Proving her strength and displaying the might of her heritage, Avandriell cleared the ground in one beat of her wings and launched into the air. The wind swept Asher’s hair and green cloak out behind him and even tried to force him to close his eyes. But he refused. He wanted to witness every second of it.
Avandriell was awash with joy. She climbed and climbed until The Black Wood was naught but a dark smudge on the earth. With her wings tucked in, she twisted her body so they skimmed the clouds blowing in from the east. Asher had braced himself for the moment and managed to stay in his saddle during the corkscrew manoeuvre. It was exhilarating. He hollered and cheered and urged his companion to reach for the heavens.
Not until you have a better grasp on magic, Avandriell cautioned.
Satisfied with the majestic view from below the clouds, Asher settled into the flight and focused on the dragon’s micro movements. Every few minutes she would change her flight path while deliberately withholding the decision from him. Every time, he discovered something new about the way her body moved in the air and he committed it to memory. Only once did he lose his grip on one of the handles, causing his entire left side to flip over to the right. Avandriell had only to make a quick correction in the opposite direction to put the ranger back in his saddle.
And, just when Asher was beginning to feel like he belonged in the sky, two enormous dragons cut through the heavens, one after the other. Ilargo was first, shooting up in front of them and hurtling through the clouds. Avandriell was left with no choice but to bank sharply to the right and avoid the collision. That was when Athis appeared, his red scales dominating their view as he raced to catch up with Ilargo. In order to avoid the new collision, Avandriell pointed her head up and took the rest of her body with it until she was vertical.
It proved too much for Asher, who struck his head against one of Avandriell’s blunt protrusions and lost his grip on both handles. Before he knew it, his companion’s tail whistled past his ear as the distance between them continued to grow. It would have been easy at this point to believe he was falling to his death and cry out with great protest. And, perhaps he would have were it not for Avandriell speaking into his mind.
I’m coming!
He believed her.
The bronze dragon darted through the clouds, her wings flat to her sides. Avandriell homed in on him and closed the gap in seconds. Following her lead, Asher twisted his body until he was head down, mirroring his companion.
Now! she commanded.
Asher reached out and grasped the handles of his saddle as they came together. Lining himself up, his legs either side, the ranger prepared himself for the sudden change in direction and, indeed, it was sudden. Avandriell arched her body, flexing her spine back on itself, and launched them into the vastness of the sky once more.
Soon after, Athis and Ilargo came up on either side of them, Inara and Gideon seated in their new saddles. Both of them were clearly amused, much to Asher’s chagrin.
It’s good to fall off, Gideon said across their shared bond. It reminds you who has the wings. Always follow Avandriell’s lead. Listen to her body.
Asher nodded his head in understanding, but he was somewhat distracted by the size of Ilargo and Athis. In the air, with their wings spread out, they seemed magnitudes larger than Avandriell. He had to wonder how big she would eventually grow to be. Thessaleia had been comparable to Ilargo or Athis, but Avandriell’s father, Garganafan, dwarfed them all.
There isn’t enough time to teach you everything you need to know, Inara pointed out from the other side. When we enter those mountains, we face Malliath and Godrad. They’re big dragons, she added gravely. Speed and quick manoeuvring will be your advantage. Athis and Ilargo can help you practise but, the truth is, you first need to be confident when flying. Otherwise, all the manoeuvring in the world isn’t going to matter. And drill after drill isn’t going to instil that.
Asher raised his eyebrows. Then what will?
A gleeful smile took over Inara’s face. Let’s have some fun!
54
Choosing Joy
Long after the sun had set, Inara was still beaming from a day in the sky. She couldn’t recall the last time she had flown with such abandon beside other dragons and their Riders. The three of them had soared through the heavens and raced only feet above the ground.
Towards the end, as twilight was upon the world, they had practised specific manoeuvres that showed Avandriell different ways to weave in and out of battle. While her smaller size put her at a disadvantage, it could also be used in her favour.
It was all so much harder for Asher who, for the first time to Inara’s eyes, was a fish out of water. There was next to nothing the Arakesh, nor his time as a ranger, had taught him that could be used. Though, where he lacked the skills of aerial combat, he made up for it with bold determination and control of his fears.
Once they had returned to the ground, Inara privately suggested to Gideon that they leave Avandriell and Asher out of any aerial attack on The Bastion. Though Gideon agreed, the pair decided between them that they could never conjure an argument strong enough to dissuade the new companions.
And so, with nowhere to go but forwards, they soon found themselves returned to the large camp and a very different atmosphere to the previous night. A sense of anticipation had spread among the rebels, particularly the dwarves.
“Is this typical of dwarves before a battle?” Inara asked while talking to her parents, though it was Galanör who answered as he approached with
