"I do have important news," Sarafin announced, "Ella is most definitely a paltor." I cringed at the word, but the response of the conference members was quite the opposite. They all looked either indifferent or, surprisingly, excited.
"Excellent," the cinem woman replied. "Our meeting will end in ten minutes. Please wait downstairs while we finish."
"That's it?" I asked.
She nodded. "You are not a prisoner, Ella. Now, I do have a meeting to finish. Please wait downstairs." I was going to ask how she knew my name, but her look was stern enough that I didn't. Sarafin and I left the room and went back to the entrance hall. I was still utterly confused about what was going on. The cinem woman had said I wasn't a prisoner, but why wouldn't I be, especially since they definitely knew I was a paltor?
"What's going on?" I demanded, arms crossed.
"Callah wanted to be the one to explain, but-" he started.
"Was she the cinem?" I interjected.
"Yes, she was." When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Callah heard that your father had a paltor daughter, and she tracked you down. I don't know what she wanted to talk to you about, exactly, but I do know it had something to do with you being a paltor. She had me watch you to make sure you were one." That didn't clear up much. All I was sure of now was that I wanted to stay long enough to learn what Callah knew about my real father. I noticed that Sarafin had his hands held out from his sides, pain flickering in his eyes. I bit my lip, feeling like I should say something.
"I'm sorry. For the burns, I mean," I quietly apologized. He stiffened but didn't reply, instead bolting for the front door. I chased after him as he threw the doors open with a hiss of pain. A blast of sound hit me as we ran out - the roar of a dragon. Leera was attacking Sarafin's mount. Leera's opponent roared in her face, raising his neck crests. They made him look bigger than he was but not nearly big enough. Even though Leera was a female and therefore didn't have crests, she was plenty huge.
Leera slashed at his golden hide with her claws and drove him back. While I had no idea what to do, Sarafin was already running right for them, shouting for Leera to stop. I realized what he was doing a moment later and sprinted after him. He got there first, dodging past Leera's thrashing tail to touch her on the leg with his wand. She stopped mid-swipe, and I was at her side before she hit the ground. Sarafin went to his own dragon as I concentrated on Leera. She was completely still when I knelt and reached to touch her side. As afraid as I'd been that she would give me away, I hadn't want her to die, and what if I died with her? I had no idea how quickly rider and dragon life sparks fused.
[Don't touch me.] There was a voice in my mind, a female one. I fell back from Leera's side, sure I was hearing things.
[You can hear me?] the voice asked. I was afraid to answer, but the voice seemed to be able to read my mind.
[It's about time you could. I've put up with being treated like some glorified horse for twelve long years, waiting for a rider. And you treated me just the same. Thank goodness for death wizards. If it wasn't for that shock, I'd be stuck with you not knowing for years.] Leera suddenly started breathing again. I realized with a start where the voice had to be coming from, but I couldn't believe it. I didn't really want to believe it.
[You guessed it. It's Leera. Now back the prip up,] she growled. I scrambled to my feet and retreated a good ten feet from her. She pushed her massive, scaly body off the ground, then shook out her wings once she was standing. I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what.
['Sorry,' would be a start. 'I won't do it again,' and 'what can I do to make up for it,' would be even better,] Leera suggested, glaring down at me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know- if I had..." I trailed off, flashing back to every demeaning thought I'd had about her. She'd heard them all, and I couldn't think of anything that would make up for that.
"Why-why did you come after me?" I asked. She snorted twin streams of fire at my feet.
[I felt your fear, and a dragon protects their rider, no matter how nasty they are.]
"If you hate me that much, why don't we just unjoin?" I asked. It seemed like it would solve both our problems. She snorted another time and took a swipe at the ground with her claws. There was blood dripping off of them.
[Dragons can't rejoin after separating. And do you know what they do with unjoined dragons?] she asked, growling. I shook my head, afraid that she might fire again.
[They're put to work doing manual labor for the rest of their lives - no better than horses or oxen. So no, I would not like to unjoin. Just remember, I am no beast.] She suddenly took to the sky, leaving me breathing the dust her wings kicked up.
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