Page 106 of Dragon Fight

“You can stay here, Pippin, if you don’t wish to rough it in the wilds. I can assign men I trust to care for you.”

A quick intake of breath all around the table, that’s all it took to betray ourselves. The general was a man trained to be able to take the temperature of the room, to gauge subtle shifts in his men, and I watched apprehensively as he did that now. A small frown formed between his brows but before he could say anything, I replied.

“I’ll stay with Brom. That’s the life of a rider’s wife, isn’t it, to brave the wilds? I’ll always be by his side when events permit it.”

His frown deepened but he nodded slowly.

“You have your orders.” He got to his feet and moved towards the door. Halfway there, he stopped and turned around, eyes narrowed, and took a long look at each one of us. “I hope you know what you’re doing, whatever that is. The future of this country depends on it.” He slapped his gloves into his palm. “Have that report to me before you leave, Drill Sergeant.”

“So the general knows,” Ged said in a dark voice. “Or he at least suspects.”

“But there’s not much he can do about it, is there?” Flynn’s voice had an edge to it. “Not when he needs us more than ever. Draven’s wing is all he has to stand between Nevermere and war and he must be aware of what a meagre barrier that is.”

We all did, that was the bloody problem.

62

"Alright, lass, let's see if we can replicate some of what you’ve done before,” Soren said, Brom, Flynn and myself in his office within the training room. Ged had gone down to the docklands, despite my protests. Marcus was unpredictable and powerful, something I hated. “What did you do before?”

I pulled out the daggers and the egg Cynane had given us and slapped them down on the desk. Glimmer clambered up as well, eyeing them but being much more wary on her approach.

What did they do to you last night?I asked.

Took, she replied,gave.

I’m going to need more than that. What did you do? How did you know to reach out and find the boys?

You were desperate to find them and I’ve been able to feel the cadets’ dragons pining for them since we returned. It sets my teeth on edge, so I… reached out.

I relayed that information to the others, watching them frown much as I was.

“How did you reach out, little queen?” Flynn asked, leaning closer. She preened when he ran a finger down the ridges on her back. “I assume it's some kind of instinct?”

I couldn’t do it before because I didn’t need to, then I did, so I could.

Flynn snorted at that, finally smiling. “We need to forestall imminent war. Can you do something about that too?”

Too many people, too many thoughts, feelings, needs, she replied seriously to his half-joking question.Too much for me to tackle outside of a heat.Her claws idly traced shapes on the desktop.I am not yet at the full extent of my powers.

“And yet more powerful than many others,” Soren said and she seemed to brighten. “So let's try that here. Pippin, Glimmer, you can try touching my mind. Push the stones closer to Glimmer, just in case that helps, then think of something you want to transmit to me.”

“Not sure she wants to touch minds with you, old man,” Flynn scoffed. “Too full of schedules and training regimes.”

“So it’d be better to touch minds with yours, full of jealousy as it is? Though of what exactly? That Pippin went to Draven and Brom’s bed last night or that you weren’t invited as well?”

“Are we to argue about everything?” I shot back, watching as the two of them fell quiet. “Fall into dissent as the rest of the world does?” I leaned forward in my chair, taking Soren’s hands in mine. His grip tightened immediately, his thumbs brushing across the backs of my hands. “Soren’s plan is a sound one. We’ll try it, then I’ll try it with each one of you in turn.”

Which was all very well, but I had no idea what I was doing.

I know what I want to say to him, I said, the thought warm and smooth inside my mind.But how do I touch his mind?

Emotion, need, she said, her mental voice sounding tense.It’s not a science. You need to, so you can.

But I resisted that idea to my very core. There had to be a sense to this, I thought, as I stared down at his hands, feeling something stir.

You passed out last time we did this, I said to her.We can try another day if you need to rest.

Last night was… hard, she acknowledged.

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