Iskierka had long since lost track of the days. She had never been so lonely in her life and yet she had never been so busy either. Days were spent trying to repair as much of the covert as possible, or at least preparing it to be repaired. She had long since set fire to the bodies of the dragon and the two men, (she had left Timmons for a day or two unable to so casually do away with him but eventually it had to be done and she breathed her flame upon him through sheer force of sickening will.) Flying back and forth Iskierka managed to find what little forest there was and set about cutting trees down via mauling or clawing. She would then strip off the branches and drag them back to the court yard and stacking them up. She had observed the pavilions being built before and assumed the process or rebuilding the structures would be something along those lines. Though often exhausted and hungry she felt proud of herself on the progress of restoring the covert. It was of course, all in hopes to gain Granby's good favor should she ever see him again. While she was fond of herself for going to such lengths to restore the place, the egg was another matter altogether.

It must be quite strong if Temeraire and I were able to carry three eggs across New South Wales, she reassured herself as she flew back with another dozen fallen trees beams. If it comes to some fate while I am away then surely it is for the best.

There will be plenty time for having eggs, it was very inconvenient after all and too small I think. Should it perish, it is just as well for it means that the hatchling could not be very fierce. Try as she did to console herself every time she left it, she found the egg a source of constant worry. Maternal feelings towards it pressed against her, yet she pushed them aside as often as she could. She distracted herself with hunting, which for the most part was unsuccessful, or with finding and stripping more trees. Or fretting over Granby which was the only thing she agonized over more than the egg. The nights were even worse to Iskierka as awful dreams of Granby meeting some horrible end would torture her. Each time she awoke she looked around, roared or keened and curled tighter around the egg, often licking it as much for its comfort as for her own.

Granby will see when he returns that I have done my best to restore matters here and it is only because Jane Roland chained me that I could not stop that French dragon, so truly she is to blame. If he should forgive me for being….stubborn at times, (and he very well should,) then I suppose I shall listen to his ideas more often if only I may keep him as captain. He is my Granby and if Roland or anyone else attempts to keep him from me then I will take him, and the egg and Temeraire and Laurence and we shall leave with no formality whatsoever. We will start our own war and we shall surely win.

Thus she told herself repeatedly as she worried for Granby or tried to hunt. Though deep down, she knew it would never work, that Granby would despise her even more and that Temeraire would never agree to it, nor Laurence. It was that thought which truly clenched at her, other than the ones of her captains deathly scenarios.

Water from the lake was the only thing that seemed not a trouble and she rewarded herself liberally after carrying three or four trees by taking prolonged drinks. The long wound that ran its length down her side was still burdensome. Though she had cauterized it initially, it had scabbed over and many times the branches of trees or even her own spikes would recut it as she curled up or knocked down a tree. The wound felt warm all around, bled from time to time, though re-burning it was so painful that she refused. It would heal in time, as she hoped that Granby's final words to her would, but neither did.

What if he truly hates me? Temeraire has probably gone and won some fine battle and Granby will want only to serve with him now. I could not even fight, and I'm sure I would have done a better job than that celestial if I had gotten the chance. If they lost to the French well then they should be sorry I wasn't there to help. Maybe then Jane Roland will be grateful for all I have done.

Iskierka thought of this pleasantly as she lumbered back to the clearing where the egg lay. It was dusk and she had done good work of gathering several dozen large trees to serve as wood when the others arrived back. More exhausted in body and mind then she would ever care to lead on, Iskierka nearly collapsed on herself and wound her coils tight around the egg.

There, there little hatchling. You will be alright; my Granby is the best fighter there is. He will destroy the French and will return to me. When you hatch you will meet him, he is the most splendid officer there is! Now it would be helpful, dearest heart if you would hurry up and hatch. I cannot be nursing you every day like human eggs require. I am no mother, I fight. So do be a good hatchling and harden up so you may hatch. So she thought as she licked its black and red shell. She nosed it gently, thought it was still rather soft. Sighing steam from her spikes she closed her eyes only to awaken to a pricking pain. When she turned to look, one of the spikes on her tail had once again punctured her wound while she was sleeping. She moved her tail, and let the wound bleed for it would eventually trickle and stop; though she did wish that the burning sensation all about it would go away. Sleep took her once more, this time no nightmares came; only pure restlessness.

She awoke at the slightest sound hoping it was Granby and each time it was nothing but the wind. Finally after sometime she gave up sleep and merely brooded. She brooded about Granby most of all, but also about the egg and about Admiral Roland and about Temeraire. She brooded about young Timmons, and about Messoria and Sutton whom she knew she had killed with her blood thirsty impatience. She had not seen them go down, but she heard Messoria roar loudly and Sutton scream as they were attacked. She heard the sound of Messoria's desperate roars growing weaker as the French dragon strangled her and she remembered the verbal beating Granby had given her which was more painful than anything else. Iskieka let out a horrible keen then, more drawn out then any she had ever sounded. It was full of self-pity, and confusion, full of love and regret. She cried out in her anger and her shame so deeply her bones shook and steam burst from her spikes. As her haunting high pitched cry carried over the clouds, the sun rose once more and she eventually dragged herself up to drink from the lake once again.

It was past noon when she heard the wing beats of Excidium. She had been back and forth cutting down even more trees and had finally let herself go to check on the egg when she thought she heard wings and looked up. She could tell by the sound of the air that it was a long wing and finally Excidium came into view. Immediately she lifted her wings to meet him but a swelling hot pain stopped her for she had flown so much on little food within the past few days her wings were ready to give out. She set to pacing anxiously as he drew closer and roared to her. Iskierka answered, though she was surprised by the sheer fragility its sound. He landed then and that was when she saw Granby being helped down.

"Granby!" She cried out, running as fast as her limbs would allow. Her heart teamed with joy as well as dread, he was alive that much was apparent but she feared that he did not look so well.

He looked up at her slowly, his eyes filled with fatigue and happiness, shaking the men who had been assisting him off. He only had eyes for her and had yet to behold the demolition of the covert. "Granby," Isierka whispered, embracing him with her wings as sore as they were. He leaned gratefully against her head as she nuzzled him. "Granby, dear Granby I will never let them take you away from me again! I promise to behave, at least most of the time. I swear it! I was worried you would be wounded or killed or taken prisoner and I could not come and save you or else they would have you taken away for good! Granby, you are well though? You have made it back? I am so sorry for what I did to poor Messoria and Sutton and I shan't make excuses anymore. It was my fault, I will take the blame for all of it but I won't ever let them take you away or let them send you into battle without me ever again!" Granby only leaned against her, stroking her scales silently. When she finally stopped rambling to pause she leaned into him and licked the side of his face, "Granby you are so quiet, pray say something. I have missed your voice." She then noticed the bandage on his side and continued before he could speak,

"Oh and you have gone and gotten hurt! You will be alright won't you?"

"It is just a scratch, I am quite fine I assure you." She hissed,

"Well I would not have let you get hurt if I had been there!" Several moments of silence followed before Granby finally spoke with effort:

"I am glad to be back dearest heart, only you must be very cross with me." He looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"Why ever would I be cross with you?" Granby stroked her face gently, looking into one large yellow eye:

"You mean, you are not angry at me for what I said before I left? That I would….rather wait…then have you?" The reminder of his words pricked her deeply, more so than the wound on her side as she said quietly,

"That? No I am not angry about that. I have been rather troublesome and uncooperative. If you would like another dragon, then I will go somewhere else and be out of your hair and I will not disturb you anymore. You will be a great captain to a dragon far more dutiful and deserving of your skills." As she spoke the words, she knew that they were true and she turned away to fly off, to go somewhere even if she didn't know where. The only thing that mattered was that Granby would be happy. But as she turned away, his hand upon her shoulder stopped her.

"Iskierka, I would rather have you then any dragon in the world." So many thoughts ran through his mind, but those were the only ones that managed to come out; it was good enough. Iskierka coiled about him and licked his face, sending sweat down his brow in moments.

"Oh Granby, you really are the best captain there is! We will defeat Bonaparte and rebuild the covert and put them all out until they see for themselves how wonderful we are, even Temeraire will be jealous!" Granby smiled, and then laughed as he put his arms around her neck. Only then the light of his surroundings come to him.

"Rebuild the covert?" He looked around, his smiling face quickly frowning. It only deepened more so as he saw her gruesome wound. "By God, what has happened here? What on earth caused this wound?" Iskierka then set about reassuring him that she was fine and explaining to him, as well as to Admiral Roland and Excidium, (who were somewhat harder to convince,) what had happened with the Flamme-de-Glorie.

"But you see," she said at the end of her tail, "they chained me up and so I could not fight him and his captain was going to shoot me had young Timmons not wrestled the gun from him and gotten shot himself in the process." She finished the sentence quietly looking away.

"You chained her?" He turned on Admiral Roland, biting back fury.

"It was within our best interests so that she would not be so rash as to follow and endanger herself. She consented to it finally; it was not as though we forced them on her so mind your tone Captain Granby!" Granby nodded his head to her but privately fumed with rage at such an action. He would make a note to tell Laurence of this, perhaps he would have a way of getting it through to Roland instead.

"Well," she continued briskly surveying the grounds, "at least it seems she has done something useful and gathered enough wood to make beams for rebuilding. I shall have to write to the admiralty to request more funds, they should not be happy about it. Get your rest Captain, we have a long few days ahead of us then, very good. You and Iskierka are dismissed." She nodded to them and turned on her heel back to Excidium, shouting orders at the crewmen and making preparations. Granby watched them go, dreading the next time he would have to face her. Iskierka huffed, twitching her tail as she watched Roland leave.

"We will deal with her later, now come Granby; I have something very important to show you!" Without waiting for a reply she led her captain to where the egg lay.

Temeraire and Laurence arrived a week later by dragon transport. They arrived to a scene less than splendid bus in the beginnings of working order. All dragons and their captains, (including Maximus whose tail was still healing,) were set to rebuilding the structures of the coverts. The beams which Iskierka had made an effort to gather were being put to good use and more were on the way by order of parliament who had voted to grant more funds towards its reforming. The battle of Waterloo had been victorious, celebration was in the air and the attitude towards the Ariel Corps greatly improved for the most part. Temeraire barely had enough time to comprehend what had happened before Iskierka bounded over to him.

"I should have known you would burn the entire covert down in some fit after we left." He said heatedly. Iskierka snapped back at him,

"Oh hush Temeraire, you know nothing! This was not my doing but some French beast who came and tried to attack while everyone was away. I would have beaten him savagely but Roland decided to chain me up like some beast. It was the French dragon who did this, only that I stopped him in the end because no chains can hold me and I killed him rather gloriously, you should have seen it. So do not be making grand assumptions when you don't know the full story." Temeraire watched her keenly, in no mood to deal with her boastful legality.

"Furthermore," she continued, oblivious to his raising impatience: "Granby has gotten wounded so you failed your word to me, but it is alright because I will forgive you and you should be very grateful of it."

That provoked a growl from Temeraire, whose own wounds were not slight and still panged at him tremendously.

"Don't be growling at me. Besides I have something even better to tell you: I have had an egg!" She blurted this with pride in his face, and stature. Temeraire huffed, flicking his tail and said begrudgingly,

"Well, you and whoever sired it must be very happy. Now pray go and annoy someone else."

"You do not seem very happy." Iskierka said smugly, turning to preen herself. Temeraire was silent for a few minutes and then with sudden comprehension puffed out his chest and his ruff so dramatically that the tips of his fanned ruff quivered and hurt with the strain.

"Well," it was a lousy attempt at a recovery, "well, I am certainly glad for you and for it. I am glad you are well, I have heard it is an ordeal most…vigorous."

"It is." Iskierka confirmed. Temeraire nodded,

"And you are quite sure that I sired it?" Iskierka smiled smugly and slid her head under Temeraire's nuzzling him with more force then was necessary so that her spikes pricked a bit at his bandages.

"I am quite sure. It is a most gorgeous egg. Granby said he had never seen one so beautiful and so well formed, aside from mine of course."

"May I see it?" Temeraire asked with a strange insecurity in his voice. Iskierka nodded,

"Yes you may. I have been telling it all about you." She did not specify the content of these tales though Temeraire wondered with much anxiety at it. "Laurence may come too, seeing as you are its sire and he is your captain." Laurence was thus summoned to see Iskierka and Temeraire's egg whereby he congratulated each of them accordingly and later expressed more praise to Temeraire privately.

"You are not so young anymore my dear I suppose, now that you have an egg of your own. Are you happy?" The two of them were lying in Temeraire's pavilion after a long day of fixing and fitting beams. Temeraire ate his cow wile Laurence had taken his wine outside to sit by him.

"Oh yes, I am very happy." Temeraire said, "I only hope that Iskierka will not accidently sit on it, or will get tired of attending to it and decide to bash it to pieces. That would be most dreadful, and I do hope that when it hatches it is healthy and knows good English and will be ready to fly. I suppose it will be able to breathe fire and the divine wind?"

"One can only hope my dear." Laurence said, patting the dragons forearm as they watched the sun set.

Meanwhile, across the lake Iskierka and Granby sat together similarly. She had resisted Granby's desire to stay at the covert, for fear of her wounds, and she had left it to Temeraire to see to the egg, (this was of course without notifying him of this duty or of her leaving. He would find out eventually.) Granby sat between Iskierka's forearms, his head resting against her chest as the setting sun over the lake covered them in a wash of warm golden light.

"Granby," Iskierka said, though she spoke slowly and nuzzled him. "Granby I must admit that when you were gone I, well I see now that I have been very wrong. I will try to be more civilized and I will follow orders, if only we may get prizes sometimes too. But Granby I must admit that when you were gone well, I found it rather difficult."

He looked up at her tenderly,

"What are you trying to say dear one?" Iskierka was silent for a long time but then curled her tail around him and licked his face, looking out at the sunrise and took a deep breath.

"I suppose I mean to say that, I felt…very frightened without you and when the French dragon came I felt for sure that he would kill me and I would never get the chance to see you again. I fretted very much over you so that I did not eat for quite a while. When Timmons was killed and when it came time to have the egg, well I felt very small and scared and lonely and I only thought of you and wished you were back to me. I mean to say that I…was not very strong." She was silent after that and took to preening herself once more. Granby smiled and stood up, though he helped him as his wound was still healing. Once he stood, she lowered her head to his level and he looked at her smiling, stroking the scales on her face.

"My dear, no one could ever love me half as good as you." Iskierka nuzzled him tenderly. They said no more after that, and slowly Granby fell asleep against her warm scales, it was not unlike the warmth of a mothers embrace: strong, securing and Granby could not think of a better place where he wished to be at that moment then with his dragon.

The end

The end! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I just love Iskierka and Granby and I think that their relationship is so unique that I wanted to try and capture it at its best and its worse. What is next for my Temeraire fanfiction craze? Freaky Friday, Temeraire edition. That's right, I'm going there. Anyway, thanks again and please give me any feedback you like, I really appreciate it!

Your Obedient Servant,
Emillia Gryphon

Song that inspired the story: watch?v=FOu36dzh_TI