Fated to be Together

Last Day

Chapter 27

Last Day

"So all we do is wait for something to happen?" Ridoc asks, leaning back in the chair and puts his boots on the table.

"Yes." Mira said. She flicks her wrist and sends Ridoc flying back. "And keep your feet off the table." Zara snorted. They been split into two groups. Dain, Ridoc, Liam, Emery, Quinn, Violet, and Zara had spent the morning on a two hour flight around the surrounding area. Xaden, Garrick, and Bodhi had joined them. Garrick and Bodhi sat on either side of Zara in the room while Xaden sat next to Violet. Dain was glaring at Xaden and Zara caught him glaring at Garrick and Bodhi at times to the point Zara glared at him for glaring and he stopped. Mira was keeping an eye on Xaden. She didn't seem to mind Garrick and Bodhi. Zara sat straight in her chair. Zara's hand slid onto Garrick's and Bodhi's legs. She felt Garrick slightly jump.

'Sensitive?' Zara asked.

'Wasn't expecting that.' Garrick told her.

'Where's Imogen?' Zara asked, haven't seen her since breakfast.

'Making the weapon run. Sgaeyl is keeping an eye out for her.' Bodhi said. (AN: It's in the new chapter in Xaden's POV.) Zara squeezed Bodhi's leg in acknowledgement. 'Keep it up and we'll end up in bed again tonight.'

'Like I'll complain.' Zara said. Ridoc scrambles to get in his chair.

"Consider this your battle brief. This morning was about a quarter of the patrol we'd regularly fly, so normally we'd just be getting back about now and reporting our findings to the Commander. But for the sake of killing time, since we're in this room as the reaction flight for this afternoon, let's pretend we'd come across a newly fortified enemy outpost crossing our border." Mira turns to the map and sticks a pin with a small crimson flag near one of the peaks about two miles from the Cyginsen borderline. "Here."

"We're supposed to pretend it just popped up overnight?" Emery asked.

"For the sake of argument, third-year." Mira narrows her eyes on him. Emery sits up a little straighter.

"I like this game." A rider says from the end of the table.

"What would our objective be?" Mira glances around the table, skipping Xaden, Bodhi, and Garrick. Zara leaned back against the chair. "Aetos?" Dain startles from his seat as he glares at Xaden. Garrick was glaring at Dain as Xaden ignored him. Zara squeezed Garrick's leg and his hand goes over hers.

"What type of fortifications are there? Are we talking a haphazard wooden structure? Or something more substantial?" Dain asked.

"Like they had time to build a fortress overnight. It has to be wooden, right?" Ridoc asked.

"You are all so fucking literal." Mira sighs and rubs her thumb over her forehead. "Fine, let's say they occupied a keep that's already established. Stone and all." Mira said.

"But the civilians didn't call for help?" Quinn scratches her chin. "Protocol calls for a distress signal this far into the mountains. They should have lit their distress beacon, alerting patrolling riders, at which time the dragons on patrol would have told all available dragons in the area. The very riders in this room would have mounted first as the reaction force and the others would have been woken from their rests, allowing the riders to prevent the loss of the keep in the first place." Mira scoffs and braces her hands on the end of the table.

"Everything you're taught at Basgiath is theory. You analyze past attacks and learn those very theoretical combat maneuvers. But things out here don't always go according to plan. So why don't we talk about all the ways things can go sideways, so you'll know what to do when they do, as opposed to arguing that the keep shouldn't have fallen?" Mira said. Quinn shifts her weight uncomfortably. "How many of you have been called out as third-years?" Mira stands straight. Emery, Xaden, and Garrick raise their hands. Zara looked at Garrick in surprise. Garrick gave her a nod. Dain looked pissed.