The two-day punishment passed fairly quickly, and in no time at all, Lessie and I were back in the air again. Fosse, to my relief, had been reassigned to another partner, so I was patrolling with Trylon Carvis, one of the older riders who had been called from the reserves. He too held the rank of captain, and was just as stubborn as Fosse. But his wasn’t the stubbornness of an ambitious officer trying to throw his weight around. No, Carvis was merely an old dog, too tired and set in his ways to learn new tricks.

Thankfully, Carvis’s dragon, Hallus, was hardier, and he seemed happy to be flying again. Unlike Mirn, Fosse’s dragon, he actually got along with Lessie, and I could tell by her cheerful demeanor that the two of them conversed together even though Carvis himself treated me with the same reserved silence as all the other older riders.

The first few days of our patrol were fairly uneventful—we had intermittent rain followed by bursts of sunshine that kept us on our toes, but no suspicious activity drew our attention. In fact, flying up and down the same stretch of coast, seeing the same thing day after day, became somewhat tedious. By the fourth morning, I wished I could switch places with Rhia at the Zallabarian border, if only to get the chance to see something different.

On the fifth day, however, something was different. I woke up with an itch in the back of my skull, and tension gripped my shoulders as Lessie and I took to the skies with Carvis and Hallus. I scanned the skies and the sea, searching for anything out of place, but for the first two hours, everything was as it should be.

And then I saw it.

“Captain?” I called, pointing to the horizon. Just a moment ago, the sky had been perfectly normal, but thick clouds, tall as towering mountains, were rolling in at an alarming rate. “Is that one of those sudden storms we’ve been warned about?”

“They’re just clouds,” he said shortly.

“Just clouds?” I echoed with disbelief. “But—”

“We have orders, Private,” Carvis barked, cutting me off. “We’re staying the course.”

Hallus, his dull yellow scales glinting in the afternoon light, tossed his head nervously. I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about flying into what looked like a nasty storm, but he had to obey his rider, and I had to follow orders. Gritting my teeth, I seriously considered the idea of leaving his dumb ass and heading back to camp. But I didn’t want to get slapped with another reprimand, and there was still time for Carvis to come to his senses and turn back.

“Hallus says if the storm gets too bad, he will turn back regardless of what Carvis says,” Lessie tried to assure me. “Their bond is old and very strong, so it is difficult for him to resist Carvis’s commands, but he can do it if absolutely necessary.”

“Okay.” Holding in a sigh, I leaned into Lessie as we banked left. We were supposed to be checking on the build-up of hostile ships at Raistin, the southern port that Jallis had mentioned was building an armada. Usually, this was only done at night, but today was overcast, and safe enough that Lessie and I would be able to get close enough to do a count. The clouds from the incoming storm might be helpful in that regard…if it didn't kill us first.

Ten minutes later, we were hovering above the Traggaran coast, high enough that we’d be hard to spot. Flying over the port, I adjusted my goggles to zoom in and get a proper look. But before I could, two large clouds surrounded us, blocking my view completely.

“Captain!” I shouted, looking around for Hallus and Carvis. They had hung back a few hundred yards, since the larger dragon would be easier to see. “Are you all right?”

“I can’t see a blasted thing!” he shouted back, just as hail started to pepper us. Swearing, I immediately hunkered down on Lessie’s back and covered my head with my arms to protect it. Most of the hailstones were small, the size of my pinky, but there were some alarmingly large ones, and I cried out in pain as one struck my shoulder.

“Hallus says we need to leave now,” Lessie said, turning around. “But I can’t figure out which way is south!”

Lightning arced through the sky, followed by an ear-splitting roar of pain from Hallus. My heart leaped into my throat as the clouds parted, and I saw dragon and rider hurtling toward the ocean.

“NO!” I screamed as thunder crashed around my ears. Lessie tucked her wings in and dove for the ocean, hurtling through the sky as she tried to get to Carvis. But the heavier dragon was falling too fast, and he hit the sea long before we could reach him.

“Up!” I cried, as a massive wave, created by the impact, rolled toward us. Lessie pumped her wings hard to get us clear, then screeched as a gale wind buffeted us. I held on for dear life as we tumbled through the sky, hail and wind battering me from every angle. Several long, terror-filled minutes passed before Lessie was able to right herself again.

“Head for land!” I shouted, pointing to the island ahead. It wasn’t the same island we’d been flying over before—this was the island of Inna Mar, the largest of the Traggaran islands and home to the capital, Puilin.

Lessie did her best, but the wind and hail continued to pummel her, making the descent extremely difficult. Gripping the pommel, I tried not to let fear get to me, but it was far too easy to imagine us getting dashed against the rocky cliffs as we hovered low, trying to find a safe place to land. We’d managed to avoid being struck by lightning, like poor Hallus, but we weren’t out of the woods by a long shot.

Finally, Lessie managed to land on a hill with an old castle ruin at the top, with walls large enough to provide cover from anyone who might be able to see us. I nearly cried in relief when she touched down, but I managed to hold it together—she was in great pain, and she needed me.

“He’s dead,” Lessie wailed as she rolled onto her side, seconds after I dismounted. “He was just in the middle of telling me which way to go when that lightning struck him!”

“Shhh!” I hissed, rushing to her side. I wrapped my arms around her neck and stroked her, trying to silence her screeches of pain and grief. “It’s not safe here! Someone might hear you and come to investigate.”

Lessie quieted immediately, but I could still feel her pain, raw and fresh. It was like a punch to the gut, and tears of sympathy pricked at my own eyes. I didn’t have much love for Carvis, but his dragon had been innocent in all this. The fact that he’d died because his rider had been too stubborn and stupid to turn back infuriated me more than anything else.

“Let’s have a look at you,” I murmured, running my hands along Lessie’s body. Her scales were fine—it took more than hail to pierce a dragon’s hide—but her wings were badly damaged. There was a small hole in the left wing, and strained tendons and muscles in both.

Swearing, I unstrapped my crossbow and pack from my back, then rummaged through the latter looking for supplies. There wasn’t much I could do, but I broke off some branches from a nearby tree and used them, along with some twine from my pack, to create a kind of brace for the pulled muscle. The tear in the left wing I slathered with ointment, then taped over with a bandage.

“I’m sorry, Lessie,” I said when I was finished. She was lying on her belly, her wings spread out, looking miserable. “I wish I could do more.”

“It’s fine,” she said, though I could tell it wasn’t. “This will all heal in a few days.”

I stroked her snout. “I’m going to go get you some food. Wait here for me.”

She snorted. “As if I can go anywhere.”

My lips twitched, pleased to see some of her snarky personality coming back. With my crossbow in hand and weapons strapped to my sides, I headed down the hill and into the forest, searching for game to bring down.

Three hours later, I came back, dragging a young trozla and a brace of rabbits. Moving indoors to what was left of the great hall, Lessie devoured the larger animal while I roasted the rabbits over a fire I’d built in the hearth. The two of us sat silently in the deserted hall, thinking.

“You want to track down Red Beard,” Lessie finally said.

I sighed. “I want to do something useful. Patrolling the border when no one will listen to our suggestions or allow us to take any action isn’t useful. The two of us could have been killed today.”

The thought still gripped me with terror every time it entered my mind, and I tried to push it away. But Lessie curled her neck around me, comforting me with the warmth and weight of her body.

“I was terrified,” she confessed. “Now that we are here, I understand why you were so apprehensive about going to war. When that gale wind hit me, and I was struggling in the air, I was scared you were going to fall off and end up in the ocean with Hallus and Carvis. In fact, I’m amazed you managed to stay on.”

I smiled, wrapping an arm around her. “It’ll take more than a bit of wind to separate us.”

The two of us fell asleep in the hall together, both of us too exhausted to set a watch. The next morning, I went out again to hunt for more food, wanting to keep Lessie supplied with meat. The more she ate, the faster she’d heal, and the sooner we could fly out of here.

I was following a set of boar tracks when I heard voices.

“I’m telling you, there ain’t no dragon out in these parts,” a man grumbled in Traggaran. “You musta been seein’ things.”

“I wasn’t imaginin’ it!” another man protested. “I saw it, a big, shiny blue one!”

Holding my breath, I pressed my back against a large tree trunk, listening. I couldn’t make out everything they were saying, but I understood enough. The second man who’d spoken had dragged out the other men, looking for Lessie. He thought that if the three of them could capture or kill her, they’d get a nice, fat reward from the town mayor. Maybe even recognition from the king.

The men passed right by my hiding place, and I counted heads. One, two, three, four, five. All armed with bows and swords.

Too many to take on hand-to-hand. But I couldn’t let them reach Lessie.

The moment the men were out of sight, I sprinted from my hiding place and headed straight for the hill, using an alternate route to the one the men were on. Luckily, they’d chosen the long way around, and I managed to beat them back to the castle.

“What’s wrong?” Lessie asked as I raced inside.

“We’re under attack.” I eyed my dragon as she lurched to her feet. “Can you fly?”

“We might be able to in another day or so,” Lessie said. “But—”

“Not we.” I cut her off. “Can you fly? If you didn’t have any weight, not even the saddle?”

Lessie drew herself upright, her eyes blazing. “Absolutely not,” she said. “I am not leaving you behind on this forsaken island—” She broke off, lifting her head. “I hear them. They’re coming.”

Swearing, I raced past her, up the stairs, to the tallest tower. Sure enough, the men were coming, weapons drawn. They were burly and mean-looking, and outnumbered me five to one.

But these men didn’t have a castle. Or a dragon.

“Stay silent,” I ordered Lessie, sensing her intent. She wanted to rush out there and spew fire all over these dragon-killing bastards, and I didn’t blame her. “Let me try to kill these assholes before they, or anyone who might be watching, can confirm you’re here.”

“Fine,” Lessie relented. “But if they make it to the walls, I’m going after them.”

“I expect nothing less.”

Knowing I didn’t have much time, I stuck my foot in the stirrup of my crossbow and yanked the string across the barrel. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I loaded a bolt into the barrel and lifted the crossbow so the sight was at eye-level.

Bow and arrow had never been my strength, but I'd gotten better since joining the academy. I'd even learned to bring down game with them, thanks to Tavarian's training.

But this would be my first time bringing down a human.

Using the sight, I aimed, seeking out the closest man. Black hair, with a scar across his cheek. Center mass, I told myself, aiming for his chest.

I pulled in a deep breath, let out half of it. Paused. And pulled the trigger.

The bolt exploded from the crossbow, zipping across the field. It didn’t hit the center of his chest, like I’d expected, but I got him in the gut, and he screamed, stumbling back. The other men cried out in alarm, and I hurriedly re-cocked my bow.

One of the men tried to shoot at me with his own bow, but his arrow bounced harmlessly off the castle walls, too far away to make it to my tower. Gritting my teeth, I lifted the bow again, aimed. Fired.

Missed the chest again, but got the second guy right in the throat.

He fell to his knees, clutching at the arrow embedded in his neck as he bled out.

The other three men started shouting in Traggaran, but I didn’t bother to try and decipher what they were saying. I loaded my crossbow, lifted it. The men raced away, leaving their comrades as they fled down the hill.

I managed to shoot one in the back before the other two disappeared.

“Zara?” Lessie asked. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” I cocked my crossbow again, trained it on the man I’d shot in the gut. He was struggling to his feet, trying to chase after the comrades who had left him without a thought. My second arrow found his heart, and this time when he went down, he stayed down.

Good riddance.

I cocked my crossbow one more time, then just stood there, my weapon trained on the hill, waiting to see if those men would reappear. After a few minutes, I swiveled around, checking to make sure they hadn’t decided to sneak up the back to have another go at me.

Finally, I came down.

“You’re shaking,” Lessie said, her eyes round with concern as I entered the hall, my crossbow disarmed. Tossing it aside, I rushed over to her, throwing my arms around her neck.

“You need to leave. Tonight.”

Lessie stiffened. “I won’t abandon you, Zara.”

“You’re not abandoning me. You’re saving us both.” I pulled back to look into her fiery eyes. “We can’t wait around here for you to heal enough to carry us both back. Those three men might come back. If you’re able to fly, you need to get out of here as soon as the sun sets.”

“But where will I go?” Lessie cried plaintively. My heart ached at the pain and confusion I felt from her. “And what will you do?”

“You’ll go back to base, wait for me. And I’ll seek out Tavarian,” I decided. “He’s our best bet for getting out of this stupid war so we can focus on Salcombe, and he’s all alone in enemy territory. If he’s still on the island, I want to do whatever I can to help him.”

Lessie sighed. “The capital is on the other side of the island, over a hundred and fifty miles from here. And you don’t know that he’s still on the island”

I shrugged. “I can walk that in a few days. It’s only been two weeks since Tavarian left for Traggar from Dragon’s Table, and it took him longer than that to deal with Quoronis, who aren’t nearly as difficult as the Traggarans. If he’s not at the capital, I’ll just make my way to the port and barter passage back to Elantia. It’s far easier to travel by ship from that side of the island anyway, since it’s directly facing the channel.”

I also wouldn’t have to deal with Colonel Roche or any of the other bigwigs back at camp. That alone was worth spending a few days in enemy territory.

“Walk.” Lessie huffed. “You’re a dragon rider. You shouldn’t have to walk.” I could feel her guilt at not being able to carry me, at running away while I stayed behind and put myself in danger.

Smiling, I laid my cheek against hers and looked into one of her great, fiery eyes. “I’d walk to the ends of the world for you.”

Lessie chuffed with laughter. “That is the tritest thing you've ever said to me," she said. “But I can tell you mean it.”

“Of course I do.” I grinned as I snuggled against her as best I could. “We’re soulmates. Together forever, no matter what.”