The light of the fires were out now and the yelling died down. They made a mess of that camp. The army will have no option but to attack us. I thought looking down at the report in my hand. We destroyed all their supplies and killed many of their horses. So they won't be able to get any more for now.

A distinct smell of burnt flesh wafted up from the camp every time the wind gusted from that direction. It was mixed with the smell of the rocky road that led up to the castle that was now smoother than it had been. It was sickening to think about what a Dragon's anger could achieve.

"Duha why are you standing here?"

I turned at Eboni's voice. "I'm sure they will attack us again."

She looked over the trees. "They are coming... but I think there is time for rest. If you don't sleep you will fall over your feet on the battlefield." I couldn't help but smile as she sounded like the old Eboni. 

She took my hand and led me away from the wall to a nearby house full of people sleeping on blankets stretched out on the floor.

I saw Shadow lying on one of the blankets watching us with his pale eyes. We walked that way and Eboni laid down next to him she offered me her arm but I shook my head seeing Michi nearby. I pointed at him and Eboni nodded yawning. I watched her curl up in Shadow's arms. I walked to Michi and he sat up when I started to lay down next to him. I smiled and he sighed shaking his head.

He laid down with me pulling me close to him and kissing my head. If it wasn't for the armour we are wearing I'd feel like I was at home in my old den with him.

I hadn't realised how tired I was until Michi's arms came around me. Soon my mind drifted away peacefully.

***

The roar of a dragon was followed by the shout for everyone to rally. Michi and I both sat up looking around the room at the people already scrambling for the armour and weapons they had discarded to sleep. We had been using my bone helm as a pillow so I grabbed it and hurried out of the building Michi in toe. Eboni and Shadow fell in beside me as I approached the Green Dragon with the purple flag mounted on a pole tied around his middle for our orders. "Duha your group is on the gate. When it falls you hold it."

I bowed to him and walked to our staging post as he told off troops to join my group. I looked up at the wall and to my surprise, I saw Reina and Kyanite. His back was covered with armour but his wings were tied together. I saw the corner of his shield and the pummel of his sword sticking out behind from his elbows.

"He got hurt and should be in bed." Eboni said shaking her head.

"He is as stubborn as you Eboni."

She huffed but smiled putting her helm on. "We are bread stubborn. What's his excuse?"

I laughed looking up at the sky. It was getting lighter as the dawn approached. "Are you ready for this Eboni?"

She put her arm around me. "Sister I have spent a long time searching for you to enjoy one more hunt with you. This hunt will be it. Then we can both retire."

I smiled putting my helm on. "Then we will let ourselves run and kill. Let's show these humans what it is to be a wolf." Eboni put her arm around my shoulders and grinned at me. With that smile I was transported back to the day she showed me how to fight. My hand tightened on my weapon and I smiled back. "With tooth and claw?"

She nodded remembering our pack's motto. "With tooth and claw, we bleed, sister. I can't wait."

The archers were pelting the humans below us concentrating on the ones running along with wooden ladders. At least they can't make those metal ladders now. I patted Kyanite and he looked down at me. "You hit them very hard." He nodded looking back out at the people running towards us. "This is their fault. Just remember that my dear."

He nodded again staying silent. A light on the ground drew my attention away from my sullen husband. Someone had ordered the fire arrows to set the ladders alight. The one I looked at was dropped as it caught on fire. I smiled at the humans abandoning ladders that just started to catch. My smile fell when a group of those heavy shields came out of the trees attached to a rolling battering ram. "How is the evacuation of the wounded?" I asked the Green Dragon next to me.

"We need an hour. It looks like getting through the gate is now more important to them than protecting their men from dragon fire. They are going to try use overwhelming force to take us down now."

I nodded. "We don't have an hour once this battering ram starts its work. Tell Duha I need time." The Green Dragon bowed darting off and was replaced by another. "Yes?" I asked him.

"Black Elder has a message for you. Three pillars of flame the hammer strikes." 

"Good. Have three Green Dragons ready to breathe fire into the sky at my command. He opened his bag of cloth's offered it to me. I took a dark red strip and he ran off. "We are going to be hard-pressed Kyanite. I need you to fight. Can you?"

"I can fight." He said softly.

"I need Kyanite the general, not Kyanite the kind gentle historian. Then you can go back to being him for our children. I will only ask this of you when I have no choice."

His arms came around me holding me to him tightly. He bent his long neck to rest his head on my shoulder. "I will be your most loyal and trusted general my gem, but I need something from you."

"Oh?" I asked watching the slow progress of the battering ram.

He shifted and whispered. "Don't go anywhere without the guard I'm setting on you." He said pointing to Garnet who nodded.

I smiled "I will. Get yourself a troop and get behind Duha. Most importantly of all, come back to me." He growled happily and then his comforting warmth was gone. The battering ram was halfway to the gate when I looked back at the path. "There is no point trying to take that out is there?"

Garnet shook her head watching it. "It is well defended."

"We wait for it to get to us then?"

She shrugged. "We have little choice. There are too many humans down there to attack it and they are staying back until the gate falls. We need every blade inside the walls to give you your hour."

I sighed. "Then that's what we do."

I walked up to Duha. She was laughing with her sister. "They have a battering ram. They are coming for us and I'm are your backup."

Duha smiled patting Michi. "We may lose ourselves in battle. If we do Michi will have command. I'll give him my helm if I need to be a wolf."

I nodded. "I'm going to pick my troop. Good luck."

Duha smiled. "To you too my friend."

I gave her a weak smile then walked off to the barracks. I stopped when I saw four Blue Dragons carrying an unconscious Kyros. "Would you tell me how he is Blue Dragon?"

They looked to the Dragon closest to me who sighed. "For now he is stable. His wound has opened a few times since Blue Elder finished with him, but he is otherwise alright. We will take care of him as he is moved. We will keep him alive until he arives at home."

I nodded. "If he wakes would you tell him he will be missed here at my side?"

The Blue Dragon bowed to me. "I will Red Dragon."

I watched them walk away. I will see him again. I thought turning back to my task. I headed into the barracks feeling slightly more sure of myself now I knew he was right. I looked over the people and sighed. The Green Dragon that was managing the people in here came over. "What do you need Red Dragon?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I need a troop. Are these people ready?"

He nodded and pointed to a cluster of people near the back of the room. "The group there work well together and are well gelled together. I have tried to bake them into smaller groups so maybe you will have more luck."

I looked at them and nodded. "I only need a small support troop. I will talk to them and see if they will separate for me. Thank you Green Dragon." He bowed and walked to a White Dragon that had just walked in.

Walking over to the group made them turn. "I'm looking for a small group to prop up the gate."

They looked at each other. "We stick together. We have fought together before and feel comfortable together." One of the men said.

"I understand however look around you." They did frowning. "Many of these people are green. They have never been on the field of battle. If you all stick together these others are left to fight on their own. How many friends did you lose while you worked together?" They nodded. "I need a few that know what they are doing to guide and help those that are new to this so I don't need to march up and down the line. Will you help me with that?"

The man that had spoken nodded and tolled off some of his group and they moved out and started picking people that matched their talents.

It was easy asking for people to join me with the help of these others, but hard to stop the whole barracks from joining. When they had finished I had my troop of twenty people armoured and armed to the teeth. They were a mix of humans, yaspilrmeth and Dragons all had a good mix of skills.

A loud thud was the sign for us to get in position. We passed others going to make up a troop as we hurried back to the gate. Duhas troop stood ready all amusement was gone from the two wolves. She spotted me and nodded. I nodded back to her as the thud came again causing dust to fall from the archway. Kyros! Your work is making it really hard for these bastards to get in here. Brother you will help save the wounded.

The thud this time was accompanied by the sound of wood cracking under the strain of the battering ram as the gate started to give in. Each thud was accompanied by a shout of soldiers on the other side and dust from the archway.

Duha lined up some archers as the gate started to splinter. Some of the archers started to shoot as small holes opened in the wood. The shouts on the other side said that they were hitting their mark. The next thud saw a large chunk of the gate fall away. More archers fired this time causing more shouts of pain.

A Green Dragon ran across the top of the wall trailing an orange cloth. So they are charging at us now. I looked back at the gate as it burst open. The humans rolled the battering ram back and started to pour through the gate. The first few were taken down by archers then Duha moved her people in and the archers headed for the wall lead by Samvil. Another Green Dragon ran across the top wearing a blue cloth. Ahh the king has shown himself. So he is throughing everything at this now. I gave him little option in that I suppose.

The battle was hard but we were not being pushed back very quickly Duhas troops were starting to buckle under the sheer number they faced though the small openeing in the gate, but every step they where pushed back was coverd in human blood. I moved my troops into the mix to help her.

Over the heads of the group, I saw the bone helm coming towards me as my troops mingled and straightened the line pushing it back to the opening. Michi was revealed as he made his way out of the throng. "Duha has morphed to keep her sister out of trouble. She wants you to tell Reina that we can't call on our wild brethren. These humans have been killing everything they can to stop them being called. None of the wild ones will come now."

I nodded waving over a Green Dragon. "Alright. When your group get tired pull them fully back to rest we will take the front." I said to Michi as the Green Dragon walked up to me. Michi bowed and darted away. "Tell Reina there is no help from the wild ones. We are alone." The Green Dragon ran off.

After a few more minutes Michi's group pulled back and mine pressed in more. I saw Blue Dragons grabbing everyone who got wounded out to help them. I looked at the people pouring in and a small way out of the gate. So they are using the heavy shields to protect them from the arrows. This isn't good. I thought as I breathed fire in to the crowd. 

That forced the humans back and alowed my troop a moment to rest. "Kyanite small shield!" I turned as soon as I ran out of breath to see a Green Dragon standing to one side of my troop. I walked over to him keeping an eye on how my troops were doing. "They have made a tunnel to stop our arrows." I nodded.

"We are being shredded." I said waving over to Michi. "I need a relief troop. My numbers a dwindling. Get some extra troops and take the left. If we work in tandom we will hold longer." Michi nodded and darted away.