Chapter 4: Becoming a Ward
“Just be honest.” Astralux can’t stop wriggling, her tail tapping excitedly on the stone floor. “That’s always the best idea around Veremund and my father.”
I’ve been deliberating over a pretty blue dress and a white cloth shirt and dark gray set of slacks for many minutes now. I don’t know whether to look beautiful and confident, or appear at ease and blend in. Deciding that all I’m doing is telling Ward Veremund my intention to join the Wards, and wanting to be practically dressed in case training starts right away, I don the shirt and slacks, slipping on a pair of fresh white socks and slipping my foot into the new dark leather boots that have been provided to me.
It’s at this moment that I realize I brought nothing from home except my shoes, which are badly worn. If only I had grabbed something. Then again, when I had left the house to go the privy, I wasn’t expecting that I would never again step inside my house, and that it would have been set on fire.
Shuddering, I pause to look into the vanity mirror. My wavy locks of black hair stick out at haphazard angles, and I smooth the loose strands down. Then I pause, staring at my deep blue eyes that look so bright against my dark brown skin. Maybe it’s because I’m missing home again, but I regret that I don’t look more like mom.
And that’s when I realize that I have nothing from home.
“Estelle?” Astralux asks. “You seem sad.”
I look up at my bonded dragon. “How do you honor Tristin?” I ask. “How do you remember him?”
“I bear his marks.” Astralux holds up her front right leg, showing faded gray marks that swirl along her legs.
My eyes well up with tears. “I have nothing from home. Nothing from my mom.”
Tilting her head, Astralux watches me with her deep blue eyes. Then she leans her head down and nuzzles my chest. “You carry her love and teachings in you. Just as I carry my parents’ instruction and compassion that they have shown me throughout my years. It’s not something you can see, but it affects us deeper than anything we could show.”
I wrap my arms around Astralux’s nose, smiling even as a tear drips down my cheek. “Thanks.”
“I know it’s overwhelming. But this is really exciting!” Astralux’s joy returns, and I can’t help but laugh as she squirms in place. “I would carry you up, but I still need to get a saddle.”
“The flying part I’m not looking forward to,” I say, following Astralux’s policy that honesty is best.
Astralux gives a snort. “I’m not surprised—you were forced to ride me without a saddle and without training through multiple fights. That’s probably left a bad taste for flying in your mouth.”
I nod in agreement. “You’re right.” I glance at myself again, realizing that my eyes match Astralux’s. Wondering if that’s Ariadna’s doing, and somehow feeling encouraged by it, I turn to Astralux. “What do you think?”
“I see a pretty fire-wielder with a heart of gold,” Astralux says cheerily.
I’m not sure I like being known for my magic, given that I spent my entire life pretending I didn’t feel it coursing through my veins, but I can tell that Astralux sincerely sees this as a positive. I pat her on the side. “Thanks, Astralux. I’ll meet you up on the Sunroom.”
“I can’t wait!” Astralux turns, padding opposite the door to the room. She steps out onto a large balcony, stretching her wings, and then simply jumps off the edge.
I shudder, not looking forward to the flying part of Ward-training. But I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to be a Ward.
Unlocking the door, I open it and start in surprise to see Ward Amon, standing outside the door with one hand raised as if to knock. “Oh! Ward Amon, you startled me!” I exclaim.
“I’m sorry about that, Estelle,” Ward Amon says. “I wanted to invite you to lunch in Adytol. I thought after the interruption yesterday, you would appreciate spending some more time seeing the city.” He gives me a handsome smile, watching me intently with his slightly angled, yellow-hazel eyes.
I smile. “Thank you, Ward Amon. I’d like that. But I need to talk to Ward Veremund and Kalteratem and confirm my schedule, first.”
“Confirm your schedule?” Ward Amon holds out his arm and I take it, feeling a little bashful. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve made my decision about whether or not to be a Ward,” I say.
Ward Amon raises an eyebrow. “And? What have you decided?”
I almost say the words on my tongue. But after a pause I shake my head. “I want to speak with Ward Veremund first. Even if everyone else is present, he should know first.”
“Of course,” Ward Amon says. “I’m simply worried about you.”
“Worried about me?”
Ward Amon nods. “Many of us that become Wards are warriors. We’re ready to face battle and death. But when I look at you, I don’t see a warrior.”
“What do you see?” I ask.
“A beautiful woman who is as gentle as a doe,” Ward Amon says. “Perhaps it is just my heart getting in the way, though. It occasionally does that still.”
Surprised by such a blatant admission of affection, I stare up at Ward Amon, who has another heart-melting smile on his fair face. There’s a part of me that hesitates to become a Ward. This man has said the very things I’m worried about—I’m no fighter. And the very idea of training for battle makes me queasy.
But then I think about Astralux, eagerly waiting for my arrival, and I think about the good that we could do for Adytol, and maybe even Amenyl, or perhaps all of Drakonia. And I realize I can’t not train to be a Ward. I’m already bonded to a skilled dragon with an amazing breath. To not be a Ward would be to withhold Ariadna’s hand.
“Thank you for your concern,” I say. “And your compliment.”
“I do mean it.” Ward Amon guides me to the spiral stairs leading up to the Sunroom. “You are too special. I would hate to lose you.”
Tongue-tied, I can feel my cheeks starting to heat up when we step out onto the Sunroom. Thankfully there’s a nice cool breeze blowing through, and between and the fact that all the Wards are up here, nervousness wins out again, and I feel the blush fade from my face. The humans are seated around the table, eating, while the dragons are nearby eating out of massive bowls that I realize now I’d seen stacked to one corner and had thought was just an odd-looking column.
“Good morning, Amon, Estelle,” Ward Veremund greets us. “Please, join us.”
Ward Amon helps me into a seat beside Ward Neil, while he sits on my other side. I’m shocked by the platter of scrambled eggs, bowl of porridge, plate of grilled vegetables, platter of fried steak, and an entire bowl of mixed fruit, including some I’ve never seen before. Any food that’s served hot is set over small candles, keeping it warm.
“Wow,” I say. “I’ve never seen this much food before.”
Ward Neil chuckles. “It takes a bit to keep us Wards fed. Between a higher metabolism and all the training and work we do, we eat quite a bit! Plus, hunger and thirst pain is really terrible to share with your bonded.”
The grumbling in my stomach agrees with his statement, and at Ward Mortimer’s gesture, I take the spoon set in the porridge and put this into a bowl set in front of me. Most of the other food I can’t reach, so I end up passing my plate, which the Wards, all of them, fill far beyond what I can eat.
“Oh, no, that’s plenty…oh, thank you.” Embarrassed as Ward Amon carefully lowers the massive plate in front of me, I stare at the mountain of food. Picking up a shiny silver fork, I take a bite of the fruit. It not only tastes amazing, sweet with just a slight sour kick from the green apples, but I also realize just how hungry I am. I began eating, watching the Wards for any table cues that might be different. The only time I’ve eaten with this many people was at festivals in Inizion, and those were more parties where people ate whenever they wanted, often snacking throughout the day.
“How did you sleep?” Ward Mortimer asks.
“Good, thanks,” I say.
“The bed soft enough?” Ward Amon asks.
“Oh, well, I thought it was fine, amazing really, but I, uh, I slept in Astralux’s bed,” I say.
All of the Wards chuckle. “It’s always nice to have a newly bonded again,” Ward Neil says. “We’ve all done that, sometimes still do, but it happens more often when you’re new to the bond.”
“Oh.” I relax a little. I’m still trying to formulate the words in my mind to declare my decision, but I’m not sure how to interrupt breakfast. Glancing up, I watch Astralux talking to Vitegadium, her excitement visible as her tail taps on the ground.
“Estelle,” Ward Veremund says, breaking through my thoughts. “One of the reasons we try to have breakfast together as a team is to give a status on our plans for the day, and share any announcements that are pertinent. There’s nothing set in stone about this, and it’s not bad to miss these meetings, it just keeps us all in the loop.” Now Ward Veremund looks around the table. “Wards, report.”
“I’ve got training through till the early afternoon,” Ward Neil says. “After that I think you and I should start discussing next steps. I’m worried about how to go about with reaching out to several countries all at once.”
“As am I,” Ward Veremund says. “Mortimer, I’d like you to join us if you can.”
“Sure thing,” Ward Mortimer says. “The only other thing I had planned was perimeter checks.”
“Would you like me to take that on?” Ward Amon asks.
Ward Mortimer chuckled. “You and Andeuten have been taking double-shifts for a while.”
Ward Amon shrugged. “We don’t mind it, and I feel like that’s the best use of our time, while others train or strategize.”
“It would be helpful.” Ward Mortimer scratched the back of his head. “Alright. But we really need to get you a break.”
“So then, I’m doing perimeter checks today,” Ward Amon says. He smiles as I chuckle with the others around the table.
“Training,” Ward Volkan says, rather dejectedly I notice.
“Likewise,” Ward Thorn says.
Ward Veremund nods. “Then—”
I clear my throat. “Training.” I smile bashfully when all the Wards stare at me in surprise. “I’d like to be a Ward.”
There’s a moment as all the Wards gape at me. Then they give a cheer, most of them applauding. But the dragons beyond roar excitedly, though none like Astralux who begins bounding around.
“This is great news!” Ward Mortimer exclaimed.
“You really surprised me there!” Ward Neil pats my back rather firmly. “I thought for sure you were going to need more time.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be a Ward?” Ward Volkan asks, watching me with wide eyes.
“Ward Veremund pointed out that I already am acting as a Ward,” I say. “Furthermore, I realized that to not be a Ward was to limit the good that Astralux and I can do together.”
Ward Veremund beams at us. He gestures for me to stand and to my surprise, he walks around and gives me a hug. “You don’t need to call us ‘Ward’ anymore. You’re one of us now, Estelle.”
There’s another round of cheers, and I smile at Astralux over Veremund’s shoulder, my bonded dragon jumping up and down in excitement. A part of me is terrified. But the other part of me knows that this is the right thing to do.
Tamara Rivers 
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