Gersius held Thayle to his chest and stroked the back of her head. They both sat in the saddle on Lilly's back as she picked her way down what looked like a path. The river was someplace to the left, and she kept looking out over the canopy of leaves to get her bearings.

He pressed her close as she trembled in his arms, fearful of what she had done. He knew what was going on in her mind. He didn't share a link with her strong enough to read it, but he knew all the same. Priests and priestesses who turned blessings often found their power removed. The divine was often so offended they cut off the connection they shared and rendered the person powerless. He grew angry at the thought of beautiful Thayle losing her connection to the divine when Dellain blatantly flaunted his. He knew that Dellain never broke the rules directly, but he still used Astikar’s power in a malicious way.

When a few hours passed and Thayle started to breathe normally, she sat back straight in the saddle and sighed.

“Thank you for holding me,” she said.

“I will hold you as long as you need to be held,” he replied.

“Are you feeling better?” Lilly called from ahead as she tried to glance back.

“I am fine, Lilly. I just hate what I did. I know it was necessary, but I still never dreamed I would break a law of my Goddess.”

“You had no choice,” Gersius said.

“I know!” Thayle said firmly. “I know what I did and why I did it. All I can hope for is the Goddess understands as well.”

“I am glad you're better,” Lilly said. “I was worried about you.”

Thayle sighed. “What’s done is done. There is no point in being upset about it anymore.”

“Will your goddess punish you?” Lilly asked.

“She hasn’t so far. I suppose I should find time to pray to her and ask her forgiveness directly.”

“I think she has already forgiven you,” Gersius said. “What you did was out of love, not spite. You may have done what you were forbidden to do, but you did it for the best of reasons.”

Thayle looked out over the forest and nodded. “I hope she sees it that way.”

They traveled on for another hour, and the path Lilly was following came to an end. She was forced to wade into the trees and struggle her way through the branches.

“This is aggravating,” Lilly bellowed as she plowed through the dense brush. The trees grew so close together here that she rubbed against them as she passed and the branches swatted at Thayle and Gersius.

“I have to admit I thought it was fun to ride on your back, but I’m not enjoying this anymore,” Thayle remarked as branches brushed against her.

Gersius held Thayle’s shield up over her face to protect them both from branches that whipped back as Lilly Passed. He braced himself as branches battered the little wooden disk.

“It is just an overgrown area, once we reach the taller trees it will thin out,” Gersius said.

Lilly stumbled as a tree she rubbed against snapped, and they bounced around on her back. They had to right themselves again and get the shield in place to continue.

“It would be easier if I changed into a human and walked,” Lilly barked. “I would be small enough to pass under this mess.”

“You would be tangled in all the brambles, and even more unhappy,” Gersius said.

“How does anything live in this?” she asked.

“Lots of animals make their homes in dense brush. It keeps out the bigger predators,” Thayle answered.

Lilly paused when she noticed the ground ahead dropped away. She lifted her head high on her long neck and looked out above the trees.

“Is that the river?” she asked.

Gersius looked up to see a wide, shallow stream down a steep overgrown hill ahead of them.

“It has to be. There must have been a waterfall downstream someplace,” he said

“Well, it looks like it is only a few feet deep along the sides. Why don't we walk in it?” Lilly asked.

“I like this idea,” Thayle said brushing a branch from her face.

“Be careful on the slope. The ground is probably muddy,” he warned.

She carefully picked her way down, fighting her way through trees and dense brush, until she reached the rocky sides of the river.

“Thank Ulustrah,” Thayle said as they cleared the branches.

Lilly walked out into the water and strode upstream in relative comfort. She was tall enough that she could wade out a bit, and still her belly was above the water. She made her way upstream with ease carrying her to loves along.

A gentle breeze blew down the river and cooled their skin. Around them, they could head the sounds of the forest. They heard bird calls, insects, the wind in the branches. All of it was oddly soothing as it mixed with the gentle noise of Lilly splashing through the river.

“It’s rather pretty here,” Thayle said looking up the steep sides of the river bank. “So many silver maples.”

“This must be why they call this the Silverwood,” Gersius said.

These trees are pretty,” Lilly agreed. “I would like some of these trees in our valley.”

“I will grow you all the trees you want,” Thayle remarked as she closed her eyes and just rocked gently on Lilly's back. Gersius tied her shield to a loop on the side, and she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist. She leaned her head back and rested it on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said to her quietly.

“Just shut up and hold your wife,” she said with a smile.

“As you wish,” he replied with a smile of his own.

“So you are better now?” Lilly asked. “He feels pleased over the bind.”

Thayle smirked and glanced over to him a second before answering. “I am better, but I need to commune with the Ulustrah. I need to know she forgives me. When we make camp I will take some time to speak with her.”

Gersius pulled her tight. “We can stop now if you want.”

“No,” Thayle said. “To be honest, I am not ready to speak to her.”

“I understand,” he said and leaned his head over slightly to rest it on hers.

Thayle took a deep breath and drew in the scents of the forest. She always found the smells of forests soothing, and right now, she needed to be soothed. She smiled a little when she felt Gersius rest his head against hers. It caused her to think about how much her life had changed in the past few days. It was funny how little time had actually passed, and yet here she was married and in the arms of her husband. Thinking of time made her think of another question, one had meant to ask before.

“Lilly, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, what do you want?” Lilly replied.

“How old are you?”

Lilly turned around to look at her with blazing blue eyes. “What brought that up?”

“Oh, is it a sensitive subject?” Thayle said apologetically.

Lilly turned her head back to face forward. “No, it isn't at all. It's just we have been together all this time, and neither of you has asked before.”

“I did not ask you that before?” Gersius said.

Lilly shook her massive head. “No, I have told you I am hundreds of years old, but I never told you how old.”

“You are hundreds of years old?” Thayle said, amazed.

“I am five hundred and seventeen years old,” Lilly replied.

“And I was worried I was old,” Thayle laughed.

Gersius chuckled with her.

“What is so funny?” Thayle asked.

“I have two wives, and I have no idea how old either of them are. At least now I know Lilly is old enough to marry.”

Thayle blushed a little. “I am twenty-nine, Gersius.”

“You do not look it,” he replied while squeezing her waist. “I would have guessed no older than twenty-four.”

Thayle wasn't sure what made her happier, just hearing him say it, or the light of his aura showing he meant it.

“So how old is the mighty Gersius?” Thayle Asked. “It seems like there are fifty years worth of legends around you.”

Gersius nodded. “I had a very active early career. I volunteered for many dangerous missions. However, I am only thirty-four.”

“You two talk about your ages like your proud,” Lilly said.

“What do you mean? Are we too old for you?” Thayle asked.

Lilly laughed. “You two are much too young! We dragons see age as a sign of respect. A dragon is proud of its age. The older a dragon is, the better. I am young by dragon standards, but if anybody accused me of looking twenty-four, I would eat them!”

Gersius pondered the point a moment and spoke. “How long do dragons live for, though?”

“Thousands of years. My mother said there were once dragons that were ten thousand years old. But most of the truly ancient ones are gone.”

Thayle considered the numbers and had a funny thought. “So if a human lives on average to be sixty, and Lilly can live to be ten thousand, that means her equivalent human age is eight.”

“Never repeat that to anybody ever,” Gersius said.

Thayle burst out laughing and had to cover her mouth.

“Why is that so funny?” Lilly had to ask.

“In human society, a woman is considered a child at the age of eight. It would be shameful for a man to take a child as a wife,” Gersius replied.

Lilly turned her head around to glare at Thayle. “I am not a child! I am old enough to have children in dragon society. Though most females don't have a brood until after a thousand five hundred, that's usually when they feel the calling.”

Thayle struggled to control her laughter. “I am just teasing him, Lilly. I know you are a mature woman. Dragons do not age like humans. It’s still fascinating to think about living for hundreds of years.”

Gersius felt a strange sense of loss from Lilly suddenly.

“Are you alright, Lilly?” Gersius asked.

“I'm fine. It's just so much has changed for me. You say it's fascinating to live so long, but now that I have you two in my life, those years feel wasted. What did my life mean? What was I living for? I slept and ate and flew through the sky. I did at least enjoy flying so I can say I did experience something of my life.

“Do not forget you visited your mother, that is a noble thing,” he pointed out.

“I suppose it is, but even then, I only ever see her once or twice in a hundred years.”

“You are a dragon. You had the life you were meant to have. Now you have been called to a higher purpose. Your life had meaning then, and it has meaning now. The only difference is the meaning has changed,” Gersius said.

She nodded and let the concept sink in.

They walked on for over an hour listening to the wind and water before Lilly slowed to a halt.

“Is something wrong?” Gersius called out.

“Yes, the river is much deeper here,” Lilly replied.

Gersius looked over her shoulder to see what she was talking about. She stood on a stony shore but ahead of her, the stones ended and the water became a murky green. The bank was a wall of mud that vanished below the dark surface.

“I suppose I can swim it, but you two will get wet.”

“So will our packs. We need to go around it, climb back out on the hill,” Gersius suggested.

“Ohh, the shore here is as badly overgrown as it was back there,” Thayle lamented.

“We have no choice. If she swims, all our gear gets soaked, including our bedrolls.”

Lilly looked across the water. “There is a rocky shore on the other side,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but you would have to swim across the middle to reach it, it would be the same problem,” he told her.

Lilly suddenly took a deep breath and let loose with a blast of white death drenching the river in a cold that could freeze a man solid. When she was done, she carefully walked out on to a thick sheet of ice and crossed the river.

“That was very clever,” Gersius said as she reached the shore and started to walk on.

“It was a brilliant idea,” Thayle added.

“I have very smart wives,” Gersius said, squeezing Thayles waist again.

“Are you beginning to enjoy having something to squeeze?” Thayle teased.

“I am rather fond of this arrangement, but I will hold the ropes if you object to where I am currently holding.”

“You will do no such thing. I need to feel held right now,” she said.

As the day wore on, they arrived at a section of the river where the water cascaded down a series of small stepping falls. Lilly carefully picked a path over them and clambered her way to the top.

Beyond the river slowly wound its way down a steeply sloped series of overgrown hills.

“It is just more of the same,” Thayle said.

“I really wish I had my wings. We could fly over this mess and be done with it.”

“The worst part is the river bank disappears on both sides now,” Gersius pointed out. “We will have to resume fighting the trees,”

“Ugh,” Thayle called out her shoulders drooping.

Lilly picked a path into the brush and began the arduous task of breaking her way through the branches and brambles of the overgrown forest. Gersius resumed his task of protecting Thayle with her shield as branches once again started to snap back in her face.

She had to climb a steep slope that forced Gersius to hold on to Thayle tightly or fall off. When she crested the top, they could see a clearing ahead.

“Let's go see how far that clear area goes,” Lilly said as she struggled to squeeze through the narrow gaps in the trees. She lifted her head above the leaves and looked out over the forest canopy.

“I see a lot of white ahead,” she said.

“White?” Thayle questioned.

As they broke through the treeline, Gersius could see what she was talking about. The trees directly across from them were covered in what looked like white strings, gently laced over them all like a blanket.

“Dulloch,” Gersius said with disgust.

“I hate those,” Thayle said with a shiver. “They're disgusting.”

“You are familiar with Dulloch?” Gersius asked.

“Only from stories,” Thayle said. “I never wanted to see one face to face.”

“I have no idea what a Dulloch is,” Lilly reminded them.

“It’s a large spider,” Gersius said. “They are nearly as big as Thayle and spin big nests like that.”

“Disgusting to think a spider can get that big,” Thayle said while shaking her head.

“Lilly, stay to the edge here and keep following the river. Do not get any closer to that nest.”

She did as she was told and began to follow the tree line keeping a wary eye on the white mass.

Something moved in the trees to her right, and she focused her gaze that way. Gersius immediately looked that way as well. He reached down and silently drew his sword.

“It will be in the trees, they like to jump down on prey,” he told her.

“You see one?” Thayle said, looking up.

“No, but Lilly knows it is there, I can feel her.”

A sudden movement caught his eye as a dark shape with eight legs leaped out of a tree and raced down at him.

Lilly's head whipped around with terrible speed, and fanged jaws bit down on the shape snapping it out of mid-air and causing a sickly yellow goo to spray from her mouth.

She lurched and called out as if in agony spitting the giant spider out and thrashing her head from side to side.

“Lilly are you alright?” Thayle cried.

“I thought the trolls tasted foul!” she bellowed. She turned and lurched through the trees at a rapid pace clumsily smashing through them. When she got to the steep slope of the river, she just slid down until she reached the muddy edge and buried her head into the water, thrashing it from side to side.

She came back out of the water spitting. “They taste so hideously foul!” she bellowed before dunking her head back in trying to wash the taste from her mouth.

When she came back out the second time, she spit a mouth full of water out.

“Never again!” she cried.

“Please do not. I can feel your disgust across the bind,” Gersius said.

“I can feel your disgust,” Thayle said. “Hers must have been terrible.”

“My mouth tastes awful,” Lilly replied.

“We should move. They usually nest in groups of a dozen or more,” Gersius said.

“You had better stab them all then. I’m not biting another one!”

“Let’s not go back to the clearing. They could be hidden in any of the trees around it,” Thayle said.

“We will have to break our way through the brush at the top of the hill,” Gersius sighed.

Lilly picked her way up and struggled to continue breaking and rubbing her way through the trees of the forest.

When the sun finally began to set, they had only managed to go a few more miles.

“It will take us weeks to get anywhere in brush this thick,” Gersius said.

“I want my wings back,” Lilly groaned.

“We are going to need to stop soon,” Thayle reminded them.

“I agree,” Gersius said. “See if you can find a large enough spot to curl up, Lilly.”

“I will look for a place,” she replied.

They traveled on for another hour before she finally found a relatively flat hilltop with a dense cover of weeds. She blasted the top with her breath and then swept it with her tail to flatten the frozen plants creating a comfortable spot for her to curl around in.

Gersius gathered wood for a fire while Thayle talked to Lilly.

“Are you going to pray now?” she asked.

Thayle sighed and shook her head. “I am afraid to go before Ulustrah. I will wait until morning.”

Lilly rubbed the side of her head on Thayles armored arm. “You saved me. I hate to think you're afraid to speak to your Goddess because of it.”

“I just want to make sure my mind and heart are settled. What I did was wrong regardless of why I did it. I will explain it and ask her forgiveness, but I want to make sure I am prepared to do it right.”

Lilly continued to rub her and let out a gentle sigh.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Thayle asked.

“There is something I wanted to ask you, but I feel like now is a terrible time. Your upset about your goddess and I feel I shouldn’t say anything.”

“Lilly, you can ask me anything. I promise I won’t be upset.”

“You’re sure?”

“Lilly, what do you want to know?” Thayle demanded.

Lilly lifted her head so their eyes could meet and then spoke.

“Why haven’t you kissed him yet?” Lilly asked her.

Thayle blushed and looked away. “I am nervous, Lilly. Besides, there is no rush.”

“You are his wife, Thayle. Can you please kiss him just once, for me?”

Thayle looked out into the trees where he was picking up dead wood.

“If it means that much to you. I will give him a kiss after he builds the fire.”

Lilly pondered it a moment and then looked deep into her eyes.

“Thayle, I know you agreed to do this to help me, but Gersius said I pressured you into this, and I worry he's right. I remember the conversation that night. You didn't want to do it.”

Thayle reached up with a gentle hand and began to stroke the side of Lilly’s face.

“Humans don't lay eggs like dragons do; we carry the baby inside our bellies. It changes our lives a great deal. Also, my order has some rules about women once they start having children. I am afraid of what I will have to do.”

“You should lay eggs like we do,” Lilly commented.

“Maybe Gersius is right. Maybe I will inherit that from you too.”

They both looked up to see him walking back in with the firewood.

“Thayle, you don't have to kiss him. I was being silly,” Lilly quickly said.

“Lilly, you have a big heart, and I kiss you all the time. I will try to kiss him some.”

Gersius walked in and dumped the pile of logs in the center of the wall of dragon scales.

“This should be enough to get us through the night.” He said as he fished around the floor for a small stone.

“I can do that for you if you want,” Thayle said, walking over to him.

He picked up a small round stone and handed it to Thayle.

“We can do a blessing of warmth too,” she said with a smile. “And I know you are not fond of talking to Astikar right now.”

“By all means,” he said, handing her the stone.

She chanted in a smooth melodic voice as she held the stone between two hands and then suddenly called out in pain, dropping the stone and stumbling back. The stone burst into flames as it fell into the pile of sticks.

Gersius was there in an instant and wrapped his arms around her. “Thayle what is wrong?”

“She is angry with me!” Thayle cried.

“Who is?” Lilly asked, concerned.

Gersius looked up at Lilly with glaring eyes.

“How can her goddess be angry at her for saving us!” Lilly bellowed as she read Gersius’s thoughts.

“She has burned my hands,” Thayle said, holding her hands up to look at them.

Gersius could see blisters on her skin, and he quickly picked her up and carried her to the bedrolls. He set her down gently as she began to cry and took her hands between his own.

“Astikar, you will answer me!” he said under his breath.

He called out in a deep chanting tone and channeled the power of Astikar. Golden light filled his hands, and Thayle relaxed.

He opened his hands and looked closely at Thayles to see the burns were gone.

“I don't understand, you are angry at your God, and he answers you. Thayle loves her Goddess, and she punishes her?” Lilly said.

“Lilly, Thayle did something that is considered a grave insult to a god or goddess. She took a blessing, turned it, and made it a curse. Her Goddess doesn't care why she did it; all that matters is that she did what was forbidden.”

“I am so sorry,” Thayle whimpered.

“But it isn’t fair!” Lilly barked. “Thayle is the kindest person I know, and she praises her Goddess all the time.”

“These things are never fair. It is why I am having such a conflict of faith. Let us hope that burning her hands is all the Goddess wishes to punish her with.”

“Well, I have a blessing I want to give you both!” Lilly said angrily.

“What do you mean?” Gersius said.

“Sit down and hold her close,” Lilly said.

Gersius nodded and sat down on the bedrolls pulling Thayle close so she could cry on his chest.

Lilly took a gentle breath and blew washing them both in another soothing dragon kiss.

They both frosted over as the world descended into soothing frozen bliss.

Thayle looked up and smiled, wiping an eye with a frosty hand.

“Thank you,” she said weakly.

“You are welcome my lover,” Lilly said her head hovering just over them.

Thayle looked up at Gersius who watched her with concern.

“Thank you for healing my hands,” she said with a trembling laugh. “I was trying to keep you from having to call out to your God, and you had to do it anyways.”

“Thayle, it is alright. I appreciate what you tried to do. There was no way to know this was going to happen.”

Thayle felt the initial shock of the burn fading and a certain measure of comfort from the dragon kiss Lilly had blown her. She sat up and held her hands out and flexed them. They looked perfectly fine and tingled slightly from the healing. She turned and looked directly at Gersius as he sat inches from her. Once again, he had rushed to her aid and brought her comfort. She glanced up at Lilly and smiled and then looked back to him. She stared into his eyes deeply as she tried to steady her thoughts.

“I made Lilly a promise,” she said, wiping her eyes to dry them.

“Thayle, no! I don't want you to do that now,” Lilly said.

Gersius looked at Lilly as she spoke then back to Thayle. “What did you promise her?”

Thayle smiled. “This,” she said and leaned up, putting her lips to his. She held the kiss for a good long while until his arms finally came around her and held her in an embrace.

When she pulled away, he looked at her, stunned.

“I have waited long enough to do that,” she said then settled back leaning against Lilly.

“You didn't have to do that. Especially after being punished like that,” Gersius said. “Now is not the time to be pushing yourself when you are feeling so emotional.”

“Something always comes up! Something always happens that stops me! I just wanted one kiss,” she said.

“Well if it means anything to you, Lilly is pleased,” Gersius said.

“I am happy she finally kissed you, but I am worried about you, Thayle,” Lilly said, leaning her head in closer.

“I chose to make a curse, Lilly. I will bear the punishment for it,” Thayle said in a somber voice.

“That plant had me trapped. What would have happened if it had managed to drag me into those yellow pods?”

“It's covered in a sticky glue that burns the skin and paralyzes the animal that touches it,” Thayle said with disgust. “A large animal might take several days to die, slowly in agony as the caustic sap slowly dissolves its flesh.”

“So as a dragon, I would potentially be there for weeks in terrible pain as I was slowly eaten?” Lilly asked.

Thayle nodded her head.

“And you saved me, no you saved us from that,” she bellowed.

“I should not have made a curse. I should have seen the danger and not gotten trapped in the first place.”

“That is foolishness, and you know it,” Gersius said. “The plant was completely hidden! Even if you saw the vines, the pods were concealed in dense brush.”

“It only matters what Ulustrah thinks,” Thayle replied.

“Well then you need to teach me to pray to Ulustrah so I can tell her how amazing you are because she clearly isn’t watching closely enough,” Gersius said sternly.

Thayle smiled and reached over and took him in another kiss. He quickly put his hand to the side of her head and kissed her back passionately.

“My two loves are finally sharing between them,” Lilly said softly.

Thayle broke the kiss with a smile and a weak laugh.

“It’s so weird knowing you are watching everything we do,” Thayle said.

“I can feel her emotions, she is very happy for us,” Gersius said.

“I am also jealous of the fact that I can’t share in any of it,” Lilly said.

“Oh sweet dragon come here,” Thayle said, holding her arms up.

Lilly reached around and put her head down just over their laps, and Thayle pecked it with slow kisses.

The fire made a loud snap, and Gersius looked up from his wives. “Well, on a positive note, you did manage to start the fire.”

Thayle laughed again as she ran her hands along Lilly’s face.

“I am glad you are with us, Jillisephony,” Lilly said, enjoying the rub.

“I am glad I am with you, Azurastra,” Thayle replied.

Lilly made a little whimper and lifted her head back up. Luminous tears fell from her eyes as she closed them.

“Lilly, what is wrong?” Thayle asked.

“Just a few weeks ago, I told Gersius to kill me when he asked me for my true name. Now you both know it, and I love hearing you say it.”

“So much has changed, hasn't it?” Gersius said. “I sometimes feel like my life started the day I first met you.” Gersius put a hand to his face and shook his head. “To think I almost lost you to my stupidity.”

“Your stupidity?” Lilly said, looking down at him.

“I should have known the father Abbot was not to be trusted. I caused you so much pain!”

Lilly nudged his chest with her snout.

“I have forgiven you, Gersius, and it really wasn’t your fault,” Lilly said.

“When you ran away from me that night I had nothing left to live for,” he said looking up into her blazing eyes. “If you hadn't come back,” he added, letting the question hang in the air.

“I was never going to allow that to happen,” Thayle said, curling up into him.

“You saved our relationship Thayle, I was planning on never coming back,” Lilly admitted.

“Sweet Lilly, you weren’t going to leave. I would have followed you all the way back to your cave and pestered you until you admitted you loved him. Then I would have marched you all the way back to him!”

“And this is why I love you,” Gersius said, looking at Thayle.

Thayle hung her head and smiled. “I know you love me. Your light has been traveling to me strongly since the day you bound me. Once you found out I was willing to let you bind me, I saw your aura change. But even before that, there was a little light flowing from you to me.”

He nodded in agreement. “I was in love with you back in Eastgate. But you had rejected me when I asked you to go east. So I held my emotions in check and encouraged Lilly to test your heart. I wasn't going to allow myself to dwell on you until I knew you loved me. But when you told me you were willing to submit like that, my heart melted for you,” Gersius said, putting an arm around her and holding her tight.

“I doubt I could ever have told anybody else. But I saw how gentle you were with Lilly when she was under your control. I knew I could trust you with it,” Thayle said. “You may be the one man in the world I trust to hold me bound.” she nestled into his side and put her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

The night rolled on as Lilly stood watch over her loved ones while they slept.

As the hours ticked by Lilly continued to watch the forest around them, it was near dawn when she heard it.

Her head snapped to the side and looked into the trees. There was a sound like wood and branches grinding. It reminded her of what it sounded like as she scraped through the brush.

She fixed her gaze into the trees. Her eyes easily piercing the gloom of the forest. Its broad, scaled head came into view, and at first, she thought she was seeing another dragon. But it stalked her way slowly sliding across the ground on its belly. A great forked tongue flashed before it's mouth and its pale white eyes bulged out of its head. It was covered in rusty brown scales with a crisscrossing pattern of gold ones going down it's back. As she could see more of it, she realized it was nearly twice as long as she was.

Her head raced down to her loved ones.

“Gersius, Thayle!” she whispered loudly. “Get up! Something is approaching the camp!”

Gersius blinked into alertness in a moment, and Thayle stirred and quickly got out of his arms.

“What is it?” Gersius asked.

“There in the trees,” she said gesturing with a flick of her head. “It is coming directly at us,” Lilly whispered.

Gersius had to step around her a little to see. His dragon sight made the monster clear as day.

“What is it?” Thayle asked as she joined him.

“It is a snake. One of the giant northern vipers,” Gersius said, eyeing the monster as it slowly crawled toward them.

“By Ulustrah it's a big one,” Thayle said as she saw it. “It's head is larger than Lilly's.”

Gersius drew his sword, and Thayle quickly got her shield and club.

“Lilly, freeze it when it gets close. See if you can drive it off,” Gersius called out as Lilly stood up.

Lilly's eyes began to glow brighter as she took a deep breath. The monstrous serpent crawled its way toward them and when it saw her move it suddenly began to curl around itself its mouth opening to reveal a pair of fangs longer then Gersius's arms.

Lilly let loose with a torrent of freezing ice and snow. A great screeching noise went up, and the snake exploded into motion seeming to swim through the trees at high speed moving around them and escaping the worst of the blast.

It suddenly burst out at them from the side; it's powerful maw leading the way. It was open so wide its fangs were nearly horizontal with the ground. Thayle dived out of the way, and Gersius leaped forward his sword grazing down the beast's neck. Lilly had to scramble to avoid the deadly bite. She snapped trunks and toppled trees as she stumbled to get out of the way.

“I have no room to maneuver is these trees!” she called out as the beast lashed out again impossibly fast.

Green chains formed in the air and wrapped around the beast's neck, stopping it inches from Lillys hide as she struggled to get through the restrictive trunks.

Thayle fought to hold on to the magical bonds she had woven, but the serpent suddenly thrashed about violently. It pulled so forcefully on the chains that it yanked her off the ground and hurled her into the nearby trees.

“Thayle!” Gersius yelled as he heard branches snapping in the darkness.

He ran as fast as he could at the writhing scaled mass that flailed in the forest. He leaped and dug his sword into its side tip first burying it as deeply as he could.

A second screech echoed in the forest, and the serpent lashed around biting at him but was stopped as Lilly threw herself on it's back.

A dragon's roar and a serpents wail echoed across the dark forest as the two locked in a titanic battle. The snake thrashed violently battering Lilly against trees and rocks. It twisted over and over coiling about her and Gersius suddenly saw the danger.

“Lilly, it is going to constrict you!” he yelled as he tried to strike at the rapidly twisting monster.

The warning came too late the monster's body suddenly tightened and a massive cord of muscle and scales wrapped around her.

Lilly gasped as the air was crushed from her lungs, and she bit the monster viciously.

In horror Gersius watched the monster open its mouth and with a lightning strike bury its long fangs into Lilly’s hide. The scream she made caused his blood to freeze.

A rage swept over Gersius as she saw Lilly's eyes glaze over, and her bite on the beast neck weaken as she started to fade.

“Dassk!” he called out as he raced in, a shrill whistling noise splitting the air.

The great serpent suddenly wailed again but refused to release it’s death bite as Gersius split it down one side, the wind razor cleanly cutting it like paper.

It tried to roll and twist pulling Lilly with it as it squeezed her, but Gersius cut it everywhere he could reach it. He split its hide in great bursts of blood and scales and finally the beast relinquished its hold and suddenly lashed out at him.

A word of power echoed in the air, and the beasts head rocked back as an orange hammer blasted into its jaw. It quickly recovered and tried to lash out again, but Gersius was already drawing on divine strength.

He caught the mouth racing in at one side and split its jaw down its neck.

The monster wailed and thrashed battering the motionless form of Lilly and Gersius enraged leaped on its neck and buried the razor into the back of its head. He struggled against it as it twisted but refused to let go. He used the blessing of might and the magic of the blade to tear through the beast until the serpents head finally fell clean off its body.

The coiled mass continued to writhe slowly, twisting over and over itself. He took only a moment to make sure it was dead then turned back to the dragon laying on its side.

“Lilly!” he cried.

Gersius ran to Lilly who bled from two terrible holes in her side. Her arms twitched, and her head lay still the light in her eyes fading away.

“Lilly, no!” he screamed as he reached her. He put his hands to her side and began to call on healing power as tears rolled down his face. He felt a burning sensation as he tried to heal that told him Lilly was poisoned. Gersius was panicked, he could heal wounds, but his faith had no power to treat poisons. Lilly was beyond his ability to aid, but not Thayles.

“Thayle!” he screamed out and raced into the trees in the direction he had seen her thrown.

He found her laying in a ball as the base of a badly bend tree.

“Thayle please!” he begged as he turned her body over. The fear that he might lose both of them clawing at his heart.

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Gersius let out a deep rhythmic chant and placed his hands to her face. He stared directly into her eyes as golden light flooded her body. She coughed and spat blood onto his armor as her arms came up, and she struggled to sit.

He hoisted her up, roughly dragging her to her feet.

“It’s poisonous, and it bit Lilly! she is dying!” he pleaded with her as she slowly regained her senses.

“Get me to her!” Thayle cried as she wobbled.

Gersius reached down and hoisted Thayle into his arms and ran with her back to Lilly.

When they arrived, white foam was oozing from Lilly's mouth, and her whole body twitched with spasms. Thayle burst into tears to see her that way as Gersius set her down.

Thayle fell to her knees and immediately put her hands to Lilly. Her chant was more musical and had a certain life to it. The deep wounds to Lilly’s side began to glow a soft golden color, but then the light began to fade.

“Ulustrah please!” Thayle called out.

“What is wrong?” Gersius asked, kneeling beside her.

“She is opposing the healing! She won’t give me the power to remove the poison!”

Gersius felt rage like he had never felt before.

“Just channel,” Gersius said as he knelt right behind her. He wrapped his hands over hers and put his fingers between her. He opened his heart to Astikar and demanded to be given the gift he sought.

Thayle felt a blazing sensation over the bind from Gersius, then her hands began to tingle and grow hot. The golden light in Lilly’s wounds suddenly became a searing white as Gersius channeled Astikars power into Thayle and Thayle used it to cure the poison and the wound. Then something happened she couldn’t believe. She saw light bright as the sun suddenly flare up from Lilly. It was a part of her aura, a part of her strength. It lashed out and reached for Gersius who drew on it and channeled it back to Thayle. She, in turn, returned it to Lilly as healing energy. A great circle of flowing power flooded through her, and in seconds the wounds had closed, and Lilly's twitching stopped.

They both knelt beside Lilly with their fingers locked together panting.

“How, how did you do that?” Thayle asked as Gersius let her go.

Gersius groaned and fell to his hands and knees.

“It is a simple linking ceremony. I lent you my power to use how you needed it,” he said. “Surely your order can do the same?”

“No Gersius that is not what you did!” Thayle said, looking at her own hands that still shook with energy.

“I know what I did, Thayle.”

“Gersius! I saw what happened! I could see the auras. You didn't channel Astikars power; you channeled Lilly's!”

“What?” he said, not believing her words.

“I saw the flow! It poured out of Lilly and into you, and you channeled it into me. It was amazing! I was linked in the flow for just a few seconds, but I felt like I was a part of both of you.”

“Lilly is not divine; she is a dragon,” he said.

“Lilly is partially immortal. Provided nobody tries to kill her, she could live for tens of thousands of years. Maybe that affords her some measure of blessing.”

“She is still mortal, Thayle. I admit she is very long-lived, but even dragons can die of old age.”

“She is not a human, Gersius, and she can mimic the powers of the divine. The fact that she can manipulate her own soul energy to take a human form proves that. She is something much greater than us. She doesn't even understand how much more, none of us do.”

Lilly's arm moved, and she hacked and coughed spitting foam out of her mouth.

“Lilly!” Gersius and Thayle said in unison. Thayle ran to her head and threw her arms around her trying to cradle her. Gersius ran to stand before her and look into her weakly glowing eyes.

“Lilly, are you alright?” he asked her, trying not to cry more.

Her eyes flared brighter, and he could see them focus as she looked right at him.

“Are my loved ones safe?” she asked, struggling to lift her head.

“Sweet dragon!” Thayle cried. “The first thing you want to know is if we are safe.”

“I feel fine,” she said, lifting her head slowly. Though I feel weak.” She looked over to the side and saw the still twitching body of the snake. Her eyes went wide with panic, and she struggled to get up.

“It is still moving!” she yelled.

“Lilly, it is dead!” Gersius cried as she thrashed to get up, causing Thayle to have to back away.

Lilly looked around in a panic and saw the severed head. She glanced to Thayle and Gersius as tears started to run from her eyes.

“I want to go home!” she cried, lowering her head. “I want to take you both to my cave and keep you safe.”

Thayle felt a pain in her heart to see Lilly so emotional. “Sweet Lilly, we can't quit now, we have come so far,” Thayle said, walking up to her.

“Why are we doing this?” Lilly asked. “Why are we here risking our lives?”

“Lilly, we are doing this for you. If there is any chance to help you, we need to take it. Please, as Thayle said, we have come so far already,” Gersius implored her.

“I want to be in a bed in your arms. I want to kiss you both,” she said sadly.

“If we can find a good safe spot where we are out of the trees I will stand watch again so you and Thayle can be together,” Gersius said trying to soothe her.

“I want you both,” Lilly said, looking from one to the other.

“I can stand watch so you and Gersius can be together,” Thayle said, putting an arm to Lilly's shoulder.

“No Thayle,” Lilly said, moving an arm she gently pushed Thayle over to Gersius and then lowered her head to look them both in the eyes. “I want you both.”

Thayle glanced over to Gersius with wide eyes and a nervous tremble to her hands.

“If, if that is what you want. I, I will do it,” Thayle said in a stammer.

Gersius shook his head. “Lilly, it is too soon for that. Thayle has only just kissed me hours ago. You have to give us more time.”

“I know you need more time. I just wish I could be in both your arms together.”

“Someday, Lilly, you will get your wish, I promise,” Gersius said, putting a hand to Lilly's jaw.

“It was good to see you kiss at least,” she said her eyes turning to Thyale.

Thayle blushed a little and put her hand up to caress the underside of Lilly’s head with Gersius.

“I suppose there is no reason to go back to sleep. I can already see the sun coming up,” Gersius said, looking out into the sky.

“I want to be out of this horrid forest. I liked the tall trees I could walk under. There was less on the ground,” Lilly complained.

“I know, Lilly. If I knew another way I would take it, but all we can do is follow the river.” He looked over at Thayle who was leaning her head against Lilly’s jaw now and just holding her.

“Are you alright, Thayle?”

“I am fine; you healed me completely. I took that tree trunk to the stomach. The mail didn't protect me from such a heavy impact.

“You bent the tree over you hit it so hard,” he said, putting a hand to her back.

“Thayle was hurt?” Lilly bellowed, lifting her head to look down on Thayle.

“I am fine, Lilly. Gersius took care of me,” Thayle said

“My loved ones are getting hurt. I have nearly been killed twice. This forest is a terrible place!”

“We will pack up our stuff, and we will go and find this temple so we can get back and get to a nice warm inn,” Gersius said to calm her.

“Where we can all be together?” Lilly asked.

Gersius looked down at Thayle who blushed.

“Yes, Lilly, we will all be together,” she said.

Gersius decided to break the tension and distract her. “Are you hungry?” he asked Thayle.

Thayle shook her head. “No, I haven't been hungry since the first day really, or thirsty, but I could use a wash.”

“We have plenty of water on the saddle. None of us are drinking anything. You can use that. I will go stand on the other side of Lilly so you can wash in privacy.”

“No,” Thayle said with a sigh. “I need to commune with Ulustrah. I need to speak with her first,” Thayle said with a tremble.

“Thayle, maybe now is not the best time,” Gersius said, putting his hands to her shoulders.

“Gersius, I need to talk to her. She refused to give me the power to heal Lilly. Not to mention the binding chains grant us strength while we channel them. That snake should not have been able to throw me so easily. She didn’t give me the strength I needed to hold it.”

“Thayle, if your Goddess forsakes you I will never forgive her.”

She put a hand on his chest and looked into his eyes. “Gersius, please. I need you to watch over me while I open my heart to her.”

“Of course,” he said, studying her face.

Thayle slowly went to her pack and pulled out her silver bowl and took one of the water pouches down.

She took her bedroll and carefully laid it out on the ground.

“Is she going to talk to her goddess?” Lilly asked as she saw what Thayle was doing.

“Yes, Lilly. Ulustrah refused to give Thayle the power she needed to save you.”

“What!” Lilly barked in a harsh tone.

“You were poisoned by the snake's bite. I have no power to remove poisons, so Thayle had to do it, but she could not.”

“So how did you heal me?” Lilly asked.

“Priests can channel their power into another so that several working together can work bigger effects. I channeled my power to Thayle so she could use mine to heal you.”

“Why would her Goddess deny her access to her power?”

“Ulustrah is very angry with her. Thayle is going to open her heart to her and beg for forgiveness.”

“This isn't right! Thayle is a wonderful person. She only did that to save our lives!”

“Sometimes, the Gods do not consider saving a life to be worth the cost.”

“I don’t know why you humans worship these gods,” Lilly whispered.

Thayle sat down on her bedroll and put her bowl in her lap. She poured the water into the bowl and put her hands down over her knees as she opened her eyes and stared into the reflection. With a deep sigh, she let the world around her fade as she opened her heart to the divine.

Gersius watched her nervously as she made the connection.

Thayles head dropped, and they both heard her whisper, “I am sorry, please forgive me.”

She began to cry, and Gersius felt the cords of his heart begin to twist in anger. He could feel her anguish over the bind as she spoke with Ulustrah. Lilly nudged him as she felt his anger, and he felt her concern as well. Thayle sat there for what seemed like forever to the two watching as her tears dropped into the silver bowl.

“I accept!” Thayle called loudly as she lifted her face to the sky

.

“She accepts what?” Lilly asked.

“Shhh, Lilly, she is talking with the divine.”

Thayle suddenly cried out as if in pain and cupped her hands over her face and cried more profusely.

Gersius couldn't stand by the side any longer. He rushed to her and put his arms around her.

“Thayle?” he said, holding her in his arms. “Are you alright?”

Thayle kept her face covered as she cried. “She has forgiven me,” the woman moaned.

Lilly moved closer, and her head hovered over them.

Gersius breathed a sigh of relief. “I am glad this is over. You are a good woman, Thayle. I am proud to call you my wife.”

“I have paid the cost,” Thayle said through her hands.

“What cost?” Gersius said, getting up to kneel in front of her. “Thayle what cost did you pay?” he asked in earnest.

Thayle pulled her hands down and looked up at Gersius. “She has marked me so that everyone who sees me will know I failed her.”

Gersius's blood began to boil as he looked down on the face of his gentle wife. On her cheek, just under her left eye, her skin was stained black in the shape of a single tear.

“No, this is not right!” Gersius said, putting his hand to her face to try and wipe it off.

“It’s no use Gersius,” Thayle cried.

“I will not accept this, Thayle!” he told her. He put his hands to her face and began to chant calling on the healing power, trying to undo the mark.

“Gersius you can't heal a mark of shame, and you know it!” Thayle cried out.

“Thayle it is not right!” Gersius yelled back at her. “You do not deserve this. You are the greatest priestess I have ever known!”

“I made the curse even though I knew it was wrong! I panicked, and I did something I was forbidden to do. If I loved Ulustrah like I claim to, I would not have tainted her blessing!”

“You did that because you love Lilly and me! You saw no other way out. What were you going to do with your shield and staff?”

“It doesn't matter, I have already accepted the punishment,” Thayle said, starting to cry again.

“I will not have people look at the kindest and most devout woman I have ever known and see a mark of shame! You do not deserve this!” He stood up shaking with rage.

“Gersius, your anger is so intense I can feel pain from it,” Lilly said, moving her head away.

“Please, Gersius, I can feel it too. Please don't be so angry,” Thayle begged.

“Listen to me, my wives! I was tortured over and over by the servants of the god of mercy!” He roared and turned to face Lilly. “Those same servants cut your wings off in an act of unspeakable cruelty!” He turned again to face Thayle. “None of them has been punished! None of them have been denied access to blessing! None of them carries a single mark of shame!” He knelt before Thayle and took her face in his hands. “But you, my beautiful wife. You made one tiny transgression in a moment of desperation. Not to harm others, but to save them, and you are punished for it?” His thumb ran over the black tear to try and wash it away.

“Ulustrah and Astikar are not the same God,” Thayle said looking up into his eyes as he started to cry.

“It isn't right,” he whispered, putting his head down and resting it on hers. His tears ran down his face and dripped to her cheek to join hers as they ran further down and fell into her silver bowl.

Lilly watched them from above and shed her own tears. In her heart, all she wanted to do was go home. She wanted to take her loves and build their house in the valley where she could keep them safe.