Story (c) 2000 by Hikaru Katayamma/Keith Dickinson. All rights reserved. The character Sheila Vixen (c) Eric W Schwartz. Throckmorton P Ruddygore, Poqua, Lakash (c) Jack L Chalker. All other characters are (c) Hikaru Katayamma.  This story contains adult situations and language. By reading it the viewer agrees not to hold this or any other person responsible for any content they may find objectionable. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Sheila and Ross sat on their horses at a crossroad. Behind Ross' horse was a packhorse that was lead by a tether connected to his saddle.

"Pretty simple system once you understand the symbols. The trick is that there are a huge number of symbols," he commented, pointing to the sign. "Arrow to the left shows open plains, little water, some game and the symbol for the village of Pomak. The numbers under say that it's a three-day ride. The arrow to the right says that it leads to the Debasar River, and travel time is two days."

Sheila nodded. "Fine, we head left," she replied as she urged her horse forward.

"Left?" Ross asked in confusion. "But we can catch a boat down the Debasar to the River of the Dancing Gods. From there, we can just follow it up to Terindell. "

Sheila reined her horse to a stop and looked back. "I know that, but I've seen the maps. Taking the Debasar will lead southeast before getting to the Dancing Gods. This way goes northeast and is more direct. Taking the river will add weeks to our ride."

Ross shook his head. "I know that, but if we follow the river, our passage will be safer. It's better patrolled. You've got us going out across the high plains of Leander. In case you have forgotten, Leander isn't renowned for its hospitality."

"Oh, come on," Sheila said as she wheeled her horse around to face Ross. "Are you telling me that a high ranking adept like yourself, along with a swordsman like myself, can't handle ourselves out here in the plains?"

Ross cringed. "It's not that. It's just…" he trailed off as he tried to choose his words. "If we go over the high plains, it will be days, even weeks between towns."

Sheila closed her eyes as she rubbed a paw against her stomach. "Is that all you care about?" she asked, looking back over at Ross. "Making sure that we're always within easy reach of civilization?"

"Hey! Don't knock it, babe!" Ross shot back angrily. "There's a lot to be said for being near civilization, versus stuck out on the plains."

For a moment Sheila just started at Ross before she shook her head. "Fine. You take the river. I'll wait a couple of weeks at Terindell for you to catch up."

Without waiting for a reply, she wheeled her horse around and spurred it on down the trail at a trot. Behind her, Ross muttered a few silent curses to himself before he kicked his horse into motion and followed her.

For most of the day they rode on in silence. The only change in their routine was to vary the pace for the horses and occasionally give them a brief chance to drink at the intermittent watering holes along the path. Their general surroundings changed gradually as they moved away from the river. At first they saw sporadic farms nestled near a narrow tributary or pond from which they could gather their water. After the better part of a day's ride, they had left all signs of civilization behind, with the exception of the path they rode along.

As dusk slowly began to settle in, darkening the sky, Ross finally brought his horse up even with Sheila's. "Don't you think it's time to stop?"

Sheila glanced over at Ross and then over at the setting sun. "Not yet. We've got another hour or so of light. After that, we've got moonlight to show us the way."

Ross pulled ahead of Sheila and blocked her path with his horse, forcing her to stop. "Are you seriously suggesting that we continue riding on after dark with just moonlight for illumination?"

Sheila looked annoyed. "Don't you have any spells that will let you see in the dark?"

"Of course I do," Ross answered back harshly. "But they won't do us any good if one of the horses steps in a hole and breaks its leg because it can't see where it's going."

Sheila pursed her lips and looked around, avoiding Ross' glare. "All right," she conceded. "Point taken. Find us a good spot and we'll settle down for the night."

Now it was Ross' turn to survey the terrain for a moment. "Over there, by those low hills. We should be able to find a low-lying area that will shelter our fire from prying eyes." Without waiting for Sheila's approval, Ross spurred his horse towards the cluster of hills.

Nestled in between the hills was a small natural spring surrounded by small trees and brush. Ross examined the area once again before they dismounted and set up camp. Sheila quickly built a small fire in a pit, which had obviously been used for such purposes before, while Ross took care of the animals. Soon they were sitting by the fire, eating dried meats and fruit.

"Why don't you let me whip you up some real food," Ross suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "It wouldn't take too much effort to summon up something good to eat."

"No," Sheila replied flatly, again rubbing her stomach absentmindedly as she ripped some more dried meat from the chunk in her hand. "You know how I feel about that kind of stuff."

"You know, if you let me feed you some real food occasionally, you might not be having stomach problems, " Ross replied. Seeing Sheila's confused look, he pointed to the paw she held against her abdomen. "You've been holding your stomach off and on for the last few days. It's probably that crap jerky you keep eating."

Sheila hastily pulled her paw away from her belly and used it, instead, to pick up a stick and stir the fire. "There's nothing wrong with my stomach."

"Yah, right," Ross responded sarcastically. "Tell me that's just a bad habit you picked up."

Rather than look at Ross, Sheila continued to stir the fire for a few seconds. Apparently satisfied with her handiwork, she tossed the stick aside and then gave Ross a sideways glance. "My stomach is fine. It's not that."

Finishing off the last of his meat, Ross set his platter aside and scooted over closer to Sheila. "If it's not your stomach, then what's the problem?" His tone reflected the concern that was on his face.

Sheila took a deep breath before letting it. "It's the baby," she admitted. "It's started to kick."

Ross' face lit up. "Hey, that's great news!"

Sheila's entire countenance wilted slightly with Ross' zeal.

"Come on!" Ross nudged Sheila in the arm as he tried to encourage her. "That's great. The kid is really coming along."

Sheila suddenly stood and walked away from the fire and Ross, stopping as she reached one of the small trees. Ross paused for a second before he too stood and walked over to the tree.

Gently he laid a hand on Sheila's shoulder. "Hey, what's the problem?" he gently asked. "You do want this kid, don't you?"

She glanced back over her shoulder at Ross for a second before looking back out at the stars. Her eyes had a haunted look to them that bothered the man. "I don't know any more," she said after a long silence. "I just don't know anything any more. This is all so wrong." She leaned heavily against the tree, hugging it with her arm. "Ever since I met Arden, my life has been one big, swirling tornado of things happening to me. All I want to do is to get this all over with and go home."

The vixen turned and looked at Ross with a tear in her eye. "I miss my bed. I miss having Zig and the others to joke around with. I miss the lights and cameras." She turned away again, gazing wistfully at the stars. "I want to go to sleep and wake up at home with all this having been a bad dream. I want to find out that it was all a nightmare, that Bjorn's really all right and waiting for me to do our next film."

Sheila paused again, holding her womb. "But I know it's not. Every day I'm reminded of the fact that I'm really stuck in this nightmare and my only way out is to find Arden. Worst of all, the only lead I have is a dream."

"A dream?" Ross asked, his face suddenly intent on what she was saying.

Sheila nodded . "A few days ago Arden's squire, Thomas, came to me in a dream. He said I needed to head across the Leander flatlands towards Stormhold, and on to Terindell. Somewhere along the line I'll find someone who will lead me to Arden."

"So you headed out here because of a dream?" Ross asked intently.

Sheila nodded. "It was so real, I could remember every detail after I woke up." She turned and looked back at Ross. "It was almost like the time that Nanuk had drawn me into the spirit realm."

Ross nodded. "Dreams can bring very powerful omens or portents to us, but you have to be careful about how you interpret them." He reached out and dried the fur under Sheila's eyes. "I'm sure you were right about the meaning of the dream, but next time, how about talking it over. It would have explained a lot about why you've been so moody lately."

Ross' words penetrated the depression that Sheila felt and sparked a response somewhat different that what he had wanted. Smiling, Sheila nodded. "All right, I'll do that," she lied, while inwardly kicking herself for the lapse. She hadn't wanted to let Ross in on any more of her life than he already knew. Even though she didn't have any real reason to distrust him, her instincts still warned her that, like Arden, he, too, was too good to be true.

"Good," he replied, giving her a little hug. "Now why don't you go ahead and get some sleep. I'll take first watch and set out the wards."

Ross watched as Sheila returned to the camp and lay down on her bedroll. Once she was settled in, he opened his pack and removed a series of ornately carved stones and began placing them in a perimeter around the camp. With the last one in place he made a sign over it, causing all the stones to glow for a second, before they appeared to return to normal. Anyone with fairy sight would be able to see the web of magic that now formed a dome over the encampment. It wouldn't stop anyone serious about getting in, but it would give the pair enough warning to set up a defense.

Satisfied with his work, Ross sat down and poured himself a mug of coffee. He sat by the fire and watched Sheila as she slowly faded off to sleep, wondering what new tidbits of information he'd be able to get from her tomorrow.

Sheila woke up to the sound of a bird chirping in the trees nearby. Confused, she sat up and looked around. There was no sign of the camp that she and Ross had setup. She found herself in the middle of a small clearing in a lightly wooded forest. The only odd thing was the large, moss colored wall that shaded her.

Confused, she stood and tried to get her bearings. She studied the wall and saw that it wasn't moss covered, or even stone. It wasn't until a large eye opened high on the surface that she realized it was the head of a dragon.

Terror filled her as she fled screaming, and blundered right into the arms of a tall, well -built human. Still searching for an escape, she fought with him in an attempt to flee.

"Sheila, it's all right," he repeated, trying to calm her down, but without effect. Finally he released one arm and slapped her, breaking her panic.

Sheila looked up at him while holding a paw to her muzzle. He looked familiar, yet she couldn't place the face. "Who are you? Where am I? What the hell is going on here?"

The young man smiled. "I'm Thomas, you're in Nanuk's realm and hell has nothing to do with this place."

"Thomas?" Sheila shakily reached out and touched his face to make sure he was real. "But how? You're just a boy?"

Thomas smiled again. "In this place, time has little meaning."

"But when you came to me in my dream, you were just a boy still." Sheila looked around, confused by what was happening. The dragon simply sat and watched.

"You remembered me as a child, so that's how I had to appear to you," Thomas explained. "I now serve Arden as Nanuk's protector. As such, I must take on the roll of a man, therefore I assume the aspect of a man."

Sheila shook her head at the information overload. "This is all to too much," she complained, rubbing the bridge of her snout. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I didn't," Thomas replied, nodding to the dragon. "Lakash did. Unlike Arden, I don't have that kind of power."

"That still doesn't tell me why," Sheila repeated, glancing nervously at the dragon.

"Soon you will encounter an agent of Lakash. You must do exactly as he says or Arden will be lost to us. All hope now lies in your hands."

Sheila looked up at Thomas with a glimmer of hope in her eye. "Then Arden's alive?"

Thomas glanced over at the dragon. "Yes, and no."

"What do you mean, 'yes, and no'?" Sheila demanded angrily.

"That's the problem, Sheila," Thomas explained. "He is, and yet he isn't alive. If you fail in your part of the quest he'll be lost to us forever. If you succeed, you'll bring him all the way back into the real world where he will be able to complete his quest."

Sheila looked back at the dragon, which had yet to do more than blink. "So how will I know this agent?" she asked Thomas.

Thomas nodded. "He'll have a mark that you will recognize. You must trust him, as he is your ally."

Sheila nodded in acceptance. "OK. I'll keep an eye out for this guy. You can't give me any more to go on than just look for a mark? This guy could be anywhere."

Thomas looked up at the dragon again.

"Keep on your path and it will bring you to him." The voice of Lakash resonated directly inside her skull, echoing slightly.

"Also," Thomas said, getting her attention. "Be wary of this man you travel with. We are unable to divine his intentions. However, don't assume that he is your enemy. Just be on your guard."

Sheila nodded, digesting the information.

Thomas stepped forwards and cupped her muzzle in his hand. "I want you to understand this, Sheila," he explained in a serious tone. "Lakash has sworn to me that if you do your best to help Arden fulfill his side of the bargain, then Lakash will guarantee that you will be returned to your world, even if Arden fails." He paused a second for his words to sink in before he released her. "I swore to Arden that I would serve her in death as I had in life, and that includes taking care of you. You need never worry again about getting home. Just make sure that you find Lakash's agent and bring Arden back."

Sheila hung her head for a moment before looking up. Her ears drooped as she reached out to put her paw on Thomas' chest. "I was all wrong about you," she said gently. "I hated you for something that was my own fault. I hope you can forgive me."

Thomas smiled and took her into his embrace. "That's OK, Miss Sheila. I never held any of the things you said or did against you. I knew it was just your love for Arden."
He continued to hold her for a minute before he released her. "It's time for you to go back."

Sheila sniffed and wiped a tear from one eye. "Thank you, Thomas," she said as he led her over to the side of the dragon's neck. Beyond the scales she saw a shimmering image of her sleeping body.

She released Thomas' hand and stepped through. The last thing she heard before the darkness took her was his voice, echoing; "Your armor. Never remove your armor. Never…"