Dripping water woke Aytin. Even curled up against Faelon, partially sheltered by the cliffside and a canvas tarp, the rain still found its way in.

  'At least we had some warning,' he mentally grumbled. Normally he didn't bother with more than a blanket when sleeping against the big dragon. The decision to use the makeshift cover this time had bought him at least half an hour before the seepage woke him.

  Even in the pre-dawn light, there were vague figures moving through the light rain. The sudden influx of almost twenty-five more fighters and a dozen porters had overwhelmed the little camp's ability to provide shelter. Many of them didn't have much more than rough lean-tos covered with hides salvaged from the cache.

  The previously dry creek bed had a trickle flowing through it. The rains weren't hard enough to flood the canyon - Matriarch Nej had given them a more detailed prediction before they left - but most of the newcomers had chosen to spend the night on the clifftops, just in case.

  Faelon didn't have that luxury. And with the core of the camp already constructed, some had decided to stay in the canyon. It did have the benefit of shelter from the cold winds picking up with the front's passage.

  Wrapping the tarp around himself like a poncho, Aytin rose only to find Faelon staring at him.

  "Uh, good morning," he said, keeping his voice down out of deference to anyone still asleep.

  "I would not call it that, exactly." Long rivulets of water flowed down the dragon's head, forcing him to blink every few seconds.

  "I guess not."

  Aytin's spare clothes, at least, were still dry. They were sheltered under the overhang, along with the rest of the cache. And the rain wasn't exactly heavy. Just a constant drizzle. His jacket would be reasonably proof against it.

  He clambered up onto the elevated ledge, and started stripping out of his damp clothes. Faelon had kept him warm despite the rain, but he knew from experience how fast the wet could sap a dragonette's strength.

  Faelon rested his head nearby, keeping it dry and conveniently at a level with his companion. "I think that the wildling healer was too quick in letting you fly," he remarked. "Was the flight really that strenuous?"

  "Partly. It was hard, but yesterday was also busy. And I, uh, didn't get much sleep in the village."

  "Ah. I admit I slept poorly as well."

  'For a very different reason, I bet.'

  The evening before had been an exhausted blur. Faelon was right. He probably shouldn't be flying, and they hadn't taken any breaks on the way back. Aytin could vaguely recall flashes of getting something to eat and Rina apologizing about not having a private tent for them to sleep in. He also couldn't have said more than twenty words to Faelon before passing out.

  "So," the dragon continued. "Are you rested enough to tell me what happened? I see you managed to find us a wing or two, if not exactly an army."

  "Yeah. It turns out that Cue was probably overselling the tribe's willingness a little. The Matriarchs were not going to send the entire tribe out. Not a chance in all the skies. We were lucky to get just this many, and we only get to keep about twenty-five of them." He waved towards the camp that was slowly coming to life behind them.

  "Perhaps you should start at the beginning?"

  That was exactly what he did. He told the dragon about the wildling village, the feast, and how the Matriarchs tried to keep his true purpose there quiet. Then how Cue had manipulated them into an impossible situation. One that Aytin was able to offer them an escape from.

  "I will admit that I underestimated the shaman," Faelon said upon the tale's conclusion.

  "A lot of people did, I think. I don't know if I exactly like him, but we'd be on our own without him."

  "Any shelter from turbulent skies."

  Cue hadn't accompanied them. There were apparently duties that he had neglected. Or maybe the Matriarchs just wanted to keep an eye on him. Either way, he planned on meeting them in about a week to gather Heaven Oak bark.

  Aytin had a feeling it would have been longer than that, but much later and they would risk being spotted by the returning brigands. They should still have at least ten days until the earliest chance of return, but it wasn't worth the risk to push it.

  "Did the Matriarchs send their best, at least?" Faelon asked

  "They didn't have much of a choice. Not once the word got out."

  Rina had been a huge help in sorting through all of the volunteers. In almost every case, he had gone with her suggestions. The one exception was when he insisted on including Khrik and at least a few more of Cue's most devout followers in the final list.

  She had been a little confused by that. It wasn't as if they were unqualified. All three of them were in good shape and shared guard duty as required. The wildlings didn't have anything as formal as an official guard, but they were among the ones who drew the duty more often than others.

  More, it was the fact that he had an opinion at all that seemed to confuse her. He had his reasons, but at the time he hadn't wanted to explain them and Rina didn't press.

  "I don't suppose they have any experience with actual combat?"

  Aytin shook his head. "They have to deal with darklings from time to time, but I don't think that's happened in years."

  "And a week for them to get used to real weapons."

  "They already know how to use knives, bows, and spears. The crossbows and firepots won't be hard to pick up."

  "True. I suppose we do not need soldiers, anyway. Except for their dragon." Faelon added the last with almost a snarl.

  Kalthor's presence had been the biggest flaw in all of their plans. On the ground, talon against talon, the bigger and stronger red dragon could be counted on to prevail. Getting the traitor into that fight, however, proved to be difficult.

  "I had... an idea on that."

  Faelon's gaze narrowed. "Go on."

  Unable to meet the dragon's eyes, Aytin looked back towards camp. With a long sigh, he finally answered. "Lancers."

  It obviously wasn't an answer that Faelon expected. His snout furrowed in thought for a moment before he nodded. "I see."

  "It's why I asked for Khrik and a couple others. A bunch of mercenaries wouldn't be willing to field lancers, but..." He trailed off, not fully comfortable with what he was proposing.

  So he was more than a little bit relieved when Faelon shook his head slightly. "They would be seen before they could build up speed. We would need an entire wing, attacking from different directions at once. Otherwise the traitor would burn them out of the sky before they could strike."

  "Oh." He blinked, and was a little guilty at the relief he felt at the rejection. "I guess you're right."

  "Still, it is an idea worth thinking on. If they could approach in secret, or with a sufficient distraction..." the dragon mused. "Yes, definitely worth thinking on."

  "Yeah, uh..." Aytin wasn't exactly keen on asking some of the wildlings to commit suicide. Especially not in the name of a fake religion. There just weren't very many ways dragonettes could fight dragons and expect to win without getting very, very lucky.

  He hunted around for some other topic before settling on, "So how did you get along without me?"

  Instantly, Faelon stilled. "I do not enjoy being a pet," he practically hissed.

  "They treated you like... a pet?" 'Was Attalee that bad?'

  "No... not deliberately," the dragon admitted, and then exhaled a long, whistling sigh. "They feed me. They guard me. They watch me. Like I am some sort of prized livestock. I am a thing to them."

  "Ah. Being a 'god' is lonely?" The comment earned him a dark stare. "Sorry. I... I think I understand, though. I expect you feel a bit like a prisoner."

  Faelon paused, and then nodded. "I suppose so. We are leaving soon, yes?"

  "Yes." It was an obvious subject change if he had ever heard one. "The rain is supposed to let up in the afternoon. We'll leave then."

  "Why wait? I do not need to fly."

  "Uhhh... I don't think that actually occurred to anyone." He thought about it briefly. "You'll probably want some scouts once you get out of the canyon. If we start around noon, things should be clearing up right as we get there."

  "Good. I am ready to be on the move again."

  One of the wildlings up the canyon had noticed him and waved. When he realized that it was Rina, he grinned and waved back.

  "Aytin?"

  Faelon's question jerked him back into the conversation. "Sorry, did you say something?"

  "I was saying that with a full belly and others to make camp for us, we may reach the keep by late tomorrow. Noon the day after, if our start is delayed." Faelon turned slightly and caught sight of Rina. The huntress quickly bowed her head under the gaze of her god and hurried off to attend to some duty.

  "The two of you..."

  It wasn't a question. Merely an observation. And when Aytin didn't reply, Faelon asked, "Have you thought this through?"

  "Not... not exactly."

  "Well, you should. Especially about what she sees in you."

  Aytin jerked like he had been slapped. "Hey!"

  "I apologize. I did not mean it that way."

  Only the fact that the dragon sounded like he really meant it kept Aytin from exploding on the spot. "Well, what way exactly did you mean it? There's not many ways that sort of question can sound good."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "I mean, you have known her for less than a week. You have been able to actually talk to her with more than pointing and grunting for less than half of that. So you should be asking yourself why? Why you? What does she want?"

  "That's not fair!"

  "No," the dragon admitted. "But the truth often is unfair. I have seen this often enough over the years. From both sides."

  "Yeah, I'm sure you've been right where I am dozens of times. It's got to be so common!" The sarcasm was as caustic as a black dragon's breath.

  "Aytin-"

  "No!" the young dragonette spat. "Thanks a lot, Faelon, but I think I know exactly what's going on."

  Without waiting for another word, Aytin grabbed his things and hopped off of the ledge. He might have flown off just to spite the crippled dragon, but the rain made that risky. Sending up splashes of mud as he stomped away would have to do.

  What he really wanted to do was find somewhere that he could scream and shout and curse. He felt shaken. Betrayed by Faelon, someone he thought he had a bond with deeper than just friendship.

  And even worse was the tiny, nagging doubt that he hadn't been betrayed after all.

  Instead of screaming at the gods, Aytin forced the emotions down. 'Not now. Not in front of the wildlings. They can't know anything is wrong.'

  Someone had erected an awning of sorts against the cliffside. It was crowded, but there looked to be enough room for a shorter than average dragonette to squeeze in.

  He sighed and managed to put on a more neutral expression before joining the group.

  "Companion Aytin!" one of them greeted him.

  "Huntress Verk," he replied, managing a smile. "Are you still happy that you stayed with us and didn't fly home?"

  Just like Rina had said, all of the huntresses who had first found him along with Cue's escorts had volunteered to remain. He spotted Okoni and Ness as well, although both were looking a little worse for wear.

  "I'm happy to be of service to the Dragon Faelon," she replied. "And I know to listen to Matriarch Nej's warnings. Unlike some."

  "It's not our fault!" Ness insisted. Her words were ever so slightly slurred. "Our tent was near the wall. How could we have known there would be a waterfall over there?"

  Aytin glanced over to where he had remembered the young huntress pitching her tent and winced. A constant stream of water was pouring over the edge, no more than a wingspan away from her shelter.

  "Everything got wet," Okoni confirmed.

  On closer inspection, her clothes were definitely soaked. It was no wonder that both were staying close enough to the fire that they risked getting burned.

  "The Matriarch said it will stop just after noon," he assured them. He was pretty sure that would feel like forever to the miserable huntresses, but it was all the support he could give.

  Well, there were some spare outfits in the cache, but... Faelon was there and Aytin didn't want to face the dragon again.

  So he smiled and commiserated, laughed at a few jokes and did his best to translate some of his own. It was still strange to be the center of attention. That had always been his mother or older siblings. Or Reed and her traders during the trip.

  The newer wildlings didn't quite know what to make of him, but the ones who had been around camp longer knew Aytin as more than Faelon's Companion. Hearing Ness, the most junior huntress there, cheerfully insult his flying had to shock a few of them. But not as much as when he replied by asking if she was compensating for something by making fun of a male's aerial prowess.

  He spent the morning moving between the various groups of wildlings, sometimes watching and often pitching in with chores. The porridge he contributed to breakfast was a big hit, especially with the ones who hadn't had a chance to try it before.

  Rina stuck with him for most of it. And it was obvious that Faelon was wrong about her.

  'She's just... We like each other. That's it.' He gave his... girlfriend? He gave his girlfriend a smile, and was instantly reassured when she returned it with a grin so wide that he could see the nub of a tooth growing to replace the missing incisor.

  "How did that happen, anyway?" he asked, gesturing to her mouth.

  She blinked, and then her ears drooped slightly. "It was... an accident."

  "You didn't knock it out on purpose? Amazing!" He just managed to dodge the retaliatory poke that he knew would be coming.

  "She wasn't careful around a deer," Ness cheerfully informed him as she passed. Her time by the fire seemed to have gotten her moving again.

  "You let a deer do that?" Aytin asked, exaggerated incredulity dripping from every word.

  Rina glared back at him. "I thought it was dead."

  "And when she went to start cleaning it, the beast kicked her in the mouth."

  "Oooh!" Aytin said, wincing.

  "It wasn't even breathing!"

  "Yes it was! I told you it was!"

  "At least I never mistook a... for a rabbit!"

  Aytin frowned and bent over to Verk who had also stopped to watch. "What did she think was a rabbit?"

  "Skunk. A small, black and white furred animal with a bad, bad smell."

  His eyes widened. "We don't have that where I'm from."

  "You're lucky."

  As Rina and Ness continued to try and one-up each other, he leaned over to Verk and asked, "Are they related? Sisters?"

  "No," the huntress replied with a small head shake. "Just close."

  The impromptu entertainment was interrupted by heavy footsteps. Faelon was approaching, and he eyed the circle of dragonettes with mild curiosity. His gaze fell on Aytin. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

  Still, his words held no malice as he said, "I will meet you at the canyon entrance."

  He really didn't want to answer, but with all the wildlings around he was compelled to say something. "Fine. I'll see you there." It was a struggle to keep resentment out of those words, but he managed and the dragon gave a brief nod before continuing on his way.

  "Where is Dragon Faelon going," Rina asked, her argument forgotten.

  "He wanted to go ahead," Aytin answered, truthfully. He went on to explain the dragon's plan, if not all of the reasons behind it. That elicited some mutterings from the wildlings, but he was able to persuade them that Faelon didn't need an escort for the brief walk.

  After that, the wildlings began to break camp in earnest. The rain was already beginning to lighten, just as predicted by the Matriarch. Aytin still needed to get with the porters before they left, to discuss what parts of the cache were going where. But first, there was one more conversation that he needed to have. One that, when he explained it to her, Rina agreed he should have on his own.

  "Attalee?"

  The huntress didn't bother to turn. She had no doubt heard his approach, but chose not to acknowledge it. Rain slid from her leather cloak as she stared down from her perch into the canyon below.

  "Attalee, can we talk?"

  She shrugged. "I won't stop you."

  It wasn't going like he thought it would. 'Well, sort of. I figured she might just send me flying off without a word.'

  But he didn't know exactly what to say as none of his rehearsed explanations seemed to fit. An awkward silence began to stretch, and he filled it with the first thing that came to mind.

  "I met Saza at the village."

  Attalee spun around at those words, a snarl on her face. "Are you threatening my daughter?!"

  "What? No. No! Never, not ever!" He took an involuntary step back from the enraged mother. "Oh, shit. I didn't- She just... ugh!"

  The snarl relaxed, but Attalee's glare remained. "What about her, then?"

  "I- She was the first one to talk to me. When we got there. That's all! I didn't even know she was your daughter until after!"

  "And?"

  "And... uh... she called me small."

  The completely unexpected remark left the huntress obviously nonplussed. Then, clearly against her will, she let out a snort that might charitably have been called a laugh. "That does sound like her."

  "She wants to be like you. She tried to volunteer for this."

  "Ah." This time Attalee's response was noncommittal.

  The silence stretched out again. Before it could get too oppressive, Aytin pressed the question.

  "Why are you still here?"

  The reply was immediate. "I have to be here."

  "No, you don't. There are many others to take your place." He motioned at the dragonettes below. "There are this many who want to come, but cannot."

  "I didn't say I want to be here. I have to be here."

  Aytin blinked. "Why?"

  "They want to be here."

  It took a moment. His grasp of the language was still far from perfect. But in the end, he understood.

  "Oh. You... you protect them?"

  "I will try."

  Aytin wanted to argue that they didn't need protecting. That they weren't going to throw away the lives of the wildlings who were helping them. But then he remembered the lancers.

  "You hate us?"

  This time, she took the time to consider her words before answering. "No," she finally said. "I think you care about yourselves more than our tribe. You do not hold ill will towards us. You are on your own side. But I do not hate you for that."

  As much as he didn't want to admit it, Attalee's frank words struck home. Mostly because of how true they were.

  They mirrored the opinions of the Matriarchs, in many ways. Except those elders were more pragmatic, focused on the tribe over the individuals. They were willing to sacrifice a few for the greater good, as long as that sacrifice wasn't too great.

  Attalee wasn't. Not if she could help it. And if she had to, she was going to make sure it was the only possible way.

  He felt... dirty. Blackened. Even knowing that Xantha and her band had to answer for what they had done, to be stopped before they could do it again, he suddenly felt like they were going about it all wrong. But there didn't seem to be any other options, either.

  "I will stay here to protect Ness and Rina and all the rest from whatever comes," Attalee continued when he didn't reply. "But I am not fighting for a dragon who cannot protect himself."

  "Faelon will fight!" Aytin insisted, despite everything feeling an automatic need to come to the dragon's defense.

  "He fought and he lost. Now he can't fly. How can a dragon not fly?"

  He wanted to shout at her. She hadn't been there. She didn't understand. Couldn't understand. But he didn't know how to explain it. He didn't have the words.

  So he just let out a long, hissing breath. "I know. And Faelon knows. He... it is very hard for him.

  "We do want to help," he added. "But... we need to do this. And we will fail with just us. The traitors will escape to kill others. Other dragons and their... their companions."

  "Maybe. But they never cared about our tribe. Not in a long, long time. Why should we care about them now?"

  After the reverence all of the other wildlings treated Faelon with, it was decidedly strange to hear Attalee talking like this. Even Matriarchs Vozdi and Onlo had maintained a certain amount of reverence when talking about Faelon. 'Although in hindsight, that might have been for my benefit.'

  "The traitors made their home here. They would have stayed here. What if they had found your tribe first? What if Cue had tried to serve an evil dragon?"

  The huntress furrowed her eye ridges. "That did not happen. But I see your point."

  "So you see why we have to stop them? And why we need your tribe's help?"

  "I see why you think so."

  "But are we wrong?" he pressed.

  Apparently he was reaching the end of Attalee's patience. "I already told you that I would fight with you, even if I will not fight for you."

  Aytin could have let it go at that point. It was clear that the huntress was an ally if not a friend. Mere words wouldn't change that.

  A thought struck him, then. He had the bow he had taken from Juniper. The one he had carried throughout the trek to the cache, and used to kill the delerion. Whatever faults its previous owner had, it was an excellent weapon. Expertly made and well cared for.

  Aytin untied it from where it was fastened to his bag and extended it towards Attalee.

  She gave him a flat stare. "Are you trying to buy my loyalty?"

  "No. Well, maybe a little?" He gave a timid smile. When it slid off of the senior huntress like the rain off of her cloak, he pressed on. "I had to use it, but I am not good with it. You are a huntress. It makes sense for you to have it. More sense than me."

  They stood there like that for a dozen heartbeats. 'I've offended her,' he realized, although not certain how. He just knew that she would fly off and that was the last that he would see of her.

  He was about to apologize and try to salvage whatever he could from the situation, when Attalee reached out a hand to accept the gift. And with the first genuine smile he had seen on her since they had met, she said, "Thank you."

  IMPORTANT NOTE: There may be some interruption in the release schedule coming up. Tigra, the writer of the main Hunter or Huntress series where Learning to Fall is based, reviews every chapter. He's had a lot of shit dropped on him from a great height, so he's a little behind on the review process. Expect the possibility of a missed posting next week.