Chapter Thirteen
Broken Bones
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
When everyone at last awoke, Teclian and Glaedr delivered their ultimatum to Saphira, while everyone else packed camp.
When breakfast was finished, the two ancient dragons approached the two young she-dragons.
Have you forgiven Thelduin, Saphira? Asked Glaedr.
She refuses to apologise truly to me. Saphira said to everyone.
Brom winced and dropped his head into his hand, rubbing his brow.
And how do you fathom that Thelduin hasn't apologised? She has placed herself at your mercy, and has apologised, and waited the whole night through for you to forgive her, and yet you persist on her apologising in a way that she cannot, simply out of pride. Asked Teclian.
You said it yourself, master, she cannot apologise in the language of power, thus she is not truly sorry. Replied Saphira, and this was quickly followed by Teclian knocking Saphira off her feet, with a swipe of his tail and pinning her with one of his massive forepaws.
Respect others, hatchling! Your reaction to Thelduin's trickery last night is excusable, but your arrogance and self-importance does nothing to win you allies, and what's more, Thelduin cannot apologise in the ancient language, due to the fact Elmïra and myself have only recently seen fit to begin instructing Aragon and Thelduin in magic, and even then, we have decided it safer for them to learn from Oromis; And while Elmïra and myself lodge with Oromis and Glaedr, you will afford us the same respect you do your masters, is that clear? Asked Teclian.
Silence greeted him.
Answer him Saphira, with the same respect you would give me, Oromis, the Scion, Vrael or any other senior member of our order. Said Glaedr dangerously.
Yes…Master. The last part was added grudgingly.
Good, now put this stupidity behind you, and grant Thelduin forgiveness, then apologise yourself for keeping her awake all night, simply to satisfy your pride. Said Glaedr.
Saphira let out a huge sigh as Teclian released her.
I forgive you, Thelduin, and I in turn hope you will forgive me for keeping you awake all night, simply to satisfy my pride, a dragoness shouldn't have to beg, or be at the mercy of another, after all; Will you forgive me? She asked.
Thelduin stood up, and Aragon winced as he heard joints crack.
I forgive you, but I think you owe me a meal or two as well. Said Thelduin.
Saphira growled warningly, then broke off as she heard, Thelduin, Teclian, Glaedr, Aragon, and even Brom laughing.
She snorted, and with great dignity, approached Brom, and ignored everyone else as he worked at saddling her.
Flying.
Swooping, diving, looping, rolling, jinking, coiling through the air with not a care in the world.-Asides from the kilometre long drop to the ground below, but that was just a detail.
Aragon whooped with exhilaration as Thelduin went into a vertical dive through a cloud, and corkscrewed through the other side, coming out behind Morzan, and his dragon partner Anarch.
Despite his name, Anarch was more cautious than his partner, and ironically, preferred to stay on the straight and narrow, and did his best to keep his rider on the same path.
With little success.
Aragon mused that any blind fool could see Morzan was completely rebellious by nature, and delighted in bending the rules to shatter-point just for the sake of it.
Aragon turned his attention to Morzan, who'd gone as pale as a sheet at Thelduin's surprise attack.
As far as Aragon could tell, from five days lodging alongside Oromis and his students, Morzan wasn't all that bright, although he had a devious and mean streak, and he was a bit too skilled at manipulating Brom, and some of the other novice riders for Aragon's liking.
He'd even tried a combination of standover tactics and subtle threats to try and bully Aragon into doing what he wanted.
Aragon had knocked Morzan's legs out from under him, causing him to fall flat on his back. Hard.
Anarch had been out flying at the time, and would later complain of feeling like he'd fallen backwards off a cliff.
Thelduin began harrying Anarch towards the ground.
Morzan went to attack Thelduin's vulnerable underside, only to be met by Aragon, hanging one handed off of the front of Thelduin's saddle, with his sword in the other hand.
A quick prompt from Aragon, and Thelduin pressed close to Anarch, and Aragon let go of Thelduin's saddle, landing lightly on his feet behind Morzan, with a long knife in hand.
In retaliation, Anarch began to rock unpredictably in an attempt to shake Aragon off, but he wouldn't be swayed.
Displaying superb balance, which had only improved from his martial arts studies, Aragon began fighting Morzan, who'd also sheathed his sword in favour of a long knife, and was fending Aragon off desperately with one hand while he tried to free his legs.
Aragon wasn't to be denied however, and feinted a two-handed, overhead stab, and used it as a cover to switch hands, before cutting at Morzan on the side opposite his knife, forcing him to block across his body, and leaving him open for Aragon to arrest any further attacks from Morzan by grabbing hold of his forearm, just below the elbow, and holding it in the closed up position Morzan had gotten himself into.
In response, Anarch did a one-hundred-and-eighty degree roll, but Aragon just grimly hung on, sheathing his knife, in favour of grasping Morzan's arm with both hands.
As a safety measure, Aragon also twisted Morzan's thumb until he was holding onto his knife with only his fingers.
Aragon quickly released his right hand from Morzan's, grabbing the knife and slipping it into his belt, before resuming his two handed grip on his opponent's arm.
Thelduin, now would be a really good time… Said Aragon, clenching his teeth against the strident aches in his arms.
I'm coming, friend of my soul, but I've got company. Responded Thelduin, before diving out of a cloud just in front of Anarch, who was now beginning to struggle with flying inverted.
Thelduin flew under Aragon, who dropped into his saddle with relief, before drawing his sword and placing the point between Morzan's eyes.
Dead. He said mentally to Morzan and Anarch, who immediately peeled off, heading back to Ilirea.
Not a moment too soon, here they come! Warned Thelduin, and Aragon quickly pressed himself to his saddle, as Saphira and Brom came out of the same cloud Thelduin had, as Thelduin twisted midair into a coiled defensive position, and hung there waiting.
Aragon had his sword ready as he looked at the intervening distance between Saphira and Thelduin, and picked out Brom, who was looking resolutely back, sword in hand.
The adversaries remained in their respective positions a moment longer, sizing each other up, then, just as Aragon had expected, Saphira powered forward, eager to come to grips with Thelduin.
Since she'd been bested by Thelduin on the great plain, Saphira had been unable to return the favour, although Thelduin had attempted to show Saphira some flying manoeuvres, with absolutely no success.
Not due to Saphira's pride, but more due to the fact that Thelduin was capable of flight purely due to magical power, and less bulky, thus meaning she flew differently to Saphira, who found it a daunting prospect to try and compete with Thelduin in the air.
And contraire to what Brom had assumed, Thelduin's ability to size-shift hadn't been a fluke of dragon-magic, because when they'd reached Ilirea, Thelduin had immediately shrunk herself to hatchling size, and landed on Aragon's shoulder.
All the others could do, including Saphira, was stare.
Brom on the other hand, was the antithesis of Morzan: Excitable, friendly, bright, humble,-and in Aragon's opinion a little on the gullible side when it came to Morzan, who he hero-worshipped.
Aragon had taken a liking to Brom, who also seemed to be as taken by Aragon as he was by Morzan.
Brom was also supremely interested to learn martial arts like Aragon, while Aragon in turn was interested to know how Oromis intended to teach him magic.
They both answered the other's question with the same answer: 'It's nothing but hard work.'
It also turned out that Brom was fairly competent at the martial arts skills Elmïra had to teach, and the two apprentices had begun sparring together, Aragon taking it easy on Brom, until the boy began to strike with the same force as Aragon could muster.
Then they both went hard on the other.
Aragon was snapped out of his musings by Saphira grabbing Thelduin's tail, and beginning to pull her into a crushing bear hug.
Aragon could also feel Brom trying to gain access his mind, a skill that Aragon had learnt Brom was very good at.
So instead of mentally proposing his plan to Thelduin, Aragon was forced to shout it.
'Thelduin, deadweight!' Aragon shouted, and Thelduin instantly began to fall as she released the magic she used to fly.
Saphira lurched as Thelduin's tactic unexpectedly yanked her towards the earth on a downstroke, meaning she fell twice as far as usual on the upstroke, and was having to do twice the work, but not for long.
When Saphira lurched, Thelduin shot skywards in a steep arc, reaching her zenith above Saphira, and behind Brom.
As she descended, and wrapped herself around Saphira, Aragon once again leapt clear of Thelduin, and onto the back of his opponent's dragon, but this time, began attacking Brom with a blistering storm of attacks: sting-punches, backhand cuts, stabs, forehand cuts, overhead club-fists, uppercuts, anything that kept Brom on the defensive, and too preoccupied to fend off Thelduin while she constricted Saphira.
Brom was tenacious though, and soon, Aragon was gasping for breath, much like Saphira, only Saphira hadn't already duelled Anarch and Morzan.
Without prompting, Thelduin again dead weighted, only now, the strain was too much for Saphira, and she began to fall.
Brom lurched in his saddle, and Aragon took the opportunity to place his sword at Brom's throat, and shout 'Dead!'
Thelduin released her constriction hold, and Saphira took a shuddering breath, before extending her wings again.
She lurched unexpectedly as she did, and Aragon didn't have the advantage of Thelduin to lean on any more, and lost his balance, and promptly fell off Saphira.
Thelduin! Aragon screamed mentally, as the ground grew larger in his vision, and he began to make out details, like the shallow pond he was going to fall into.
As his boots hit the water,-which Aragon immediately doubted was water, because it felt more like solid rock, and his vision went red as something broke,- He felt a sharp yank on his jacket, as Thelduin grabbed his collar.
Or at least, Aragon's last thought was to hope it was Thelduin, before the pain became to much and he passed out.
When Aragon at last awoke, the first things he saw were two familiar faces, two unfamiliar ones, and one he didn't really want to see, but couldn't blink away, so just had to put up with.
Aragon? Asked Thelduin with concern.
Yeah, thanks for saving me Thelduin, I think I owe you a massage for that. Answered Aragon groggily.
It wasn't me that saved you, I was too far away. Replied Thelduin guiltily.
Aragon thought about this for a moment, then decided it might be an idea to sit up.
He instantly regretted it as intense pain radiated from his left leg.
'Easy Aragon, you don't want to damage that leg any more than it already has been.' Said a familiar male voice, from the human-ish face he couldn't recognise.
'Erm, I must've hit my head at some point back there, who are you again?' Asked Aragon.
The unfamiliar figure snorted. 'You must've hit your head alright Aragon, it's me, Jarren.' Said Jarren with a tone that indicated he was smiling.
'Guess I owe you one then.' Said Aragon blearily.
'No, you owe Infernia for the catch, my friend.' Replied the blurred Jarren, waving aside what Aragon had said.
'What were you thinking?' Enquired Elmïra, one of the two familiar faces he'd recognised immediately.
'You said that Morzan, Brom, Anarch, Saphira and I were supposed to practice aerial combat didn't you, mistress?' Asked Aragon in reply.
'Not what I meant, student of mine, what were you thinking, actually jumping onto Saphira and Anarch like that?' Asked Elmïra, in a tone she was having difficulty keeping a lid on just how angry she was.
Aragon thought for a while, then gave up, his leg was still pounding in pain, and it felt like an urgal was beating a tattoo against his skull, making it to difficult to think.
'It seemed like a good idea at the time,' said Aragon, then added quickly, 'mind you, there was probably more to it than that, but I'm not thinking too clearly at the minute, so ask again later.'
The sound of a deep, slow, shuddering breath, then an equally shaky exhalation, was enough to tell Aragon that as soon as his leg was fixed, he was probably going to spend the rest of his stay in Ilirea in the infirmary.
Then the idea was dashed as he heard Elmïra speak. 'Oromis, don't bother fixing his leg completely, just fix anything serious, like torn ligaments and muscles, or damaged nerves, then set his leg, maybe letting it heal at it's natural pace will drum into my apprentice to think before he acts.' The last part was dripping with emphasis, and Aragon knew it was for his benefit.
Well I buggered that up good and proper didn't I? Aragon asked Thelduin as he contemplated spending the next month or so with one leg in a cast while he went around on crutches.
Aragon, if it wasn't for your concussion, and your broken leg, I'd deck you with my tail. Replied Thelduin.
And don't I know it. Aragon thought to himself, then gritted his teeth as Oromis began the tricky business of mending his smashed leg.
This chapter didn't change any, except for the number, which was fixed for the obvious reason that another chapter appeared between nine and ten.
No One-liners!