“Wonderful,” I grumbled, folding my arms and sulking. It wasn’t as if I didn’t enjoy learning, but I’d never imagined that at the ripe old age of twenty-three I would be going back to school. “How long does dragon rider training take to complete?”
“Three to five years, depending on the student’s current level of education.” Caparro eyed me. “We test every cadet who comes through these doors before assigning them a curriculum. No point making you sit through lessons you’ve already learned.”
I exhaled. That was a relief. Surely some of what Salcombe had taught me would come in handy here. The last thing I wanted was to spend the next five years of my life sequestered at the academy, with only periodic jaunts to the outside world.
“All right,” the headmaster said, rising from his chair, “let’s get you a tour of the place, and then you’ll be shown to your quarters and given a chance to settle in. Your testing begins tomorrow.”
“Will I be able to go see Lessie?” I asked, trying to hide the anxiety I felt at being separated from her. The moment we’d touched down outside the academy, Lessie had been taken away by a pair of handlers to the dragon stables. She hadn’t been very happy about going, but I’d convinced her to cooperate by promising I would visit her later.
“Of course,” the headmaster said. “You’ll see her when we tour the stables, and you’ll be able to visit her as often as you like when you’re not in class. We encourage riders to spend as much time with their dragons as possible. It is essential for creating a strong bond between dragon and rider.”
We started our tour on the upper level, where the classrooms were located. There were over twenty different classrooms, and I quickly discovered that though the place was called Dragon Rider Academy, it was really a school where all of the nobles who signed up for military service went for training, regardless of whether they had a dragon. There were classes on warfare and strategy, navigation, map writing and drawing, herbal knowledge, wildlife knowledge, world and military history, geography, languages, and much, much more. I was reasonably certain I would excel in half of these classes and maybe even be able to skip a few, but for others, I would have to buckle down and hit the books. I might have a decent grasp of world history and cultures, but military history really wasn’t my thing at all. And while Salcombe had made sure I knew how to defend myself, I knew little to nothing about warfare strategies.
“Warfare,” I said as we stepped out of that particular classroom, turning to face him. “Does this mean I am, effectively, joining the military?”
The headmaster raised his eyebrows. “But of course. All dragon riders are mandatorily enlisted. Serving your country as a member of the armed forces is a privilege, and the price of being a rider. Did you think that you would just be able to go gallivanting through the skies as you pleased once you were finished with your training?”
I gnashed my teeth. “I didn’t sign up for this,” I argued. “I agreed to pledge myself to House Tavarian and to go through the training, but I didn’t agree to join the military and fight Elantia’s wars.”
“Oh, poor you,” a female voice cooed. I spun around to see a willowy blonde passing by, dressed in a cadet uniform. She was beautiful in the way that ice sculptures were beautiful, entrancing to look at but cold to the touch, and as I stared at her, I remembered her from Tavarian’s party, hanging off the arm of that handsome dragon rider. “Does the little rider want to quit already, just because she’s afraid she might get her hands dirty?”
“Miss Galashiel,” the headmaster said in a stern voice. “That is no way to treat a new student.”
I gave Miss Galashiel a slow once-over, from the top of her perfect hair to the bottom of her shiny boots. “I doubt you’ve ever gotten your hands dirty in your life,” I said. “You’re the kind of girl who gets her nails manicured once a week and has a maid to do her hair every morning.”
The girl sniffed. “I would have a maid to do my hair every morning if I’d been allowed to bring one to the academy,” she said. “My nails stay perfect only because I do return home every weekend. But just because I take pride in my appearance”—she raked her eyes over my wild hair, my well-worn leather pants, and my boots, which weren’t exactly top notch even though they’d been shined—“doesn’t mean that I can’t wipe the floor with you whenever I choose.” She turned her cool gaze to the headmaster. “If she decides she’d rather give up her dragon, let me know. I’d be more than happy to take it off her entitled hands.”
She breezed past us, her long-legged, graceful strides quickly putting her out of earshot before either the headmaster or I could formulate a response.
“What are the rules about punching other cadets?” I growled, fisting my entitled hands at my sides. It had been a long time since anyone had riled me up this much, but I desperately wanted to yank her back by that long braid of hers and find out just which one of us would be wiping the floor.
“Only allowed during combat and weapons training,” Caparro said dryly. “Miss Galashiel might have been a little harsh with her words, but she is correct. The other cadets will eat you alive if they sense that you are ungrateful for your dragon. Many of them don’t, and never will, have mounts of their own. The dragon population has been declining for decades due to fewer females being born each breeding season.”
I blinked. “How many females are born for every male?” I asked as we continued walking.
“The ratio is three males to one female,” Caparro said. “The number of dragons born each year is also declining, since there are fewer females to impregnate.”
No wonder Tavarian is willing to keep me around, I thought. If the female dragon population was declining, that made Lessie extremely valuable. I knew that it was normal for not all cadets to have dragons—after all, the Elantian army needed other military posts filled as well. Still, if the dragon population was declining, that had to mean the Academy was producing fewer riders each year.
We finished touring the upstairs level, which also included a large library and the administrative offices, then went downstairs to the lobby. Like the upper level, the lobby sported black and white tile floors and hunter green walls interspersed with decorative panels. The ceilings soared fifteen feet above us, wrought-iron chandeliers hanging down to illuminate the room. Ahead, the grand staircase we’d just descended curved up to the second floor, and below it, a large archway led to the rest of the manor.
I’d thought we would tour the lower half of the manor next, but instead I was led outside to tour the rest of the grounds. In addition to the manor, there were several other structures—a greenhouse, where our herbology lessons would take place, a workshop where we would learn to repair and maintain armor, tack, and various other tools of our trade, and a weapons storehouse. There was an outdoor arena where we would practice combat, and a large field used for both fitness training and drills involving dragons.
“And here we are,” Major Caparro said proudly. “The dragon stables.”
I stared up at the massive structure, my mouth agape. I’d seen the stables when we were flying in, of course—they were located on the highest point of the grounds, after all—but standing in front of them was quite another thing. The entire structure was made of thick stone blocks supported by massive wooden beams, and was easily four times the size of the manor itself. Not surprising, considering that it had the capacity to house up to fifty dragons at a time…but still, the size was overwhelming.
The sound of flapping wings overhead caught my attention, and I turned just in time to see a dragon swooping down from above, its green scales glittering in the late morning light. My heart leapt as I watched it blow past us and through the large, open arch stable entrance, recognizing it as the same one I’d seen land at Tavarian’s manor the other night. The beat of its wings were powerful enough I had to throw my arm in front of my face and dig my feet into the ground to keep from toppling over from the force of the brief gale it created.
“Ah, yes,” th
e headmaster said with a smile. “I’d forgotten I’d given Mr. Lyton permission to come back late today. Let’s go on in and watch him care for his dragon. This will be a good demonstration for you.”
We headed in through the giant archway just in time to see the dragon rider hop down from his mount. Up close, his dragon was gigantic, at least thirty feet long from the tip of its snout to the tip of its tail. Its reptilian eyes were a shimmering blue-green, and it sported a crown of similarly colored spikes that wreathed its great head. The same spikes jutted along the entire length of its spine and clustered at the end of its tail like a giant club.
I’d hate to get whacked with that thing.
“Zara!” Lessie cried in my head, scampering around the side of the giant dragon. My heart leapt into my throat as she vaulted right over that spiky tail and headed straight for me. “Are you finally here to play with me?”
“Well, well,” the rider said, removing his helmet as Lessie jumped into my arms. I stared at him as she wriggled against my chest, her tail thrashing against my abdomen. It was the handsome dragon rider from the other night, the one I’d given a drink to! “So this is the new dragon rider, come to us from the lower city, eh?” His eyes gleamed as he looked me up and down, and my skin prickled with nerves. “You look familiar.”
I covered up my discomfort with a grin. “You hang out with a lot of redheads in the lower city?” I asked, trying to deflect.
I wasn’t about to tell him, or anyone else, the truth about how I’d come by the dragon egg. The Council Head didn’t want anyone else knowing I’d tried to steal from Lord Tavarian and had managed to come out of the ordeal without suffering punishment—debatable, since I was being conscripted into joining the military—and Lord Tavarian had added that it would make my training unnecessarily difficult if everyone thought I was a thief. “Let them come to their own conclusions about how you came by the egg,” he’d said.
The headmaster cleared his throat. “Miss Kenrook, this is Jallis Lyton, eldest son of House Lyton and soon-to-be graduate of the academy. Mr. Lyton, this is Zara Kenrook, ward and new member of House Tavarian.”
Jallis shook his head. “There must be quite a story behind that,” he said with a grin of his own. “Lord Blackheart isn’t known for taking in strays, never mind letting them near an ancient dragon egg. You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.”
“Blackheart?” I echoed.
“An unfortunate nickname some of our more uncouth students use, on account of Lord Tavarian surviving the death of his dragon,” the headmaster said stiffly. “You’ll have to forgive Mr. Lyton for his atrocious manners. His breakfast must not be agreeing with him.”
Jallis’s cheeks reddened. “My apologies, Headmaster,” he said stiffly, inclining his head. “I meant no offense.”
“Indeed,” Major Caparro said dryly. “Now, why don’t you show Miss Kenrook how to care for your dragon after returning from a flight.”
“Certainly.” The sparkle in Jallis’s eyes returned in an instant, and he patted his dragon’s thick neck. “Kadryn and I would be happy to demonstrate.”
Two stable hands, who had been waiting nearby to assist, sprang into action, and I watched as the three of them removed the dragon’s tack, which included a leather saddle, stirrups, harness, and bridle. The rigging seemed pretty straightforward, not too different from a horse’s tack, but because the dragon was so large it took a bit more finesse and care to get it all off.
“That looks very uncomfortable,” Lessie observed with some distaste as Kadryn shook himself, finally free of the harness. “Will I have to wear one of those too?”
“Probably,” I told her. “I don’t see how I could stay on your back without one. Your scales are so smooth I’d probably slide right off.” I stroked her back to demonstrate, and she purred, arching into my hand.
“My hide is rather magnificent,” she agreed, then leapt out of my arms and trotted toward Kadryn. I lunged after her, but Major Caparro stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
“She’ll be fine,” he assured me. “Watch.”
I held my breath as Jallis’s dragon lowered his great head to meet Lessie at eye level. He was large enough that he could swallow her whole with little effort, and I expected Lessie to show some sign of submission. But instead she rose to her full height and stared down the other dragon with a look of such haughty superiority that I had to choke back a laugh.
They stayed like that for a moment, engaged in some kind of silent ritual I didn’t completely grasp, and then Kadryn chuffed and brushed the tip of his snout against hers before turning away. He could have easily sent Lessie sprawling, but his touch was gentle, and Lessie rewarded him with a purr of approval before trotting back to me.
“He recognizes my dominance,” she informed me as she hopped back into my arms. “Perhaps one day I will allow him to mate with me, if I find him suitable.”
“I see.” I gave Jallis a nonplussed look and repeated the first part of what Lessie had said to me. I expected Jallis to be confused, or even offended, but instead he merely smiled.
“I would expect nothing less,” he said. “Dragon females might be smaller, but because they are rarer, they are in charge. A dragon female might have three or more males that she mates with regularly—dragons are not particularly fertile, so a female with multiple mates has a better chance of conceiving more quickly.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “So I get to look forward to my dragon being courted even after she chooses a mate?”
“Yes, at least until she is past breeding age, but that won’t be until she is fifty years of age,” Major Caparro said. He laughed at the look on my face. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Dragon courtship very rarely impinges on human life.”
I frowned, wondering if that was really true. Did dragons suffer from broken hearts? What if Lessie tried to mate with one and it didn’t work out? Would I find myself lying in the stables with her and consoling her as she bawled giant dragon tears?
“Don’t be silly,” Lessie scoffed. “Dragons don’t cry. And I wouldn’t choose a mate unless I was absolutely certain he was worthy, so there is nothing to worry about.”
“You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who was practically born yesterday,” I said, but I cuddled her in my arms. There was something utterly adorable about her fearless, confident attitude, as if she knew exactly where her place in the world was—at the top, with everything laid out at her feet.
I didn’t consider myself to be someone who had confidence issues, but even so, I found myself envious of her. I’d only recently become sure of my place in the world, only to have that notion toppled onto its head when I’d discovered I had dragon rider blood in my veins.
Now, I wasn’t so sure of anything anymore.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Zara, but I’m afraid I must be off now,” Jallis said. He sketched a bow to the both of us, then led his dragon down the massive hall to stable him.
“Oooh, oooh!” Lessie wriggled out of my arms and jumped to the ground again. “Let me show you my stable!”
She scampered away, and I hurried after her, the headmaster following at a distance. As I raced down the aisle, I caught glimpses of other dragons poking their large heads over their gates to watch us, a rainbow blur of hides in all sorts of shades. Part of me wanted to stop and stare at them, to catalogue the different shapes, sizes and styles, but Lessie’s burgeoning excitement spurred me onward, not allowing me to stop and take in the scenery.
“Here,” she said proudly as we skidded to a halt in front of a gate that was two heads taller than I was. She scrabbled up the side before I could open it, then used her claws to lift the latch.
“She’s quite agile for her age,” the headmaster said as the gate swung open, echoing my thoughts.
Inside, I looked around the enormous space, which, while overkill for Lessie’s current size, would fit her quite comfortably once she grew into it. I imagined she would fill up half the spa
ce by the time she was large enough to ride. There was a giant hay pile on the left side of the room for her to sleep in, and on the right, a water trough and a large metal bowl with the faintest traces of blood.
“I’m guessing you managed to convince the stable hands you were starving?” I asked, crossing my arms as I watched her roll around on the hay-covered floor. She’d eaten several steaks before we’d left Lord Tavarian’s floating island.
Lessie snorted. “I’m a growing dragon. I need to eat constantly if I want to grow big enough for us to fly together.”
I bent down to rub her belly, and she let out a rumbling purr. “How long will it take her to grow big enough for us to ride together?” I asked Major Caparro.
“At least six months, at your size,” he said. “Luckily you are not large or overweight. I had a sixteen-year-old join who was seven feet tall and the size of a mountain, and he had to wait a full year before he could fly. Set him back a bit, but he’s a fine officer now.”
I visited with Lessie a few more minutes, then reluctantly followed the headmaster back to the manor. We wrapped up our tour on the lower level, where the mess hall, common areas, and dormitories were located. When we got to the dorms, I was handed off to Mrs. Browning, the residence hall mistress, to show me to my quarters.
“Although you all have your own private rooms, the dormitories are divided up by gender due to the communal bathing spaces,” Mrs. Browning explained as she briskly led me down the hall. There was no one to be seen except for a janitor sweeping the floors, as everyone was still in classes. “We have strict policies against allowing men into women’s dormitories and vice versa—if you wish to fraternize with the opposite sex, you may do so in the common areas or on the grounds.”
“Right.” I held back a snort as I remembered seeing Jallis and Miss Galashiel together at the soiree. I had no doubt those two broke that rule regularly, and probably many others too. I didn’t think I’d have to worry about that, though—I had no interest in fraternizing with any of these upper city aristocrats, no matter how handsome they might be. Despite my stupid fling with Rajek, I wasn’t really the casual sex type, and most of these guys would probably end up in arranged marriages or something.
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