Me.

And then he made me grow.

He turned me in his song into a Dragon, with wings of air and breath of fire, free and strong and brave. Together we flew on the night winds, made music, became in truth all things to one another as we would have done were the Winds or the Lady kinder. I wept, for joy, for wonder, as I felt my song-self ride the wind, become one with this fellow creature who held my name in his heart.

And I joined him.

I let go my fears; whatever it was that kept me earthbound I left behind. I let my voice join his, let it go where he went, then apart, then he would bring us back together. I had never imagined such music, it thrilled in my blood and pulsed along my every vein. Any part of my heart he did not have I gave him then. I felt my soul melt out of me and join with his as we flew. I could feel the very air on my wings, smell the approach of dawn and the nearness of my beloved; and we were one.

He sang us down. I sang no more, content to hear him, to revel in the glory of his voice and of what we had made between us.

And then there was silence.

I was loath to speak. When I came to myself again Lanen was standing beside me, her hand on my side. I leaned down a little farther and she reached up and put an arm around my neck as far as it would go and leaned her head against mine.

It was the closest we could come to one another.

I would not have moved for worlds.

The night poured in upon us from high above, the light of the stars shining in on two lost souls.

She broke the silence at last.

"Kordeshkistriakor," she whispered.

None had ever spoken my true name aloud. The power of it sparked through me, thrilling, terrifying, yet warm with the love of her who spoke it.

"Lanen Kaelar," I whispered back, and felt her tremble.

"Akor, what have we done?" she asked softly. "What was that?"

"Dearling, I wish I were certain," I said. "The closest I can come is the Flight of the Devoted."

She shivered against me. "And what is that?"

"It is the way of my people when—Lanen, dear one, this may be as hard for you to hear as it is for me to say. It is the way of my people when we choose a mate. The two Devoted ones take to the sky and—"

"And sing together and make patterns with their flight and their song, I know, we just did that. I don't know how, but we just did that." I could hear the smile in her voice. "It was wonderful to have wings, and to fly with you like that."

I found myself ashamed, as though in my need I had taken a youngling for mate before it was full grown. "Lanen, please believe me, I did not mean for that to happen. I could not stop myself. I meant only to sing you the song that came to me in the night, but when you joined me I..."

"Akor, dear one, enough," she said, stopping me. "Do you think I am a fool or a child? No one could mistake the meaning of that song we gave one another. I asked only because I wanted to hear you say what my heart knew already." She paused. "I would guess your people take a mate only once, is that so?"

"Yes."

"My people mate quite cheerfully without pledging themselves to one another, though that is done, too. I have never mated, though some have offered; and I have never loved, or been loved, before."

I could hardly believe that it was my voice that spoke. I meant every word, but I had not known that I would say them until they were spoken.

"Tell me, do you take this as seriously as if it had happened in truth, with a lady of your Kindred?"

"Lanen," that wondrous voice said to me, "it has happened in truth. Simply because we do not choose to leave the ground. it does not make the rest of our song untrue."

"Bless you for that, dear heart!" I sang. "I could not bear it if only I felt that way. For good or ill, Akor, for all the insanity of it, we are pledged to one another soul to soul."

"For good or ill, Lanen my heart. And we may be fools—I would not be surprised—but what extravagant fools we are!"

I laughed for heart's ease, with my one beloved, who would remain always apart from me yet closer than any.

"Come, let us go outside, the night is fine," he said.

I wrapped my cloak about me and followed him out, he on four legs folding his wings close about him, I walking upright. The passageway didn't bother me at all.

I missed my wings of song.

It was a fine clear night, frosty and crisp. The moon was finally rising, a blessing on the night.

Lanen blew out a sharp breath as we came out of the passageway.

"What was that?" I asked.

"That was me starting to freeze to death. It's cold out here!"

I laughed at her. "Dearling, I am fire incarnate. Gather wood and I shall..."

"Hold that thought!" she cried and hurried off to collect branches. In moments there was a small fire blazing, Lanen leaning as near to it as she could without catching alight herself.

Carefully I wrapped myself round her to keep her warm, to keep her near me. Every moment seemed precious now. I stared with her into the fire, my head beside her as near as I could come. We seemed almost shy with one another.

She spoke first, rubbing her hands together, staring into the fire, thoughtful.

"Akor, what is happening, and why? Do you know?"

"What mean you, dearling?"

"I'm not sure. But I can't believe mat our meeting, our— our love for each other, is just part of the normal way of things." She looked into my eyes. "Akor, we first spoke to each other only two nights past. This night was the first time we had to speak freely of our Kindred to each other, and almost the first thing we said was 'I love you.' Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

I smiled. "No. 'Strange' was when I first saw you step foot on this island. I was serving as Guardian then, did you know? From that moment I was drawn to you, to your laughter and to your feeling of coming home. Since then, I fear, 'strange' has given way to unbelievable,"

She laughed and reached out to stroke my face, light as a breath on my armour. "That's what I mean. But here we are, pledged to one another no less!" We both laughed, but I was relieved to hear her add, "Not that I would have it any other way, dear heart. Still, it passes belief. Human and Dragon. Kantri and Gedri. Surely this has never happened in the history of the world." She furrowed her face and stared into the fire. "I don't know about you, my dear, but I feel decidedly peculiar."

Perhaps it was cowardly, but I decided to take refuge for a moment in simpler things. "Then you won't mind my asking you about the way you furrow your face and turn your mouth down. It seems to reflect thought, but has it a name?"

She laughed. "Trust you. It's called a frown. The opposite of a smile, more or less. I frown when I'm thinking, or when I'm angry or upset. Usually angry." She laughed again, wryly. "I have a terrible temper."

"Temper?"

"I get angry easily."

"Perhaps we are related after all. The Kantri are creatures of fire, and I fear it occasionally shows in ways other than flame."

"Like when you are amused, for instance," she said. "I'm getting used to your grins, complete with steam, but I'd hate to see a belly laugh."

"A what?"

"When you find something really funny. Just warn me beforehand, will you?"

"Assuredly I shall."

"And before I forget, I've been meaning to ask you something. I am quite happy to call you the Kantri or the Kindred, but is there something wrong with 'Dragon'?"

I was slightly taken aback. "I thought you knew, dearling, since you have never used that word to me."

"No. I was going on instinct. I was right though, wasn't I?"

"Absolutely. It is—I am afraid it is considered an insult among us. It is the word your people use for the Lesser Kindred; to use that word for one of us is as much as to say that we are no more than soulless beasts."