by Martha Carr
“Damn,” whispered William, watching in amazement. “That girl…”
Shocked, Raven put her hands on the scaly snout and turned until she could look into the large eye of the dragon. She smiled and looked back at the top of the wall, then jumped off his snout and hoisted herself over, landing on the ground on the other side.
The force of the landing made her injured knee buckle, but she shook it off and limped to the other side, where Leander was waiting for her. “See?” She dusted the dirt off her pants.
“Thank you,” she said, her hands on her hips, still smiling. “You have it now, right?”
Leander grunted at her. “You’re not listening to me, are you?”
Raven looked puzzled but pointed to the wall. The frustrated dragon unleashed a fireball that engulfed the entire wall in flames. The dry wood burned, leaving Raven to stare at it, helpless.
William tied off the last of the rings on the test course and stood in the distance, watching the hurdle burn. Yeah, still a dragon.
Raven stared into the distance, waving to Leander to follow her. She led him back to his pen without saying another word. He stepped in, and she closed the gate. Defeated, she sat on the ground outside, leaning against the fence.
“Giving up so soon?” William asked with a smirk as he approached.
“I’m too tired to argue with you.”
“Mind if I sit down?”
“It’s your ranch.”
“It’s my father’s ranch. I just work here.” He plopped down next to her and folded his hands on his knees. “You want to know something that won’t make sense to you?”
“Sure. I’ll add it to the long list.”
“You have more control over that dragon than anyone has ever had.” He pointed at Leander with his thumb. “I know he’s not scaling the wall, but he’s lining up like you ask him to. You just led him back here to his pen without a leash.”
Raven smirked, staring at the ground. “I didn’t even realize I forgot to put the leash on him.”
“Some of my best-trained dragons don’t do that well. You’ve got remarkable control over Leander. He is paying attention to you.”
“Then why are we failing? Why am I failing him?” Raven shook her head. “I’m out of time. How can he know what I want him to do and still not do it? He could help me over the wall.”
He elbowed her. “The same reason you don’t do things people want you to do. He doesn’t want to do it.”
“You’re right, that makes no sense. He knows he’s headed to the valley if he doesn’t.”
“Doesn’t matter, Raven. If he doesn’t feel like doing it, he won’t. It’s as simple as that. Training a dragon is more than just telling it what to do.”
“Oh, really? Do tell.” She rested her head back and closed her eyes.
He took a deep breath. “You’re trying to force it. It’s your nature. You see something and you want to solve it, so you go for it. When you’re training a dragon, it’s a different scenario. It’s not about how to get them to listen to you. It’s how to get them to connect with you.”
Raven opened her eyes. “I thought we had already connected.”
“Yeah, the start of a connection, but you don’t have enough trust. That’s the big difference. If you can’t trust each other and let go of everything else, you’ll never teach him. You guys have to be a team, not just him taking orders from you.”
“Tell him that.”
“It’s not my job.” William rose to his feet. “I’m not avoiding it because I don’t want to help you. I can’t do it. I can’t make that dragon listen to you. It won’t work that way. The only person who can do it is you. You just have to figure out how to do it. Did you mean what you said about finding another familiar?”
Raven hung her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “You were right, it can’t be about me.”
William let out a laugh. “Can you say that one more time? I was what?”
Raven nudged him. “You were right. Maybe that’s where I trust. I can let go of Leander as my familiar, even if it means I lose my spot at Fowler.”
William nodded. “And he gets clipped and sent to the valley. Look, just let it go for now. Go home and put your mind on other things. I’m sure you have spells to study or potions to mix. There will be an opportunity to develop it.” He walked away.
“Sorry about your wall!” she called to him.
He waved his hand. “Better the wall than the whole course.”
She smiled and pulled herself to her feet. She pressed her face against the fence, staring at the resting dragon. “I don’t know if this is worth anything to you, but I’m not giving up. I want to. I do. But I won’t do that to you. I know I can help you save yourself. I know you can work with me. You can be an ungrateful asshole about it all you want. This, you and me, will work. I’ll die trying if I have to.”
Leander listened to her closely, resting his head on his front paws. “I want to believe you.”
Raven pulled her head up, her eyes wide. “That’s a place to start, Leander. I’ll take it!”
On the way home, Raven took a detour, heading to her spot on the wall of the city. She climbed the soaring wall using a well-worn set of fingerholds, not looking down until she reached the top.
She took a seat on the wide top, her legs hanging over the side outside the city. She gazed out over the lush green grass blowing in the wind as the sun continued to get lower in the sky, bathing it in an orange glow. “Beautiful,” she murmured, “even if those are dangerous lands.”
“Enjoying the view?”
Raven turned her head to see Henry smiling at her, standing on the far side of the wall.
“I’m surprised you made it up here,” she jeered. “You struggle too much on a full stomach.”
He patted his flat stomach. “Hey, growing boy needs fuel. I’m like a furnace shoveling in wood.”
She snorted. “Accurate depiction. What are you doing up here?”
“I come up here more than you think, girl.” He laughed. “I just needed a break from all this academy work. I broke Mom’s favorite jug trying to make it levitate. She looked like she could use a break from yelling at me.”
“I can help you with that one. Grandpa taught it to me when I was six.”
“I knew I could count on you! What are you doing up here?”
“Wondering how I will face the school without a familiar. I told Leander it was his choice and I gave up on his being my familiar, but I still need to save the dragon. I don’t know how I’ll make this happen.”
“Pfft.” He scoffed at her. “Since when are you intimidated by anything? Come on, it’s just a dragon. You know how to handle any situation. You always have, Raven. Remember when that goat busted loose a couple years ago?”
Raven stared at the horizon, pursing her lips. “Yep. Jerry.”
Henry nodded. “Jerry. Talk about an animal with a death wish. The way you told it, that goat spent more time trying to squeeze out of his pen than he did hanging out at the ranch.”
“Full-time occupation. I put him back, he waited ‘til I left and made another break for it.” She smiled, rubbing her nose. “I have no clue why. Like he was escaping a prison or something. One day, he gets out and gets caught up in a briar patch almost a mile away from the ranch.”
Henry came over, sat next to her, and looked out over the open prairie that led to the distant dense woods. “You followed his bleats and found him beat up, scratched up, and stuck. And he was being circled by...what was it?”
Raven’s eyes widened at the memory. “A vagreti panther. Size of a pony.”
He nudged her with his shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but vagreti panthers scare the piss out of me. Their paws are bigger than my face. One of their claws could run right through my midsection and cut me in half.”
“They’re even scarier in person.”
He lowered his voice. “You didn’t use your magic to save him, did you?”
&n
bsp; “Nope. I was younger then, and not used to whipping out spells. I didn’t even think about it.”
Henry smirked. “You could have left the goat.”
She cleared her throat. “No way. I never leave an animal behind. There was something about Jerry that always appealed to me. Little spitfire.”
“Just like you. And how did you get him out of there?”
“I used the slingshot I always carry when I get that far from the house. One stone after the other.”
He laughed. “Best story ever. You fought off a mountain panther with a slingshot. To save one goat. You did that without thinking, so why in the hell do you doubt your ability to train a dragon?”
Raven continued staring in silence.
“You’re gonna let a dragon take you down? Here’s what will happen: you will get enough control over a dragon to get him through that course. Either you’ll crush it, or it’ll be an unmitigated disaster.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Is this supposed to be an encouraging conversation?”
He shook his head. “You’re trying to do something new and scary. You’re swinging for the fences!”
“I still need to find a familiar.”
Henry swatted at the air. “Don’t give up on the dragon just yet. That story’s not over.”
“You want to see me bring a dragon to school, don’t you?”
He wrinkled his forehead. “I want to see Bella’s face. You’ll be a legend even if you can just get a dragon through the gates of the Academy. Besides, it’s not like you’re royally embarrassing yourself doing basic magic.”
“What now?”
“Maxwell and I haven’t been setting the familiar world on fire. I almost turned him into a pigeon this afternoon. I think he still has a few tail feathers. It was in front of everybody. You want to talk about embarrassing?”
Raven laughed, patting him on the back. “Yeah, but that’s a common mistake. I’m sure people have made familiars into all kinds of things before. You almost made a frog fly! Some of these spells are so specific, it’s tough to get through them without doing something stupid.”
Henry returned his gaze to the horizon. “Well, I guess we both have issues then. I gotta get back to my house for dinner. You good?”
“I’m fine. See you tomorrow. Don’t fall on your ass climbing down.”
“Man, one time that happened!”
Henry climbed down to head home, but Raven stayed on the wall, scanning the ground, half-expecting to see something moving in the dimming light. She thought about Isaac and the fire and Edward. “That’s still a puzzle I want to solve, too.”
She couldn’t shake the dread as she looked outward. She squinted, peering into the distance, hoping to see something that would explain the feeling.
To the east, she saw the flag of a satellite ranch. I wonder if that’s the abandoned one? She leaned forward just as something stirred near the horizon. Dust rose in a straight column.
Blinking a few times, she kept her eyes fixed on the plume. Something was crawling along the ground but then vanished.
She slapped the top of the wall. At least this baby is here to protect us from whatever that is out there. She rose to her feet and walked to the edge to climb back down. Nothing to fear except training a stubborn red dragon.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Morning keeps coming too early.” Henry rubbed his eyes and greeted Raven at the gate of the Alby Ranch. “You’re not limping as much. Feeling better?”
She shrugged. “It’s starting to loosen up. Not one hundred percent, but it’s getting there. I don’t feel so bad this morning. I’m hoping that’s a good sign.”
They walked down the road, Henry smiling at the sky. “Nice to see the sun back out and shining. Things dried up fast.”
Raven stomped her boots, knocking a little more of the dried mud off the sides. “Yeah, thank goodness. One gully-washer a year is plenty.”
“Tell that to the crops. Glad I don’t have to grow anything out here.”
“Your dad’s a farmer. You want to learn how to make hay stack itself.”
“Like I said. Not farming yet, and I’m hoping magic will change things. Hey, did you give any thought to what I said last night?”
“You mean, figuring out how to train a dragon and get him to want to be my familiar? About a million different ways, but it’s not all up to me. I’ve given up on a dragon for a familiar.”
“Why? He didn’t say no. Bonus points, it would be badass to bring a dragon to Fowler. That would be seriously impressive.”
“Yeah, but that’s not why I’m doing this. Since I was a little girl, I’ve felt destined for something great.” She tapped her chest. “I can feel it.”
“I know that. You’ve talked about it plenty of times.”
“But I never knew what that great thing was. In Brighton, one of the greatest things you can be is a member of the military. Look at the treatment draftees get, and they don’t do anything in peacetime!” She moved along at a faster clip, forgetting her aches and pains, caught up in the dream. Her long red hair was caught up in a braid, swinging across her back.
“I thought I could fight to protect the city too. But I don’t want to just walk around in a spotless uniform and get free beer down at Wranglers. I want to see action.” Her hands were curled into fists.
Henry shook his head. “What does this have to do with training a dragon?”
She picked up a stick and swung it around like a sword. “Have you ever flown on the back of a dragon? I’ve never felt like that about anything before. It connected me to everything. You could do anything from the back of a dragon. Be a real hero. Protect the city from the sky. Like a...like a war mage!”
“You’re the best mage I’ve ever seen, and if the rest of the city could see the spells your grandfather has already taught you…”
Raven’s eyes widened and she glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. “You know that’s got to be a secret,” she hissed. “He wasn’t supposed to be teaching me outside the Academy.”
“Relax, no one can hear us.” Henry took a slingshot out of his back pocket and picked up a stone, aiming it at a nearby pine tree. He let fly and hit it squarely in the center. The tree shook, and pigeons roosting in it took flight. “You impressed Headmaster Flynn on the first day of Academy. And you aren’t even, like, challenged by it. It comes easy to you.” He picked up another rock and aimed it at the birds, the rock falling far short.
Raven shot a sidelong glance at her friend. “Is that a problem for you? You know I believe in you, too.”
“No, look, I’m happy for you. That’s not my point. Everybody makes mistakes, right? I mean, the front lawn of the school yesterday looked like the island of misfit toys.” He shook his head. “I had a nightmare last night that I was being chased by a bat with two heads.”
“Elizabeth swore that was a mistake.”
“Was it? Was it?”
Raven giggled. “Later, she tried to levitate a pile of stones and set them on fire instead. Still not sure that wasn’t on purpose either.”
“I know, I’m monitoring her.” Henry laughed. “Did you see Rory fade half of himself into the shadows?” Henry’s shoulders shook from a shudder. “A pair of legs kept asking me for half my sandwich.”
“What part scared you more, the legs, or him trying to steal your sandwich? Thought so. I noticed all the upperclassmen eating their lunch outside this past week. It’s cheap entertainment for them.”
“Professor Ridley told me it was necessary to learn humility before we learn any dark arts or practice weaponry in groups. That’s the point I’m making.”
Raven frowned, the magic inside her running down her arms. It was always at the ready when her emotions got the better of her.
“Raven, you do see you got a head start. Hardly seems fair.” He picked up another stone and hit a small branch ten yards away, breaking it off. “You didn’t make any of those mistakes. You’re already
a pro.”
“I’ve just had more practice. I’m not better than you are, just ahead of you for now.” She pressed her lips together, not wanting to say anything about the pulse of magic she felt at times. She wasn’t sure anyone would understand.
He picked up two stones, shooting one after the other. The first hit a sign and the other a post, irritating the crow sitting on top. The bird spread its wings and rose into the air, squawking loudly.
“It’s more than that. It’s like you have a feel for what to do. You’re not used to struggling to learn something. This dragon has your number, and it’s two. He’s number one.”
She sighed. “I do like to be the one in control.”
“That’s why you’re getting frustrated. This dragon isn’t impossible to deal with. Push yourself to be better than you’ve ever been, and that’s hard for someone who is the best at everything.”
Maybe he’s right.
They reached the town center, and Raven stopped at the bulletin board, covered in a new layer of fliers. “Damn, Henry, check this out!”
Henry shot a pebble at the board with his slingshot. “Another bullseye! What? Are we ever going to walk through the square without you stopping to look at something? I want to hear the announcements.”
“You want to find a seat next to Jenny.”
“So what if I do?”
Raven flipped through the few new papers. “It’s not a lot, but these are all new. It’s too many to be ranch hands moving on to another city.
Henry put his finger through the hole he’d made, glancing at the papers. “I don’t know what normal looks like for these. Maybe it is.”
She scanned the names. “No, this is too many.”
Harriet Easton stepped out of her wood-frame house with its fading whitewash, pressing her hand to her tired back. She looked down the road and shook her head, pulling her door shut tight behind her with a click. “Don’t believe everything you hear, Raven,” she called, shaking her finger.
“Morning, Mrs. Easton.” Raven chased a paper that had come loose and was twirling in the wind.
Mrs. Easton adjusted the scarf tied around her wiry gray hair and leaned over to pick up a pail of dirty water, dumping it into the road. She set the bucket down and wiped her hands on her muslin apron.
