To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

Author:Moniquill Blackgoose [Blackgoose, Moniquill]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2023-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

ANEQUS BECAME A SUBJECT OF PUBLIC ATTENTION

I learned from Sander that Frau Kuiper’s address to the students had largely consisted of warnings that there would be no tolerance of harassment of any student, without expressly mentioning Theod or me by name. That any violent or antagonistic behavior, anything that might upset a dragoneer to the point of inspiring action in their dragon, was a mark of unfitness to command a dragon and that the consequences could be as dire as expulsion from the academy or even destruction of a student’s dragon.

The week progressed without much fanfare; the general attitude of the student body seemed somber and frightened, with a distinct edge of resentment toward me and Theod any time we entered a room. I attended my classes and spent most of my time reading. None of my classmates spoke to me at all, which I didn’t particularly mind.

The interviews appeared in the Vastergot Gazette on Saturday, the twenty-fourth of September.

I’d never had a lichtbild taken of myself before—I didn’t know if any lichtbildmacher had ever been to Masquapaug, in fact. I sent a telegram to Niquiat, telling him to buy a copy of the Gazette for Mother. I was very interested to read Theod’s half of the interview; he hadn’t been asked precisely the same questions that I had. His part of the article included a summary of the circumstances leading to Theod’s binding with Copper and the subsequent moot. Interestingly, Theod had answered the question “Do you think of yourself first as a nackie or as a citizen of Lindmarden?” with a firm assertion of citizenship above anything else. He’d cited dragon husbandry as his favorite academic subject, and neatly skirted questions about skiltakraft.

Mr. Urdiroz did not seem to have been at all concerned with Theod’s marriage prospects or reading habits, and something about that rankled just a bit, though I couldn’t have explained why.

I was expressly told by Frau Brinkerhoff that I should not leave the school grounds that weekend, that time should be given for the general public to become aware of the interviews, for them to undo any ill feeling toward Theod and me that Herr Stafn’s editorial might have inspired. Marta did not go away for the weekend, either, so I had to forgo my Sunday morning with Liberty. I took a long constitutional with Kasaqua and worked on the sorts of drills that Professor Mesman had prescribed. She very much enjoyed playing at fetch-and-carry once she understood the game. She did, however, become distracted quite easily. More than once I’d thrown the knotted rope and she’d returned with a freshly killed field mouse. I always praised her regardless.

On Monday, the twenty-sixth of September, I received three letters.

I was already familiar with the workings of the mail room because of my correspondence home and with Niquiat, but for the first time I’d received letters from parties unknown to me. One was sealed in gold wax, and the paper smelled faintly of rose water. When I

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