The Golden Light
Part II of V

She stepped outside and took in a deep breath of the cool evening air, more people and furres were going in and out of the tavern, some came on foot and others rode war horses with emblems of their reigning king or queen branded into their hide. She walked alone down a dirt path that led into the forest, her black boots kicking aside the small rocks in her path. What will my mate think once I reach our lair? Such a foolish canine to be talking with me so, I wouldn't be surprised if my male was listening in the whole time...she thought. Soon she reached a vast clearing, far enough away from the town and tavern so she can transform into her true draconic form, she slowly spread her arms and a golden light appeared about her, slowly engulfing her whole form and she could feel the slight pain of her shifting and growing bones and muscles. The gold of the light seemed to just seep into every part of her, the black fur fell away to reveal shimmering golden scales and at her sides large leathery wings spread with joyful freedom. Her shape and size grew considerably as it changed from a wolf to a shimmering golden dragoness, her head just able to see over the treetops now and she opened her hazel eyes once the change was complete. She shook herself off and test flapped her great wings, then agilely lifted off from the ground and made her way through the air to the enormous lair she shared with her mate.

He was pacing near the entrance to their lair, he sensed there was something wrong but could not make it out. I dislike that she leaves for so long without telling me where she has gone off to, hopefully she is alright and will come back soon...he thinks. A few moments after this he can hear a heavy set of steps landing just on the edge of the entrance and as he turns he watches his beautiful golden mate walk in, she quickly goes to him after seeing such a worried look on his face.

"What is wrong, my mate?"

"I thought something was wrong, I was starting to worry, where did you go?"

"Town nearby."

"The tavern again? Why do you like going there so much?"

"Something different, you know how I've always liked watching others."

"Yes, I do but I could never understand why. Did anything happen while you were there?"

She paused before she answered and he lifted an eye ridge at her hesitation. "Nothing serious, I assure you."

"What male was it? I'll rip his throat out if he was rude to you in any way," her mate growled.

"Tigrath, my mate, don't be so over-protective...like I said, it was not serious, and he just talked with me."

He nodded slowly and let out a little sigh. "Alright, if you say so, my darling...did you enjoy watching the hoomans and other furres at least?"

She shrugged and stepped past him, rubbing her side against his as she went with her tail-spade tapping him gently beneath his chin, making her way to their sleeping chamber with a playful look over her shoulder. He grinned and turned around to follow his enticing female. To make you feel better, my love, for worrying you...now you can have me all to yourself, she tells him through their mental bond and he nods, keeping his eyes on her gently swaying golden tail.

= = =

Tigrath slowly arose from beside his sleeping golden one and made his way silently out of their lair of vast chambers, he was told not to worry but couldn't help himself and just has to talk with that male wolf to truly know that nothing happened. He quickly leaped off of the ledge to their lair and he soared into the night sky, with just the hint of dawn soon approaching. He easily finds the clearing his mate had used to transform into her true dragoness form as her scent is all around, here he shifts into his own grey wolf form and walks to the tavern clothed in a green vest, brown slacks and boots. As he entered he a good amount of people and other furres still in here, they too avoided him because they had seen him with his female before, but he paid no attention since he was here for a different reason.

He made his way to the bar and could still smell a hint of his mate's scent here, it was her favorite spot to watch these beings gather and talk, there was also another scent here and he could not recognize it but he guessed it was the male who had overstepped his boundaries some hours before. He watched and waited to see if he could catch sight of this other wolf but he could not find that scent, he could have probably left already but Tigrath gave one last quick scan over the open area of the tavern. Just as he began to leave he saw him, standing near the wall with a small group of his comrades, he could tell he must have been of some importance from the emblem on his vest and the cords attached to his blade that was at his hip. Tigrath walked toward him slowly and gave him a slight nod, then headed outside to wait for this wolf.

The wolf knew who this was and he sighed, telling his friends that he would only be a minute as he had to take care of something, then he stepped past them and followed the other male outside. Tigrath tried to get what happened that night out of Rikin, but for some reason the wolf was worried about what the black-gold's mate would do to him, he may have been a lieutenant but that did not keep him from being worried when another male was protecting what was his.

"What did you two talk about? I don't mean this to be a confrontation but..." Tigrath said.

"We just talked about nothing in particular, really, sir," Rikin replied. "She just seemed out of place in the tavern, if you forgive my saying so, she didn't look like she belonged in such a rundown place."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm sure you know, you do have a very beautiful mate, and yes I did hit on her...but I knew beforepaw that there was no chance in Hades she'd pay any attention to me."

"Then why did you talk with her?"

Rikin shrugged and could not meet Tigrath's gaze now, he was at a loss of what to say next. Tigrath sighed and shook his head.

"Look, next time you just by chance happen to see her, do not talk with her...don't get near her, do you understand? She is my mate and we don't need someone to make things difficult for us."

"I would never come between anyone, and I respect how protective you are over her...but does she feel the same way? I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't like to be thought of as property."

"How would you know what she would like? And I don't consider her property, not in any way but I also have no reason to explain myself to you above all others, now will you heed what I say or no?"

"No. I believe I have a right to talk with her like anyone else, just as she does, now if she doesn't want to talk with me that is a different story."

Tigrath frowned and nodded slightly, the green shimmer of his grey fur shown through more vividly than before but he tried his best to keep his anger and frustration at this male down as best as he could. Rikin saw how he was upsetting this male and he backed away slightly, his paw reaching for the hilt of his sword by instinct. Just as this happened his comrades came out of the tavern to see what was keeping him, and seeing their lieutenant's paw on his sword they rushed to his sides to aid him, but he held them back.

"What is this about, sire?" A gruff sounding male tiger asked, glaring at Tigrath as he awaited an answer.

"It's nothing, just a conversation that shouldn't go any further," Rikin replied, taking his paw from his sword hilt to show he wanted to walk away from this without any more battle scars.

"I want you to leave my mate alone, do you hear me? Before you regret ever having met her in the first place," Tigrath threatens.

"His mate? Oh, you mean that female that turned you down, sire? I thought you were sure to get her into your tent to -" the tiger started but was quieted as the lieutenant gave him a hard look.

Tigrath growled and stepped close to the tiger, giving him a hard punch on his jaw with his right fist, making him stagger backward from the sudden blow. The others suddenly drew their swords as the tiger regained his composure and started toward Tigrath with a growl in return.

= = =

Once Ilith notices her mate has left her side she quickly heads to the tavern, not bothering to change her form as she can sense there is something wrong, once she reaches the town there is a rather large crowd and an official looking human rushes forward and tells her not to come closer. She frowns and shakes her head, glancing about the crowd and she notices there is blood on the ground, her eyes widen and she searches quickly for her mate but does not see him.

"Leave, your kind is not welcome here!" the official yells at her.

"I need to know what happened here, I fear my mate may have gotten hurt!" she yells back, making the human take a couple of steps from her.

"Just a fight that got out of claw, two wolves."

"Who?"

"One that wouldn't give his name and the other was the Lieutenant Rikin, of the northern kingdom. The lieutenant was killed and the other is being taken into custody for his death."

"Where is he? May I speak with him?"

"He's in a loaded wagon, just up the road there," the official replied and pointed down the road, where there was a group of onlookers surrounding the wagon. 

She quickly made her way there and the crowd scattered at the sight of her, she gazed inside it and saw her mate unconscious on the floor of the wagon with several guards around him, trying to make her back away by unsheathing their swords. She gave a brief growl and she watched as the wagon headed to the northern kingdom, she knew he would be put to death if she could not do something, but she had to act fast because she very well knew about the captain of their army, Aeryk, was ruthless and cruel and could do anything to her mate if he so wished.