Tricked Into Flight

Chapter 44

*Rakota's POV*

I tilted my head slightly as I regarded my rider. Despite how long she had been practicing, the arrows veered in various directions. A quick check with magic revealed that the bow was slightly warped. Now that I was looking closely, I could see a couple of bright red streaks on her fingers; another spell confirmed they were starting to bleed from how long she had been practicing.

Apparently dragonkin weren't the only race around to dismiss discomfort and pain if we were in a mood. The difference was that Wellsprings weren't able to heal themselves afterward. A simple healing spell easily remedied the damage the bowstring had caused.

She stiffened, somehow able to sense my magic touching hers, then checked her fingers and gave me a confused look. I remained on the ledge and waited to see what she would do.

"Thank you."

The reluctant mumble was so soft even my eavesdropping spell could barely pick it up, but her manners still showed through. After a few seconds, she drew the bow again and took aim, still not quite ready to talk to me.

I scrutinized the useless weapon and wondered if a gift might help soften her mood. Manipulating wood wasn't quite the same as stone, but there were spells for it. I examined the size, flex, and release as she shot the arrow several times.

Once I figured I had a good idea of her strength and what was needed, I waited until she went to collect her arrow. She jumped and dropped the bow as woodgrains shifted like muscle under her fingers. The weathered hickory smoothed as the hidden knot inside disappeared, then the surface rippled as flowing wind-current patterns decorated the sides. I rearranged the woodgrains for the best possible draw and changed the color to a rich reddish brown.

Her arrows underwent a similar transformation as they were straightened, turned into a similar not-quite-wood material, and matched in color. As a final touch, the tattered feather fletching smoothed into a silk-like material with a dragonscale pattern that matched the shade of my wings perfectly.

She stared at the bow that kings would have been hard-pressed to afford. Getting to my feet, I jumped down from the ledge and walked over.

"Try that."

She hesitated, then gingerly picked it up, her reluctance warring with her admiration of the elegant weapon. With another perplexed glance at me, she went back to where she had been standing and paused when she noticed the arrows in her quiver had also changed. Slowly, she grabbed all the shafts in one hand and pulled them out to check the tips.

"The different patterns on the fletching will help you identify the arrowhead," I murmured, secretly pleased that she was taken-aback by the gift.

She blinked slowly at the various types of tips before pulling out the practice arrow. Taking a deep breath, she nocked the arrow and took aim. I examined the bow as she drew it, making a few tiny adjustments and adding a spell so it wouldn't harm her fingers. When she released it, the arrow flew true for the first time in years. It didn't quite hit the target, but it was much closer than most of her previous attempts.

"And no, I didn't add any spells to help you hit your target. Well, there is one, but it'll only activate if you're desperate or trying to protect someone. This will let you improve your archery skills without having to rely on such aids."

That had been a delicate spell to cast, but it would let her hone her abilities in case she ever lost the bow during an emergency and found another one. Such a situation would likely never happen, but having a rider turn out to be a hidden Wellspring had already broken a few levels of impossible.

I monitored the bond as her confusion and reluctant appreciation swirled together. She was still upset, but as someone who never had much, she knew the true value of the healing and bow. Her nature was such that she appreciated anything given to her, and that long-standing habit was making it hard for her to remain angry. But she needed to vent in some form or she'd continue to stew in her thoughts and the bond wouldn't settle.

It was time for a bigger push.

It was very difficult for dragons to apologize in words, but I was about to give it a second try.

"I'm sorry I had to trick you into becoming a rider. Magic makes it quite impossible for us to ask or even bring up the subject." 

She remained silent, not replying.

Keeping my tone conversational, I asked, "What are you more concerned about? Me having chosen you as a rider or being discovered as a Wellspring and the potential impact on your relatives?"

"My relatives," she immediately replied, frowning at the question.

That was what I had assumed. Perhaps I could tap into her desire to protect them in a fashion that still left them anonymous...

"What if I told you that your magic could protect them and thousands of other humans? Would that make it easier to accept your new status as my rider?" Before she could reply, I added, "Remember the naga? Huge numbers are gathering along the coast and preparing for an invasion. There aren't enough dragons to stop them, but with your magic and my spells, we might stand a chance at protecting everyone between the coast and the mountain foothills. And if they do get past our defenses, I will personally fly any of your relatives to the mountains and let them hide in the villages without letting other dragons know where they are."

She stared at me, her thoughts spinning too fast for any emotion to become prominent enough to identify. The creatures had likely plagued her nightmares, and now she knew they were an immediate threat to the people she was already worried about.

"And dragonkin would keep your Wellspring abilities a secret," I told her, emphasizing the point once more. "We certainly don't want more shadow mages distracting us when the naga are about to start an all-out war."

"Th-The naga are going to attack?"

"Thousands of them. Possibly more." For once, I seriously hoped the Sea Guard was right about how much naga activity was in those spots. Even seeing a few hundred would probably convince her that my numbers were correct. She knew from personal experience how deadly naga were, and she wanted to protect people. Perhaps a common cause would ease her conscience.

"I... I'm not sure what to think. I don't want the naga to hurt people, but I don't really want to be a dragon rider..." Her shoulders slumped. "And there's no way to undo the fact that you know I'm a Wellspring."

"There's no way to undo the bond," I added. "This will help protect your relatives without us knowing where they are. The humans will also remain unaware of your abilities unless you reveal it or one of your relatives is discovered. Does that help?"

"I...don't know. This is a huge change..." She shook her head, still not entirely sure about the situation. Her worry, confusion, and disorientation hummed across the bond, but the idea had been planted, and she was considering it. 

"You have time to think. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the coast. I believe there is something there I have to show you."