Free The Bond (Book 2) by Adolfo Garza Jr.

number of cattle we raise. Currently, we limit the number to just what we need for the Caer and the Farm.”
    “That’s workable,” Master Canneth said, “though not ideal. What was the other option?”
    “Bison. The combined numbers from the male and female herds that frequent our valley is over twenty-five thousand, according to the estimates from the last field study. And their numbers increased by twelve percent from the study three years ago. There are also other bison herds that are not too far away whose range doesn’t include our valley, but they could be a resource as well.”
    “Yes,” Master Doronal said. “Bison would be a much better option. And they’re quite a bit larger than deer, aren’t they?”
    Sharrah nodded. “Bison cows weigh around five times more than a deer, the bison bulls, ten to twelve times. One good-sized bull could feed five or six dragons for a week.”
    Master Doronal looked to Master Canneth. “It looks like we’ve found our food source.”
    “Indeed,” the master zoologist replied. “However, when we get dragon numbers high enough, we’ll want to monitor the herds closely, as we intend to make use of bison for ourselves as well.” He nodded at Sharrah. “Good work.”
    Master Doronal looked around the table and said, “Were there any other questions, concerns, suggestions or otherwise? Don’t hold back anything. Now, at this early stage, is the ideal time to address any issues.”
    “We’ve talked a lot about dragons,” Cheddar said, “but what about dragonlinked? Aside from what you said earlier, Master Doronal, about finding a mate for a specific dragon, how are we going to select who will be dragonlinked?”
    “Anaya knows who will make good candidates,” Aeron said.
    “What do you mean?” Millinith asked.
    “She can tell, when she’s been near someone for a bit, whether or not they are a candidate.”
    “Really?” Willem asked.
    Or a good candidate.
    “Anaya says there are candidates, good candidates, and people who are not candidates at all.”
    “Oh?” Master Canneth said. “What differentiates them?”
    “She says there are many things—personality, magical ability, and the like.”
    “So, if someone had no magical ability  . . .”
    “They would not be a candidate. Nor if they were mean, she said.”
    “So,” Millinith began, a thoughtful expression on her face, “she can . . . sense these things about people?”
    “Yes. Not as well as she can with me with the link, but yes.”
    “Fascinating.” Master Doronal also had a thoughtful expression. “And what makes a good candidate?”
    “She said candidates are limited in some ways that good candidates are not.”
    “Limited?” Sharrah said. “How so?”
    Aeron blushed and said, “She said that for one thing, people who will make good candidates could love, could fall in love, I think she meant, with anyone.”
    “Why that would matter to a dragon?” Sharrah wondered aloud. After a moment she said, “Mate selection?”
    Master Canneth nodded. “Possibly.”
    “What do you mean?” Master Doronal said.
    Sharrah turned to him. “Well, if all the dragonlinked were mix-and-match, so to speak, it would make it easier for a dragon, especially at the beginning where numbers of dragonlinked will be limited, to find another dragon whose bond-mate is acceptable to their own. Because, keep in mind, there is the restricting factor of the sex of the dragons. As Master Doronal noted earlier, we need breeding pairs.”
    “Even using good candidates only, it could get exceedingly complicated very quickly,” Master Doronal noted.
    “We could simplify it, somewhat,” Cheddar said, “by selecting the dragonlinked candidates first, and early.”
    “Hmm,” Master Canneth said. “Give them all a chance to get to know each other, mingle?”
    “Exactly.” Cheddar looked at Sharrah, smiling. “It would be easier to match dragons to any candidates who happen to be seeing each