This has been edited once more! Prologue is now a bigger and better version. YAY! Special thanks to Nechochwen for all the help! The rest of the chapter is the same, but feel free to give it another read through if you've already read this. If you're new, you're lucky you didn't have to see what was before this. Be glad.

AN: This has been edited and re-posted. No new information regarding the original plot line of the story has been changed. Feel free to reread if you wish!

Prologue

Long before your great-grandfathers were born, and even before their fathers were born, Dragon Riders protected the land. They were created to maintain the peace between the elves and the dragons. Immortal unless their lives passed by an outside hand, they served as a reminder of a devastating war and to maintain the peace that followed. Thousands of years passed, the Riders upheld this standard. When the humans found their way to their land, they were added to their ranks under to the expectation of comradery. This peace did not last. One Rider, a human, defied the order, and with the help of thirteen others, overthrew the Riders and took control.

Time moves forward but this story was far from over. A new Rider entered this picture, armed with knowledge and forewarnings of mistakes from the older generation, through countless hardships, and stood his ground against the tyrant. The old dictator was overthrown, and his objective met, he turned his focus to rebuilding the Riders. They would not be the same, instead of being limited to humans and elves, the Riders would now include all races found on Alagaesia. Many years later, and peace once again restored, he faded into history and legend.

The world entered a golden age, one where elves, dwarves, and dragons existed outside of fairy tales and walked the streets of new towns among the human race. Invention and creativity flowed through the land, creating a prosperous economy. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. The humans were greedy by nature, desiring more than what could be obtained; life, land, superiority.

This new war was devastating. It waged for centuries, lasting for generations. Over time, humanity won out, gaining the control that they had fought for, forcing the other races back into storybooks once again.

The Riders had not escaped this conflict. While in the beginning, maintaining the peace had been their goal, as it had from the very beginning of their organization, no one has the power to escape time. Once the Elders, the few who remembered the wars of old, died or were killed. The great organization known as the Riders began to fracture. Soon these new factions took sides; those holding on to the ideology they had taught and preached to others, and those that wished to see a change in the centuries-old Corps. Some allied with the humans, some allied with their own kind, and some isolated themselves to avoid the conflict entirely. The once noble group known as the Dragon Riders succumbed to time and faded into memory. The golden age ended.

This war was expensive. Cities and towns wiped off the map. Land destroyed, now no longer able to bear life. Inventions once created, magic once known, all were lost to war. Mankind had been successful, but they had nearly driven themselves to extinction. Humanity found itself turning to the Riders for help, but the Riders they once knew were gone. They had integrated themselves into the humans' governmental system and led the human race into another peaceful age.

With the loss of so many, the Riders were no longer the powerhouse they had been. They left their stations and focused on themselves, but kept a watchful eye on the society they had left.

The language they had used to master magic had been lost, yet magic remained in the world. Focusing inwards on themselves, and searching for that which connected them to the world. They found that each of them had their own talents, on a much deeper level than they had originally thought. While some were able to burn down forests, others were able to heal the most severe injuries without scarring; some were able to turn the summer breeze into a freezing gale, and yet more were able to find solace in the waters they now controlled.

While magical invention had died, human ingenuity did not. The human race began to make progress in areas where magic now lacked by focusing on technology and machines. Everything simply began to evolve in complexity; the horse and wagon turned into motorized vehicles, the handwritten letter into an electronic message, the bow and arrow into a powerful firearm. The Riders saw these as normal advances in society.

Until, flight was discovered.

The Riders were now concerned. They sent a delegate to warn the Governments, as they now called themselves, against using this technology for anything but transportation for fear or widespread war. This Rider was greeted and welcomed as an esteemed guest. Over the course of the night, the Rider was told that he and the rest of his people's time were over, it was the end of an era. He was allowed to leave under peaceful terms and deliver his message. He was found dead that morning. Upon finding his body, the Riders prepared to strike back, their fears justified, but the Governments were a step ahead of them. This was no war, it was a massacre. The Riders had lost much, grown lax in their power, and failed to protect themselves properly. The first reprieve they were given had them scrambling to find a way to fight back against the Governments. Some belittled themselves, begging for their lives, others sought out the Elders for their guidance, while others still tried to find anything in the Ancient Language for its control over the power they so desperately needed. All the attempts at preserving their order were in vain, it was simply too late.

The lucky ones had died and the smart ones who saw that their time was coming hid throughout the world, running away from the horrors that were left to the others who stayed. Those that remained were taken as prisoners. They were test subjects, undergoing dissection, torture, and other experiments such that suicide was thought a better option. All of this done was in an attempt to find their source of power.

All that the Riders had done for the world was erased from history, they were demoted to scary bedtime stories for naughty children, and no longer taken seriously. They were rarely mentioned. A generation later, they were mere whispers. Another, simply forgotten.

The Governments had not forgotten and still very much desired their own Rider Corps, and they set their sights on obtaining it. After decades of research and experimentation, they were about to finally crack the secret of the Riders.

Into this world, on the brink of a new discovery, a girl is born. A girl destined to struggle and to succeed.

This is her story.

This is the story of how the Riders return.

Chapter 1

Ashley's parents had just left home to go get groceries while she and her siblings took a nap. Just a few minutes after they left, there was a knock on the door. She thought it was odd that the delivery person wasn't there when she opened the door, but she disregarded that information as she read the label on the package.

It was for her.

The little redhead's excitement made her giddy as she lugged the package inside. She didn't know why the package was for her or who sent it to her, she was just happy enough to have something to herself. These days, she always had to share with her siblings. She had to set a good example for her siblings because she was the oldest. With this box, she didn't have to share because it had her name on it. It was hers.

Ashley pulled the box into the living room and found a pair of scissors to open the box. She carefully sliced the tape along the top and freed the flaps. She opened the box and was astonished at what she found inside of it.

It was an egg.

Even though it's been almost a century since the war between the Riders and the Governments, the war was still taught about in school, even as early as kindergarten. Ashley knew that this was a dragon's egg, something forbidden. It was beyond her ability to understand why there were still eggs around. Having an egg appear on her doorstep should be an impossibility. She was taught that the Riders no longer existed… so how could there be eggs if the dragons were extinct as well?

Ashley thought about this for quite a while. She tried to put together the pieces; trying to figure out how this could be possible. She was never told that there were still dragons around, let alone Riders. Was it possible that the world has been lied to? She returned her attention to the egg. It looked as if it were made of liquid silver, like mercury. She reached out a hand and felt the egg. It was as smooth as glass. This spiked her curiosity. She picked up the egg out of the box and put it in her lap, continuing to stroke the surface of it.

She sat there wondering what she was going to do with this egg. Her parents weren't supposed to be home for another few hours or so, so she had time to hide it if she had to. One problem was she knew that her siblings would go through her stuff and probably find it. She couldn't have that. It was hers, and she wanted it to stay that way. The other problem was when it would hatch. What was she supposed to do with it then? She couldn't exactly get away with keeping it. That was illegal. So that was out. She could run away, but where would she go? Would she live in the woods where the dragon could provide for both it and her? It was the best option she had since she knew enough about the Riders that she knew that the dragon and the Rider would bond pretty much right after it hatched.

What was she going to do?

At the moment, her room was fairly clean, so it would be a few days before she had to clean it again with her mother. She could hide it under her bed for now. Ashley was suddenly glad her sibling were still in the diaper stage. It made it so much easier on their parents to keep those two in a room together with all the diaper supplies.

Ashley grinned at that thought and stood up, hugging the egg to her chest. She waddled to the back of the house where her room was located. As she walked past her siblings' room, she could hear her brother's snores and her sister's bed creaking as she rolled over. Both were a few years younger than her, but they were quite close in age.

Ashley made it to her bed and propped the egg up in a corner, next to her pillow. She began to pile on her stuffed animals to hide the egg. It wasn't a terribly difficult task. She had plenty of stuffed animals that could be spared for the camouflage. Once she had placed the final stuffed animal, she scrambled off her bed and stood on the opposite side of the room. From where she stood, the egg and the stuffed animal cover simply looked like a giant pile of the plushies she had been gifted on nearly every occasion and holiday. Ashley took pride in the fact that she was able to hide the egg in plain sight.

But what if her parents found out? Or her siblings went through her things again? Ashley felt the rising despair in her gut and she made her way to the bed again. She reached a hand through the stuffed animal pile and placed it on the egg. It warmed to her touch and she felt a sense of ease seep into her. For now, everything was going to be alright. She had to take everything one step at a time. It was a lot like reading. One word at a time her mother had told when she had first started to learn. Soon enough, Ashley had found herself reading whenever she got. It was the one thing her mother had taught her before she was too busy with her brother and sister. Her dad was never around, he was constantly working. He had no time for the three kids, not just Ashley.

Ashley frowned at the memory. It seemed like she was being overlooked by someone. Her parents, her classmates, her teachers. It was as if she was a ghost. She didn't understand it. She had bright red hair for gosh sake, how do people miss that? Ashley clenched her fist and rubbed her hand on the egg again. Again she felt comforted like she would be able to meet her friend in a few days. Ashley smiled at the pile of stuffed animals.

"I'll be back. I have to go clean up my mess from your box. Then we can take a nap." The little girl slid off her bed and tottered into the living room.

She was thankful that the box didn't have any of those packing peanuts. In fact, the box was empty except for the egg before she removed it. The box was only taped together, so it made it easy for the five-year-old to collapse it without too much trouble. In all honesty, she really was almost six. The dog came out of nowhere when she opened the door to the garage when she went to put the box in the recycling bin. He rushed into the empty garage and started to sniff around, but came when she called for him to come back inside once she was done. She scratched his ears for being a good boy as she closed the door, he wagged his tail and licked her hand before walking away. Ashley went back to her room and laid down on the bed, her hand buried into the pile of plushies she had created and brushed her fingertips against the egg. Before long the little girl was fast asleep, a small smile on her face.

It had been a week since the egg had been delivered to their home, but Ashley's family was still clueless to what Ashley had hidden under her pile of stuffed animals. Her parents didn't really question why she suddenly decided that was where all of her furry friends were going to stay, considering it kept them from being placed throughout the house or one of the dog's toys. Her siblings didn't seem to care either, they were too busy being pampered by her parents to bother going through her stuff. The school was no different, teachers and classmates still acted like she wasn't there, but Ashley didn't have to worry about them coming into her home and looking through her things.

Today was the day for the family to go grocery shopping again, and her parents had asked her to watch the dog while they were gone. They had taken her brother and sister with, so Ashley didn't have to worry about them for once. Plus with her siblings tagging along for the grocery shopping today, it was going to take her family much longer to come back home. So, she decided it was a good idea for her to take out the egg and let it sit in her lap out in the living room.

She sat in the middle of the living room with it in her lap as she stroked the shell. It was a calming habit she had taken up, much like working a stress ball. Over the week, the egg had grown warmer and warmer. Each time she had touched it, it had grown warmer. Even now as she continued to stroke the surface.

A moment later, the egg started to wobble in her lap. Scratching sounds started to come from it. Now the nightmare was coming true.

Ashley quickly put the egg on the floor and scooted backwards, to give the dragon plenty of room to hatch. She watched, fascinated, as cracks appeared on the surface of the shell. After five minutes of watching the egg gain more and more fractures on its surface; it finally burst apart and a silver dragon about the size of a house cat laid in the remnants of the egg shell. It opened its eyes and looked directly at Ashley as if it's been looking for her for years. There was relief, love, friendship, kindness, and intelligence in those storm gray eyes as Ashley looked back into them.

She reached for the dragon as it stretched its neck out to her. When they touched, she felt a tingling over her heart. After a few seconds, the tingling stopped and Ashley knew she was now marked as Rider.

She had to leave.

Ashley had left a note saying that she had to leave for her family's safety and for her own. She left the egg fragments where they were and knew that her family would make the connection and wouldn't try to follow her. They would be too scared to anyways. She knew her parents well enough that her father wouldn't risk his job over his daughter leaving, let alone tell them that he was now the father of a Rider. She picked up the dragon, cradling him in her arms. She took one last look at her home and then walked out of the door; refusing to look back, knowing she would run back inside.

The girl walked down the street, heading towards the woods that were close to her side of the neighborhood. Ashley reached the edge of the woods and stopped for a moment. The trees stood tall and their thick canopies made it difficult for the sunlight to make its way to the ground, casting a gloomy light throughout the interior. Ashley shoved down her fears and took a deep breath. No way was she going to let the woods get the best of her. She made her way inside, trekking along a deer path.

She walked through the woods for what felt like hours. She had left around lunch time, and she hadn't bothered to pack any food. Ashley lowered her head and looked at the dragon in her arms as she struggled to figure out how she was going to survive.

The dragon raised its quicksilver head and stared into her troubled blue eyes. He seemed to understand that times were going to be difficult for a while. They continued to trudge along in the woods, changing paths whenever the one they were currently on became too overgrown for Ashley to keep travelling along it.

As she walked, she wondered what she was going to call the dragon, her dragon now. She liked the idea of Mercury since he was the color of the stuff.

I like the name Mercury.

"What was that!?" Ashley asked, looking around frantically. "Who was that?"

I am your dragon.

"My . . . dragon?"

Yes, your dragon.

Ashley was astonished to find out that there was a mental connection between a Rider and their dragon. The teachers at school never mentioned this. Not one word about how strong the bond actually was between Rider and dragon.

So do you want to be called Mercury? Ashley asked the dragon, trying out the telepathic speaking.

I wouldn't mind it. So yes, said the dragon.

Okay, Mercury.

Ashley smiled to herself. It was nice to have a friend finally. In school, she never had a friend that lasted more than a month or so. The longest one she had was a girl that became friends with her and stayed friends with her for the whole year she was in pre-school. Then she moved. That was this past year. Now it was the beginning of the next school year, and four months in, Ashley still had no new friends. The worst part of all this was that no one would talk to her either. She didn't know how to make friends if they didn't talk to her when she tried talking to them. She didn't understand it.

You don't have to understand it. Some people are just able to make friends while others simply can't, Mercury said. He huffed and two small smoke rings puffed from his nose.

Ashley giggled as the smoke dissipated around her. That's not what confuses me. What confuses me is that after I try to talk to them, they just ignore me like I ignore my siblings. I was pretty much on my own during most of my time in school.

By now, they had crossed a clearing and were now starting to reenter the trees on the other side. Ashley was thoroughly enjoying herself, considering she had never really had a conversation with anyone, even with that girl that had just moved. All they did together was play outside, and once they were inside, Ashley was ignored again. Ashley could stand that much, but not the continuous being looked over part. It wasn't like Ashley could be mistaken for someone else either. She had red hair that curled like Shirley Temple's did. She had blue eyes, and with her red hair, she had naturally pale skin. She looked at her skin compare to Mercury's scales as the continued to walk. She noticed that her skin even pales next to his silvery scales.

Do you think that there are more Riders out there? She asked.

I do, replied the dragon. But the problem is finding them. I can't exactly fly around yet, my wings are too small for me, let alone for both of us. If I was sent to you, there has to be another Rider at least. They can't be that far away either because they had to know that I would hatch soon after I was with you.

That makes sense, I guess. So why haven't they found us yet? I wouldn't want my parents to come find us in these woods and then turn us in. Even though the Governments haven't been mean to us, they still don't support the Riders at all.

True. I'm pretty sure we would just become another one of their experiments once they get their hands on us.

How'd you know about the Governments doing that to the Riders when they found one? Ashley didn't quite understand how something, who was just introduced to the world, had any knowledge of what happened before it became a part of the world.

The people that brought me to you talked about your Governments and what they did to the Riders while we were travelling to your home here. Dragons that are still in their eggs aren't completely unable to have thoughts and memories. We are able to think and examine the minds around us as well. So if there was a person around us, that we just somehow know, then we hatch and bond with that person.

Oh, still kind of weird, though.

I know, but it's the way we are by nature.

As they continued to walk through the woods, Ashley's arm grew tired of carrying Mercury, so she put him down on the forest floor. Mercury instantly set off for the nearest tree. He noticed that the trees were fairly spaced out, far enough apart for a dragon the size of a large dog could spread his wings and take flight. Ashley watched as he spread his wings and leap from the tree he had climbed and glide down onto her shoulder, where he nuzzled her in the ear. She reached up and scratched him just behind the jaw.

"What if I called you Mer?" She asked aloud, trying to break the silence that had ensued ever since they entered the woods.

I like that too. May I call you Ash then? The silver dragon countered.

"That's what my parents called me. I wouldn't mind it." The girl responded. The reminder of her parents didn't bother her. It was just another connection that she could hold onto for the time being. She smiled at Mer, reveling in the friendship they had created so easily.

They continued through the woods until it was almost sunset, and it was then that they stopped at a tree that was just at the edge of a break in the tree line. It was also a place where they could watch the sun officially set. Ash started to feel drowsy and was starting to fall asleep, curled up at the base of the tree.

Stay awake, there's something coming. Mer nudged her gently with his muzzle.

Do you have an idea of where it's coming from? Ash asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Suddenly they heard the wump of gigantic wings pushing through the air. Ash quickly stood up and Mer jumped in front of her, back arched, scales bristling. A few minutes passed, and a large black silhouette appeared in the sky, blocking out the stars and the moon that were just appearing in the sky. Ashley pressed herself up against the tree. Mer stood where he was, his demeanor more relaxed. It was probably because of the presence of another dragon.

Mer, do you think that they are nice? Ash asked.

Yes. They are here to help us.

Ash watched as the large dragon grew bigger and bigger as it got closer. With the last of the light still reaching over the horizon, she was able to make out the color of the dragon. It was dark purple at this point in the day. Ash glanced at Mer again, and he seemed calmer, so calm that he seemed to be in a trance. Ash used his peacefulness to calm herself and stepped out of the tree to stand by him.

They watched as the other dragon landed. The thing was huge, more than likely it was bigger than Ash's house. She stood there awe-stricken as she watched the dragon settle itself in the clearing. Mer's eyes were wide with just as much awe as she was feeling. What they least expected was for its Rider to step off and come over to them. They didn't know why they had expected just a dragon, but then again they didn't know what they were going to expect either when they were started to hear the wump of its wings. They both stood still as the Rider walked over to where they were.

"Don't you know that the woods are a dangerous place at night?" The Rider asked.

Ashley nodded. "But we had nowhere else to go."

"'We?'"

Apparently the Rider hadn't seen Mercury yet.

"Mer and I. We couldn't stay at my house because my parents would turn us in and I wouldn't be able to see him ever again as soon as the Governments came and got us." Ash gestured to her silver dragon and then looked back at the Rider.

The look on the Rider's face was hard to read with the bad lighting, but Ash was able to, at least, hear the caution in their voice. The Rider stepped closer and lowered their voice. "Listen. You cannot stay here. You both have to come with me. Never say your dragon's name aloud again till we are at a safe place. Come, now. We must fly to get there."

"But I don't even know your name. How am I supposed to trust you if I don't know your name?" Ash stood where she was as the Rider stepped towards their dragon.

"My name you will learn soon enough, Ashley. You and Mercury are not safe. We must go. Now." The Rider said in return.

"How come you get to know my name? And how did you know that his full name was that?" Ash asked, not quite willing to trust the stranger.

"You have your mind open for anyone to read it if they wanted. Another reason why you both need to come with me." The Rider scoffed. They were starting to lose their patience with the five-year-old.

Ash glared at the Rider, as much as the small girl could. "Then how come you said his name out loud when you told me not to?"

The Rider sighed and looked down at the little girl. They realized that this girl was smarter than what she would show to the people around her. Her parents probably did not even know exactly how smart this girl was for her age. The Rider watched the girl, who was still glaring at them. They sighed again and kneeled down in front of her. "Look we do not have all the time in the world to argue about what either of us do or say at the moment. The Governments can be here any moment. They may have grown lax with their surveillance of this area, but that does not mean that they will not see what is going on." The Rider explained, not sugar coating the reason any longer.

Ash's eyes grew wide with the Rider's straight forward words.

"Do you want to put you and your dragon in danger by staying out here by yourselves? You can, I will not force you to come with me. But if you want to survive, you will have to trust me."

Ash didn't want to put Mer in any danger. It pained her tremendously to think about. Mer looked at her long and hard. Finally, he nodded and leapt onto her shoulder. He landed lightly and nuzzled her ear, giving her the encouragement she needed.

"Okay," Ash said as she followed the Rider to the gigantic dragon.

The Rider lifted her and Mer into a saddle of sorts and started to strap her legs in.

"Put your dragon in your lap or he'll blow off in the wind." The Rider instructed. "And hold onto him."

Once they were done with strapping Ash into the saddle, the Rider climbed on behind her and the dragon rose to its feet. It stretched its huge wings and then leapt into the air, beating its wings rapidly to gain lift. Ash held Mer tightly to her chest and leaned back into the Rider as the dragon gained altitude quickly. Ashley had never flown before. She was scared and fascinated at the same time. She had the feeling of weightlessness and total freedom. The feeling of a dragon moving beneath her was like an electrical transmission telling her just how powerful the dragon was. It made her wish Mer was big enough to fly her around.

"How long will it take for my dragon to get to the point where he can fly me around like this?" Ash asked. "And when will I learn your name? What's your dragon's name?"

"One question at a time, child. To begin with, your dragon will probably take a year or more to grow to this size he, himself, needs to be in order to fly. Another half a year or more to be able to fly with you on his back." The Rider answered.

"Okay, so what's your name?" Ash asked again. Ash still hadn't figured out whether or not this Rider was a boy or a girl. Their voice didn't give it away and it was too dark by now to see their face. And down in the clearing, enough sun was able to get through the trees that the Rider was constantly in a shadow because they had stood in front of the sun.

"My name I will tell you when we get to the safe house. There it will be safe for me to tell you my name, along with my dragon's name." The dragon rumbled in agreement as it tilted its wings and started to arc towards the left.

Ashley settled for that and she was quiet for a few minutes. She was mulling over what had happened to her over the whole course of the day. As she went over the previous conversation with the Rider, she felt as something was slightly odd about something the Rider had said.

"How did you know our names?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" The Rider said, caught off guard by her question.

"How did you know my name and my dragon's name?" She reiterated.

"I already told you. I will give you a better explanation when we -"

"- When we get to the safe house. Yeah, yeah, I get it." Ash sulked and hugged Mer closer to her chest.

"I am sorry, but it is the only way to be safe. Everything will be explained once we are there.

Ash nodded and remained quiet, not understanding why things had to wait. Why should information have to wait? Especially when they were high up in the sky, away from everyone?

She turned her attention to the landscape below them. As long as they had been flying, the landscape hadn't changed at all. The only difference was that the trees were now packed tightly together. The dragon started to descend towards the trees gradually and a large clearing appeared in the tree tops. Inside of the clearing was a large house and a stable with a paddock. The dragon dove into the clearing and landed lightly in the paddock by flapping its wings, slowing it down considerably.

When the dragon was down, the Rider got off and started to undo the straps around Ashley's legs. As soon as she was free, she slid down the dragon's shoulder and into the Rider's arms, who then set her down on her feet. Mer chirped as he looked around the paddock with the same curiosity that Ash did. The paddock was big enough to have two of the Rider's dragon in it. Ashley's jaw dropped, as she set Mer down on the ground. In the stables, from what she could see with the flood light behind her on the house, there were five or six beautiful horses in their stalls.

"What are the horses for?" She asked.

"They are to practice riding. Riding a dragon is surprisingly similar to riding horses." The Rider answered.

"What else to Riders get to do?"

"We basically watch for new Riders, like you, and raise them, teach them, train them, till they are ready to fight the Governments. The oldest of us still remembers the pain they caused our fallen Riders. She remembers the pain that she caused to their soldiers."

"Why does she care about that?" Ashley asked, slightly confused.

"The Riders are not uncompassionate. We care about these who suffer. We strive to not cause anyone pain because that causes us pain as well." The Rider explained.

"Why do we worry about our enemies feelings?"

"We worry about our enemies because we care about all life. We care about every life that is in this world right now, and forever we will be. Every life is a treasure, and should not be wasted."

"What does 'uncompassionate' mean?"

Ashley could tell that the Rider was getting more and more frustrated with all of her questions, but she was glad that finally the Rider was answering them.

"It means uncaring, that one doesn't care about another person, place, or thing. That's the general meaning." The Rider explained, slightly exasperated.

Ashley yawned, a hand over her mouth, and rubbed her eye with the other. All that has happened today was catching up to her. The Rider noticed and smiled slightly. Even though it had only been a few hours since Mercury had hatched and bonded with her, the day had been full.

"Come on, let's get you to bed, little one." The Rider said.

The Rider picked her up and started to carry her towards the house. Ashley was too tired to care that she was being carried around even though she was almost six years old. She was just happy enough to be able to sleep.

After the Rider had put the little girl in bed with her dragon she went to her study and sat down to think. This girl was going to be a handful. She could already tell that the girl was spirited and determined to finish out anything she sets her mind to, with anything but perfect results in her sights. She predicted that at some point she will have a rebellion streak, only because of her stubbornness.

The Rider shook her head as she presented what she thought to her dragon. So what do you think? She asked.

I think she will be a great Rider once she learns all that there is to know about the Riders. But . . . The dragon left its sentence hanging.

But what? The Rider asked.

She's young. We've never had a Rider this young before. We are her parents now. And will be for the rest of her life. The dragon finished.

You are right. She is the youngest in our history, but I think she will always remember where she came from.

She's bright. She will not be easy to pull surprise attacks on.

The Rider laughed out loud, smiling briefly. Go get some sleep, my friend. You need it.

The same to you.

Goodnight, Nyetia.

Goodnight, A'ilarin.

AN: I feel a lot better about this now that it has been updated. I fixed a lot of the pacing issues, so even though it's a monster of a chapter, I think it turned out better this way.

Please R&R!