Or more chance of being attacked.
Zaarusha roared and tensed her haunches, leaping into the air.
Wings flapped around them, sounding like Ma’s bedsheets flapping on the washing line back in Lush Valley—only hundreds of them. Dragons grunted and riders whooped as they flew up to perch on the mountainside. Zaarusha and a few other dragons landed on an enormous plateau—the imprinting grounds. There was still a sizable crowd in the clearing below, some on dragons, but many on foot.
“You saved me here,” Zaarusha melded, sending a wave of warmth.
“Shards, that was awful.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to do any saving today. Prickles of doubt ran down Ezaara’s neck.
“Toni’s going to ride our flank and Lars will ride our tail during the race, so we should be fine,” Zaarusha said. “Oh, and Maazini has just let me know that your parents, Tomaaz and Kierion will be nearby as well. Everyone’s been briefed.”
Ezaara blew her breath out as Alyssa on Lysika, and Lars on Singlar, arrived. There were only four other trainees—Adelina, Kierion and Sofia’s friends, Alban and Nadira. She sighed. If only she’d never injured Sofia.
“It was an accident,” Zaarusha retorted. “If Ajeuria hadn’t launched a mental attack on you, none of that would’ve happened. I apologize for my daughter’s actions.”
“We’ll have Alban first. Show us what you’ve learned.” Alyssa, master of flight, blew a horn.
Alban sneered at Ezaara as Banikan, his majestic dragon, stalked through the snow to the front of the ledge, green scales flashing in the sunlight. Banikan’s wings rustled, breaking the silence as they shot up into the stark blue sky. Alban let out a whoop, then Banikan plunged, rolling his body around in a tight corkscrew, his wings pinned against his sides—a blur of green against the snowy backdrop of Dragon’s Teeth.
Ezaara held her breath. “Dragon’s claws. That’s fast.”
“It’s not difficult, but impressive,” came Zaarusha’s offhand reply. “Not many have attempted it since a dragon lost control five years ago. He and his rider plunged to their deaths in the lake.”
“It’s that dangerous?”
“Only if the dragon loses its sense of direction. The key is to stop before your rider gets disoriented and confuses you. I bet we could do it.”
With a roar, Banikan pulled out of his plunge and flipped his wings upward, rising into the air above the spectators. People cheered and dragons rumbled. Alban waved and stood on his saddle as Banikan circled past the assembled spectators.
“Banikan’s worried that Alban’s too dizzy.” Zaarusha’s urgent cry cut through Ezaara’s thoughts. “Liesar, quick.” Zaarusha leapt off the ledge, winging toward him.
Alban tottered upon the saddle, his arms flailing. He fell, plunging toward the trees.
Oh shards, they were too late.
In a flash of silver, Liesar was below Alban. She thwacked him with her tail, bouncing him in the air, and then caught him. He lay slumped across her saddle, his legs hanging down one side, arms barely clinging on. “I’m taking him to the infirmary,” Liesar melded with Ezaara and Zaarusha, and sped off.
Master Alyssa said to the assembled trainees, “Please don’t hurt yourselves by trying to prove something. We want to assess your abilities, not injure you. Is that clear?”
Somber-faced, the trainees nodded.
“Who’s next?”
Nadira and Diran prowled to the ledge’s edge, and flew toward the mountainside where Zaarusha and Ezaara had performed their loop.
“Shards, they’re not going to try a loop, are they?”
“I warned him not to, but Diran won’t listen.”
A bronze blur whipped below Nadira and Diran—Handel was monitoring them.
Silence blanketed the basin as Diran started his vertical climb, then looped upside down. Nadira’s arms slipped out of her holds. Arms flailing, she tried to reach them again. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Handel zipped up to catch her, but before he could get there, Diran rolled, flipping right side up again.
The crowd cheered.
“That’ll teach her and Alban to try and show you up. You’re not Queen’s Rider for nothing.” Zaarusha growled. “We’ll show them we can’t be outdone.”
Alyssa’s horn blew again. Adelina rose into the sky on Linaia, standing in the saddle. She jumped, hugging her knees and Linaia swooped below, bouncing Adelina with her tail. Adelina flew into the air and landed, sitting, in the saddle. She raised her arms high as they swooped past the mountain face. The crowd cheered.
“One of our old moves,” melded Ezaara.
“Appropriate for stunt races. She’s showing off her skill without going too far. Good show.”
Kierion and Riona paced to the front of the ledge. Still in the saddle, Kierion gave a bow. “My Queen and honored Queen’s Rider, I pledge to serve you.”
“Thank you, Kierion,” Ezaara replied.
“He’ll show everyone up. He has no fear,” Zaarusha said.
“No fear?”
“He’s a strategist. He believes in his ability to get himself out of any scrape.” Zaarusha chuckled.
The horn blew again. Riona and Kierion were off, darting at the mountain faces. The downdraught of Riona’s wings whipped spectators’ hair into their eyes. Riona veered toward Ezaara and Zaarusha, Ezaara’s ribbons flew around her face in a rush of wind. Grinning, Kierion hunkered down on Riona’s back and they spiraled down in a tight coil, Riona’s nose nearly touching her tail as they whirled down to the basin. Kierion’s whoops and hollers broke the silence.
How was he doing that without feeling sick?
They touched down and Kierion leapt out of the saddle. Alyssa raised the horn to her lips, but Kierion called out, “Not yet.” In a flash, Riona was aloft with Kierion in her talons, ascending. She threw Kierion into the air and plunged down, snatching him up. His laughter rang out above the shocked spectators. Riona tossed him again, and swooped underneath him, catching him on her saddle.
Suddenly he slipped, hurtling toward
