Tale of the fireborn

Winds change by the tides not for the convenience of the humanlike.

„You okay", Tara whispered in her lovely full sentence speaking. I nodded. Anniza Fowenner leaned over and congratulated me: „You have quiet the style young lady." „Thank you Ma'am", I recognized her and gave back my bit of focus to the mat. Several more fights to be seen. Several more injured. I hadn't injured Slate that bad. A slightly bruised spleen and not even a cut in his throat even if by the rules I should have cut him or knocked him out. Rules that get us healers damn busy these nights. Lots of broken bones. Deep haematomas that needed to be treated. Cuts and just one stab wound. The officers were very busy but nothing they couldn't handle. This kind of night the officers got to treat patients by themselves without the usual oversight by a Capitan. The last fight was going to happen. „Hey Hiraeth, up for another one", Summers yelled across the mat. I rolled my eyes. He understood and made a short end of the figths speech. We all got up. Most said their goodbyes to friends from other sections. „I will get my bags and get going. Always nice meeting you Mrs. Fowenner", I said and she smiled: „Oh we will see each other quiet soon."

Tara nodded and we both left. I walked back to my tent. My father sat up in the bed talking to my mother. „Nice to see you up, dad", I said with up most relieve in my voice. He looked up smiling bright: „Maura see, Sera is here." „Ira, sweet heart", she corrected him. Who is Sera? A question I would have to figure out by myself the way my mothers posture change with the mentioning of that name. A name I had never heard before. Instead of going at it I chose kindness so I could leave for Temzarr faster. „How do you both feel", I asked more as a healer then their daughter but who cares right now. My mother looked at me like she needed to think about it: „Fine. We are fine." „Alright. Then I will be of to my free time with the twins and you two can leave in the morning. Lieutenant Willow will get you breakfast and accompanied you to the dragons field to see you off", I explained and kissed them both goodbye. „Be careful Sera", my father said and my mother patted his shoulder: „Safe flight Ira." „Always", I said glancing back into the tent. My father looked so confused. It would take a bit time for the poison to completely pass through his system.

With enough worry already I walked over to the Tree line of the tiny forest section along the tents. Tara waited with Summers and Willow. „Rae, ready to go?", Tara asked hyping me up. I noded. I knew that the stay here was more like a vacation than actual work. But still annoying enough to be stressful at times. „Good work with Slate, he is a grumpy dwarf stomping around camp after it", he laughts and I took the congrats by Summers. Willow tugged me into her arms. Hugging me tight. „You could have let him feel the pain but you didn't. Very Senator like. Fly safe tonight and make sure you get some rest", she said before she released me out of that hug. I agreed: „I will try to." We left and walked trough the  few hundred meters of forest strip. „Why don't you try to be a little happier about getting home? I certainly am", Tara hop ran that last few hundred meters to my annoyance. My thoughts went from who is Sera to how am I gonna manage Temzarr and the Academy and the Kids and... and something I can't find in my mind right now but have to do too.

Sea walked into my eyeline. „I am missing my crispy snack", Sea murmured annoyed but proud that I actually punched the asshole. She dipped her shoulder so I could mount easily into my saddle. All of us flew with saddles if the dragons preferred them. Sea did prefer a saddle for long travel flights. Bags secured in a place and I could strap myself in, so she has her full strength without having to bind me magically to her back. I strapped in with my belt and she mounted into the air quick. Tsharr and Ever followed us in a blink of seconds. Tara had mounted her mid green dragon, Sube. Sube preferred her space in flying so she kept her distance the whole flight. I saw Tara falling aspleep fast. I couldn't. I stared at the sky. The stars. The moon. Let my thought float for a few moments longer.

The cold air rushed through my hair. I let go of my visible cover of my appearance. The black of my hair just an illusion for the others. The one thing I always covered. The rest of me was kind of fine. My scares were either covered by the uniform or covered through magic. The scars on my chest never fully healed. Sometimes they even hurt. Weirdly it mostly was a short reminder that I am still alive and non of it was a crazy weird dream.

„Why did you just punch him?! Why not kill him and turn him into a crispy Slate ready to eat?", Sea asked  repeating her questioning and Tsharr went furious echoing: „He did not deserve your kindness. That tiny shit of a humanlike deserves pain and suffering for what he did."  „Raes choice. Little one, it is your pain and your choice how to proceed. Even tough I would accompany the advice of killing him slowly an painfully", Ever tried to reason with my growing annoyance of the big question  'Did I choose right?'. „If I had done that I would have exposed everything I am capable of without magic. I would have exposed that I am a little bit in the wrong section at least after the new Kings standards. I would have to fight which I am already doing for the boarder Towns. I am a leader for the Border in the resistance I will not become a traitor by becoming a leader on both sides. I am happy with my place with the healers section. Everyone fine with that?", I asked pissed off.

The silence was my answer.

We flew against the winds direction. It started to become stormy. „Its so bloody heavy to fly with not much view and a storm brewing", Sea complained. I sighed knowing her struggle: „We do not choose the winds directions and we do not brew the storms by ourselves. It's training for you to strengthen your muscles. And I am not feeling like changing the weather tonight."  „Keep it up you two", Tsharr snouted angrily. Sea tried to keep up with the two most powerful dragons known since the beginning. Also the other three were fully grown. Sea was almost at the full grown stage but not yet. Fifteen years old today. A damn younglimg among the dragons and already so powerful. Like me. This storm seemed more than natural but I wouldn't tell Sea that. She already struggled I wasn't making it worse by telling her someone seems to actually brew it out at the actual Sea. Tsharr seemed like he knew it but didn't tell her either. For the three grown ones it was slightly easier but still heavy to fly through this kind of weather. If it starts raining we stop", Sea demanded. And yes we would.

It didn't start raining. It started clearing up after two hours of flight. I started seeing the clear sky again. Stars. Moon. And cold fresh air. That feeling of freedom. Almost no worries up in the air. Tara still slept. I would love to be able to sleep as deep as she does. I took down all my runes to hide certain things. It was just me up here. No one asking for anything. Still I couldn't start relaxing completely.

I couldn't really sleep while flying. My mind always started racing. Class schedules. Organising the training sessions I would lead and attend. Making time for flying lessons and time to fly by myself. Making time for the Senat Meetings and the Council meetings. The kitchen duty's with the refugee children and some students. The time to always read to the twins before going to bed. Family time with the twins, Koa and Sloan. And time for Emerson when he is back from his shift along the boarder. Time for shifts and teaching with the physicians and healers. Maybe some training time for myself on the mat. „Stop overthinking , its annoying", Tsharr was strict about that. No babbling and no panicking and no overthinking. Either you know or you don't. His favourite shit to remind me of.

It was black out dark when we landed. Tara was so exhausted and tired that she landed with us. We landed directly at the flight field next to the Den. I sled down Seas leg and touched the ground. I glanced over to Tara: „You okay?!" „Mmh", Tara shrugged. She seemed a bit to exhausted from the flight she almost slept through. I put my arm through hers and we walked through the tunnel into the main hall. Only a few guards were along the way. They greeted us knowing smalltalk would not be appreciated. We walked into the living area that belonged to family only territory. A place I would have loved to grew up in. „Good night Lady Rae", we got greeted by the cook Mrs. Carlyle. I replied kindly: „You didn't have to wait up for us. Tara will just sleep and get going early in the morning. And I will just take a few hours of sleep before catching up and morning formation. Will you please go to sleep yourself?" „Of course I will. There will always be one of us up to greet you coming home. We always will manage that Lady Rae. Sleep well", she said and left for her quarters.

I turned around and walked Tara over to my room. I opened the door. The bed was empty. Emerson wasn't home and the kids must have known that I was coming back late. Mostly they waited for me occupying my bedroom.  I helped Tara into bed taking of her boots and covering her with a blanket.

I caught a glimpse of the clock. It's almost two in the morning. Instead of jumping into work I took of my flight leathers and unpacked my two bags. Very well knowing if I washed my own clothes I would hear it until the day I die from Mrs Carlyle. Just two small mountains clean and dirty so they had it a little easier. Switched into my sleep wear, Emersons sleep shorts and a flowy shirt, I tugged myself into bed. If only for a few hours. I really tried not to think and just close my eyes to fall asleep.