Marc stood taller, looking even more dignified then before. "You expect me to help this...this...snake?" he asked. Jake sighed quietly. Though Marc was a fair and just leader of the League, he was known to be proud and, at times, stubborn. Coran glared. The shadowy fire appeared in her cupped hand once again. Her breath hissed through her teeth. "He was captured unjustly." Coran said in a whisper. "You know that." Marc walked to the other end of the room, perhaps not wanting to face her wrath. "From what we've heard from our alliance with the Varden, Murtagh killed Oromis and King Hrothgar...in cold blood!" Coran exhaled angrily and stormed out of the room, with a final statement. "Whatever." she said. "But I want you to know that if Murtagh comes back he'll be in my bedroom." Marc opened his mouth, but she was already out the door. Jake quietly followed after her, with an apologetic look at Marc, who was still fuming in the corner of the room.
Coran woke up late the next day, groggy from her midnight argument with the League Operator. In fact the only reason she woke up at all was because someone was shaking her awake. "Jake!" she growled. "Are we being burned alive or eaten, or being layed siege to?" Jake answered hesitantly. "No-o." Coran rolled over. "Then why did you wake me up?" Jake looked away. "I-I didn't want to see you yelled at by McCollans." Jake said, talking about the skills master, who trained soldiers. Coran rolled onto the floor, and got to her feet, and then turned around to Jake. "Do you mind?" she said, annoyed. Jake walked sheepishly out of the room as Coran got dressed. For battle training she donned a leather tee, dark leggings, leather boots and, as a finishing touch, put her hair up into a bun. She met Jake outside her door, and they started down the hall for training. As they neared the training door, next to the infirmary, a girl no older than Coran burst out of the double infirmary doors. "Looks like your wish came true, Coran." the girl, Dee, said. Coran looked ecstatic. "Jake, tell McCollans I have an emergency in the infirmary." Coran went over to Dee, her partner in the infirmary. Dee looked at Coran for a moment, trying to look reprimanding, but after a minute she grabbed Coran's hands and the two girls broke into wild smiles. "I knew he'd come back, I just knew it!" Dee said excitedly. Coran let go of Dee. "You thought he wouldn't?" she asked. Dee looked around, trying to change the subject. "Listen, Coran, I don't know how badly Murtagh might be hurt. Whatever happens..." Dee broke off and held up her hand, turning the back toward Coran. On it was a small insignia, that looked like a dragon. "We'll always be there for each other." Coran finished. she held up her hand, too, and on it was the exact same tattoo as on Dee's. They grabbed each other's hands as they heard a man scream, and together they walked into the infirmary.
They couldn't even imagine what they would find there.