Free Sea Dragon (Dragon Knights Book 9) by Bianca D'Arc

always meant to be. Easy. Pure. Natural. I doubt it will take you long to get accustomed to your new role. You were already a veteran fighter and leader of men. All you have to learn is how to be that with a dragon under you and in your mind.”
    “Oh, is that all?” Gowan laughed, and Seth joined him. Seth liked the other man’s wry sense of humor.
    Gowan drained his mug and poured a bit more for both of them. He sat across from Seth, regarding him steadily.
    “Speaking of fighting…” Gowan began.
    “Oh, no.” Seth held his hands up, palms outward. He thought he knew what was coming next, and though one part of him wanted to jump at the chance to learn from this seasoned warrior, another part was adamant that he stick to the path he’d chosen to help Bronwyn.
    Was it fear that held him back? That one thought made Seth pause. He hadn’t thought he was afraid of anything. He’d thought he was being noble. But what if his refusal to train with the fighters was more due to fear than respect for Bronwyn and the choice he’d made so long ago?
    What if he feared being chosen by a dragon? Or not chosen?
    Fear of either outcome was unacceptable to a man who had always prided himself on honesty—with others, but especially with himself. Was he being honest with himself? Or willfully blind?
    “Hear me out, Seth,” Gowan went on, quietly overcoming Seth’s objections. Though Seth wasn’t really objecting anymore. His own thoughts troubled him enough to make him listen to Gowan’s proposal.
    “I’m listening.” It wasn’t exactly a gracious response, but it wasn’t an outright refusal.
    “I need to learn dragon and knight things, and from what I see, you could use some tutoring in the art of war. I propose an equal exchange of information. You teach me, and I teach you in return.” Gowan seemed to warm to his subject when Seth didn’t interrupt. “Neither of us want to be seen as needing remedial help. I don’t think it would help either of our reputations for every busybody in this Lair to know what we were doing, right? So I think we should meet here of an evening—say, every third or fourth day—to train. What say you?”
    Seth sat back in his chair, really thinking about it. He wanted to help Gowan learn the things he would have known had he grown up in a Lair. He and Genlitha had been dumped into a position of authority that would put strain on them both until they became a more streamlined team. Seth knew he could help them become better acquainted with each other. He really wanted to help them.
    By the same token, Seth had regretted giving up weapons training all those years ago, but he’d been made so uncomfortable by the other boys when he’d apprenticed himself to Bronwyn that it hadn’t been worth the hassle. The knights who taught the classes were especially tough on Seth—especially after he’d gone to work with Bronwyn—and there was no real incentive to continue to train.
    Still, he missed it. He’d been pretty good for his age and one or two of the knights had unbent enough to give him praise now and again. His hand missed the feel of a sword.
    “I’m willing to give it a try,” Seth said with surprisingly little hesitation, once he’d made up his mind.
    Gowan smiled and raised his mug. “Excellent. Now, you’ve already given me my lesson on how to care for Genlitha, so how about we work for an hour or so later tonight, after we’ve had a chance to digest some of this meal? It isn’t ideal to fight on a full stomach, though when the alarm goes up, you don’t always have the choice.”
    “I have a few things I need to do,” Seth said, already rising to place his empty plate in the sink. “I need to check on Hrardorr and make sure he has everything he needs for the night, but I can return in an hour, if that’s suitable.”
    “Perfect,” Gowan said, his eyes shuttered as if he was considering something. Seth could see the moment he decided to speak his mind. “You know, I