I was pinned to the ground, on my back now. Even my tail was restrained. Eyes wide open, I could see nothing but blackness moving over my face and tried to hit the huge black thing with my head. I hit something, all right, and the something yelped, then shouted, "get the sedative ready if she starts thrashing again."

"Nurse Isma?" I laid back onto what I realized must be an infirmary bed.

"Good, you're awake. Shadow wolf venom got you bad. You've been out almost all day, but the potion should have you in fighting shape by now. You're up just in time."

I felt hands doing something at the back of my head and they came away with what looked like a thick blindfold. It took a bit for my eyes to adjust to the sudden light, and as they did, I realized what Isma had said.

"In time for what?" My teeth felt strange, like my fangs were back. That couldn't be good.

She undid the straps tying me to the bed. "The Ferentisians attacked the border. The generals are deploying everyone in a few hours. You should go back to your house and get your assignment."

"They attacked? When?" I held a hand over my mouth to hide my fangs.

"During the Academy competition." She gave me a funny look. "You don't have to be embarrassed about your teeth. I've seen much worse."

I hesitantly lowered my hand.

"You'll want to go right away. I'll bring a spare uniform and your things." She ducked past the curtain around my bed, and I looked down to see that I was wearing a thin medical gown.

When Isma came back, she helped me out of bed and offered to help me change. Blushing, I refused, and she turned her back while I slipped off the gown.

"Your shoulder will still be sore, but you should be able to use it fine," she said.

I winced after trying to move my shoulder and thought that "sore" was a bit of an understatement. I looked down at the pile of clothes she had given me and saw my wand pouch and Alabri on top of it. I put them aside and started pulling on my uniform.

"Just don't go falling off your dragon again anytime soon."

Immediately, I worried about Leera. "How was my dragon? She's not-" But of course, she couldn't be dead, or I would be too. Unless Leera had forced me to take a separation potion while I was unconscious.

"She isn't dead, and she's in better shape than you. Hardly needed any treatment at all, just a bit of scale-plate realignment. Good thing dragons have hard heads. They heal fast, too."

I finished changing and slipped the wand pouch and Alabri in my pocket.

"Your weapons are downstairs with your dragon's saddlebags." She reached for the curtain then stopped and turned to me. "Why didn't you take the potion? Your dragon nearly died. Why did you risk your life for that beast?" Before I could answer, she continued, "is it the mental echoes? Some new riders complain of hearing their dragons' thoughts, as if those beasts could think like we do." She let out a nervous laugh. "It can be downright dangerous if you start listening to them."

"Leera is no beast." I pushed past her and through the curtain. I was too anxious about seeing Leera was okay to pay much attention to Nurse Isma's nonsense. I walked through the ward to the stairs and resolved to throw away the separation potion as soon as I had the chance. If Leera was ever in danger of dying again, I would fight to protect her, not leave her to die like a lame animal.

[That's quite a sentiment,] Leera said as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

[It's true.] I spotted her in a floor bed by the main doors.

When I reached her, she knelt lower so I could get on her back. She was already wearing her saddle and saddlebags.

[I've got to go back to the house. They're deploying us.]

She left the infirmary and took off. [Thank you for saving me.] A mix of affection and embarrassment came across the mental link we shared.

[I couldn't just leave you.]

[Most riders would've run if they were in your position. They wouldn't even hesitate. You didn't do that, even after how... Unfriendly I was with you.] She swooped down into the Talme House's entrance room and landed.

[You had a reason for being unfriendly, but anyway, I couldn't let anyone just die if I had a chance to stop it.]

Leera knelt, and I slid from her back, wincing as my slight impact with the ground jolted my shoulder.

[You couldn't stop it, but you stayed anyway. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have lasted long enough for Goldenfire and his rider to show up.] She led the way into the hallway.

[So Sarafin saved us?] I spotted the death elent in question across the hall at the top of the stairs. He didn't look good.

[It was Goldenfire who scared off the wolves, but Sarafin did kill the vines.]

Sarafin's hands shook, and he was even paler than normal. When he saw me, he let out a wry chuckle.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm glad you're okay. I assume you heard we were being deployed?" His lips pressed tight after he uttered the question. I nodded, and he continued, "I was assigned to the front lines of the west flank."

In our lessons, he'd told us about where the Ferentisians kept their troops, and the west flank was where the fighting would be the worst. I found it hard to imagine Sarafin actually fighting. He was only a teacher to me, not a warrior.

"Why?"

"It's partially a punishment for interfering in the competition."

"For saving us."

He nodded. "Don't think I regret what I did. I only wish that the generals didn't act like I should enjoy killing simply because I'm a death elent. They wrote that I will be in my element on the west flank."

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say to comfort him. But as sorry as I was, I also wanted to know where I was being deployed. Hopefully, it wasn't as bad as the west flank.

Sarafin seemed to notice my nervousness. "You weren't deployed."

Leera snorted in surprise

I crossed my arm. "What do you mean?" How could I have worked all this time just to not be deployed?

"You were not assigned anywhere. Liz and Tawny are secondary flyers at the East flank, and Raven is a V-formation leader there, but you aren't being assigned." He avoided making eye contact with me, and I realized there were something more.

"What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

His eyes met mine, and he sighed. "You aren't being assigned to anywhere because... Ella, you were thrown out of the Academy. They'll be unbonding you from your dragon and sending you home at the end of the day."

Just when Leera and I had finally managed to get along, he was telling me that they would separate us.

"You can't be serious. I'll be sent home just for failing an exercise?" I backed up towards Leera.

She lowered her head near mine and growled softly.

Sarafin raised his hands in a sign of surrender. "I have no intention of separating you two. But even if you run and they don't try to catch you now, they will persecute you as a deserter when the war ends. Try talking with Callah before you do anything rash. She may not be able to overthrow the decision of a general, but she does have some sway."

"You're right." I hurried with Leera out of the Talme House.

Fear and anger both leached through our mental link from her to me.

I sent a reassuring feeling back. [I won't let them separate us.]

[Neither will I.]