Adelina and Gret hustled in, late.
Kierion winked to greet Adelina. She barely raised an eyebrow in return. Over the last few days, she’d been distant and withdrawn—ever since the prank with the arrows. Was she mad at him over that? Surely not. Maybe Adelina was missing her brother. Or maybe she was mad at him for something else. Kierion racked his brains to think what he could’ve done to annoy her, but came up blank.
He yawned. Doing double kitchen duty and extended training was wearing him out. Shards, everyone was raising their hands and he hadn’t been paying attention. He shot his hand up, too, so he wouldn’t stand out.
“All right, Kierion,” said Master Alyssa, waving him to the front with a flourish. “You may demonstrate first.”
Demonstrate what? Kierion shot a panicked glance at Lofty, who mimed eating. What was that about?
“Please, Kierion, show the class how it’s done.”
He thought fast. “Perhaps you could recap the step beforehand, Master Alyssa, just to refresh everyone. And then I’ll show them, of course.”
Alyssa laughed, shaking her head, her dark plaits swinging. “Recap imprinting? I don’t think you were listening.”
If word of this got back to Master Lars, he’d be dragon toast. What should he—
Lofty was surreptitiously miming eating again.
Of course! Kierion pretended to place something on his palm, and held it out flat. “Although it’s not necessary, feeding a newly-imprinted dragon helps to cement your bond. Hold your palm flat, like when you feed a horse, or toss scraps into the air for the dragon to catch.” He mimed tossing food to the trainees. Lofty caught an imaginary morsel, chomping it down. Oops, they’d better not get too carried away. “Is there anything else, Master Alyssa?”
“Thank you, Kierion.” As he re-joined the class, Master Alyssa added, “Of course, I asked you all that quick question for Kierion’s benefit, because he wasn’t listening. Pay attention now, all of you, please.”
Lofty sniggered. “She got you there.”
Ears hot, Kierion nodded, not daring to take his eyes off their instructor.
“The imprinting grounds are a place where many dragons and riders can meet to see if they form an instant bond. Not everybody will bond with a dragon today. Remember, imprinting can happen anywhere, anytime.” Alyssa paced before them. “For example, Ezaara and Zaarusha imprinted in the forest in Lush Valley, an area dragons hadn’t visited for years.”
One of the arrow flingers put up his hand. “Is it true that people from Lush Valley used to hate dragons?”
“Yes, many years ago they had a settlement arbitrator who had a grudge against dragons, so he raised his son and grandson in the same vein. Once our honored Queen’s Rider imprinted, dragons went back to Lush Valley to help save its people from tharuks. They understand our intentions are good now. Ezaara and Zaarusha have changed Lush Valley attitudes for the better. Let’s hope the outcomes of your bonds with your dragons are as productive. Any more questions?”
Soon, they were heading along the tunnels to the old door that led to the imprinting grounds. Kierion had only been there once before, when he’d helped save Zaarusha from poison, and he’d flown up, so he’d never seen this narrow tunnel.
Lofty was at Kierion’s side as they negotiated the uneven rocky stairs that wound up through the mountain. Torches sputtered in their sconces, the light flickering over the trainees in front of them. Some had been training for months, like Sofia, Alban, Gret, Henry and Rocco. Others were only new, like him and Lofty, but they were all here for one thing: dragons. With tired legs, Kierion trudged upward, yawning again.
“Too much kitchen duty,” Lofty teased.
“Well, you’re helping in the kitchen too. Aren’t you tired?”
“No, I snatch a snooze between training and dinner.”
“Brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?” Ahead of him, a girl stumbled. Kierion leapt forward to steady her.
“Thanks, Kierion.”
Thanks to his arrow prank, everyone knew his name, but who was she?
Behind him, Lofty was now walking with another trainee. “Do you mind if I pass?” Kierion flashed a smile at the girl and she let him past. He bounded up the stairs and caught up with Adelina, falling in alongside her. “Bit of a steep climb, isn’t it?” he asked.
“I hadn’t noticed.” Her voice was flat, disinterested.
So, she was mad at him. Kierion sighed. “Whatever I’ve done, I’m sorry, Adelina. Sometimes I upset people without realizing.”
She stared at him. “Not everything’s about you, Kierion.” She pushed up the stairs, past people, to get ahead.
What? For a moment, Kierion stopped, dumbfounded. Someone behind bumped into him. He spurted up the stairs after her, saying, “Excuse me,” and “Thanks for letting me pass,” until he reached Adelina.
Something glimmered on her cheek in the torchlight. She was crying.
So, it wasn’t about him. Something must be up with her brother or a friend. Or maybe she was just sad. Kierion walked with her in silence up a few more stairs, then gave her hand a quick squeeze to let her know he understood. To his surprise, she gripped his hand fiercely, not letting go as they wound their way upward through the stone.
Something splashed onto the back of his hand. Another tear. He squeezed her hand tighter and kept walking. As it started to get lighter, she gave him a wan smile and whispered, “Thank you.”
Adelina released his hand, scrubbing her cheeks with her sleeve, and pasted a bright smile on her face. “I’m all right now.”
Who did she think she was fooling? She looked terrible.
Then her face changed. Eyes bright, she smiled—a genuine smile. “Can you feel it?” Adelina
