Melting the Ice Witch

by Mell Eight

  "You both feel angry because you feel slighted by the other, yet you fear what speaking those emotions will cause as well," Kam finished softly, aware that both dragons were staring at him incredulously.

  "There has to be a compromise," Lor agreed as he stepped up to support Kam. His warm hand came to rest comfortably on Kam's shoulder as he spoke, and Kam couldn't help leaning into Lor's side. "It is too late to undo the peace the Eldest has created with the humans, not that we should," he added when Bast made an indignant sound. "They live happily in the human city under their king without qualm. We of the Tribe of the White Dragon have no wish to leave the ice either, but our presence out here doesn't cause any strife to the peace you're trying to enforce. We are not the problem! You both are, with each other."

  White seemed to take Lor's accusation in stride and the Eldest kept his face blank as he looked at Kam and Lor. Kam could tell White felt satisfied with the outcome of the fight. The Eldest felt cautious to Kam's probing. He backed away from the gathering until he found a lot of space before shifting forms and shooting into the air.

  The Eldest didn't fly south, back to his hoard. Instead he shot straight up into the air until Kam couldn't see him.

  White chuckled. "He really hasn't changed. He always has to be right, and he is always so calm when it comes to making decisions for others, but when he's wrong and it's about himself … He does sulk very nicely," White said with another laugh.

  "Will he be okay?" Tori sniffled, blinking his red-rimmed eyes up at White.

  White nodded and gave Tori a gentle smile of reassurance. "He'll be fine. We managed to finally get the problem aired without any mistaken assumptions clouding the issue. I think, this time, we should be able to just sit and talk like rational creatures. I have been waiting for my Eldest to return to me for so very long. I won't give up this chance. If you'll excuse me?" he said politely.

  Kam watched as White, feeling quite satisfied and almost anticipatory, walked away from the gathering and shifted forms. He took off into the air, flying after the Eldest with pointed determination.

  "Well, that was interesting," Mae finally remarked into the silence left behind as everyone continued to stare in the direction White had flown.

  "Was it just me, or did you feel a heck of a lot of sexual tension between those two dragons?" Tomm asked one of the awkwardly shifting soldiers. They were all standing together to one side of the hill, as if White and the Eldest had been on stage and they the captivated audience.

  "That's one way to put it," Mae agreed when the soldier just blushed. "So, about those trade and peace agreements?" she asked.

  *~*~*

  Tori and Jerney went home. Jerney had an apartment over a shop he owned and ran where they lived together. Bast just sighed at that admission, grumbling something about messy hoard rooms moldering in castle basements before he and his troop mounted up to make the long ride south. Nyle also flew home, Leon perched comfortably on his back, with Toel and Gail leading the way. Bast, Toel, and Leon all had copies of the signed trade agreement so the King, the Eldest, and the Alpha living somewhere very far south could all see what had been agreed to.

  "For whenever the Eldest reappears," Gail said with a giggle that showed Kam exactly where Tori got his sense of fun.

  "I suspect builders will begin arriving at this location within the next few days," Bast had explained to Lor and Mae before leaving. "King Felix and I want to have this school up and running as soon as possible. The faster we can have a regulated system of witches in the city, the happier we will both be."

  It was with a sense of accomplishment that Mae, Lor, Hern, and Tomm returned to the sleds. The trade agreements would bring in essentials like vegetables and grains, which would greatly improve the quality of life out on the ice. The new school was planning to set up a mentoring program where witches had to spend a year on the ice perfecting basic skills as part of their graduation and certification requirements. Some witches might even choose to stay, perhaps adding more witch blood to the Tribe. More witches meant more protections against the elements, which meant more hunting parties could go out, which would support more children. The clans would finally begin growing again.

  Kam busied himself hitching the dogs back up to the sled. Each dog had to be reassured that the big dragons were gone with a lot of petting and attention before they were calmed enough to be hooked up.

  The constant reminders from the dogs of the fighting, of Kam standing up and speaking to two dragons, had him shivering slightly in reaction. He felt plenty happy about the success of the trade agreements, of course, but the memory of the Eldest snarling at him and of Kam standing up to the Eldest in return put a damper on any excitement Kam felt.

  Kam had just hitched the last dog onto the sled when Lor pulled Kam backwards into his arms.

  "I felt something of what you did to stop that fight," Lor said gently into Kam's ear.

  "I can't believe I spoke to dragons that way!" Kam gasped in reply.

  Kam felt Lor smile against Kam's neck. "I was talking about that neat package of magic you formed and fired at those dragons, but it was also nice seeing you stand up against the dragons for being stupid," Lor explained.

  "Oh," Kam finally said after a long moment to fight down his blush. Lor wasn't being subtle about just how nice he thought Kam's actions had been. Lor's body was pressed firmly against Kam's back, his hips tight to Kam's bottom, and it was impossible for Kam to get any other conclusion from Lor's statement given just what was poking him in the butt.

  "You'll have to practice," Lor continued, but Kam wasn't sure if Lor meant practice his magic, which Kam had already been planning to do, or practice tumbling down in their sleeping furs. Both sounded like fun, but the latter wasn't something they should be thinking about when they were in plain view of the three people waiting impatiently for them on the sled.

  "When we get back to our tent, I'll practice," Kam agreed. He pushed his hips seductively back into Lor's and craned his neck around until he could press a chaste, yet still promising, kiss to Lor's lips. Kam pulled away and joined Mae on the sled, hoping his fur coat hid his own visible reaction to Lor's suggestions.

  After a long moment, Lor climbed onto the back of the sled next to where Hern was holding the guide whip. Moments later they were off, gliding over the snow as fast as the dogs could carry them.

  It was only a short journey of a few hours, but they were racing the sun home. Originally they had decided to sleep in the in the small house or barn to avoid being out on the ice after nightfall, but the fiasco with the dragons as well as the fact that the negotiations had ended much earlier than planned, meant that if they hurried they could sleep in their own furs that night instead.

  The sun was just a sliver above the mountains, heading past dangerous into deadly for those still on the ice, when the camp finally came into view. Kam immediately noticed something odd. There were many more tents than usual!

  Lor and Mae both groaned at the same time and didn't seem surprised when Cara, Ness, and Lenny all came running when the sled was spotted.

  "Bay is here," Cara explained when the sled slid to a stop closest to her.

  "I guessed," Mae grumbled dryly. "Any particular reason why Bay decided to move his entire clan south to join ours?" she asked.

  "The White Dragon," Ness explained. "Apparently White decided to inform Bay that the clans were going to be one again. Bay's been raging about food supplies and hunting parties since."

  "The clans were divided for a reason," Lor grumbled, stepping off the sled first. "We couldn't sustain a large Tribe hunting the same ground, so we separated far enough that our hunting circles wouldn't overlap. It's a three day journey from their camp to ours."

  "White must have made them move first thing after he left us four days ago," Mae agreed as she joined Lor off the sled. "Might as well get this over with," she added as she pulled the packing tube containing their copy of the trade agreement off the sled.

  Kam
hurried to free the dogs from their traces so Hern and Tomm could put the sled away. The dogs happily trotted off to explore the new people Kam could see seated around the central fire, but Kam headed directly to where Lor was quickly getting into an argument with a tall man next to the fire.

  The man stood like Lor, as if he had power and the authority to use it. His hair was also long and intricately braided, but it was the more natural faded blond color shared by most members of the Tribe. Kam could see his eyes were snapping blue, which made Kam believe that the man must be related to Lor in some distant way.

  Then Lor snarled, "Father, please listen!" just as Kam stepped up next to him.

  "Bay," Mae added, "we have a solution if you'd just care to listen!"

  The strange man was Bay, the leader and witch of the only other clan camp out on the wastes, and he was Lor's father.

  Bay snorted. "Listen to my deserter son? I see no reason to lower myself that far. I am here because White ordered me to come, but I am not happy about it."

  "Well, that's too bad," White said, clearly faked sadness in his voice. He was in human form on the far side of the fire, almost hiding behind one of the new tents as he took the time to study Bay and Lor's argument.

  Kam, as well as a number of other people who had been equally intent on the argument, jumped in surprise at White's sudden appearance.

  "I never would have guessed my own Tribe would be Riven as well," White continued as he stepped closer to the fire. Then he blatantly turned his back on both Bay and Lor, focusing his hard, golden eyes on Kam. "No magic," White said quickly, throwing up a hand to hold Lor off. "I have no wish to enspell our young empath or incite your ire."

  Kam could feel that White was being sincere, so he held still under the intense scrutiny of White's gaze. Then White blinked and Kam was finally able to take a full breath of air. When White opened his eyes again, he was focused on Lor.

  "Explain how the Riving occurred," White said sharply to Lor.

  Lor nodded and took a deep, bracing breath before speaking. "It was at least a thousand years ago, probably closer to two thousand years. There were three witches remaining in the Tribe: my father, my mother, and myself. The Tribe was large with many people and survived the cold and ice thanks to having three people with power. But we were too populous and it wasn't long before finding enough food to feed everyone became almost impossible. My mother went out with a hunting party, set to travel a full day south in search of new hunting. She never returned.

  "I told my father we had to move and that the Tribe had to split in two or we wouldn't survive. He disagreed. I was sent on the next hunting party, but the drifts from the blizzard that took my mother had changed the landscape. Our navigator became lost and our sled fell into a ravine as we traveled new roads in a desperate search for game. I lost my first child, a boy of sixteen, that day. Still, my father refused to move.

  "But by then our people were starving. My wife died after she gave one too many of her own portions to feed our hungry children. So I packed up myself and what remained of my family, gathered any followers from the camp who wished to join me, and traveled far south where there was fresh hunting," Lor finished with a final glare at Bay.

  "You abandoned your responsibilities!" Bay snapped. "Without a second witch to watch over the Tribe they died in droves from ice related accidents that should have been preventable!"

  "They were dying already!" Lor snapped back. "From hunger, because even with two witches we still couldn't feed them properly! Now look at us," Lor continued with a wave at the mass of tents circling the central fire. "We have just as many, if not more, members of the Tribe alive and well simply because we split our hunting grounds!"

  "I see that this is quite serious and quite unlikely to be solved simply," White said with a groan. "It will take considerable time and mediation. Even if it takes another thousand years to reconcile, we will keep trying. However, we have other monumental news upon us as well," he said to Lor.

  Kam watched as Mae stepped forward to unroll the trade agreement so White could read it. "Grains and vegetables in return for furs and blocks of ice," White read. "Witches with one year contracts on the ice from the school." He nodded to himself. "It does seem mutually beneficial to me. Of course, our reliance on the human city for grains, vegetables, and fruits will end once I find the ice city and we rekindle the hot springs underneath that melted sufficient farmland for our needs before the Riving. Still, this is an excellent beginning to our peace agreement with the human city and their allies."

  "Peace agreement?" Bay asked, sounding horrified. "Trading? What is this farce?"

  "This farce," Lor snarled, "will save our people. More food with a varied diet will make us stronger and healthier. We'll be less reliant on the hunting in the area, which means that having more children will not destroy us like last time. Plus, having witches on loan from the school will ensure our safety on the ice!"

  "These delusions will only bring about more death!" Bay hissed despite a number of people Kam didn't know, who must be part of Bay's clan, nodding in interested agreement.

  "No!" White snapped, finally angry at Bay. "Your son has learned from your mistakes. Perhaps it is time for you to learn from your own mistakes as well. Bay, you have led your clan well these years and I will need your leadership in the coming future as I reestablish the Tribe of the White Dragon, but I cannot have your enmity destroying us before we even begin."

  White paused to think for a long moment while Bay simmered and Lor watched the spectacle unfold with shock on his face.

  "It will take a few months for the witch school to be built, but once it is running I believe a sign of good will from us would be to send a teacher. Bay, for a minimum of five years you are to teach at the school where you will learn to take orders from Jerney and Tori, who are in charge. Should you learn to listen to the sound advice of others by the end of your sentence I shall allow your return."

  Bay didn't dignify that pronouncement with an answer. He spun on his heel and stomped away from the fire in a huff. Kam watched Lor, who was watching his father leave with a disturbingly blank expression on his face. Whatever Lor was feeling because of Bay, Kam could tell the emotions were old and well worn. Lor had no difficulties letting whatever he was feeling dissipate as if he had come to terms with the problem a long time ago.

  White sighed and shook his head. "Well, hopefully he'll come around. Lor, I leave you in charge of the Tribe," he continued, emphasizing the singular noun, "while I search for our city."

  "I would appreciate it," another voice said softly from exactly the same spot White had surprised them all from earlier, "if we could assuage the fears brewing in my established city before we fly off into the unknown."

  Kam turned to see the Eldest standing in human form behind White with his arms crossed and a small grin on his face.

  "We can do that, Eldest," White agreed with his own answering smile. White walked quickly over to where the Eldest was standing and placed his hands gently on the Eldest's shoulders. "Shall we fly?" he asked softly. Outwardly, Kam couldn't see anything other than two friends who happened to be dragons. Inwardly, however, Kam had no doubts that White and the Eldest were lovers and very deeply in love.

  Runt, who had meandered onto Kam's feet sometime during Lor and Bay’s argument, snorted in boredom. She wanted to play and wouldn't mind in the least if the dragons left.

  Kam glanced up from Runt's sprawled form to see White leading the way out of the camp, pulling the Eldest by the hand. The Eldest glanced back at Kam and nodded his head once in acknowledgement, before turning and following after his mate. Moments later, two dragons flew overhead, heading south.

  Kam had no doubts that he would be seeing them again.

  "So," Lor said, letting out a loud sigh. "Let's get ourselves organized." He beckoned to a young woman from Bay's clan and to Cara and Ness. "Cara, Ness, please show this young woman how our tents are laid out and help her organize her clan's sleeping
quarters before we lose the last of our daylight."

  Cara, Ness, and a shocked young woman who clearly wasn't used to being given a position with any responsibility walked off purposefully. Soon after other people started working and the crazed mass of tents suddenly grew into an organized mass. Kam stayed by the fire, playing tug of war with Runt and watching Lor go around and introduce himself to the northern Tribe members.

  By the time dinner was served, everyone had a place to sleep that night and a group was organized to head towards one of the nearby ice drifts in the morning to start looking for the best way to harvest the ice for trade. Kam spent much of the evening in the kennels, helping the new dogs integrate without fights over territory or pecking order.

  Kam slid into his furs that night, hopeful that things would go all right. There were certainly plenty of arguments yet to occur as the two clans melded back into one, particularly between Lor and Bay, but as White had said: they were the Tribe of the White Dragon. When the White Dragon spoke, somehow those wishes were answered.

  There was still a long way to go: a school to be built and trading routes to cement. Then at some point they would have to move into the Ice City when White uncovered it and restart their lives yet again. There was still a long way to go, Kam knew that, but none of those tasks were insurmountable.

  Lor slid under the furs next to Kam, his cold feet making Kam shiver and grumble even as he snuggled closer to Lor's chest. Lor would ensure things went well and Kam would do his best to be there every step of the way to help Lor accomplish those goals.

  Kam fell asleep, tightly held in Lor's loving arms, knowing that things would all work out eventually. When you were mated into a Dragon's Hoard, it was inevitable.

  Dragon's Hoard Fin

  About the Author

  When Mell Eight was in high school she wrote a short story for an English class. The assignment was for no more than five pages, yet she had turned in ten and the story wasn’t completed. Her teacher was impressed, but writing stories for fun was her main source of procrastination from homework; handing in an assignment that actually asked her to write fiction was too good to pass up. Since then Mell has continued writing, posting in many online communities for fanfiction and original fiction and eventually branching into slash fiction. She mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, but has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.