Karli

Clan Leader





Being the youngest in her clan, Karli had set out at an early age to prove herself. She had decided to be the best at everything, the best hunter, fisher, gatherer. She would bring back the best from scavenging and leave it at her clan leader's feet without a word. She had heard from an early age that the Tidelord rewarded the bravest and best dragons. Her heart's desire was her own clan.

Seeing this, her clan leader made a deal. Karli could have her own clan, starting off small, but she had to take a mate with her. And it had to be a mate of the clan leader's choosing. Karli didn't feel that this was a fair bargain, but she also knew she may never get another chance to lead. Being the youngest meant every other dragon in her clan would have to die for her to take charge. And the Tidelord wasn't handing out wishes as of late.

Swallowing her pride, Karli accepted her leader's offer, which also came along with a small lair at the edge of her old clan's lands, which would now be her lands. The mate that was chosen for her, while young, was very sweet. The leader's youngest grandson, the only way he would ever lead was if he mated to the leader of another clan. He accepted the appointment with grace, promising his loyalty to Karli.

Their leadership was short lived together. The young dragon really didn't have the thirst for power the way Karli did. He didn't feel the need to lead much of anything, including hunting parties. And forget egg sitting, he was always too distant to pay attention to that. Karli noticed more and more that he went off alone, talking to no one in particular. One night, after their second batch of babies had hatched and were tucked safely away, she followed him, curious to see where he went. After a short trek he stopped in a small cave, on the border with their old clan and slipped inside. Worried that he was meeting another dragon, Karli followed as quietly as she could.

Inside, he was bent before a make-shift alter. He was praying intently to the Tidelord, his wings brushing the ground. His chants brought tears to Karli's eyes, which she wiped away quickly. "Why would you hide this, my love?" She asked quietly.

He spun in shock, his chest heaving. "You followed me?" She nodded, keeping her eyes down. "I hid it because my mother and grandmother told me to. They knew this is what I wanted, to serve the Tidelord. But they wanted more. They wanted control in another clan, even if it was one of their own choosing. What could I say? No? You know as well as I do that's not an option with them. So I did as they told me and took you as my mate, my fellow leader, hoping that I could still serve the Tidelord on my own time. I understand if you want me to stop."

Karli shook her head adamantly. "The Tidelord smiles on our clan for this. Why would I stop you from serving him? You know you could go to him if you wanted. I wouldn't stop you. I would release you from your obligation. You did as you were bid. You helped me start a clan, gave me the babies I wanted. Now you should get to do what you want. I release you from our bond, from your responsibilities. To serve is the highest honor any clan can ask of a member."

He bowed before her, happiness radiating off his wings. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. I never thought that you would agree to it, you seemed to agree with my grandmother very willingly."

"I knew it was the only way I would be able to lead a clan of my own. Now this is my clan and I will do as I wish with its members. And I want you to be happy. Do what you need to." She brushed his shoulder with her wing and left, not looking back. That was the last she saw of him, at the edge of the border. When asked where he had gone, she simply said he was following his dreams, which seemed to satisfy most of the clan's members.

After letting her mate go, Karli realized that this meant she wouldn't be able to have children for her clan. This thought depressed her more than she had anticipated and before she knew it, she had approached not one, but two other males in her clan, asking if they would mind having children with her. Both were single at the time, so they weren't betraying anyone, and Karli wasn't asking them to help lead or anything, she just wanted to fill that void. While they managed to produce very pretty children, none stayed in the clan, breaking Karli's heart a little more.

That's when she approached Sansa and Shade. Maybe they would know how to help her. They had managed to each have a son stay in the clan. Sansa didn't even hesitate. She offered Shade as a solution to the problem, at least temporarily. Karli was thankful, then saddened when their union only produced one egg. There was no guarantee this child would stay in the clan and she still didn't have someone to help her lead.