Dragon's Heart

Sean Pov: I was walking into the clan’s meeting house ignoring the looks I was getting from the other dragons. I went straight to my seat at the head of the room, it was a wooden chair... more like a throne. The spot where it was sitting was slightly higher up than the rest of the room causing me to take a step up making me taller than everyone else. It was brought over with us from Ireland when my grandfather moved the clan to America, it was a family heirloom in that way. It was made from a Rowan tree from our ancestral land, my grandfather’s grandfather shaped it. It had our clan’s symbol where the top of the Ceannaire’s head sits. The rest of the chair was covered in symbols of protection, loyalty, and fertility. When I discover my Maite, she will have a similar seat that sits next to mine. She will be the Mathair of my clan, she will birth me a clutch of eggs and one of them will be the next heir to the Earth clan. The eldest of the clutch will then learn from me and will eventually take over from me after challenging me as I did my father as he did to his and so forth. When I made it to my seat, I turned to look over the room before me, I did not sit but stayed standing to address these dragons. There has been someone who has disobeyed my orders, and they shall be punished before the clan. I turn to my brother Rowan the second eldest of the clutch and nodded to him. He immediately turned to leave, while he was retrieving the offender, I addressed the room. “As you know, according to the laws of this clan we are not to mate with humans unless given permission of the Ceannaire. Every one of you knows that I will listen to your requests and give proper thought of your situation. I have no objections with any of you wanting to mate a human.” I paused and scanned my eyes over the crowd and saw that my brother was returning with the offender. “But I will not allow you to mate with a married woman or man. She or he already belongs with another and I will not have you taking them from their partner. If you are certain they are who you want, you will wait for them to be divorced not any sooner. Only then will I accept the mating. The punishment for this is harsh and swift, I will not put any to death nor will I banish them. They will receive 5 slashes and they will have to participate in An Fiach once again to prove to me that they are loyal to me and this clan.” I turned to my brother who has brought himself and a man with black hair and golden eyes to the side of me. I gestured at this man to my clan, “This man, has gone against my judgment and now will be dealt the punishment for this offense. I have called you all here to bear witness to this punishment and to remind you what happens when you disobey my orders.” I gestured my head towards the post in the middle of the hall and Rowan dragged the man to it. The man didn’t put up much of a fight knowing that the sooner he receives his punishment the sooner he is forgiven. He was fit and muscular and if he tried, he probably could give Rowan a good fight, he wouldn’t win of course but he would have put up a good challenge. While Rowan held this man’s arms around the post, I stepped down from my spot and slowly walked to the man and my brother. “Mason of the Earth clan, the third born of your clutch. You have disobeyed me and gone against my decision of your mating. Is there anything you would like to say before I deliver your punishment to try to change my mind?” The man was silent before finally giving his answer, “No Ceannaire, what you say is true and I deserve my punishment.” I nodded my head, “Very well then, prepare yourself Mason this will not be pleasant, but I promise to make it swift.” I hold my hand out to my side waiting for the whip. My brother Daryl, the youngest in the clutch, hands me the whip. I nod my thanks and he stepped back into the watching crowd. I let the whip unroll before I begin the punishment, I take this moment to address that crowd one last time. “Anyone who decides to disobey my orders will NOT go without punishment, am I clear!?”.  There were several “Yes Ceannaire” from the crowd. I nodded and raised the arm holding the whip over my head, took a deep breath, and let the whip hit its target. Mason roared and struggled against the pole and Rowan for a few seconds before stopping his struggle, he remained tense, but he wasn’t trying to break free. The next 4 hits went by quickly, Mason knew it was over and sagged against the pole. I nodded to Rowan to let him go and so he did, “Turn around Mason.” I waited for him to face me. “You will can the woman you planned to mate and break it off with her, if you do not comply with this then you will be forced to leave the clan grounds and never come back for disobeying the Ceannaire. Do you understand?” He nodded and kept his head down instead of meeting my eyes. I turned away from them and headed back towards my chair, once again I didn’t sit down and just faced the crowd standing. “You are all dismissed. Everyone but my brothers may leave.” Within seconds the room is empty besides me and my brothers. I sighed and rubbed my eyes frustrated that I had to deal out punishment, I hated harming my clan members in any way. I couldn’t let anyone go that disobeyed my orders without any consequences, it was my job to make sure that the clan didn’t fall into chaos it was the responsibility of the Ceannaire. The Chief. The Leader. My Maite the future Mathaur will help lead the clan, she will never have to deal with punishments. She will be the mother of the clan, the one who will reassure them. Who will make sure that everyone is emotionally ok as well as physically? Every leader of a clan will need a mate who will balance them out and the clan. I looked up from my brothers to see them waiting for me to address what I needed them for. “I need to look for my Maite, my dragon is getting restless. I no longer wish to lead by myself. I need you two to take over while I am away. If anything goes wrong or needs to be dealt with, call me immediately.” Rowan frowned and glanced over to Daryl, “But Sean, the Ceannaire never leaves his clan to search. Your Maite usually finds your way to you. She would be in heat and smell your scent, what if she comes looking while you’re away? You’re sent is permanently attached to our grounds; she would be in a frenzy if you aren’t here.” I nodded at his words, that was true there was always a chance that my Maite would come looking for me. I had a feeling that wasn’t the case. I’m 242 years old, usually around my 150th year is when she should have shown up or maybe a few years after. It's almost 100 years overdue. I’m lonely and no longer wish to spend the rest of my long life with no mate. “Rowan, I am willing to take that slight risk. I promise I will not go far from our lands in case she comes looking. But the fact that it’s been almost 100 years since she should have been here, I’m losing hope that it will happen. You will be in charge and Daryl will be second in command while I’m away. I shall keep both of you updated the entire trip.” Neither brother argued with me after, instead of with their right arm they pounded their chest with their fists and bowed. “ Yes, Ceannaire.”