I left Eric and headed for the wall when a young Dragon trotted up to me. They handed me a note. "Your reply from Katja of the nightwolf pack."

I bowed to them as they jogged off. I sighed opening it. It looks like gibberish. Except for the last line. "Mum will know." I need to find Duha.

Running to the pub I saw her sitting outside sipping on a cup of tea and reading a book. "Duha!" She jumped at my shout and then turned looking confused.

"Kyros? Why are you yelling?"

"Can you read this?" I asked slapping the note down.

Duha sighed waving over the Rabbit in charge. "An ale for my friend to calm him." She said putting a coin on the tray they carried. "Yes, I can read this. What's got you so riled up?"

I growled. "There are still spies in the Dragon home. I asked Katja to look into it. This is her reply."

Duha chuckled picking up the note and looking at it properly. "She called you a fool for writing it down so plainly. She also said you will get your answer via Topaz. I Expect the next will still be in code. What do you want to do about this?" She asked waving the note at me.

I sighed taking the mug the Rabbit offered. "Wait to see what Katja turns up. We just need to hope she finds what we need to know."

"And what are you going to do while you wait?" 

I shrugged. "Watch the army and drink."

"Maybe switch to tea.. just in case they get it in their head to attack. How was Eric?"

Taking a long sip of my ale I shook my head. "He broke my trust but I think we are working it out."

"And yet you sit here with me."

Smiling I raised my cup. "You going to give me relationship advice now when you're sitting at a pub drinking tea?"

She chuckled. "It's not what you think. We are trying but I'm drinking tea because I don't drink in the day. I won't drink in the evening because we are trying."

I nodded. "Then I drink to your luck." I said raising my mug.

She raised her teacup and we chatted about relationships until my cup was empty. The sun sat lower in the sky and I felt a need to work off the buzz of the beer. I sighed as I stood. "Are you leaving then?" Duha asked.

"It will be hours before we might get a reply and I have work to do."

"Ahh the forge." She said standing and picking up her book.

"Yes... seems to be the only work that puts my mind at peace these days."

Duha fell in beside me as I walked to the smith. "That's a shame. I rather liked your wood carving."

I smiled at her. "I'll get back to it when all this is over. I need to feel... comfortable to do that."

She nodded as we stopped at the door to my smith. "I understand. I'm going to spend time with Reina. Just in case you need me." She smiled as she walked away.

I shook my head as I lost sight of her and the young Dragon opened the door for me. I was only slightly surprised to see Jade sitting at her table making shafts for arrows with her long knife. "Ahh Kyros my friend. Go drinking with someone other than me?"

I laughed as I headed for my anvil. "No, we had things to talk about."

"So you thought why not talk over a mug of ale."

I picked up my hammer as the peace I'd been working on started to glow. "No, wrong again. She was already there and she was buying."

Jade laughed as the sparks with my first swing flew. "You never buy my friend."

I laughed as I continued to make the new pieces that had been designed to knock the ladder hooks from the wall. I lost myself in the glow of the metal and the sparks flying everywhere.

The door flew open stopping my hammer mid-swing and Topaz ducked in. "Kyros we need Duha do you know where she is?"

"She was with Reina when she left me but... looking at the sky tells me that was hours ago."

Topaz bowed to Jade and then smiled. "Then she is likely to still be there. Those precious gems are quite the time drain. Excuse me, Jade, I am not ignoring you."

Jade stood. "I did not think that. Let me come with you to meet these time drains."

I smiled offering her my hand. "Of course my friend. I will ask Reina to let you in to see them myself."

She smiled taking my hand we left the smithy. Topaz was walking fast causing me to jog to keep up with him. Jade was able to keep up easily being only slightly smaller than Topaz. She smiled at me as we moved and I knew I would have to endure her jokes about little bear legs.

Topaz finally stopped at the door to Reina's room. He knocked and Duha opened the door. "Honored mother, we need you."

She smiled looking back into the room. "There's someone here to meet your pups."

"Who is it?" Reina said tiredly from inside the room.

"It's Jade. You could do with a brake."

Kyanite spoke but couldn't hear anything he said over his growling accent. "Let her in.. but tell her to be quiet."

Duha smiled and opened the door stepping out of the room. Jade waved at me as she ducked in. I waved back as the door closed slowly. She had a look of pure joy as she closed the door on us. 

Duha walked away from the door a short distance and then waited for us. Topaz handed her the note he held. "It is quite the shorthand you two have. She would not tell me anything in case I got to court. This must be a big secret to have her so worried." Topaz started to rub his hands together filling the room with the smell of hot metal.

Duha opened the note and then sighed as her eyes darted over the words. "She knows who the spy is. She is going to feed them bad information. The real reason she kept it quiet is they know a lot of what is happening here."

I sighed thinking about all the preparations we had made. "The metal in the walls? The new weapons?"

"No, that they don't have that. Don't worry Kyros, their rocks will still bounce off. No, mostly it's Numbers and weapons quaternary. It seems this might be the true reason Reina gave us free rein. The only information this person has is the things that are coming from the dragon's home. So Reina will be keeping Katja informed. The people will know what she does. It's an amazing plan."

I smiled. "So what message do we send back with Topaz?"

Topaz shifted. "I do not like her being in the sights of this person."

Duha patted his arm. "Topaz don't worry. The spy isn't useful unless they have information. She is making herself safe. By haveing this information she will keep the spy in what they need and they will protect her to keep the flow of infomation going."

So what do we tell her to keep her safe? It has to be enough truth to make the falsehood believable. I stared at the floor untill my mind struck on the thing that they would want the most. "I know what to say. We tell them about troop movements and training. They will know the truth of that from what they saw in the dragon home it's self, then we feed them a report about some extra supplies we need. Stone, lime, sand, sheets of metal, and large logs."

Duha nodded. "And have the supplies sent. That will validate the report and the spy will tell the army the gate is being repaired. They will aim for the gate."

"Which has been reinforced a lot since they have been out of the loop. It's the perfect information to hand them. That gate will stand up to a dragon or two trying to get in. It's probably stronger than the wall." I said as Duha pulled a piece of paper out of her pouch and started to write.

I woke up shivering in the coolness of the room. I guess I got used to Topaz being next to me. Moving to the fireplace I added wood and tried to find something to light it with when they burst to life with flames. 

I turned to see the Black Dragon Topaz had left with me sitting in his chair. "Sister thank you."

She smiled at me. "It must be hard not having some kind of power at your fingertips sister."

I frowned. "I don't need to breathe fire into wood or fly to have power sister."

"I did not mean to offend you. Blue Dragon told me what you said to him when he told you he would add to my child's hoard. It made me wonder about humans and their power."

Sitting back down in my dragon hide I sighed. "What do you mean sister?"

"I mean all the yaspilrmeth have power in some respect or another. We Dragons bring fire to life, Bears have strength, birds can fly, wolves work together.... but humans what power do they have?"

"That's where you are wrong sister. I don't need fire or to fly. Like I said. We adapt to the situation. Just look around us. All the humans here have adapted to the way of things."

She nodded sighing. "I see. I suppose that is the best power."

I nodded yawning. "How long was I asleep sister?"

"A few hours. Topaz returned and went to get you something to eat. He will be back soon."

I smiled. "Good."

Topaz walked into the room and rushed to me abandoning the tray to hold me. "My gem! I missed you."

"I missed you too. I got cold without you."

He laughed letting me go. "Thank you again Black Dragon." He said bowing to her.

She stood stretching her wings out. "It was an honour to be allowed into your nest to protect the hoard."

I stood and took her hand. "Blue Dragons have their requirement to add to the hoard of someone they could have saved. Well, humans have something like that too. You are family now sister."

She stared at me. "Family?"

"Yes. A real sister, if you accept of course."

She smiled widely. "You do not need to ask your mother?"

"Family and pack are two different things. If you want to be a member of the night wolf pack you would need to ask mum. I'd put a good word in for you." I said nudging her.

She laughed. "I accept sister. My name is Emerald, I'm honoured to call you sister."

I gave her a bow. "I will talk to Mum about making you a pack member." 

Emerald surprised me by giving me a hug. Then left us alone. Topaz wrapped his arms around me. "You did not have to do that my gem."

"I did, just like you had to pay into her hoard." He picked me up taking me to the hide. "Now what is the reply." I said as he rubbed his chin on my head. He handed me a note and I smiled. "I have things to organise it seems. Isn't nice of Reina to try and keep me busy."

"You have set yourself for this haven't you?"

I chuckled. "I get restless." I said grabbing the food from the tray.

Topaz held me tighter. "You told your mum who it was didn't you?" I chuckled and nodded as I tucked into my dinner.

Once that was finished Topaz moved the tray away and laid me down covering me with a blanket. I cuddled into his chest and rubbed his scales. "Would you morph please?" He did without hesitation.

I kissed him and he smiled at me. "You always make me feel better about being weaker." It wa strange hearing that languge comeing from his human foarm and I knew I would never get used to it.

I sighed. "You're not weak Topaz. I just miss you cuddling me in bed in my room. Thats why I ask for this." He rumbled happily.

"You are more shiny than the brightest gem sitting in the sun."

I yawned. "Not as bright as you." I said my eyes drifting closed.

Even in his human form, he is warm. He stroked my back whispering softly in my ear. "Those words are the nicest anyone has said." He kissed my cheek making me smile.

***

The next thing I knew was Topaz shifting in his sleep. I sat up in the darkened room and stroked his face. "You are dreaming Topaz." I said in a near whisper.

He opened his eyes and sat up. The panic on his face and the way he held me told me everything I needed to know as a light burst from the fireplace.

"I'm safe Topaz. Come on we should go to breakfast and arrange the supplies that are needed." He morphed picking me up and wrapped me in his wings. "Or you could hatch me like a butterfly." He sighed holding me to him tighter. "Topaz." He looked down at me. "I need to get up, and if you squeeze me too hard your lap will be wet." His wings opened quickly and he hurried me over to the pot.

"Thank you." I said sitting on it.

"I'm sorry I was.... scared."

I chuckled. "It's alright Topaz. You know I would have happily let you hold me if I wasn't in desperate need." He nodded still hovering over me like he had in the woods after we had saved Mum.

I finished what I was doing as Topaz brought over the wash basin and started to wash me. He had morphed to do this to prevent the possibility of me being hurt by his claws. He was being so gentle that it made me shiver more than the cooling water on my skin. Just as he got to my back I couldn't take it anymore. I spun around kissing him. His arms came around my body and pushed me back on the bed.

He growled at me making me smile. His eyes met mine and I could see that same twinkle in his eye that meant I was going to get what I wanted.