skies no less than a dozen times as Arrabon whisked her up the mountain to Nak and Shimmerith’s roost. Pip deliberately turned her thoughts to the advice she had sought from Master Adak during their three-hour conversation earlier that evening. Master Adak would not travel, for he was responsible for building the Academy’s defences and training the defenders. But he had waxed garrulous about the Crescent Isles and Pygmy culture, as was his wont, cramming enormous amounts of useful information into the available time. She needed to reflect upon his wisdom. Internalise his instructions for meeting unfamiliar Pygmies. Recap his description of the likely forms a Naming ceremony might take. There was so much a stolen child had never learned …
If she slept curled up in the Sapphire Dragoness’ paw, would she be safe? Could the beast stalk her even in Human form? Yet, Zardon had once sniffed out a Pygmy Shapeshifter in a cage. Could the beast do the same? Her presence might be exposing every single denizen of the Academy to mortal danger.
The sooner they departed, the better.
Within, Emblazon curled massively about his sleek mate and their three hatchlings, fully blocking the entrance to the crowded roost. But a sleepy round of shuffling afforded her a mouse-hole behind the wall of his flank to slip inside, right into the centre of their Dragon family, there to be engulfed in Shimmerith’s mothering paw. The Sapphire Dragoness crooned softly to her, as if Pip were one of her own hatchlings.
Despite her shivering, Pip found herself drifting off to sleep. Her last thoughts centred on the possibility of having two mothers. Or else, from where or what did a spontaneous draconic heritage like hers spring? Pollen-like magic blowing on the Island-World’s breezes?
* * * *
In the following morning’s pre-dawn chill, over a hundred Dragons, Riders and Academy staff converged on the field outside the infirmary. Wings rustled restively. Saddle-straps creaked as Riders checked them one more time. Weapons clinked. Maylin argued with everyone and everything around her, including the air itself, while Kaiatha and Duri stood hand in hand next to their Dragons, sharing a last-minute cuddle. Master Kassik, transformed into his massive Brown Dragon manifestation, stalked about snapping orders at anyone foolish enough to cross his path. There was something about being growled at from a height of twenty feet above one’s head that made Humans rush to obey. Pip grinned. Odd, that.
Nak sweated over affixing a massive war-harness to Emblazon, who clacked his fangs at an armourer who accidentally prodded him in the flank with a Dragon lance. His harness included space for three warriors aside from his Rider, Oyda, and mounts for flanking and rearward-facing war crossbows.
Pip eyed all of this activity from a short distance apart. She did not want to tangle with Emblazon in his irascible mood. Sleek and gleaming like a molten bar of silver even in the early gloom, courtesy of a last-minute lava bath and hot-oil treatment, Silver chatted earnestly to Chymasion and Arosia. Instructions, Pip suspected. Battle tips.
Her sharp eyes picked out a shadow descending a tree near one of the Academy buildings. It vanished into a narrow alleyway and did not reappear. Ha. Hunagu thought he could sneak up on a Shapeshifter Dragoness, did he? Yet, given the Ape’s supreme jungle-craft, it took Pip a long time to figure out how he had disappeared. Astonishing how a dark-furred Oraial Ape, who stood fourteen feet tall on his hind legs, could utilise the scant cover to camouflage himself perfectly. She scanned the open fields, the retaining terrace wall that separated the higher ground of the buildings from the lower field, and tugged crossly on her crazy curls. Where was he?
A tiny bush shifted up there on the wall. The drainage ditch. Ay! The Ape must be bellying along. Pip padded across to the wall. Now, he could pass right above her, and then she would
If she slept curled up in the Sapphire Dragoness’ paw, would she be safe? Could the beast stalk her even in Human form? Yet, Zardon had once sniffed out a Pygmy Shapeshifter in a cage. Could the beast do the same? Her presence might be exposing every single denizen of the Academy to mortal danger.
The sooner they departed, the better.
Within, Emblazon curled massively about his sleek mate and their three hatchlings, fully blocking the entrance to the crowded roost. But a sleepy round of shuffling afforded her a mouse-hole behind the wall of his flank to slip inside, right into the centre of their Dragon family, there to be engulfed in Shimmerith’s mothering paw. The Sapphire Dragoness crooned softly to her, as if Pip were one of her own hatchlings.
Despite her shivering, Pip found herself drifting off to sleep. Her last thoughts centred on the possibility of having two mothers. Or else, from where or what did a spontaneous draconic heritage like hers spring? Pollen-like magic blowing on the Island-World’s breezes?
* * * *
In the following morning’s pre-dawn chill, over a hundred Dragons, Riders and Academy staff converged on the field outside the infirmary. Wings rustled restively. Saddle-straps creaked as Riders checked them one more time. Weapons clinked. Maylin argued with everyone and everything around her, including the air itself, while Kaiatha and Duri stood hand in hand next to their Dragons, sharing a last-minute cuddle. Master Kassik, transformed into his massive Brown Dragon manifestation, stalked about snapping orders at anyone foolish enough to cross his path. There was something about being growled at from a height of twenty feet above one’s head that made Humans rush to obey. Pip grinned. Odd, that.
Nak sweated over affixing a massive war-harness to Emblazon, who clacked his fangs at an armourer who accidentally prodded him in the flank with a Dragon lance. His harness included space for three warriors aside from his Rider, Oyda, and mounts for flanking and rearward-facing war crossbows.
Pip eyed all of this activity from a short distance apart. She did not want to tangle with Emblazon in his irascible mood. Sleek and gleaming like a molten bar of silver even in the early gloom, courtesy of a last-minute lava bath and hot-oil treatment, Silver chatted earnestly to Chymasion and Arosia. Instructions, Pip suspected. Battle tips.
Her sharp eyes picked out a shadow descending a tree near one of the Academy buildings. It vanished into a narrow alleyway and did not reappear. Ha. Hunagu thought he could sneak up on a Shapeshifter Dragoness, did he? Yet, given the Ape’s supreme jungle-craft, it took Pip a long time to figure out how he had disappeared. Astonishing how a dark-furred Oraial Ape, who stood fourteen feet tall on his hind legs, could utilise the scant cover to camouflage himself perfectly. She scanned the open fields, the retaining terrace wall that separated the higher ground of the buildings from the lower field, and tugged crossly on her crazy curls. Where was he?
A tiny bush shifted up there on the wall. The drainage ditch. Ay! The Ape must be bellying along. Pip padded across to the wall. Now, he could pass right above her, and then she would
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