“Here they come,” L’tel warned, pointing towards the sky.
Khollo turned and saw the dragons descending in perfect formation, Kanin out in front. The emerald dragon had formed his younger pupils in an arrowhead formation, two to each side of him and slightly above and behind. Thela and Ayrmi were in the first rank, Uthano and Amang in the second. The sight of the five sleek, scintillating dragons was visually stunning, but more than that it warmed Khollo’s heart and gave him pride and confidence in what he and Kanin were doing.
Kanin circled the hold once, then began to glide in for a landing. The others split off to either side to give him space, then began downward glides of their own. The emerald dragon alit on the ledge, folding his great wings. Before he had finished, the other four were landing as well, folding their own wings then moving forward to greet their human counterparts.
Khollo moved closer to Kanin, rubbing a hand along the dragon’s jawline. You should be proud of what you have accomplished with the young ones. They look like seasoned flyers already.
They do, Kanin agreed, pleased. But they have a long way to go yet. And none have managed to summon a flame.
Not for lack of trying though, Khollo added, glancing back at the others. Sven had led Uthano to the pile of wood and was gesturing to it, urging the dragon to try one more time. Uthano braced himself, gripping the ledge with all four feet, then snorted and opened his mouth. But nothing came out. Sven shrugged and patted Uthano’s scaly neck reassuringly. Then, he lit the fire in moments with flint and steel.
They will learn in time, Kanin assured Khollo, taking a few slow steps towards the fire. Be patient. They are young yet.
Khollo nodded distractedly. Halena and Aralye had returned as well now, summoned by their dragons, and all of the new Keepers were deep in conversation, their expressions glazed and vacant, staring at their dragons. In any other situation, the silence would have been uncomfortable. But Khollo knew the silence was a good thing. It meant these young people were conversing with their dragons, bonding with them, learning to understand them.
Of course, Khollo could speak to the other dragons if he wanted to. He had learned early on to stretch his mind to the hatchlings and make them understand simple things. But he preferred to let Kanin or the new Keepers do the talking and pass information on to him later. It felt invasive to be consulting someone else’s dragon all the time, almost like he were stealing that time.
Gradually, the others began to take notice of the real world again, gathering around the small fire and heating their dinners. Khollo joined them, sitting quietly among the circle of friends. The dragons lounged behind their human companions, eyes whirling contentedly. Khollo paid little attention to the conversation, focusing instead on relaxing after another strenuous day as the leader of the Keepers.
As he sat there, ruminating on the day and his strategy for the future, the conversation of the others became an indistinct buzz. He was surprised when Sven waved a hand in front of his eyes sharply, peering at Khollo.
“What?” the Keeper asked, surprised.
“I was saying,” Sven replied, “When do we learn to fly?”
“What?”
“Uthano asked Sven when he would join him in the sky,” Halena explained. “That’s what we’ve been talking about for the last few minutes. Are you feeling all right?”
“Just tired,” Khollo assured her, rubbing his eyes. Add another problem to the list. Flying.
“Well, when do we learn?” Sven insisted. “Uthano is strong enough. He’s already up to my shoulder!”
“Strong enough for a short flight,” Khollo agreed. “But nothing extended yet. Give him time, Sven.”
“I’m not pushing him!” the northerner protested, “Uthano thinks he’s ready.”
Khollo glanced at the crimson dragon, who gazed back steadily with fiery orange-yellow eyes. “Uthano is young and eager,” Khollo replied finally. “He may believe he is ready, but it would be wiser if we waited a little longer.”
“Uthano’s not the only one who wants a rider,” Halena interjected. “Amang says he is ready as well.”
“And Thela,” L’tel added. “Though, she is a little bigger than the others.”
“And she needs to be,” Sven pointed out, “If she’s going to fly your oversized carcass around the world.”
“Hey!”
“Knock it off,” Halena told them wearily. The two young men, drawing breath to begin another argument, subsided immediately, muttering to themselves instead. “Anyway, Khollo, when do you think the dragons will be ready?”
Three scaly heads swung towards Khollo as Amang, Uthano, and Thela contemplated him curiously. On the other side of the fire, Aralye and Ayrmi were sitting quietly, focused on each other. Aralye wore the now-familiar glazed expression of one who is deep in conversation with a dragon. But Khollo noticed that while normally the others appeared relaxed in this state, there was a tension in her expression and in the set of her jaw, a rigidness about her shoulders and the way she sat that belied an unsettled and troubled mind.
“They’ll be ready soon enough,” he promised, looking around at the others. “Besides, even if they were ready to fly today, you would not be.”
“Why not?” Sven demanded immediately.
“Flying is not as simple as riding a horse,” Khollo growled, losing his patience with the constant, aggressive questions. “Think for a moment, Sven. You’ve ridden Kanin. Remember the blizzard in the northlands? When we barely survived?”
“Oh, come on,” Sven protested. “That was the worst blizzard I’ve ever seen, and I was raised in the north. Flying won’t be so challenging all the time.”
“You’re right,” Khollo agreed. “But it will be all of that and worse some of the time. In battle, when you’re caught in storms, situations like that. The thing about flying, is there is open space all around you. An enemy can come from any direction, attack from any angle, and your dragon will move up, down, sideways, forwards, and backwards to evade any threats. Maneuvers like those are complex and involve a great many forces. For example, spinning or rolling to avoid arrows. You have to be prepared at a moment’s notice to have your world completely inverted, the sky where the ground should be and vice versa, and then watch it spin back to normal while a hundred deadly projectiles cut through the space you were just in.”
“I can see how that would be difficult,” Halena observed, her face drawn and pale.
“Yes,” Khollo said, “And that’s one of the simpler maneuvers a dragon might perform. Flying, and fighting from the air, is all about constant adjustments and vigilance, using swift and sudden changes of direction to gain the upper hand or protect yourself from danger. Your dragons are learning the basics of those maneuvers from Kanin. But you are not trained in them yet. In order to avoid being thrown off your dragon, you need training as a passenger.”
“And that’s what I’m saying,” Sven jumped in, “We need to start learning to ride!”
“Sven,” Khollo said, “There is a very obvious step in this process that is limiting us right now. Can you see it?”
“Don’t tell me it’s the dragons – ”
“That’s not the one I’m thinking of,” Khollo interrupted. “They seem a little small to me, and I’ll leave it to Kanin to decide when they are ready, but there is another – ”
“It’s blindingly obvious,” L’tel interrupted. “You said it is not like riding a horse. But there is a similarity between them. Just like a horse, a dragon needs a saddle.”
“Exactly,” Khollo said. “Because without a saddle, you and I would have been thrown against the nearest Najni peak on the way south, Sven. Without a saddle, I would have fallen off Kanin a hundred times during the battle of Dun Carryl.”
“So just slap some pieces of leather together.”
“You don’t listen very well,” Halena observed before Khollo could say anything. “Did you not hear how dangerous this is? For something like a saddle, which your life w
ill depend on, you want to take the time to get it perfect. Right, Khollo?”
“Yes,” Khollo agreed emphatically. “I can teach you to make saddles, but it will take time. And materials. Which will take even more time to gather.”
“Then let’s get started on that,” Sven said, exasperated. “That way, whenever the dragons are deemed ready, we are prepared to learn to fly with them.”
“That makes sense,” Khollo said, nodding. “Tomorrow, the dragons will need to hunt. I will go with Kanin and skin their kills before they eat them. We’ll bring the skins back to cure and make saddles from.”
“That could take weeks,” L’tel noted.
“It could,” Khollo agreed. “It could also take longer. There are no fancy tools here, except what we brought with us. We may have to improvise and use our ingenuity.”
“But it can be done?” Sven pressed eagerly.
“It can,” Khollo confirmed. “With patience and attention to detail,” he added.
“Then we’ll do it!” Sven crowed, thumping Uthano on the shoulder. “Do you need any help skinning the kills?”
“I can take two more on Kanin,” Khollo said, shrugging. “If you want to come along. Anyone else have experience with this sort of thing?”
“I do,” L’tel replied. “I will help.”
They are heavy, Kanin grumbled. But I suppose I can manage, so long as the young ones carry the skins.
That shouldn’t be a problem, Khollo promised. He glanced across the fire, towards Aralye. He had expected she would want to be included on the hunting trip, but she had not even spoken. She was not talking with Ayrmi anymore either, or at least, not obviously so. Instead, the huntress was gazing into the flames, absently rubbing Ayrmi’s neck. The small dragon was curled up beside her, head resting on her front legs, ice-blue eyes whirling slowly.
“It’s settled then,” Halena said. “Aralye and I will take care of other things around the hold while you’re gone, see what other tools we have available.”
“Good idea,” Khollo agreed. “Now, enough talking. Let’s eat before we need to heat our food again.”
Sven and L’tel laughed and began cramming food into their mouths. Khollo ate at a more sedate pace, his mind whirling with all of the new risks he would have to plan for. Flying practice. The number of things that could go wrong was positively astronomical. Why, a broken strap, an ill-formed harness, any of a thousand mistakes could be fatal!
You worry too much, Kanin growled. It is making my head hurt. Relax, enjoy your meal. Besides, there are more immediate problems you must deal with.
Like what? Khollo asked, sitting bolt upright in a moment of panic. What have I forgotten?
Nothing forgotten, Kanin replied, chuckling to himself. Just left unnoticed. You were distracted with the others, but I have been watching Aralye and Ayrmi.
Oh, Khollo said, taking another bite of his dinner. I was surprised Aralye did not want to hunt.
Were you also surprised they did not join the discussion at all? Kanin interrupted.
Well, yes.
Can you think why?
Khollo glanced at Ayrmi, puzzled for a moment. Then, as Amang’s sapphire bulk shifted next to the purple dragon, he realized the problem.
Ayrmi is too small, he murmured, comparing the sleek but small form of the purple dragon to the much larger Amang. She’s barely half the size of the others.
But more than twice as intelligent, Kanin replied. Still, that does not help us here. Whether the saddles are ready in a week or two weeks, she will not be ready.
I know, Khollo whispered. But I don’t want to leave Aralye out.
But the others need to begin training as soon as possible, Kanin finished firmly. Whatever disturbed the hatchlings had an urgency to it, and the urgency has not gone away. Events do not wait for us, Khollo. They run apace, and we cannot slow them or stop them. We need to move quickly to keep up.
Then what do we do about Ayrmi?
Talk to them, later, Kanin replied gently. But don’t ignore the issue. If I am not mistaken, there is great resentment and frustration building in the huntress.
You’re likely right, Khollo replied, glancing at Aralye. Will you help? In case she tries to shoot me again?
Kanin laughed. This is a matter you should handle. I do not understand humans as well as you. Humans are . . . strange creatures. I find they do not behave or respond as they should. Or at least, as I expect them to. You will have more success in a delicate matter such as this. But I support you fully.
Thanks, Khollo replied. But you’ll leave the hard part up to me? And the possibility of being shot with an arrow?
Of course, Kanin said, as though it were obvious. Arrows are pointy and they hurt.
Khollo shook his head and finished the last of his dinner, brushing off his hands and leaning back against Kanin’s foreleg. While the others continued eating and talking amongst themselves, the young Keeper struggled with what he would say to Aralye. And how would he explain everything to Ayrmi?
Eventually, the gathering broke up as the other Keepers retreated to their holds. Halena was the first to go, closely followed by Aralye. Sven and L’tel lingered longer, arguing over the best way to skin a steer and what the advantages of different blades were. Finally, they too grew weary and went to their own holds. At that point, Khollo rose and extinguished the fire, then led Kanin back to their own hold. He would put his plate and mug away, then go and find Aralye.
Inside the dark hold, Khollo fumbled around in the small living space. He scraped both dishes clean, then set them on the narrow counter. In the main room, Kanin curled up in the dragon-sized depression he used for sleeping and closed his eyes. Khollo glared at the massive dragon balefully, then snorted.
“Full support indeed,” he muttered.
I am here, Kanin replied drowsily. And I will listen.
Khollo crossed the main room to the entrance, patting the dragon’s scaly flank as he went by. Kanin hummed contentedly, and released a massive puff of warm air.
As he passed through the entrance to the hold, Khollo nearly ran into someone coming the other way. He growled in surprise, reaching for one of his blades, then recognized Aralye.
“Sorry,” he muttered, releasing the hilt of the Sen-teel. “Didn’t see you there.”
“It’s my fault,” she replied quickly. “I should have told you I was there.”
They stood awkwardly for a moment, silence stretching between them. Finally, Khollo took a deep breath.
“Was there something you wanted to talk about?” he asked quietly, making sure his voice would not carry to the others in their holds.
In the darkness, he could hardly see the girl’s face, but he heard her defeated sigh. “Yes,” she whispered dejectedly.
Khollo nodded. “All right,” he murmured, “Do you want to talk to Ayrmi too, or . . . ?”
“That would probably be best,” Aralye agreed, turning and leading the way back to her hold.
Khollo followed quietly, stepping carefully so the others would not hear as he passed their holds. The dying fire glowed slightly on the stone ledge, a few embers refusing to be extinguished completely. Khollo smothered a few of them under his boots as he passed, just in case.
Aralye slipped through the entrance to her hold, moving quickly to the large depression in the center of the main room. Ayrmi was waiting, her bright eyes glowing in the dark.
Welcome, High Keeper, the purple dragon said, her mental tone soft. Thank you for coming.
“You knew I was fetching him?” Aralye asked, voice rising in disbelief.
Of course, Ayrmi replied, speaking to both of them. It is only logical, after our earlier discussion.
Aralye pursed her lips and looked away. Khollo stood just inside the entrance, feeling like an intruder. “So,” he said finally, “What did you want to talk about?”
“Let me fetch a light,” Aralye said heavily, “There’s no use sitting in the dark. We could be here a while.”
Khollo nodded and sat down at the edge of the bowl-shaped space Ayrmi was sprawled in, feet stretched out in front of him. He heard Aralye moving around quietly in the back portions of the hold, then there was a brief spark and a warm light in the kitchen. The huntress returned a few moments later with a shuttered lamp. By its light, Khollo was able to make out his surroundings a little better.
The hold was similar to his own in size and furnishings, since his students had largely copied the utilitarian furniture he had built for himself. But Aralye’s hold was even less furnished than his own. And it was well-organized too, everything in its place, no random items lying about. As Aralye sat down beside Ayrmi, Khollo noticed a twisted pile of blankets and a thin pillow piled against the purple dragon’s side.
“You sleep out here?” he asked.
Aralye flushed. “Sometimes,” she said evasively. “There’s just . . . so many things changing, and we’re so far from home – ”
“I understand,” Khollo interrupted, not wanting to embarrass her. “I’ve slept against Kanin many times when we’re out in the wilderness. There’s something about having your dragon close by that’s reassuring. And his wings make an ideal tent, warm and secure.”
Aralye offered a wan smile, then crossed her legs underneath her and leaned forward. “Anyway . . . Ayrmi and I were talking earlier and, well . . . we might have a problem.”
Khollo said nothing for the moment, waiting patiently, glancing back and forth between them.
I am smaller than the others, Ayrmi said when Aralye did not seem likely to continue. Much smaller. I will not be big enough to carry Aralye for a long time yet.
“I know,” Khollo replied heavily. “I saw you talking to each other earlier, and I could tell you were upset. I was actually on my way over here to see if you two were all right when Aralye found me.”
“It’s just not fair,” Aralye said miserably. “Ayrmi is so perfect, smart, fast, agile . . . if not for her size, she’d be the best of us by far!”
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