abbot of Astikar is in residence at the inner keep.”

“I thank you for telling me,” Gersius replied.

“I am to instruct all such people to go directly there at once,” the man added.

“I understand, I will report to the keep, and the Father Abbot.”

“Very good,” The man said with a smile. “Carry on then,” he added with a wave of his hand.

Gersius passed through the gate with even more concern. He wondered if wearing his armor had been a good idea. He probably could have walked right through the gate if he had been in his plain clothes. The matter was pointless to debate now, he was inside the city, and the guards would no doubt be sending a message that he was here.

He pressed on pushing through the streets of the city of Whiteford. It was a clean city by city standards. The main streets were wide and paved in cobbles, many of the shops had windows of delicate glass, unlike so many of the village stores that used open windows and shutters.

Lilly would love it here he thought as he turned a corner, and could smell meat cooking over a fire someplace. He thought about her again and felt a return of the worry. It had to be this way though; if he had tried to bring her in as a dragon, there would be mass panic in the streets. If she had walked in as a woman, he would lose his secret advantage.

He rounded another bend and entered a vast plaza of white stone. At the far end, a series of twenty steps led up to an arch of polished white marble. At the top, he could see the guards in black armor and the emblems of Astikar. A slow ramp led up each side of the plaza so that a carriage could be driven up, but Gersius walked the steps, his apprehension growing with each one.

“He’s here!” Tull shouted to Dellain rousing him from his office.

Dellain looked up at Tull and nodded he had heard. So it was true, Gersius was alive! He wasted no time running past Tull, and down the hall. He took a turn into a small side chamber that had a window into the courtyard.

There he saw him, a tall man in polished silver armor. He had the red star of Astikar on its chest, but the trim on his shoulders was gold. A golden sunburst on the right shoulder marked him as a Knight Captain.

“Not for long Gersius,” Dellain said as he watched.

Gersius spoke with three men in the courtyard who pointed him to the double wooden doors at the bottom of the keep.

“He waits in the keep Knight Captain,” one of them said placing his right arm over his chest and giving Gersius a gentle bow.

Gersius waived the men on and walked resolutely to the doors.

“And where is your dragon?” Dellain chuckled to himself.

Two more guards in full polished armor stopped him at the doors and demanded to know who he was.

“I am Gersius Knight-Captain of Astikar,” he told them.

One of the guards reached over and knocked on the door, and it slowly opened from within.

A tall, slender man in a simple red coat and black pants stood just inside the door. He didn't look like a member of the order, not even a scribe or monk. He seemed more like an emissary or diplomat. He had short brown hair that was all brushed to one side and a neat tightly trimmed mustache. He stood with one arm folded behind his back, and in the right hand, he held a rod of some kind with a bird's head on top.

“Gersius I presume,” the man said standing perfectly still.

“I am Gersius,” he replied to the man.

“This way then,” the strange fellow said, and turned to march directly into the keep.

As he entered Gersius noticed the four men in full black armor and red trim holding the doors open from inside. They wore cloaks that were black on the outside but red on the inside. None of the men looked up at him, as if he wasn't even there, or didn't matter.

He followed the man to an inner set of doors where eight more guards stood, four on each side. These wore golden armor, but with a red sash around their chest. Some of them had red plumes on their helms. These were honor guards, the personal bodyguard of the Father Abbot.

"Wait here, please. I will announce you,” the man said leaving Gersius outside the door while he went in.

“Gersius Knight captain of Astikar!” he heard the man call loudly from inside announcing his presence.

Gersius took his cue and entered the room. It was a long narrow affair with a white tiled floor and decorative pillars along the walls. A few men and women in fine clothes turned from conversations and drinks to gaze his way.

They must be the local nobles or people of importance, Gersius thought as he continued straight on. Ahead of him was a small raised dais with only a few steps. A large chair rested on its top, and seated on it was the Father Abbot. Four guards in golden armor stood at attention at either side. A serving girl was busy pouring the Father a drink before he gestured Gersius way and said something to the girl. She bowed and scurried away leaving the man to take a sip.

He dressed in a simple red and white robe. It had a broad sash over his chest decorated in gold with the symbols of the order. On his head was a white cap whose only defining feature was a small red star of Astikar. There was a tense look on his face as if he wasn't pleased, and his eyes dug at Gersius as if searching for some secret.

The moment had come, and Gersius hoped his plans would finally come to fruition. He arrived at the steps of the platform and fell to one knee.

“I have come as you commanded, my Father,” he said bowing his head.

“Gersius, my most capable soldier, my hero in dark times, it pains me to see you this way,” the man said, setting his drink down.

Gersius took careful note that he had been called a capable soldier, and not a capable commander, and in what way was he seen?

“What pains you my Father?” Gersius asked not getting up from his place of humility.

“I know of your failure, Gersius. I know you lost your entire force, and yet you made no effort to contact me, or even to return. Have you abandoned your position, Gersius? Have you abandoned your faith?”

Gersius felt anger at the words. He had sent word only somehow it hadn't reached the Father Abbot. He began to wonder what had happened to Marcus but decided not to raise the point. He chose to be bold instead.

He got up off his knee and stood up tall, and proud, and looked the Father Abbot directly in the eye. He saw the look of contempt for his actions, he hadn't been told to stand after all, but he needed to deliver what he had to say as a man, as the man who would never lose faith.

“I never lost faith or abandoned my post,” he said a tone of defiance in his voice. “I have completed my mission, and I am ready to save our people.”

He was surprised that the Father Abbot didn't seem to be moved at all by the news.

“You have found your dragon then?” he asked as if he already knew.

"I have my Father," Gersius said. "It waits outside the city for my return." Now there was a response a twitch around the eyes as if irritated. His hands seemed to grip the arms of the chair more tightly. Around the room muffled conversations suddenly erupted among the onlookers.

“You have your dragon here?” he asked leaning forward in his chair.

“Yes, my father. Just outside the city. I did not wish to cause a panic bringing it in unannounced.”

“How very wise of you, Gersius,” the Father Abbot said sitting back in his chair. “I must see your dragon at once. I must know that we are truly ready to fulfill the prophecy.”

“Of course my father. I will take you directly to it.”

The Father Abbot called to a man standing along the wall. “Prepare my coach, and my guard immediately.”

Gersius wasn't sure if he felt better or worse. It was all going according to plan just as he hoped, but his sense of dread only grew as if the last few moments of escape were rapidly slipping by.

The Father Abbot stood from his chair and flowed out of the hall with Gersius, and his holy guards in tow. Gersius listened as hushed and excited whispers began to circle the room. Word was going to spread fast that there was a dragon outside.

He followed the Father Abbot to a coach that now stood in the courtyard. When they arrived at the door, the Father stopped and told Gersius to instruct the driver on how to get there. He did as he was told, and described the route and the farm to the man. The driver nodded his head that he had understood, and went back to sitting at attention.

The holy guard gathered in front of, and behind the carriage, they would escort it the whole way.

“Get in Gersius,” The Father Abbot called from inside the coach. “I want you to tell me more of this dragon.”

The trip through the city was slow and meandering. Few of the streets were wide enough to accommodate the carriage, and those rapidly choked with people come to watch it pass.

“So you managed to subdue a dragon, alone?” the Father Abbot asked. His aged and wrinkled face carried a small delicate smile, almost mocking.

“I did not subdue the dragon, I befriended it,” Gersius said, remembering that he had promised Lilly not to tell people he had beaten her.

“You befriended it? A dragon?” The man looked amused. “I imagine you would sooner befriend a bandersook.”

“I came across the dragon wounded, and I offered it healing in exchange for its help. Since then we have spoken at length, I have earned its trust, and I trust it.”

“Wounded?” the Father Abbots eyes seemed to narrow at the terms. “Wounded how?”

"It was recently in a battle with another dragon, and it was the loser."

Again Gersius was surprised that none of this seemed to move the Father Abbot at all.

“Pity you couldn't have befriended the winner,” was all the man said.

“This dragon is not what you might expect, my Father, she,” Gersius flinched at giving away that it was a female dragon. “She is very willing to communicate with humans, and is willing to help us.”

The Father Abbot raised an eyebrow. “She,” the Father Abbot said pausing on the word. “talks to you much?”

“She never shuts up,” Gersius said looking out a window. They were almost to the main gate, the crowds would thin soon, and progress would be swifter.

“You trust this dragon?”

“I trust her with my life, and I assure you that you can trust her as well,” Gersius said.

“We shall see,” the Father Abbot said in an ominous tone.

They made the rest of the journey in silence, and Gersius felt his dread rising as they turned down the lane to the farmhouse.

“I see no dragon,” the Father Abbot said as he stepped down from the carriage.

“She is inside the barn, my father,” Gersius said.

The Father Abbot gestured with a hand to have Gersius lead him. He stood ten feet short of the door and allowed Gersius to walk ahead to open them. It was a large door that rolled to the side on wheels that hung above.

Gersius paused outside the door, and then slowly pulled them open. The darkness inside was broken only by the light shining in from the skylights.

The Father Abbot walked up to stand beside Gersius and squinted into the dark barn his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

“My father, may I introduce you to, lady Lilly, the ice dragon.”

The Father Abbot's mouth fell open as Lilly reared up, her head illuminated by a sunbeam. Her scales glistened in the light, and her eyes glowed with a cold blue radiance.

“By Astikars mercy,” the father said taking a step back. Calls of alarm echoed behind him and soldiers of the honor guard came rushing forward with spears at the ready.

Gersius threw his arms out before them,

“Stand your ground!” he commanded them. "This is no enemy." He paused and looked over his shoulder at Lilly. He turned and addressed them again. "This is Lilly, she is a friend of mine, and the order of Astikar, she has come here to help us in our darkest hours."

They stood fast just a few feet behind the Father Abbot who was still transfixed on the dragon.

“Lilly?” the Father Abbot said when he finally got control of his senses.

“Her name, my Father. Please come inside, and meet her.”

The father looked at Gersius his eyes cold, and calculating again, and then he suddenly walked right into the barn seemingly unafraid.

“So. you are the great dragon our brave Gersius managed to befriend,” he said standing before her. “It is my honor to meet you, and to extend our most humble appreciation of your willingness to help us.”

“Gersius says he needs me to save his people,” she said her voice strong, and powerful as if two people were speaking at once. "I would go where ever he leads."

The Father Abbot shot Gersius a look as he walked up, and stood beside him.

“You truly have befriended it,” he said to Gersius.

“Please, your holiness, call her Lilly.”

The Father Abbot’s face seemed to sour at the idea of addressing the dragon as Lilly but did so anyway.

“Lady Lilly, on behalf of our order, and our God I thank you. The people of Delvarium thank you. Your service to us is more than we could ever hope for,” the Father Abbot said dipping into a bow.

He stepped in further looking up at her towering form. Her head could easily have struck the roof of the barn, and her powerful limbs looked like they could snap the oak beams, her wings...”

He stopped and looked at Gersius.

“What happened to her wings?”

“I told you, my father, she was in a battle with another dragon. When I found her, her wings were already twisted,” he saw Lilly flinch as he recounted it. “It took all I had to keep her from dying of her wounds. I did not have the strength to restore her wings.”

“A pity you lost your men on the way there,” the Father Abbot said with a scolding tone. “Surely five men would have been enough to restore her fully, and you had thirty.”

“I have regretted that myself,” Gersius said lowering his head. “I did all I could for her.” Gersius felt his heart twisting as this moment dragged on. He didn't want to get Lilly's hopes up, but he thought since they were addressing her wings, now was the time to ask.

“Can she even walk effectively with wings so broken and torn?” he asked Gersius.

“She can walk, but with much pain and difficulty.”

“How do you expect to use her if she can't walk?”

“My Father, I want to try to heal her wings. If we can get her to Calathen, we can use the seal of Astikar, and the brothers there to restore her wings.”

The Father Abbot opened his mouth and looked away as if about to say something. He was silent a long, tense moment.

“So you wish to see if Astikar himself will heal her wings?” he said at last.

“She is a goodhearted and kind dragon. Surely he will see that in her. Surely he would be willing to bless her,” Gersius pleaded.

Lilly shifted nervously as she listed to them talk. She felt that strange twisting deep inside as Gersius said she was goodhearted and kind.

The Father Abbots eyes looked as if they were lost in deep contemplation, his entire face registered as a man whose thoughts were a thousand miles away.

“How fortunate then that the seal is here in my quarters,” he said coming back to focus.

“You have the seal here? In the city?” Gersius said surprised.

“Gersius, it isn't often I make such a visit to a distant city, and the war does take its toll on our resources. I have it and several other relics with me to put on display, and take up a collection.”

He walked now with Gersius trailing behind heading back for the door. His right hand stroked his chin as he pondered.

“There are at least forty brothers of sufficient strength in the city now, I will have them organized, and sent here at once with the seal,” he said as he passed back out into the yard. “I will leave some of my men as well, Lilly must be protected until she can be restored,” he added snapping a finger at one of his guardsmen. "Leave a dozen men here, and you protect that barn and its contents with your life. Nobody goes inside it unless they bear the seal of Astikar with them.” He glanced up at Gersius. “Or they are Gersius of course.”

“Yes My father!” the man said snapping into a salute.

“Father, I do not know how to thank you! Your kindness is overwhelming. This is more than I could have ever hoped for.”

"Knight-Captain Gersius,” he said putting a hand on his shoulder. “You have done the impossible. As always you have done what needed doing no matter how difficult. How could I do any less?”

Gersius felt tears welling up in his eyes. This had gone far better than he had hoped. Lilly would soon be restored, and they would be able to leave for Calathen.

“Come, we have much more to discuss,” the Father Abbot said getting back into his carriage.

“I should stay to help with the healing,” Gersius said not wanting to leave Lilly.

“Nonsense,” the Father Abbot called. “You have done your duty and brought the dragon here. The lesser brothers can handle the healing. I have more important matters to discuss with my greatest commander.”

Gersius nodded his head in a low bow. “Let me tell her I will be back. I do not want her to be surprised by the others arriving.”

“Of course, go and tell your dragon, Lilly, of our plans. I will wait.”

Gersius ran back into the barn and stood before Lilly who was already crying.

“They are going to do it? They are going to heal me?" she asked staring down at Gersius.

“They are going to try. Forty brothers are going to come here with the seal. They are going to do the ceremony as soon as they can all be found and assembled.”

“I will fly again?” she said more tears coming to her glowing blue eyes.

"I promise you, Lilly, they are going to heal your wings," he said to her in a moment of weakness. He couldn't bear to see how painful the loss of her wings was to her and gave her hope. He prayed it wasn't false.

“Lilly, there is something I need you to do. It is very important,” he said

“What?” she asked wiping her eyes with a clawed hand.

“You must stay in your dragon form,” he told her firmly.

“Why? I have been accepted. They are coming to heal me. Why keep the secret?”

“Lilly, this is important. I can not explain it now, the Father Abbot is waiting for me.”

“But this is silly, Gersius. If I change form, I could go to them. I could go back with you now, and save time, I could—.”

“Lilly,” Gersius said his voice strong and commanding, “Do not change, remain as a dragon!”

She felt the compulsion of the binding as the command sunk in. She felt betrayed as well. He hadn't used the command since they first set out. He had treated her with respect, and always asked her permission never demanded it.

“You just commanded me!” she said anger in her voice. “I thought you liked me. I thought you were my friend.”

“I am your friend, Lilly,” he said walking away from her. “You have to trust me; please just trust me.” He stepped outside and took hold of the door as she glared.

Lilly raged as he closed the door behind him. She felt a surge of mixed emotions that made her shake.

She tried to justify her anger and found it hard to accept what he had said, but she realized that no matter how she felt about it she would have to trust him. She hoped that trust wasn’t misplaced.