Greywolf - Black Dragons

"No one is coming."

We stand upon the hill where the body of the brave little girl had been burned, Titan and Avitohol in armor while I'm wearing white trousers and nothing else except the cloak keeping off the cold wind. Below us, the encampment's darker than normal, because a lot of the people living there have gathered to watch this betrothal happen. At least a thousand torches show the route it's going to take, making a passage between them from the bridge, running at an angle away from the river, until becoming a wide circle where I've got to 'steal' Wysper away from her temporary family, as per tradition. Kula, and a hundred of the Chosen, are waiting to 'defend' her, while a hundred warriors of the People are supposed to be helping me.

Except no one's decided to come. "This isn't fair," Avitohol says in reply to Titan's comment as he paces back and forth like a caged wolf. "Father told me his khans would send warriors to join us, and show their defiance to those whose hearts belong to Timur and not to me. He told me they'd come."

There's a ragged edge of hurt in his voice, and I share a look with Titan before he sighs. "I was afraid this might happen. The other khans are unhappy with the Great Khan's decision to banish Timur, and while they would never dare question him, withholding their warriors is a risk-free way to show their displeasure."

"Risk-free to them maybe," Avitohol snaps. "Even though it's Kula and his picked warriors, they'll be honor bound to beat Greywolf into a pulp or risk being ridiculed as cowards."

"Then they'll beat me to a pulp," I snarl. Normally I could just evade them by using the Grey, but not only had I vowed to the Great Khan not to do that, but a Night Hag tried to rip my face off when I poked my nose into the Shadowlands to see if it was safe. "They're honor bound not to kill me, so if I have to, I'll crawl on my hands and knees until I reach her-" The wind shifts, now coming from the west, and bringing with it a musky smell. "Shite, that smells like Warghorses coming from the direction of Bukhara."

As per tradition, all of us are unarmed. "Both of you get behind me now," Titan rumbles as he turns to face the west.

"Who do you think it is?" I ask. "Timur?"

"Raiders from another clan, more likely," Avitohol answers. "Just hope it's not bandits, or we're in horse shite up to our ears."

The pounding of hard paws riding up the hill reaches our ears, and Titan bellows like a war drum. "Whoever approaches, name yourself friend or foe."

The Warghorse riders crest the hill, grey shadows in the moonlight as a growling voice calls out, "Friend."

Hope surges within me. "Castor, is that you?"

A wolfish figure in armor slides off from behind a rider and lopes towards me as I come around Titan, who goes back to a relaxed, yet wary stance. Castor stops and we give each other a warrior's hug. "You didn't think I was going to abandon you?"

We pound each other on the back before letting go. "I thought you were trapped in Bukhara."

"I was, but Fox needed someone to go with her to the encampment that wasn't beholden to Timur, so off we went across the bridge through the Shadowlands."

Titan rumbles, "Is this a jest? That Daemo is frightened of her own shadow."

"Not when I've got a hundred Black Dragon warriors around me for protection." Fox slides down from behind a tall rider at the front and walks towards us, wearing the armor Prince Varsena had crafted for her. "Raid-leader Hypam is guarding me while-"

"Hypam?" Avitohol races around Titan towards the tall rider swinging down from the Warghorse. "What are you doing here?"

"Hunting for you," the tall figure responds with a woman's husky voice. Hypam's wearing an open faced helm and black leather armor fully covered in Artifact, with a sheathed sword strapped to her belt, and as Avitohol reaches her, she picks him up and swings him around. "Blood and stones," she says as she puts him down, "when did you get so heavy?"

"That's kind of a long story. Greywolf, this is my cousin, Hypam, a Fire-mage for the Black Dragon clan." Avitohol motions back at us. "These are my friends-"

"Greywolf, son of the Wolf-mother, and Titan, last of the Ancient Ones, as the Ogri of Haven call you. Our clan has heard all about you both." She bows towards him. "I am honored to finally meet you."

Titan inclines his head. "Well met. You surprise me, though, knowing what I am."

Hypam has the face of a Tartaros warrior, but with burn marks on her skin instead of scars. "Black Dragon hunts all through the wastes of Khitia and even to the Xian borders, so we know the Ogri well." She looks at Avitohol. "I'm here because Old Bone Woman had a dream about you, several weeks ago, that made Khan Huldin send us towards the encampment. But instead of riding the trails, we were told to take the caravan roads and reach Bukhara today after nightfall, which we did, and once we got there to 'Take the grey road'." She places her hand on Fox's shoulder for a moment. "I had no idea what that meant until we came upon this little one, and Castor."

Fox smiles at her as Hypam lets her go. "She agreed to place us under her protection in exchange for passage to an old ruin with a grey tree that's near the troll cave."

Hypam shrugs. "It's faster than traveling half the night to get here, and I'm surprised no one knew about the old temple. Now," her hands going to her hips, "why in Rostaxa's name are the three of you standing out here in the cold?"

"It's a long story as well, but it's like this..."

Avitohol begins explaining what happened over the last few days, with Titan occasionally making comments, and after a bit I pull Castor aside. "How's everything back in Bukhara?"

Castor snorts. "If Bukhara was a dog, it would be on its back exposing its belly and whining. Timur's settling into the satrap's palace while the priestesses are sorting out which buildings in the Temple District become their's, and which ones get torn down."

Before he can go on, Hypam barks out a laugh. "Now, this makes sense. Greywolf, for Avitohol's sake, my warriors and I will defend you so you can symbolically steal away your woman and Khan Khingla can get rid of Timur for good."

Titan rumbles, "The Great Khan may lose most of his warriors this way."

"Good riddance. I am here to petition Khan Khingla to allow our clan to join Avitohol's people, and although it was supposed to only last until spring, with the others gone I believe we will stay. And when Avitohol claims the name of 'Little Father' and become Khan of khans, Black Dragon clan will help Attila lead the remaining tribes away from this dangerous idea of becoming a kingdom."

"That is not what the Great Khan desires."

Hypam snorts. "Since the Great Khan will be dead, there isn't much he can say." She waves her hand towards the encampment. "The People of the Eternal Sky are becoming too settled, while Black Dragon grows too wild. We don't keep sheep or goats but plunder everything we need, selling off the rest to the lords of Khor, or else fight as mercenaries, as we've done for the Ogri of Haven." Hypam glances back at her warriors, then looks at us and shakes her head. "Yet even the wildest among us are beginning to realize we can't keep going down this road forever."

"That would be you," Avitohol quips.

Hypam reaches out and musses his hair. "Then you realize how serious things are getting. When Old Bone Woman last consulted the spirit of our clan, Rostaxa the Black told her this was going to be a Warg winter that bites us hard, sending the old ones into Tengri's arms. We need to find a place to ride it out... just as the Great Khan needs warriors."

"A strange coincidence," Titan rumbles.

"Where Old Bone Woman is concerned, there's no such thing." I trade a look with the others as Hypam goes on. "But for now, let's focus on the battle ahead of us. Greywolf, are you prepared?" In response, I open my cloak, showing my bare chest covered in painted symbols of the wolf on my skin. Hypam strides up to me, running a calloused finger over my healing bite marks but making no comment as she turns her head. "Cousin, did the warriors at least leave you the traditional instruments?"

Avitohol's eyes narrow. "Oh, yeah. They tossed them at my feet, then laughed as they turned around and left."

Hypam smiles. "We shall see who's laughing at the end." She turns towards her warriors and I guess begins explaining what's going on, for they dismount and strap their weapons and helms onto their Warghorses before turning them over to a half-dozen boys not much older than Avitohol, with five of them taking charge of the beasts. The sixth removes a long, curved bow and a single arrow off her Warghorse, and walks over to her side as she removes her own helm and hands it to him.

He sets it on the ground and nocks the arrow as Hypam takes a mana stone in a silver spiral earring and threads it into her earlobe. Titan rumbles, "I thought the Great Khan said no weapons."

Hypam gives him a wicked grin. "I always hate to show up unannounced." Her hair begins glowing a reddish-orange color as the mana stone glows blue, and all of us step back as she cups her hands. A small spinning ball of fire forms, and a moment later, white lines in the shape of a tiny dragon appear around the flaming ball. Hypam motions with her head at the dark haired boy, and he positions the arrowhead so it's just inside the white lines, but not touching the fireball. Then she speaks a word. The lines vanish, leaving behind the illusion of a tiny black dragon attached to the arrow.

The boy hands her the bow and steps back, collecting the helm and returning it to her Warghorse as Hypam pulls back on the bowstring, sights where she wants it to go, and lets fly. The arrow hisses as it leaves the bow, carrying the tiny illusion with it as it rises into the night sky towards the encampment. Black Dragon warriors are walking past us and picking up the discarded instruments as Hypam wipes the sweat from her brow and speaks another word.

The illusion expands as it roars fire, becoming a fair sized black dragon climbing upward until the attached arrow peaks, and then begins falling, as if the dragon is now descending towards the encampment. Screaming and panicked shouts erupt from below as the warriors and Avitohol laugh, but I'm transfixed by the sight of a fire roaring black dragon hurtling earthward, but then curving and falling straight down towards the river as the warriors use the leather straps to hold the drums against their hips as others ready the metal horns. The black dragon illusion hits the water and goes out.

One of the warriors lets loose a blast on his horn. I take off the cloak and let it fall, shivering a bit in the cold wind as the horn blast echoes across the hills before fading. The war drums begin. Hypam motions for me to lead, and as I start down the hill towards the bridge, the drums and horns begin a strange, savage music from a darker time that's oddly compelling, as all the others fall in behind me.

With our feet matching the pace the war drums set, we march together towards the encampment.