Behind me, I hear a rustle as my Kaitlyn pulls on her dress. The noise I heard somewhere in the lair means any chance of mating has been cut short, which is severely disappointing to my spicket and means whatever creature which has disturbed me will have to deal with my ire.
I shut the door behind me and make my way back through the passages which lead to the main living areas. This lair is set out in a similar fashion to other Bluecap lairs, but each one is individual.
Mine has traps.
I make my way silently through to the main throne room where the noises are coming from. It’s far too obvious a place for an ambush, so I make sure I enter from above.
Below me is a creature I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again.
“Warden,” I growl.
The Brag, half man, half horse, looks around him, unable to tell where my voice is coming from. His hooves clatter on the stone floor.
“Show yourself, Linton, you creepy bastard,” he calls out.
I consider my options and then launch myself onto the back of the centaur, sinking my fangs into his shoulder.
Warden roars out in pain, spinning wildly as he attempts to grab me. But we’ve battled before, and I know how he fights. I keep my wings out of his way and dig my fangs in deeper.
“Linton!” he bellows. “Get off me! I’m here to help.”
If I was disappointed his presence meant I didn’t get to mate my Kaitlyn again when my spicket was more than ready, I’m slightly less disappointed in not being able to have a good fight. Warden was always fun to fight with.
“Will you…get off!”
He slams a fist into my side, and I spit him out, spinning over his head to land on my feet in front of him, out of the reach of his deadly hooves.
Many monsters in the Yeavering are dangerous, but anyone who underestimates the Brag is most likely to die from a kick to the head they never saw coming.
Warden fights dirty. The ache in my side is proof.
“Why are you here?” I growl.
The Brag has an unpleasant ability to turn up when it is least needed and lead us all into trouble, the storming of Queen Mab’s castle to return the Lambton Wyrm to his mate being a case in point.
Warden has an unerring ability to know what you want and to offer it to you. But this time, he’s too late. I know what I want and I have her in my sleeping room.
With any luck, I’ll have her under me again very soon, once I’ve expelled this Brag from my home.
“You’ve got company you don’t want.”
“I have all the company I’ll ever need, not including you,” I growl.
“Tam Lin is approaching with an army of Redcaps.”
“And you’re the advance guard?” I snarl.
“What do you take me for?” Warden rears up, his hooves flashing silver with the razor edges on his shoes.
Some in the Yeavering believe he has been shoed by the devil. They couldn’t be more wrong.
“I’m here to save your sorry wings. Again,” he growls. “The last thing you need is to tangle with Tam Lin.”
“Tam Lin is no match for me, even if I did take his mission.”
“What?” Warden stills, his dark eyes under heavy lids glaring at me. “What did you do?”
“I did what I’ve been trained to do. I kill for coin,” I respond.
