Soul Bound

Chapter 15

As soon as we returned to the base from our mission at Kain Castle, Annalyse and I began my training with the ferocity of a rampaging griffin.

For the past few weeks, my mornings started with hand-to-hand combat then my afternoons were filled with practicing combat drills. My evenings either finished with lessons or reading, depending if Annalyse was called to a meeting.

Commander Hargin had been calling for a lot of meetings of late, and I had a feeling it had something to do with King Sylus, but would anyone tell me? No. From what I gathered from people in the hallways, Prince Darius had raided the villages closest to the Aborian Sea and built a fort where Brar used to be. King Renkon and Commander Hargin worked together to have all the villages in the valley evacuated and taken to Riverwood.  There, King Renkon has deployed his soldiers as a first line of defense against an attack. For now, thankfully, King Sylus' men have only remained in the valley.

I felt useless. While war stood on the horizon, while peoples' homes were torn down, I remained in the West, safe in Dragon Canyon, supposedly ignorant of the world around me. The other Knights at the base didn't let me forget it, either. No one had outwardly said anything to me, but I heard them during our meals in the mess hall, saw the looks of distain in the hallways. I hadn't earned my place here like everyone else had. I was just a farm girl given power I didn't know how to use and needed protection. I wasn't worthy of being a Dragon Knight. Wasn't worthy of Arkon.

I was forever thankful for Annalyse. She never let me once think I didn't belong here.  Normally, I would have relied on Jacob, but he and Grayson had been spending a lot of time at Kain Castle lately. I'd only seen them once since we returned from my dinner with Prince Leonidas, and it was just a brief passing in the hallways. He'd been so caught up with his conversation with Grayson he didn't even notice me. Annalyse had pushed me hard at the gym that day. She knew just what I needed to get through the day.

When I wasn't with Annalyse, I spent my spare time with Arkon. The other dragons still didn't feel comfortable around him, so we found a private nook hidden away from everyone to sit and talk. We shared each other's memories through our Bond and reminisced about the good times in our lives. It felt good to talk about my family and cry when the memory of them hurt too much. Our connection only grew stronger with every passing day. I learned more about him, how he moved, how he thought, how he felt. I was a part of him as much as he was of me.

This morning I woke up to have my riding gear dumped at the foot of my bed. I stared at it, blinked, then peered up at a beaming Annalyse. My own smile grew, knowing this only meant one thing: I was finally going to learn how to fly! We had practiced many times on the ground, where Annalyse taught me proper positioning and techniques, but there was only so much I could learn on the ground. She had been holding back on me, promising to take me out if I exceled in everything else she taught me. Something about not wanting to overload me with information. Today, I was allowed to spread my wings and soar.

We're flying today, Arkon! I basically screamed in his mind. 

Amused, he agreed to meet me in the stables after I break my fast--which I had entirely forgotten to do until he'd mentioned it. Excited, I leapt out of bed and changed into the gear. We ate quickly in the mess hall then made our way down to the stables where Arkon and Aster were already waiting for us. 

I ran to the saddle room and grabbed the nearest saddle, bumping into someone in the process. "Sorry," I murmured, stepping around him.

He blocked my path, arms crossed. His eyes drank me in, taking their sweet time, then he snorted. "Only Knights get to fly a dragon, sweetheart."

I'd never met this Knight, but even if I had, his features were so generic, I doubt I would have remembered him. Apparently, though, he knew me and didn't like that I was here. Too bad for him. I wasn't going anywhere. "I am a Knight."