I put my hand down as Mum turned the corner. I closed my door and walked away from my room. I marched to Mum and Dad's room and knocked. There was no answer and I sighed. If I was Dad and angry where would I go? Reina! 

Running I headed for Reina's room and knocked on the door softly. The door opened and Kyanite peered out. "Katja? Is something wrong?" He sounded as tired as he looked.

"My dad is angry I thought he might have come here."

Kyanite smiled and yawned. "No not here. He goes to the food hall he likes to try all the dragon foods in the market."

I smiled whispering. "Thanks, sorry to disturb you."

"That's alright Katja. If you could pay me back by bringing us some persimmons. They are Reina's favourite."

I nodded. "Sure. Sleep well you two."

He smiled again and closed the door softly. I walked quickly to the market. The food hall was one of the side rooms  off the main market and I headed straight there. My side hurt after my short run and I ignored it as I hurried to the market. Once I reached it I slowed wincing at the pain that had grown with every movement. I saw Dad in a crowd standing at a stool looking at the fruits. I headed for him. "Dad." He turned looking surprised.

"Katja, what are you doing here?"

"I heard you yell at mum. I talked to her and she left."

"Of course she did!" He growled.

I smiled at the fruit seller nearby and picked up some persimmons. "Could you have these sent to Reina of the Dragon Fire?" I asked offering a coin.

"Of course. Who should I say got them for her?" The Puple Dragon in charge of the stall asked softly.

"Katja of the nightwolf pack." They bowed to me and I took Dad's arm leading him away.

"Katja what...." He cut off seeing me clutching at my side only a few steps away from the table. The pain had got worse as I had pulled him away. "That's it I'm taking you to see a Blue Dragon!"

I tried to say no but he picked me up running to the Blue Dragon's hospital in my home. I protested but he carried on without hearing me. This will take some explaining to my Black Dragon brothers and sisters. I thought as he ran away from the market makeing the Dragons and people move out of his way with looks of serpise.

He skidded to a stop at the entrance to the Blue Dragons hospital and was approached by a young Dragon. "How can we help you?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I don't understand you! GET HELP." He yelled at them and the young Dragon smiled.

"What's wrong with her?" The Young Dragon asked in that same soft voice.

"She's in pain and pregnant." Michi said with a huff.

The young Dragon smiled at me. "Who is in charge of your care?"

"Topaz asked Peridot to care for me until he comes back."

He nodded. "I will send for him. Third door on the right." They walked away before I could say no and Michi rushed to the door the young Dragon pointed out.

He kicked the door making it swing open. Peridot sat up from where she was working. "What by the ancients... Katja, are you alright?" She pointed at a bed as she spoke.

"I'm in pain but it's not constant." Michi moved as I answered her.

"If she is telling you she's fine she is lying!"

I sighed. "What did he say?"

I shook my head. "He is saying if I say I'm fine, I'm lying."

She smiled as she got close. "Where is your pain?" I pointed at my side where I felt the pain. She turned to Michi and pointed in the corner.  He grunted and walked to it as she turned back and started to investigate. "Is Topaz on his way back?"

I frowned. "Yes the young Dragon at the entrance said they would call for him... is there something wrong?"

She smiled at me. "Just that you have been doing too much. Your body is telling you to stop. Now are you going to listen or do I need to have you restricted to a recovery room." She said straightening.

"I'll be good." She shook her head at me then pointed at Michi, then at me then at the floor. He nodded and she walked out of the room.

"That was clear enough. What did she say?"

"That I've been doing too much and need more rest. I don't know why she left."

Dad sighed and stroked my head. "You scared me you know."

"I didn't plan it. We still need to talk."

He shook his head. "No, I was being stubborn and selfish. I shouldn't have yelled at her. I will make it up to her when she comes back but for now... I have to make sure you stay here."

I chuckled. "This is normal for a human Dragon pregnancy Dad. I just have to be careful."

He frowned. "Pain is normal?"

"No. Pain when I run about after my mum and dad because they are fighting... again."

He rolled his eyes at me as Peridot came back with another Blue Dragon.  "Katja my sister here is an expert in pregnancy. She also speaks in your language." As she spoke the other Blue dragon translated her words to Michi.

The Blue Dragon I didn't know came over to me smiling. "Katja it is nice to meet you. I have to check you over then we can talk." I nodded laying back down. She made quick work of looking me over then sat on the edge of the bed. "You are perfectly fine. I'm sure your Blue Dragon has told you that things are going to be hard for you."

"He did. It was my fault for running around."

The Blue Dragon shook her head smiling at me. "No more more running. I know that your Blue Dragon has turned around and is coming back. We have sent someone to replace him at the castle and have given him time to keep you company. Now you need to stop any more unwise running."

"You didn't need to do that. I know not to run about and will follow the instructions."

She smiled patting my leg. "No, I didn't need to have him come back. He has been working very hard at the castle. He needs a brake."

I chuckled. "I'm sure he doesn't like that."

Blue Dragon laughed. "He will still be allowed to work here but he must stay here for a while. It's not good to put people back together when they have been so brutally taken apart. You must take time to sleep and rest your mind when dealing with these injerys." She stood and bowed to me. "If you could just wait here for your Blue Dragon then he will take you home."

"I will thank you." Peridot also bowed as she followed the other Blue Dragon out of the room.

"That was nice of them."

I sighed. "Yes.. now about you and mum. You need to give her a brake. She feels she needs to try to save people. According to Eboni, that attack on their home was someone they knew. Duha blames herself because she led him there. You see this is the only thing she can do to to try and make herself feel better."

He sighed nodding. "I knew there was a reason but... I just can't help but feel like everyone else matters more than me when she runs off like that."

"I know how that feels. Still, she is very sharp and if the humans are up to something she will find it. This is why she is always asked. It's better than before when everyone hated her."

He nodded sitting next to me and hugged me. "You're right." 

The hurt from the argument I had with Michi started to wain as I sat on Garnet's back, we flew towards where we knew the army was camped from the reports.

We were aided by fog and rain but it was unfortunate that the rain was soaking me though and I had to hold on or I would have been holding my cloke closed to better protect me from the wind and rain that chilled me to the bone.T he chill and the wet did take my mind from Michi though so I was gratefull.

Garnet spiralled down to the ground. "We should be quite close." I said to her and she nodded.

I feel really bad for her as she can't talk in this... at least not until we are away from the army. We landed softly and moved eminently to the woods nearby. I could smell them. Humans and horses covered in sweat and grunting. We both frowned at the sounds and then moved closer to them. Once there we saw the humans building a huge cart. It was like the troop transports we had used for spiders, only this one was being attached to a large train of horses.

A large group of troops marched into the back and the cart moved off fast. I called a wolf quietly and asked them to follow the cart. They looped off to follow it.

Garnet tapped my shoulder pointing at the camp. They had huge siege weapons covered in iron plates and had large parts made of metal rather than wood. The catapults had been covered in heavy iron plates and the ballista had been made even bigger with bolts the size of trees with an iron point. As we watched one fired and the bolt sailed off into the distance lost to sight. I asked one of my other wild brethren to find it. The next test was a catapult. The rock sailed through the air further than a catapult should have been able to send it and I could see the spikes that had been driven into the rock. 

I looked to Garnet who was shaking her head. A huge crash made us both jump. We moved to the noise of shouts and saw it was a tower that collapsed under the immense weight of itself as they tried to move it. I asked the rest of my brethren to watch these humans leading Garnet away from them so we couldn't be heard.

"Are they trying to build dragon-proof weapons?" I asked her once we were far enough away.

"It will work. Those weapons can't be burned without melting the plate and are going to stay out of range of ours. This won't be good for us. That cart can carry large groups long distances They can leave their staging post and reach the castle in hours. Although it was headed for the border. I think they are going to gather more people."

I nodded looking around our area. "We will see what else my wolves see then we reassess. I feel we will be out here awhile."

Garnet nodded and pulled a book out of her bag. I moved away from her to keep watch and call more of my wild brethren to scout for me.

The day passed slowly and as night fell I came down from my lookout post in a tree. "We can rest. I've asked my wolves to look over us."

"Did you find out much?"

I sighed as I sat next to Garnet. "They have built another three weapons bringing their total up to twenty siege weapons, most are the old type. They are trying to build another tower. I'm hoping they will give up on it soon."

Garnet offered me some of the rations. "I will get more supplies tomorrow when the fog rolls in. You stay and scout while I get what we need."

"No, we are nearly done. I think I know what they are up to. I just need to see if they would hide them when the fog cleared. Which they did. So they are trying to make a surprise attack on the castle. With the carts, they can get there in hours."

Garnet nodded. "They have built more of those carts than they need. So they must be getting more troops and supplies before moving."

"It looks like it."

Garnet pulled out a book. "I have a shock attack plan for that group."

I shook my head. "No, let's work on more plans for the castle."

She smiled. "Sister we have a last resort plan."

"Oh I know but still... I think we should put our heads together with a few Green Dragons. That castle won't stand too long under that kind of barrage those new weapons can hand out." Garnet nodded sighing. We need a better plan. Maybe we should stay out here to see if we can damage them a bit to make this all a little less devastating.

I yawned and lay down on the ground. "I still think we should stay out here to see if there is more. The tricks these humans have played so far means we should watch for something more."

"You are probably right... Good night Garnet." She shifted behind me and I felt warm suddenly. I opened one eye to see Garnet's wing laid over me. I smiled and patted it. "Thanks." She chuckled as I started to fall asleep.

I felt like I'd been sitting in Peridot's workroom for hours. She had dismissed Michi as he kept talking and distracting her. I had been sitting quietly reading a book she had given me since he left. The book was about wound treatment and was interesting enough but I felt every moment waiting for Topaz. She checked on me a few times but the pain had mostly stopped now I wasn't moving about.

Finally Topaz walked through the door. "Katja! Are you alright?" He asked running over to me.

"I'm fine. Just did some unwise running."

He sighed as he picked me up. "Thank you sister for looking after her."

Peridot stood and bowed to him. "It was an honour that you would trust me with your hoard. I do think you need to talk about not running around and having someone on hand."

He nodded. "I shall talk to her about it. How long do I have off?"

Peridot sighed following us out. "I can't give you long. The badly wounded from the castle will be here by day brake. We may need you." Topaz bowed awkwardly with me in his arms.

He walked away silently from the Blue Dragon hospital. I looked up at his face. There I saw the worry and stress he had in his eyes. His hand stroked my chest possessively and I reached up to give him a gentle tug on the horn under his chin. "Topaz you really don't need to be stressed."

He smiled leaning into my hand as I moved it to his cheek. "I'm sorry Katja... I should have made it more clear..."

"Well, now you can. Nothing bad happened Topaz." 

We arrived at our room and he opened the door setting me in the middle of our dragon hide then fussing around the room. I let him fuss over everything, only watching him to let him get his thoughts in order. After he had been around the room muttering twice and straightening everything he finally sat down in front of me.

"We have had a few humans bear Dragon children. Dragons are heavier so it is easier for a human to lose them. When I told you light exercise... I went walking, even though that might be too much now. Not forever just until everything settles again."

I smiled. "Alright. I should have realised."

He closed his eyes pressing his head into my chest. "There's more my gem."

"Then give me all of it my Blue Dragon. I understand you not telling me. It's still early days." He pressed against me harder making his guilt known to me and I stroked his head to comfort him.

"You need to be very careful. No more wandering around alone. Even then you're going to be in pain and very uncomfortable. Then..."

"Then I'm going to be in for a lot of problems. Sounds like pregnancy to me. Topaz this is what you so stressed about?"

He raised his head. "Yes... and no.... I feel guilty for putting you through this. For..."

"Now you're being silly. I love you Topaz and part of that love comes from me knowing that you can't leave me. It's the most reassuring thing I've ever encountered. So if I have to go through this to give you what you want, then I will."

He growled softly and laid his head on my shoulder. "I don't want you to be in pain, Katja."

"Pain is part of life, without it how would I know I'm alive."

He hugged me tightly and sighed. "If I could take all your pain I would."

"Then what would you do my Blue Dragon? Without pain how would we know if something was wrong?" He chuckled and stroked my back.