Hey faithful readers. This is the last installment fro this story but I may write a sequel this chapter is going to be extra long, but I promised my self it would be the last because I have to continue with my main project, [Summerfire] which I encourage you all to read…OK? Good. Enjoy! Lia.

Solhe pulled himself up and into the cave and collapsed to the floor, breathing hard. He wanted nothing ore now than to rest. Still, tired as he was, he could no help but admire the view. The duns rolled away from him like the humped backs of a herd of beasts, and far off, almost unnoticeable against the sky, was what he guessed was the ocean. He had never really seen the sea before, but many of the old tales spoke of it, and how it was created in the beginning of time.

Solhe's thoughts were distracted by the arm breeze that was heating his back. He rolled over, intending to stand u[, but his thoughts never got that far. He found himself face to face with a immense red hill, seeming to rise out of the cave floor. This hill was marked by two holes as large as his head, and from there the breeze came. With a flash of thought, he realized that this was no landform. He was looking at the snout of some creature. He crawled away from it, intending to climb back our of the cave and down the cliff to safety, when the beast moved. Now a liquid pool of an eye perused him, and as he watched, unable to breath, a red eyelid slowly blinked down in a mockery of a wink. The creature houghed it's breath out, and the warmth of it wrapped Solhe up, surrounding him, and then abruptly letting him go.

~Do you fear me, human?~

The voice was soft and gentle. Sol suddenly found that he was not afraid. ~No. What are you?~

~I am fire, I am wind. I am dragon.~

Solhe bowed is had against the onslaught of colors. ~Can you tell me where Sarai is?~

The dragon flared her nostrils. ~My daughter prepares.~

~Do not fear Sol.~ Sarai's voice was very small in comparison to the riches of the dragon.

Sol could not keep the wryness out of his tone. ~A little late for that, Sarai. Could you not have given me warning?~

~Would have believed me if I had?~ Sara's voice was as pale s always, devoid of emotion. Sol let it go.

~What did she mean by daughter?~ He never received an answer. The dragon suddenly opened her jaws wide and roared, a scream of pain and desperation. Solhe was suddenly buffeted by hot dragon's breath, and he bowed his head against it. But nothing could shield him from the dragon's pain, which he felt to the bottom of his very soul.

Abruptly all was silent. The dragon's eyes were hooded, and looked almost asleep. ~Hurry daughter. The pain is hard to bear.~

Solhe moved to the side of the cave, where Sarai bent over a small fire, stewing some herbs. Her face was lined with worry, and her hands shook a little. ~Why is she in pain?~ e asked.

~She is in labor. It has happened before.~ Solhe did not know of Sarai said this to comfort him or herself. He recognized the smell of dragonroot, a pain reliever, and fire-quench, a powerful sleeping plant.

He studied the dragon for a time. She was so large that he foud it hard to take all fo her n at once. Instead he looked over each part of her, one at a time. Her head was twice his height and ridged about the red, lassy eye. Coppery scales patterned her skin, and two curved horns sprouted from her brow. Her back was humped, and farther on it sloped to her tail, which was barbed. Each foot had three wicked claws, and there were gouges in the stone where she had clenched them in her pain. Solhe realized how perfectly ,made the dragon was. She was beautiful. A pair of burnished red wings curved over her back, and the joints were also equipped with gripping claws.

Sarai moved the herbs away from the fire, bringing what was now a steaming paste to the dragon's nostrils. ~Breathe in, my mother.~ The steam vanished into the dragon's nostrils. She seemed to sigh, and her lids fell. Solhe felt some easing of pain. Sarai disappeared around the dragon. Solhe stood and followed, giving the dragon's head wide berth. Sarai knelt near the dragon's swollen abdomen, smearing some of the sticky stuff onto the smooth read skin. She held a red stone in her palm which cast flames on her face and fingers. She passed the stone across the dragon's belly, and a slit appeared. Sole watched in silent amazement; he noticed detachedly that there was no blood. From the slit came four glimmering drakes, all the color of flames. Their eyes were closed, but small ears twitched and translucent wings fluttered as f the babies already prepared to fly. Sarai placed the red stone inside the dragon's body, and the slit closed up as f it was never there. She picked up two of the drakes and nodded meaningfully for Sol. He carefully lifted the other two, surprised at there weight. He thought they would set the babies near heir mother, but Sarai carried them past the sleeping dragon and over to the fire. She set one Drake baby near the flame, and the other across the fire. Solhe complete the circle with his two. All of this as done in silence. Sarai sat near the drakes, watching the flames.

One by one, the drakes awoke and looked around with eyes full of fire. Sarai did not stop the first baby tumbling not the fire, and she only glanced at Solhe's gasp of terror. The baby did not climb out of the fire, and did not seem to be burned. Instead it spread it' wings to the flames, as if drying them, and it sat on it's haunches making little growly noises. She was soon joined by her sisters, and it as not long before all four drakes were piled n a heap in the flames, seemingly asleep.

Sarai stood and stretched. She gestured to Solhe to follow her, and she lead him to the back of the cave. Here a cloth pallet was laid out. "We cannot use mind speak for a time now. We do not want to wake them up."

Solhe nodded his understanding. There were many things he understood now. And many questions he still needed answered. "why did the dragon cal you daughter?"

"I was abandoned by my parents as a young child. I made my way to the cliffs, and she called me to climb. She raised me, and I have helped her each time she was in need."

"How many times have you stolen from people?"

"For as long as I can remember. I have never lied it, but I once tried to ask, and was refused. I know no other way."

"Haven't you ever tried gathering your own herbs? You could have your own supply, and not have to steal."

"There was never time, Sol. I thought of that too, but it as always easier to steal." Even as she said it, sarai felt ashamed of her words. Sol looked away from her.

"I could help you." He said softly. "I would want to help you."

"Why? This is not your problem."

"You made it my problem Sarai. Ever since I found you in the desert you have haunted my thoughts and dreams. You look into my soul with those pale-beautiful eyes and I can not escape you. I followed you because I did not dare let you go for fear of what it would do to me. I want to help you Sarai. I want to be around you, I want to find my way to the center of your mind and unlock whatever it is you have hidden there. I--" Sarai put her hand to his lips.

"I want believe you, Sol. But I have had no experience with humans. Can I know you speak the truth?" Sarai's eyes searched his, and Solhe realized what she asked. He nodded slowly, and suddenly found himself displaced, out of his own mind. She was careful, very careful with him, but still, he felt undeniably bared, all of his secrets made known. Then she let him go, and he settled back into himself, suddenly cold snide.

"I am sorry Sol. You speak the truth."

"Well, that is good to know. Can you trust me now?" She nodded.

He brought his hand up, not even realizing what he was doing, and stroked her dark hair. "do you know you are beautiful, Sarai?" He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "Beautiful." Her eyes filled with tears, and he caught a wisp of her thoughts. For the first time they held emotion, dark red and brilliant golds, the colors of flame and wind.

Outside the cave the dunes moved in a shifting pattern, gently pushed and coaxed by the voices of the desert wind.

~Alright, alright sappy ending. I'm sorry but I had to put the romance somewhere, and yes there muat be a sequel, and maybe more to this story. We'll see. Lia, over and out.~