Maidens & Killers

A Promise

       Craobh lands gracefully in the large flight field with dozens of other dragons. I dismount to the best of my ability with only one comment from him about my landing (“WE’LL WORK ON THAT!”)
I’m excited to see who of my friends bonded, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking for a certain pair of hazel eyes that I know are around somewhere. I want to tell him about the boys I saw who were hunting the baby dragon and my run in with Baide.

     Someone comes up to me to take roll, “Please tell me the name of the dragon that you have bonded with.”
I smile and say loudly and proudly, “My dragon’s name is Craobh.” Some of the professors nearby smile back or lightly clap, and the sense of celebration in the air is tangible. Croabh and I wander to the far side of the field, where we can watch people and still keep our eyes on the action. I see Rhiannon come in on the other green dragon and wave to her.

“I TOLD YOU I WOULD TALK TO FEIRGE FOR YOUR FRIEND. THEY WILL BE A GOOD MATCH.”
Thank you, I silently tell Craobh, though I am still worried for Violet. An overwhelming number of people are milling about and all I want to do is climb back on Craobh’s back and take flight again. There’s a sense of peace that comes over me when I am in the air, better than any meditation technique I’ve ever tried.

     “Good looking dragon you’ve got there.” I hear someone say to  my left and I can’t help the massive grin on my face as I turn to face Garrick.  Garrick, who is obviously very knowledgeable in dragon etiquette, stays a good thirty yards away from Craobh and I and makes sure to keep his eyes on me.
“Thanks, I’m pretty fond of him already.” I reply.

“I’M FOND OF YOU AS WELL RED ONE. NOW, I WILL GIVE YOU AND THE SECTION LEADER SOME TIME ALONE. WORD HAS IT FROM TAIRN I MAY BE NEEDED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING.”
Craobh lifts off from the space beside me before I can even question what the emergency meeting would be about.

    As soon as Craobh is in the sky, Garrick comes up and wraps his arms around me in a big hug. “You did so good, one of the first finishers.”
“Has Violet finished yet? Did she bond?” I ask pulling back slightly from the hug to see Garrick’s face.
He shakes his head, “Not yet, but Xaden is one of the moderators in the forest. He isn’t going to let anything happen to her if he can help it.”
That makes me feel a bit better, “Craobh just mentioned that, well someone named Tairn may be calling a meeting. Does that name mean anything to you?”
Garrick looks confused, “Tairn as in Tairneanach?”
I shrug my shoulders, “Maybe. He definitely said Tairn. He said that he would need to call a meeting and then he just flew off.”

“TELL THE SECTION LEADER TO FIND RIORSON. TAIRN HAS SELECTED VIOLET AS HIS RIDER AND HE IS NOT ALONE.”

“Oh Gods,” I say with a jolt. “Craobh says that Tairn has taken Violet as his rider and we need to find Xaden right now.”

      True fear spreads across Garrick’s face. He takes my hand and drags me into the fray of people. I can’t see much but Garrick seems to know where he is going so I let him lead. It’s almost as though he can sense where Xaden is, because before too long we are right beside him and he looks aggravated at best. Xaden’s eyes dart to mine and Garrick’s held hands, so I try to drop Garrick’s, but he just tightens his grip. Okay Mr. Statement Maker.
“Tairn bonded with Violet?” Garrick asks concern in his voice.
“Yea, and so did Andarna the baby gold.” Xaden clears his throat. “The General and others say that Violet can’t have two dragons but the dragons called a meeting. They are the decision makers after all. Shit. This is bad.”
Garrick rubs his head with his free hand like he’s getting a headache, one of those really annoying ones right behind the eyes.
“Why is Tairn bonding Violet bad, per say?” I say timidly. I can tell there is more going on in this situation than I know and I don’t want to overstep.
Garrick turns to me, “Because Tairn is the bonded mate of Sgaeyl, Xaden’s dragon.”
“Oh shit,” is all that I’m able to say. Even I know from my books and classes that bonded dragons are a terrifying thing not to be messed with. Also, I am pretty sure that they don’t like to be apart, so this is going to suck really bad when Xaden and Garrick graduate soon.
Xaden rolls his eyes, “Yea. Oh shit. “

     A large group of dragons return and I immediately pick out Craobh in the crowd as well as the baby gold tucked in near a massive hulking dragon that is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.
That must be Tairn, I think.

“YOU WOULD BE CORRECT. WE HAVE VOTED TO ALLOW VIOLET TO KEEP BOTH DRAGONS. TAIRN WOULD HAVE NO OTHER WAY.”

I lean in to whisper to Garrick, “They’re going to let Violet keep both of her dragons.”
Garrick nods, “Yea that’s what Chradh said as well. Tairn and Violet are most likely fated, the names ring true.”
I look up at Garrick who is watching the crowd, “The names ring true? What do you mean?”
He gives me a side eyed glance before he speaks, “Well…. In the old dragon language, Tairneanach means thunder and since Violet’s  mother wields the weather her signet may be similar. Sgaeyl means shadow, and guess what, Xaden is a shadow wielder. It’s not always right on the money, but a lot of times it is. ”

     I nod making the connection suddenly, “What does Craobh mean? I’m not good with that language.”
Garrick scratches his chin in thought, “Tree, or oak possibly. I would not be surprised if your signet has to do with nature, between Craobh bonding you and your calm demeanor.”
I smile up at him and he meets my smile with one of his. “I love nature, that could be really cool. How about Chradh, what does that mean?”
I watch as the smile immediately flies off of Garrick’s face and something like regret snakes into his eyes. “My signet is a powerful one that I don’t share with many people. I will tell you, Maeve. I swear, but for reasons that are my own, many of the professors here don’t even know the full extent of my signet power. They would just make me abuse it for their benefit.”

       There’s so much hurt on Garrick’s face that I can’t help but reach my arms around his waist and hug him, “You will tell me when the time is right Garrick. I know that. I told you that I wouldn’t ask for more information than you can give me and I mean it. Just know that I would never tell anyone anything you told me, you can trust me.”

“I do trust you Maeve, more than I probably should. There are just some things that endanger more people than myself. Those are the things I can’t tell you. But I promise, anything that you need to know, I will tell you. I will never lie to you.” Garrick says, hugging me to his chest.

        Our moment is interrupted by Xaden making what some may describe as a growling noise beside Garrick. I look in the direction that Xaden is looking and see Dain Fucking Aetos in a lip lock with Violet and she doesn’t look like she’s enjoying it much. Now that I have kissed Garrick and experienced a phenomenal kiss, I can pick out a bad kiss from a mile away.
‘Oh shit,” is all Garrick says.
“Yea,” I reply. “That seems to be the sentiment of the day.”