26

AMY
We spendevery moment of the next few days preparing for the inevitable confrontation. I work side by side with Gwen, doing our best to calm the fears of the others when they realize that no, we aren’t going to give in to what the nomads want. We’re going to fight back, and we’re going to use a dragon to do so. There’s a lot of hysteria, especially when people see Rast switch to his battle-form. It takes time for people to realize that he’s not going to snatch them up and eat them, no matter how many times I reassure them and caress my dragon’s muzzle to let them know he’s on our side.
It’s a bit annoying to Rast, but he’s endlessly patient, especially where the children are concerned. It’s like he instinctively wants to protect them, and it makes my heart squeeze happily.
While Gwen and I make plans, Rast hunts down a few cows and brings them back to the fort. His rationale is that a well-fed people are stronger and less frightened, and by the end of the first day, I see children approaching him to try and pet him. Rast flicks his tail a little, but otherwise doesn’t object, even when sticky little hands slap at his scales. My sweet, patient dragon. Did I ever think he wasn’t my knight in shining armor? How wrong I was.
My part’s a lot easier than Rast’s—we meet with each family and assign them hiding spots outside of the fort. If everything should go badly, I want them to have the opportunity to escape. Supply bags are made, weapons are distributed, and we scope out the nearby suburb streets that surround the school and make sure that everyone has someplace to hide for when the nomads arrive.
It all goes smoothly, and I find that these people work well together. More than that, they listen to me as if I’m a voice of wisdom. I kind of like that. Strange to think that I’m the expert on something for a change, instead of the burden. But after the last few months? I know a lot about dragons.
And after Emma’s run in with nomads, I know that you can’t play around with them. You can’t go by their rules. You have to go at them fast and hard and you have to show them you mean business. I plan on grinding them into the dust and making them beg for ever screwing with Gwen and her fort.
I just hope that Gwen’s sister is still alive. But if she isn’t, we can save the rest of the fort.
Theoretically.
Vaan is another problem. Though the wild dragon is listening to Rast when Rast assures him that we’re trying to find his mate, he’s quickly losing patience with the idea of staying away from Fort Shreveport. I know it’s hard for him because his mind is crazed, but having him show up mid-nomad-meeting is the last thing we need. It’s getting harder and harder to get through to him, and soon enough we’re going to have to find out who his female is and see how she wants to handle things, because Vaan’s only got one focus—his mate—and he’s not about to give up on her. But it’s been so crazy in the fort itself I haven’t had much time to sleuth out who she is.
If it’s Daniela, we’re going to have a problem if she doesn’t return. But if it is Daniela, why is he still at the fort and not chasing her down from the nomads? Unless he’s lost her scent entirely and just keeps returning to the last place he scented her.
All I know is that we can only handle one problem at a time, and right now, Vaan is problem number two. Still a problem, but not as immediate. For now, he’ll have to wait.
He might snap, but hopefully not before we can solve the nomad issue.