CHAPTER SEVEN

The Frostweave came down heavy as the weeks passed, blanketing the world in a quiet whiteness. The chill became almost unbearable, and Yara spent most of the short days bundled up under the furs. When it wasn't snowing, she took time to gather wood from the trees nearby so she didn't run out. 

One evening while gathering dry wood to make use of, she noticed a fire in the forest. That was strange because it was Frostweave so there was no reason for a fire to start at random.' someone might need help,' she thought dropping her pile of wood on the side and pulling her fur cloak closer as she walked into the tree line. She could still see the smoke overhead as she navigated through the skeletal forest. The entire forest seemed to be enveloped in an eerie blank silence, her footsteps echoed as her boots crunched on the icy floor.

 As she approached the source of the smoke, a sudden snap of twigs drew her attention. Turning towards the sound, she was met with an unexpected sight— A man, tall and ruggedly handsome, stood there, stark naked, holding a pair of trousers. Clothing lay strewn around him, discarded in the struggle against the winter cold.

Yara blinked, momentarily frozen by the sight. She couldn't deny the top notch quality of his physique and… her eyes trailed down before snapping back up. They widened as she registered the scene before her. "What in the frozen realms are you doing?" she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the crisp air.

The man, nonchalant and composed, continued dressing himself as if her presence meant nothing. The sunlight played on his tanned skin, revealing scars and a scattering of scales on his face and back. Yara's gaze sharpened as she realized what might be standing before her.

"Why are you in the woods?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

He remained silent, his attention focused on his clothes.

Growing frustrated, Yara stepped in front of him. "I'm talking to you. Why are you in these woods?"

The man finally spared her a glance, golden eyes met hers, confirming her suspicions. He was a dragon in human form. His gaze was ice-cold and dismissive as it met hers. "Why does it matter to you, little human?" he sighed, pulling his tunic over his head. "Privacy is a luxury I can't afford." His voice carried a slight rasp.

The surprise on Yara's face quickly morphed into a scowl.

"I saw smoke. I have every right to know if you're responsible for it. This is another dragon's territory, and you can't just—," she shot back, attempting to regain her composure, "Privacy? This is a forest! People—normal people—don't stroll around in the buff in the middle of nowhere."

He finished dressing, his attire dark and rugged, it was clear they had seen better days. "Normal people don't find themselves in these woods."

"Yet here you are," Yara scoffed, eying the strange man. 

The man regarded her with an arched eyebrow, unfazed by her words. "Freezing to death seems to be a concern for mortals, not someone like me."

Yara's frustration grew, and she stepped closer. "Someone like you? Let me guess, you're not just a regular naked man freezing his bits off in the woods."

His expression tightened slightly, "Your deductions are as sharp as your tongue." he remarked dryly. 

Yara glared. "Enough games. Who are you, and why are you here?"

He regarded her with an icy demeanor. "You're in no position to question me, human. Move aside."

Frustration welled up within Yara as he attempted to walk past her. Reacting on impulse, she reached out and grabbed his arm, "I won't let you leave until I get some answers."

He warned her, "Let go." his fang flashing as he spoke

she dared him, her eyes blazing. "Try me."

In response, he seized her wrists, twisting them deftly and holding them firmly behind her back. Yara winced, her eyes narrowing as he pulled her close. One warm hand encircled her throat, firm over her beating pulse, while the other released her wrists and tangled in her hair.

The unmistakable heat radiating from his body cut through the winter cold. His rough, clawed hand pressed dangerously against her throat, sending a shiver down her spine.

Caught off guard, Yara struggled against his hold. The firm grip on her throat heightened the tension, her breath catching. "Let go of me, you arrogant—"

He silenced her with a hand over her mouth, her muffled protests vibrating against his palm. His fingers were firm against her skin. The angle had her head tilted, and his golden eyes bore into hers with a dangerous glint. She felt an unusual sensation, a thrumming in the air that surrounded them. A strange calm settled over her as if the world outside their immediate vicinity had faded away. 'What was happening?' She struggled to maintain her focus, to break free from the strange trance that held her captive.

"Arrogant? Coming from the one who thinks she can dictate terms in a dragon's domain. How amusing."

"Perhaps you need a lesson in manners," he whispered with a hint of condescension, his warm breath brushing against her ear. His nostrils twitched as he caught the scent on her, and his eyes darkened. Her eyes glazed over at his words, and she stopped struggling.

He pushed her away, stepping back with a smirk playing on his lips. Pausing, his golden eyes assessed her. "I suggest you choose your battles more wisely, human."

Without another word, the man circled around her and walked into the woods, leaving her standing in the snow-covered clearing. It was only when the thrumming faded and the man was far from the view that the cold air snapped her back to reality. Snow that had accumulated on her head and shoulders fell as she moved her stiff joints. 

She shook her head, attempting to clear the fog that lingered in her mind. The anger surged back, hot and potent, but now it was accompanied by a sense of confusion. 

'What did he do to me? Mind control?' She rubbed her forehead as she walked back home. She could still feel the heat from his hand on her face. "Fucking stupid lizards and their superiority complexes." She grumbled under her breath, flushing from the cold.

 'Yeah, definitely the cold.'

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The next day, the snow crunched beneath Yara's boots as she retraced the same path. The biting cold nipped at her skin, each breath forming a misty cloud in the frosty air. The world around her was draped in a quiet whiteness. Yara felt half excited to meet the Sentient, and half dreaded him actually being there. Her head was still aching from whatever he did last time. 

She finally found the site where the smoke had been coming from and paused by the edge of the clearing. The entire field was charred, and the earth was upturned from whatever had happened there. Even now, the scent of burnt flesh was still very pungent in the air. Not even the freshly fallen snow could mask it. 

"How did I miss such a fight?" She wondered aloud, a frown marring her face. This was extremely strange and unlike her at all. To have missed a fight of this proportion while being so close to it meant her skills were diminishing. 

The bodies, half-buried in the snow, bore signs of a violent end. Some seemed torn to pieces, and others were crushed or slashed up. 

'Did that idiot do all this?' she wondered, walking into the charred battlefield.

Yara's eyes narrowed as she looked around the scene, and her gaze fell upon a sign on one of the burnt pieces of armour. It bore a distinct emblem, marking these smugglers as members of a notorious family involved in the black market. She knelt down closer to get a better look. 'Yeah, it was definitely them.' 

Numerous families and guilds ran the smuggling ring/ black market, but four were at the forefront of the charge. Each family had its unique sign, representing their specialities, reputation, and influence in the underworld. Yara knew them well— The Shadowscale Syndicate, with their sharp claws as their emblem; the Nightshade Network, with their crow insignia; the Ember Consortium, represented by a blazing flame; and the Lunar Cartel, with a serpent coiled around a dagger as their symbol.

Yara stood amidst the remains, her mind racing with the implications of these people being so close to the dragon and the eggs. A knot tightened in her stomach. If they had found this place, would the dragon have to move the eggs? That could make things harder. She chewed on her bottom lip as she made her way back to the manor. 'This complicated things. How did the Syndicate find out about this place?' She thought, breaking through the tree line. 'Were there people in the villages close by that saw the dragon flying about and shared the information?' There didn't seem to be any other plausible reason. 

Returning to the manor, she was startled out of her troubled thoughts by an unexpected sight. The dragon awaited her, scales gleaming in the subdued light, its massive form coiled near the entrance. The dragon's nostrils flared as she approached, and it began sniffing the air around her.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

She hadn't heard it fly overhead. "I had thought you had gone into hibernation. Are the eggs ok?" She walked closer to it. It hummed in greeting, clearly too relaxed on its sunbathing spot to care, though there was barely any sunlight, and the stone slab was most definitely cold at the moment. Seeing as it wasn't freaking out, she decided everything was ok.

A sudden thought came to her. "Are the cavern passages connected to other dens?" she asked, standing in front of it. That got the dragon's attention, as it chuffed and stared at her with a head tilt. The question in its eyes was clear: 'Why are you asking?' 

"Well, I met someone yesterday, and I think he's sentient like you, actually," She said, and then a thought came to her: "Do you have a human form too? Or is that lost?" 

The dragon simply stared at her, "I might be getting ahead of myself. Anyways, he was just so fucking annoying!" Yara began her tirade. The dragon hummed, eyes curious. She paced back and forth with her arms crossed. "I'm telling you, he's not alright in the head! Who walks around naked in the freezing woods in the dead of Frostweave? Dragon or no?" 

The dragon snorted, its eyes narrowing with a hint of amusement.

Yara threw her hands up in exasperation. "You're impossible! I mean, who gave him permission to be in our territory?"

It regarded Yara with a bemused expression, eyes clearly asking, 'Our territory?' 

She glared at the dragon, frustration clear on her face. "You know what I mean! This place is technically ours, and he was trespassing." 

"I swear, that imbecile had no manners. He just waltzed in naked and then put me in some kind of weird trance. I don't even know how he did it," she muttered, ignoring the way her cheeks heated as she remembered the warmth she felt from his touch.

The dragon, however, seemed more interested in the lingering scent of ash on her clothes. It nudged her gently, its eyes narrowing as it continued to sniff.

"What's gotten into you?" she grumbled, looking down at the dragon. "I'm trying to vent here, and you're not taking me seriously."

The dragon huffed, its breath visible in the cold air. 

"Fine, ignore me," she muttered, back to pacing back and forth. "But there's something you should know. I found smugglers from the Shadowscale Syndicate in the woods. They were close, too close. What if they decide to target us next?"

The dragon responded in a low rumble. The message in its eyes was clear. 'No one poses a threat to us.' 

"I would have suspected the loon, but it seems like he's the one that dealt with them." She hummed, frowning. 

The dragon had raised its head fully and was staring into the woods. "Will we have to move the eggs? We can't carry your treasures, so you're going to have to leave those behind-" Yara began to list things.

The dragon gave a sharp bark, startling her. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What's that all about?" she asked. She didn't know dragons could make such sounds. She turned in the direction it was looking at to try and see what had its attention, but all she saw was the barren trees. 

"What is it? Is something out there?" Yara asked again.

She felt so dumb for not taking her dagger with her twice. She tensed as the tree line rustled. She could feel the dragon's muscles flex beneath the scales as it stood over her. 'Did the loon follow me here?' She looked up at the dragon. Its belly looked like it had softer scales, a possible weakspot. She shook her head, 'concentrate, Yara, this is not the time,' she scolded, hand reaching for the weapon that wasn't there. 

The noise was closer now, right in front of them and out came...