The queue for the food was already long when we arrived at the mess hall. The servers ladled thick stew into our bowls and added slices of dark bread and small servings of stewed fruit. The hearty mountain fare wasn't particularly remarkable, but it was designed to provide the calories we needed for our strenuous training regimen and not as an exceptional culinary experience. I collected extra bread and water, thinking we might be outside for a while.
We walked over to our regular table to tell Codric, Shovia, and Morek that we were not going to be eating with them this time.
"The mysterious duo who's gotten summoned by the shaman one after the other," Shovia said with a raised eyebrow. "What was that all about?"
"We'll tell you what we can later," Kailin said. "Alar and I are going to take our lunch out on the terrace."
Codric raised his eyebrows. "The terrace, hmm? Sounds romantic."
"Nothing romantic about it," Shovia scoffed. "They just want to discuss their mysterious meetings with the shaman in private."
There was some truth to that, but the romantic aspect was just as appealing, if not more.
"They just want to make out without an audience," Morek added with a grin.
I shot him a glare, but the damage was done.
Kailin's cheeks had turned a lovely shade of pink, though she seemed more amused than embarrassed. "Yes, we're going to throw ourselves at each other and knock our plates over like in those cheesy television shows."
"Hey, don't knock them," Codric quipped. "They are an inspiration." He made smooching noises at Shovia, who laughed and slapped his arm. "Stop it."
Kailin just smiled, a surprising serenity in her expression. "We'll meet you later on the roof. Enjoy your lunch."
We headed toward one of the terraces that branched off from a corridor near the mess hall. As I'd expected, the door was unlocked. These common areas were generally accessible at all times. After all, no one other than dragons and their riders could come through those doors, and no one was trying to keep them out.
The terrace was a large area without guardrails, and the view was spectacular—mountains stretching to the horizon, their peaks shrouded in mist and illuminated by auroras. A cold wind whipped across the space, but the Citadel walls blocked the worst of it as long as we stayed close to them.
I walked over to a bench positioned against the interior wall, as far from the edge as possible, and Kailin followed.
"This is perfect," she said, settling beside me. "All the view with none of the vertigo."
"Exactly what I was thinking." I balanced my tray on my knees. "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I'm fine." She dipped her spoon in the stew. "I think the flight class is curing the worst of it."
I took a few bites before broaching the subject. "What did the shaman want? Why did he summon you?"
"I can't really talk about it." Kailin shook her head. "I hate having to keep secrets from you." She tore off a piece of bread and dunked it in the stew. "I got to pet Moki. I think I can talk about that. It was very nice."
That was surprising. The little creature didn't get anywhere near me. "Who initiated the contact?"
"He did." She tore another piece of bread. "He leaped onto my lap and settled in, demanding pets just like Chicha. It made me miss her."
"I can imagine. I keep wondering where Saphir could have gotten Moki." I chuckled. "Maybe your shaman is a magician, and he created his strange companion by fusing a cat and a monkey."
Kailin laughed. "That's what I thought as well, not about the magic but about how Moki looked like a hybrid creature. He's smarter than both, though. Much smarter."
I lifted a brow. "As smart as Chicha? Did he save an entire village from the Shedun and prevent mass casualties at the town square?"
The truth was that I also missed the small, overly excitable dog. I'd become quite fond of her during our short acquaintance.
"Well, when you put it like that, I'm not sure who's smarter." Kailin sighed. "I miss her so much."
"I wish they would allow more visits home."
Since leaves of absence were usually only a few days long, I wouldn't be going all the way back to Eluria to visit my family, so more leave wouldn't benefit me. That being said, I wouldn't mind visiting Kailin's family, though, if they would have me. I liked her parents and her grandmother, and I was looking forward to meeting her brother, who was right here in the Citadel.
"I'm surprised that your brother hasn't visited you yet."
