The Verum Trilogy - Survivor

Chapter 13

"You're kidding." Dany stared at Soren in disbelief, arms crossed over her chest. "The Verum girl bonded with a feral dragon?"

"The runt of their pack. Smaller than the rest, and there are rumors he can't breathe fire." Soren was unsure whether or not his commander would be pleased. On one hand, she was far less of a threat on a dragon easily outmatched by the majority of the corps, but on the other...

"Feral. The girl from the Burnt City found the one dragon willing to bond that was not bound under oath to the Rider Corps."

...there was that.

Dany sighed. "Take me to her."

"Ma'am, she's likely sedated—"

"Now," she insisted.

Soren lead his commander to the healer's alcove, where an apprentice was finishing a sixth set of neat stitches in Bree's side, each perfectly spaced apart.

"Lena, finish what you're doing, I need to speak to your patient," Dany ordered.

Lena pulled out a ruler, measuring the space between her last stitch and the previous one, nodding in satisfaction.

"Yes Ma'am, I'll just need one more minute—"

"For the sake of the Gods, girl," the Maester Healer entered the room, taking the needle from the apprentice and quickly threading the last two stitches, tying it off and snipping the thread. Lena looked stricken.

"Maester it's... it's uneven," she wailed. The woman promptly ignored her.

"She's sedated, but should be able to hold a conversation, Commander. Please let us know when you're finished. We'll bandage her up and send her on her way."

"Thank you, Aggie. We won't be long." The maester nodded and left the room, a protesting Lena in tow.

Dany turned to the girl, eyes softening.

"Breana Avery. I've heard you've had quite the night."

Bree blinked up at the woman with sleepy eyes.

"The Maester says I'm not supposed to let dragons sit on me," she told the commander.

"Lieutenant Fleming is telling me that you bonded with a feral dragon. Is this true?"

Bree blinked at her slowly.

"It wasn't me, it was Black. I was just... there."

"Call your dragon, girl."

Bree stared at Dany, confused. The commander approached her bedside, gently resting a hand on her arm.

"He needs to take the oath. The vow to never harm you or fellow Riders and their dragons. Call him."

She furrowed her brow, confused.

"Right now, Ma'am? Here?"

"Yes, right now."

Looking half-confused and half self-conscious, Bree took a deep breath. The commander clapped a hand over the girls' mouth.

"Not out loud, Avery. Did you listen at all in your courses? Use your Voice. Your Inner Voice."

"I don't hear anything," she mumbled, distractedly pushing the commander's hand away. "Maybe he doesn't like me anymore."

"That is not how—" Dany interrupted herself abruptly. "Have you Named him, girl? Did he accept Black as his name or is that just how you think of him?"

"The second one," Bree yawned, scratching her torso weakly. The commander nodded, suspicions confirmed.

"The next time he seeks you out, and he will, Name him and report directly to me, do you understand?"