Chapter 10

When Tristan and Taddeo finally reached Pteros, their instructor, Will, and his skybax mount, Cirrus, were waiting for them on a wide rock ledge that jutted out from a cliff wall. "Lagging behind a bit this morning, I see." Will said.

"Didn't sleep well last night." Tristan quickly explained. "I apologize, sir."

Will looked amused. "Training will only get tougher." He said. "And you'll probably sleep like a rock more often than not." He gave the lat cadets a hearty slap on the shoulder.

Tristan yelped as the jolt sent a fresh wave of pain through his sensitive head. Then, realizing what he'd done, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, trying to look tough again, but it was too late. The other cadets had seen and were laughing. No doubt they were coming up with more 'soft city boy' jokes to crack on him later. Taddeo, at least, gave him a sympathetic look.

Tristan felt warmth spread across his face and it wasn't from the exertion of the two hour climb. He felt just plain stupid. Why couldn't he be like Taddeo? He would've just laughed it off, joking about it and went on like it didn't matter. But it did matter to Tristan. It mattered that he looked tough. It mattered that he looked strong. None of these cadets were going to out show him. And Fira—a girl—definitely wasn't going to either. He wanted to swipe that smirk right off her face and bring her high and mighty attitude down a notch or two.

Tristan tore his heated gaze away from the other cadets' jeering faces, afraid that if he watched any longer his angry thoughts would turn into action. He shifted his attention back to his instructor and immediately wished he hadn't. The man's gaze seemed to pierce right through him. Tristan folded his hands behind him which appeared to be a respectful stance, but he was really just trying to hide his skinned knuckles and scratched forearms from view. He could see the unspoken questions in the man's intelligent brown eyes.

"A bit touchy this morning, are we?" Will said, arching a dark eyebrow as he spoke.

"No sir." Tristan replied.

Will reached out and flicked the bandanna adorning Tristan's head. "And what's up with this? You look like a pirate, not a cadet."

This comment brought on another round of laughter from the rest of the cadets, making Tristan feel like an idiot. He fought the urge to pull it off of his head and pitch it over the cliff edge. But unfortunately, he needed the disguise.

Will must have read the look of disgust on his face. "Listen, see to it that you clean up better next time before a training session and you won't get teased so hard. Also, I don't want to see any more of this late business. Skybax riders must keep a fine image. I don't want any of my cadets being mistaken for a scruffy Dolphin Bay Drifter."

Tristan swallowed hard. He knew what that term meant. Dolphin Bay Drifters were not seen in a good light on Dinotopia. They were known to be rough and rebellious folks who treated the Peace Code loosely. They were dubbed 'Dolphin Bay Drifters because their main headquarters, the Blackfish Tavern, was located just south of Sauropolis along the Dolphin Bay. According to folk lore, their origins came from shipwrecked pirates.

"And you." Will turned to Taddeo who hadn't said a word since they'd arrived. "You're unusually quiet. What's your excuse for being late?"

Taddeo's gaze switched over to Tristan, who looked back at him nervously.

Taddeo cleared his throat. "Well, sir, seeing as how you like for your cadets to stick together on the long hike up here, I stayed behind with Tristan so he wouldn't have to be alone. He couldn't seem to keep up with the usual pace this morning."

Tristan held his breath.

Will's gaze flicked back and forth between the two cadets. He looked as if he were about to ask another question, but then changed his mind. "See to it that neither of you are late again." He said instead.

"Yes sir." Both Taddeo and Tristan said in unison.

"Alright then. We'll move on."

The cadets lined up against the cliff wall while Will paced in front of them, commencing the day's first lecture. He talked about clouds and weather patterns and how to pick up on the warning signs of a building storm. It wasn't long before Tristan found it difficult to focus. Two nights in a row without the proper sleep along with a headache was taking its toll. Taddeo kindly elbowed him when Tristan's eyes started to get that glazed look in them. Tristan rubbed his eyes and eventually shifted his gaze toward the skybax that stood behind Will.

Cirrus basked in the golden morning light, calmly preening himself. Apparently the skybax had grown accustomed to being present during these training sessions for young cadets. Tristan wondered if Cirrus had ever met the night flyer skybax. If only there was a way to communicate with Cirrus. Maybe he could relay to him what the night skybax's name was. Tristan had already learned during the first day of training that no one approaches a skybax but its rider, so the only one who could do that with Cirrus would be Will. If Tristan wanted to know the night skybax's name, he'd have to go through Will to find out from Cirrus, which would mean that Will would find out about Tristan's forbidden night excursions outside the city limits. Tristan watched the skybax closely, impressed at how at ease the creature appeared. Maybe through time Cirrus had become comfortable enough around cadets that he wouldn't feel threatened if one ever approached him in an attempt of communication.

Tristan suddenly realized the silence around him other than the whistling breeze and the distant chatter of skybaxes in the nearby rookery. He quickly shifted his attention back to his instructor and swallowed hard at seeing the irritated look on the man's face.

"Tristan, I asked you a question. I know that in order to get into rider training you had to pass the physical, so your hearing must be excellent. Therefore the only other explanation for your lack of response is purely from not paying attention."

"Yes sir." Tristan mumbled.

"Please, share your thoughts. I'd really like to know what was more important to you at the moment than learning about how to become a rider. That is why you're here, remember?"

Laughter rose from the other cadets. For the second time that morning, Tristan felt the heat of embarrassment rise to his face. Fine then. They could know what his thoughts were. He knew they all expected his answer to be anywhere but on the skybax world, but they were wrong. It would be a pleasure to disappoint them.

Tristan lifted his chin determinedly. "I apologize, sir." He said. "I was watching Cirrus and thinking about him."

Will rubbed at the dark stubble on his chin and shot his troublesome cadet a challenging look. "Oh? And what were those thoughts?"

"I was noting how relaxed he was, despite being so near others who are clearly not his rider."

"And does that impress you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Because of this observation, do you think that you could ever approach him?"

"The thought did cross my mind, but not without respect. It would only be an attempt to communicate a question to him."

"And what question of yours could Cirrus answer that I could not?"

Tristan's confidence waned and he squirmed, uncomfortable with the direction things were going. He racked his brain, trying to come up with a suitable answer, but nothing would come.

Will noted Tristan's hesitancy and chose to go on, pacing closely in front of the cadets. "If you wish to communicate with skybaxes, you have to learn to pay attention to what your instructor teaches you. I understand the disinterest in learning from another human. I understand the desire to learn from the skybax itself, and trust me, those times will come, but not until you learn to discipline yourself to pay attention to those who are trying to help you. Learning from an experienced rider will save you from making serious mistakes."

As Will spoke, he paced in front of the other riders. H paused a moment in front of Mathias and gave him a pointed look. "Some people want to be so tough that a skybax will reject him because of the lack of showing enough affection."

He moved on to Jamin. "And then there are those who follow in other people's shadows, wanting what others have and forgetting that they have unique gifts of their own." Jamin ducked his head as Will squeezed his shoulder.

"And some people go to extra measures trying to prove their worth just because they're smaller or different, or feel outnumbered or that the odds are against them. This comes across as arrogance. A typical skybax views this with caution. There are too many mistakes made with an arrogant attitude." Fira's face took on a bright shade of pink as Will said this while pausing in front of her.

"And some people talk too much and miss important details. A skybax will feel unimportant in such a position and irritated at not being heard enough." He said this while passing Taddeo.

Then he moved on, pausing in front of Tristan. "If you're not willing to take advice from someone else, how can a skybax trust that you will consider the advice it has to offer you?" Will gave all the cadets a fierce look, but his gaze settled on Tristan. "There are things to know before approaching a skybax on your own." Will reached out and lightly rapped his knuckles on the top of Tristan's head. "It will save you from getting hurt, or even worse, killed."

Tristan managed to keep from yelping out loud this time, but he flinched, gritting his teeth and wondered at the extra emphasis Will put on the word, 'hurt,' and the deliberate rap to his aching head. Had the man guessed why he was sore? Would he demand an explanation later, or was this his way of delivering a gentle warning? He couldn't look into Will's eyes for fear the man would guess it all. As a result, he kept his gaze riveted on the gravel at his feet.

Will returned to his position near Cirrus again and picked up where he'd left off on the lesson. Tristan realized then, that the man had been gracious. Instead of pinpointing just Tristan and his faults, (which he'd fully deserved), he'd incorporated each cadet into the scolding, giving them all a personal aspect to reflect upon. Because of this, no one sent any more jeering looks his way, and everyone remained exceptionally attentive and behaved humbly for the rest of training that day.