Chapter 4 Tane

"What in the hell happened?" Tane asked, clenching his fists. His right hand man, Igin, stood to his far left, eyeing him nervously.

"Sir," he began, just as Tane unsheathed his weapon and pointed it at the neck of the brown haired man in front of him.

"The kobolds were killed by a group of four." Anrod gulped. Tane glared at him with his large green eyes, looking for a tell that he was lying. Anrod's heart raced faster as the cool blade was placed against the warmth of his neck.

"Please, Sir." A man of beastly appearance stepped up next to Anrod.

"I know of the dwarf who was leading them," he continued. Tane retracted his weapon back to his side.

"And?"

"I've seen her around before. Her name's Riswynn. As for the other three women with her, I do not know. But Riswynn, I've seen her with Commander Biri of the Wand and Bell a few times."

"The Wand and Bell?" Tane spat on the floor.

"The very same council that those four men came from that hung around here not too long ago?" A smile curled on Tane's lips.

"Oh, no," Igin began hesitantly.

"Not Riswynn Ungart of the Bundushath Spires from the west. Her family is well known and well liked by many in this land," he continued. Tane glared at him for a moment.

"May I remind you, your loyalty belongs to me now that I have rule over your father's town. Lest not forget what happened to your brother, hmm?"

"Yes, Sir." Igin nodded apprehensively.

Anrod was distracted by a noise as a man in dark flamboyant clothes and eyes to match, teleported into the far end of the room. A smile came across Tane's face, as if he was seeing a long lost brother for the first time in many years.

"So good to see you made it," Tane said. The man returned the smile.

"Things don't look so well," the oddly dressed man said, taking a seat.

"No, we seem to be having more problems with that Wand and Bell." The dark eyed man nodded.

"Seems when they last sent four this way, what we did then worked, no?" Tane nodded as if to agree with him.

"Tattani will sure be happy," Tane said as they both laughed at their own private joke.

Igin didn't want to know who or what Tattani was. Those four men never came back from the Dragonrend Mountains. Igin tried to clear his thoughts before Tane saw him. Thankfully, no one did because a man with braided black hair, and a crossbow slung on his back came rushing up the stairs out of breath.

"Dalton? Problem?" Tane asked.

"Another. Drunken. Brawl." Dalton breathed out slowly hanging onto the top of the staircase's railing for support. Tane rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Alright. Anrod, Edgar, go help Dalton and the others out there break up that crap and let them cool off. Make sure to come see me later. I got another trip for you to make." The three men took off down the stairs.

"You two," Tane said, turning to Igin and the strange dark man.

"Come with me. There's still lots of work to do." Igin and the mysterious man followed suit behind Tane down a different staircase.

It had only been a little after an hour of them sleeping when Lila heard a bird like chirp.

"Hello?" She asked, scanning the small camp.

Hello there small one.

A raspy, yet gentle voice replied in her mind.

What the? Lila asked herself puzzled. The voice snickered in her mind again,

How cute.

"Riswynn!" Lila hissed, waking up Disia in the process who banged into Nim, which resulted in waking her up too.

"What's going on?" Riswynn asked as Disia and her grabbed their weapons. Nim began reaching in her bag as the voice spoke in draconic in Nim's mind.

Well Hello there Special One.

"Oh, My!" Nim exclaimed, surprised.

"I've read about these," she said as she returned her symbol to her bag.

"What?" asked Riswynn. Disia still was reaching for her axe and Lila still had a puzzled look on her face.

"Lila?" Riswynn asked.

"I. I don't know," she said shyly.

"It was, just speaking to me in my mind," she finished.

"May we see you please?" Nim asked. The creature was hesitant.

"Just to be sure I'm correct. See, I've never seen one before, only ever read and seen pictures." There was a raspy purr and then a tiny ruby dragon stood there in front of them.

"Ooh!" Nim squealed with pleasure.

"It is one!"

A smile came across Riswynn's face.

"This is a fine good omen."

Disia and Lila looked puzzled at each other and then at Riswynn.

"Huh?" Disia asked, finally putting her axe away.

"This is a Pseudodragon. It's been hundreds of years since our land has seen any of them."

Any?

The dragon questioned in Riswynns mind. She nodded just as a second smaller Pseudodragon came out. Lila's eyes widened at the sight of two. Of course she had never seen anything like them.

"Why are we seeing them now?" Disia asked. Like Lila, she had never seen these kinds of creatures in her land either and wanted to know more.

"They are normally this friendly, yes, but it takes time for them to trust others. It's quite unusual for them to be this open."

This world is in danger.

The raspy voice began.

Much more now than ever. There is evil hidden beneath beauty. And it goes so much deeper than that. Spreads like the roots of a tree.

"Why do you tell us?" Riswynn asked. The others started to question what was going on, but Riswynn held up her hand.

You have something our kind nor your kind has seen in a long time.

He said as he slightly nodded his head in Nim's direction.

She is Special. Take good care of her. Of each other. We must depart now. This evil watches everywhere lately.

Riswynn nodded as the two tiny dragons took to the air.

"I can take watch until dawn," Nim said, breaking the silence and confusion. She smiled when Riswynn eyed her suspiciously with her soft brown eyes.