Free Maiden Flight by Bianca D'Arc

they are loosed.
    “Which is why I must go back. I’m the only healer within twenty leagues.
    I can’t just abandon those people.”
    “We’re flying patrols now. When the skiths come, we’ll engage them whenever and wherever we find them.” Jared kept his voice calm and deadly.
    He surprised even himself with the sentiments he was feeling. “We’re here to protect the people and lands. What good can one unprotected healer do out there? Wouldn’t your talents be better used here?”
    “You may very well be right, Sir Jared, but I have to go back. They depend on me. I’m not so conceited as to think that my destiny lay in such a grand place. I’m a simple healer, not one to be worthy of working with your knights.”
    Sheep dung! That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say, Adora. And here I thought you were smart for a human.
    Adora smiled softly. “I love you too, Mama Kelzy, but the fact remains, I must return to my cottage.”
    Cottage? My son tells me it was no more than a hut! How can I leave you in such a place?
    Adora stroked the dragon’s shiny scales soothingly. “Because you must.
    It’s what I have to do.”
    “But you’ll at least stay for your daughter’s wedding, won’t you?” Jared surprised himself by asking.
    She nodded. “I’ll stay for the mating feast, but I must go home the next day.”
    Kelzy snorted smoke, clearly upset. We will take you then, but don’t expect me to be happy about it.

    * * * *
    "Kel will seek his mate soon." Gareth knew he had to tread lightly. Belora had not been raised in the Lair and did not know the way of things among dragon matings.
    "He’s already chosen a mate?" Belora spoke softly, wrapped in his arms in the dark of the night.
    "He hasn’t made his formal declaration yet, but he will soon. That means we’ll be adding to our family as well."
    She turned to peer up at him in the darkness. "How so?"
    "When dragons mate, their human partners cannot help but share in the event. It's because of the close bond we share with our dragon partners.
    Kelvan intends to mate with Rohtina. Her partner is named Lars. He and I have been friends for a very long time. When Kel claims his mate, we will become family of a sort. Lars and I will train with our dragon partners and will go into battle together from then on. We will patrol together and work together—even live together in the same set of apartments."
    "Does this Lars have a wife?"
    Gareth shook his head. "No. There are so few women born with ability to hear the dragons, many of the knights never find a woman to share their lives. It was a miracle when Kelvan found you. He would have given you the stag, but he made an issue out of it so he would be able to bring you to me.
    He suspected the Mother of All put you in our path so that I could find you and make you mine, and I quite agree."
    "Praise the Mother, then. She certainly knows what She's doing." She reached up and kissed him deeply, caressing his cheek with her soft fingers.
    "As soon as we move the rest of your things from your cabin into our new apartments, there will be a mating ceremony held for us. It's basically an excuse to eat, drink and be merry as our fellows wish us well. There will even be dancing."
    "Oh, Gareth! I don't know how to dance."
    "Not to worry. I didn't expect you would know our style of dance anyway, so I talked to your mother and she's setting up some practice for us."
    "What's different about your kind of dancing?"
    He shifted uncomfortably. "Since there are so few women among us, our dances are designed around sets of three—two men and one woman. We don't dance often, but a mating ceremony is one of the times when tradition requires it, and it really is a lot of fun. Don't worry; you'll enjoy it. I promise."

Chapter Five
    Lars was a big man, the same tall height as Gareth, but even more muscular. Where Gareth had the sleek muscles of a racehorse, Lars had a stockier sort of strength. His hair was the color