Boundless Limits {B.Durran}

22

Name your summons for Gods sake, even if it's just 'Falcon #1' and don't just name it Falcon, Carr made me summon three. Having every summon feel like a blank canvas and your dragon's energy is too hard to differentiate in battle... Or so Anam keeps telling me.

T.Valkorin Journal Entry

March arrives with uncountable feet of snow that have to be shovelled before morning formation every day. This only adds to the list that makes Tierney collapse into a pile of shaky limbs and blistering headaches by the time she's allowed to fall into bed.

And she says bed, for she does collapse into her bed, however, there are moments when she's falling into Ultan's. This gives her a night of training without Anam's constant protests, because she's getting information from him about Ruairi, and in the long game, it's going to help her.

Tierney has gotten quicker at summoning as she has repeated the process hundreds of times by now, it's almost second nature to her and the slight headaches she gets now are the new normal.

Carr has been insistent on ensuring she has Summons to cover most areas now, from transport in a horse and deer to spying with bats and owls, even a cat. Then there's the 'heavy hitters' the ones he refers to ask attack animals, a wolf and a mountain lion.

"Sharla Gunter," Captain Fitgibbons reads from the death roll, his gloved hands slipping on the frozen parchment. It's warmer this week, but not by much. "And Mushin Vedie. We commend their souls to Malek."

"Vedie?" Violet asks Rhiannon, her eyebrows shooting up as the formation ends.

"You didn't hear?" Rhiannon pulls her fur-lined cloak closer around her neck. "His signet manifested in the middle of Carr's class yesterday, and he burst into flames."

"He... burned himself to death?"

"Yeah." Tierney confirms, nodding along with Rhiannon, "They think that he was supposed to be able to wield fire but got overwhelmed by that first rush and—"

"He went up like a torch," Ridoc adds, cutting Tierney off. "Kind of makes you glad your signet's still hiding, huh?"

"Hiding is one way to put it." Violet mumbles and Tierney knows that's not how Violet feels about not having a signet yet. Tierney knows the annoyance laced with understanding she might spontaneously combust at any moment, she can understand the underlying fear the girl might be experiencing.

"Definitely makes me want to skip class today," Rhiannon mutters, blowing on her hands to keep them warm.

"No skipping class." Dain admonishes, pinning them with a stare. "We're weeks away from the squad battle and we need every single one of you at your best to win."

Imogen snorts, "Come on, Aetos, I think we all know Second Wing has that squad in Tail Section that's going to smoke the rest of us. Have you ever seen them sprint up the Gauntlet? Pretty sure they've been out there even though it's still covered in ice."

"We're going to win," Cianna, their executive officer, proclaims with a nod. "Sorrengail might slow us down on the Gauntlet," She wrinkles her hawkish nose, "And probably in the wielding department, too, at the rate she's advancing—"

"Gee, thanks." Violet folds her arms across her chest, cutting off Cianna.

"But Rhiannon's skills more than make up for that," Cianna continues. "And we all know Liam and Heaton are both going to decimate on the mat for the challenge competition—"

"I'm hurt," Tierney says, placing a hand on her chest. "Forgetting about me? I finally smash Liam on the mat and no one cares?" There's a grin in her tone, the way she proudly reminds everyone that she finally beat Liam on the mat.