I lifted my gaze to scan the tree line once again. Pasqual turned to look as well, and saw what I had; the large, deadly shapes gathering in the shadows, the occasional glint of a reptilian eye. "Unless you wish to hand our children over to the clans, Pasqual, I would suggest we return to the house, just as quickly as we are able," I purred, a certain black, nihilistic joy beginning to eclipse my anger as those dark shapes edged closer. Pasqual must have heard it in my voice, for she gave me a wary glance, then after a moment's indecision began to corral our children without further objections.
I looked over at Stefan, who was already studying the gathering clan dragons, his tail beginning to switch in agitation. "Stefan, get them back down the mountain," I rumbled tersely. "I'll trail, try to get them to back off."
Stefan's eyes flicked over to me, then back to the encroaching forms. "And Kaa'saht, my Lord?"
"Him as well. "
For a moment I thought Dithra's agent was going to suggest leaving his former protégé behind to face the clans, but then his normal professionalism overrode emotion. He gave me a small bow, his eyes not leaving the tree line. "Yes, my Lord," he acknowledged, then turned to chivvy the lot back down the slope, his quiet snarls and hisses sounding like anything but polite conversation. Pasqual would not meet my eyes as she passed me. Ashadh tried to pause, but I coaxed him into following his mother. Kaa'saht squeezed past, putting just as much space between himself and I as he could, his eyes full of dread. Then finally Stefan, his eyes glinting with grim anticipation. He paused momentarily. "Do not tarry too long, my Lord," he murmured quietly. "There are more than just those we have seen. Also, if your mate decides to flee once again, there is little I can do to stop her."
I nodded to acknowledge his warnings, watched them continue down the hill. I glanced down at the sphere I still gripped in one hand, and after a moment's consideration, banished it. Taking a deep breath, I then slowly padded out toward the center of the clearing. A small movement just to my right made me glance that way, to see Lucifer moving to accompany me, then dropping to one knee as I paused. His G3 was off his shoulder, its black muzzle questing for targets as his eyes scanned the tree line. I hissed to him quietly, and his eyes cut to mine. I made a small motion with my head, gesturing back down-slope. He frowned, giving me a concerned look, and I smiled slightly. "It'll be okay," I murmured quietly, "but I need you out of sight. Go."
He hesitated for a millisecond more, then nodded. Rising to his feet, he turned and loped back the way we had come, quickly vanishing once again into the underbrush.
Alone now, I turned my head back upslope, watching the trees. The prowling shadows were stirring restlessly now, seeing such rich prizes moving away from them, then those glittering eyes moved to focus on me. I advanced further into the clearing, my gait stiff, my head held arrogantly high. Reaching the clearing's center I paused, then contemptuously sat back on my haunches. I took a moment to stare at them rudely, my hard lips curling back to expose my fangs in a carnivore's grin, then finally I spoke. "I am here. What is it that you wish of me?" I thundered.
There was a long, silent pause, broken only by the sigh of a small breeze working its way through the pines. The clan dragons shifted uneasily, their eyes flicking back and forth among one another. The silence stretched; my grin grew wider. "Who among you is eldest? Let them stand forth!"
Another pause, then finally a single dragon came out from under the trees, his every step advertising his reluctance to face me as honor demanded. Dead black save for a series of white, tiger-like stripes along his flank, he was roughly my size. I remedied that, so that when he at last came to a halt before me, he had to look upward into my now-much larger visage. He blinked, momentarily confused by the change of perspective. I spoke before he could recover. "I will have your clan." I rumbled, deliberately not bothering with his chosen name.
The black dragon blinked again, then his posture began to settle into grim stubbornness.
"I will have your clan, dragon!" I snarled. "Are you some clanless rogue, or are you so ashamed of your clan that you cannot bear to speak its name?"
He flinched violently at my sudden bellow, and for a second, I thought he was going to do something we both would regret as I watched rage ripple across his frame. Finally, though, he brought himself under control and reluctantly invoked the speaking torque. "The Sstahn clan . . . my Lord," he said at last, the words dragged out of him with almost visible effort.
"Sstahn. How very interesting." I purred, stinging sarcasm creeping into my voice. "I could have sworn upon my Ancestors that the Elders of your clan had made pact with the one known as Lady Dithra just recently. Could I possibly have been mistaken?" I leaned forward, loomed over him threateningly. "Or is the word of your Elders not worth the breath it is spoken with?" I hissed.
The elder dragon was literally vibrating with rage by now. Rage, and dismay. I had called the honor of his clan into question, and with no other explanation for his people's encroachment on my family, he had but four options: acknowledge my charge and label his clan as oath breakers, use his followers to try to swarm me under and leave his clan's honor in ruins, challenge me to formal combat and win, or take the dishonor upon himself. To most dragons the first two were unthinkable. The third was impossible. Therefore. . . . "My Lord, it seems that a mistake may have been made," he said at last, almost strangling on the words.
"Perhaps," I rumbled, watching as the black and white dragon struggled to salvage something from the wreckage.
He gave me a glance, his eyes almost pleading as he stumbled on. "My Lord, we heard a great disturbance, and we came to investigate. We did not know it was you and your people at first, and while I have no doubt that dishonorable thoughts did occur to a few, rash, minds, I ask my Lord to consider that no action was taken upon those thoughts."
Not yet. . . . whispered a certain dark wraith, but I did not voice the thought. Instead I simply sat there and stared at the tiger-striped dragon for what must have felt like a small eternity. "What are you known as, dragon of the Sstahn clan?" I said at last.
The dragon blinked, the tremors fading slightly. "I am called Tin'na'tak, my Lord," he replied.
"Tin'na'tak. How do you propose to rectify this error, Tin'na'tak?"
The shaking ceased, and something that could have been barely concealed astonishment began to leak from him as he realized what I was offering him. "My Lord, I will take our people out of this place this very moment," he replied, speaking rapidly. "We will return to our range and guard it faithfully, and we shall take great pains to ensure that you never encounter us again."
I looked at him for another moment, then gestured assent. "It will suffice. Go in peace, Tin'na'tak."
The relief that swept over Tin'na'tak was almost palpable as he bowed respectfully. "Go in peace, Lord Hasai." He recovered, then immediately turned and headed back into the tree line. Moments later, the dark, glinting forms began to depart. I watched them go, then myself turned and began to follow Pasqual and the others back down the slope, my form dwindling back down to normal size as I went.
"That was very well handled."