Listening to my recount of everything I’d noticed about Astralux, Domagoj nods as he rubs a damp towel over Astralux’s head. I want to join him, but Mortimer is holding me back. I’m not sure why.
“Hm.” Domagoj opens Astralux’s mouth before he turns and shoos Kalteratem away, who is barely squeezed into the room. “You had better go wash. It sounds like Spotted Fever.”
Kalteratem flinches. “But no spots yet?”
“Not yet,” Domagoj says. “I think they’ll be appearing within the next hour, if she’s already collapsed.”
The massive ice dragon sighs. “Then you’re right, I had better leave now and rinse off.” Kalteratem breathes a small mist of ice at the base of a water bucket beside Domagoj, ice crystals freezing all around it. Then he hesitates, watching Astralux. Eventually Kalteratem’s ice blue eyes lift to me. “Thank you, Estelle, for caring more for my daughter than she sometimes cares for herself.”
“Of course,” I say. “Astralux is my friend.”
Smiling now, Kalteratem shares a long look with Veremund before he pulls his head back out of the room, squeezing himself free.
“Is Spotted Fever deadly?” I ask Domagoj.
“Humans are immune to it, but for dragons, only if they over-exert themselves at the beginning of the illness. It’s quite deadly for a dragon like Astralux, who pushes herself until she passes out.” Domagoj smiles a bit wryly up at me. “Which is precisely why Ariadna has brought you to Astralux—this dragon needs an even-headed medic like yourself. You’ve trained under a doctor or as a nurse before?”
“My mom was our village’s only healer,” I say. “I’ve worked alongside her since I was little.”
“A Ward with a medic’s background!” Domagoj chuckles. “I’m glad to hear it.” He drops the towel he was using into the iced water bucket. “At this point, Astralux just needs to rest, and the best thing we can do for her is to relieve her symptoms. I’ll go make her some soup, she’s going to need it for energy. If you want to run that towel over her forehead, to help keep her cool, that would help her to sleep better.”
Mortimer releases my arms. I glance at the Ward, but he just shakes his head. “I was worried you were going to get in Domagoj’s way. But you, of all people, know how to work with a doctor.”
I smile a little and go to the towel, wringing the excess cold water out before rubbing it across Astralux’s head. I can feel her unwellness, although I’m not sure whether I detect it through our bond or just out of a nurse’s sense of the wellness of patients. Either way, I moisten Astralux’s brow.
“How long does Spotted Fever last?” I ask.
“The contagious period is only a couple of days, once the spots come and go,” Veremund says. “In about three or four days the other dragons should be fine to visit Astralux, once we scrub the room to be sure that the sickness is gone. But unfortunately, the worst symptoms last about a week. And, any exertion of energy on Astralux’s part can delay her recovery. Full recovery from the illness can take another one to two weeks, depending on how well the dragon rests.”
I smile as Mortimer and Neil chuckle at the implication that Astralux would need longer. I lay down, leaning against Astralux’s side.
There’s a knock on the front door and then Volkan pokes his head in. “Hey, can we come in?” When I beckon to him, Volkan steps into the room, followed by Thorn. “We heard Astralux was sick with Spotted Fever.”
“Vite was all freaked out about her passing out,” Thorn mutters. But I can tell he’s worried too, when he goes around and rubs Astralux’s head. “Poor thing.”
Volkan rocks on his heels a little, glancing at the more experienced Wards. “Astralux has had a rough go of it lately.”
Veremund nods. “She could really use some rest.”
Neil suddenly chuckles. “Do you remember Tristin getting into an argument with Astralux, trying to get her to stop practicing one night?”
“They got into it!” Volkan laughs lightly. “I don’t even remember why he wanted her to stop practicing in the first place, but I just remember Tristin wrestling her to the ground because she was being so stubborn.”
I gape at Volkan. “Tristin wrestled Astralux to the ground?!”
“Well, as much as you might wrestle a weighty and intelligent beast like a dragon,” Mortimer says. “It’s more like if you’re strong enough as a bonded human, sometimes you can pull down at different points on a dragon that forces them to sink lower. By strategically doing this and then tying them, you can essentially wrangle smaller dragons.”
“It wouldn’t work against Giftigbun,” Neil says. “And if anyone even thinks about trying it with Kalteratem, they’re stupid.”
I laugh with the others, still amazed by the idea. But then again, even as a bonded human, I’m probably one of the weakest Wards here, so I’d have the least chance of doing something like this.
“Neil was telling us that you and Astralux were naturals at the beginning aerial combat sessions,” Mortimer says.
I smile. “It helps that Astralux knows what she’s doing. She was giving me tips while we were in the air.”
“Good,” Neil says. “She should.”
“Well, since we’re only missing Amon—Estelle, do you mind if we go ahead and have a quick meeting here?” Veremund asks.
“As long as you don’t think it’ll bother Astralux,” I say.
“Not if we talk quiet enough.” Veremund beckons for the others to step closer. “There isn’t anything urgent, but I wanted to let you all know that after further discussion, we have confirmed that we’re going to send Amon and Andeuten out on their own with the letters to schedule a council for all the other countries of Drakonia to meet. However, we’ve decided that the best place for the council to meet would be Amenyl’s capital, as it’s the most centrally located. As a result—Estelle, we wanted to ask you and Astralux, once she’s well, if you would be willing to bring the letter to King Mahlir of Verlassen.”
My eyes widen. “Me? But I’m not even officially a Ward yet.”
“For now. You’re from Amenyl and will have the best chance to speak to their terms and understand their position,” Veremund says. “And we won’t send you alone. I haven’t decided who will go with you yet, but we won’t send you on your own.”
My heart flutters, thinking about getting the opportunity to travel alongside Amon and Andeuten. “I’m happy to help with this,” I say. “As long as you think I’m the best one to assist.”
“We know nothing of King Mahlir,” Veremund says. “It’s been long enough that I’m not even sure we know any of court customs.”
“Well, I won’t be able to help you much there.” I smirk. “I grew up in one of the most remote villages in Amenyl—by no means am I familiar with court etiquette.”
“Still, you know your own country’s culture enough.”
“True. Like I said, I’m happy to help,” I quickly say. “I just don’t want to give you the impression that I’m skilled in this area.”
Veremund nods. “I appreciate that.”
“I take it Amon, and Estelle and whoever is traveling with her, will leave as soon as the letters are drafted?” Volkan asks.
“Right,” Mortimer says. “Which means we should get started. Although I don’t want Astralux to be sick, this would be a good time to start work on the letters.”
I nod and gestured to my writing desk. “Help yourself.” Mortimer heads to the writing desk and pulls it closer.
“Very good. Neil, I know you haven’t had much of a chance to work on the city’s defenses,” Veremund says. “Let’s talk about it now.”
“Did you want to stay here or talk elsewhere?” Neil asks.
Veremund’s ice blue eyes glance at Astralux. “For Kalteratem’s sake, I want to remain here.”
“No problem.” Neil sits down on a couch tucked in the corner, Volkan leaning against the wall nearby while Thorn sits cross-legged on the floor.
I continue rubbing Astralux’s forehead with the cool cloth while Mortimer situates the writing desk and chair a little closer.
“So what sort of topics should we cover?” Mortimer asks. “We need to explain that dragons are real, and about the Wards and the Vladykars.”
“I would introduce the Wards and Vladykars first—it’s easy enough to understand a group of warriors that follow Ariadna, and a group of warriors that follow Anieros,” I say. “Then go into the more difficult discussion of introducing the idea of the bond.”
“There is going to be quite an occasion upon your arrival, and Amon’s, when you deliver the letters,” Mortimer says. “So you’re right, the best thing would be to introduce the Wards and Vladykars. And, to explain that the Vladykars are working with the Klevorian military, which has already taken offense against Amenyl.”
Astralux makes a sighing noise. I moisten the towel in the cold water and set this on her brow again. “I don’t know how you want to position the Wards,” I say.
Mortimer shrugs. “I think we’re best off explaining what we plan to do—which is stand against the Vladykars and, because of their alliance, against Klevor. But, make it clear that we can’t do this by ourselves, and therefore we’re seeking to encourage an alliance amongst the other countries of Drakonia, along with the Wards and the people of Adytol.”
“That makes sense.” We pause and glance at the door as there’s a knock, followed by Domagoj walking in. He’s got a large, steaming bowl on a wooden cart that he wheels in, and my nose immediately detects the iron scent of blood. I stiffen. “What’s that?”
“Soup for Astralux,” Domagoj says. “Meat will be difficult for her to chew on, with how low her energy is.” He lifts the bowl and sets it in front of Astralux’s face.
I gently shake her front right paw. “Astralux. Astralux, you need to wake up.”
“Hm?” One of Astralux’s eyes flutters open. “Tristin?” she murmurs at Domagoj.
“I’m sorry, my friend,” Domagoj says gently. “You need to try to drink.” He pushes the bowl closer to her nose.
Astralux sniffs at it but then drops her head. Her glassy eye, looking up at Domagoj, fills with a tear. “I didn’t mean to fail Tristin.”
“You didn’t fail him.” Veremund, stepping away from the others, kneels beside Astralux’s head and strokes her scales. “You did everything you could.”
“I couldn’t save him.” Astralux sobs, weakly putting a paw over her eyes as pearly white tears run down her cheeks. “I ran like a coward! I ran!”
Emotions rushing through me, I wrap my arms around Astralux’s neck. “I ran too.”
Astralux pauses, glancing down at me. “Estelle?” She wraps her paw around me, holding me tight to her feverish body. “Did your mom tell you to run?”
I nod, pressing my face into her neck. “Yes.”
“Tristin told me to flee,” Astralux says mournfully. “And I did. I left him.”
“We didn’t leave anyone,” I whisper. “We tried to survive to find a way to help them, just as they helped us. They loved us. And they granted us the chance to continue to show Ariadna’s love to others. Their legacy lives on through us.”
Astralux, still clutching me, gives a heavy sigh. But then she leans her head over and begins lapping at the blood soup. Despite my disgust at the smell of it, I stay where I am, hugging Astralux’s neck, as she holds me to herself. The dragon manages to sup down almost the entire bowl before she lowers her head and closes her eyes. She continues to cling to me, and I shift so that I can lay against her, leaning my head on hers. Her breathing becomes slow and even—she’s fast asleep once more. Domagoj wipes her muzzle clean and pulls the bowl away.
I lift my eyes from where I am to see Veremund watching me with a small smile, tears in his eyes. “Ariadna knew Astralux needed you.”
I give a small smile as I rub my bonded dragon’s head. “Ariadna knew I needed Astralux.”
Tamara Rivers 
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