Reina shifted under my wing waking everyone up. I lifted my wing as she sighed. "Do you need a break my gem?" She shook her head. "You've been stuck here for days."

She looked up at me. I could see how tired she was in her dark eyes. "Just a little longer. When will Duha get here?"

She surprised me by standing up on her back paws and stretching out her body. Her joints creaked with the movement after staying in the same place for so long.

I looked down at the children all curled up where she had been lying. The Dragon's soft scales were almost transparent showing the grey skin underneath them, while the Rat's all shifted about like wriggling pink things. My emotions overwhelmed me and I laid my head over them. The two little Dragons growled and rubbed their soft scales on my hardened ones. While the rats licked at me and patted me with their paws. "Why are you doing that?"

I met Reina's eyes smiling. "The baby Dragon's need to shed their first scales soon. They do this by rubbing themselves on a Dragon. We will keep some of these scales." Reina nodded and came closer scooping up one of the rats and grooming them. "Why do the Rat's lick everything?"

Reina shifted to pick up the Rat under my chin. "Grooming is very important."

She groomed the Rat and laid them with the other one. I wonder when I will be able to tell them apart? Then she moved me gently out of the way. She situated herself above the small pile of children. She shifted her weight to half stand and lay over them. "You sure you don't need a brake?"

She smiled. "I'll be able to leave them alone soon. Do you know when Duha will be here?"

I shook my head. "I think she has been gathering as much intelligence as she can. She might even be flying out over the battles."

Reina sighed. "I've not been sleeping well at all can you catch me up?"

I nodded smiling as she closed her eyes. I stayed quiet while she napped. Drawing my claws through the fur at her back I found myself scratching the fur she would groom away usually leaving me covered with a large amount of the fur she hadn't sheed yet. She's been stuck on her paws unable to do much. I've been feeding her and grooming her... not that I mind. In this Dragon and Rats are the same. She needs to be looked after and I need to look after her.

Reina's eyes opened again and she sighed. "What were you saying?"

"You asked me to remind you what's been happening. Then you fell asleep." She nodded shifting her feet again. She is really tired. I thought as she tucked her head under herself to groom what she could.

"We have lost control of the border towns and villages. They have stalled to bring the staging post up to Duha's village. The last report we had was that the staging post was finished and they had sent out scouts and small groups to scavenge from the villages for equipment. As for what's happening here, between Eric and the Blue Dragons we have stopped the spread of the illness that plagued us. The army is now back to full strength. As for losses we have lost about 600 total humans and yaspilrmeth. Only three Dragons have been lost thanks to the efforts of the Blue Dragons and their plains to get the wounded out. Meny of the losses are from when the wall came down." 

Reina shook her head. "The loss increse was the village that was attacked by an overwhelming force right?"

"Yes. The army appeared deep in our territory. The scouts missed them as they started to watch the skies. If they couldn't shoot the birds down they knew the birds were watching them. So they moved from forest to forest."

Reina sighed. "At least we were still able to get a lot of troops out."

"Only because the Black Dragon strike force was in the area. We did lose some supplies and equipment. You told us to pull out of half the towns and villages to bolster the ones nearby. They tried the same tactics on three more places and found one empty and two of their forces were wiped out by the man. You did really well there my gem. Unfortunately, those fell too as the bulk of the army swept through but with minamal losses."

She smiled that tuned in to a big yawn showing off her teeth. "That's when I insisted that green dragons were flying over the battle to strategize."

"And Katja came up with the flag system. Red flags tell them to hold green to retreat. Duha said last time when you fell asleep she would tell them to use different flags for each Green Dragon. That way they wouldn't be able to work out the pattern."

Reina frowned. "That was an exceptional plan. So all in all we have hurt them more than they have hurt us."

I smiled. "Yes, my gem. They have been sending a long line of carts to the border full of shrouded bodies. Yesterday it was six carts. The scout said this was about 300 men lost. In the battle those carts came from we only lost 20. Mostly humans and a few yaspilrmeth. It also seems like they are struggling to find food. They are hunting everything and pulling anything that looks edible. Forchantly it's not helped them much. We stripped the land for our stores before they could."

Reina yawned once more looking at the large map we had drawn up to help her see what was going on. "We didn't update the map."

I sighed looking at it. "We didn't want to wake the children again. Duha promised to update it today." Reina started to fall asleep again as I talked. She jumped as the children started to call out. She frowned sitting up and rearranging everyone. "Someone got lost again?" I asked laughing.

She nodded fighting to keep the baby Dragon on their back. "Oh come on! Just lay still."

I sat up taking both baby Dragons. "Dragons grow up a bit quicker than Rats it seems. They want to move around the nest."

I put them down and they crawled around the nest. Reina set herself over the two rats making their odd cry stop. "Do you think they will want to come back here soon?" I shook my head. She sighed as she watched them play with the gold coins.

Just then the door came open and Duha walked in. Reina squeaked looking up at her. "We've lost seven more towns. All at once. They have moved the whole army." She moved to the map and crossed half of the towns on the left of our map.

She pointed at one of the towns at the furthest edge of the territory. "This was the worst attack yet. We got everyone out but they decimated the town. They pulled down all the buildings and burned everything!" Duha growled.

The baby Dragon's growled back at her. She lost her grimace and knelt down to look at them. "Hello, you two. I'm Duha." She reached out and they rolled over letting her tickle their bellies while they kicked and mouthed her fingers.

"The little one is Ruby and the bigger one is Jasper."

She smiled at them as they rolled and kicked at her hands. "Good names. What about those darling rats?"

Reina sat up pointing at the writhing Rat's. "This one is Amber and this one is Axinite." They started to cry so Reina went back to hovering over the top them.

The two Dragons crawled back to Reina and she moved to let them under her. "And they are gone." Duha laughed.

"They are hungry all the time. So we have lost half our territory? In how long?" Reina asked.

Duha stood. "That's about the size of it. It's been nearly a week since I lost my village, just over that since we lost the border wall. They split their force into smaller groups and attacked everything they could find. It's why we are losing so much so quickly."

I woke up feeling sick. I only had enough time to move out of the dragon hide before I lost what little I had in my stomach. Just my luck! I thought as the door started to open.

Dad stood in the doorway. He stared at the dragon's hide with wide eyes. I heaved again and he saw me. It took him only a second for his mind to work then he rushed to my side. "Katja... wait here I'll get Topaz." He said turning from me.

"No need." I said in a hoarse voice.

He frowned down at me as I took a sip of the sweet tea that Topaz had asked to be left for me. "Why not?"

I sighed.  "He knows why I'm throwing up. I haven't had a chance to tell you yet Dad but... I'm pregnant."

I watched his face change as he tried to settle on one emotion to feel. Finally, he smiled. "I'm happy for you two. Do you need me to get Topaz?"

I shook my head as I took another sip of the tea. "He is at the castle. It's his turn to work there and he left a week ago. He asked Peridot to look after me while he was away."

Michi nodded. "I will go and get her then."

I chuckled. "Dad it's morning sickness."

"But it's afternoon."

I smiled. "It's just called that dad. It can last all day."

He laughed. "I do know that. I was joking with you. It's good to see you smile even if you do look pale."

"It's lovely to see you but what did you come here for?"

He sighed "I was looking for your mother. I thought she might be with you and I was told you had been in here for two days. At least now I know why." He sighed sitting down next to me while I sipped at my tea. "Do you know where your mum is?"

I moved away from the mess I'd made on the floor. "She took a Black Dragon to fly her over the battlefield. One of the towns got attacked this morning and she went to see what was going on."

He nodded standing and fetching the cleaning stuff left for when I didn't make it to the bowl. "So it's not going well. I've been so caught up with training troops and organising the people coming in I haven't heard much. How bad is it?"

I lay down sighing. "We are going to lose the east territory in a few days. In less than a month they will be at the castle. You could say it was going badly if you didn't know that was the plan."

He eyed me as he cleaned. "What will you be doing?"

I smiled. "I will be here. I'm not fighting in this state. I can't keep much down at the moment and vomiting on the battlefield will get me hurt."

He packed away the things and stood with the bowl of water. "They will need all the fighters they can get without you to fight. I will be doing my bit." I nodded.

"Katja, were you ill again?" Michi jumped at Peridot's voice.

She stood in the open doorway that Michi hadn't closed. "Yes. I still feel a little sick."

Michi stared at us and then sighed. "I will leave you. I expect that if Duha is back she will be with Reina. I'll see you later Katja."

"See you soon." I said as he bowed to Peridot.

She watched him sadly as he left. "He is strong but not really made to fight. He is a leader of troops. He will get hurt if he fights."

I shrugged. "Sometimes you need to do what you need to do to be able to live with yourself."

She turned her head to stare into my eyes. "That sounds like Kyros."

"No that's all me." I said chuckling.

"He said the same thing to me when Jade flew off with your mother. I wish she would stay away from danger. She acts like a White Dragon sometimes."

I nodded as she came over to me fishing something out of her bag. "We are at times different to our colour. Don't you think?"

She smiled and offered me a bottle. "You are right Katja. I am not thinking like a Blue Dragon right now. Take this, half now and half later. I will have some food sent to you."

She took a letter out of her bag and handed it to me. Then she turned and left the room. I smiled at my name written on the front of the letter. I knew it was from Topaz even before opening it.

Katja my gem,

I have not been able to stop since I got here. The battles are taking a huge toll on all of us Blue Dragons. We can't keep up with the wounded. I have started to write this letter several times but had to throw them away as they got blood on them. Even as I write this there are more wounded landing and I will be called to help soon.

Your gift has made me the talk of the Blue Dragons. Thank you again for being so generous. Would you please write back to me to tell me how you are doing? I was told you have shut yourself away and are ill. I'm worried about you and I want to come home to you every day.

Stay safe my gem.

Topaz

I folded the letter and drank my medicine. He is so sweet. I don't have much to tell him other than not to worry about me. Maybe I should get him a gift if I feel better in a while.

Standing I walked over to the lap desk Topaz had next to the bed. I knelt next to it, to write my reply. Now what to write? My pen hovered over the paper.

"You look worried Katja."

I looked over my shoulder to the door I hadn't heard open. "Mum! Dad is looking for you."

She smiled and walked into the room. "He found me and then got distracted by Reina's pups. I told him I was coming to see you. What has got you so worried?"

I sighed. "Topaz sent me a letter and I have no idea what to say to him. How was your scouting?"

She sighed as she sat on the bed. "We've lost the east territory. The army has split into four and is sweeping across the points of the compass. They are not giving us much time to adapt."

"Topaz said they were keeping him busy."

Mum smiled. "He is doing a great job at getting the wounded back on their feet."

I looked back at the blank sheet of paper. "I will tell him that in the letter."

"Tell him that you miss him too. For that matter tell him I miss him." She laughed. "I've got used to someone taking care of my old wounds. My back hurts and he is the only one with the medicine that can make it better without makeing me fell tired."

I chuckled. "Thanks, Mum. What did you come here for?"

"Well, I hear you are suffering from morning sickness. So I came to sit with you." She put her arm around me. "I'm going to write this letter then I think I'll go for a walk."

Mum nodded shifting her position so she could read over my shoulder. "I'll stay with you until I'm pulled away again."