Fancy Rained Like Grace; Chapter Four
Title: Fancy Rained Like Grace; Chapter Four
Pairings: Jensen/Jared, Drew Nelson/Sandy McCoy, Misha Collins/Rachel Miner
Word Count: 3663
Rating: PG-13, eventual NC-17
Warnings: see masterpost for complete list thus far
Author’s Note: A fill for this prompt on spn_hardcore.
Summary: Orphaned as a child and heatless, therefore mateless, at twenty-seven, Jared has spent most of his life feeling unloved and unwanted. Jensen is the Dominus of the Ramiel Flight, strong, courageous and everything anyone could want in a mate, everything that Jared was sure he’d never have or deserve. Jensen is hell-bent on proving him wrong. But nothing is ever easy when love is involved.
Masterpost
Chapter Three
Jensen had been the Ramiel Flight’s Dominus for seven years. At first, he’d received the position by default. Upon the former Dominus’s death, as her second, it was his duty to rule until the Elders found a more suitable leader to take the role. He had never expected to be offered the position.
The day they’d chosen him for the position, they summoned him to their presence. Jensen had been baffled. He’d expected Chad to just deliver the message when the Elders had reached their decision, not to be called before them.
Confused and a little concerned, he had gone to their domain quickly to see what they needed from him.
When they told him that they had reached a decision and what it was, he found himself speechless, then protesting. Jensen was a soldier. He didn’t make the orders; he followed them.
“Jensen,” High Elder Samantha interrupted him between his protests, “the humans have a saying. I believe it goes, to be a leader, you must have first been a follower. Now, perhaps humans aren’t always the wisest of creatures, but they do have their moments.”
“But--”
“Jensen, trust us.” Elder Jim laughed. “That’s an order.”
And Jensen had trusted them, nervous as it made him. Because he was a soldier, and soldiers followed orders.
It had been a bumpy start. As the Dominus’s second, Jensen had been respected, yes, but it was nothing compared to the level of near-reverence that the flight held for him after he became their leader. Jensen was just a dragon, just a soldier, but in the span of one day, he’d become something different, something intangible but there and more. Some of the duties were the same. Make sure there was enough food to feed everyone in the winter, ensure that the does and young were cared for above all else, remain diplomatic but firm with the humans. They were all things he knew and was fully trained to do, but suddenly there was no one to defer to. Instead, people deferred to him, were watching him, were needing him, and there was no one else to take the fall if he didn’t live up to their expectations.
But the former Dominus had taught him tenacity and Jared had taught him patience and perseverance, however inadvertently, and Jensen had done it.
That meeting had been the first time the Elders ever summoned him personally. He’d been summoned many times afterward for various reasons, sometimes for something as simple as the Elders wanting to know his flight’s status and other times for more important things like retrieving a new orphan or a several day long conference with the Elders and the Dominuses of the four other flights about a change in their laws. No matter the reason, though, Jensen had faithfully responded to every single one of the summonses without question.
This was the first time Jensen had even considered doing otherwise, and his head ached at the conflict between what he had to do and what he wanted to do.
He’d quietly waited fifteen years for Jared, always watching but never allowing himself the luxury of acquaintance. It would have been too tempting to forgo his peoples’ ways if he’d done otherwise. With Jared still technically still a fawn without his heat, their mating would have been frowned upon, considered illegitimate. Jensen probably could have borne that stigma for himself, but he would not be the one that brought that shadow over Jared.
He’d just been so sure that this year would be the year, that he wouldn’t have to wait anymore. He’d been hopeful, excited, ready, and to have all of that potentially shattered by the Elders for what could be nothing more than a whim--
Jensen took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The Elders were not capricious, nor were they stupid. They were the Elders, after all. Calling him to their domain during Beltane had to mean that something important was happening. They wouldn’t have risked it otherwise, not with the flight so divided already. He had to trust that they were doing what they thought was best for his flight.
Besides, he hadn’t been the only one waiting, the only one suffering. Jared had waited too. Jensen had seen how Beltane affected him, how Jared had longingly watched the does as they flew to the breeding grounds. He’d always wanted to be of some comfort to Jared but, again, could only allow himself to watch from afar.
Jensen had helped as much as he could, though. When Jared had turned twenty and the other dragons still called him a fawn, Jensen had been the one that insisted they call Jared a doe, despite his lack of heat. When the caretakers in the main house were hesitant to allow Jared to assist them in their duties, Jensen had been the one that assured them that, yes, despite his lack of hatchlings, Jared was more than capable of taking care of the hatchlings and juveniles under their watch.
There was only so much Jensen could do, though, and he knew how small his gestures must have seemed to Jared, bandaids for a gaping wound.
All of that pain was over for Jared, though, and Jensen had wanted so badly to share in the joy that the doe was surely experiencing now that he was finally experiencing the fires of Bel for himself, finally getting the opportunity to have little hatchlings, as many as he wanted.
Jensen couldn’t help the smile that he felt tugging at the corners of his mouth as he imagined his and Jared’s children, what they would look like, how they would act. They would probably have three or so, a small clutch for their first breeding. There would be more later, Jensen was sure of it, but three, he thought, was a good, solid start.
There would probably be two calves. With any luck, they would get the brighter gold coloring of the Arael from Jared, rather than Jensen’s bronze scales. Jensen could only imagine the fights they would get into, both probably filled with fire and temper as he himself had been in his youth. He imagined returning home from his patrols to find Jared exasperated and complaining that the calves had been at each other’s throats all day, so take your calves and you figure out what to do with them.
He imagined a little fawn, golden and sweet, who would be just as exasperated by its siblings as Jared, who would curl sleepily beneath the protection of Jensen’s wings in their family’s nest at night.
Jensen yearned for those hatchlings, for Jared, more than he had yearned for nearly anything else in his life.
He tried desperately not to think about the real possibility that this would be Jared’s first, last and only heat, their only real chance. He hadn’t a clue what he’d do otherwise.
And what if Jared refused him? Jensen would never force Jared into anything he didn’t want to do, and the wrath of the wing and the Elders alike would certainly fall down on him if he tried. Even the Dominus was no exception when it came to the safety of a doe.
If Jared denied him, though, at least Jensen would have had a chance. It would devastate him, but he would accept it, could learn to live with it.
But what if this was his only heat, was Jared’s only real chance to be claimed and mated properly?
Jensen shook his head, forcing his wings to pump harder, his body to go straighter, just to shave off a few extra minutes of time it would take to get to the Elders. He couldn’t think about never being able to claim Jared without anger and bile rising quickly into the back of his throat, both a sick, twisting roll in his stomach.
This would not be Jared’s only heat. It couldn’t be.
The alternative was too terrible to even think about.
*
Flying took up most of the morning, and the sun was high in the sky by the time Jensen caught sight of the large cabin wedged in a seemingly precarious manner on the side of a steep mountain. He caught a glimpse of a dragon on patrol around the grounds, but he was sure at least half a dozen were fully aware of his presence and were watching his movements. Only the elite soldiers of the five flights were offered positions in the Elders’ guard.
So it was no surprise when Jensen landed on a small strip of land and one of the guards were already waiting for him, blocking entry into the cabin door.
Jensen regarded him amiably, shifting into his smaller, more easily broken form in a traditional sign of peace before nodding his greeting. “Jeff.”
Jeff nodded in return, holding out a robe for him. Jensen took it, though mostly because this altitude was a little chilly without the protection of his thick scales rather than because of any self-concsious reasons. He and the other dragons were as comfortable in their naked, scaleless forms as they were in their scaled ones. There was no reason to feel otherwise.
He wrapped the robe around himself, pulling the tie tight. “Thanks, Jeff.”
Jeff nodded again, smiling this time. “How is everything at home, Dominus?”
“Fine. Still waiting for you to come back to us. The does are still mourning your absence, I think,” Jensen said, humor lacing his tone. Jeff had once been one of Jensen’s finest soldiers, but Jensen had always known Jeff was meant for grander things than even the Ramiel had to offer. It was no surprise to him when the Elders requested Jensen make Jeff the offer to transfer into the Elders’ personal guard. Jeff had never taken a mate, though, and many of the does pined pathetically for several Beltanes after he’d left. “You know, you’re not required to call me Dominus anymore. You’ve got a brand new set of bosses now.”
Jeff laughed at that, clapping a hand familiarly against Jensen’s shoulder. “Old habits die hard, sir.”
Jensen understood, though he knew it went deeper than that. The Ramiel Flight was Jeff’s home, always had been, always would be, and if the flight was his home, then Jensen was his Dominus, simple as that. Jeff’s maintained connection to his home was the only flaw Jensen could see in Jeff as a soldier. It could compromise him, bias the way he reacted to certain orders the Elders might give him.
Jensen wondered, with a little sorrow, if the Elders would have to do something about it soon. Jeff had been one of the closest things he’d had to a friend after he became Dominus. Losing him once had been sad, and he couldn’t imagine that losing him a second time would be any less so.
Jensen gestured into the cabin. “Lead the way, Jeff.”
“They’re waiting for you in the main room,” Jeff said, turning enough to let Jensen slip by him so he could bolt the door shut behind them, then taking the lead.
The cabin was huge; it had to be. In case of extreme emergency, the Elders’ cabin was the place that all of the dragons were supposed to go. There were a couple of other safehouses dotted around the mountain range, but this was their main one. Jensen tried to imagine almost five hundred dragons packed into the house and shook his head, knowing that it just wouldn’t work. He would have to bring up the issue to the Elders soon.
Not today, though. Today, he had other things to attend to. Besides, they hadn’t had to take such drastic action for almost a century, when a huge storm passed over a large portion of the Rockies, threatening to wipe out the flights’ nesting areas.
That had been a long time ago, though, and there was still time before the storm season settled over the mountains. He doubted they would need to address the housing issue for a few months yet. If he brought it up right then, it might take several days to sort out what their options were, and Jensen was already about to come out of his skin he was so anxious to get back to the breeding grounds and Jared.
He could only hope that wasn’t the issue the Elders had summoned him for in the first place.
Jeff led Jensen deep into the house, and the temperature dropped the further in they walked as the house became surrounded and therefore chilled by the mountain half of it had been cut into. Finally, Jeff stopped in front of a large pair of doors, knocking before pulling one of them open.
Jensen stepped inside, knowing that Jeff wouldn’t follow him. The meetings between the Elders and the Dominuses were usually private, meant to allow everyone within to toss ideas around, putting forward some while submitting to others, without having to worry about appearing either weak or aggressive to the flights.
All eleven Elders sat before him, illuminated by a fire that had been lit in the fireplace. Jensen had known all of them for nearly a decade and knew that they were all fair and generally kind, if a little stern, but the light the fire cast across their faces made them look a little intimidating.
The door closed behind him with a solid click, and High Elder Samantha rose. “Jensen, it’s good to see you again.”
Jensen tilted his head down, lowering his eyes in respect. “High Elder Samantha. You needed to see me?”
She smiled at him kindly, and the fire’s light seemed less stark and revealing, softer somehow. Even as the Elders’ leader, High Elder Samantha was still a doe, still a source of warmth and light, and it was comforting, like being wrapped in a mother’s arms. “We summoned for you, yes.”
“How are the Ramiel, Jensen?” Elder Fredric asked, straightening in his chair. “Doing well, I hope?”
Jensen felt nothing but relief. If the meeting was just about the status of his flight, it would be over quickly. “Yes, Elder Fredric, very well. We haven’t suffered any losses this year, and our hunters have been very successful. We should have more than enough meat in our stores by the time the cold sets in again.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Jensen,” Elder Jim reminded him.
Jensen lowered his gaze again, appropriately admonished. “Yes, sir. I just meant that the herds have been steady and consistent in number.”
“Jim,” Elder Loretta said, leaning over to Elder Jim and swatted at him, which he easily avoided, “you know good and well what he meant. Don’t pick on the little one.”
Jensen smiled a little. “I’m not little anymore, Elder Loretta.”
Elder Loretta sighed a little sadly. She was from the Ramiel herself and had watched Jensen grow up. He was constantly having to remind her that he wasn’t a calf anymore. “I know you aren’t, Jensen.”
“Are you all right, Jensen?” Elder Julian asked. He brought his hand up to his chin, tapping thoughtfully. “You seem... jittery. Anxious.”
Jensen flushed, embarrassed. He had always prided himself on being able to remain calm and composed in most situations. “Apologies, Elders, but being away from my flight for long, especially during Beltane, when my does could so easily be taken advantage of, worries me.”
“Ah, the does,” Elder Julian chuckled. “You never change, Jensen.”
“Always so concerned about them,” High Elder Samantha shook her head. “We does are stronger than we appear, you know.”
Jensen’s brow furrowed. “Of course, High Elder. I would never imply otherwise.”
“We know you wouldn’t, dear,” Elder Loretta said gently. “Your father taught you very well about the importance of the does.”
“Which reminds me,” Elder Jim said. “You have any prospective does yet, Jensen?”
High Elder Samantha frowned at that. “Jim, that’s private. It’s not our business. If Jensen takes a mate, he’ll do it on his own time.”
Elder Jim snorted, waving his hand. “The boy is getting up there in years is all I’m saying. He could do with a nice doe to take care of him, and--”
“I do.” The Elders all looked at him, a little surprised at having someone interrupt them. Jensen flushed again. “Have a prospective doe, I mean. If he’ll have me.”
There’s silence for a moment, then Elder Jim laughed, loud and a little startling when he’d been so quiet before. “So the truth comes out. Jensen has himself a little doe that he wants to get back to.”
“I,” Jensen stammered, his face hot, “forgive me, Elders, I haven’t meant to be so--”
Elder Allison raised her hand, and Jensen let his sentence drop. “Jensen, we understand. You don’t have to explain yourself. However, we do still have matters to discuss, and since you have somewhere else you need to be, I suggest that we get down to business quickly rather than wasting time on all this small talk.”
High Elder Samantha nodded at Elder Allison. “Right, of course.” She returned her attention fully to Jensen, her mouth a serious line. “Jensen, we called you here to discuss several things. We’ve already discussed your flight’s current well being. How many soldiers do you currently have in your wing?”
Jensen frowned. If the Elders were concerned about his defenses, this couldn’t be anything good. “Including myself, we have twenty five at the moment, two of which are at the breeding grounds and two of which are with the five dragons we’re in the final stages of training to become soldiers as well. ”
“I heard you were training a doe to be one of your wing,” Elder Jim said.
Jensen nodded. “Yes, we are. Alona is sure that this is the path she wants to take with her life and more than willing and able to do anything we’ve thrown at her so far. She’ll be a great addition to my wing, and I’ll be proud to have her when her training is over.”
“Very progressive of you, Jensen,” High Elder Samantha said, her tone smooth, her mouth thin.
Jensen couldn’t tell if she approved or not. “We aren’t the only flight to do this. The Leliel have two in their wing, and I’ve heard the Matarael were considering a doe for theirs as well. It’s actually more of a surprise that we haven’t already had one, considering the Ramiel’s size. Regardless, I’d never allow someone into the wing, drake or doe, that I didn’t feel was fully capable of being a soldier.”
High Elder Samantha hummed, again neutral. “You’re aware of the humans that have been camping at the base of your mountains, correct?”
Jensen blinked, a little surprised. “Yes, of course. I scouted them out myself just this morning. They were camping at the base of our mountain, but they were still outside of the boundary lines.”
“There have been several similar human sightings in the other flights. We have reason to believe that the humans might be conducting a study on our kind.”
“What?” Jensen’s brow furrowed. “Why would they do that without informing us? Isn’t that a breech of our pact with the humans?”
High Elder Samantha nodded. “Yes, it is. So we need your soldiers to remain vigilant. If any sort of scientific equipment or suspicious activity is seen, report it to us immediately so that we can report it to the appropriate authorities.”
Jensen stood a little straighter, concern tightening his shoulders. “Yes, of course. I’ll have my wing to keep at least one pair of eyes on them at all times.”
“We don’t think they’re doing anything malicious, Jensen, so don’t do anything drastic. I know how you can overreact to things sometimes,” Elder Loretta said, her hands wringing.
“Right,” Elder Jim agreed, a smile edging at his mouth. “Don’t let the humans ruin Beltane for you. Enjoy your time with your new mate, first. If he’ll accept you.”
The thought of Jared made Jensen feel both better and worse. Watching Jared, even from a distance, had always made Jensen a little more at ease. It was like Jared radiated with peace and comfort that Jensen so rarely found elsewhere. But the threat of humans encroaching on the Ramiel’s nesting grounds also meant that Jared, not to mention all of the other dragons, could be at risk of becoming harmed in one way or another. “Thank you, Elder Jim. Then I’ll deal with it as soon as I return to the flight.”
“Good luck wooing your doe, Jensen.” High Elder Samantha said, shooing him off with a gesture. “Go on, now. I’m sure he won’t be very happy that we’ve kept you like we have.”
Jensen nodded. “Right. Thank you, Elders. Until next time.”
Jeff was already opening the door when Jensen approached them, and his expression was grim. “Humans, huh?”
Jensen smiled grimly. “Listening in, Jeff?”
Jeff snorted, leading Jensen back out toward the exit. “I’m stuck in this cabin half the time. Need to keep myself sharp. Congratulations on the mate, by the way. Anyone I know?”
Jensen shrugged. “If you don’t now, you will.”
Jeff laughed, warm and loud and familiar. Jensen missed Jeff being part of his wing. “You seem pretty sure of yourself, there.”
As they neared the front door, Jensen unwrapped the robe from around himself, handing it to Jeff before clasping Jeff’s shoulder. “It was good to see you, Jeff. I’ll tell the does that you send your love.”
Jeff winked. “You do that. Good luck, Dominus.”
And with that, Jensen shifted, letting himself drop down over the side of the mountain, the air rushing by him, pulling at his scales and making his eyes water, before throwing his wings open. The sudden movement jolted his body, his shoulders pulling with it as he flew to Jared.
Chapter Five
Pairings: Jensen/Jared, Drew Nelson/Sandy McCoy, Misha Collins/Rachel Miner
Word Count: 3663
Rating: PG-13, eventual NC-17
Warnings: see masterpost for complete list thus far
Author’s Note: A fill for this prompt on spn_hardcore.
Summary: Orphaned as a child and heatless, therefore mateless, at twenty-seven, Jared has spent most of his life feeling unloved and unwanted. Jensen is the Dominus of the Ramiel Flight, strong, courageous and everything anyone could want in a mate, everything that Jared was sure he’d never have or deserve. Jensen is hell-bent on proving him wrong. But nothing is ever easy when love is involved.
Masterpost
Chapter Three
Jensen had been the Ramiel Flight’s Dominus for seven years. At first, he’d received the position by default. Upon the former Dominus’s death, as her second, it was his duty to rule until the Elders found a more suitable leader to take the role. He had never expected to be offered the position.
The day they’d chosen him for the position, they summoned him to their presence. Jensen had been baffled. He’d expected Chad to just deliver the message when the Elders had reached their decision, not to be called before them.
Confused and a little concerned, he had gone to their domain quickly to see what they needed from him.
When they told him that they had reached a decision and what it was, he found himself speechless, then protesting. Jensen was a soldier. He didn’t make the orders; he followed them.
“Jensen,” High Elder Samantha interrupted him between his protests, “the humans have a saying. I believe it goes, to be a leader, you must have first been a follower. Now, perhaps humans aren’t always the wisest of creatures, but they do have their moments.”
“But--”
“Jensen, trust us.” Elder Jim laughed. “That’s an order.”
And Jensen had trusted them, nervous as it made him. Because he was a soldier, and soldiers followed orders.
It had been a bumpy start. As the Dominus’s second, Jensen had been respected, yes, but it was nothing compared to the level of near-reverence that the flight held for him after he became their leader. Jensen was just a dragon, just a soldier, but in the span of one day, he’d become something different, something intangible but there and more. Some of the duties were the same. Make sure there was enough food to feed everyone in the winter, ensure that the does and young were cared for above all else, remain diplomatic but firm with the humans. They were all things he knew and was fully trained to do, but suddenly there was no one to defer to. Instead, people deferred to him, were watching him, were needing him, and there was no one else to take the fall if he didn’t live up to their expectations.
But the former Dominus had taught him tenacity and Jared had taught him patience and perseverance, however inadvertently, and Jensen had done it.
That meeting had been the first time the Elders ever summoned him personally. He’d been summoned many times afterward for various reasons, sometimes for something as simple as the Elders wanting to know his flight’s status and other times for more important things like retrieving a new orphan or a several day long conference with the Elders and the Dominuses of the four other flights about a change in their laws. No matter the reason, though, Jensen had faithfully responded to every single one of the summonses without question.
This was the first time Jensen had even considered doing otherwise, and his head ached at the conflict between what he had to do and what he wanted to do.
He’d quietly waited fifteen years for Jared, always watching but never allowing himself the luxury of acquaintance. It would have been too tempting to forgo his peoples’ ways if he’d done otherwise. With Jared still technically still a fawn without his heat, their mating would have been frowned upon, considered illegitimate. Jensen probably could have borne that stigma for himself, but he would not be the one that brought that shadow over Jared.
He’d just been so sure that this year would be the year, that he wouldn’t have to wait anymore. He’d been hopeful, excited, ready, and to have all of that potentially shattered by the Elders for what could be nothing more than a whim--
Jensen took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The Elders were not capricious, nor were they stupid. They were the Elders, after all. Calling him to their domain during Beltane had to mean that something important was happening. They wouldn’t have risked it otherwise, not with the flight so divided already. He had to trust that they were doing what they thought was best for his flight.
Besides, he hadn’t been the only one waiting, the only one suffering. Jared had waited too. Jensen had seen how Beltane affected him, how Jared had longingly watched the does as they flew to the breeding grounds. He’d always wanted to be of some comfort to Jared but, again, could only allow himself to watch from afar.
Jensen had helped as much as he could, though. When Jared had turned twenty and the other dragons still called him a fawn, Jensen had been the one that insisted they call Jared a doe, despite his lack of heat. When the caretakers in the main house were hesitant to allow Jared to assist them in their duties, Jensen had been the one that assured them that, yes, despite his lack of hatchlings, Jared was more than capable of taking care of the hatchlings and juveniles under their watch.
There was only so much Jensen could do, though, and he knew how small his gestures must have seemed to Jared, bandaids for a gaping wound.
All of that pain was over for Jared, though, and Jensen had wanted so badly to share in the joy that the doe was surely experiencing now that he was finally experiencing the fires of Bel for himself, finally getting the opportunity to have little hatchlings, as many as he wanted.
Jensen couldn’t help the smile that he felt tugging at the corners of his mouth as he imagined his and Jared’s children, what they would look like, how they would act. They would probably have three or so, a small clutch for their first breeding. There would be more later, Jensen was sure of it, but three, he thought, was a good, solid start.
There would probably be two calves. With any luck, they would get the brighter gold coloring of the Arael from Jared, rather than Jensen’s bronze scales. Jensen could only imagine the fights they would get into, both probably filled with fire and temper as he himself had been in his youth. He imagined returning home from his patrols to find Jared exasperated and complaining that the calves had been at each other’s throats all day, so take your calves and you figure out what to do with them.
He imagined a little fawn, golden and sweet, who would be just as exasperated by its siblings as Jared, who would curl sleepily beneath the protection of Jensen’s wings in their family’s nest at night.
Jensen yearned for those hatchlings, for Jared, more than he had yearned for nearly anything else in his life.
He tried desperately not to think about the real possibility that this would be Jared’s first, last and only heat, their only real chance. He hadn’t a clue what he’d do otherwise.
And what if Jared refused him? Jensen would never force Jared into anything he didn’t want to do, and the wrath of the wing and the Elders alike would certainly fall down on him if he tried. Even the Dominus was no exception when it came to the safety of a doe.
If Jared denied him, though, at least Jensen would have had a chance. It would devastate him, but he would accept it, could learn to live with it.
But what if this was his only heat, was Jared’s only real chance to be claimed and mated properly?
Jensen shook his head, forcing his wings to pump harder, his body to go straighter, just to shave off a few extra minutes of time it would take to get to the Elders. He couldn’t think about never being able to claim Jared without anger and bile rising quickly into the back of his throat, both a sick, twisting roll in his stomach.
This would not be Jared’s only heat. It couldn’t be.
The alternative was too terrible to even think about.
*
Flying took up most of the morning, and the sun was high in the sky by the time Jensen caught sight of the large cabin wedged in a seemingly precarious manner on the side of a steep mountain. He caught a glimpse of a dragon on patrol around the grounds, but he was sure at least half a dozen were fully aware of his presence and were watching his movements. Only the elite soldiers of the five flights were offered positions in the Elders’ guard.
So it was no surprise when Jensen landed on a small strip of land and one of the guards were already waiting for him, blocking entry into the cabin door.
Jensen regarded him amiably, shifting into his smaller, more easily broken form in a traditional sign of peace before nodding his greeting. “Jeff.”
Jeff nodded in return, holding out a robe for him. Jensen took it, though mostly because this altitude was a little chilly without the protection of his thick scales rather than because of any self-concsious reasons. He and the other dragons were as comfortable in their naked, scaleless forms as they were in their scaled ones. There was no reason to feel otherwise.
He wrapped the robe around himself, pulling the tie tight. “Thanks, Jeff.”
Jeff nodded again, smiling this time. “How is everything at home, Dominus?”
“Fine. Still waiting for you to come back to us. The does are still mourning your absence, I think,” Jensen said, humor lacing his tone. Jeff had once been one of Jensen’s finest soldiers, but Jensen had always known Jeff was meant for grander things than even the Ramiel had to offer. It was no surprise to him when the Elders requested Jensen make Jeff the offer to transfer into the Elders’ personal guard. Jeff had never taken a mate, though, and many of the does pined pathetically for several Beltanes after he’d left. “You know, you’re not required to call me Dominus anymore. You’ve got a brand new set of bosses now.”
Jeff laughed at that, clapping a hand familiarly against Jensen’s shoulder. “Old habits die hard, sir.”
Jensen understood, though he knew it went deeper than that. The Ramiel Flight was Jeff’s home, always had been, always would be, and if the flight was his home, then Jensen was his Dominus, simple as that. Jeff’s maintained connection to his home was the only flaw Jensen could see in Jeff as a soldier. It could compromise him, bias the way he reacted to certain orders the Elders might give him.
Jensen wondered, with a little sorrow, if the Elders would have to do something about it soon. Jeff had been one of the closest things he’d had to a friend after he became Dominus. Losing him once had been sad, and he couldn’t imagine that losing him a second time would be any less so.
Jensen gestured into the cabin. “Lead the way, Jeff.”
“They’re waiting for you in the main room,” Jeff said, turning enough to let Jensen slip by him so he could bolt the door shut behind them, then taking the lead.
The cabin was huge; it had to be. In case of extreme emergency, the Elders’ cabin was the place that all of the dragons were supposed to go. There were a couple of other safehouses dotted around the mountain range, but this was their main one. Jensen tried to imagine almost five hundred dragons packed into the house and shook his head, knowing that it just wouldn’t work. He would have to bring up the issue to the Elders soon.
Not today, though. Today, he had other things to attend to. Besides, they hadn’t had to take such drastic action for almost a century, when a huge storm passed over a large portion of the Rockies, threatening to wipe out the flights’ nesting areas.
That had been a long time ago, though, and there was still time before the storm season settled over the mountains. He doubted they would need to address the housing issue for a few months yet. If he brought it up right then, it might take several days to sort out what their options were, and Jensen was already about to come out of his skin he was so anxious to get back to the breeding grounds and Jared.
He could only hope that wasn’t the issue the Elders had summoned him for in the first place.
Jeff led Jensen deep into the house, and the temperature dropped the further in they walked as the house became surrounded and therefore chilled by the mountain half of it had been cut into. Finally, Jeff stopped in front of a large pair of doors, knocking before pulling one of them open.
Jensen stepped inside, knowing that Jeff wouldn’t follow him. The meetings between the Elders and the Dominuses were usually private, meant to allow everyone within to toss ideas around, putting forward some while submitting to others, without having to worry about appearing either weak or aggressive to the flights.
All eleven Elders sat before him, illuminated by a fire that had been lit in the fireplace. Jensen had known all of them for nearly a decade and knew that they were all fair and generally kind, if a little stern, but the light the fire cast across their faces made them look a little intimidating.
The door closed behind him with a solid click, and High Elder Samantha rose. “Jensen, it’s good to see you again.”
Jensen tilted his head down, lowering his eyes in respect. “High Elder Samantha. You needed to see me?”
She smiled at him kindly, and the fire’s light seemed less stark and revealing, softer somehow. Even as the Elders’ leader, High Elder Samantha was still a doe, still a source of warmth and light, and it was comforting, like being wrapped in a mother’s arms. “We summoned for you, yes.”
“How are the Ramiel, Jensen?” Elder Fredric asked, straightening in his chair. “Doing well, I hope?”
Jensen felt nothing but relief. If the meeting was just about the status of his flight, it would be over quickly. “Yes, Elder Fredric, very well. We haven’t suffered any losses this year, and our hunters have been very successful. We should have more than enough meat in our stores by the time the cold sets in again.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, Jensen,” Elder Jim reminded him.
Jensen lowered his gaze again, appropriately admonished. “Yes, sir. I just meant that the herds have been steady and consistent in number.”
“Jim,” Elder Loretta said, leaning over to Elder Jim and swatted at him, which he easily avoided, “you know good and well what he meant. Don’t pick on the little one.”
Jensen smiled a little. “I’m not little anymore, Elder Loretta.”
Elder Loretta sighed a little sadly. She was from the Ramiel herself and had watched Jensen grow up. He was constantly having to remind her that he wasn’t a calf anymore. “I know you aren’t, Jensen.”
“Are you all right, Jensen?” Elder Julian asked. He brought his hand up to his chin, tapping thoughtfully. “You seem... jittery. Anxious.”
Jensen flushed, embarrassed. He had always prided himself on being able to remain calm and composed in most situations. “Apologies, Elders, but being away from my flight for long, especially during Beltane, when my does could so easily be taken advantage of, worries me.”
“Ah, the does,” Elder Julian chuckled. “You never change, Jensen.”
“Always so concerned about them,” High Elder Samantha shook her head. “We does are stronger than we appear, you know.”
Jensen’s brow furrowed. “Of course, High Elder. I would never imply otherwise.”
“We know you wouldn’t, dear,” Elder Loretta said gently. “Your father taught you very well about the importance of the does.”
“Which reminds me,” Elder Jim said. “You have any prospective does yet, Jensen?”
High Elder Samantha frowned at that. “Jim, that’s private. It’s not our business. If Jensen takes a mate, he’ll do it on his own time.”
Elder Jim snorted, waving his hand. “The boy is getting up there in years is all I’m saying. He could do with a nice doe to take care of him, and--”
“I do.” The Elders all looked at him, a little surprised at having someone interrupt them. Jensen flushed again. “Have a prospective doe, I mean. If he’ll have me.”
There’s silence for a moment, then Elder Jim laughed, loud and a little startling when he’d been so quiet before. “So the truth comes out. Jensen has himself a little doe that he wants to get back to.”
“I,” Jensen stammered, his face hot, “forgive me, Elders, I haven’t meant to be so--”
Elder Allison raised her hand, and Jensen let his sentence drop. “Jensen, we understand. You don’t have to explain yourself. However, we do still have matters to discuss, and since you have somewhere else you need to be, I suggest that we get down to business quickly rather than wasting time on all this small talk.”
High Elder Samantha nodded at Elder Allison. “Right, of course.” She returned her attention fully to Jensen, her mouth a serious line. “Jensen, we called you here to discuss several things. We’ve already discussed your flight’s current well being. How many soldiers do you currently have in your wing?”
Jensen frowned. If the Elders were concerned about his defenses, this couldn’t be anything good. “Including myself, we have twenty five at the moment, two of which are at the breeding grounds and two of which are with the five dragons we’re in the final stages of training to become soldiers as well. ”
“I heard you were training a doe to be one of your wing,” Elder Jim said.
Jensen nodded. “Yes, we are. Alona is sure that this is the path she wants to take with her life and more than willing and able to do anything we’ve thrown at her so far. She’ll be a great addition to my wing, and I’ll be proud to have her when her training is over.”
“Very progressive of you, Jensen,” High Elder Samantha said, her tone smooth, her mouth thin.
Jensen couldn’t tell if she approved or not. “We aren’t the only flight to do this. The Leliel have two in their wing, and I’ve heard the Matarael were considering a doe for theirs as well. It’s actually more of a surprise that we haven’t already had one, considering the Ramiel’s size. Regardless, I’d never allow someone into the wing, drake or doe, that I didn’t feel was fully capable of being a soldier.”
High Elder Samantha hummed, again neutral. “You’re aware of the humans that have been camping at the base of your mountains, correct?”
Jensen blinked, a little surprised. “Yes, of course. I scouted them out myself just this morning. They were camping at the base of our mountain, but they were still outside of the boundary lines.”
“There have been several similar human sightings in the other flights. We have reason to believe that the humans might be conducting a study on our kind.”
“What?” Jensen’s brow furrowed. “Why would they do that without informing us? Isn’t that a breech of our pact with the humans?”
High Elder Samantha nodded. “Yes, it is. So we need your soldiers to remain vigilant. If any sort of scientific equipment or suspicious activity is seen, report it to us immediately so that we can report it to the appropriate authorities.”
Jensen stood a little straighter, concern tightening his shoulders. “Yes, of course. I’ll have my wing to keep at least one pair of eyes on them at all times.”
“We don’t think they’re doing anything malicious, Jensen, so don’t do anything drastic. I know how you can overreact to things sometimes,” Elder Loretta said, her hands wringing.
“Right,” Elder Jim agreed, a smile edging at his mouth. “Don’t let the humans ruin Beltane for you. Enjoy your time with your new mate, first. If he’ll accept you.”
The thought of Jared made Jensen feel both better and worse. Watching Jared, even from a distance, had always made Jensen a little more at ease. It was like Jared radiated with peace and comfort that Jensen so rarely found elsewhere. But the threat of humans encroaching on the Ramiel’s nesting grounds also meant that Jared, not to mention all of the other dragons, could be at risk of becoming harmed in one way or another. “Thank you, Elder Jim. Then I’ll deal with it as soon as I return to the flight.”
“Good luck wooing your doe, Jensen.” High Elder Samantha said, shooing him off with a gesture. “Go on, now. I’m sure he won’t be very happy that we’ve kept you like we have.”
Jensen nodded. “Right. Thank you, Elders. Until next time.”
Jeff was already opening the door when Jensen approached them, and his expression was grim. “Humans, huh?”
Jensen smiled grimly. “Listening in, Jeff?”
Jeff snorted, leading Jensen back out toward the exit. “I’m stuck in this cabin half the time. Need to keep myself sharp. Congratulations on the mate, by the way. Anyone I know?”
Jensen shrugged. “If you don’t now, you will.”
Jeff laughed, warm and loud and familiar. Jensen missed Jeff being part of his wing. “You seem pretty sure of yourself, there.”
As they neared the front door, Jensen unwrapped the robe from around himself, handing it to Jeff before clasping Jeff’s shoulder. “It was good to see you, Jeff. I’ll tell the does that you send your love.”
Jeff winked. “You do that. Good luck, Dominus.”
And with that, Jensen shifted, letting himself drop down over the side of the mountain, the air rushing by him, pulling at his scales and making his eyes water, before throwing his wings open. The sudden movement jolted his body, his shoulders pulling with it as he flew to Jared.
Chapter Five