Do not show yourself.
Well, I wouldn't argue with that.
Like a nightmare, three more wolves flowed into the courtyard. White teeth gleamed in the remains of evening and gray hackles rose until they looked like spikes along the beast's shoulders.
I pressed myself back into the shadows, my heart slammed against my chest. I hadn't planned for any of this. Men who were dragons, men who were wolves.
"Who let you into the aerie Kurath?" Dynarys did not move against the man, he leaned, rather casually against the edge of the archway.
I wasn't sure if it fooled the wolf-men. But from where I stood I could make out his tense muscles and the way he played with the blade on his hip.
"Frightened brother?" Kurath snarled.
Brother?
Dynarys chuckled. "You have been out licking the Ephac trees to believe that. Life in the forest that rough for you?"
"Do not mock me Dragon spawn; you are in no position for such things," Kurath growled, stalking forward. Then he stopped and tilted his head. He lifted his face toward us and sniffed dramatically.
A dark chuckle rose in his chest.
"The shadows in the forest grow long brother," he called, his lips turned upward creating a malicious, dangerous look.
"Not long now before we see the end of the dragons. The closing of the age. And now..." he paused and chuckled once more. "Now, is when you choose a woman? Don't deny it," he called when Dynarys pressed himself upright. "I scent her cowering behind you in fear." He turned, "looks like we will have a new plaything when we are done boys. I wonder if she can handle the whole pack, how many do you think, Dynarys, before she breaks?"
Dread crept along my spine. I hunched deeper into the shadows, making my way back toward the building. The wolves would not fit there. Of course the wolves might become men who could fit, but my instinct screamed at me to find a place they could not reach.
Dynarys might be a threat to my freedom, and he was most certainly intimidating...but Kurath was terrifying.
"You best slink back the way you came traitor, before I remove your pelt for my wall. I will ask once more, who let you into the aerie?"
A wisp of gray at my side startled me, I stumbled over the trailing hem of my gown. Through the lattice a pair of slitted yellow eyes focused my way, the musky smell of fur drifting to my nose. Another wolf, sneaking along the wall. Leaves rustled softly as his back brushed the lower branches. A shadow shifted behind him too. How many were there?
"You've never considered maybe there are those who see through your deceptions?" Kurath called, "your cowardice? Honor might mean nothing to you and your kind, but I demand Konois-gar for mine." Kurath paused and then nodded to the wolves
Dynarys seemed to sense the danger, he did not lean casually any longer. Instead, he stood ready. While I was distracted he had removed twin blades from his waist sheaths. They gleamed black against the white stone wall, a picture of deadly beauty framed by the arch of the corridor.
In a flash a blade met his, and before I could blink he and Kurath were a blur of skin and wings and metal. The wolves surrounded the battle yapped excitedly. And then they twisted into the courtyard, well beyond the wall and out of my view. Grunts and snarls the only signs the battle continued.
Relief found me for a mere moment, long enough to wonder if Dynarys moved the fight on purpose, luring the beasts...men...away from me. The wise thing to do would be to run the other direction. A long, long way in the other direction. However, my feet froze to the ground and fear kept me from moving at all. Just staring through the lattice, my stomach in my throat.
That is until a large hairy snout prodded into the corridor. Yellow eyes followed and quickly focused on me, even in the shadows. The wolf's lips parted and a grin spread along its jaw. A distinctly human gesture.
That is so disturbing. That face would give me nightmares for a long time; if I survived this. If not...well, then I would be living a nightmare.
A long low howl emanated from the snout, deep and so loud that the leaves of the fruit trees trembled in its wake.
It worked for releasing my feet however. The wolf shimmered at the corridor's end, but I didn't wait for it to become a man. I dashed past the turn that led to Tharisa's hall, my slippers slapping against the stone floor, not wanting to be trapped inside with my enemy at my heels. Only belatedly realizing that she, or Scet might have been able to help me. It was too late to turn and go back so I continued.
The corridor ended on the far side of the building opening into a new space, it was clean and white like the rest of the aerie, but it was narrow, with no decorative carvings or potted plants. More of an afterthought, or what passed for an alley here maybe. I slipped along it noting the various openings between buildings, waiting for...ha! there. A narrow section between two walls. I slipped into the tight space, there was no way a man that size would squeeze in there. I was having trouble even getting my breasts through.
Of course he would just use one of the larger openings to pass into whatever lay beyond. But beyond wasn't really my goal. Up was.
Thanking my training for giving me lithe limbs and enough speed that I had managed to stay ahead of the wolf-man I scraped my toes along my calf, popping off the useless slippers. I propped one bare foot on the wall and stretched the opposite leg out for the other wall. But it fell short of reaching, bound by the silk fabric.
I was starting to hate that stupid dress.
No time for modesty, already footsteps echoed into the alley. I hiked the skirt up to my waist, struggling to contain all the rumpled fabric and ascend at the same time. Climbing with one arm was strenuous, but not impossible. The most difficult part was that my feet kept slipping along the smooth white bricks. The urge to climb faster, the desperate need to get out of reach didn't help. Sweat pooled along my lower back and my legs and even feet moistened with it.
I dug my nails into the mortar, wincing as they broke, maybe even bled. I winced, reminding myself that the rules of the choosing house did not apply here. Nor were they around to beat me when they noticed the condition of my hands. Besides, this was what I had trained for, escape. Only I hadn't planned my pursuer so well.
The top of the wall neared, and with it a ledge at the lip of the roof tiles. Dropping my skirts I raised both hands to grip it and hauled myself upward. My arms trembled with the effort, at least one of my nails bled enough to lubricate the handhold. At last I was able to raise myself far enough to swing a knee up.
I flinched as my leg thunked against the tiles, cursing the noise. While I climbed the footsteps had disappeared. But I was not naive enough to believe he gave up the chase. I rolled until all of my weight was atop the roof.
So badly I wanted to rest, just a moment, but I knew that might be my detriment so instead I scrambled to my feet. I crouched, keeping my body and the damnable crimson dress as low as possible and scooted up the steep peak. My breathing labored, the fear and exertion catching up with me.
I did my best to silence it and look around. Darkness deepened the shadows into black masses. So many places a man—or wolf might hide. The shadows definitely concerned me, but my mind kept returning to Kurath, sniffing the air and 'scenting' me. If he could smell me from a distance, smell my fear, then my pursuer would be getting a nose full. I tried to tamp down my emotions, but my body was having none of it. Something was trying to kill me and my instinct focused on nothing else.
I scanned the shadows once more and leapt to the next roof, working toward the aerie wall and the guards that should be walking along it. I thought about calling out, in such a busy place someone would hear me. But so would wolf-man, and depending on how close he was, I might be doomed before help arrived. No, it was better to keep my mouth closed, on the off chance I had evaded, or at least confused him. Then, when I was closer I would call for help.
I scrambled to the next roof, and then the one after that without mishap. There was one more roof before the outer wall loomed above the buildings, and it stood taller than the rest. Another two stories taller. There was no way I could jump up there.
"Clever bitch," the words were low, and nearby.
My stomach did an odd flip and I crouched closer to the roof, leaning on one hand for balance.
The dark form of man materialized from the shadows above. In one graceful movement he leapt from the higher building, landing steadily only feet away. He wore no clothes, shadows accentuated the ridges and valleys along his arms and legs, muscles built for speed and strength. Black hair stood out from his head, thick and a little like spikes.
Familiar as I was with male anatomy, and what to do with it, this man's physique seemed unnatural. Too solid. His cock elongated, swelling as we stood, facing one another. He grinned, and I decided that look was no better on his human face.
I took a step backward, attempting to put space between us, but my foot slid a little. This near to the roof's edge I was at risk of falling to my death. The stone that constructed everything in the aerie would be an unforgiving landing.
My choices were limited, but now was the time to draw attention to myself. Where were all the armored men, and dragon lords anyway? I opened my mouth, loosing a scream I intended to be heard all the way to the city.
The wolf-man dove for me, something I didn't expect given our position, and his weight hit my center, throwing me off balance. I threw myself to the roof, narrowly avoiding tipping off the edge. He landed on top of me. Momentum carried me down the slope.
Too fast.
I scrambled my hands and legs desperate for purchase, but it did little good. We reached the edge of the tiles and tipped over the lip, falling toward the stone below.
My attacker twisted, writhing in the air, one of his strong arms wrapped around my torso. Before I drew a breath we landed, the wolf-man on his feet, and me bound tightly against him.
Still reeling from the fall, I didn't react at first when the hand clamped over my mouth and he began rubbing himself against me. The erection that had started on the roof raging now.
"You are trouble little bitch," he growled. "I like trouble."
He lowered one hand down along my side to my hip.
Six Gods he was going to take me right there.
A deep snarl rang out from the space between the building, this one wide enough to encompass a wolf. Tawny brown and gray flashed and my attacker dropped his hold, raising his arms in protection.
Man became wolf in an instant and the two creatures balled into a flurry of snapping and snarling.
I stepped back, edging my way farther from the fight.
Howls rose, an eerie chorus from the courtyard a few buildings and streets away. Firestriker.
A voice, and several replies called out from the wall, the noise at last drawing attention.
I didn't dare look in that direction with the vicious battle happening right in front of me, but I did look up when the sky darkened farther. A very large, dark shape landed on the roof my attacker and I had tumbled from.
Dragon.
A great golden beast, fairly glowing in the gloom of evening. His wings spread out behind him like the swoop of an artist's brush.
No wonder my metal dragon had impressed no one at the choosing house.
This creature was all power and majesty. Muscles bunched in his shoulders and he wriggled them, a predator about to pounce, a long golden neck protruded downward, so large it nearly reached halfway to the ground. Slitted golden eyes studied the wolves now pacing circles around one another.
The tawny wolf bled from a few gashes at his neck, deep red fluid staining the fur as it traveled to the stone below. The black wolf, the wolf-man who had pursued and attacked me looked much worse. Blood matted his pelt in many places and he limped on one hind leg. Still he snarled viciously at his opponent.
The dragon turned its head my direction, the vertical pupil narrowing as he focused on me.
"There are more, in the courtyard, battling Firestriker," I told him, though I didn't know if he would understand, or hear me past the loud growls of the wolves.
His head jerked back and his attention turned that direction. A low rumble started in his chest, not like that of the growling wolves, this was reminiscent of the roaring of fire in a hearth and it brought images of deadly heat.
So he did understand me.
He released a whooping sound and leapt across the roof spreading his wings for balance. In two bounds he disappeared from my view. Four more dragons glided overhead, from somewhere near the wall, they followed the golden dragon toward the courtyard.
I slipped back into the shadows, careful not to draw attention to my movements. I had escaped certain death, and I had no desire to wait around for the experience to repeat itself. The street I had fallen onto wound around a corner, and as soon as I was behind the next building I turned and ran. I pushed myself hard, counting on my speed to put distance between me and danger.
The wall loomed closer, I tilted my head as I ran, calculating the height. Far too tall to climb, but it represented the barrier between myself and freedom so I ran that direction anyway.
Somehow the flight for my life had become a true escape attempt. All I needed now was one last opportunity. I pressed against the next wall a small building that might have served as a storage shed, working my way around until I faced the outer wall with no impairments. No shadows walked the battlements, nothing moved at all.
I dashed to the wall and then moved along it until I came to a small gate guarding a footpath into the forest. Not for carriages and giant beasts anyway. The iron bars stood half propped open, and they swung loose with a gust of breeze from outside.
Tall silhouettes of massive trees held the landscape without. The wild forest.
I hadn't planned to pass through that forbidden landscape in all my preparation, but there was much I had not planned for here.
I hesitated a moment at the iron bars, the distinct feeling that I was being watched...stalked. A feeling came over me that something darker than dragons and wolves waited beyond the wall.
Standing there I waged a silly battle with my courage. I must take this chance.
I had to, there might never be another.
With that thought I wiggled between the gates and stepped from the walls of the aerie. Tonight I would run.