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Threshing. That's my first thought when I wake up in the morning. My dreams had been filled with dragons—most of them trying to kill me, but woven through them was a strange opalescent shimmering. Not a solid shape, exactly, more of like a wisp, hovering in the background.

I don't think anything of it as I grab an apple from the cafeteria. It's all my stomach will be able to hold. I notice that I'm one of the few cadets grabbing anything to eat at all—most of us first years just sit at the tables looking queasy.

I sit down with Liam and the rest of my squad. He slings an arm over my shoulder. "You ready for today, Ria?"

"Hey, that's my nickname for her!" Sawyer and Ridoc protest at the same time. Liam gives them a shrug of his shoulders and a grin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I mumble back, staring at the apple sitting on the table in front of me. I couldn't bring myself to touch it, and I wonder why I grabbed it at all. Maybe just to make my stomach think that I had eaten something this morning.

"You know which one you're going for?" he asks, shaking me a little.

I slump forward, my head falling onto the table in front of the apple. "No," I grumble. "Yeah. I don't know. There was this Red Swordtail that was staring me down during Presentation. Might look for him."

"Nice," He replies, gently sitting me up. "Hey, Ria, you're going to be fine. You're one of the best in our year! No dragon would pass you up. They'll probably all be fighting over you."

I scoff at that and give my friend a sidelong glance. "Please," I say, a smile parting my lips for the first time that morning, "we all know that they're going to be flocking to you, Mr. Fastest Up the Gauntlet." Liam rolls his eyes.

I catch Rhiannon giving me a suggestive look and I subtly flip her off. I manage to not remove Liam's arm from my shoulders, however.

After breakfast, we all make our way up the stairs to the side of the Gauntlet. I can see Liam giving the obstacle course something of a wistful glance and I have to raise my eyebrows, shoving him a little. "You would really rather go up that than the stairs?"

Liam raises his eyebrows right back.  "I'd probably still beat you to the top," He teases. "You be careful about shoving me, Ria. Remember who's closer to the edge here." Right. One shove from Liam and I'd probably topple right off of the stairs and fall to my death. That would be depressing. "Rider's Quadrant cadet falls to her death off of the stairs next to the Gauntlet, not the Gauntlet itself." That would make for a good article.

"Point taken." I raise my hands in the air in compliance.

Finally, we reach the valley where Threshing will take place. It's heavily forested, leaves halfway between summer and autumn wave at us in a way that's almost beckoning. Enticing us first years into its welcoming branches without a clue whether or not we'll fly out of there or die. It's entrancing, the way they move in the breeze, and I find myself unable to move my eyes away.

Professor Kaori instructs us what to do once we're release into the care of the valley. "Remember to listen here." He taps his chest, right over his heart. "If a dragon has already selected you, they'll be calling, so pay attention to not only your surroundings but your feelings, and go with them. And if you feelings are telling you to go in the other direction," his voice lowers as a grimace twists his face, "listen to that, too."

"Which one are you going for?" Rhiannon whispers to Violet and I. She stands in the middle of us, Liam having gone off to meet his own squad.

"I don't know," Violet  murmurs back.

"I'm probably going to look for that big Red Swordtail near the beginning of Presentation," I answer as well.

"The one with the two different shades?" Rhiannon asks.

"Yeah," I confirm.

"He was gorgeous," she smiles at me. "I wonder what his name is."

"Well, if things go as planned, I'll know by the end of today," I mutter. She laughs a little before turning back to Violet, who was chewing her nails nervously.

"You memorized the cards, right?" Rhiannon asks her, worry clouding the darker-skinned woman's eyes.

"Yes," Violet replies. "I just don't feel connected to any of them." My friend sounds so nervous, I have half a mind to reach around Rhiannon and wrap her in a hug. Which is weird. I hate hugs. I guess something about Violet is just so... huggable. "Dain tried talking me into a brown."

"Dain lost his vote when he tried to talk you into leaving," Rhiannon remarks drily.

I frown. "Wait, what?" I ask incredulously. "That asshole little—nevermind. Dain tried to talk you into leaving?"

"Yes," Violet mumbles miserably. "He said that the Scribes would still take me."

"You told him to go shove a sword up his ass, right?" I scowl. I knew that our squad leader was bad news. Ever since the day Violet broke her arm. Next I saw him, I most assuredly would strangle the guts out of him. Well, maybe not literally, but I can dream. Vividly.

Violet lets out a small laugh. "I certainly told him no, that's for sure," she replies. "What about you, Rhi? You got an eye on any of the dragons?"

Rhiannon grins. "I'm thinking about that green. The one closest to me when they got all up and personal with you."

"Well, it didn't eat you, so that's a promising start," Violet says with a smile.

"I think so too." Rhiannon links both of her arms through ours and tugs us closer to her sides.

"What if you aren't chosen by dinner?" a cadet with a short, bristly beard asks.

"If you're not chosen by nightfall, there's a problem," Professor Kaori says. "You'll be brought out by a professor or senior leadership, so don't give up and think we've forgotten about you." Kaori checks a watch on his wrist before sweeping his gaze over all of the first years gathered before him. "Remember to spread out and use every foot of this valley to your advantage. It's nine, which means they should be flying any minute now. The only other words I have for you are 'good luck.'" Then he spins on his heel and walks away.

Some cadets break off immediately, heading down into those welcoming woods, but Ridoc wraps his arms around me tightly before I can follow. I can see Rhiannon doing to the same to Violet a foot away. "You've got this, ok?' he murmurs in my ear. "Don't die. I'll see you later."

Rhiannon faces me next, all trace of her previous grin erased. "Stay safe, yeah?"

"As safe as I can get surrounded by dragons," I reply with a small smile. Rhiannon returns the gesture before hugging me quickly. "See you soon."

With that, I wave to Violet, and start heading down the hill, trying to stamp out the rising panic threatening to swallow me whole.

.  .  .

I walk through the autumn woods, dead leaves crunching beneath my worn leather boots. I wipe sweat from my forehead and take another swig from my large water bottle I had slung over my shoulder. I pause and look around me for what seems like the hundredth time since I'd departed. It had been at least two hours since then, and I had come across one smaller green dragon who darted past me without so much as a glance. A large orange had flown over me a while ago as well, but other than that my trek through the forest had been empty.

I keep walking. My feet are the ones telling my brain where to go now, not the other way around. When I had first started out, I had picked the direction that seemed right and went with it, but now it was like I had no control over where my feet went. Just one foot in front of the other.

Sunlight flickered through the thick canopy overhead, and despite the chilly air, the continuous physical exertion was taking a toll on me. I had never been good at hiking, just running around aimlessly until I got tired back home. But here I couldn't stop. No, not unless I wanted to be unbonded.

By the time another hour had passed, I was so zoned out I nearly didn't see the giant, gaping hole cutting a large gap out of the forest. I teetered over the edge for a second before stumbling backwards, I caught my breath, blinking furiously as I stared at that hole. Malek, do I have to almost die idiotically so many times?

I move forward and peer over the edge of the hole cautiously. I can see water glinting at the bottom, about one hundred feet below. Yeah, that would certainly be a death drop. I can see that it continues beneath the earth, but the rest of the interior of the hole is concealed by thick shadows.

"Hm," I mutter, stepping back and start walking along the edge of the great hole. I intend to go all the way around to the other side and continue on the way I had been heading, so I do, ever so aware of the gaping cavity in the earth's surface just to my left.

I've almost made it to where I want to go when suddenly, the sound of footsteps meets my ears to my right. Quick, light-tredded footsteps. Two pairs, from what it sounds like. I'm in the midst of turning to see who it is when there are hands on my shoulder and I'm falling, falling into that giant pit of darkness and a blurry, vaguely familiar face stares down at me as I fall. A face topped with a crown of braided black hair.

. . .

Two chapters in one day! I know its short, but I had to find a good place to end that would leave you guys hanging. Updates are going to be quick for a few days, because this is just such an exciting time for Wisteria.

Anyways, what did you guys think? Who do you think it was that shoved Wisteria into the pit? How is she going to survive a hundred-foot fall? Where is the red dragon that she was supposed to bond? Let me know what you guys think!