Dragon School_First Flight Read online

  “New recruits?” he’d asked gruffly. At our nods, he’d continued, “By leaving on this raft you signify that you accept your recruitment into the Dragon Riders. No recruit will be denied, but every year many recruits die and those who cannot gentle a dragon will leave the recruitment program and become servants of the Dragon Riders. There is no leaving this life with us other than death, be ye noble or common, great or small, sick or well. Do all accept this?”

  We’d chorused a ‘yes’ as he signaled to the ferry man to pull us across the river. From the ferry, we’d gone straight up to the stables. It was strange to realize he was just one man among others, not a great golden god who we must bow before. Even knowing it wasn’t enough to shake my awe away.

  At the table furthest from the windows, back in a dull corner, were the recruits I’d arrived with. They sat in a line on benches and ate quietly. I took a seat on the end of the bench. No one looked at me, but I didn’t care. There was salmon still available and I hadn’t had more than a few scraps of bread in the past week while I’d been traveling. I’d hitched rides from town to town on farmer’s wagons or tradesman’s carts – anyone who was willing to take a passenger along the way. They didn’t charge anything – except conversation – and it was safer than walking where thieves or troublemakers could cause a lone traveler harm.

  “Why can’t we sit with them?” A dark-haired, good-looking boy pointed to the table beside ours. All the people at that table were young, too, but they all wore gray leather clothing that fit snuggly over their bodies and were cinched tight with buckles at waist, elbows, knees and practically everywhere else. They looked almost like Dragon Riders, except they wore no braids or flowing silk scarves, and the full Dragon Riders wore black leather.

  Savette rolled her eyes. I was beginning to find her show of arrogance entertaining. At least she was true to form - a font of information.

  “They’re Inducted. They’re a step above us. When we gentle our dragons so they can be ridden, then we’ll be inducted into the Dragon Riders and that will be us.”

  His smile bordered on a smirk when he addressed her again. Was he being flirtatious? “And what about them?”

  He pointed at another long table. These people were slightly older and wore brown leathers with one or two silken scarves. Some wore a braid in their hair, others didn’t. I was glad that he was asking. Unlike others here, my childhood had focused more on how to grind grain into flour and properly oil the plow straps than it had on the inner-workings of Dragon School.

  “Those are Sworn. They’ve moved to the next level of training and they’ve sworn their loyalty at court. Some of them get to go out in the field and be trained individually by full Dragon Riders. I swear, Jael, did your tutors teach you nothing?”

  “They didn’t have your melodious voice, Savette.”

  She scoffed, but the way her cheeks pinked she was clearly enjoying herself.

  “And what about the tables with the colors?” I asked, so caught up in the explanation that I forgot myself.

  The table went silent and the people closest to me looked away. Savette focused on her food like she was going to write an exam on the contents of her plate. The good looking one – Jael - spoke after long minutes of silence.

  “Look, don’t take it personally, but none of us wants to get too attached to you. We know that you’ll die in the first couple of lessons and ... well, the thing is ... well ...” His eyes were full of pity as he stumbled on his words.

  “What he means to say is that we don’t want to have to feel bad when you die. You shouldn’t have come here in the first place,” Savette said, harshly.

  I bit into my bread and blinked back wetness in my eyes. Their words stung. And they weren’t true. I wouldn’t die in the first week. I’d show them all. They’d see that they were wrong about me and then I’d find some way to show them that I didn’t need their pity any more than I needed their help.

  “They’re Colors,” the girl to one side of me said. Her eyes were a shocking blue. The words burst out of her like she’d been holding them in with her breath. “That’s why their silken scarves are all one color at each table. They aren’t full Dragon Riders yet, but they will be really soon. They’ve been approved by their Color and all they have to do is pass the final test.”

  She looked away quickly like she was afraid to catch my limp. I wanted to snap at her, but she was the only one who’d answered at all. Perhaps I shouldn’t say no to friendliness, no matter how tiny a sliver of it was offered. I ducked my head in thanks and kept my mouth buttoned so I could watch the room. If I was on my own, I’d need to learn as much as I could, and that meant watching everything all the time.

  It was a good thing I was watching, or I wouldn’t have seen Grandis Dantriet look up from his salmon, his sharp gaze cutting through the room to me. When he met my gaze, he didn’t look away like everyone else. He held it for three breaths, looking for something – I was sure – and then, finally, looking away. Whatever he was looking for, he seemed satisfied and I swallowed down my nerves and ate my own food. He hadn’t sent me away when he saw my limp. Maybe he knew something no one else did – no one except for me.

  Chapter Three

  I woke with a start and almost fell out of the upper bunk I was in. By the time I’d gotten to it the night before, everyone in the girls’ dorm had claimed the bottom ones. The redhead who was sleeping beneath me had turned her back coldly when I asked if she’d consider switching and I hadn’t had the energy to ask anyone else and deal with extra rejection. I rubbed my eyes, gathered my things and made my way slowly down the ladder. I could work ladders, it was just more difficult because I had to hop down every step, holding the rung carefully with two hands and dragging my bad leg.

  If it wasn’t for the fact that no one here thought I would last the week out, I’d love the girls’ dorm. The bunks were solidly built and soft with white, crisp sheets, and woolen blankets piled high on every one. I’d never slept so well. The ceiling was high- vaulted with huge windows lining one stone wall, open to the outdoors. Silken curtains floated in the breeze before them. I was beginning to understand that Dragon Riders were outdoors people. They lived, breathed, bled and died in the outdoors. I’d never been very outdoorsy. It was hard to get very far over uneven ground on my crutch and most of the chores I could help my family with were done inside, things that required quick hands rather than a strong back.

  I found the fresh, breezy dorms stimulating. Fortunately, I was the first up, so I had time to wash at the long stone basin the washroom at the back of the dorm. Someone had carved a bathroom area out and water splashed into the long wash basin in a continuous flow. There was even a large area at the back where it dripped down from the roof as if it were constantly raining. If I had more time I’d like to see what it felt like to wash under that rain, but for now, the flow in the basin would be enough. I’d never expected to live in luxury like this, with hot meals and water delivered right to the washroom. If I really did die this week, it would only be after living in a virtual wonderland.

  I tied my waist-length dark hair back and scrubbed my face clean. I didn’t have to be pretty today, I had to be functional and that meant no hair getting in the way of the work. I tucked my plain shirt into the rope belt, trying to make it as streamlined as the clothing of the Inducted I’d seen the night before. We hadn’t been issued Dragon Rider clothing yet, so I’d have to make do with my peasant clothes and hope I could get them tight enough not to interfere with the work.

  “You won’t be able to make them any better no matter how hard you try,” Savette said, walking to the basin beside me and splashing her perfect, high cheekbones with water so that they pinked up like a summer rose. “Peasant clothes will never look like Dragon Rider clothes.”

  She wore soft green wool that hugged her form almost as well as Dragon Rider leathers, and small woolen ties imitated what I’d seen in the dining hall. I didn’t usually envy wealth – what point would there b
e in that? I may as well envy her beauty – but I did envy the functionality of those clothes. It would be nice to be able to be prepared for what was coming.

  “Breakfast starts next bell, but if I were you I’d get a move on. We only have a half-bell to eat and if we are late to the stables there will be penalties.” Her face was impassive but I saw a flicker of something in her eyes.

  “Don’t warn her,” the redhead complained, coming into the washroom and quickly stripping out of her silken nightdress to step under the showering rain. Her voice was muffled by the water. “If she gets cut first it gives us a better chance!”

  I didn’t look at Savette as I left the washroom but as I walked by I whispered, “Thank you.”

  She hadn’t needed to warn me, and yet she did. Why? I had plenty of time to puzzle about it as I left the dorms and began to climb the ladders to the first level – the stables. The rock of Dragon School glinted brightly with flecks of mica under the sun of the cloudless sky. I was enjoying myself despite the difficulty of the climb. I slung my crutch through the back of my belt and took the rungs of the ladders one at a time.

  By the time I reached the second level, the bell for breakfast had rung. I took a moment to catch my breath, looking out over the rolling hills and river delta below the cliffs. Somewhere out there, my family was beginning the work of the day. I could almost see my mother’s smile in my mind’s eye. A pang of homesickness tugged at me but I swallowed it down, blinking back tears. They would be fine – better off, even – without me. I needed to remember that my decision was the best thing for all of them. Besides, it was too late to change my mind now. I belonged to Dragon School now.

  A rushing sound filled the air and I hastily brushed my sleeve across my eyes in time to look up and see the belly of a purple dragon rear up in front of me. Its massive wings blocked out the sun and a keening sound filled the air. I froze, fear and fascination warring within me. What would it be like to ride on the back of such a magnificent beast? This wasn’t Raolcan, was it?

  Not a chance, little human.

  It spoke to me, too! Would I be able to hear all dragons now? There was a snickering sound in my mind, and then the dragon’s belly raced past, the scales blurring in the speed of its passing, and it was racing – up, up, up – until it was nothing but a black silhouette between me and the sun. I gasped and let myself enjoy the wonder of the moment. I lived in a school where dragons were as every-day as water. What could be more amazing than that? A single “bing” – a half bell – rang and I scrambled back onto the ladder. I had two more levels to climb on the face of this cliff or there would be consequences.

  Now that I’d seen a dragon in flight - so close that I could hear its thoughts and then so far that it was nothing but a speck in the sky - now that I’d felt the rush of its wings and seen the power of its bunched muscles unleashed into flight, now I couldn’t think of not trying to ride one. A sudden image filled my mind – me falling through the air towards the sharp rocks below. I squashed it down and brought up a better mental image – me soaring on the back of a dragon, free and liberated as the dragon himself. I clung to that thought as I climbed higher. Whatever happened from here on in had to include that. It just had to.

  Chapter Four

  As I arrived at Level One, the purple dragon returned in a spectacular soaring dive. It caught the edge of the cliffs with outstretched talons and hung there for a moment. Its rider leapt off, landing solidly on the rim of the cliff – just inches from the edge. The dragon turned his head to the rider as if he were speaking and then ducked low and crept into one of the alcoves. What kept them there? Did they stay of their own accord? Was Raolcan there somewhere? I wanted to see him again. Maybe he would have some ideas for me about how to stay alive. The Dragon Rider gave me a mock salute and then ducked into the alcove after his dragon.

  “Amel Leafbrought?” I spun at the sound of Grandis Dantriet’s voice. He smiled. “You must be very eager to be here before the bell has sounded.”

  “I didn’t want to be late, sir.”

  He looked at me for a long moment, his eyes trailing to my back where my crutch was still fastened. Blushing, I pulled it off my back and secured it under my arm.

  “Good thinking,” he said at last. “The first class of the day is Tack and Stables. Your instructor is Anda Elfar.”

  I nodded and followed his gaze to an alcove down the ledge. Red curtains swirled outside the door and leather tack hung from more hooks, pegs, and rails than I’d ever seen in one place. I made my way to the alcove and peered inside to see long wooden benches and tables polished to a gleam. They faced a raised dais with various maps pinned up behind it. I took a seat at the nearest bench, hoping I’d chosen correctly.

  After a moment, a short, muscled woman with cropped gray hair and a pleasant but weathered face came in and strode to the front of the room. She acknowledged me with a nod but seemed caught up in her own thoughts. Voices from outside the door were soon followed by a wave of other Dragon Rider hopefuls. I recognized Savette and Daedru as well as the dark-haired boy from last night who pitied me, and the red-haired girl who slept below me and definitely did NOT pity me. Judging by their bubbling chatter, most of them were well on their way to becoming friends. I focused on the instructor, waiting for the lesson to begin. I might not be the social princess of our group, but I was here to learn.

  “Your first work every morning will be with Tack and Stables. This is the only lesson in my class that will involve any sitting down,” Grandis Anda Elfar’s voice cut through any noise like an axe. “Come to class in the morning prepared to work. Servants clean and cook for us. We clean and feed the dragons. Servants will clean your clothes. We oil and mend the tack for the dragons. See yourself as a servant and the work will be easy. See yourself as above it and you won’t last the week.”

  “You’d send us to the servant halls for being bad at Tack?” a golden-haired boy asked.

  The Grandis lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Name?”

  “Dannil Evermore.”

  “When I began here I was like all of you – foolish and hopeful. A boy named Javen Taydon began in the same wave as I did. He was of high rank and blood.” Anda paused, looking out the massive open windows at the roiling clouds on the horizon. Was she seeing the boy from her past in her mind’s eye? “He was not attentive to his tack. A week into our training he slipped and the mid-strap meant to secure him caught him as he fell – only the stitching holding the buckle was worn. It snapped and he fell to his death. Every time I repair a mid-strap buckle I remember how long he screamed before he hit the ground.” Our silence was filled with horror. “If you fail at Tack and Stables you will not be a servant. You will be dead.”

  I swallowed, imagining a boy falling, falling, falling to his death simply because he forgot to check the stitching on a strap. I’d have to take Tack very seriously.

  As Grandis Elfar launched into a lecture on oils and stitching, the feeling that I was being watched crept over me. I tried to focus harder. Knowing the correct oils to use and what to look for in our tack was a life or death matter. I couldn’t afford to be distracted. The feeling remained.

  “The tack in front of you is the tack assigned to your dragon. Every morning when you clean your dragon’s stall you will inspect and clean your tack.” The Grandis seemed unaffected by whatever was bothering me, her lesson rolling off her tongue like she’d said it a thousand times before – maybe she had.

  I glanced over my shoulder and saw a Dragon Rider leaning against the frame of our class window, his bald head cocked to the side. He appeared to be studying me. Purple silk scarves of varying prints fluttered at his neck, elbows and knees and waist. I frowned. Was that the Dragon Rider who had grabbed my hand when I reached for Raolcan? I thought it might be. Somehow, I’d caught his attention and that couldn’t be a good thing.

  He was at least five years older than I was, judging by his looks, and his face and head were dark from sun, his unshaven
scruff black. I couldn’t tell from his expression if he was judging me or merely curious. Either way, I fought down a shiver. What could he want?

  I redoubled my focus on Grandis Elfar. She was explaining what use different stitching was in in the proper function of our tack.

  “You will care for your own tack and no one else’s unless asked. Every morning your first tasks will be to care for your tack, muck out your dragon’s stall and carry his water. Failure at any of these tasks will spell disaster. These are not only chores, they are life-giving work. Do not forget that in Dragon School the smallest of tasks is important. Your attention to detail and focus on the little things will determine your ability to do greater things. No one succeeds as a Dragon Rider if they do not attend their tack and stable.”

  The red-haired girl from earlier raised a hand and Grandis Elfar nodded to her. “When we are full Dragon Riders and we have the responsibilities of executing the Dominion good, will others care for our dragons?”

  I glanced at the window, but the Dragon Rider was gone. I felt strangely disappointed, even though I’d been trying to appear like I didn’t care what he was interested in. Maybe I’d see him here again.

  Grandis Elfar looked at a list on the wall before responding, “High Castelan Starie Atrelan?”

  “Yes,” the girl agreed.

  “Your dragon’s health will always be your own responsibility. Today, to reinforce the need to care for your dragon, you will muck out both his stall and my dragon’s stall – under my supervision. I, like all Dragon Riders, would never leave such an important task to someone else without supervising it myself.”