*Katerina's POV*

As my feet touched the ground, a distant roar had me looking over my shoulder as a huge snake-like creature reared out of the water. Its head was eerily dragon-like, but it had no arms or legs.

"Sea serpent," Rakota muttered. "Where are the bindings... Ah, there."

The serpent immediately began attacking the naga around it.

"You should save your magic," a strange female voice said. "You might be able to manipulate rock fairly easily, but many can't."

I turned around as half a dozen dragons landed behind us in a semi-circle. To my surprise, Rakota didn't grumble or attempt to defend his actions, he merely bowed his head.

"I see you finally picked a rider," the same voice said, which I could now identify as belonging to the light green dragon whose scales had streaks of gray around the edges, giving her an interesting dappled effect. "I wasn't aware Wellsprings still existed. Her magic glows brightly."

"She isn't shielding currently," Rakota said. "Andar, Serepha, and Diondin can all confirm how well her magic was hidden."

"I know. I was helping farther down the coast when she lowered her shields, although I sensed her power through your spells when I arrived earlier."

Rakota glanced down at me. "Kat, these are some of the dragonkin elders."

"Er, it's nice to meet you," I said, bowing my head and hoping they didn't realize my words were a complete lie. So much for keeping my abilities a secret.

"I was hoping you would show up," Rakota told them. "As you can see, Kat is a Wellspring, and both of us have some concerns. Are you able to spare a few minutes?"

The green dragon's gaze went to the rock wall, to me, then rested on Rakota. "Considering you two are single-handedly turning the tide of the looming war, I can spare as many minutes as you require."

He inclined his head in thanks. "Kat is likely not the only Wellspring in existence, and she is understandably concerned about her relatives and any others who might have the ability. If you are willing to hear me out, I would like to put forth a proposal to protect the Wellsprings and any in their bloodline."

"We're listening," she replied, as she and the other elderly dragons watched us with intent patience.

"The biggest challenge the Wellsprings face is the lack of safety. They constantly avoid mages for fear of detection, and if the mages ever discover them, they have no protection against the power-hungry ones."

"If they avoided mages, they likely didn't approach healers either," she mused. "Some might have died from illnesses or injuries that could have been easily healed."

Rakota nodded. "Since dragonkin already know of their ability, they have no reason to avoid us, assuming certain protections are put in place to create trust. We have previously never allowed humans to enter the dragonlands, but I can't see anyone objecting to letting Wellsprings and their families build villages in certain areas."

"It would be easy to protect such areas from invaders or shadow mages," she agreed. "And there would be other advantages. I see no issue in allowing this."

Rakota took a deep breath. "They must be able to trust us to not trick them into becoming a rider. There would have to be rules about them bringing up that topic and clearly wanting that honor."

The green dragon gave him a long look. "I think this is something the elders have to discuss. Rest here for a few minutes longer."

The group of dragons walked farther into the meadow. I remained by Rakota's front leg, watching them uneasily.

"What is going on?" I quietly asked.

"If they agree," he replied just as softly, "your relatives will have the ability to live in the dragonlands, safe from mages and other threats, with the option of becoming a rider if it interests them. Let's get a drink while they talk."

When he walked closer to the creek, I followed, still glancing at the old dragons who occasionally looked my way while talking amongst themselves. I refilled my water skin as Rakota drank deeply from the water. Serepha glided overhead but didn't land.

Time seemed to creep by as I fretted over what the elders might be saying and what it could mean for other Wellsprings. Considering how hard we normally tried to avoid mages and dragons, would any of my relatives risk moving into dragon territory?

My immediate thought was that they wouldn't, but I also remembered an uncle whose leg was so badly damaged that no trusted healer was skilled enough to heal it. He might risk asking a dragon for a healing spell and moving to such a place. Some would flatly refuse, but there were a few others who were tired of running and hiding, who simply wanted to live their life without fear.

When Rakota shifted his weight, I noticed the dragons were returning. I edged closer to Rakota as they stopped in front of us, once more forming a semi-circle.

"We have come to a decision." The green dragon said. She turned her head to gaze at me steadily. "The dragonkin will become protectors for any with Wellspring blood. They will be allowed to settle in the dragonlands, and we will build several villages for any who show up. We will protect them from shadow mages or those who might seek to steal their power. If Wellsprings wish to pay for dragon spells with valuables or their own magic, it will be at greatly discounted rates."

"As Rakota mentioned, such a community would require trust, so no dragon will take their magic without their permission," a purple dragon said. "They will not have a rider bond tricked upon them – they would have to initiate that discussion if interested."

A yellow dragon added, "We hope the Wellsprings might occasionally donate some of their magic in exchange for such protections, but it will not be an obligation. The cliff you are helping Rakota build is considered to be payment in full."

"I can volunteer to fly any of them to these villages," Rakota said.

"We were hoping you'd offer," the yellow dragon replied. "They'd likely trust your rider more than any other, but others might also volunteer."

The green dragon continued, "If any Wellsprings are discovered and held hostage, we will also help free them. They will be given an offer to be flown to the protected villages where they will be safe or to a regular village where they are unknown and can blend in." She blinked slowly and added a bit more emphasis to her words. "In essence, we are offering any protections we can think of and a safe place for them to live without asking anything in return. None will be tricked into becoming a rider. They and their families can live in the dragonlands in safety."

I stood motionless in shock. What the elders had just described was a promise of safety no Wellspring could have ever dreamed of. Protection of dragons without the threat of them taking our magic or forcing us to become riders.

But what if it was a trap?

Brandon had said dragons valued their honor, and their pride was well-known. But I had to know for sure, even if I risked insulting the elders.

Looking up at Rakota, I quietly asked, "Dragons always keep their promises, right?"

"Yes," he replied solemnly.

"Which is why dragonkin don't give promises lightly," the green dragon said. "What we have offered is a true promise from the elders. Only six of us were along this part of the coast and close enough to come, but we have enough authority in matters like these to represent all elders chosen by the dragonkin. We will spread the word, and within a moonturn, all dragons will know of this promise and be bound by it."

"Wh- What if they don't listen?" I asked hesitantly.

"They would not like the consequences," she replied. "Besides, if some Wellsprings lose their fear of dragons, they might be willing to trade their magic for various spells or objects. I'm sure one or two Wellsprings would be interested in becoming riders, and in a few centuries, there might be more wishing for the position than the number of dragons looking for riders."

Now I could see the shape of their plan. This promise didn't benefit them immediately, but dragons lived for centuries and humans multiplied fast. They were looking at a future where Wellsprings trusted dragons above human mages and would willingly share their magic or even become riders.

They didn't need to add obligations or payment because if the Wellsprings saw dragons as protectors and not as serious threats, some would eventually want to be riders. It may take several generations, but it would almost certainly happen. Dragons also had healing spells, and it would be a huge temptation to pay for a healing with magic we couldn't use instead of hoping we'd recover from a sickness or injury without complications.

I knew how valuable our magic was, and I was equally certain that the dragons' plans would one day benefit the dragons far more than it inconvenienced them. And it really wasn't much work for them; they already protected the dragonlands, so they were basically just letting several dozen humans settle in their territory.

And the elder had given her promise. Not only were my relatives truly safe from dragons, but they had just been offered far, far more. Wellsprings now had a chance to live without the constant fear of being detected. They wouldn't have to always be looking over their shoulder for mages or healers. It was a spark of hope in the darkness.

I bowed my head. "Thank you very much." This time, my words were the honest truth.

The six elderly dragons nodded, and the green one said, "You're welcome. Please let your relatives know at your earliest convenience. In the meantime, we will let you and Rakota finish the wall, and we will help keep the naga at bay while you work."

They took flight and joined the others circling above.

"Thank you, Rakota," I murmured.

"You're welcome."