I sighed and placed my quill pen aside when I heard the sharp retort of a knock at the front door. I stretched, mind still trapped in the realms of the message I'd been writing and stood only when the second round of knocks occurred. I noticed no impatience to the second noise, merely a repetition of the attention-seeking sound; that offered a surprising jolt of relief to course through me.

I made my way to the front door and opened it onto the stoic face of Kyrylo, the second in command of the gecko-shifter colony that lived nearby. I grinned at him in sudden welcome, glad to see a familiar face on the verandah.

"Hi, Kyro," I said even as I gestured to the smaller man to step inside the cabin. "Come in."

"Hey, Quinn. Thank you," Kyrylo said with a nod of thanks for the invitation.

A bare flicker of a smile crossed his face as he entered the cabin and looked around. His flicker of a smile grew into a much bigger smirk - a practical grin for the normally stoic gecko-shifter.

"Nice place you have here," he said and he turned warm brown eyes onto me.

He gestured around at the wooden walls of the cabin and the tapestries that adorned each one. He gave me one of his smirks and nodded to further accentuate his pleasure.

"Thanks," I said with pleasure of my own. "Jay and I love it here. We built the place."

I smiled when I thought of my mate and Kyrylo nodded as though that meant something to him. I supposed in a way that it did; he had a mate of his own and they'd also built a home for themselves nearby.

"That's... that's really something. An achievement," Kyrylo said before he paused meaningfully.

I waited for the normally quiet gecko-shifter to continue speaking.

He didn't so I filled in the pause in conversation by asking - "How did you even know where we lived? I know I pointed in the general direction when you settled nearby but I didn't say where exactly."

Kyrylo smiled properly then before he winked at me.

"I have my ways, Quinn. I am the scout for the colony, don't forget," he said. "Besides. This place smells strongly of dragons. It could only have belonged to you and Jay."

I had to laugh at his observation as it would have taken someone else to realise that. Jay and I did not purposefully look out for the scent of dragon and so weren't usually aware of it - unless that scent belonged to other dragons not of our limited flight.

"It's because of homes that I came here today," he said.

"Oh? Is everything all right in your valley?" I asked in sudden concern. "Those falcon-shifters are not bothering you again, are they?"

Kyrylo and his colony of gecko-shifters had already had trouble with a particularly vindictive group of falcon-shifters. As falcons always predated geckos, then Kyrylo's colony were a prime target for their tormentors. Jay and I had helped Kyrylo and his people to fend off their attackers and so had forged a firm friendship between us all.

"No. No. Thankfully not," Kyrylo said and he met my gaze. "We're settling in all right. No problems."

I nodded, slightly confused as to why Kyrylo had mentioned his home valley if there was nothing wrong.

"It's coming up to our December-month festivities. Sasha and I wanted to know if you and Jay would like to join us," Kyrylo said formally.

A sudden grin of relief passed across my face and I finally realised that there really was nothing to worry about at all. Although Kyrylo smirked in response, he tilted his head at me in apparent confusion; that one gesture reminded me of his reptile side which made me smile again. I guessed that he was baffled by my relief.

"Oh! Brilliant! I think it safe to say that both Jay and I would love to accept your offer, Kyro," I said.

My mate wasn't at home that day - he was safely ensconced at work at the Esterloch Stables and wouldn't be back until later in the afternoon. I knew that Jay was always up for festivities and spending time with our newest group of friends - the gecko-shifters. Kyrylo nodded and though he didn't speak, he still looked baffled.

"I thought there was something horrible going on in that valley of yours. Other than falcon-shifters. I wasn't expecting a party invite," I finally explained and Kyrylo's expression cleared.

He nodded but kept his usual silence.

I smiled before I asked - "When's the date?"

"A little earlier this year than we normally have it. We're still getting settled as you know," Kyrylo said.

I nodded. Both Jay and I had helped the gecko-shifter colony to move into their uninhabited valley. They'd moved close to us; as dragon-shifters, both Jay and I had promised that we would guarantee protection for the gecko-shifters from those that meant to do them harm. It was an arrangement that both Jay and I took very seriously and I knew that the geckos were grateful for the help we always gave them.

"It's on the twentieth day of December-month," Kyrylo finally expanded. "I hope that you are still free on that day?"

"Of course! I'm sure we have other parties to go to but not then. Do we need to bring anything?" I asked curiously.

"Some food would be much desired if that's not too much to ask," Kyrylo said with a shrug. "Whatever's local cuisine to you. We love to try new dishes."

I nodded in relief as I would have brought something anyway. I had always believed that as a guest, I should honour the host by offering them something in return for their hospitality. I knew that Jay would feel the same way even though we were from different social classes.

"Well, tell Sasha that we'll be there. With food," I said and smiled at the thought of Kyrylo's mate, Oleksandr.

Oleksandr often went by the name, Sasha, as befitted the traditions in his home valley.

"Talking of food, can I offer you anything?" I asked the gecko scout politely. "I was just about to make myself a sandwich anyway."

"If it's not too much trouble, Quinn, and thank you," Kyrylo said and he smiled properly at me again.

"None at all," I assured him and gestured for him to follow me into the kitchen.

He did so and looked impressed by the homely furniture nestled in there. He sat as I bustled about making the sandwiches and we chatted about our daily lives. Kyrylo proved to be a good raconteur despite his quiet ways and he frequently made me laugh with some of his tales.

In time, he regretfully made his excuses to leave, however, and stated his need to return to Oleksandr. I nodded in return as I understood that need; I urged him to return whenever he liked and he gratefully accepted.

"Especially if you keep making sandwiches like this," he said before he pointed at his empty plate and smiled.

All I could do was laugh and agree.

****

"So what are we making for the Gecko Festivities then?" Jay asked, confused, later that afternoon.

I'd told him about Kyrylo's invitation and my mate had been delighted by it, as I'd expected him to be. He'd been as enamoured with the gecko-shifters as I had been.

"What do geckos even eat?" he continued and didn't even let me answer his first question.

"I don't know, love," I said in genuine confusion. "Kyro just told us to bring whatever's traditional in our home valleys. He didn't specify any dietary needs. Besides which, he ate the beef sandwiches I made him earlier. He seemed to like them."

"Good! Because I had a sudden horrid thought that we might have to bring insects or something," Jay said and a sudden expression of horror flitted across his face. "Locust pie or perhaps mashed mealworms or something."

I laughed at his confession - doubly so when the brief flash of his horror interspersed with the sudden splash of red embarrassment leached over from his side of our soul bond.

"Sorry, Quinn. That was a bit personal, wasn't it?" Jay asked and grinned his usual dimpled grin at me.

I shrugged before I said - "I suppose it was an understandable concern - even though I hadn't thought of it myself. I suppose in their gecko forms, they'd eat insects. But I'm sure in their human ones, they wouldn't. I mean, we don't eat raw food when we're humans, do we?"

"When we do in our dragon ones, I know," Jay finished for me. "True. So. We have to bring something traditional. What are you going to make for the occasion?"

"No idea, love. I'm still thinking about that. It's good that we come from different valleys, don't you think, Jay dear? Then we can take more choices of food," I pointed out and grinned at my mate.

Jay had originally been born in the valley of Blackloch while I had been born in Adiren. It was only after we'd met that we'd upped sticks and migrated to Esterloch.

"True," Jay said again and gave me one of his cheeky dimpled smiles. "Hey! I've just thought of something! Do you know how to make Risengrød, Quinn love?"

I stared at him in sudden silent dismay at the unfamiliar word and Jay laughed at my expression. I didn't even need to speak aloud.

"I take it you didn't have that in Adiren, then?" he asked and laughed again.

"Of course not," I said in continued dismay. "What in the name of drakes is it?"

"In its simplest form - rice pudding," Jay explained and his previous laughter turned into a grin. "With lots of cinnamon and a lot of butter melting on the top. My mum used to make it every December-month. It was typical peasant food to us in Blackloch but very delicious."

"Rice pudding? I'd like to try that," I said with sudden interest. "Okay. So if you're having that, I'll make some lebkuchen. We used to have that every December-month in Adiren."

"Now you're the one confusing me, love," Jay said as he scratched his fingers through his hair.

"Gingerbread," I said and laughed.

"Oh. Not too spicy, I hope," Jay said and stuck his tongue out at me. "You know I can't abide spicy things."

Jay, being the ice drake of our mated pairing, didn't like anything that was too heavily spiced. As I was the fire drake of our pairing, I loved everything that featured a lot of spice.

"I'll make sure it's not too spicy. I don't know how Sasha and his geckos will like overly spiced things though now you've said that," I pointed out worriedly. "Perhaps I should choose something else. Mohnstriezel perhaps."

"Now what in the name of drakes is this 'moan' thing, then?" Jay asked and his alarm returned.

"Poppy seed strudel," I explained and laughed.

Jay's face brightened over my explanation and he nodded vigorously in sudden excited interest.

"You have to make that, love," he urged and reached out to tug on the sleeve of my tunic. "Immediately! I want to try it!"

I laughed again before I said - "I'm all out of poppy seeds, dear. I'm sorry."

"Well, go and buy some poppy seeds then and make me some of this moan stuff," Jay said. "You have to get some anyway for the geckos."

I sighed and conceded to his point. I then went into the pantry to see what else we needed and soon discovered that we needed to top up on more than a few supplies. I then made my way down to Esterloch to find, barter for and buy the things we needed.

****

Over the next few days, Jay and I began baking the things we needed to take with us to the geckos' party. Jay enjoyed the Mohnstriezel so much that he insisted on eating half of it. Because he was useless at cooking and always burned water, I had to learn how to make the rice pudding for him. It took me a few attempts to get it right according to Jay's mum's recipe.

Finally, Jay pronounced it as good as his mum's and I was able to try it. I had to admit that I was pleased with the result and was glad to find something that was a connection to Jay's childhood and the mum that he'd lost to the ravages of time.

Not only did we cook those, but we also cooked some pork and duck to take with us. Jay had a good idea to cook several of each so everyone would have enough.

****

It was snowing on the day we were supposed to leave for the gecko-shifters' valley. Although it would prove to be a short flight for Jay and me, I still did not relish the idea of travelling even that small distance in the biting cold of a snow-storm. My fire drake side was not comfortable with any sort of cold temperatures at all.

"Well, wear two woollen tunics then and your thickest cloak," Jay said with a loud and long-suffering tut. "Don't be such an awkward Alpha all your life, Quinn."

I pretended I hadn't heard his last comment even as I rifled through my clothes chest for the suggested items. Jay watched me and I saw his amusement filtering over our link in waves of bright violet.

"Typical Alpha male dragon. Won't admit I'm right," he said to break the amused silence.

"Oh, I always do," I insisted as I straightened. "When you're right."

I laughed when my mate gestured rudely at me and I saw his amusement filtering in violet waves over our link.

"Just this time you're not owning up to it," Jay said as his bond-related amusement turned into a physical grin. "Told you. Awkward Alpha."

It was my turn to gesture rudely at him which made Jay laugh. I saw the apricot bursts of his attendant laughter filtering over our link and I couldn't help but smile in return. I then set the two tunics and cloak aside in a canvas sack before I glanced outside at the falling snow. Already there were drifts of it piling around the garden and I shivered, despite the warmth in our cabin. I sighed and nodded with an air of finality and decisiveness.

"We'd best go, love," I pointed out. "Or we'll be late. Won't be good to show up late to our friends' party."

"Hardly. Besides which, I'm really hungry," Jay said and patted his lean abdomen as though to further prove his point.

I just rolled my eyes at him as I'd seen his hunger rolling over our link in bright waves of mint green and scooped up a canvas sack which I then piled our clothes into. Jay followed me into the kitchen where we collected the wicker baskets filled with the food we'd made for the feast.

We then made our way out into the back garden, where I soon ensured that all the doors were locked to Dragon's Lodge. Once I had double- and even triple-checked the locks, we made our way further into the back garden and soon I'd transformed into my dragon self.

Jay clambered up onto my back and secured all of the baskets and sacks of food and clothing. To further ensure that they remained in place and that we wouldn't lose any on the short distance to the gecko-shifters' valley, Jay remained both in his human form and on my back to keep an eye on them all. He soon assured me that he was ready before I took off into the whirling snow.

The exercise needed to fly to where the gecko-shifters lived in the next valley over from ours kept me warm and I soon saw the glow from one of the caves that littered the side of the valley. Oleksandr himself stood at the cave entrance and his tall frame was illuminated by the light of the flames and the lamps behind him. He lifted one arm and waved us down; undoubtedly with his sharp eyesight, he'd seen my distinctive red dragon body through the whiteness of the snow.

I landed with a puff of snowflakes arcing up from the ground even as I bugled a greeting to Oleksandr. The friendly Alpha gecko-shifter grinned in response and winked up at me even as I helped Jay down from my back. My mate began unloading the bags and trunks from my back and once that task had been completed, Jay then handed the food over to Oleksandr. The tall gecko-shifter looked delighted when he smelt the scents wafting up from inside the trunks.

"You should not have brought so much," he remarked to Jay who suddenly laughed.

"We did. We're guests here. We always provide for our hosts," he said. "Besides which, you don't know much about a dragon's appetite, do you? Let alone two of them."

"I have seen something of this appetite of yours already," Oleskandr reminded Jay dryly. "Although I think you are set to remind me of it all over again."

I huffed out a dragon laugh at his comment and Oleksandr grinned up at me, his blue eyes glittering with his mirth. He winked up at me and Jay excused me when he realised that all the trunks had been unloaded.

"He has to transform," Jay explained to Oleksandr.

Oleksandr merely waved me away with equanimity and I bugled gently down at the gentle gecko. I took myself off to a more private place, where I was sheltered by trees and the snow. I changed from dragon to human and quickly dressed.

Even so, that short time exposed to the elements made me feel ill with the cold and I hurried back to the warmth of the cave as quickly as I could as a consequence. Jay and Oleksandr were still waiting for me at the entrance to the cave and they stepped inside when I finally hustled up against both of them.

"Sasha! Good to see you again, my friend," I said as I pulled the Alpha gecko into a hug.

Oleksandr returned the hug and surprised me by kissing me on the neck. His beard tickled the sensitive skin there and I laughed yet did not relinquish my hold. I even managed to surprise him by returning the kiss, yet mine landed squarely on his cheek.

Jay had not received a hug from Oleksandr that I knew of, yet my mate seemed not to mind. Perhaps he'd realised that ours was a hug between equals - a hug shared between Alphas of two different races. Jay, being a Beta dragon, was not equal to us, no matter how long I'd given him autonomy. It still did not change his status in the grand scheme of things to others.

"Good to see you too, Quinn," Oleksandr finally said. "Come in, come in! The pair of you!"

He ushered us both inside the cave and I was surprised as Jay was to see how well-equipped the place was. They'd certainly worked very hard to get it up to living standards in the short time that they'd been there and I remarked as much to Oleksandr. The Alpha gecko-shifter looked pleased by my observation and he nodded, his chest puffed out with his pride for his colony.

Everywhere, caves had been hollowed out still further to make sizable rooms for some of the gecko colony. Each one had places to store things, beds, and even nooks for lamps and small fires. Communal cooking pits were set aside in different places, some of which were lit to provide light, warmth and flames for the food.

Already some things were suspended over the flames in pots, on spits, and on cooking stones. It all looked amazing to me, further exacerbated by the extra care and attention paid to the festivities. Several places had been decorated by trees, by sprigs of mistletoe and holly - all of which made the place look merrier.

"Hey, Quinn! Sasha! Look up," Jay called to us.

Both Oleksandr and I looked up as my mate had suggested and above our heads was a sprig of mistletoe.

"You know what you have to do beneath the mistletoe," Jay said cheekily and he grinned at me.

Oleksandr and I exchanged amused glances even as Kyrylo ghosted up to us on stealthy feet. He looked amused himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched us. He raised an eyebrow and he looked as though he didn't mind inasmuch as Jay himself didn't mind about the upcoming kiss. Kyrylo seemed so secure in his mate's faith and love for him that he knew his head wouldn't be turned by a kiss from me and I knew the same truth applied to Jay.

Oleksandr and I exchanged grins again before we exchanged kisses beneath that mistletoe, amidst many a cheer from the others. That kiss even provoked a rare hearty laugh from Kyrylo and he clapped for us. I grinned and wandered away from Oleksandr to rejoin my own mate.

Soon, we were gathered around the fires to enjoy some of the food on display. Jay and I were already familiar with some of it such as cabbage leaves stuffed with meats and cheeses, pancakes cooked with cheese and other such delights from the geckos' home valley.

Luckily, the food that Jay and I had brought with us also went down a treat and the gecko-shifters were delighted with the rice pudding and the poppy strudel. By lucky chance, the geckos also had a form of the poppy strudel, except they had poppy bread along a similar theme which was just as delicious as what I was used to.

There was much fun and laughter which morphed into a spate of swapping traditional December-month stories. Jay was handed a lute at some point when it became known that he was practically a master lutenist. Although Jay couldn't sing to save his life, he still agreed to play; I stepped in and sang along with some of the songs I was familiar with. We sat out for the ones that we didn't know; Kyrylo proved quite good at the lute himself and Oleksandr surprised us all with a fine baritone voice that carried tunes well.

All in all, the night went well and because the festivities went on for longer than expected, Kyrylo and Oleksandr invited Jay and I to stay with them in their cave for the remainder of the night. I tried to refuse their well-meant hospitality as I'd thought we'd already overstayed our welcome.

"Besides which, we don't live all that far away," I reasoned.

"Yes. But look outside, dear Quinn," Oleksandr pointed out even as he gestured out at the weather.

The snow was falling far thicker and quicker than it had been earlier in the evening and I saw that it was impossible to see even a foot from the front of the main entrance to the cave system. Even though our cabin was that short flight away, neither Jay nor I fancied such a flight through such bad weather. As such, we agreed to take the friendly gecko-shifters up on their offer.

Oleksandr and Kyrylo soon made up a bed for us out of sweet-smelling dried heather and bracken, which they'd kept preserved at the back of their cave system; this in turn was covered with spare blankets that I recognised as having been bought from Esterloch.

The beds proved surprisingly comfy and Jay and I soon fell asleep, entwined in each other's arms. For the sake of the two gecko-shifters nearby, Jay and I did not sleep in our customary nakedness; instead, we slept in our clothes.

****

In the morning, Oleksandr insisted that Jay and I have breakfast with them even though the weather had cleared. Jay and I were more than willing to take them up on their offer as we enjoyed the company of the gecko-shifters; neither of us was required to turn up for work that day, so we could take as long as we liked.

Over our breakfast of egg and cheese stuffed bread, Jay and I reiterated our offer for any of the gecko-shifters to pay a visit at our cabin; we knew that we would always welcome them there. Thankfully, they all agreed and so, Jay and I finally made our way back up to our cabin once more.

Jay pulled the bath out from the corner of our bedroom even as he said - "Well, I don't know about you, Quinn love, but I had a lovely time."

"Of course, I did," I said with an amused snort. "As if you expected anything else."

Jay grinned up at me and winked before he stretched luxuriously.

"Well, despite our good night last night, I'm still ready for a good bath," he said as he stared down at the empty wooden tub. "Go and get some water from the well, dear."

"Oh yeah? And what did your last slave die of, Jamison?" I asked with a laugh even as I turned away from my mate.

The only response that Jay gave was to direct laughter at my retreating back as I left the room to do as he'd suggested.