Forewarned (BEING REWRITTEN)

Shadow Friend

The next day I miserably got up to line up with the others in the brisk Alaskan air. My eyes were pink. My fingers had fumbled with my combat boot strings for way longer than necessary. Caedmon was still sleeping when I tucked him in my jacket and trudged down the hall with the surge of other kids after hitting the bathroom.

            I felt a familiar poke to my shoulder and didn’t even look up. I knew who this was. “Morning, Merman.”

            “You alright? I heard Cade was upset last night,” Merman whispered.

            “Really?” I raised a brow, surprised that Merman had actually woken up from it.

            “Well… someone told me about it,” he said, looking at the little tail peeking out of my jacket.

            I sighed. “He’s tired. Was up all night crying,” I said. “They put a band on him that’s hurting him.”

            He looked at me and I saw emotion cross his features. “They are just doing this to him to hurt you,” he whispered firmly, like this was a big secret. “They should know it wasn’t his fault.”

            “I know,” I sighed, shaking my head.

            “Today we’re going to be doing training in the woods. I hope he’s feeling better by then, because you’re really going to need him,” Merman said, gravely serious.

            I nodded, not having the heart to say that I couldn’t shadow travel.

            When we sat down to eat with all the group, Song and Dustin were talking about Sherlock and how Benedict Cumberbatch was going to play Doctor Strange, their voices dripping with excitement. Merman was gone, skipping breakfast to take a swim with little Larissa. And I was glumly playing with my eggs with a fork. Caedmon was curled up as a tiny ball of heat on my lap, his head tucked neatly under his wing, and his little tail spazzing in a dream. I smiled fondly down at him as I ran a hand down his little spine before I sighed and leaned forwards staring at my mound of eggs.

            I could almost see a face peeking out of the cloud-like folds of the eggs. Angry. I could sort of imagine his sideburns in the splotch of white, his heavy brows shading those golden eyes. He’s not yours! He never was! I could hear his voice and the underlying message, loud and clear. You were a mistake, and if you mess up again, we’ll take him from you!

            I inhaled sharply and stabbed my fork into the egg, my teeth grit. No he’s mine, Stupid Wolverine! He’s my dragon and he.. is smart and capable as any human! I thought, twisting the fork, my eyebrows creating rifts on my forehead.

            “Uh.. Justin?” Song asked softly as she got up with her plate.

            “What?” I snapped so hard I woke up Caedmon who yawned big, showing off baby teeth.

            Song frowned slightly before turning around and walking to the trash can without saying another word.

            Song sure knew how to do a killer ‘I’m-disappointed-in-you’ look. I picked up Caedmon as I shot up in my seat. “Hey- I’m sorry Song. Didn’t mean to yell at you.”

            Song paused and turned to smile at me like nothing had happened. “It’s alright Justin. You look really troubled. Are you okay?”

            “No,” I admitted as I looked over to see the other first years lining up at the exit. Before Song could ask me why, I threw away my trash before trotting over to the line behind the same moss dragon rider that had given me my first flight lesson. I could feel her eyes boring into me the whole time, but I refused to look back.