The Boon of Alon

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

***A/N: Sorry I missed an update! My computer died. TAT ***

There are no less than three bondings the next morning. It's snowing again, and I watch the first two from the shelter of Iamon's wing.

"This one you should attend in person," he says, as word travels from dragon to dragon to human of the morning's third bonding. "Sidian could not delay any longer—your friend must go on without her mentor."

"Lemi?" I'm not quite done oiling, but hell, everyone else is gonna be late to archive, too. He's right—I need to be there. He nudges me towards where the dragons are most clustered at the lakeside, and I hurry to the black dragon in their center before the other recruits close ranks.

Lemi is openly sobbing in front of Sidian when I arrive. I stop a respectful distance away, but Tack arrives a moment after and tugs me with them to go meet her.

"It's alright, Lemi," they say softly. "He'll be just as proud of you when he returns."

"So are we," I add from her other side, touching her shoulder gently. She sniffles and gives the both of us a thin, watery smile.

"I know," she gulps. "I know, I just—I know."

I'd stay right there by her side, blood and all, if she wanted me to, but Sidian snuffs at us so we back off. Suthi joins me where I stop, a respectful distance from the impending bonding.

"How is she?" she asks lowly.

"She'll be okay." She isn't now, but what can we do about it? I'm sure she'll get through this, though, even if it'll be rough for a while.

Lemi keeps crying, silently, throughout the bonding. Suthi, Tack and I stand nearby, and Chama joins us partway through, but Corren's absence is palpable. And when the bonding is done and both riders go to offer Lemi their assistance, it's just Suthi and me left.

We aren't the only recruits here, of course—no one new has joined since winter began, but there's still a good handful besides us left unbonded. And Erno's around somewhere, though I haven't seen him much lately—I think he's been avoiding me in case any rebels show up for a third try. But among the little group of friends I've made here...only the two of us are left.

"That's gonna be you soon, isn't it?" Suthi asks quietly. There's that, too.

"I guess so." Iamon didn't say anything about it today, but it's coming. We're already down a week. "When are you...going?"

I don't want to say "leaving". It sounds too final.

Suthi sighs. "Soon. The rebels were planning something for early winter, and we're thinking that's the point of no return that Iamon saw, so..."

And I'd bet that's what they want Suthi to help with—the favor Kirt asked of her. "So that's what you're gonna do with them? What is it?"

"I don't know." She's frowning into the distance; Sidian and Lemi have moved further down the lakeside, but Suthi's still staring at where they were. "They never told me."

Why, I wonder—because she was too far from the top of the ladder? Or because she was too close to the enemy?

"I should get back," she adds after a moment. Everyone else has dispersed.

"Me too." But we both linger another moment before I finally turn and head back to Iamon. He rumbles reassuringly as I pick up my sponge.

"It's gonna be soon, isn't it?" I ask. Even if we were going to push right up against that month deadline, which doesn't seem likely, I have to learn all the stuff about being a rider that you need a dragon for.