Luna woke up before me, she said the baby had spent the early morning biting her tail. I didn't even feel her wake up or crawl out of my lap. No one woke me up for a shift again, I guess they don't think I can watch for danger.

"How are we going to fly with the baby?" I asked Luna.

"I was thinking we just keep her in the chest, take out some of the blankets, it will be soft and there's some space."

"And shut the lid? That seems harsh."

"She might try to get out if we leave it open," Luna also sounded worried.

"Well I'll watch her, make sure she stays in. I don't want to lock her in a chest all day and from what Matt is saying, we're flying all day long."

"I'm glad I slept then, until she bit my tail this morning," Luna snorted.

"Don't let her do that, I don't want her to think it's okay."

"It did not harm me" Luna said lovingly as she bent down to nuzzle the baby.

"Still," I picked her up. "No biting," I said sternly sending an image of biting being bad.

"She's quite rascal isn't she," Corin wandered over.

"Well, being a day old, I'm cutting her some slack," I held her close and scratched her scales. She hummed happily, but then squirmed and jumped from my arms.

"Female dragons are known to be more outgoing and confident," Valor offered.

"She is very outgoing," Luna agreed.

"So are you," I laughed, strapping the chest into place.

Serena walked over," Alyson, I need a minute with you...," she looked to Corin. "Alone."

Corin left without a word and Serena watched him go," I don't trust him."

"Me neither."

"What are the odds he shows up right after the attack... one that happened right after he came. It's too suspicious."

"I thought so too, but Matt says his loyal to the Queen."

"Still... watch your back. Okay ? Men like him, they are sneaky."

"Tell me about it," I finished tying the chest in place.

"I'll keep an eye out for you too."

"Thanks," I smiled.

She smiled back," It's the least I can do, I know you are the one who had them wait for us. Matt would never...," Serena looked down ans cleared her throat. "Let me know if you need to land today, for the baby or anything. They're putting me in the front after what happened."

"Oh, alright. Thanks."

I scurried after the baby and picked her up, she screeched at me and tired to jump down.

"Oh, I think you're right. We might have to put the lid on," I told Luna as I set her down in the chest.

The small gray beast bared her teeth and screeched again. Luna turned to look at her, her stare alone was enough to calm the baby down for a moment, I could hear the soft melody playing in my head.

"You're sending her the humming song?"

"It worked for us," Luna half shrugged.

The baby's subconscious reached out and hummed into my head.

"It's so pretty..."

"Very beautiful," Luna agreed.

"So we have a three way connection now. Everything you send to her, I also get?"

"Yes, but I believe as she grows we could each have a separate link with her."

"We'll have to wait and see."

As we flew, he baby tried to get out a few times, even when I used the hum on her, so we had to cover the top. She fought against it and it hurt because I could tell she was scared of it, but then she overworked herself and fell asleep. We stopped briefly before starting the journey across the lake and Matt was right it took some time, but Luna did keep up with everyone. We were making really good time according to Matt and stopped for the night beside the Ninor River.

When I let the baby out she almost pushed me over she jumped out so fast. She ran up and down the river, chasing frogs and eating them.

"She needs to burn off that energy," I chucked and helped Luna out of her saddle. "I also feel like she needs a name. I waited a few days after I had you, but that was just the shock of a dragon."

"Dragons name themselves for the most part," Diamond interrupted.

"Oh yeah... I kind of forgot about that."

"She is still too young to do so," Diamond continued. "It can take time for a dragon to pick their own name, and even then it may change as they do."

"Right..."

"It took me so long to think of a good name for you... even harder now that I can't look stuff up," I told Luna privately.

"She may pick her own name,"Luna countered.

"But what if I don't like it," I whined.

"It is not your name, Alyson. She may chose what she is called."

I went to the river with Luna so she could drink and I could keep an eye out on the baby. I was thirsty so I went for a drink and my palm caught my eye.

"Luna?"

"Yes."

"My gewngy thing... it changed."

"Changed?," she asked peering over my shoulder.

"Look," I showed her my palm. Her white line was still there across my palm but now connected to it to create a point was a gray line, the same distance. If I held my hand it looked like two sides of a triangle without a bottom. "Is that normal?"

"None of this normal, my acorn. You are the second of your kind to exist."

"Wasn't... there was something about this... Matt brought it up. When he told us about the dragon master... Remember? The council was there."

"That feels so long ago."

I heard a screech down the river and an image of snail passed through my mind, I turned and saw the baby digging at the muddy bank.

"Ahh, snails. So delicious," Luna fawned over her memories.

"Well, just make sure she doesn't drown. I need to talk to Matt," I went back to camp. "Matt. Look my gewngy thing! It changed!"

"Your what?," he face was scrunched and he pushed up his glasses.

"Look," I showed him my palm.

"Your Gedwey ignasia...," he corrected in a whisper, then taking my palm to study it. "That is... very strange. When did this happen?"

"I'm guessing when I touched her.. the baby, I mean. It reminded me of what you said... when you told us all about the Skulblaka Ebrithil "

"Yes, Tarathi's journals,"he reached into his bag and found the one he was looking for. He flipped through the pages and found a highlighted section. " The gedwey ignasia is to look as if the Rider has been cut across the palm," he read aloud.

"And we all had that."

"Yes," he flipped some more pages," But it doesn't say anything about it changing. The original Skulblaka Ebrithil, in the old stories, it said he shown from head to toe... he got a new ignasia for each bond... they didn't all go on his hand."

"So this is weird, right?"

"It's fascinating," Matt took out a pen and copied the new mark on my hand in his journal. "Tell me if it changes. Have you noticed a new gedwey ignasia anywhere else."

"What? No."

"This also reminds me, I wanted to talk to you about the riddle."

"The riddle?"

"The one Tarathi wrote about who the next Skulblaka Ebrithil would be. Remember?"

"Not... really. Sorry?"

Matt dug around for another book and pulled it out, flipping to the tagged section," Here it is: A lie is never told when his name is said, the dragon master fills the hearts of his enemies with dread. He will rule of Alagaesia's domain as long as nature courses through his veins."

"Rule of Alagaesia's domain? What does that mean?"

"I'm more focused on the first part: a lie is never told when his name is said."

I shrugged," Well, I lie all the time. I mean, my parents think I'm in Maine right now."

"Hmmm...," Matthew was puzzled. "We know why you fill your enemies hearts with dread, but what does it mean, nature coursing through the veins?"

"Wait why do I cause dread in the hearts of my enemies?"

"Because of your power," Matthew waved it away. "Nature through your veins... veins. Maybe I need a blood sample..."

"I don't think so," I back away while Matthew tried to work his way through the puzzle.

Luna was with Verona and Diamond, all playing with the baby, which made me smile.

"Diamond loves babies," Ashley made me jump, she came out of nowhere. "I know she wants to have another egg and raise it, but usually Riders don't get that chance."

"why?," I asked.

"Mostly it's the wild dragons that raise babies and Dragon Rider eggs are put in the vault for the future."

"That's kind of harsh," I admitted as we both watched the dragons on the bank.

"Yeah... Diamond would be a wonderful mother," Ashley told me.

"I'm sure."

"It means a lot to her... to have the baby around, you know?"

"Oh... well, cool? We might get another one in a few days," I chuckled awkwardly.

Ashley turned to me," I'm just trying to say thanks... for letting Diamond be with the baby."

I shrugged," I don't mind. Luna's already got a pretty watchful eye on her, but another set of eyes never hurts."

Ashley nodded," Yeah" then walked back to Collin.

Damn... there really might be another baby in a few days. That's so soon. Can we handle two babies? That's a lot.

The baby jumped and ran away from the dragons, straight towards me, I bent down and she ran into me, smearing her mud all over my clothes and face.

"Oh... Oh... okay... wow... okay," I pushed her down gently spitting the mud out of my mouth. "Couldn't clean her up? " I asked Luna who was laughing along with Verona, Diamond and now Razor too.

"Perhaps you both could use a bath," she came up to me still laughing.

"So you think I smell?," I was too afraid to take a whiff.

"I think that I have smelled better things" she phrased it carefully, nudging the baby back to the water. "I will bathe her."

"Thanks Luna."

"I could use a shower too" Serena called over to me.

"I can tell you now that water is nowhere near warm," Corin chuckled at the sight of me.

"Well," I wiped the smile off my face. "Smells like we could all use a shower," I walked past him to where my stuff was.

We didn't pack any clothes, it was so rushed. There was some spare tunics at the safe house/cave thing that we took. I can change into those.

"Here," Serena came up next to me. "I'll come too. I can use a little magic, maybe heat the water up some."

"Awesome," I grabbed my new clothes.

"We can go down the river a ways, away from prying eyes," Serena snickered as we passed Collin and Ashley.

"Believe me, I don't think anyone wants to look at this" I gestured to myself.

"Girl, don't do that. You are beautiful."

I scoffed," I'm 5'5 230lbs with B cup boobs and no ass to speak of. No one wants to look at this."

Serena rolled her eyes," It's all about confidence, guys can sense that."

"Well, that must be what my ex sees in his new girlfriend," I felt a little scratch in my throat thinking about Darion, it had been so long since I'd seen him or really even thought about him at all. I glanced back to check on Luna and the baby, they were both in the river, Diamond and Razor with them, taking turns splashing one another. "I'm glad they can still have some fun" I tried to change the topic.

"Yeah, just hope no one comes this way. Matt is pretty good at wards but I don't really want to test it out. Here's good. I can barely see the camp," she dropped her new clothes and stripped.

Oh crap... I really don't want to get naked with her. But Serena did not care at all, she showed it all out and then turned to the river. I wasn't gay, but damn, I wished I had an ass like her. She was so curvy and in all the right places, like a hour glass and I was the opposite of an hour glass.

"Brisingr, [1]" Serena uttered and some sparks flew you onto the river. "Whoops," she tucker her hair behind her ears. "I'll try again."

I guess that means I have to get naked too... damn and I'm not even tan! I'm so pasty!

"Brisingr," Serena repeated and the top of the water caught on fire. "Perfect. Now it'll heat up a bit."

"Great," I looked everywhere but at her.

She giggled," I'm not shy, Alyson."

"Yeah, I can tell. And, trust me, you have no reason to be."

"You don't either. Everyone is is different, but great in their own way."

I cringed," Ew, you sound like every beauty guru every. Next thing you'll tell me is 'Beauty is skin deep' or 'God made me just the way I am'."

Serena laughed," I'm not that corny. Letta[2]," she waved a hand and the fire was gone. She dipped in and moaned," That is so fucking good."

Even Luna thinks I smell, I need to shower... it's been over a week. We're girls so it's whatever I guess. I took off my clothes and got in the water. It was perfect, hot, but not too hot. I dipped my head underwater and tried to scrub my hair.

"It's been so long since I've had a bath," Serena closed her eyes and told me when I came up for air.

"Yeah, I never get to. My brothers are huge bathroom hogs."

"Yeah, I forgot you have a big family. How many? 5?"

"I have four older brothers," I corrected her. "I wish we had soap.," I tried rubbed the mud of me and it's darkened the water around me, spanning out.

She groaned," me too... but this is as good as it gets on the road. Four brothers, huh? I have one sister and I can barely handle her," Serena laughs. "Speaking of which," she looks back to camp. "My guy can still get us home."

"What? Really?" I almost slipped on the muddy river bottom.

"Yeah, I'm just letting you know. No pressure or anything, it's just an option. Now that you're the Skulblaka Ebrithil... I understand if you can't."

I sighed," It's not that I don't want to. I really do, I want to see my family, it's just, I can't abandon Luna. She belongs here, you know?"

Serena nodded," Believe me I get it... but this isn't some one time thing. He can get us there and bring us back. It could be just like a day trip or something."

"Wait, seriously?"

"For sure," Serena nodded lifting her toes out of the water.

"That... That actually changes a lot... I might actually do it then. If you're sure he can bring us back."

"Of course I am... Also, I've been meaning to ask. You and Collin? Still go the hots for him," she gave me a devilish grin.

I faked gagged," Ew, no. That ship has long since sailed."

"Ooooo, so you did at one time?"

I rolled my eyes," Yeah when I first met him, I mean he was cute and it felt like he understood but then he lied to me about everything!"

"I get it, he roped me in the same way. That boy is charming and he knows how to work those dimples,"we both laughed. "It's getting cold..." Serena wrapped her arms around herself.

"Yeah, we should get out. Get to the fire."

"Yeah, come on," we got dressed quickly and ran back to camp.

After dinner I snuggled against Luna,"I feel so much better."

"You smell better too."

"Hey, you better watch it," I warned her. "Where's the baby?"

"By the fire," Luna nodded.

I looked and there she was, the little gray bulb of scales curled up by the edge of the flames.

"Did you wear her out again?"

"It's the only way we'll get sleep. And I need it to keep up with these dragons, they are faster than they look. But you are free to stay up with her through the night."

I laughed," No thank you."

I sent a picture of the little gray dragon sleeping in my arms into her head and she woke up and trotted over, happily climbing into my lap.

"Dang, you're already getting so big," I smiled at her and she hummed happily.

[1]- Fire

[2]- Stop