Once the caucus broke up she located Rykert in the group. He finished his conversation with Vidar and clapped the man on the back. Both appeared satisfied with their discussion. She stopped at Rykert’s side as everyone mingled then drifted out of the room.
Rykert glanced at her. He raised an eyebrow.
“We planned to visit our dragons and see how they are getting on. Perhaps we can do so now.” She was both excited and reluctant to see what trouble Felix had taught Maeze.
The only saving grace was that Fricassa was also there. That sensible dragon had a great head on her shoulders and she was wise. Aern and Felix… meant a free-for-all and she did not want to contemplate their influence.
Emma hadn’t joined them in the sitting room. She looked for Ari, but that lady had already left. “Do you know where Emma is?”
“She joined a few of the other Aasguards on the training field. Some of the new arrivals traveled through a good portion of the night, so slept longer. They wished to catch up on their training now and I saw Emma join them.”
Always squeeze in training time.
“Her dragon is here then?”
“I am not certain she has a dragon.” Rykert frowned.
“How did she get here?”
“I believe she and a few others came via transport pods.” Rykert, uncharacteristically, did not give away his feelings on this information.
She shuddered.
“Yes. I vowed never to do so again after I used one of those.”
“Of course, if you don’t have a dragon, or a horse,” both of them grimaced a little, “then a transport cocol pod is the only alternative other than walking.” Walking worked fine as well, only it proved the slowest means of travel.
The pods were hulled from a cocol seed and could be made to travel faster or slower. Humans used them often to transport goods, cattle, and themselves. An Aasguard forced to use one felt for those who had lost their dragon.
Horses might be one small step up from a pod, although the pods made more sense in that with an energy crystal, they required little care. A dragon could and did take care of themselves. A cocol pod could be used and parked and one need not worry about it.
However, they certainly did not travel as quickly as a dragon, nor did the pods contain dragonfyre. Felicity remembered very well the battle with the desampus. [Seeking: Warrior Mate - The Seeking Series - Book 3] Without the dragons, they might not have won as speedily as they had.
Not that they had won quickly. And it had taken four experienced Aasguards plus Stefana who became Aasguard during that battle, three dragons, and five mages to overcome the rampant desampus population who swarmed after a portal from their dimension opened.
It had been the most difficult fight she had ever fought. The outcome had not been guaranteed.
She moved closer to Rykert, thankful that battle had been won and the desampus that remained were locked back in their own realm. The mages had locked that portal and all the others as well.
“I am both looking forward to and not looking forward to seeing our dragons.”
Rykert’s echo of her earlier thoughts caused a chuckle from her. “I understand. Keep in mind, Fricassa is there.”
A relieved gust of air escaped his lungs. “Right, I had forgotten her good sense.”
“Aern and Felix will certainly be in the midst of whatever trouble we discover.”
They left the living area and with long strides, made for the cavern Ari and Kellen had created for the dragons and treasury. They built the school on a bluff in order to create a wall of glass for the occupants. Much like Swiftland’s treasury.
This way the dragons were able to come and go as they pleased and could hunt if they wished. They needed to stretch their wings from time to time and enjoyed flying.
By mutual accord she and Rykert both slowed their pace as they strolled through the halls of the new school. The passages had been laid out in a clear, concise manner that made sense. At least to an Aasguard brain. The smell of freshly cut wood and paint lingered in the hallways as they traversed the space.
She breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of progress for their people.
With students already scheduled to begin their transition the numbers looked better. Still, no one knew the exact or even a generalized census of the remaining Aasguard warriors.
Ari and Kellen had asked each visiting Aasguard to sign a guest log and this would help to ascertain the number. At least those who carried crystals could be contacted. Each warrior added their name and crystal frequency.
As they turned the last corner the light and sunshine of the outdoors enticed. A large windowed door greeted them and the wild vista spread out in a stunning array.
She shoved the door open and breathed deeply again. The rugged landscape here carried its own unique scent, one that called to her warrior. Another reason why Ari and Kellen deemed this location appropriate for this much needed school.
A winding stone staircase led to the dragon area. They could have used the inside staircase but most Aasguards enjoyed being outdoors so she and Rykert had naturally chosen the outside entrance. They loped down the solid steps that would remain here for millennia.
Her friends had chosen building materials that would not deteriorate anytime soon. This school should remain standing long after many of them had passed on. It brought a sense of belonging to her heart that had long been missing.
She stopped on the stair but Rykert did not plow into her. He took her hand instead and brought it to his lips. “We do belong. We always have. Only we have never built our community before. Times are changing.”
Not an empty promise but a vow she felt to the very depths of her being. Felicity smiled at him before she continued down the stairs. This man, this seasoned warrior had weathered many of the same battles and experiences she had. He understood.
And they were only just learning that many of their peers could tell the same stories and wished to do so.
She made a vow to herself. To do everything she could to help build just such a community for those warriors.
‡‡
The familiar, comforting smell of dragons greeted them once Rykert opened the door leading into the massive area. He immediately picked up Felix’s scent and headed in that direction. Not in the least surprised that along with Felix’s came the essence of a female.
An interested female. Only Maeze was young. It didn’t take his long association with the sunshine colored dragon to detect Felix moved cautiously.
A gust of relief left his lungs.
Felicity darted a quick smile at him. “You feared Felix would lose his head?”
“Yes, I absolutely believed that.”
“I heard that.” Felix poked his head between them and Rykert affectionately patted his dragon.
“I am impressed, pal.” He quickly took in his companion of more years than he cared to calculate. Felicity continued deeper into the massive room to greet Maeze.
Felix’s sigh came from a place Rykert recognized. He gripped the dragon’s shoulder in solidarity.
“Yes, I understand.” Together they watched the two females. Felicity hugged Maeze and the two twittered together in that way only females could. Their words bubbled up from some place that he certainly didn’t possess.
He glanced at Felix who shook his head. “I have no idea.”
“I am with you in whatever perpetual frustration this will become.”
By then Aern and Fricassa joined them. Aern looking smug in his mating and Fricassa as sweet as ever as she bussed him. He might not know either dragon well, but he enjoyed both. Fricassa did look larger around the middle than he remembered.
Felicity edged Fricassa to the side and soon the two were deep in conversation. He enjoyed conversing with the other three dragons. Aern kept slanting knowing looks at Felix but he appeared downright fatherly toward Maeze.
This in of itself proved entertaining for Rykert. He leaned against a far wall and watched the interaction between the two male dragons, especially in light of the young female in the room.
These two males had been around long enough they appreciated the other. Aern had spanned the relationship crevasse and appeared thankful for this. Whereas Felix had yet to navigate the same path with Maeze and probably appreciated Aern’s advice. Although Fricassa was of a similar age to the clumsy black dragon. A bonus for them but their advice might not help Felix.
Hmm, that might account for Felix’s lack of narrowing in on his advantage with Maeze. Due to her youth, his dragon might have no notion how to maneuver. Neither Rykert nor Felix had believed a mate a part of their future so now that this dawned as a possibility, he and the yellow dragon were left grappling with what to do. One did not wish to muddle the situation.
Their bungling attempts might be ignored by their females, but having never done this before, there appeared to be a period of learning involved. He hoped he and Felix made it through this process with their womenfolk still interested.
Aern cleared his throat. “Do not worry. Things tend to work out.”
“How badly can we bungle this and it will still be fine?” Felix swallowed loudly.
A semi-snort from Aern and then his right front foot and right back foot got in the way of each other and he toppled.
Rykert and Felix both leapt out of the way. Aern wouldn’t kill either of them if he fell on them but he would make them sore for a few days.
“Excuse me, fellows. I get excited.” Aern straightened his bulk, set his feet where they should be and settled his girth on the ground in the most dignified of manners. As though he had not just tripped over his right feet.
Rykert hid his snicker as Felix elbowed him. “No worries, Aern. You have to have one negative trait. Otherwise you’d be tedious to be around.”
Felix made a noise of agreement in the back of his throat.
“Tripping over one’s own feet, especially when you are my size, is egregious.” Aern settled more solidly into the space around him. His slightly put out air made him all the more likable.
“Fricassa does not seem to mind.” Felix glanced in the direction of the green dragon.
“She thinks I am cute.” The air around Aern lightened another notch. He also glanced at the small dragon involved in a deep conversation with Felicity.
He wondered what they spoke so solemnly about. Where Aern veered toward still slightly disgruntled, something about Fricassa’s body language indicated she might be astonished.
Never once had the two females been distracted. Their conversation must be intense. Fricassa’s face scales kept deepening every so often. Rykert personally found a blushing dragon endearing. But then that might also be Fricassa.
Aern’s tiny mate was as likable as Aern. While not clumsy, she tended toward saying things as they were. This trait might put some off. Rykert enjoyed her forthrightness.
He glanced around the space. “Where did Maeze go?”
“She probably wanted to give us some time. Maeze is quite empathic. She realized we all had our conversations.” Aern sounded fatherly.
Felix sent a sardonic look at them. “She stands on the other side of Fricassa.”
Both Rykert and Aern peered more closely at the females. Sure enough, a few flashes of blue on the other side of Fricassa indicated the blue dragon had remained with the females.
“It looks like Felicity missed her. She has not lifted a hand from Maeze yet.” Felix’s tone gave nothing away.
Rykert elbowed him. “I missed you too.”
He and Aern snickered as Felix rolled his eyes. Most dragons didn’t do so, but Felix had picked up the tendency, probably from Rykert centuries ago.
“I am never going to understand females.” Felix sounded a tad glum.
“Do not fear. There is no need to understand females in order to enjoy living with them.” Aern said this with confidence and the slight smugness of a male who has established himself in the life of his chosen female.
Rykert wanted that.