*Rakota's POV*

I frowned at the rough map Victorya had scratched into the dirt while we waited for the humans to return. "Which village should we check next?"

Diondin commented, "There was no trace of the mages or their passage at the last three villages, just those hidden mage stones, but those wouldn't be there if the mages had come this way. I think we should check one on the other side of the main road."

"I was just about to suggest that," Victorya said. "Since there's no hint of them over here, let's try an entirely different area."

"They can't be far," I growled. "We'll find them soon enough."

"Considering how many mage stones are around, we'll have to be careful when we attack," Victorya said, her gaze focused on me. "There are a lot of stones they haven't picked up, so we can only assume they'll have recovered many more."

I grumbled but knew her words were true.

"It'll take the humans some time to get back here," Diondin commented. "There's lots of traffic."

"We could be waiting a while then," I muttered, remembering how long it had taken the humans to reach the village. It would take them just as long to get back. "Is this a common thing with riders?"

"Not usually. If they want to wander around without people realizing they're riders, we normally have our own plans or visit with others. If there's no need for secrecy, then we can fly in at any point."

"Hmmm..."

As if sensing my reluctance to talk about the subject with her around, Serepha shook out her wings. "If we have that much time, I think I'll go hunting."

Victorya also got up. "I'll come with you. We can also check the villages from a distance in case we see anything interesting."

Both dragonesses took flight and were soon out of sight. Qwest had started to get up, but lied back down, so I suspected Victorya had asked him to remain so the dragonesses could talk without company.

"You're thinking of taking Katerina as a rider?" Diondin asked, his eyes focusing in and out as he kept checking on his rider.

I exhaled slowly. "The more I think about it, the more I think she's the best choice. Most of the humans who've paid for rides were so annoying I wanted to drop them halfway through the flight, and I'm constantly forgetting she's even on my back."

"Most of the ones who pay for flights have a superior attitude I don't care for either," Diondin replied. "It's why I searched the countryside for a youth who didn't care about power or prestige."

"Any regrets? Anything you wished you had done before?"

"It's been eight years, and I'm still convinced I picked well. I'm also glad I spent a year searching for a rider I'd get along with." He hesitated, then quietly added, "I just wish Valrancy would have told me when she decided to join the Sea Guard instead of having a family."

I winced. "Sorry."

Diondin shrugged. "The rider bond actually helped me get through it. And Brandon is still young, so I have years to see who's interested in a relationship. But for what it's worth, Katerina seems to be another one of those quiet, good-hearted humans. You'll probably end up handing over a few coppers or healing spells since that sort is compassionate. How long have you been around her?"

"Four days so far."

"That's a good start. What did you think of her under your wing last night?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It reminded me of letting my cousin's hatchling curl up against me. As long as she has food, shelter, and wood for a fire, she seems content."

"They are a bit like hatchlings and sometimes just as prone to getting into mischief. Does she have any goals or future plans that she's set on? Right now, she's under the impression that you'll take her to that city after we find these mages. A bond will likely destroy any dreams she has, and that can lead to a complete change of attitude."

"Not that I know of, but I didn't think to ask," I replied with a faint frown. It hadn't occurred to me to ask. I had been focused on my plans, not wondering if she had any. Didn't all humans want to be riders or understand what an honor it was to be chosen for such a bond? If Diondin's question were any indication, apparently not.

"I'll get Brandon to ask her. It'll give them something to talk about other than Randel's excitement about finding another village to trade at."

From the far side of the clearing, Andar said, "He's remarkably good at trading. This is a pleasant surprise, but a change of topic would be welcome. I'll tell him not to interrupt their discussion."

Diondin tilted his head as his eyes unfocused, and I waited with forced patience, wishing I could see and hear them myself. After a few minutes, I felt his magic shift as he cast a lie-detecting spell through the bond, and I fought against the temptation of casting a scrying spell to see what was going on.

Eventually, he said, "Well, she doesn't have any real plans other than visiting a few relatives, but the question made her so nervous I actually had to cast a lie-detecting spell. The discussion is currently revolving around their families, but Brandon is convinced she's running from someone, which might be why she's never settled in one place for long."

"Randel says she's definitely hiding something," Andar added. "He's also convinced she won't reveal what it is, and with how she's skirting around the questions, I'm inclined to agree with him."

Diondin shrugged. "Brandon will let the conversation wander and see if any hints pop up, but she's watching her words, so I don't expect anything. But at least you know she doesn't have any big dreams."

"That makes things simpler," I replied. At least I didn't have to worry about that.

"And regardless of who's after her, she's safe enough as long as she's near you," Diondin said, tilting his head in thought. "Would she agree to accompany you to other locations afterward? That would give you more time to think."

"I highly doubt I'd be able to convince her to go farther. As it is, she'd love to simply be left at any village I fly past. I can't even delay much due to the magedebt."

"The bond would nullify the magedebt and prevent any future buildup," Diondin pointed out. "Although that does create a time constraint, and it isn't always the easiest to initiate the bonding spell, especially with one as cautious as she seems to be."

I made a face. "I forgot about that part. And it isn't like I can ask without her suggesting it first."

"I wasn't able to ask Brandon either. He assumed it would be rude to ask about something like that, so we never had a chance to talk about it." Diondin paused, his mouth moved without sound, and after a few seconds, he sighed. "Brandon just tried to suggest she talk to you about riders, but the magic rules bind him as well. He wasn't able to say a single word."

"I'm not overly surprised," I grumbled. "Magic rules are never convenient."

Not only did the invisible laws that governed our magic demand that we have a rider if we wanted children, but the same magic prevented us from asking the human. If they brought up the subject of becoming a rider, the topic was possible to a certain extent, but still had limitations.

The spell itself was simple: the human had to agree to work with the dragon casting the bond spell. It didn't really matter what they thought they were agreeing to, just that they were willing to help us and work together for a common cause. Most riders were tricked into it since there was no easy way to ask, and as Brandon just confirmed, even other riders weren't able to help.

As frustrating as it was, the magic rules had evolved over millennia to protect dragonkin from shadow mages and naga spell casters. The ability to bond with a rider prevented mind-controlling spells from working on us, and the rules prevented even the most powerful shadow mages from forcing the bond upon us.

Many wars had been waged in the distant past, and far too many dragons had been turned into a mage's pawn until the magic rules gave dragonkin a measure of protection from such spells.

"Oh, Brandon managed to convince her to ask you about the riding straps. You told her to put the shoulder straps under the secondary ones?"

"I did... That could give me an opening, although I still want a few days to think about it."

"It's a subject that might lead to such a discussion later, and you still have time," Diondin replied with a shrug. "But they're almost here. They're entering the trees now."

"Finally," I muttered, although my mind lingered on the challenge of how I'd get Katerina to agree to work with me in such a way that I could trigger that particular spell. The wording of her reply had to be fairly precise and without conditions.

If you asked a human for assistance, they almost always answered with questions such as "What do you need help with?" Her answer would have to be a definite agreement without an accompanying question or request for clarification. Now that I thought about it, such a response was a rare thing.

This might be harder than I thought.