After she heard her father's plans for the battle, Kaylein left the main room to take her battle place; right after she changed into some pants and shirt, she had Millicent sew for her. Though her father didn't know, she had fought in the last three battles, with her bow and arrows. Though he refused to admit, she was the best archer he had, and she simply refused to stay hidden in a room waiting for things to happen.
So, she had found a place from where she could see the enemy and not be seen by them or her father. The northern tower had been the perfect place, and she would go there, with all the arrows she could carry and all she had been able to stash, and a couple of bows, just in case her favorite one failed her.
That night, when she carefully opened the trap door to exit to the top of the tower, she didn’t realize she wasn’t alone, not until she was out and she heard a sound similar to when an eagle spreads its wings.
Startled, she looked over the edge of the tower, and her heart almost came out of her chest.
Sir Cuyler was there, naked, judging by the pile of clothes lying on the floor, but his body was covered with what looked like… scales? But the most astounding thing was the leathery wings that came out his back.
This had to be a nightmare… it couldn’t be happening… Scared, she tried to walk out of there before he could see her, but she must have made some noise, because he turned around and saw her there, staring at him.
“Wait… please,” he begged. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.”
She shook her head, in disbelief, staring at his scales and his wings.
“What… what are… you?” she muttered, barely able to breathe.
"Will you allow me to explain, please?" he asked. "But not now. I want to check the campsite before it dawns. Can you wait for me here?" He asked her, conscious he was asking a lot of her, but with little choice.
“How do I know you’re not going there to warn them?” she said, clenching her hand around the sword she had hanging from her waist.
"I would have kidnapped you last night and taken you to their camp,” he said, blatant. "Just allow me to go check the camp. I promise I'll explain everything to you when I come back,” he asked again, and without waiting for her answer, he flew away.
It took him just a couple of minutes to reach the enemy camp. As he had suspected, there were at least three thousand armed men in the place, most of them on foot, but there were several horses as well.
They also had a couple of devices he wasn’t able to identify, but taking a good look at them, he was able to guess their use. If these people used these against the village’s walls, he was sure they would be able to enter the village.
Furious, he landed silently and headed to what seemed to be the tent of the Lord commanding this army.
The whole camp was in silence, and his tent wasn't the exception, so he flew away, trying to decide what to do next. He couldn't allow these people to use those weapons against the village.
He quickly returned to the top of the tower, sure he wasn’t going to find Kaylein there, but she was. That pleased him more than he could express in words.
Kaylein watched him fly away too astounded as to move. When he finally disappeared into the night sky, she considered going back to her room, but quickly changed her mind. She wasn’t a coward, and she wasn’t going to run away just because he had turned into some kind of winged beast. So, she took a seat on the cold stones of the floor and waited for his return.
He wasn’t away for long, and when he returned, she jumped up to her feet and waited to see what he had to say.
“Thank you for waiting for me,” he said, as his wings folded in his back, after he landed in front of her.
Though he was naked, his scales covered most of the sensitive areas of his body. Still, the sight of his powerful body was enough to set her heart into a frantic rhythm. It was amazing the way her body responded to his presence. She had never experienced anything like and it distraught her.
“I want answers, that’s all,” she assured him, trying to keep a cold tone, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “What did you find?”
"There are three thousand men like I supposed. And they also have two devices that I think would destroy your walls easily,” he explained, picking up his pants and putting them on.
"Can you describe them?" she asked, sounding really scared for the first time since he had met her.
"Yes, of course. They are really big, and seem to be made to throw huge objects at a great distance."
“Catapults…” she muttered, in shock.
“You know them.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’ve never seen them outside the history books, but yes, I know them,” she said, more worried than ever. “We won’t be able to stop them,” she muttered, sounding devastated.
"We can burn down the catapults before they reach the village,” he suggested, realizing he would do anything for her.
“How? Even if we could wait for them to get close enough to throw burning arrows at it, they wouldn’t burn fast enough to destroy them before they destroy us,” she explained, rubbing her face with a shaky hand.
"I can burn them to the ground in a matter of seconds,” he said, in a soft voice.
“No one can do that.” She shook her head, disheartened.
“I can. I can intercept them, warn them to go away and burn their catapults,” he insisted, with a determined expression on his face. “You’ve seen what I can do.”
“They will shoot you down before you can do anything,” she protested, but he could see the tiny glimmer of hope in her eyes again.
“I’m not that easy to shoot down, believe me. Just tell me the word, and I’ll do it, for you and your people,” he said again, taking a step closer, somehow testing her, eager to know how she would react to his closeness.
But she didn’t even flinch. She wasn’t afraid of him. A wave of relief washed over him, and he smiled pleased.
“If you really think you can do it, then, please… do it,” she asked him, taking a step towards him and taking one of his hands in hers. “You’re our only hope of surviving this.”
He grabbed her hands and kissed the back of both of them.
“Worry not, I won’t let them hurt you or your people,” he assured her.
Kaylein felt the jolts of energy rushing through her body as his warm lips touched her skin and her already troubled heart seemed to beat even faster.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll go talk with my men. Will you be here?” he asked her.
“Yes… This is my fighting spot.”
He nodded, and after putting his clothes back on, he descended from the top of the tower, using the imperfections on the wall, as support. He could have flown down, but he didn’t want to take any more chances.
Kaylein watched him from the top of the tower, covering her mouth, trying not to let out the shout of fear that crawled up her guts when she saw him disappear down the edge of the tower.
She was only able to breathe when he reached the ground, safe and sound.
Scolding herself for caring so much for a man she didn't even know. That was a bit too strange for her taste. She took a seat on the ground to wait for him, thinking about his offer and in the possibility of Lord Bryce attacking the village with two catapults.
Cuyler's men were already waiting for him, and from the look on the faces of some, they had found their soulmates. Igor and Haskell were amongst them.
"I have news,” he said as he approached them. Quickly, he explained to them what he had seen and what that meant for the people in the village.
Their reaction was immediate and similar to his. They couldn’t allow Lord Bryce’s army to harm the villagers.
“I'm happy you feel the same way that I do,” he said, with a smile. “I have a plan that might send these bastards home, or at least buy us more time while we decide what to do.”
“Let’s hear it,” Igor asked, eager to jump into action and protect his soulmate.
“I’ll intercept them before they reach the village in my full drogon form and demand they go away,” he started explaining.
“They’ll attack you,” Igor said, with a deep frown.
“Yes, I know. When they insist on attacking, I’ll burn down the catapults they have. That shall make them go back, at least, to rethink their strategy or get a new catapult,” he concluded.
“You can’t go alone. I know that their weapons seem unable to penetrate our scales, but we shouldn’t underestimate them,” Igor protested. “I’ll go with you.”
"I'm not sure that's wise," Cuyler said. "Remember, their priest already thinks we're demons. One drogon loose might be considered a product of feverish minds, but two would be a bit harder to explain."
"Then, allow us to be in the background, just in case," Haskell suggested, stepping forward.
Cuyler nodded. “But you’ll only attack if you consider I’m in real danger.”
“Of course, my king.” Both men agreed.
He explained what he had in mind, and soon they were ready to act. Cuyler ordered the rest of his men to stay posted on the outer walls of the village, just in case they needed assistance from them.
He went to check on Lord Arryn and find out more about his decisions when a man came running to where Arryn was standing, surrounded by his men.
“Milord…” the man greeted, breathless. “There is no doubt, it’s Lord Bryce, and I’m sure they have at least, three thousand men in their ranks,” he informed. “But the worst part is that they have two catapults with them.”
The man's words caused a tense silence in the crowded room.
“Are you certain of what you’re saying?” Lord Arryn asked tense and, clearly, nervous.
“Yes, milord.”
Another silence followed those words, and after a few moments, Lord Arryn nodded.
"Very well, this changes everything. We need to rethink our strategy,” he said, and gathering his men; he left the room.
After that, Cuyler, Igor, and Haskell climbed the north tower to join Kaylein, who was still there waiting for them.
“Your father has been notified Lord Bryce is bringing the catapults,” Cuyler informed her.
She let out a sigh of sorrow. “Are you sure you can stop them?” she asked, sounding even more anxious than before.
"Yes, we can. Don't worry; we'll send them away,” Cuyler assured her.
“Thank you, Sir Cuyler, you have no idea how important your help is for us,” she whispered, evidencing her fear in each word.
He nodded and smiled, trying to give her some of his strength.
"We need to change now,” he warned her, and for a moment she looked at him confused until she remembered he had been naked when she had seen him, in his drogon form.
"Oh… yes… I'll go downstairs,” she said, stumbling on her way to the trap door.
"Just turn around milady. It won't take us long,” he assured her with a naughty grin.
Blushing, she did as he said, and gave her back to the men.
The sun was starting to dye the sky with the colors of the Aurora, so the men hurried to take off all their clothes and shift to their full drogon form. Their whole bodies became covered with scales, including their faces. Their faces became elongated with reptilian snouts. Their claws grew larger and became deadly weapons, and long tails grew from the bases of their spines. When the change was complete, they spread their long wings.
The change even included a second cock that came out to be immediately covered by the protective brownish scales as their large fangs completed the change.
Kaylein could hear the strange sounds coming from the men, and she had to struggle with her curiosity not to take a peek and look at them.
“We’re ready,” Cuyler announced.
Kaylein quickly turned around to look at them and once more, she was startled by the way they looked. “Oh… god… and you call yourselves…what?” she asked, breathing hard.
“We’re drogons,” he said, trying to use the appropriate sounds to pronounce the name.
“I’ve never seen anything like it…” she admitted.
“No doubt,” Cuyler said. “We have to go now.”
She nodded. “Please, take care.”
He winked at her and soon the three men… drogons… whatever they were, jumped up into the air and disappeared in the direction of Lord Bryce's camp.
Wishing she could do something more than just stay there and wait, Kaylein paced the small roof of the tower, as she waited for their return.