Black Eyed Five *minus one*

Five of them wander the flatlands. All but one never had land or a life to lose... And that one was devastated when his farm hold was given to a neighboring holder instead of him.

Only one is a woman, young and pretty. One is an albino, where his companions are all tanned and dark-eyed.

What happens when they meet for the first time?

Talobanteriel looked at the farmstead and sighed. With five older siblings ready to inherit what little his parents could squeeze out of their meager farm, Talo knew that he was going to maybe get a goat. Or maybe a couple pots and pans.

Not that that would be really bad, in his opinion, because he was a good cook and could probably make a decent living cooking for people at an inn perhaps, or wandering. But he wasn't ready to stick out the next couple years. At sixteen years old, and the youngest among his siblings, he knew that his mother wasn't going to live very much longer. She'd been older than typical when his eldest sibling was born and Tal had 'nephews' and neices who were older than he was.

So Tal turned away from his home, with what few things he could smuggle out of the house without guilt (a pan he'd been fond of using for his meals, some clothing - all hand-me-downs anyway- and other such sundry things) and he left the low laying area without looking back.

Legang studied at the House nearby the hunting farm where his father worked. He was quite a good student. The only problem was that he tended to blurt out things he believed, when he ought to be waiting for the 'correct' answer to be told to him by his superiors.

A curt look from his instructors usually stopped him from going too far, but Legang knew they didn't think much of him. After all, his father had several other legitimate children who would be able to better serve their heritage.

But Legang had always respected his father - wandering ways and all - and loved him dearly. And it was his father who insisted that he of all his children be educated properly. The others... well, they'd be working the land he owned. And Legang couldn't really be kept at that estate, now could he? He took too much after his mother, who was known to be extremely pale-skinned and lovely...

So it was that Legang was insulted a little too harshly by one of his condescending instructors, and upon hearing just what the man thought about his "respect" for his sire, he gathered his wits and his books, covered his burnable skin, and headed out into the hillside.

It only took about half a day, but he missed the guild hall immensely.

Frem petted his large alis-gryph Swat, as they stalked away from the farm. He grumbled, and the gryph seemed to understand that he was all out of sorts about something. Swat seemed to want to head home for dinner.

"It's not going to be there any more," Frem said, scratching the golden-headed spotty-rumped alisgryph. "Why do you think we're taking the cart? Silly critter..." Though Swat didn't really get his meaning, he did like being scratched like this. House or no house, he'd always have a place below Frem's kind and deft hand.

The cart creaked along on the worn trail. They could have chosen a better, more often used road, but this one seemed to scream out to Frem. It looked like a better, more interesting future than that which he'd just lost in the process of a will-reading.

"Too much debt," he mocked the air quietly, "not enough crops. You should take better care not to adopt children you can't feed." He wanted so badly to have taken his youngest adopted sister, she was so frightened of what was to become of herself - she'd already been in two other homes.

But some day, perhaps, he'd be able to find her. For now, Frem was equipped to sell some of the few wares he'd been able to barter for in the past months and get by that way. Swat was a good hunting gryph and he knew he wasn't going to have any trouble keeping himself or the gryph fed.

"Besides, this will give us the chance to travel... As long as we avoid the big towns and, maybe the dragons..." Frem cast a glance up into the sky, as if mentioning their name he would summon one of the huge scary beasts.

Not one dragon appeared in the sky, that day, but he did spot a wider trail into the hills south of his home.

Speaking of foster-care, a blond-haired dreadlocked young man had just about had enough of his own adopted family.

"You can just stay there," Alohadan grumbled, "because I'm not going to be here when you get back. If it matters at all."

The big heavy door to the keep had been bolted shut in the attempt to keep Alohadan inside his room. However, very little could really do that when he put his weasely mind to it. He'd managed to remain illiterate even though he was quite clever - perhaps because he didn't want to waste his precious time on something as mundane as reading and writing, when he could be out exploring the nearby town. He didn't know how important it might become.

He waited until he knew the skirr cart was long gone, before climbing through the narrow space in the ceiling up into the attic. From there, he dragged himself down into the courtyard and past the gates. Though he knew his foster father had headed out to town, he really did want to go there too. Not with him, but to the town none the less. He knew better than to think he'd be safe doing so, and thus Alohadan was left with the decision to take one of the horses and bolt out for the last time, or to remain and ...

Nope. Not a chance. The hoofbeats of the horse clattered against the cobblestone courtyard, alerting someone in the house, but no one could find him when he'd gone.

"He'd be here, if only ..." Taleraen sighed. "He promised me he'd marry me, next summer... We made plans." Her uncle tussled her hair and placed his friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Taleraen, you know he's bound to turn up some day. But I wouldn't count on it being any time soon. The winds and the waves being what they are."

"You do think he's at sea." Taleraen said, looking up at him with her rich black eyes. "But I know he was taken away, he didn't just volunteer."

"I never said he did. How do you think I was 'enlisted' in the seafarers' guild?" He responded. "Why don't you get some rest. If you're off, you should be ready."

"I will..." Taleraen said, again sighing. "Well, are you going to come along or ..."

"No, no," her uncle said softly, "I've got to treat your sister. She's getting weaker by the day, and if you don't get away you might catch it too."

Taleraen nodded, and was gravely silent. Her adopted sister was so lovely but ... so chill, so frail. And Taleraen could feel her own chest compressed with some kind of virus. She knew that remaining in the house where her mother had died would only be the death of her too.

"I will have the packs ready for you, when you're awake." Her uncle promised her. "You head toward the guild or Chagga and you'll be fine. They will know what to do."

"Why not Faustas? I heard they have good medic-" Taleraen said but he cut her off sharply.

"No, that place ... stay clear of those people, Tal. They're not good for you. They'd sooner cut you open to see what the matter is, than ask you how you feel."

She gulped a little, and headed off to bed. She knew that she couldn't really spare a hug or kiss to him, or her sister, because of the sickness. She'd fended it off this long, but...

In the morning, Taleraen's packs were filled and her uncle had given her a sack with food, money and a couple items in case she had to trade. He hadn't gotten up yet, it was barely dawn, and Taleraen knew that if she remained to bid him farewell she'd never leave.

Talobantariel slunk along the road wishing that he'd brought something lighter. Or, that his large family could have had a goat or skirr or something, that could carry him or his things. He didn't complain out loud, he knew that much. There was game in this area, not that he was brilliant at hunting. He didn't want to scare it away, though. Maybe he'd get to glimpse an animal he hadn't seen before.

Or... Maybe he'd see that someone else also had travel in mind. Because on the trail a little ahead of him was a skinny figure with a cloak over their head and satchel uncomfortably at their side.

"Hey! Heyo!" Called Talobantariel, and at that the person jumped nearly out of their skin. When he spun, Legang turned angry red-pink eyes on the other.

"You scared me half to death," he grumbled. "Who are you?" Legang demanded.

"Talobantariel, but you can call me Talo if you want." He sniffed the air, oddly. "Hey... Do I smell blackspice?"

Legang blinked twice, squinting in the nearly-noon sunlight. "... Yes?"

"I have been looking for blackspice for weeks. There's a recipe I need to add it to, otherwise it'd be so bland..."

"You ... cook. Well, yes, you do, don't you?" Legang leaned around the other young traveler, and noticed the pot and ladle dangling from his tall backpack. "I ... I do too. I was actually supposed to be learning how to set up food service for a huge catering event, but... I just didn't really want to listen to the old bat any more..." He looked away, and when Talo tried asking, he didn't say anything more.

Together, they wandered south and a little east, up farther into the hills of mainland Paniya. They had both started fairly far north and it would take them days, if not weeks on foot, to reach the other side of the mountains. But now, they could share information and cooking secrets, and ... well, Legang was a bit hasty in wondering if they might share a little more together. And, Talo wasn't that type, apparently.

Odd silences between them were punctuated by the occasional 'what would you soften the saltiness in this dish with' or 'I once blackened a duck and it turned out fantastic once you peeled off the burnt parts...'. After three days on the road, and they still had not really reached a destination nor really wanted to find one nearby, they decided to set up camp and hope they might be able to catch something for dinner.

They'd managed to assemble a trap of sorts, and they waited until nearly dark before they noticed that something had twined itself into the sling and caught its legs. "How do we get it out of there?" Talo asked, worriedly looking around, as it got darker.

Their dilemma was solved by a streak of spots and feathers, zipping by them, and flying back toward the curve in the road with thelarge rodent in its beak.

"Hey! That was our meal!" Legang shouted, "Bring that back!"

"Yeah! Get back here!" Talo yelled, though the nervousness in his voice was more due to the encroaching darkness and the possibility that they'd be accosted in that dark, than the fact that they'd lost their meal.

But the sound of a horse walking and a cart being dragged on the pressed dirt road came to their ears soon enough. The young man on the cart's edge pulled up the horse's reins and glanced at the spotted hunting gryph who sat munching on his 'hard earned meal' next to him.

"Swat! Did you steal that?" Frem demanded in as stern a tone as he could manage - and Swat growled at him from around a mouthful of fur. "Give me that," he said, and with a practiced hand he stole the stolen meal away from the thief.

"Here, I'm so sorry! Swat sometimes just gets the easiest meal he can find." He swung the dead and sticky rodent back at the pair by the road, who both ducked and watched it land in the grass nearby.

"Watch where you're throwing things," Legang muttered, picking it up and examining it for useful parts. "I hope that creature doesn't have a disease..."

"Swat's quite clean. Say, you two wouldn't mind if I set up camp with you, would you? My name's Frem, and this is Swat. Are you headed anywhere in particular?" Suddenly Frem gasped and said, "you're not bandits are you? I hear there are bandits in this area."

Both Talo and Legang stood with almost the same expression on their very different faces.

"Okay, okay, you're not bandits. Which way are you guys headed? There's room on my cart for you." Frem jumped down and tethered the horse, while Swat sat lashing his tail angrily.

"We're headed south," Legang announced, "through the mountains, I guess."

"It's getting dark," Talo said, nervous, and began working up a fire. The other two young men tried to ignore his strange compulsion to have a fire going when it was only around twilight.

"Well, I came from thataway," Frem indicated west and then north, then waved his arm around hopelessly. "Somewhere."

Talo rolled his eyes. "You aren't sure?"

"And you're such a great field guide?" Frem asked back, snide.

"Actually I do pretty well for never having been beyond my house's claims. Got us this far, anyway," he indicated, and Legang nodded. His own ability to trail or hike in a particular direction was ... shall we say it was not present in the slightest?

"I'll get this cooking, you've got the fire started." Legang pointed out, and began skinning the rodent. It would feed all three of them, and probably give some scraps to the irate Swat.

They spent the evening talking about their homes, their ruined lives... All three of them occasionally having to yell at Swat who would steal small bits of their food right from their hands if they let him.

***

A running horse's hoofbeats woke Taleraen. Perhaps it was someone come to trade in the area she'd left - she had best warn them. When she looked up, she saw a lone rider, blond hair waggling in the breeze, and a fairly exhausted looking horse. She stood and stepped into the road long before they would pose any threat - and they saw her in time to slow up and stop.

"Get out of the way!" Alohadan announced, voice cracking. "I've places to be!"

"Not that place," Taleraen said, grimly, "there's a sickness spreading in the township, and we've lost too many already. You should turn south, and plus, your horse is exhausted. He needs food and water."

Alohadan suddenly snapped his vision onto the wet flanks of the grey steed, and realized that in his haste he'd managed to forget the health of his horse. He immediately dismounted, and that seemed to relieve both the steed and the girl who watched.

"He's really tired. The sun will be getting to him, we should take him into the shade." She started reaching for the reins but Alohadan snapped them away from her.

"How do I know you won't just run off with him?" He demanded, but the girl turned an amazing glare at him.

"Because the poor beast is about ready to drop dead as it is, and I would hardly want to be on its back when it does." She walked alone, obviously intending Alohadan to follow her, into the green shade of the nearby trees.

The rocky terrain would only get more so, but there was such lush greenery on all of Paniya (at least, that's how it looked from that vantage point - green in all directions) no one would be hard pressed to find a little shelter from the sun. Soon, they had the horse cooled down a little, and it began grazing quietly.

"I'm sorry if I came off like an idiot," Alohadan remarked, "but I've had a little trouble at home."

"You're a runaway?" Taleraen stated, with a tilt to her head and a half grin.

"No, I ... well, I guess I am now." He paused, and looked the pretty girl over. She was at least as tall as he was, but so slender - almost lean. "And what about you?"

"I'm ... I had to leave. My mother died recently, and my foster-sister is probably going to pass away too. And, I'm trying to find my betrothed."

At that, Alohadan let out an unconscious but vocal sigh. "Oh, that's... too bad," he said. But Taleraen wasn't sure whether he was saddened by her family's plight, or the fact that she wasn't as single as he'd hoped.

"So south, huh?" Alohadan chatted as they watched the horse graze. "What's south that I need to know about?"

"Well, there's House Chagga, that's where I'm headed. Since it's a port, there's probably some news of Nalen - my fiancee." She sighed. "But more likely, what I'll find there is a lot of people who've never heard of him, and ..."

"Hey, he means a lot to you... You'll find him some day, right?" Alohadan said, half-attempting to be nice, and half... well, half trying to move in on this space she had in her heart.

"Well, if I had my way I'd head north to Faustas, because I know there are healers there. But apparently," Taleraen said with a grim look, "they don't much care about the condition of their subjects. So says my uncle."

"Maybe he's right," Alohadan said, "I know one of the house's servants where I live - lived," he corrected himself, "had scars all over his body - and he sometimes claimed that Faustas people did it to him. He didn't much talk about it."

"Then, I guess south it is..." Taleraen sadly announced.

"Well, you won't be alone for the trip, okay?" Alohadan perked up, "and now you won't have to walk all that way. We'll take turns, all right?"

Taleraen felt more than saw the horse's ears go crooked at that, but she knew it was more a recent dislike of anyone riding him, that the horse would respond that way. She always had a good way with animals, seemed to know where to find them, as well as how to treat them.

They waited until afternoon, when it seemed that the horse had had enough of a rest from his morning run, and then at a much slower pace than he'd started out, Alohadan began walking with the girl on his horse, south.

***

"When will the sun ever set?" Whined Legang. "I swear, I'm so hot..."

"Then take that silly cloak off, Legang," replied Frem, "it's heavy."

"It's also keeping my skin from burning to a crisp. You wouldn't happen to have any medical experience on you, would you?"

"Uh..." Frem stammered, "um, sorry."

Annoyed at the obvious problems as well as having a companion who didn't much seem aware of his surroundings, Legang followed the cart on foot until he realized that he was just going to exhaust himself that way. He caught up, swung onto the cart, and pouted there.

"Say..." Talo announced, "that looks like another road. Good one, I think." He nodded at the road which climbed through a low valley and then seemed to wrap around the mountain they were approaching.

"It looks better than the alternative," said Frem, looking up at the jagged zigzag path they would have to take up this hill to reach anywhere near the other side. "And we're not in a particular hurry, are we?"

"Not me," Talo said, and glanced at Legang, who was still grumpy.

They traveled through the day until they reached the larger road, which seemed to be traveled regularly. It was beaten down and had stones lining the sides of it. It also had travelers on it, farther to their left. One horse, two people.

"Well, we'll have company for a while," Frem said, "wonder where they are headed?"

"You wonder a lot," Legang said. "Maybe they're just wandering like us."

"Maybe," Talo said. "Slow up, Frem, let's find out."

Talobantariel waved his skinny arm in the air, and caught the attention of the young man and woman, as they were walking. Soon enough, they caught up with the boys on the cart.

"What's with your skin?" Alohadan asked of Legang, who rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Oh, our friend is a bit grouchy today..." Talo chuckled. He introduced the three of them, and Taleraen took over speaking duties when it looked like Alohadan would stand there watching the mystefying white skin of the other young man.

"Are you headed to Chagga?" Taleraen asked, "I need to get there. It's a good trading port, anyway. Lots of work, if that's what you're looking for."

"Work is the farthest thing from my mind about now," Alohadan laughed. "But there's not enough room on that cart for me too, is there?"

"Not quite," Talo said, looking around on it. His pile of cooking gear was snug up against Legang's satchel of stuff, and Frem's outfits, collected items and posessions filled the rest of the front, while Legang and Talo sat in the back and Frem rode the small seat facing forward.

"But we can make room," Frem said, pulling his draft horse to a stop and looking behind him at the pair of guys and their piles of stuff. The two horses nuzzled and introduced each other with twitches of their ears.

Taleraen commented, "what a sweet tempered beast."

Legang muttered, "which one, Frem or the animal?"

Since she was closest to him, sitting on the horse's back, she raised her eyebrows and glanced at the albino in surprise. He wouldn't look at her, and she suspected it had more to do with his attitude at present, than any shyness of sunlight as it crept overhead.

Taleraen humphed when he wouldn't respond to her presense. She merely guided the horse to the other side of the cart, and watched as the young men rearranged themselves. At last, they realized that she'd have to sit between the men, and Legang didn't seem to want that. So he stood.

"I'll just walk for a while," he announced, and huffed away. When he was a few yards ahead, they urged the horses forward again, and kept heading toward Chagga.

"What is his problem?" Taleraen muttered.

"He..." Talobantariel glanced over his shoulder, they were riding facing backwards, "he doesn't seem to like girls at all. I don't know what his problem really is. Why he's like that."

They continued to speak quietly, but not about their travel companion. It turned out that Taleraen was the only one among them who had much in the way of money on her person. She also had slightly more experience in any kind of bartering than all of them, including Frem, who was raised among busy farmers and traders. However, neither of them could read more than a few words - both could do maths and some complex figures.

Legang was the one who was well-read. While he was clearly willing to show off his skill, he didn't much like the way he was going to have to share - or more accurately, he didn't seem to want to teach anyone at the moment.

Their trek through the foothills south toward the big mountain took more than a week, but it was a week they all seemed to enjoy. Even Legang became more talkative when he was convinced that Alohadan and Taleraen were safe. The road became more active with other travelers - carts and wagons, single people and groups traveling around the east side of the mountain. By the time they had found their way into the lush jungle, they knew they had more in common than just their wandering urge.

Legang would always be the outsider because he was an albino. Taleraen was always going to be the only girl. Alohadan would be singled out by politicians as he was adopted into a Lord's house. Talobantariel acted the part of a lord's son but of course he was merely a farmer's last child. And Frem... Frem seemed to be the only one among them who was polite enough to communicate with strangers.

They had many similarities. Both Talobantariel and Frem were ... rather frightened of the dark. Of ourse, Talo and Legang shared an ability with cooking that was good enough to be professional. Alohadan and Taleraen were both quite fond of townships and the people in them. Almost all of them could work with herbs and a bit of farming, however Legang and Taleraen were quite good at hunting. (Regardless of Swat's position on the matter, he would usually hunt for himself, and not the humans in the party!) They were all fairly handsome people. And, they all knew that. Compliments and jibes flew at any given time.

All but Legang had black eyes. Deep, violet-brown eyes. He seemed a bit jealous of those eyes on his companions, mostly because they could bear the light and heat of the sun where he could not.

The deep jungle trail they set through felt safer for all the other people having traveled before them. The rainy season was going to come soon, but they estimated they'd be out of the heavy jungle by then. Whether that was a good thing or not was up in the air.

***

At last, after three weeks in the rich forest, the group arrived at the northern end of civilization. The steep peaks on their right were covered in heavy trees and plants, and the terraced plantations to the left were filled with crops, coffee and decorative flowering plants that would be sold in the port beyond.

"Can you see the ocean yet?" Legang asked, the vague hopefulness in his voice was enough to perk the others up. After this many days of switching off riding, sitting, walking and guiding the cart, camping and hunting, foraging and occasionally fighting, they were ready to see this port of Chagga.

"No... Sorry," Alohadan announced from the back of his horse. "But it sure smells close, doesn't it?" As if to illustrate that, he took in a deep breath. The others echoed it.

"Chagga is supposed to be on the edge of the sea," Taleraen said, "I ... never even thought of what it might smell like." She looked down at her hands. She'd gotten healthier the farther away from her home she got, but the memories of her family, and her lost fiancee kept coming on strongly.

Field workers and travelers alike were apt to glance up and greet the group of young travelers. When they arrived at the first guild hall area (one devoted to agriculture) it occurred to Alohadan that he ought to get rid of his horse. Much though he loved the steed, and it'd obviously served them well enough on this trip, he might be identified by it.

"Your foster father would be looking for a single young man," Frem pointed out. "Not a group of people on a trading mission." He grinned broadly. "We'd miss the big guy."

He reached out to pat the flank of the steed, and Alohadan sighed.

"I wonder what we're going to do next, though?" He said.

"Well, Taleraen is the only one of us with a real agenda," Talo said. "Finding your fiancee. Maybe we could all help?"

"I... I would really appreciate it..." Taleraen said. Confronted by her goal, she seemed very frail suddenly.

"You two could get jobs at Chagga cooking, you know," Frem said to Legang and Talo. "Your roadkill specialties always please." They laughed - but both of them considered his words seriously.

The port at Chagga was amazing. The sea swelled into a narrow inlet, which held a number of tall ships and myriad small ones. Piers and steps seemed to drift off into nothing - high and low tide here were obviously strong, and left ships high and dry, or piers leading yards over the waterline.

When they saw House Chagga itself, they were stunned. Though most of them had seen elegant buildings before, this one was far bigger and more impressive than anything they could have been prepared for. It stretched off into the side of the mountain, and was surrounded by groves of fruit trees, coffee plants and beautiful topiary gardens.

Since it was a trading port, no one stopped them at the gates except to ask if they had weapons with them. Their hunting gear - what little they had - passed inspection and they were allowed inside.

"Can you believe this smell?" Alohadan said, amazed.

"I think it's a ... little much, don't you?" Legang asked of his cooking companion - who gulped a little.

"Yeah, um, there's such a mix of ... stuff... in the air. Wow."

Apparently the two cooks could distinguish the smells more readily than the rest.

"I've got to find us a place to stay. Um..." Taleraen hesitatingly tugged on Legang's shoulder. "There is a big plaque over there, but ... I can't read half of what it says. It's all frilly."

Legang smirked, "frilly?" He asked, and then saw what she meant, there was a large 'directory' standing in the courtyard near the entrance to the main building, and indeed the writing inscribed was done in as froofy-poofy script as he'd ever seen.

"It says there are accomodations on this side of the building," Legang indicated the west side, "so let's head that way."

"It'll sure be nice sleeping on a bed again," Alohadan said. "I hope we can afford it..."

"I can," Taleraen said. "I've got enough, I think."

As it turned out, she had more than enough but the accomodations she requested for them were just enough to be comfortable but not extravagant. Beds, with nice comfortable sheets - and even a bath to share. Hot water, something that neither Talobantariel nor Frem had ever seen coming from a pipe, filled their attention for a while as they all cleaned off.

***

The group had been at their inn for two days, when they decided that they must find something to do. True to the estimation of the others, both Legang and Talo were more than qualified to work at one of the pastry or food shops in the huge House. Talo enjoyed a lengthy interview at a meat-specialty restaurant, while Legang was actively recruited by a coffee shop to promote their new 'latte foam' drinks. He looked like one, all pale.

Frem sold a few of his belongings, and helped Taleraen pay for the room another couple nights. He spent time outside the building, however, finding things for Swat to do. Performance wasn't his strong suit, so the alis-gryph was going to have to keep hunting for their livelyhood.

Alohadan fretted a bit. He came with nothing but his clothing, a couple other small items, and his steed. While he did 'about nothing' all day, he insisted that Legang get him a job at the coffee shop. Primarily so he could learn how to read properly. All that time he never wanted to spend reading, was now so valuable that he almost excluded everything else in his schedule.

And Taleraen went looking for information every day. Legang and Talo asked their customers if they'd seen such and such a man, about yey-high, dark hair and grey eyes... But none of the people they asked had seen him. Taleraen kept asking, but one night Legang noticed something.

Even though she knew her fiancee was forced to become a sea man, she didn't go down to the docks or the piers. She kept asking among the sailors who entered Chagga, but she didn't leave.

"Why don't you ask down there?" Legang finally asked, sweeping his white hand over his milky hair.

"I... I can't. I can't bear it..." Taleraen said, and half sobbed. "I'm afraid to."

"Well one of us could go with you, Frem could-"

"No, I'm ... It's not the people there. It's ... it's the sea. I'm afraid of it. It's so big, and choppy - look at it."

Legang turned his head and gazed at the hazy ocean through one of the large barred portals in the side of the wall to the House. "It is big. I didn't think you were afraid of the water."

"It's not that." Tal said flatly. "I just have this nightmare about it." She paused, and added, "All I see, when I think about the ocean, is that Nalen's drowned and his body is below those waves somewhere." She shuddered, and didn't try to stop her tears. Surprisingly, Legang slid beside her and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry... You can't think he's dead - sailors don't just drop dead. At least, I hope that any guy worth marrying would be stronger than that." He nudged her chin up and she forced a little smile.

"Hey..." She said, her eyes clearing but still all messy with tears, "that's a dragon?"

Legang turned to see a large dragon flying over the courtyard's walls. There were many other dragons in the air, along their journey, but none of them came close enough to look at like this. This one was right there - almost close enough to touch!

Long horns decorated the smooth-skinned dragon, and the rider dropped to the ground amid a lot of cheerful greetings. Apparently, he'd been there before.

The dragon looked at the gathering people, but then raised his head and gazed directly at Legang and Taleraen. His rider turned, apparently listening to the mental speech from his bond. Then, he approached the pair.

"Well, consider yourselves lucky - we were here gathering coffee for the fleet, and wind up Searching you." He chuckled. "Why don't you two gather your things. I'll be in there getting coffee."

He turned to walk away, back into the big building, but Legang had already assembled his wits and dragged Taleraen by his side.

"I can get you coffee cheaper," Legang announced, "I work at the Froth Bar."

"Better and better," the rider grinned.

Taleraen rushed in to their rooms, and skidded into Frem. "Frem. Frem. You won't believe this. You just won't."

"You've been crying," Frem said, concerned, but the girl didn't stop bouncing around.

"You won't believe it! We've been Searched - Legang and me - there was a dragon and he landed and just looked at us and BANG! We were searched like that!" She snapped her fingers, and Swat let off a surprised yelp below her foot where he'd been about to stretch.

"... Searched?" Frem said, eyes growing wide. "You mean, for... dragons?"

Taleraen didn't pause in her rapid packing to say, "of course for dragons. What else would a dragon search us for?"

"Oh." Frem said, and it took a moment for Tal to realize that he wasn't all happy for her.

"What's wrong? We're searched! If... If I ride a dragon I could find Nalen so much easier... And Legang, I don't know what he'd do but I'm sure that he'd love to get away from all of this on a dragon's back. Why aren't you --"

"I really don't ... think I like dragons all that much. They're just ... big."

"Did you have something really bad happen to you that made you this way?" Taleraen said, shutting the bag she'd packed. "I ... I mean I'm sure that I was really sad because Nalen's gone, but there's a good reason for me to be like that. What is up with you?"

"It's not okay to just not like dragons?" Frem said, for the first time almost losing his calm, polite exterior.

Taleraen sighed. She'd gone from crying to elated in a matter of moments, so she was less stable than she really should have been. It took her a moment to calm down. "I'm sorry, Frem, I didn't realize that you were really scared of them. But... You'll come and - we can't just leave! We can't just-"

"What's this?" Alohadan said, coming into the room with Legang who had already told him about the event. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing - nothing," Frem stated, in a tone that suddenly warned the others that he really did not wish to speak of this. "You are leaving too?"

"Not without you," Alohadan told him. "I mean, I don't know about you but I will head out with them, maybe there's a chance for me to do something ... more important with myself. And how about you, then? Come on."

Frem sat in a huff on his bed, and groaned. "I don't want to head out of here on some dragon's back."

"And I won't sit on a boat for a week and a half while we head to ... where is it again?" Taleraen glanced at Legang.

"He said Catena Island, which if my memory serves me is the home of Caer Mystrach." Legang started packing his own few clothes. He'd been able to find some more frilly things in Chagga than he'd been wearing in the Guild. Frem nodded, and sighed.

"And it's also got an Aerie and a cove," Frem said, showing off that he did really know a bit about things even if he wasn't expert at reading yet. "I ... I suppose that we ought to go, but ... I don't know if I can fly there with you. If that's what he's going to suggest?"

"They have other dragons," Legang said, still packing. "But there are ships leaving for Catena all the time, they trade with the other Isles. It's a quick trip from what the sailors seem to think."

"As long as I am in the air," Taleraen chuckled. "Look Frem, why not pack up and buy passage? And who's going to find Talo?"

"I will," Legang said, as he finished stuffing something into his second bag. "He's getting off work soon enough. Time enough to give some notice..."

He left and while he was gone, the trio left over helped each other agree that they were on their way to new lives. Packing up, Frem told Alohadan that maybe now would be a good time to sell their horses.

"We could bring them, on a ship." Alohadan said. "You guys made me all the more attached to him after all."

"Then you'd be going the slow route..." Taleraen said, softly. "If you... could you -"

"We'll ask about Nalen," Alohadan said, smiling.

"Then when we get to Catena, we'll try and find you at the port. If we can get away." Taleraen said. The realization of the whole day came crashing onto her shoulders when Legang and Talo came into the room.

"We're going to stand!" They chanted.

The others looked at each other, bemused and unsure how to deal with this. Suddenly it was like Legang thought she was the sister he never had, or something. But they finished up their packing. Talo still had the scent of the roasting pits on him, but they were all used to that by now.

"I think ... Catena is a great place to explore. I know we'll bond. And you know what?" He glanced at the others, "it'll be nice to be served at a table instead of doing the waiting. Let's get to that ship. I heard one is leaving before nightfall..."

"You don't like the dark," Frem nudged Talo, "you're in a hurry to get out into the night..."

Talobantariel growled at Frem, but said nothing. Before long, the rider who was on Bond search knocked at their door.

"You guys ready? Ah, there are your friends. I could ask for a transport dragon, if you want to-"

"We've got it covered," Talo said, "but we don't have much time... Ship's leaving soon."

"Then are you two ready?" He asked of Legang and Taleraen. They nodded, holding their belongings. "Then it's a good thing my dragon has hands, otherwise you'd be hard pressed to stay on his back."

With a little guilty laugh, Legang said, "I could ... leave this here?" He showed off his work gear.

"I'll take it along with me, if you can live without it for a week or so," Talo said. "I mean, we'll get there, sooner or later."

The trio stood suddenly aware that they were going to be taking the long, slow, wobbly way to the Isle. While their friends were taking the high, scary, windy way. Good enough.

But before the rider could get them out of the doors, Legang did one more surprising thing. He took a piece of paper from the desk that their rooms had permanently in it, and penned a letter.

"When you get into port, have this sent to the Caer. That way we'll know you're there."

"You know we can't write very well, yet," Alohadan laughed. "Thanks. Now, get going. The dragons are waiting."

Taleraen and Legang were escorted back to the courtyard where hours before they'd been pouring their hearts out to each other. The dragon stood proudly and gazed at them again, intently.

Yes, they will do nicely. And will you head back to Paniya when your bonds are grown? You are not fighting material, either of you.

"Well thanks," Legang said, pulling on his cloak over his face, white skin glowing from under it, "we'll make sure to waste our fledgelings time with silly things like travel and experience..."

The dragon snorted out a laugh.

I like this one, he is strange colored but he is amusing.

"You think so," Taleraen said, smirking. They got onto the back of the dragon, behind the rider. With less fear and far more wonder than either of them had ever presented before, Legang and Taleraen watched the port House folk bid them farewell.

The dragon spread his wings, and lifted into the air. "Hold on with your knees," said his rider. "And if you're going to fall, be prepared to get caught. I haven't lost a passenger yet!" They took to the air with an exciting whoosh, and while Taleraen's eyes were screwed tightly shut, Legang nudged her shoulder and pointed to their left.

"Look, it's fantastic." He said. Taleraen finally opened her eyes, and saw that his words were true. The port was a narrow slice of water against the tall hillside behind Chagga, and the ships gathered in a bay where the largest of them could dock.

The rider turned to his passengers, and yelled over the wind: "We're going to teleport now. Hold on tightly, and hold your breath. Don't panic!"

And then - they were over Catena.

***

In the afternoon at Chagga, the remaining trio hustled themselves down to the docks. They had more than enough money to get to Catena, and Alohadan made sure the horses and Frem's little Swat were given proper accomodations.

"It's going to be a long trip," Frem said, hugging Swat to his side. The gryph was too big to really be carried like that, but he put up with it, because he loved Frem and he smelled fish. And fish was good.

The ship swayed and bumped in the dock, but it was a good, swift ship so they trusted that even if they were going to get sick, they'd be over it quickly.

The ship cast off before the sun set - but would be traveling at night to keep with the best tides. They headed off due west, into the sunset. During the night, the creaking of the canvas kept the boat moving, but there were deep fins below the keel that the passengers didn't much know about. The wind of the dawn would bring them even farther into the sea between Paniya and Catena, though they would hug the coasts of the island between them.

After the first full day and night, Alohadan stood at the bow of the ship with a wide-eyed look on his face. "There are sea dragons," he said, "look."

Talobantariel glanced down, and saw a pair of sleek, long bodied violet dragons, skimming just under the surface. They were beautiful, but they still gave him a bit of a chill.

Frem pulled Talo aside and played a game of cards with the sailors, to pass the time. "What do you think about him staying at a Cove?" Frem asked.

"I think he's suited to it, look at him like that." Talo folded his cards back to the low bench, and Frem glanced back. Alohadan hadn't moved, other than to lean farther over the rail to try and, what, touch them?

"Crazy kid," muttered one of the sailors.

"But we couldn't live without him," Talo laughed.

Six days of sea travel later, and beaten most soundly at nearly every game they'd played with the sailors, Frem and Talobantariel bid the sailors farewell, gathered their horses and Alohadan. He looked like he wanted to remain on the ship.

"This is no place for a horse," Talo muttered. "Now, let's get that letter sent to the Caer, right?"

They sent it out, via a flitter post service, and within hours (while they were busy looking for lodging), a dragon rider came to find them.

"The Caer would welcome you if you wanted to come up to it. But look, your friend has obviously attracted the attention of the seafarers." The Cream rider tossed her head and located the young man who was apparently chirping at a local Pod leader.

"Do you think he's going to be Searched for a pod? I mean," Frem laughed nervously. "We're losing members of our group rapidly..."

"Let me ask." The rider said, and sauntered over to the Pod. The violet dragon apparently communicated with her, and she gave Alohadan the good news. "You're welcome to stand at Vegliante Cove. It's on the far side of the Isle, but I can take you. Your friends can wait a few more minutes, right?"

"Well, I could bring my horse," Alohadan looked up with a strange innocent look on his face. "I don't need to fly there. If you give me directions... Or if I just head west will I make it?"

"It will take several days," The rider said. The dragon gave off a bugle. "But he says that the eggs won't be hatching for a while, yet. So perhaps a ride would be the right amount of time."

Again, they had to part ways - the trio became a duo.

"We'll take that ride," Frem laughed.

***

Frem and Talobantariel watched the skies and spotted the most beautiful creatures they'd ever seen. Swat flew along side the great dragon, occasionally resting on the cream's narrow hip ridge. The alis gryph chirped loudly and flung himself into the air, as the dragon glided up to the peaks of the Caer.

"Swat! Where are you going!?" Frem pleaded with the gryph, but then realized that the gryphons which had been flying around the lower areas of the mountains were...

"Do you ever wonder where Swat comes from?" Talobantariel asked. "Look at them! They look like they're having fun, don't they?"

"It was the only thing my family did right - I guess that he didn't come from here, huh? I got him as an egg, anyway, I don't know where he's from, but it doesn't look like it was here - they're built a little different, aren't they?" Frem looked on as his gryph made the aquaintance of the two spotted-bodied gryphons flying about the clouds.

When the dragon landed, the pair of young men didn't even bother going into the Caer. Swat landed near his owner's feet, and cheeped loudly. One of the gryphons sat on her haunches and tilted her feathered head at the men.

Do you think you would like to fly? Our Aerie has a nest due to hatch soon. The wind graces your features well.

Surprised, both Frem and Talo heard her mental voice. But it was no surprise that they agreed almost immediately.

***

Visit Taleraen and Legang and their dragons Brown F Nachtilleth and Red F Biadth at Caer Catena

Visit Alohadan and Huge M Aqua Paipaiess at Vegliante Cove

Visit Talobantariel and Frem and their Gryphons M Gold Leopard Magnaurux and M Blue Plumaex from Cielo Aerie