Boon’s new ino didn’t take so long to train. Crane had climbed high to find a male one, nearly twice the size of his own. The creature was docile but impressive. His face looked ferocious but he had a sweet nature to him. Even Crane’s ino liked him, though the big dummy didn’t seem to take much notice of her.

“Crippled leg, and a tailless rider, huh?” Crane said as he mounted her.

Their scales fully grown, Indel stared up at his kings, his hearts swelling with pride but worry. The season was at an end, and he still could not change to the first stage. He’d trained them as he was now and although he had confidence in Crane, Boon was another story.

Essentially, Boon was useless in a fight. He’d have to concede all his battles to Crane for the challenge. If he were that smart, they may all make it out of the roost alive. But if he chose the challenge on his own....

Nala was the last to prepare herself. Indel frowned when he saw the gunny-sack robe and not the fancy one he’d put out.

He didn’t argue it this time. His own was nice, and although Boon sported a streak of blue scales from his forehead to his nose, he still looked bold and strong. So long as he didn’t stand beside Crane’s towering stature, his boldness alone would radiate.

Letting out a held breath, Nala said, “I do not know if I will go with you.”

This bit of unwelcomed news prompted Indel to turn to her.

“I do not want to live there,” Nala continued. “I want to be here. Crane will win. He’ll win any fighter and they’ll need your guidance, so you’ll have to stay with them. But I cannot...I cannot live there again.”

Indel had learned a lot over the seasons. He’d learned what it was to be invincible, aggressive, and beyond any rulings. His babes came against the fates, his affection for Nala came against his own desires. But he’d also learned that forcing Nala to be where she didn’t want was more harmful than not.

This one time, perhaps for the first time, he begged, “I cannot be without you. I have confidence in them. I believe they will best anyone in time. But in the small chance that we lose, I wish to die by your side. They will let you leave, I’m sure of it. You don’t share our blood.”

Nala shook her head. “They will win and you can come back and see me from time to time.”

They stared one another down until Indel said, “Then I will stay as well.”

A frown in place, Nala said, “No.”

“Yes. I will stay. They are grown. I will stay with you.”

The wind collected most of Nala’s hair up but she remained rigid.

Eventually, her expression softened and she asked, “So you will return with me if I follow you now?”

Relief washed over Indel and he smiled. “Foolish Summoner. You will not be rid of me. I will be with you until I’m feeble and stupid and all I can recall is your face and your name. Sessel has some years still. I can travel back and forth.”

Nala smiled as well, though she seemed less sure. She glanced past Indel to their sons and nodded.

“Then let us go.” When her eyes settled on Indel, her face was aglow. “And then it’s you and I.”

“You and I,” Indel promised.

Boon patted his ino and called to Nala, “Aza, we two can ride. You are very light.”

Indel shook his head. “No. They are for show. You must ride them, looking bold and proud. We have no army at our backs, but we will go there proper.”

“As will I,” Nala said, rushing inside.

Indel meant to call to her but Nala shed her robe, her back to them as she put the other one on.

After she tied it, she brushed her hair back and said, “Let us go.”

And they walked.

They traveled the length of the river, showing where Crane killed his first crane-mere and then the second. They showed where Nala and the sloth nearly died. For the first time since they’d taken the babes to that mountain, their sons were leaving it.

Crane took the journey the hardest, surprising Indel by talking about all the things he’d miss. “I suppose we won’t farm at dawn in a roost.”

Boon took it all in stride. His head held high as his ino strutted. “Kings shouldn’t farm anyway.”

They arrived at the roost just before dark.

Citel had one son for Indel’s two. Crane was bigger; Crane’s scales were redder; and out of the three of them, only Crane could speak the old tongue.

Sessel called for a feast, but Citel and her would-be king refused to attend.

All the better. The odds were in their favor and Indel laughed at the way both youths gawked at the females who passed by. On more than one occasion Nala had to seek Crane out while Indel tried to rein Boon in.

“But she smiled in my direction,” Boon insisted.

Indel found his awed tone endearing. “She probably fancies your blue scales. Come. We should meet with Sessel.”

Nala wasn’t better off, forced to drag Crane by the collar of his armor. She couldn’t touch anywhere else without risking injury.

“I only wanted to speak with her.” Crane lumbered behind his Aza, body hunched lest Nala couldn’t reach him.

“You can talk to them?” Boon hurried to reach him. “Show me how.”

Watching Crane try and teach Boon a common greeting now after so many cycles of him refusing to try and learn was rather nice to say the least. No sooner had Nala reach Indel and they praised the other for their success in locating the two, the youths wandered off.

In the end, when the boys escaped yet again, Indel simply shook his head as he sat down in the garden.

Nala agreed, “Let them go.”

Indel nodded, “In their first stage, they can only woo. I hope they’ll remember their manners.”

When Nala folded her arms and looked thoughtful, Indel asked, “What is it?”

Nala shook her head, avoiding his gaze. At Indel’s gentle nudging. She smiled.

Looking out at the now plush garden, Indel sighed.

“Has it really been so long?” He caught sight of their usual shadowy area and smiled. “How did we even fit there?”

“We fit,” Nala said. “I think we were combined usually.”

And there they sat; a former king and his current favored. When Indel shifted his body toward Nala, Nala met him in kind.

“What are you for, my king?”

Indel glanced to the shadows again, and then out at the garden. “I suppose if we stay, we could spend time here together.” He gestured back at the shadows. “Or there together.”

Nala laughed, staring out at the moonlight. “The garden is nice at least.”

A screech broke out and Indel sighed.

“Already?” He looked around to find the source. Heavy footfall came from all directions and he said, “Whatever the mess they’ve made....”

“Aza....”

Nala turned, a contented smile on her face.

Crane took two more steps before he fell to his knees. “Aza....”

When he collapsed forward, Indel heard only one crack as his son’s neck broke.