The Primal Dragon by Laura K Millar

Author:Laura K Millar
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: dragon, fantasy world, banter, character driven, dragon riders, dragon bond, dragon egg, pov characters, elemental dragon, character arcs
Publisher: Laura K Millar

***

Later that morning, someone Daena had only glimpsed before stepped out of the training warehouse and beckoned her and her friends over. Training was expected to continue. The sun had diminished in its brilliance as it had risen across the sky. Or maybe it was just Daena’s lack of sleep catching up with her.

“I guess that’s our new instructor,” Calhoun said, his voice flatter than usual.

Oh, Daena realised. She had been expecting, unconsciously, that Ramsey was going to train them, as usual.

Of course he wasn’t.

When they reached their new instructor, she evaluated Saffron as if she were checking the worth of a weapon. Then she did the same for each of the others, dragon and human. Once satisfied, she turned without a word and strode back inside.

Daena exchanged a dubious look with Saffron. This day is probably going to go to shit, it said.

Once they had all followed their new instructor inside, she turned to address them.

“My name is Lieutenant Hoffman,” she said.

She was a short, stocky woman, with bulging muscles that Daena found rather excessive for her height. “I am replacing Captain Ramsey as your instructor until he is able. As you’re probably aware, he sustained severe injuries from the recent battle.”

Her voice was indifferent as she stated this, and Daena felt her anger stir. Someone’s life was not something to skim through like a headline in the morning paper.

“Why were so many injured?” she demanded. “I thought it was supposed to be a flawless victory.”

Hoffman looked at Daena and evaluated her again, this time as if she were a weapon that had failed to measure up to its initial appraisal.

“You must be Daena Arnell,” she said, as if her disappointing worth, and not the primal dragon by her side, had alerted her to this. “All battles cause injury, Arnell, and there is no such thing as a flawless victory.”

“You’re dodging my question,” Daena persisted.

Hoffman narrowed her eyes. “Watch your tone, Arnell. You’re speaking to a superior.”

Daena believed that anyone who flaunted their superiority wasn’t deserving of it. She waited, letting silence thicken between them.

In a level voice with a hint of a threat, Hoffman said, “Houquin miscalculated. Ticheil was aware of the attack and was waiting for us.” She directed her next words to all of them. “War doesn’t always go to plan. It is messy and chaotic, and people and dragons die. It’s your job to accept that and train so that fewer people and dragons die. Not to ask questions.”

“How did Ticheil know?” Daena pushed.

Hoffman’s scowl deepened. “That is a question, Arnell.”

“No shit. Is there a spy among us?”

Hoffman stiffened, a vein on her forehead becoming more prominent.

The atmosphere seemed to still.

But Hoffman just pointed to the ground. “Ten push-ups.”

Daena looked at Hoffman’s finger, then at her face, and demanded, “Why?”

“For suggesting that the allegiance of anyone here is any weaker than your own.”

“What? A spy could be a very real threat!” Daena didn’t even have a good allegiance to her country. It was just where she happened to have been dragged into this world.

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