Finding the Wolf(The Dragon's Hoard #1) (6 page)

"There was a time," Nyle said as he flapped his wings experimentally, "when humans sought to domesticate us for their own purposes. Before we had the Eldest to guide our actions, dragons would fight against each other, often with humans as their allies."

Nyle walked to the edge of a nearby cliff, warming up his wings as he went. It would be easier on his passenger to glide into flight than fight the jostling that jumping off the ground would cause.

"A dragon would flame their enemy and the human on their back would use the distraction to send a weapon through the opponent's wing, killing them when they fell hundreds of feet. It was when humans decided they were not satisfied fighting the battles of dragons and wanted to use the dragons in their own battles that dragons began to see their folly. Entire human villages could be wiped out with one dragon's breath at the behest of the greed of humans. The Eldest decreed that no dragon is to allow a human to ride on his or her back again, a rule that means that no dragon is to allow humans control over their actions."

They reached the cliff and once Nyle was sure Leon had a strong grip, Nyle jumped. He glided until he reached a thermal and then, careful not to dislodge his passenger, pumped his wings until they were at height.

Nyle let Leon ride in peace for a while, enjoying the gasps and happy sighs that first time flight always ensured. He knew their next conversation would not be nearly as fun, and he was right.

When they were halfway between home and the Wilds Nyle broke the silence.

"Tell me about the werewolves," he said gently. "I need to know what to look for when we get there."

Leon was silent for a long moment, no doubt gathering himself so he could tell his story.

"They're wild," Leon bit out. "But it's controlled. We didn't hear them coming, that night. Our sentries were dead and they were in our tents before we understood we were under attack. The bite was …" he paused, looking for words. "Painful," he finally said, in the softest of voices, as if speaking louder would bring the horror back to life. "They took me in my tent and when I woke I was as docile as any pup.

"Their society is built on power. The weaker follow the more powerful. The powerful are supposed to protect the weaker and the weaker give their support in return. But I wasn't bitten for that purpose.

"Powerless. That's what the bitten are. Protected until we either find power or find our place in the pack. But I was a slave, forced to do their bidding because I could not say no. They kept me in a cave at night. Bars blocked off the entrance and there were always two guards to watch me. Because I wasn't powerless after a few weeks. I fought back, tried to escape, and they put me in a cage. And then one night, the last night, one of the guards was sick. The lone wolf left to watch me fell asleep against the bars, something he did often. Only this time his partner was not there to stop me when I knocked him out, stole the keys, and ran away."

"Something poisoned their society," Nyle murmured. "As bitten you should have been brought into the fold, but you were not. We need to find what forced that change."

"I don't want to go back to that cave," Leon said wildly. "I understand what needs to be done for the kingdom and for the dragons, but I will not go back to what I was there. Chains and forced labor," he snarled.

Nyle returned his snarl. "Never! You are mine. Free to do as you like as long as no dragon laws are broken; so not chained, but safe. I will tear their village apart, burn every wolf, to keep you with me."

"And that," Leon murmured softly as he gently ran a hand down Nyle's back, "is why I am here, with you, and why I will always be with you. Forever is a long time for those of us who cannot die by natural causes, you know. But I think forever sounds nice with you."

Nyle rumbled happily. "Forever," he agreed.

They began their descent just before sunset. The vivid colors to their side made the tops of the trees of the Wilds glow with cheer. Nyle and Leon almost couldn't feel ominous about meeting with the wolves with that sort of welcome.

"Land there," Leon called, pointing to a spot in the scrubland bordering the forest. "It's about a mile walk to the village from there and we can avoid sentries that way."

Nyle did as instructed, warning Leon to hold on tight so the sudden absence of movement wouldn't send him flying, as Nyle slowed down as much as he could to make the landing gentle.

Once Leon climbed down, Nyle shifted to human shape so he could follow Leon.

They walked for a half hour, hiding occasionally to avoid any wolves Leon caught scent of, before they reached the outskirts of the village.

"It's different," Leon breathed to Nyle as they looked out from their hiding spot. "Right there," he pointed to a spot near a very large tree in the center of a large clearing with a number of small huts around it, "there was a stocks where they whipped anyone who tried to escape." He didn't look at Nyle as he spoke. He was clearly trying to keep his own memories of failed escapes to himself.

The area under the tree was empty. No evidence of Leon's pain remained in sight.

"And over there, where that small house is on the corner, used to be some sort of boarding place for some higher ups in the village. The entire building's gone."

"So maybe whatever poisoned the werewolves has left?" Nyle asked.

"Maybe," Leon replied, distracted by a man walking out of one of the buildings. "That's the Alpha. He's the leader of the wolves. If anyone knows something, it would be him."

"We should speak with him then?" Nyle asked.

Leon shivered once before nodding. "I'll do it. You wait here in case we need to make a run for it."

Nyle rested his hand on one of Leon's broad shoulders and squeezed gently. "I shall be right here."

Leon nodded, paused to gather himself, and then strode confidently out into the open.

"Reese!" Leon called. "I think we need to talk."

The Alpha wolf Leon called Reese froze and turned to look at Leon. The man was tall and well muscled. His hair was chocolate brown, a purebred color, and he stood as only someone powerful and used to that power could stand.

"Leon?" Reese said gently, astonishment coloring his voice. "You've returned?" His voice was soft but exuded authority. He probably never had to speak loudly as people would naturally quiet in his presence.

"Why would you come back here after what we've done to you?" Reese continued. He had turned to look at Leon but did not approach or do anything to cause Leon alarm. Nyle saw Leon's shoulders unclench slightly at the gentle manner he had not been expecting from the leader of the wolves.

"I need to know why, Reese," Leon replied. "Whatever made you do what you did to me has moved to the human city. The king declared war on the dragons."

"I would like to say that such a thing would be impossible, but look at what happened to us," Reese said with a sigh. "Come, you will stay with me and we will talk."

Leon seemed reassured, either because he smelled the truth of Reese's words or because of the changes to the village; he turned to look at Nyle and nodded.

Nyle walked out of the woods to join his lover and Reese jumped in surprise.

"Dragon!" Reese hissed, his first strong emotion tightening his human face so Nyle could almost see a muzzle and teeth as sharp as his own in the bone structure as the Alpha finally saw the threat to himself and his village. "You are not welcome here."

Nyle held out his hands, knowing better than to use his magic in such a volatile situation. "Peace, wolf," he said. "I come not to conquer, but to learn. No harm shall come to you and yours so long as no harm comes to what is mine." He reached Leon and was gratified when his Pretty grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together.

Reese's growling had brought a number of villagers into the square. They were quiet as they circled their Alpha and his guests, but the threat was clear.

"Your word, dragon," Reese snarled. "Or you will not leave here in one piece."

"My word," Leon jumped in. "Nyle won't hurt anyone or anything."

Reese took in their clasped hands and the earnest look on Leon's face before letting out a long breath of air.

"Got yourself put into a dragon's hoard, Pup?" Reese sighed. "Well, hoard law then. I don't touch your hoard, you don't touch mine."

"Agreed," Nyle said.

Reese nodded and turned from them and walked away. The circle of watching wolves parted to let their Alpha through and stayed parted so Leon and Nyle could follow.

Reese's home was small and clearly only for a bachelor. When you lived forever and when your status in the pack was through strength rather than lineage, having a mate and children were optional. The building was one room with a ladder for a lofted sleeping area in one corner.  A small fireplace and kitchen area dominated one wall. Storage trunks and the kitchen table took up the rest of the space. 

"When I was first brought here," Leon said softly, pointing to a spot beside the fireplace set with logs in preparation for the night, "I was given a blanket and that spot. When I couldn't say no to the Alpha all I had to wear was a chain around my ankle and I had to do his every bidding. Do your every bidding," Leon added in a stronger voice as he turned to look at Reese. "I didn't see that you replaced me with anyone when I tried to escape the first time and they locked me up, and I don't see a new cub at your feet now. Why?"

Reese just shook his head. "They came through the Wilds. From the South well beyond where the woods end."

"That's far," Nyle murmured. He wouldn't have been able to fly that distance within one day. The woods were extensive and housed many different creatures that made it unsafe for a dragon to land for the night before continuing on to the farther territories. To Nyle's knowledge, no dragon in recent dragon history, at least a hundred thousand years, had flown past the Wilds.

"We ignored them at first. They were like us, a people who needed a home. The Wilds provide for all creatures, or so we thought. To these people, the Wilds were the next big thing to be conquered. They systematically began to enforce their control over all the denizens of the forest. No matter how much we disliked it, we did as we were told. Even me, the Alpha, bowing to some human seeming man like the newest of pups."

"So they have something like the presence of an Alpha about them?" Nyle asked.

Reese shook his head in denial. "We hardly saw them. They made us build them a house then vanished. Even without all the tricks Alpha wolves use, they cowed us. They called themselves magi and used magic to subdue us." Reese was having a slight problem keeping his face from shifting into fangs and his eyes were glowing yellow in anger. He paused in his story to regain control over himself.

"What happened after I left?" Leon asked once Reese seemed composed again.

Reese shook his head again and took a seat at his kitchen table. "It happened because you showed up. The magi learned that there was something the creatures in the Wilds avoided; humans and their weapons. They saw your power, Leon. You could disobey my orders, which meant you were bitten and became an Alpha—you went from the lowest position in the pack to vying for the highest—and you managed to disobey their orders—their compulsion. The humans were the more powerful species, something you proved when you left against express orders.

"One morning we woke up and the magi were gone. Their thrall over us had vanished. We freed all the slaves and destroyed the evidence of our cruelty. But we knew the magi were not truly gone, only moved on."

"You think they went to the human court and found that the power of the dragons backing the human's rule to be the ultimate challenge," Nyle mused out loud. "My kind are the next great conquest."

"So the question is," Leon continued, "how do we stop them?"

Nyle nodded agreement. "Their magic is the key to their control over others. So if we break their magic we break their hold over innocents. I wonder if the Eldest has heard of them?"

"All I know about them," Reese added, "is that they had to have some sort of communal focal point. They all lived in that one house together and when they left the house came down on its own."

Nyle leaned back against the wall to think. Dragons used focal points garnered from the shine of something sparkly, their own eyes included, for their magic. It seemed fair to reason based on Reese's idea that the magi also needed something to gather and focus their power.

"I will bring all this to the Eldest," Nyle said finally. "Once we find their magical focus we will bring down this threat."

"That may take an army," Reese added with a wide, toothy grin that showed just how eager he was for revenge against the magi who had so cruelly enslaved his werewolves. "We'll be there."

Nyle grinned back. "I will mention your good will to the Eldest. Perhaps you should consider what sort of favor to ask for your willing cooperation," he added with a wink.

"It would be nice not to be scared a dragon is going to come to the Wilds to end my species," Reese mused. "Anyway, make yourselves at home. I was just heading out to get dinner from one of the girls who makes a vat of communal meals every day. You want some?"

They passed the rest of the evening pleasantly. Nyle didn't think any of them wanted to bring up the harsh topics from before dinner so the conversation stayed light. Nyle and Leon were set up on a spare mattress near the fire where Nyle immediately curled up when it was time for sleep.

"You're tired?" Leon asked softly.

Nyle nodded. "Flying with a passenger is more taxing than I thought. I am not old enough to remember the time when humans frequently had the privilege. Plus, we didn't get much sleep last night at the castle either. I think it's time to sleep."

Leon murmured his agreement as he slid his body around Nyle's curled one.

"Hoards," Reese sniffed at their sleeping positions as he headed to his own bed in the loft.

"Pretties," Nyle corrected sleepily. "They're very important."

*~*~*

The Eldest removed himself to his hoard room to contemplate everything Nyle had learned from the wolves. Nyle and Leon left the meeting cave to head back to Nyle's home.