“You can speak with her?” Ilav cut in, his eyes widening.
“I… Can’t you?”
Ilav’s face twisted. “Are you lying, Mise?”
Cion shook her head. “Soren has never studied dragonlore. How could she know about the mind connection?”
Soren’s mind was whirring. Was this not something the others could do? She wasn’t exactly keen on the thought of being singled out over something yet again. Some visibility and importance protected her, but too much could be a threat.
From atop her dragon, Yella let out a laugh. “She’s not lying. Keenie conferred with Thessilnn,” she said, running a hand over her dragon’s tan scales.
The stocky man stared at Soren, slack-jawed, while his companion looked enraged. Yella rolled her eyes and slid offKeenie, muttering, “Pick up your mouths, you idiots,” as she passed the two men. When she reached Soren, she said, “You were never taught anything about dragons, were you?”
“No,” Cion replied.
But Yella didn’t even spare her a glance, eyes still on Soren.
“No,” Soren affirmed. “I was never allowed to read. I know how, but I have not touched a book in years.”
Yella’s expression tightened momentarily, but it quickly brightened again. “Right, well, there are a few things you should know. A rider and a dragon share a bond, established the day the dragon chooses their rider, but the bond takes time to strengthen. Telecommunication is something that often takes several moon cycles, or even several seasons, to become easily accessed. The dragons don’t like opening themselves up to a rider who may not live.”
“But we could all hear them at the ceremony,” Soren said, brow furrowing.
Yella shrugged. “A necessity they allow. But I didn’t hear Keenie again until the last moon cycle. Jona and Adem aren’t there yet.”
Their dragons sense a weakness and fear their time together will not last.
Soren flicked her gaze over to Jona and Adem, who had now taken to glaring at her. Yella patted Soren’s shoulder, and she jolted at the contact. She was not used to human touch.
“But you,” Yella said, a grin gracing her lips. “You can hear your Vemon dragon already.”
A heavy silence fell over the training yard, interrupted only by the wind and the sound of dragons chuffing restlessly. Eyes landed on Soren and on Thessa behind her.
Eventually, Jona said, “We should begin. We’ve already wasted enough time.”
Soren was grateful for his interruption and took the opportunity to turn, climbing up onto Thessa’s back. By the time she had managed to perch atop the saddle, everyone else had already mounted their dragons.
“Follow!” Yella shouted from ahead, just before her dragon’s wings spread out and pumped the air.
Soren felt her stomach dip as Thessa reared back, her wings splayed wide before taking off, trailing Yella and Keenie. The others fell in line, and they soared up into the cloud line.
“Dive!” Yella screamed over the wind.
Ilav shouted, and Soren sucked in a sharp breath as Thessa began to dip, tucking her wings in.
Hold on tight.
Wind seared Soren’s eyes, tears blinding her as the air rushed past. On instinct, she leaned low on the saddle, keeping her legs tight to Thessa’s body. Her muscles screamed from the effort of holding on, and as Yella shouted to bank, she nearly flew off Thessa’s back from the force. Her ears popped, and as the tears cleared from her eyes, she realized they were in the middle of the Ellys mountain range, peaks on either side of them.
You did well.
Even in her own mind, Soren’s voice was breathless.Thanks for the warning.
Thessa huffed out a chortle, gliding behind Yella and Keenie. Yella glanced back, and Soren could see her taking inventory, making sure they were all still there. Soren craned her neck to see Ilav vomiting off the side of his dragon. Princess Cion took up the back of the group, and the rest of the more seasoned riders looked merely windblown.
“Camp!” Yella called, waving them forward.
The wind tousled Soren’s hair, pulled free from the braids during their dive. She pressed a hand to Thessa’s scaled backand took a deep breath. For the first time in many seasons, she felt oddly at peace.
