Crackerjack II

Chpt. 17: Moving On, Moving In

Kristen gasped. "This is mine?!"

The two-story stone cabin made her heart swell. The thick doors were tall, wide, and welcoming.

"Yours and your dragon's." Sylvia's eyes twinkled. "What do you think?"

At a loss for words, Kristen could only shake her head and stare. 

"Well," Spencer said, "are you going to go in, or what?"

Kristen edged forward, hesitant to move past the moment. Was she really getting her own place? She stopped on the doorstep and turned back. 

"Why?"

"Why?" Sylvia hugged her. "Because your bond is advanced enough that you can bunk with your dragon."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and they're a pain, let me tell you. No idea about proper indoor etiquette." He crossed his arms, but he grinned. "He'll be driving you crazy within the week."

The first floor was spacious and mostly empty. Kristen assumed the large cushion under the loft was her dragon's. 

"Yep. We'll let you get settled." Sylvia waved.

Kristen was still standing in the entry when Spencer tapped her shoulder.

"I'll be bringing your dragon by later this evening." He hesitated, sucking on his lip. "I meant to ask: have you gotten anything from him? Any words?"

"Um..." Kristen's eyes narrowed. Had she? All she'd gotten were pictures. "Like what? I've never heard him talk, if that's what you're asking."

Spencer waved. "No, no, at your stage, he wouldn't. I mean, has he given you his name?"

"His name?" Her brow wrinkled. "I thought that didn't happen until the last part of the Establishin' phase?"

"Yeah." Spencer shrugged. "It's just that your bond is showing signs of a more advanced connection than any of us seem to think. That whole trust fall thing? Usually takes about four or five times before second connectors get it."

Kristen put her hands on her hips. "You told me the second time that you thought I'd get it."

"That's what I'm saying. So, has he told you?"

Kristen pinched her lips. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. Do I have your name?

The bond hummed after she sent the thought as if she'd woken her dragon. A picture of the building that had burned flashed through her mind.

Wrinkles sprouted along Kristen's forehead. She reached back. Had something happened after their touch? She'd been so disoriented. Had he spoken to her? She picked through each slide from that fire. The memory popped up at the same time her dragon repeated his first word.

Scorch.

"Oh. My. Veps."

"Did you get something?"

Kristen stared dazedly. "Scorch. My dragon's name is Scorch. H-how could I already know that?"

Spencer shrugged with a wide grin. "People have different speeds of bonding just like they do learning." He paused. "The reason I asked is that initiation for the dragon riders. Sylvia and I were wondering if you were advanced enough to join this next one."

Kristen gaped.

"We weren't sure, but now that I know you have his name, I can easily convince Sylvia you're ready. She'll come get you tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?"

Spencer's brow furrowed. "Problem?"

Kristen blinked. She wasn't ready. She'd barely begun working with her dragon. All the others, according to William, were practically masters. What if they scorned her? What if they realized she didn't belong? The bond hummed with her anxiety, and she breathed deeply to keep from aggravating Scorch, her dragon. Her dragon, Scorch. Scorch.

"No problem," she said with a smile. "It's just so sudden."

Spencer rubbed his neck. "I...well, I was sorta supposed to tell you a couple of days ago, but there was a kinda anniversary thing I had to make sure went well."

Kristen stared.

"So, anyway. See you tomorrow?"

She smiled through her confusion. "Yeah."

She stood for a while after Spencer had trotted off. It seemed to her that she was being rushed through important phases in the dragon bonding. But Spencer thought she had already passed those marks. What if she simply hadn't been looking hard enough for the signs?

She shook her head. She simply couldn't puzzle it all out now. Instead, she decided to settle into her quarters. Finally, she had her own space. 

Her attention shifted from the loft on the far wall to the built-in bookshelf built to the right of the door. On the the left was a modest round table with two chairs. She figured that would mostly be for her papers and study materials. She poked around in the space below the loft, but eventually her curiosity drove her up the ladder. A mattress and a pile of blankets awaited her. 

She grinned and twisted to look over the entire space. This was hers!

~

Kristen hummed as she strolled along the darkening street, back to her cabin. She grinned wider. Her cabin. She shifted the stack of books so they wouldn't cut off her circulation. She could still hardly believe she had her very own cabin. As she turned the corner, she saw a figure on the porch and mentally smacked herself. 

"I'm so sorry!" she shouted, jogging for the door. "I completely forgot you were comin' by!"

Spencer shrugged. "I was wondering where you were."

Kristen lifted the books. "I figured a bookshelf should have some books, so I..." 

She trailed off when she realized the blackness behind Spencer wasn't completely shadows. Her eyes traveled up the long neck to meet the glowing pupils. She could hardly feel herself gaping next to the reverence of standing so close to her dragon. She was startled by Spencer's laughter. 

"Don't worry about it. Just here to make sure the housewarming goes smoothly." He winked. "And that feeling of awe never really goes away."

Kristen blushed, pushing open the doors to cover it. Spencer stepped aside so that Scorch, her dragon, could squeeze through. Kristen's breath caught as her little cabin was quickly filled. 

Spencer waved from beneath a leg. "Don't set anything on fire."

Panic flashed before she realized he was talking about Scorch. She stepped carefully over legs and tail coils to shut the door with a sigh. She jumped and then ducked as Scorch's tail whipped about while he settled onto his cushion. Smoke curled out of his nostrils as he shut his eyes. 

Kristen bit her lip with a grin. "Well, goodnight then. Scorch."

She climbed into the loft and stretched across the surprisingly comfortable mattress. There was an actual dragon below her! He shifted, and Kristen breathed in happily. Her dragon was sleeping just underneath her. Her cheeks were beginning to ache from all the smiling by the time she drifted off.

Hello, hello! So glad you've stopped by! I enjoy this part of the story a lot, as I hope you did, because we're finally meeting Scorch! Ah, to be able to write his name :) Comment on anything, even if it's just a smiley face! Thanks for coming!!
~J.