Proclamation

Dry mouth meant dehydration. Blurry vision when her eyes first opened meant she had been asleep a long time or not long enough as normal. Simon's voice was met by Istvan's in a debate. Mei's and Carmichael's were in whispers. The creature under her wasn't a horse but the smooth texture of the scales told her she hadn't been allowed to be touched by others.

She slowly sat up, holding onto the rolling shoulders as she took in where they were and what time of day it was. Her body was tender and stiff, the bandages tighter than before she had fallen asleep. Something had been placed over her back and she shifted, the cold metal thick. Was this a shield? Cathlinn glanced to Carmichael, the shield he normally carried gone and not hooked onto his horse's saddle.

"You're awake," came the voice in her head and she stared at the creature. "It was easier to connect with you than many other humans who have tried." Cathlinn didn't respond as she felt at her shoulder. It was the tightest wrapping she had and it was digging into her skin. "You're mind is in distress, little human woman."

"When is it not," she sniffed. "How long?"

"A few days. The other humans keep saying it's from lack of sleep," it responded. "Though if they held you properly you'd be fine, they were set on just laying next to you in two hour shifts."

"They need sleep," Cathlinn yawned and reached for a saddle, stopping when there was none. The creature gave a soft roar and there was a gasp behind them.

"Cathlinn," Mei cried. She was next to her in minutes, leaning in the horse's saddle to get a closer look as she gripped Cathlinn's face. "I have water. We got bread in the last town if you're hungry."

"Water," Cathlinn asked softly. The water skin was thrusted into her hands as the two ahead noticed. "Were we attacked at all? How much ground did we gain? We're stopping early so you all can-"

"You just woke up, Cathlinn," Carmichael gripped Cathlinn's shoulder, her head turning to him. "We are all fine. It's you we're worried about."

"Stop worrying," Cathlinn ordered. "You all need rest. We're stopping early to set up the tents and none of you are fucking complaining. Understand?" The two looked to each other with Cathlinn between them before they nodded slowly. "Good, now how much ground did we gain?"

"We are two and half days from the castle of Grigor," Carmichael replied. Cathlinn nodded as she drank from the waterskin before she stared down at the hound beneath her. That's what they were called wasn't it? The smallest creatures from the stares in their race. It fit though with their personalities and their capabilities.

"Spread out again," Cathlinn muttered. "We're too close together." She managed to pull the shield from her back and held it to Carmichael who shook his head.

"Cathlinn, this isn't-"

"It wasn't a suggestion."

"We don't have to listen when you're being thoughtless," Mei retorted. Cathlinn looked over at her and her shoulders fell.

"I would rather get hit than any of you getting killed, thank you," Cathlinn sighed. Carmichael shot in front of the hound, blocking the path and forcing it to stop as he glared at Cathlinn.

"What was war like for you," he snapped.

"She hasn't been-"

"Explosive. Quick," Cathlinn ignored the confused look on Mei's face. "The kick of a gun in your shoulder, the five foot radius of a grenade when it went off, the proximity of a patrol meant survival or death." Carmichael stared before looking to Mei and giving a curt nod. The two got from their horses and both took a knee in front of her. "Get up, there no reason to-"

"I'll be your hidden hand," Mei interrupted Cathlinn and stared. There was anger and frustration in her eyes along with something else.

"I'll be the shield you never carry," Carmichael added.

"Get off your knees," Cathlinn's face started to turn red and the creature laughed in her head. "I don't-"

"We are yours to order, to consult, and to rely on," Mei breathed.

"You're the one we pledge our allegiance to. The one we want to serve and protect with our lives," Carmichael stated. Simon and Istvan had stopped a bit ahead, their bodies turned to see what was happening. "You're not Monique and I have accepted that. Simon has accepted that as well. Mei only knows you. That should tell you something, Cathlinn, and I hope to the gods you realize we wouldn't do this for Monique."

Cathlinn stared, her face blazing from second hand embarrassment at the situation, "I don't want you on your knees. It's a fucking disgrace to yourselves."

"My, what a human you are. Should I kneel too," the hound laughed. She lightly hit its back, her eyes widening.

"Stop that," she snapped. Her chest was beginning to squeeze as Mei and Carmichael stared at her almost endlessly. "Just- Just stop. I haven't done much of anything for any of you. There's no reason to see yourselves as lower."

"You're royalty though," Mei sighed.

"I'm not royalty. I'm a person," Cathlinn snapped. "And I'm not fucking perfect. This place isn't mine and my happy ass isn't that smiling, go lucky fuck everyone wants. So get off your damn knees because you're no different from me."

"I won't until you accept my allegiance," Carmichael yelled. "This isn't your home and I know that. But you have to accept that it is your place now." Cathlinn flinched from his tone, never having heard it before. Simon was approaching and he stopped just a few feet behind the two.

"We know you don't like this, your highness, but we have all been talking about it since you told us to spread out," Simon climbed from his horse and joined the other two. Cathlinn snorted, rubbing her face before laying back on the hound's back.

"Cathlinn," Mei shot roll her feet but stopped when Carmichael grabbed her arm.

"It's a panic attack," he stated.

"Yeah, a fucking panic attack," Cathlinn snapped. "I'm not a fucking leader. You're putting whatever trust you have in the hands of a fucking mess."

"That mess has proven to be everything we want in a leader," Simon stated. He stood up and nudged Carmichael. "I'm sure she accepts, Carmichael."

"I want to hear it," Carmichael growled. "I need to hear it."

"You need to hear what? That I don't know what to fucking do," Cathlinn sat up quickly, regretting it as the world spun around her. She nearly blacked out and she rubbed her face as her chest heaved with every breath, "You're not my men. No one is. I have brothers and sisters in arms."

"You're a higher rank," Carmichael stated. "And I want to be under your command. I don't want to be under the king or queens but yours." Cathlinn stared and she pulled at her ears as her hands began to fidget with whatever they found. "Be the leader you are, your highness, and the world will bend to your will. Let us be the hands that set it to the fairness, kindness, and selflessness that you've shown."

Cathlinn took a moment, everything too much for her mind to bear as she struggled to comprehend it. This would never have happened where she came from. No one would want her as their leader because everyone else was so much better, they had so much more confidence. Her chest suddenly emptied and her face became straight, a farce to the real rapids of her thoughts.

"Accept them. You are everything they say," the hound hummed. She stared at it and shook her head before her head became empty of all thought. She glanced up at Istvan who was still quietly watching. Who knew how this looked to an outsider. He was probably laughing at how she refused any allegiances.

"Fine," she muttered. It was getting hard to speak as she gripped at the hound's shoulders. "But you're not putting yourselves after me on your list of priorities, got it? That sort of shit is stupid." Carmichael finally stood with the other two, a proud smile splitting his face from ear to ear.

"I wouldn't expect any other words from you, your highness," he sang.

"The birth of the Dragons of Cavidiar," the four stared at Istvan who had come closer, a smirk on his face. "And the rise of their princess. I think that's a fitting title for a poem by a musician don't you?"

"Why dragons," Simon sniffed.

"Because only dragons are bold enough to turn their bellies to something they deeply believe in," Istvan snickered. "Yet those scales are the hardest on the dragon's hide."