Kharone tossed a load of straw toward the waiting pile of drak dung. Her brown hair swung through the air, as did her wide-sleeved, bright purple shirt.
"I hate this." she sighed.
Ylleina looked at her friend and said, "If only you'd try wearing the appropriate clothes." She was wearing shorts and a simple shirt. Kharone on the other hand seemed to think cleaning duty was as good an occasion as a party to dress up.
"Ryvon...!"  Kharone whined when her husband walked past.
As usual, Ryvon was busy gathering his own thoughts, he had learned to heed his wife's words with even the smallest whisper. Ignoring her words usually led to unpleasantness.
"What is it Kharone?"
"I'm tired of this!"
"It's every Knight's duty to clean the castle."
"If draks are such intelligent creatures they'd do it themselves." Kharone muttered under her breath.
"It's humans who keep them in one place. Short of being high princess you'll have to clean."
Kharone's eyes sparkled mischievously as she swung her hay-filled pitchfork toward Ryvon, "Duty sucks."

The next Day...

Kharone, wearing some bright green loose gown with gold stitching flew on her drak Forest Warencha followed by Ryvon on Desert Jumyix, Ylleina on Rain Darwysh and Riku on Day Mikoraob. The four of them had paired a drak around the same time, had done their squire exercises together and had become Knights in the same year. They'd been close ever since and they often went on outings on their days off. Like today when they'd organised a picnic.
The four of them landed on the mainland of Icarus. They tried to move around, but this little place was one of their favourites. A little lake was sheltered by trees with just one open space that could accomodate a few draks and their humans. While the dragons swam or slept, their knights ate and talked.
"Wouldn't it be nice to be in charge." Kharone smiled.
"In charge?" Ryvon asked.
"Being a high princess."
Riku had trouble holding in his laughter and if it were not for Ylleina shielding him from Kharone's eyes he'd be found drowned or cudgled some time later.
"And how did you plan on making that work?" Ylleina asked.
"Couldn't you just pick out a castle?" Kharone asked, "I know for a fact there're a few abandoned castles around. There's De Corvo up North for one."
"You can't go there!" Ryvon gasped, "That would be close to sacrilege!"
"Almost as bad as returning to Lav'intay." Riku agreed.
"There's gotta be more." Kharone shrugged, "Ryvon..."
"Yes, I'll look it up..." Ryvon shrugged, He new better than to defy Kharone when she'd set her mind on someone.

Dusting the Library...

Ryvon felt slightly uncomfortable with his wife sitting at the edge of her seat watching him read. She was tapping her fingers and breathing in his neck. Ryvon knew she was reading everything he was, but she had refused his proposition to read another book.
"What about this one?" Kharone asked.
Ryvon focused on the place Kharone pointed at.
"Acicade." Ryvon read out loud, "In use from year 10 till year 50. You know it's been abandoned for over 6 decades already, Kharone? It won't be in mint condition."
"If there's one thing we learned it was to clean."
"The location might be nice." Ryvon continued, "It's to the South-West of DesCas. Forest, a bit humid, Didn't they say that there've been some problems with bandits around that area?"
"Perfect!"
Ryvon arched his brows and waited.
"They could use some knights to help keep peace."
"There is a ninja HQ around already. They might not like us poking our noses in."
"How could they not like draks?"

In the Ninja HQ...

Aruno looked over the letter once again. He did not know what to think of the message. It had taken the letter 10 days to reach him, travelling through several of his subordinates' hands. He wondered if any of them had read it. Ninja rules postulated that they couldn't, but Aruno wasn't naive.
"Are they serious?" he asked himself.
Only four names were signed which seemed an unbelievable small crew to start up a castle. Even if they received help from the surrounding villages and towns they'd be vulnerable for months.
He understood why they would ask his help. They promised to help him as well as soon as the castle was self-sufficient. Aruno had a tendency to believe knights when they promised something, but not without meeting them first. Preferably, he knew, when they did not know who he was.
"Maghreb!" he called, "Prepare my things, I'll be gone for a week."
"Are you planning to travel far, master?" Maghreb asked.
"A trip to the desert. Pack summer garments."

A fateful morning...

"They cleared us just like that?" Riku asked.
"I got the letter right here." Kharone said smugly, "As soon as we're ready we can move in. The ninja said the local villagers have already cleared a little part of the castle for us. In exchange they've asked us to patrol thrice daily above some of the more remote villages and farms.
"Oh I can do that." Riku said with his usual flair, "I could also judge some likely aspirants when I go there. I'd be checking out the surroundings anyway."
"If you need help." Ylleina added, "I'd like to know what's out there too."
"I was thinking you might keep a look on the immediate perimeter." Kharone said, "Since Ryvon'll be busy getting the financial side in order and I'll be overseeing the workers."
"She's good at ordering others around." Ryvon remarked.
Laughing the four of them were unaware that they'd been observed thoroughly by the sharp eyes of Aruno himself. Disguised as an elderly gentlemen cleaner he'd seen that the intention to do good was truly in the minds of these four friends. They might be a bit impulsive, but they'd generally make an effort to make a difference.

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