Finding the Wolf(The Dragon's Hoard #1) (8 page)

Bast nodded. "I understand, Leon."

They left Nyle's caves and walked to the grand meeting hall attached to the Eldest's caves in silence. The cave they entered was huge, probably the largest under the dragon mountain. Dragons of all colors sat in no apparent order on huge outcroppings of rock kept bare of all sparkle so nothing could distract the dragons from the serious matters discussed within the cave.

Nyle led Leon and Bast across the empty floor. He directed Bast to sit on the human-sized ledge to the left of where the Eldest sat, next to a man who must be the representative of the werewolves. Leon helped Nyle clamber higher onto a riser next to the one Toel and Gail occupied on the right of the Eldest.

"Grave matters befall dragon-kind," the Eldest said softly as Nyle wiggled uncomfortably on the ledge that was moderately comfortable when he was dragon sized, rather than human. He leaned against Leon and cradled his injury in his lap.

"The humans must be punished!" a dragon across the room growled. "How dare they disrespect their betters!"

Toel hissed and raised his head to glare at the speaker, but it was Gail whose voice rang out over the protests of the dragon. "The Eldest said grave matters, not human disobedience," she snapped. "We go to war, not against the humans, but against a being called the magi who have enslaved human and wolf alike and now wish to enslave dragons as well."

"Impossible," another dragon gasped. There was a soft murmuring of agreement throughout the room before the Eldest raised one paw for silence.

Into the quiet room the Eldest spoke very softly, but no one missed a word or doubted the seriousness of the situation.

"We gather to discuss our battle plans. Information has been collected and allies gathered. Now we must attack." He turned to the werewolf envoy. "Dragons are hindered among trees. Can your kind attack from the royal forest to the north of the castle, Envoy Nel?"

Nel stood and bowed politely to the Eldest, the white splash of color in his otherwise brown hair, as if he had dipped part of his bangs in a can of paint, was clearly visible with the movement. "It would be our pleasure. However, we need a sign to separate ally humans from non-ally so we do not attack the wrong force."

The Eldest turned to Bast with an eyebrow lifted in question.

"I will have all my troops wear a strip of red cloth around their arms," Bast said after a moment's thought.

Nel smiled humbly. "An excess bit of cloth tied around a bicep is acceptable, but only the strongest of my kind see color in their animal form. Color does not matter."

"Our thanks," the Eldest said to Nel. "The humans must infiltrate from the city," he said to Bast.

"I am already in place within the city," Bast agreed. "I also have forces in place inside the castle, but after tonight I'm inclined to think them compromised," he added ruefully.

"Such inclinations are most likely correct," the Eldest said. "I would also suggest that you consider any information gathered in recent days from your operatives within the castle to be compromised as well."

"Of course," Bast replied.

"And Prince Felix?" the Eldest inquired politely.  "Is he prepared for the battle as well?" 

"Felix is hidden with my forces in the city," Bast replied. "He's a diplomat, not a fighter, but he is prepared to take the throne once our father has been removed."

"That is heartening news," the Eldest said.

"And what about dragons?" Meil called from nearby.

"I believe a two-fold plan for the dragon attack is most apt," the Eldest answered. "First we must set fire to the castle to sow fear and confusion. Then, as the human armies led by Bast and the werewolf forces attack, dragons will fly in. You will be split into task forces one led by An'tatoel, a second by An'mameil, and the last by An'sasaul," he said, nodding to a large fire-orange dragon that looked as if he were almost as old as the Eldest.

"We need volunteers for those willing to set the fires," the Eldest added.

Nyle perked up. He didn't relish following someone else's flight path, nor did he like the idea of leaving Leon behind to fight with the humans or the wolves. He turned a questioning look on his pretty and got a quick nod of approval.

"I'll go!" Nyle said. His human voice went unheard by all the dragons arguing over who would be best for the mission.

The Eldest held up a paw and silence slowly descended into the cave.

"Again, young An'nanyle?"

"I shall go," Nyle repeated with more formality. "Leon knows the city, so he can show me the safe ways and I am strong at keeping to my human form."

"Send the youngest and most inexperienced of us on such a vital task?" An'babev, the amethyst dragon from their private meeting the night before gasped.

"I can make fire in my human form, too!" Nyle said earnestly. He demonstrated by letting a flicker of fire slide past his lips. "No one will have warning that a dragon is in the city from me!"

"I'll go too!" Gail said sharply. "I can hold human form and breathe fire as well. Plus," she winked outrageously to the watching dragons, "I'm a girl and humans always discount women for some odd reason."

The Eldest looked Nyle, Leon, and Gail over carefully before nodding. "Very well, An'nanyle, set fire to the east side of the castle. Ana'gail, the west, if you would. Toel, if you will read out the task forces?"

The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Everyone was sorted into a task force and given a place to meet, a few last questions were answered, and everyone left the cave.

Nyle and Leon waited with the Eldest and the envoys to avoid getting their smaller forms trampled. Gail rushed out after Toel asking to borrow a map because hers had a stain on it from when she had dropped something.

"If you will come this way?" the Eldest said politely to Nel and Bast. Leon began helping Nyle get down from his ledge with his one good hand.

The Eldest, Nel, and Bast went towards the Eldest's caves, but Nyle and Leon started walking aimlessly along the stone corridors. The hallways were empty because all the dragons were at their various meetings. Only Nyle and Leon made any noise.

"Our task should be fairly easy," Leon said softly.

Nyle nodded. "A little sneaking, a little fire, and we're done."

They paused in the corridor and Nyle leaned against Leon.

"It won't be easy," Nyle said softly.

"Battle never is," Leon agreed. The wolf looked up and caught Nyle's eyes with a wicked grin. "We'll just have to make it more fun."

He pushed Nyle backwards until his back was pressed against the wall and kissed him hungrily. Leon's tongue delved deep and his fingers began to loosen the ties on Nyle's pants.

"Leon," Nyle panted.

Leon laughed, his mouth vibrating against Nyle's neck as he kissed up the column of Nyle's human throat.

Nyle felt his pants slide to the ground and whimpered when Leon didn't immediately begin touching him. He tried to use his own hands, but one was hurt and Leon was quick to catch the other and hold it away.

Then Leon pushed his own unclothed body against Nyle's and Nyle knew what had taken so long. He eagerly helped kick their pants out of the way while Leon was busy spitting on Nyle's uninjured hand.

When Leon's hand, curled around Nyle's wet one, slid around Nyle's length, Nyle's eyes nearly crossed. When Leon's length joined his own, rubbing deliciously against him and heating his damp hand wonderfully, Nyle's moan echoed.

Together, Nyle and Leon pumped their joined hands, thrusting their cocks against one another, until Nyle groaned loudly and spilled his seed. With the extra lubricant and with Nyle panting in his ear, Leon followed swiftly.

They kissed gently as the glow faded and the chill from the open corridor sank into their naked skin. Nyle thought he could stay pressed against Leon for a good while longer, despite the cold, but when Leon pulled away Nyle let him go.

It was only when Nyle looked up that he realized there had been a reason Leon had left their afterglow cuddle.

"Now, that's something I can't get Toel to do," Gail sighed. "It's not fair," she added with a pout.

Nyle blushed and was quick to find and pull on his pants even if he had to wait for Leon to tie them because of his injury.

"Hatch-mother," Nyle said, trying to keep embarrassment from his voice.

Gail shrugged and readjusted the map case she was holding in one paw. "Bah, I've never actually wished I was a male dragon before. But then Toel wouldn't be so nice to me so I actually don't wish I was male." She paused in her rambling to shake her head sadly. "Well, you two will just have to show me that other thing you were doing in the water the other day. I really do want to try that with Toel sometime."

Nyle's blush grew and Leon shifted awkwardly at his side

"Anyway," Gail chirped. "I have maps to memorize for tomorrow!" She ambled off, completely unaware of the total embarrassment she had just caused.

Only once her tail was out of sight did Nyle groan and cover his face with one hand. Then he wished he hadn't touched his face, because his hand was not at all clean.

"I need a bath," Nyle grumbled, before remembering what his mother had just said and wincing.

"Or just a quick wash," Leon agreed with his own wince.

They curled up together in bed for what was left of the night, just holding on as tightly as they could. Neither of them slept.

When false dawn began to light the mountain halls, Nyle and Leon got up and dressed in peasant style clothing. They slipped out one of the less used exits to the caves and into the city. By the time the sun rose fully, Nyle and Leon had gotten themselves lost amid the early morning crowd of humans.

Nyle kept his head down and his back stooped. As long as no one saw his eyes, he could pass as a regular human. Leon had bound his vibrant hair beneath a workman's scarf and walked with apparent weariness towards his job location for the day.

It almost seemed like a coincidence that both Nyle and Leon were walking in the same direction, but they didn't take the chance that one of the guard stations on the busier street corners would become suspicious so they often walked on opposite sides of the street from each other.

They had another hour before the decided on start time of the battle when they reached the outskirts of the nicest part of the city: a place that didn't welcome people dressed as they were.

Leon grinned at Nyle for the first time since they had woken up that morning and walked down a side alley to their right. Nyle followed. They entered what seemed like a maze of interconnected back alleys, but Leon knew the way so Nyle wasn't worried.

"The rich families who own these properties don't like to see their servants walking along the same streets as them," Leon explained as he guided them around other people walking through the maze to their own early morning jobs. They headed down yet another back alley that apparently led between the walls that surrounded each compound of land. "Since it's usually the servants who work on keeping the walls standing, new corners have a habit of being put in a little crooked," he said, indicating a corner that looked oddly rounded to Nyle's eyes, but because of the odd shape was able to connect them to the next pathway where a straight corner would have blocked it off entirely.

"You learned this how?" Nyle asked. He checked the sun quickly and saw that they still had a half hour to get through the maze of alleys and to the castle wall just on the other side.

Leon laughed. "You remember the district you found me in, right?" he asked. "Whores aren't the only people who work those streets. I have plenty of friends who are thieves too, and they love these back entrances into the rich manors."

They reached the end of the maze before Nyle could answer. They stayed hidden in the darkened alley to survey the street. There were guards patrolling along the wall. The road that ran in a circle around the foot of the wall was fairly busy in the early morning as callers on the king and court as well as merchant supplies for the castle all travelled the road to get to the gates. The guards didn't appear to be paying much attention to the throng down below.

"Well?" Leon asked Nyle softly even though his voice would not be heard over the tumult from the road.

"I don't see anyone with stripes in their hair," Nyle replied, remembering Nel, the werewolf envoy's, warning that all magi had discolored hair growing from their temples.

"I don't either," Leon answered. "Where should we do this?" They couldn't go through the gate onto the castle grounds like Gail because the guards knew their faces. Instead, they would be creating a new gate for themselves.

Nyle pointed towards a depression in the wall where someone's cart had no doubt crashed and bent the stones out of shape. "If I breathe fire there, I should be able to blow the stones out and we can get onto the grounds that way."

Leon nodded. "All right, well it's almost time. Should we go?"

Nyle nodded, but reached forward to grip Leon's hand quickly before letting go and stepping out into the street.

They blended into the crowd, just two more laborers to unload the day's grain for the castle kitchens, as they worked their way towards the depression in the stone. Nyle reached it first, with Leon quickly behind him, when what sounded like an explosion from ahead went off.

Nyle looked quickly at Leon. "Hatch-mother!" he gasped. She was a few minutes early and drawing major attention to herself.

"The only way to help her now is to set off our own explosion," Leon said quickly when Nyle wanted to run off to help her. "A second distraction to separate the guard," Leon explained.

Nyle gulped but looked resolute as he returned his attention to the wall in front of him. Screams from ahead surrounded them as merchants and servants alike ran from the fire at the main gate, but Nyle blocked it out as best he could. His mother would be all right. She was centuries old and canny despite her apparent lack of sense.

Nyle took a deep breath and let it out as flames. The rock was quick to start glowing red and Nyle increased the heat and strength of his fire when the screaming began to start around him. It wasn't long before the stone started to melt, lava flowing away from the wall to pool on the ground.