~Burdon~

After a long time the wound healed and I was able to move around again. I still sparred even after the accident where Ava cut my leg.
We all-besides a few people-flew back to the Varden. Everything was going smoothly when we got there. It got boring again. Then after weeks, almost a month, there was going to be some action: a enemy has been sighted. I know I shouldn't wish for this to happened, but I need some action-it's been very dull and boring at the Varden, very dull. I got my armor on, then Licá's, and I was finally prepared for battle. I sat there, in the saddle, on Licá, waiting for the enemy to come. 'You ready?'
'Yes. The question is are you ready?'
'Yes.'
'Good. Promise me you won't hurt yourself, or get into any trouble.'
'I promise I will not hurt myself or get into trouble,' I promised.
'Good,' said Licá, pleased.
At that second Valln and his dragon, Espinho, appeared. Without another word, Licá flew up to meet them. When we caught up to them, Valln said, "I see you managed to escape."
I shrugged.
"How did you do it?"
I shrugged.
Valln charged at me, sword raised. We clashed together. Valln brought his sword up to attack, but I stopped him with a blow to the stomach. I slashed at Valln's wrist, Valln pulled back before I could cut off his hand-if as I would of anyway.
Valln slashed at my stomach, but I dodged it. We were going to do more blows, but our dragons started fighting of their own.
The two dragons clashed together clawing at each other. They snapped at each other neck. Licá managed to get Espinho off of her, then they circled each other. Licá went to bite Espinho's tail, but missed by a few inches.
Then Espinho tried to bite her tail, but he missed. Licá swirled around, and bit Espinho on the nose-hard. Espinho tried to shake her off, but it didn't work. She hold on to him like her life depended on it, which it really didn't-at least I hoped it didn't.
Espinho roared a roar of pain, trying to shake her off multiple times, but each time she didn't budge-not even a inch. When Espinho tried to dislodge her by using his claw, she let go and flew away.
'Why did you let go?' I wondered, then I saw had answer.
Espinho was furious in fact. If Licá had hold on any longer he probably would've swiped at her with his paw, tried to bite, flame her, or something. He looked really murderous, like if he could kill Licá right now, he would and maybe he'll try to kill me also-if he could.
Multiple times Espinho tried to flame them, but Licá managed to dodge them every time. Licá swirled around and clashed into Espinho. He tried to flame her right then and there, but Licá somehow blew out his fire-I didn't even know dragons could do that, and that is saying a lot because I studied dragons when I went to school.
Espinho tried to bite her in the neck, but Licá moved out of the way just in time, inches from Espinho's jaw.
I tried to land a few blow, but it's really hard to fight a dragon on a dragon, when your very own dragon is fighting that same dragon. The dragons clawed at each other, snarled and a bunch of other dragon stuff. The fight must of already been a half an hour-at least-already.
Licá managed to get off of Espinho, and flew away. Espinho must've tried to flame us because Licá had to swirl around to escape the fireball.
Licá and I didn't notice in time that we were really close to the ground and we crash-landed. Something really hard hit my head hard enough that I blacked out.
When I woke up, I groaned. My head hurts really bad. It was like getting hit in the head with a boulder-which was probably was what happened-my headache was atrocious. I opened my eyes. I was in the healer's tent, again.
Ava was there this time instead of Rain. She was sitting right next to my bed. She saw that I was wake, and smiled. I smiled back.
"Aeri, can you go anywhere without injuring yourself?"
"Apparently not." Ava's smile got even bigger. "How's Licá?"
"She's doing better than you are."
A wave of new pain surge through my head. "My head..." I said, groaning.
"From what Licá told me the red dragon came up from behind and clawed you in the head; causing you to now have a claw mark on your forehead."
I reached up and felt my forehead, there was a bandages all around my head. The most bandaged part was the right most corner of my forehead and it went from my hairline to my eyebrow. I groaned. Out of all the the scars I had this scar was going to be the most noticeable. Now people are going to be praising me. Ugh. I don't really want their praise. I just couldn't believe the dragon actually clawed me in the head, and knocked me out.
Shortly afterwards, I went back to sleep. And when I woke up, Ava was still there.
"Oh, you're awake," blurted Ava, when she saw that I was awake. "Here eat this." Handing me a bowl of soup. I ate all of it; I was so hungry. I didn't realize how hungry I was until now. But when I asked for more, Ava told me, "No more for you." I complained, saying I was hungry, but she said, "You don't want to eat too much, unless you want to feel what it is like to have a overfull stomach." I complained that I would rather have a overfull stomach than a still empty stomach. Ava laughed at me saying, that I was silly and that I should go back to sleep. I did and when I woke she gave me more soup. Every time I fell asleep, and woke up, Ava gave me a bowl of soup.

∞

When the cut on my forehead was healed, Ava took off my bandages. When I asked for a mirror Ava hesitated, but she gave me a mirror anyway. In the mirror I saw that the scar was at least two inches wide, and went from my hairline all the way to my eyebrow. Another scar this time on my face where everyone can see it.
"At least it's not that bad, you can still cover it up with your hair," said Ava, trying to cheer me up.
"Yeah, probably," I responded, covering my scar with my hair. Ava gave me permission to get out of bed, so I took the opportunity to get out of bed, walking all the way back to my tent. Everyone of my family was all there.
"Let's see it," commanded my Father. I moved my hair out of my face. Everyone gasped. "Well... at least it's not bad."
"To be frank, I was expecting worse," commented Malhaw. "I was expecting the scar to cover your eye and down your face."
"Sorry to disappoint you," I snapped, sarcastically.
"Oh, don't worry I rather have you have this scar, then the scar I was expecting you to have."
I chuckled. "Good, because I won't want to have a worse scar than this." And everyone started laughing. After that, I covered my scar with my hair again.
I walked out of the tent and walked over to see Licá. She was right next to their tent. I laid against her, overlooking the Varden.
'Why do you cover up your scars, especially the ones on your face?' questioned Licá.
'I just don't like showing off my scars.'
'Why?'
'I just don't like to.'
'Hmm,' said Licá in a non-believing tone.
'You don't believe me?'
'No, I do, I was just thinking.'
I shrugged. 'I got six scars from six different species now.'
'Yes, I wonder why so many species are out to injure you.'
I shrugged and I just laid there until someone came to bring me to dinner.
After dinner I sparred with Malhaw and a bunch of other people from the Varden. I still continue to court Ava.
Ava asked me if I would come with to do some tests, I said no. Because of endless begging me to go, I gave in.
I followed Ava to the tent where the tests were. The second I entered the tent I knew something was wrong. Ava sat across from someone with a needle. The man pricked her finger and swiped her finger on some glass. The man studied it. The man shook his head and Ava got up.
I was ready to leave, and was about to go out the door, when Ava told me, "Aeri, you need to take the test also."
I could not take the test no matter what. "I'm good."
"Aeri, you have to take the test," argued Ava.
"Why?"
"So we can know who's a werewolf and who isn't," said Ava, as if it was obvious.
"Are you applying that I am one?" I snapped. Because if you are I am in big trouble. BIG trouble.
"No, but-"
"Good," I said, and I left the tent. I ran back to my tent and laid down on my bed.
Ava came running in as soon as I laid down. "How could you do that?!" demanded Ava. "Do what?"
"Humiliate me like that!"
"I'm sorry if I humiliated you. But I don't like needles, and I definitely don't want to get pricked by one."
"You could've said that instead off running off."
I shrugged. "Leave me alone, I want to go to sleep." Surprisingly, Ava left without a word. I fell asleep soon after that.

***

~Ava~

I left Aeri's tent. Why was he so freak out by doing the test? I wondered. Whatever. I need clean my weapons anyways.
I walked over to the lake by the Varden. I was in the middle of cleaning my weapons when a woman appeared of nowhere. "Hello, who are you?" I asked. The Woman didn't respond. I shrugged, turning back to finish cleaning.
After I finished cleaning my weapons, and was about to leave, when the Woman spoke, "You seek to get the dragonrider's blood?"
I was shock that she spoke, and that she asked that question. "Who are you?" I asked, again.
"A former friend of Aeri," said the former friend of Aeri.
"Can I have a name?"
"I am called many things, but I swore to never again speak my former name again," responded the former friend of Aeri.
"Can I get a name?"
"My new name is Næm," answered Næm.
"What are you doing here, Næm?" I interrogated, suspicious.
"Is the dragonrider refusing to take the test?" inquired Næm, avoiding my question.
"Yes," I said. Næm handed me something. It was a vial of blood. I looked up and Næm was no nowhere to be found. Standing up, I ran all the to the tent that does the tests. I walked inside.
"Ava, why are you here?" asked the Blood Man.
"Here," I replied, handing him the vial of blood.
"What's this?"
"It may, or may not, be the dragonrider Aeri's blood," I explained.
"Oh." He managed to get only a few drops to come out of the vial; and began studying it. "Wow, this certainly is most shocking," said the Blood Man after a several minutes.
"What?!" I demanded.
"The dragonrider Aeri-if it is his-has not only human blood, but elf, and LB217, which is bloodline of werewolf."
"WHAT?!?! Are you sure?!"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"But..." I stuttered, in shock.
"Look. I'm really busy, so can you please leave?"
I left the tent without a word; too shocked to argue. I ran all the way to Aeri's tent and I bumped into someone. "Sorry about that. Guess neither of us was paying attention," apologized Aeri.
When he tried to help me up I yelled, "Don't touch me!"
He backed away with his hands in the air-a sign of surrender. "Ava, what's-"
"Don't talk to me, you monster!" I saw him jerk back as if he had been stung, but I didn't care.
I been in love with one of the worst monsters ever. In love with?! I don't love him! At least not anymore. I don't fall in love with monsters anymore, I thought.
"Monster? Since when did I-" he stopped mid-sentence when I punched him in the stomach.
"I said don't talk to me, you monster!" I yelled.
Once Aeri regained his breath-which was surprisingly quick, then again he is a monster-he snapped, "Fine. I won't. Guess this means we aren't courting each other anymore." And he stomped back his the tent.
Did he just do what I think he did? I silently demanded.
I crept closer to the tent so I could hear what they were saying. They were speaking another language, which must be their native language. It sounded like a bunch of growls and snarls, like what wolves would make. Then it all connected. Pak Island's language sound like wolves. Every werewolf we ever captured came from Pak Island, so Pak Islanders must be all werewolves. Without even thinking, I walked into their tent. Their conversation stopped.
"Are you all werewolves?" I asked.
They all looked shocked, everyone of them. They were completely speechless. Kar seemed to get out of shock first.
"What?! Ava, that's crazy!" boasted Kar, laughing at me.
"Then how come you were all shocked when I asked it?" I inquired, still suspicious.
"We were shocked that you would apply that we are one," said Kar, still laughing at me, or at my idea. Everyone was laughing at her idea-Aeri included.
"You know what, never mind. Forget that I asked," I quickly said, embarrassed, and I left the tent. I was so embarrassed that I asked them if they were all werewolves. I couldn't believe that I asked them that-it was beyond embarrassing. I didn't tell anyone about my idea about Pak Islanders being werewolves, because I didn't want to get laughed at again.

***

~Burdon~

"That was close," said my Father.
"Yeah, too close," agreed Malhaw.
"Good thing we made her think that was a crazy idea."
"Yeah, or we would've been toast," I said, plopping down on my bed. Actually we all plopped down on our beds. And release a sigh of relief. "I can't believe we were almost expose by a elf."
"I know right. And we would've been exposed by your girlfriend," teased Malhaw.
I gave him a death glare. He back off after that.
We really just laid there for a while. After a while we sparred, got something to eat, and sparred some more. Then we cleaned our weapons after we sparred-important to keep our weapons clean, sharp, and ready for battle.
I walked back to my tent-after I finished cleaning my weapons-and I laid down besides Licá.
'That was a close one today,' commented Licá.
'Yes. Good thing we convinced her that she was wrong, else we would've been doomed, and dead if we hasn't.'
'I'm glad that didn't happened because I would've been one angry dragon.'
'Wouldn't angry be a understatement?' I jested.
'Yes, yes, it would.'
'I'm so glad she didn't tell anyone. But I feel a bit guilty for not telling her, and making her think she's crazy.'
'Same here. But besides that last part-that seems personal,' mostly agreed Licá.
'I'm bored, let's go do some flying.'
If Licá could shrug she would, but she couldn't exactly shrug, because it was awkward for her, so she just said, okay.
'I'm going to asked Ava to come with us,' I said, sitting up.
'Not that I want you to remember this, but didn't Ava not want you to talk to her, or touch her?' reminded Licá.
'Maybe she changed her mind,' I countered, already in pursuit of Ava. I ran, found her tent, and knocked on the post. I heard some shuffling inside the tent. Then I saw Ava in the doorway.
"Aeri, what brings you here?" asked Ava, keeping the tent flap from revealing anything.
'There better not be a man in there,' I thought, angrily. Instead I said, "I came to see if you want to go flying, on Licá of course. But it seems that you're busy, so never mind."
"You were going to take me dragonback flying?"
"Yeah, but you're busy, so never mind," I slightly stuttered, already backing away.
"Okay, bye."
I was on my way back to my tent when I bumped into someone. "Sorry," I mumbled, and I continued on my way.
I saddled Licá, and was about to get in the saddle, when Ava yelled "Wait!"
I swirled around. "Ava?" I blurted out, in surprised.
"Wait, I want to come with you!" yelled Ava. As soon as Ava reached us, I strapped her saddlebags onto Licá. I helped Ava up onto the saddle, and then I also got into the saddle-obviously.
Licá spread her wings and took off. When we were high in the sky-well sort of high, it really wasn't that high, I'm just going with high-I wanted to know why she is here. "Why did you change your mine?"
"Well, I decided that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So why not try it," answered Ava, shrugging her shoulders.
"Are we back on?" I wondered, hopefully.
"Back on what?" asked Ava, clearly confused.
"That's Pak Islander speech, meaning do we want to start courting each other again?" Please say yes. Please say yes. Oh, please say yes. Oh, just say yes.
"Oh. Then, yes, we can start courting again."
I was so happy that she said yes, in fact I was ecstatic. I would've jumped for joy but, considering where I am, I decided against it.
"Is this how it feels to be on dragonback?"
"Yes, it is much more fun when Licá does all sort of tricks. But it might not be fun since you have never done dragonback flying."
"I think I can handle a few tricks."
"Ava, it not safe for a person who never done dragonback flying to do the tricks-even the real simple ones-until you get used to flying."
"Oh please, I can handle a few simple tricks. I'm a lot more stronger than a human," said Ava, defensively.
"Ava, it wouldn't even safe for a elf."
"Please. Just one simple trick," begged Ava.
Ugh, she's going to be the death of me, I thought. "No, I-" I stopped mid-sentence when something slammed into my side. I groaned, bending over.
"Aeri?! Are you alright?!" demanded Ava, with worry.
I started to feel like I was going down and we crash landed. I think that my scar on my forehead opened up again, because I felt something wet on my forehead.
I heard a commotion going on around me, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I felt like I was being lifted. I tried to get away, but couldn't. Then I got carried away by someone else, and I blacked out.

-
Question(s) of the chapter:
What do you think happens next? As you 'patiently' wait, leave a comment down below.
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