As soon as I left Reina I walked towards Topaz's room. As I walked I saw Topaz close the door to his room. He turned and jumped at me being there behind me. The look of surprise on his dragon face made me smile. "Honored mother! What brings you here?" He looked as guity as he sounded.

"I need Katja. Is she in there?"

He stared at the door then swallowed looking more guilty. "Yes... ahh, honoured mother you see..." I frowned at him.

He looked at my face and stepped away from the door. After a moment of him trying to talk he walked off up the corridor without finishing what he wanted to say. I opened the door to his room and stared at Katja lying naked on the bed. She rolled over then jumped covering herself with a blanket. "Mum! What are you doing here?"

I chuckled walking in and closing the door. That's what he was feeling guilty for. "I came to ask you if you can come to help defend the village, but I see you are busy expanding the pack." Katja laughed making my smile grow. She's come a long way from the shy girl I rescued from that burning village.

"If you need me I will come. Why is Chea here?"

"Michi asked to have him here. I'm keeping him quiet at the moment. I understand what he means about a baby on a battlefield but I wouldn't be fighting with him on my chest. So to keep him happy I've brought him here."

Katja leaned over the bed grabbing her trousers. "So Dad's staying here?"

I sat down nodding my head whilst she got dressed. "He is working on something. He won't tell me anything."

Katja came over to me and sat in the other chair. "Ahhh the mystery project. So when do we leave?"

"When you are dressed for the trip and I've handed this one to your dad. Do you need to talk to Topaz?"

Katja nodded. "I'm not taking off without talking to him. I can't do that again. You remember what it was like when I left to raid that bandit camp." I nodded looking at Katja. She had grown taller than she was when I first rescued her and she had a new strength to her. "Why do you stare at me like that mum?"

"You've grown into a fine woman."

Katja frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you are no longer the small scared, half-starved girl chased into the night. You are strong now, it's your own strength."

Katja rubbed her leg and dropped her eyes. "I'm just trying to do what's best."

Why is she embarrassed by this? I stood. "I'm proud of you Katja."

She smiled meeting my eye's again. "Mum... are you scared?"

I sat back down. "Scared? Of what?"

"Scared of what is coming." I shook my head. "You're not scared at all?"

"Scared of dying, no. Scared of fighting, no. I have no fear of this. I am who I am, I will live until I'm gone. Then I will run the fields and watch over the pack with the rest of the pack that have already gone. This is why I don't fear the things to come."

She watched me then sighed. "Mum I will come with you and drag you out of this fight so you will be around to meet any children I have."

I smiled. "You're not afraid of that anymore?"

She shook her head. "War is a thing to be afraid of. Children need protection, not fear. I understand that now."

I watched her fidget in her seat and knew there was more to her question than she was letting on. "You need to talk Katja, so talk."

She shifted on her chair. "The world is strange at the moment Mum. We let these humans walk across our land like they have already won. They will sack and burn like every human before them. We want to stave them and whittle them down... but we are only killing the people. Why don't we cut off the head?"

"And leave the other two kingdoms in the state this one was in?" This is normal to think but she really can't see why that will go badly.

"You cut the head off and the rest will go home." She insisted.

"And there will be turmoil. Those kings are not good, they are greedy and vain. However, they are all those people who have to protect them. They have made laws and they police them. They send troops to wipe out bandits, judges visit each town and village to depence justice. What right do we have to take that from the people? To take their safety."

She nodded. "Do you believe this?"

"I have seen it in this very kingdom. When the Queen was pulled down this kingdom fell apart, with all the Lords killing each other to own it. They left the place with no law and no one to hold the laws that once existed. It became a war zone in each town and village as they tryed to keep the people within under control. That was just what the people where doing. The loards where worse. They rased armys and staged massive battles to prove they deserve to rule here. Then the winner pulled all the people he could. Then he marched them to take on to the other two kingdoms to secure his rule. Where did that leave him? It left him dead and bandits roaming this land. You want that for those other people?"

Katja frowned then looked up at the wall above the fireplace. "I think we could bring them in to ours." She pointed at the blank space above the fireplace. It was lined with gold like the others I'd seen in every room and lineing some coridors but this one was completely blank, instead of filled with images of Dragons in fight or fighting. "You know there is a picture above every fireplace in every room. Do you know why?"

Where is she going with this? I thought with a frown. "No."

"It reminds them of the history they have. The battles they faced to get here. Topaz's wall is blank because he said there is no history for him. The history Kyanite chose is love, his mother her son, his father has the birth of dragon fire. The history Topaz wants is the is the birth of this nation. Should we free just these people... or should we free all humans?"

"Do you think we should do that?"

Katja sighed looking in to my face. "I don't know mum. I just want everyone to be as free as I am."

I smiled. "Then let them come to us Katja. True freedom is the choice to live where you want, how you want."

She nodded looking back up at the blank space. "What image would you say was the founding of this nation?"

I looked up at the wall. "When we turn the armies back."

She laughed. "I'd say it was the day the wall came down. Topaz thinks it was when he gave the gift of a flower to help a human see there was no need to fear a Dragon."

I smiled. "He's a romantic."

Katja smiled. "He also said it would be Kyanite that would define when we formed this nation. He holds the history's. The choice of image is mine. He has gifted that to me. I'm not sure what to have here. Topaz is a soft kind man, but my hands are soked in blood." She whent silent looking at the empty space. "The image I see there... the founding of this place is when all the people, the humans the yaspilrmeth came together and started to build something together. I serpose that is more fitting with Topaz's image."

Shifting Chea from my shoulder to my lap I spoke. "Kyanite may pick the birth of this nation but you pick the image don't you?" She nodded still looking at the blank space. "Then maybe you should pick the image that speaks to you."

She truned smileing at me. "I had the same thought. I think I know what I will have made now."

I nodded and looked at my child. She isn't just stronger she has changed from child to woman and I can't tell when it happened. She sighed and looked back at the blank space above the fire place. A burning question filled me with the need for an answer as I watched her. "Do you think we will win Katja?" I asked softly.

She shrugged not looking away from the wall. "I hope so. At the same time I hope that the armies give up on this land after we beat them so badly at the boarder and they turn back. You saw the casualties. They lost so meany." She shook her head meeting my eyes.

"They are are regrouping on this side of the wall. I got the report last night. They are setting up camp at the wall. We are locked in to this course now."

Katja stood. "I'm going to find Topaz to tell him I'm going. I will meet you at the entrance." She kissed Chea on the forehead and headed for the door. I hesertated a moment stareing at the blank wall. I saw the ghost of an image. Topaz banadged Katja's hand while a pile of bodies sat in the background. Could that be the image she whishes? "Is there something more you needed mum?" She asked when I didn't move.

"Only your assurance that you are alright for this fight." I said truning from the odd ghost image.

She laughed. "I'm ready to head in to battle again. I needed to make what I had done right with myself, before I could go back in to battle. I do this because I want us to be free. Not because I'm being forced."

I nodded standing. "Then I will see you there." I hugged her and felt her relax against me.

"Will you take me home mum?"

"Home is where you make it Katja."

She looked up at me. "Topaz calls your house home."

I felt shocked that he would consider my house home but nodded. "Where is your home?"

She squeezed me. "My home is with you."

"Then we go and defend our village."

She let me go. I watched her walk out of the room and up the corridor. I left the room and headed for Michi's guest room.

Duha left and I made it to my chair near the fireplace before needing to sit down. My back hurt, my legs hurt and the weight of my bump made me whimper. "Reina. Are you alright?" I shook my head and Topaz came in the room. He knelt in front of me and offered me a leaf. "Chew on this. Then I will get you to bed." I morphed in to a human again and started to cry. "There's no need to cry Reina. Everything will be alright." I took the leaf and started chewing it as he rubbed my back. "Why not tell me what's wrong?"

"Everyone is asking things of me and are worried about me but..... I'm fine."

Topaz smiled. "So who needed what from you?" The events since I woke up flowed from me like the tears from my eyes. He sat and listened to me blubber through everything. When I had finished he took my hand and smiled. "Sounds like you need a break from your duties. As your Blue Dragon I will send everyone away and give you a proper rest."

"But I need to..."

He smiled and interrupted me. "I will send any requests for troops to Kyanite, ration requests to your mother, reports to Silver Elder and if there is anything else I will bring it to you. Now come with me to the bed I will stay with you until Kyanite comes back." He offered me his hand and I took it. He helped me too my feet. "Your going to be fine Reina. We will get you to bed then get you comfortable. Once you are we will talk or you can sleep. Whatever you need." He helped me shamble over to the bed. Then he lifted me on to it meeting my eye's.

"I need to..." He smiled when I started.

"What you need to do is what Reina needs. Just for a few hours. You slept a long time because you tired yourself out taking care of everyone else. So take a little time for you."

I moved to the back of the bed leaning up against the wall. "I still need to help."

He nodded patting my hand. "Of course. Is there anything else I can give you?"

"My sowing... and more leaves to chew. It took the pain away."

He smiled going to the fireplace and gathering my sewing kit and the blanket I'd nearly finished. "The leaves didn't take your pain just your fear."

I frowned. "How did that take my pain away?"

"Your fear of what is coming made you see only the pain your body has been in for a while. You were paying attention to it more because your afraid. Do you want to tell me why?" He brought me the things I'd asked for then sat down.

"Who wouldn't be scared in this situation?"

Topaz chuckled. "You have a fair point. So is it the war or becoming a mother?" I looked down at the blanket feeling my need to cry creep in again.

Both! But what do I say. I'm Reina of the dragon fire I can't be scared of this.

Topaz pulled me into a hug seeing my need to cry writon all over my face. "Your allowed to be afraid Reina. Your allowed to be a person with feelings and emotions. Being a Gold Dragon does not take that from you."

I smiled at him as he wiped a tear from my eye. "I don't feel very dragon fire like right now."

"You have held it together through all of this. You have been stronger than some I know. Your feeling vulnerable now and that is alright."

He stroked my arm and the picked up a corner of the blanket. "Your right Topaz. I do."

He looked up at me. "That's why I'm here. Why I've been walking past every so often. I was waiting for you to need me."

I pulled the needle out of the half stitched section. "You are very diligent in your task Topaz."

He smiled. "Stops me fearing for Katja. So, let us sit here sow this blanket and talk about our fears?"

I made a stitch and sighed. "I'm afraid I will either fail as a mother or as the leader of the Dragons."

"Then let's start with your fears as a mother."

I smiled as he took out another needle and thread. "I'm scared that I haven't made a safe place for them and....."