You're Not the Only One With Secrets - "YNTOOWS" by Lucia Roberts (best ebook reader for surface pro .txt) 📕

This was when he chose to turn around in the midst of one of his intricate pacing patterns and see that I was here. He just stared at me, mid-step, looking me up and down as if to see if I was hurt. Luckily for him he asked nothing of my wing. Maybe he'd learned a thing or two while in his forced silence : don't baby or chastise me about my health or you will find repercussions not so lovely.

"What?" I asked; suddenly rather conscious of his staring. I am glad I chose to put a shirt on under my corset today. I don't know if I could have taken his Faerie stare on me knowing what he has seen before whilst I believed he was merely an animal. I let all of my annoyance seep into the word trying to hide the sadness trying to sew it's way in underneath my sarcastic intentions for the word.

 He bowed in greeting saying "I am only glad you have arrived back, unharmed."

"uh-huh." He seemed sincere, but Gods be damned if I was going to let him think I believed that. "Well, are we ready?"

 "Let me consult Malachai. He's been hiding for a while now." He waved a hand towards the back of the house; all the while through the conversation his eyes not having left mine.

"I'll find him." I started towards the back of the house, hiking my pack up higher on my shoulder hoping it would hit His Lordness as I brushed by. I smirked a victory smirk as I heard a thud meaning the target had been found.

He sighed whence I had past him, but it wasn't a sigh of pain as I had hoped; no. It was more a sound of defeat. I tried not to wonder too much into it. "Malachai?" The word echoed down the hallway until I heard a reply from the kitchen at the end of the hall.

"In here!" he said. I followed the voice down the familiar hall to find him sitting at the table with a cup of tea that smelled of ginger and honey. I dropped my bag and belt on the floor between my feet as I sat in the chair across from him. I let out the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding and leaned back in the wooden chair. "Ready to leave so soon after... recovery?" I didn't roll my eyes; but I wanted to. I should have guessed that if I didn't get it from His Lordship that I would have gotten it from Malachai.

"We need to go." I said simply.

"A heavy heart often misses things of great importance" he said over his teacup. This was an opening for me to rant my heart out. But, even with the opening standing there boldly in front of me, I was nervous to take it; what with Vishnu in the next room and all. I glanced towards the door and saw a shimmer as Elder raised a hand and flicked a sound trap over the walkway into the kitchen.

"I don't even know who he is anymore!" I blurted before I could bite my tongue. "He's right there, the same soul as he's always been, but, now knowing what I know it's like Vishnu and the Faerie out there are two completely different beings!" Elder nodded. "He's the only constant I've had, besides you, and he's seen me in every way possible through everything. He can't just go and change! and leave me..." I stifled a sob. "And then, what he said last night, and, there's rules aren't there? He's a Mixer; I'm a Fall." Elder raised his eyebrows at that but I kept going almost not even aware of his gesture. "And he was just a wolf not but five days ago! That's not... that's not even... I don't know." My whole body sagged on the table; arms, hands and chest. I let my head fall in hands. I felt lost. I don't think I'd let the deepest of my despair reach me even when I was alone in the forest this morning.  But here, with the closest to a father i've had for decades and the doorway blocked knowing Vishnu couldn't hear me it was all out of me; spilled across the table like ink.

"I had thought this was how you may be feeling." Elder said. I didn't look up. "Do you know why the Dragon Watchers are always Mixers?" I shook my head silently; still not looking up. "Many centuries ago, when dragons first agreed to work as our protectors, the Fall that our histories have forgotten least about, Mordecai, made a pact with Endrig who was the leader of the dragons at that time." I looked up now. My chin resting on my hands that I rested on the table; looking pitiful for sure. "The pact is one that has not been broken for 6 centuries." He eyed me now; and that look made me nervous. Strange things always follow that look. "As you know, there are only a few Falls in existence at one time" I broke in then.

"What was the pact?" I interupted.

"I'm getting there. Just a moment. Now," he continued "There are only a few Falls in existence at the same time. But, there is always at least one of each gender. The pact with the Dragon Watchers is that the acting Dragon trainer, which would be Lord Sairyn, is to be married to the acting Fall; which is why the Dragon Watcher is always a Mixer." He paused, briefly, as my mouth dropped open and hung there. "The Magick involved in the pact made it so there would be an attraction between the two, a calling of sorts; which I assume is why he knows you so well and feels what he needs to to keep you safe."

"But..." I started

"Love," he said as he cut me off "is always optional; Amaranth. But the potential is and always willl be there, that is, if you allow it to be."

Again I was speechless. I don't even know what there would have been to protest in the first place but I felt the need to say something; before he added in that last part. The part which probably made the most sense out of anything I've just been told.

"Now," he said, satisfied that I was done with my protesting (which you can be sure I was NOT) "we must come to sort of agreement between the two of you; no?"

I just looked at the table with my hands in my lap that were filled at that moment by Malachai's ferret. I petted him absent-mindedly and murmured to him that I wished Vishnu could have been like him. This recieved a throat-clearing from Elder.

"I know this is a lot Amaranth, but, you have to take the responsibilities assigned to you. As a Fall, we keep things running smooth; as you must do now. It's not for lack of love that you fight against Sairyn; this you cannot deny. An old man sees many things. Why you do fight him, I have my suspicions but will not press the issue. I assume it is fear, but Amaranth, you have nothing to fear from him. He even told you that he means you no harm; right?" I nodded. "And has he ever shown you otherwise?" He set down his cup as I shook my head in responce. "Alright then, so we have come to an agreement: no pushing him away, we accept at least his help and our duties, and we all try to get along and get these dragons taken care of. Can we do that, Little Bee?" 

I had to try harder to keep tears from my eyes just then, as, he had used his personal nickname for me that came out ever so rarely. But, by his using it, I knew he meant what he said with the utmost sincerity and meant me no harm in telling me what he did; and just wants the best for me and our people. I nodded. "Yes, I can do that."

He smiled and rose to wash his cup while eliminating the sound guard as he rose. "Good, shall we go then? We shall leave in an hour. Won't have much of a start, but at least it's a start." He said that last part while looking at me and I know what he meant: we are in this together. The ferret scampered off somewhere as Vishnu, er, Sairyn entered the kitchen doorway asking where he might find a pack to gather some supplies from the market place. As Malachai instructed him where to find one for each of us, I avoided Vishnu's glance and moved my pack around by my feet to hang it on the chair with my belt, just glad that my and Elder's conversation was over and that Vishnu hadn't heard a word.

"I can get my own things. I have most of them already anyways." I directed this statement towards Elder Malachai while not looking Vishnu's direction. Malachai threw an appraising look my way, and then towards my bag, assessing if the statement was true.

"I see, but, we may be gone for a few weeks. We shall need you to have a spare pack. I'm sure you forgot some things; like healing supplies?" His eyebrow raised. He knew I never had those things. I always came limping or dragging myself here; as I had since I was small.

"Fine. I'll accompany His Lordship to the market place." This earned an approving smile and remark from the Elder. Vishnu didn't look too disappointed either.

I started towards Malachai's room and dug out 3 packs from our safe stash in the attic above his bedroom. I threw them down and heard an 'umph' that made me quite happy. I hope I hit his face. I jumped down and brushed past Vishnu while throwing stuff in the packs he held on his arms as I went along.

As I went through the drawers I made a list of things we'd need from the market place. "Sage, marigold, ginger, mint leaves, bandage wraps, bread, sealant, quartz..." I mumbled off to myself.

"I have need of some things as well." Vishnu said. "Probably not more than 20 tins worth, but some; seeing as I've been an animal for a while and all." I could hear the smirk in his voice and it actually took me a minute to wipe the smile off my face. That was just the kind of remark I'd have imagined he'd say: witty and completely wrong for the moment, but somehow still funny.

"Accounted for." I said. I shoved the extra pair of moccassins I kept here for just in case into my pack and then went into the kitchen with Vishnu trailing behind. Elder was back at the table now playing with Oliver, his ferret Companion.

"Did you find everything you needed, Young Ones?" I wasn't sure how I felt about being grouped in with Vishnu for any reason, but I guess