Dragon Bait

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited."

Rating pg14 for laugh and suggestive content. Sorry no smex.

Hello Loyal fans and those who stumbled by.

Sorry This chapter took so long. It just didn't want to work. And I found other stuff to distract me like mafiawars, farmville, Job hunting in the real world, farmville, My Birthday (yeah me), and did i mention Farmville. It's really addictive. just ask my beta Wollfyn. She doesn't have an inch of free space.....

Sorry of topic again. Well Dragon Bait has been up a whole year and a month. I'm so glad you are all still here begging for updates and dragon smex. =D Well i have so-so good news on the both fronts. I have another two chapters that just need some twiking and then they go of to the Beta party. I also have the next few chapters mapped out, sort of a count down to sex. Not that the this story will end there, So i hope you all will stick around after for more smex. AND Babies we can't forget them. Okay so what you real want to know is how much longer, well Wollfyn and i have talked it out and i think the sex is 9 maybe 10 chapter away. Sorry But i promise it will be worth it.

Well I have taken up enough of your time and this chapter is nine pages long (they keep getting longer... Chapter 18 will be 12 pages.) SO off you go enjoy I hope. Thank you all for your reviews they really motivate me and help reassure me that this isn't terrible.

Chapter sixteen

The next few days quickly fell into a rhythm. Skif would wake first, but would remain tucked in his warm blankets surrounded by darkness ‘til Kieran awoke. After their daily morning battle over how many apples he could force down his stubborn carrier’s throat, they would leave the cave for a short bonding flight (without the aerobatics.) Kieran would drop off Skif in the gully while he would go off to see to his own needs then continue his search of the mountains.

The first day Skif spent the whole day caring for the horses. On the second morning he asked permission to go hunting in the nearby forest with his bow and arrow from his gear. Kieran really wanted to say ‘no’; he liked that Skif was safe in the gully without any predators and he knew exactly where he was at all times. However, he allowed himself to be persuaded by the knowledge that fresh meat would be better for fattening up the boy than apples, as well as the fact that the apple supply was becoming scarce. Skif turned out to be a skilled hunter in his own right, as Kieran soon learned. Upon his return to pick Skif up for the day, he found the boy cooking three large summers-fatten hares, having cleaned and prepared them himself.

Each day it became clearer to Kieran that the boy was more than capable of providing for himself. He built himself a small shelter of blankets and sticks he had dragged back from the forests with a makeshift halter and drag cart attached to one of the horses. He also built a drying rack for herbs he had collected during his trips to the forests; Kieran suspected that not all the herbs were for seasoning when he noticed that the boy stopped scratching all the time. Every day Skif would take a couple of extra bags with him and by the end of the day those bag would be filled with wild onions, berries, tubers and nuts that he had collected.

When they returned to the cave a second battle would begin. Kieran insisted that Skif eat his share of the food before he could give any to the knights. The boy would always complain that he had eaten before Kieran came to pick him up, but his own mind always gave him away. The knights’ influences still affected Skif, leaving him feeling guilty about the few berries or puny onion he had taken for himself and his guilty thoughts were easy for Kieran to read.

He wouldn’t let Skif stop when he thought he had had enough. The boy needed all the food he could get, not only because of his malnourished state. It might be midsummer still in this land, but further to the north in the lands of the dragons it would be well into fall by now. Winters were harsh and the cold could be deadly. If Skif was to survive ‘til he got him home, he would need warmer clothes and a bit of healthy meat on his bones to battle the chill.

Each evening Skif would prepare all the things he needed for the knights. The task of caring for those bastards had become much easier now that they didn’t trust his carrier any more. Since the third night, they had left all the empty water skins, food bags, waste and dirty wash water buckets and anything else that needed to leave the cave right next to the entrance. It was a simple task for Skif to switch the stuff for that day’s supply. Except for Sir Erik throwing insults at Skif the entire time, the other Knights would silently stand at the back of the cave, glaring at Skif as they watched his every move for some malicious intent. After the second day of this, Skif made no more efforts to try to get them to speak with him beyond asking if they needed anything else.

After that chore was done, the two of them would sit outside on the ledge and watch the stars ‘til the moon rose, just talking. Skif needed some company after having spent the whole day alone with only the horses. Kieran would still listen intently to whatever Skif had to say, occasionally adding something to the conversation through gestures. Although he didn’t feel the same need to talk to anyone, he still enjoyed any time spent with his mate-to-be and it gave him amazing insight into the boy’s world.

Eventually Skif started to drift off to sleep and Kieran would carry him back to their nest. With the greatest of care Kieran would tuck him in and then wrap his body around the sleeping boy. Kieran would watch his angelic face and its content smile ‘til sleep claimed him as well.

Kieran’s days were not as fruitful as Skif’s. After dropping off the boy each day, Kieran would fly off to get a quick but filling breakfast of sheep, cows or goats. Humans were currently off the menu since Skif showed up. When he did happen to run into a shepherd or farmer, usually a low pass over would send them running for the hills. Fortunately no further group of knights appeared in his valley. It seemed that the villagers were backing off as long as he didn’t eat anyone, nor did they stray very close to his valley and the surrounding hills. That allowed Skif freedom to roam the hills and forests without Kieran having to worry about him running into anyone.

As far as his search was going he still had not seen any ogre settlements or hunting parties. This time of year the ogre tribes would be sending out far-ranging hunting parties trying to take advantage of the summer’s bounty before the winter storms locked them in their villages ‘til spring came to the mountains. Searching every pass or mountain valley he could find, he could see signs of large herds of animals and humanoid footprints that could have been ogres. The trails would grow cold quickly when the party would cross a river or rocky area; tracking was never Kieran’s strong suit.

As the days of searching passed, Kieran would push himself to cover more ground each day and still make it back in time to bring Skif back to the cave before sunset. His frustration was growing as each day proved fruitless. By the seventh day, he had searched every piece of land within a day’s flight of the cave. He was beginning to doubt that he would ever find them and he would have to figure out another solution for the damn knights. Deciding to spend a few extra hours until the sunset, Kieran prayed that Skif would understand.

With final rays of light, he finally found it.
***

It wasn’t a village or even a hunting party, but after days of nothing it was just as good as far as he was concerned. From the sky it looked like a bizarre tree stump with large white objects hanging of its few branches. But its awkward position right in front of a steep mountain pass that led deep into the heart of the mountain range caught Kieran’s interest. When he landed for a closer investigation it became clear that this object was not made by nature.

The Stump was actually a wooden stake cut from a massive tree trunk; most of the bark and all the original branches had been chopped clean off. The top had been sharpened to a point and several skulls of decreasing sizes had been slammed down onto it, the largest of which must have been a mountain troll, and down to the smallest being some small member of the cat family. There was also a human head in the middle.

The most branches he had seen from above were actually spears tied with twine that could have been some dried sinew from some unknown animal. Hanging off the spears were wind chimes made of more bones and smaller animal skulls. Beneath the stake lay a garden of broken shields and broken rusty swords.

This was clearly an ogre tribal boundary marker. He had never seen one before, but during his lesson on ogres he remembered seeing a drawing in a book very similar to this. Ogres were not allies with the humans; the two races fought to eliminate each other whenever they met. They were known to be extremely territorial. This marker was a sign that all land on the other side of this pass belonged to ogres and all intruders would not live to regret the decision to invade it.

Kieran wanted desperately to follow the pass then and there and see if he could find a village tonight. But the sun had completely set already and it would take him several marks to fly back to Skif already. He wasn’t entirely sure how far he would have to fly until he found anything again; each ogre tribe had massive territories and he could not pick up the scent of any ogre having used this trail in the last few days.

Reluctantly, he started to make his way back to Skif instead. As he flew he started to plan out what he would need to do. It was clear that this would be at least a two day journey, perhaps more. ‘So what am I going to do with Skif? I could bring him with me. But that wouldn’t be the wisest idea. He is not ready for long flights; he is still getting over his fear of flying. I would be so focused on him that I might miss something important and possibly dangerous... And he may be a carrier but he is also a human. I need to be sure that the ogre won’t hurt him before I bring him anywhere near them... He would probably be more comfortable with just staying at the cave... Or maybe with the horses. He has shelter there, easy access to food and water, and if heaven forbid something should happen he can get away easily....So the gully is the best bet. Now all I need to do is figure out some way to tell him... He will probably want to stock up the damn knights too. Those greedy bastards eat more than other human I have seen, so that could take some time. Maybe I could get another apple tree and just shove it in there with them... Nah that won’t work, they will still need water. I guess I will just have to wait a few more days before I can continue my search.’

The Moon was high in the sky when he finally made it back. Skif was sitting next to a small fire to the side of the area of the drop off site. He was wrapped in his bedroll that he kept at his little makeshift shelter he had constructed at the end of the gully. The chilly night air was blowing strongly tonight and Skif was using his own body to protect the fire. It was clear that Skif had planned on waiting all night if need be for him to come back rather than retreat to his own shelter.

Kieran swelled with pride at Skif’s trust in him that he would always return. It was clear that his decision to come back was the right one, but he still felt some guilt for not returning sooner no matter how important his discovery had been. Skif was grateful to see him, and stood up to greet him. “Welcome back, Llyr! Any luck today?”

During one of their nightly talks, Skif had asked where he went every day and he had managed to tell him that he was searching for something. He had not been able to explain what that something was and probably wouldn’t have even if he could. Kieran highly doubted that Skif would agree with his plans for the knights.

Purring a greeting back, Kieran nodded yes. “Really? That is good. I had a good day, too. I managed to snare the biggest rabbit you have ever seen. It was nearly as big as a small dog. I also got lucky and came across a huge field of mushrooms on a fallen log. I combined them with some wild onions and potatoes I found yesterday and made a little soup for myself while I cooked the rabbit. It was really good. If you give me a second I can get my stuff together and then we can go.”

It didn’t take Skif long to pack up, but while he was at it, Kieran went about putting out the fire. Skif was a stickler when it came to making sure that he left any camp site just as he found it. Such things never bothered Kieran; at home, for example, his room would likely remain a huge mess if it weren’t for the servants.

Once Skif was ready, Kieran flew him back to the cave. After feeding the knights, he decided that they should just go to bed. Skif was clearly tired and cold; it wouldn’t do any good to attempt to explain anything when his brain was muddled with exhaustion.

But noble-hearted Skif wouldn’t hear of it. So once again Kieran got to listen to the arrogant man verbally abuse his mate as Skif did his best to ignore him. As soon as Skif was finished, Kieran picked him up and headed towards their nest.

***

The strong winds from last night had blown in the first of the late summer storms. Outside of the cave, a strong storm raged on; the rain came down in sheets and lightening danced across the sky. From the nesting chamber, Kieran awoke to muted roars of thunder echoing along the cave passages from outside.

‘Guess it is a good thing I decided to spend the day resting around here. Flying in this would be difficult. I will have to wait for it to let up a bit, or I won’t get breakfast today,’ Kieran thought as he used his tail to pull a sleeping Skif in closer to the warmth of his body.

Luckily Skif still had a bag full of apples left and a few wild vegetables he had collected. While Kieran was out hunting for his own breakfast he could probably bring some meat back for Skif (and the darn Knights.) ‘That should be enough for today. Hopefully the weather will lighten up and then we can gather supplies tomorrow. Maybe I could take down a buck and we could roast it. It is cool enough in here that it wouldn’t go bad for a while, especially if it is cooked.’

They got a late start to the day. The storm prevented Kieran from leaving the cave; he didn’t feel the need to wake Skif. His precious carrier had been up late last night waiting for him to return. Kieran was content enough to just lay there and protect him from the chilly air in the cave ‘til he decided to rise.

Over the last few days Skif was sleeping in more. He still got up usually before Kieran, but at a more reasonable time. Rising before the sun had been beaten into him for the last years, so the fact that he felt safe enough to continue sleeping around Kieran was wonderful.

At the first signs that Skif was awakening, Kieran got up and lit the stones. Skif grumbled and pulled his blankets over his head, retreating from the light and the loss of warmth. “No, it’s too early.”

Kieran laughed lightly and continued about his work. Eventually, Skif extracted himself from his bedrolls and stumbled sleepily to the edge of the nest and his personal belongings. As slyly as possible, Kieran watched the still drowsy boy strip out of yesterday’s dirty clothes and unknowingly gift Kieran with another torturous look at his increasingly delectable body. Kieran added that to his mental count of moments he would have to punish him for when he got a chance. It didn’t really matter to him that the poor boy was completely innocent to the agony he was causing. Kieran’s fantasies about how he would make his mate pay were all that kept him sane at times like these. So far the total was twenty-seven.

Once Skif was dressed for the day, Kieran pushed over the apple sack. Today he allowed Skif to get away with just eating two apples. He was confident that he could get the boy to eat more as the day went by.

Together they walked to the pond chamber. The sound of the raging storm outside became loud enough for Skif to finally hear it. Fat rain drops slammed into the wall and floor of the cave entrance, forcing Skif to stay just inside the cave entrance. The wind cruelly whipped the rain and wilting leaves of the apple tree about. The Sky was a solid dark grey cloud. Lightening leaped about the sky, followed by the constant deafening sound of thunder.

When Kieran joined Skif, the boy tucked himself tight against his side out of the way of the wind. “Llyr, I think I will just stay here today. Maybe you should, too... I don’t think it is safe to fly in that.” The mindlink throbbed lightly with Skif’s concern.

Kieran huffed and nodded, but he still gazed out at the turbulence beyond the shelter of the cave. ‘No storm could match me, Little Heart... It would be a blast to challenge those raging winds. Just imagine the thrill of out-running lightening....’ His eyes searched the sky with longing despite of his own earlier concerns about flying during the storm.

Skif’s slender arms wrapping themselves around as much of his chest as he could reach brought him back to reality. “Please stay, Llyr,” asked the small voice muffled by his chest.

Wrapping a scaly arm around the boy, Keiran cooed his assurances. ‘I wasn’t really planning on going. I’m going to spend the whole day with you. Okay?’

He made his way back inside and Skif soon joined him. Choosing a good spot to stretch out next to the half sorted pile, Kieran plopped down. He still hadn’t figured out how exactly he was going to explain his need to leave for a few days. ‘I can’t wait ‘til we can talk like normal people. This stupid gesture and guess work is so freaking annoying.’ Kieran could not control the annoyed huff that inadvertently escaped at his mental frustration.

Skif, whom had decided to start sorting, stopped what he was doing and came over and patted him on his large blue shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Llyr. Storms like this don’t last too long around here.”

Despite being off on the reason for his frustration, Kieran could feel it flowing out of him at the sight of Skif’s warm, supportive smile. ‘I guess it’s all worth it, if it means I get to have you comfort me.’ Kieran leaned down and rubbed the tip of his nose into Skif’s belly while purring lightly.

Laughing heartedly, Skif pushed his nose away and went back to work.

The rest of the morning passed with Skif working on his sorting under the watchful gaze of Kieran. The storm raged on but eventually lessened enough for Kieran to make a quick run for lunch. On his way back, he snagged and killed a wild boar that was taking advantage of the storm to ravage a field of nearly ripe pumpkins and squashes. He figured that Skif could rig up a roasting rack with some of the apple tree branches and then the beast could provide dinner for him and the bastard Knights. The beast might be even being big enough for dinner for another couple of nights.

Skif received the gift of meat with slight hesitation, but still a grateful smile. While he gutted and prepared the boar, Kieran broke up the apple tree branches and dragged them just inside the cave.

Once the boar was ready, Skif used a spear as a skewer while Kieran took care of the inners and non-appealing bits. It took a bit of time to set the fire pit and roasting rack up to Skif’s liking. The apple wood was soaked and still green, and no matter how hard Skif tried to set it, it would not light. Kieran solved that problem with a little bit of his fire breath. The storm’s winds had picked up enough that it would easily suck the billowing smoke of the green wood out of the cave. Once the fire was hot enough, Kieran placed the spited boar on Skif’s makeshift roasting bars.
Now that dinner was taken care of Kieran decided that he couldn’t postpone a moment any longer. With a light growl he managed to get Skif’s attention before he returned to his sorting.

“Need something, Llyr?”

Kieran nodded and waved him over, but stopped him and bayed him sit before he got too close. Skif easily slipped in to a cross legs position and gave Kieran his full attention.

Even with the ingenious use of a small Posrothaina stone to represent the sun and passing days, it still took three whole candle marks to explain that he was going away for a few days, and then another candle mark to waylay Skif’s unspoken fear of being abandoned.

Kieran was pleased that once Skif fully understood the situation, he set right to the task of planning. “The boar will be able to feed the Knights for a few days, but it won’t last the entire time. I will need to hunt for more wild vegetables; they will last longer. I think I know where I can get some more wild onions and that mushroom patch is mostly untouched. Maybe you take me to where you got the apple tree? Then I could collect a few bags.... I have sorted out a few more water skins I can give the knights... If it doesn’t rain the next few days it should only take me two of three days to gather enough food.... I don’t know what they will do for light? Maybe there is some lamp light in the pile. I have tons of clothes so I won’t need to worry about them freezing....”

The boy slipped into silence as he continued to plan in his mind. He eventually got and set to work gathering stuff he thought he might need. Kieran simply sat back and let him work. He did occasionally turn the roasting boar so it wouldn’t burn and stoked the fire.

By the time the roast was nearly done the heavenly smell filled the cave. Skif approached with several kettles that he had salvaged and filled with pond water. Kieran watched him with curiosity as he made several trips to get several more kettles and then empty buckets and piled them near the fire as well. Slightly bewildered as to his mate’s intent Kieran opened the mindlink again.

Skif was making hot water so that he could give himself a proper scrubbing before dinner. But more importantly he also was trying to build up a bit of courage to ask Kieran if he could let the knights out, just for dinner. They were in need of a warm bath as well as a bit of time out of their prison. He felt that he needed to explain to them what was going to happen over the next few days.

Kieran wasn’t so sure that they really needed a bath let alone to know their fate.

But he could still see that it would be much easier if the knights cooperated with Skif. ‘Hell, they had not learned to ration their food and water, the glutinous bastards. They would probably gorge themselves 'til they’re sick and then starve to death... And they really are starting to smell rank. I guess one night out wouldn’t hurt. I can easily sit on the piles to prevent them trying to grab weapons again. Plus, if they try to mess with MY SKIF, I could always have them for dinner instead. I kind of wish they would try. It would make this whole situation so much easier.’ Kieran’s scaly face gave an evil smirk to the unsuspecting carrier’s back.
He quickly dropped it as Skif finally gathered his courage and turned around. “I was thinking of washing up before dinner; I must smell all sweaty. I don’t want to offend your sensitive nose again. I would rather you not drop me in the pond, its cold.” Kieran couldn’t help but snicker at the memory of his wet and incredibly angry mate-to-be when Kieran had assisted with his bathing last time.

“That wasn’t funny.” Skif glared at him, causing Kieran’s snicker to develop into a fit of laughter. Rolling his eyes, Skif continued. “Well I was also thinking that since I have gone through all the trouble of heating the water, maybe I should give some to the Knights. They are really starting to stink too and it would be better for their health if they had a proper cleaning. It has been well over a fortnight since any of them had a descent bath. I could easily give them their dinner out here and then I could explain what’s going to happen to them...” His courage started to waver as he once again began to doubt that he would be able convince them of what they needed to do.

Kieran cut off the spiral of doubt by nodding and gently pushing Skif to the steaming kettles. ‘The damn Knights can come out. But there’s no way any of them are taking a step out of that prison until you are once again clean and, more importantly, fully dressed. Only I get to see you naked.’ He just barely managed to suppress a growl. Kieran decided that rather than sexually torturing himself again by watching drops of water roll down Skif’s pale flesh as he bathed himself by firelight, he was going to go get Skif’s bag from the nest chamber.

By the time he returned Skif was in the process of drying his hair with a rag of towel and the heat from the fire. The long layers of strawberry hair sparkled in the soft glow of the fire, framing the slender and unblemished body of the adolescent beauty. Willowy fingers worked gracefully at undoing any tangles as the muscles in his legs twitched from the strain of maintaining his crouched position. His pink tongue peeked out between his rosy lips, a force of habit that Kieran had come to recognize over the last few days that Skif was deep in thought.

Kieran was so entranced that he didn’t realize he was growling until Skif stood up with a look of concern. “What’s wrong?”

‘For starters you standing there naked with your hair whirling around you like some innocent, divine creature who doesn’t even understand the impact your beauty has on others. Damn. All I want to do is ravage you against every horizontal and vertical surface I can find.’ After making a mental note to add another five spanks for this incident to his mental tally, Kieran shook his head trying to clear his mind.

He passed Skif his bag, causing Skif to look up at him with a warm glowing smile that once again sent his heart racing. ‘Fuck. Screw the divine part you are an impish creature from some sexual hell sent to eat my soul. But by Ghaskia’s claws what a way to go.’

Skif dug right into his bag and grabbed out a clean tunic and pants. Kieran’s libido certain felt like the boy took far too long redressing.

After Skif had braided his hair and refilled the kettles, both of them made their way over to the boulder. Kieran took care to position himself between the boulder and piles. It would force the Knights to walk around him to get to the fire, but that would give them a good view of why they should keep their distance.

With quick glances to Skif to make sure he was ready, Kieran opened the Knights' prison.