WarMage: Uncontrolled (The Never Ending War Book 3), page 19
When they reached the front gates, they spread out to the side and lined up with Worley, though they gave him and his four gentle horses generous space. Fellows joined them with Daniel and Cooper, and when the weapons professor saw the headmaster’s clothes, he barked out a laugh. “Were you too excited to change out of the nightgown, Headmaster?”
Flynn drew the thick gray house robe closer around his middle and the long hem dragged behind him in the dirt. “I’m decent, Professor Fellows. Thank you.”
A few of the others chuckled, and the humor seemed to wake them up a little more.
Raven searched the faces and raised her eyebrows. “Where’s Jessica?”
She didn’t miss the scathing glare Dameron directed at Gilliam, exactly like he had the night before.
“Unfortunately, Miss Rodenmeyer is unavailable this morning,” Flynn said quietly. “But I believe—”
“She’s coming.” Professor Gilliam nodded at the headmaster. She turned, possibly to go to the girls’ dorm, but stopped with a nod. “Ah. There she is.”
Bella took a sideways step closer to Raven and muttered, “That’s not Jessica.”
“Nope.”
The other girl who made her way toward the front gates was an incredibly tall, thin third-year with two blonde braids that hung to her waist. She carried a small, tightly packed bag in either hand and her bright gaze studied each person who waited for her arrival.
“As it turns out, Miss Delaine was thrilled by the opportunity to accompany the rest of you to Azerad this morning instead.”
When the tall girl passed Professor Dameron, the man nodded curtly without any change to his perpetual frown. Anika nodded with a tiny smile.
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Bella whispered.
“Not really. But I saw—”
“All right, listen up.” Alessandra folded her arms and studied the faces of the young mages about to embark—three wide-eyed, attentive witches and two wizards falling asleep on their feet. “It’s a full day’s ride from here to Azerad, so you’d better wake up now and start paying attention. I don’t find accidents very funny, and setbacks in our schedule don’t make me happy.”
Raven choked back a laugh. “This is worse than when we’re training with her.”
Bella rubbed her mouth to hide the smile she otherwise couldn’t conceal and whispered, “I’m starting to think it’s because she likes us.”
Both first-year mages chuckled quietly until the woman had launched her large bag into the back of the wagon.
“Each of you has your own mount. I don’t care if you don’t know how to ride. Professor Worley assured me the horses know the route and have few problems with new riders. As long as you don’t try anything stupid while you’re in the saddle, you should be fine.”
“We all have to ride?” Bella asked and studied the surprisingly patient horses beside Professor Worley. “On a horse?”
“That’s what I said, Miss Chase. Yes.”
“Who gets to ride in the cart?” Cooper asked and squinted in an attempt to see better through his early-morning-wakeup fogginess.
Alessandra turned her head quickly to look at the third-year student, and her mouth opened with a little smack. “Me.”
“I’m not a horse person, though.” Bella focused on the animals across the road and grimaced.
Worley chuckled and spread his arms. The horses beside him didn’t flinch when his hands passed under their heads. “It’s merely another learning opportunity, Miss Chase.”
“I can ride.” Anika cocked her head and stepped forward to place her small bags in the cart.
“There you have it. This one’s figured out how things work.” The veteran war mage nodded toward the cart. “Everyone’s things in the cart. Let’s go. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can all put our feet up in Azerad.”
Raven picked up her grandfather’s oilskin bag and joined the other students who had begun to load their things into the back of the cart. “Alessandra?”
“Miss Alby.”
“Four horses. And I have a dragon.”
The veteran war mage regarded her impassively. “That is an inspiring observation.”
She ignored her trainer’s prickly attitude. “I’m saying I’m very sure Leander won’t agree to walk down the road all day behind or even in front of a cart and a group of horses. Not only that, I have no idea how to get to Azerad, even if we’re flying.”
“Yes, Miss Alby. You and your dragon will be flying this morning. But not alone.”
The sound of buffeting air rose from the north side of the school grounds before a massive shadow soared over the small field where they’d held the spring gala a few weeks before. The dragon who cast the shadow glided swiftly across the courtyard and over the school wall again into the huge field behind Raven. She only caught a brief glimpse of the huge creature and its single rider before it disappeared from view to land.
“That was remarkably well-timed.” Alessandra cocked her head. “Do you have any other questions?”
“Yeah.” Cooper turned toward the horses beside Professor Worley and wrinkled his nose. “How do you get on a horse?”
The man laughed and his booming voice echoed into the stone courtyard behind them. “I’m happy to help with that, Mr. Hutton.”
“Okay…”
“But make it quick, will you?” Alessandra darted the man a blunt glance before she turned toward Raven again. “Your escort awaits, Miss Alby.”
“Oh. Okay. See you guys in Azerad, then.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing all of you compete in the Tournament of Mages,” Headmaster Flynn added, although his gaze lingered on Raven a little longer than on the others.
Bella grimaced again and muttered to her, “I have to ride a horse.”
“And you’ll master it like everything else you do.” She smiled as the girl stalked begrudgingly across the road to join the other students, who approached Professor Worley’s horses hesitantly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Before Raven could turn away and slip across the field, her stomach grumbled ferociously. Professor Fellows chuckled but made no comment. She clapped a hand over her belly and glanced quickly toward the girl’s dorm. There’s no time for breakfast with two dragons waiting.
“Alby.”
She spun toward Alessandra, caught off guard by hearing Henry’s nickname for her pop out of her trainer’s mouth.
The woman tossed an apple at her and she caught it with both hands and jerked her chin up. “It’s the most important meal of the day.”
“Right. Thanks.” She raised the apple in farewell, turned, and raced as fast as she could into the field without looking panicked.
Leander hadn’t moved from where she’d left him, but he’d raised his head high enough to make it look like he was stretching. He hadn’t turned to look at the strange new dragon who stood only a few yards away from his pen, either.
“You didn’t say anything about an escort,” he rumbled.
“No one else did either until about thirty seconds ago.” Raven patted the underside of his outstretched neck and peered around him at the new dragon. “It’ll be fine. There can’t be too many rules for traveling by air, right?”
“I’m less concerned by rules than by a dragon I don’t know.”
“I get it. So we may as well introduce ourselves now and get it over with, right?”
His expression disgruntled, he lowered his head and studied her with his glowing yellow eyes. “If we must.”
She gave him a reassuring nod and smiled. “Come on, then.”
Behind them on the road, a horse nickered before one of the boys uttered a startled shout. Worley’s laughter boomed louder than any of the other professors who joined him. “Well, that’s one way to sit a horse, Mr. Hutton. I’m not sure it’s the most efficient, however.”
Raven took a deep breath as she and Leander walked to the pen and their new dragon and rider escort. I’m so glad I’m not stuck on a horse. And I would have had no problem with it six months ago.
The rider had already dismounted and busied himself with checking the girdle around his dragon’s underbelly. The bright blue dragon swiveled her head to peer at them, and the man straightened when he noticed. “Good morning.”
“So far.” Raven smiled, but she could already feel the tension coiled inside Leander. She rubbed his broad shoulder reassuringly. Easy, dragon. They’re only here to help.
That seemed to be enough. He puffed out a cloud of steam and lowered his head until it hovered over her shoulder again.
“My name’s Bert.” The dragon rider stepped forward with his hand extended.
She tossed the apple into her other hand before she shook his. “Raven Alby.”
“Yeah, I know who you are, kid.” He smirked and ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth like he’d just finished his breakfast. “You and that big red made enough of a name for yourselves in Nadine with that competition win. Anyone with a dragon has heard about what you pulled off that day, even if they weren’t there.”
“Huh. Thanks.” She tilted her head slightly toward the big red’s head over her shoulder. “I’d stick with calling him Leander, though.”
“Absolutely.” Bert smiled at him with raised eyebrows and waited for the massive dragon to say something. After a few silent seconds, he shrugged and turned to gesture behind him. “This is Evelyn.”
“Nice to meet you, Evelyn,” Raven said with a nod that might have been half of a small bow as well. The blue dragon turned slowly to face Leander and the young mage head-on.
“It is my pleasure, Raven Alby.” Her voice was surprisingly gentle and smooth.
You can’t judge a dragon by its voice, either. That’s a soldier’s patch on Bert’s uniform.
“Well.” Bert nodded toward the stables as Evelyn lowered herself to her belly. “As soon as you have Leander saddled, we’ll be on our way.”
The man stuck his foot into the stirrup of his dragon’s saddle and she grinned. “No, we’re good.”
He froze, one foot lifted comically high while the other remained firmly planted. He gazed from her to her dragon familiar a few times before a tiny smirk lifted one side of his mouth. “Nice try. Go on, Raven. It’s a shorter trip to Azerad for us than for the rest of your friends, so they’ll expect us before the others.”
Without waiting to be sure the young mage headed into the stables for said dragon saddle, Bert jumped and swung his other leg over Evelyn’s back. By the time he looked up again, Raven was already situated at the base of her dragon’s long neck. Leander turned a few steps to the right to give the soldier and his blue dragon a better view. He swiveled his head toward Bert and Evelyn and gave them a fearsome dragon’s grin.
“Ready when you are.” Raven grinned too.
The man raised an eyebrow and leaned forward over his dragon’s neck. “You seein’ this, Evelyn?”
“I am.” The blue dragon’s eyes narrowed at the young mage and her familiar.
“Yeah, I’m seeing it too. It wasn’t a joke, apparently.”
She wouldn’t let her smile fade but she leaned over Leander’s neck to mutter, “They don’t believe us.”
“That is not my problem.”
“Well, it’s gonna be if you—no!” Bert reached out instinctively toward the crouching red dragon as Leander’s wings whipped out to their full span. “Don’t even think—”
The red dragon launched into the sky and barely cleared the blue dragon and her rider before he climbed steadily higher and away over the forest. He turned only slightly north and slowed to let their escort catch up.
Bert looked over his shoulder to watch the dragon and shook his head in amazement. “She’s only a kid.”
Evelyn stared at the two who soared high above them. “She looks like a dragon rider to me, Bert.”
He snorted and snatched her reins in his hand. “You can keep your opinions to yourself for now. I need to come up with a plan for how the hell to handle something like a mage academy student who thinks she’s too good for a saddle before she falls out of the sky.”
“As you wish.” The blue dragon waited for her command and soared into the air to join the child with more control and confidence of her winged mount than either Bert or Evelyn had seen to date.
Raven caught her breath through the rush of crisp morning air through her hair and her clothes. She leaned forward over the dragon’s long neck. “They’re not gonna be very happy about that one.”
“Are you telling me it was the wrong choice, Raven?”
“Definitely not!” A laugh burst out of her, and she turned to see her escort gaining on them quickly while Leander soared with a draft. “I’m merely making sure we both know what to expect.”
“I don’t expect much of anything from those two. They didn’t take us seriously.”
“True. I think we’ve made our point, though.” Despite the more serious tone in her voice, she couldn’t hide a satisfied smile. “Can we go easy on them until we get to Azerad?”
“Easy.” He twisted his head to look at her. “Fine.”
“Thank you.”
Evelyn glided beside them, reduced her speed to keep pace with the huge red dragon, and seemed to have accepted the fact that they flew without saddle or harness. Raven forced herself to pretend she hadn’t noticed the man’s disapproval, but she couldn’t keep that up for very long. When she turned her head slowly to look at Bert, he scowled at her.
“That’s an incredibly dangerous decision you’ve made, mage. Some might even call it stupid.”
Raven raised her eyebrows. “That’s an incredibly judgmental opinion, soldier. Some might even call that stupid too.”
Leander snorted, and she felt his rumble of amusement through his warm scales.
Bert shook his head and had to stare straight ahead to gather his thoughts again. “Here’s the deal, Raven Alby. You and your dragon follow me and mine and do exactly as I say until we get to Azerad, with no more fancy tricks and no more showing off. Beyond how very sad it would be to see a student of Fowler Academy fall out of the sky on my watch before the Tournament of Mages even started, it would bury me in reports and guard duty outside some governor’s bedchamber for the next six months. I’m sure you don’t care about the latter, but neither of us wants the former either.”
“This isn’t my first time flying,” she called in response. Her smile widened when Evelyn turned her head to fix the young mage with icy silver-blue eyes. They have no idea what to think of us. “And it’s not our first time flying without all that gear either. And look how much time we saved already.”
The man sighed with frustration through loose lips and shook his head again. “I don’t want any more surprises either, understand?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll escort us safely into Azerad in no time. And if anyone asks, I’ll make sure to tell them how cheerful and accommodating you were.”
Running his tongue around the inside of his mouth again—this time in irritation—the man lifted Evelyn’s reins gently and called loudly enough for the young mage to hear, “Stay close. This isn’t a flight over Brighton to your grandfather’s ranch.”
“Excellent.”
He gave the reins a little flick and the blue dragon banked her wings to turn a little farther to the north.
Leander followed suit with perfect timing. Raven gave the other rider a sidelong glance, then lifted the apple in her hand and took a huge, crunching bite. It’s a nice day for a ride. This’ll be fun.
They stopped only once about three hours later. Bert pointed to a huge, empty pasture coming up on their right. It was located about a quarter of a mile east of the main road they’d followed northeast for the last hour and a half. “It’s time to take a break.”
“Already?” She turned to him and grinned.
The man nodded at the pasture and didn’t look anywhere near pleased about it. “We’re landing. If you two aren’t on the ground with us inside a minute, you can find your own damn way to Azerad from here. Evelyn holds the second-highest record for speed in Lomberdoon’s Third Division Fleet. You wouldn’t be able to catch up to us if you tried.”
Raven raised her hands in surrender. “I’m not trying to argue with you. We’ll land, no problem.”
“Good.” Bert and Evelyn descended immediately from their high altitude and turned right as they passed beneath Leander and his young mage.
“Go ahead and—”
“I know.” Leander soared a few more seconds, then curved his long neck to look at her. “I would catch up to them.”
“Of course you would. Even if you didn’t try.” She patted his scaly hide. “Go on.”
The great red dragon wheeled in a tight circle as he dove so they joined their escort in the pasture coming in from the north. Bert didn’t dismount until he saw all four of Leander’s massive clawed feet land gracefully in the short grass. Satisfied, he swung his leg over the saddle and dropped to the ground. “Half an hour. The dragons get a rest and we get to stretch our legs.”
“It sounds good to me.” Raven stood on Leander’s back before she vaulted nimbly into the grass. She brushed her hand along his shoulder and muttered, “How are you doing?”
“I could’ve kept going.”
“I know. I think the break was more for them.” She nodded toward Bert, who swiftly and deftly undid the girdle on his dragon’s saddle and slid it easily from Evelyn’s back. “They also flew out to meet us and must’ve left in the middle of the night if they came from as far as Azerad. Or farther.”
“They look fine to me.”
Evelyn stretched her wings slowly while her rider slipped a lead over her neck before he stroked her muzzle. The lead was incredibly long, and the blue dragon barely seemed to notice.
“Except for that, maybe.” His tone rumbled with disapproval.
Raven nodded. “We’re definitely the outliers when it comes to the kind of training you’ve had and how much we trust each other.”
The red dragon sighed in exasperation. “I’m going for a walk.”
