The Sixth Dragon Rider

Part 5

The sun streaming through the windows was the first thing Aura saw when she woke up.  She stretched and stepped out of bed and went over to the window.  Outside birds were chirping and people were out in the courtyard with their dragons.  She wondered vaguely if she was dreaming before she remembered where she was.  She was at Stonehaven and today was the first day of training.

She ran over to her closet and threw on a short green dress fastened with a gold belt and pair of brown leggings that looked like they were meant for training.  Running into the bathroom she quickly pulled the brush through her tangled hair before trapping it neatly in a braid.  By now Nirvana was waking up and stretching sleepily on her perch.  She flew drowsily over to Aura and curled around her shoulders.  Aura was just about out the door before she remembered she needed shoes.  Racing back to the closet she grabbed a pair of soft leather boots and pulled them on.

Just as she was about to step out of her room so she could head to the dining hall for breakfast she stopped and looked down at her feet.  Right in front of her, seated just outside the doorway was a silver tray of food with a small note on it that said "Aura, I know you had a bad experience in the dining hall last night so I thought I'd send this up so you can enjoy at least one meal in peace. -Kasha".  Smiling to herself Aura reached down and picked up the tray to bring it into her room.  As she started eating Aura reached into her satchel and pulled out the schedule she'd received the night before, which read,

Lady Aura,

This is your schedule, please be on time to all your classes and follow it exactly.

Dawn- Breakfast in the hall

Morning- Combat in the Courtyard

Midday- Lunch/Free Period

Mid-Afternoon- Basic Skills in the 9th classroom

Evening- Dragon Teachings in room 124

Night- Dinner

*The bell will ring to signal the beginning and end of every period as well as curfew (6 tolls)

Aura looked over her schedule and looked out the window to see if class would start soon.  As soon as the sun was fully in the air her morning class would start.  Seeing that the sun was just about risen Aura shoved her breakfast down and raced out of her room and down the winding stairway of the tower. Skidding through the empty hallways, Aura ran out the great front doors of the castle to the courtyard and slid into line with her class just in time.

Pacing in front if the class was a man with a large beard and a sword, turning to the class he addressed them, "My name is Jerald and I will be your instructor for combat.  Now I must deeply stress to you that combat is not about fighting to fight but fighting to learn how to best fight so you can do your duty as a dragon rider.  We will start today with a warm-up, so everyone go and run ten laps around the courtyard, the equivalent of two miles.  I will be counting all your laps so don't try anything."

Aura started running as soon as Jerald said go.  Most of the class grumbled and complained but she loved to run and was used to running at least four miles at once to round up the sheep, so this was easy.  Behind her some of the boys were catching up but most were still complaining.

"Why do we have to run, we have dragons."

"We're special, special people don't run"

"What evil person invented this form of torture?"

"All of you, be quiet and run!  I am the evil person who invented this form of torture, to answer that question, and unless you all want to be shown up badly I'd suggest picking it up. Every last one of you are on lap two except, Ivan, Mack, and Aura who are on laps three and four."

More grumbling from behind, but Aura just took off sprinting trying to catch the people who had passed her.  It wasn't a race to anyone else but if Aura was the first done she might be able to begin to prove she had a place among these people who didn't think she could do it.

"Lap nine Aura."

Digging deep Aura took off at her fastest pace yet for the last lap.  There was only one person in front of her and she was catching up.  In her head Nirvana's voice was whispering to her, telling her to be calm and trust that the dragon would give her the speed she needed.  

"You'll be the best," Nirvana promised, "I won't let you fail."

Time seemed to slow down for Aura as she ran. It was like everyone but her was moving in slow motion.  She approached the guy in front of her and passed him, then she raced toward where Jerald was standing and skidded to a stop in front of him.  Time returned to normal and Aura, let herself catch her breath.  

"Thanks Nirvana,"  she whispered to the dragon who was curled contentedly up on the bleachers.

Slowly everyone else finished, panting and out of breath.  Jerald then worked everyone through a series of difficult stretches before finally deciding they were ready.

"Okay, that, that was easy for a warm up, so don't be thinking it will stay this way, or that I went extra hard on you, I didn't.  Anyway for our first lesson we will be doing archery.  This is a great skill for dragon riders, who can use it to shoot off their dragon's back and stay safe, I want everyone to go over and stand by that rack and I will give you a bow.  If you have your own I would like to see them next class."

Everyone jumped up and raced over to the rack to get a bow leaving Aura last in line, although she didn't really mind.  Slowly everyone got a bow and went over to a line of targets.  When Aura got to the front their were only a few bows left.  Jerald held up her arm and measured several bows against it before picking one and handing it to her.  It was made of red wood and was sturdy, yet flexible. 

"Okay, before we start I will show you what to do.  So you hold the bow like this.  Everyone see? Good.  And then you insert the arrow like this and pull back like so.  When you're ready to release simply let go of the string and let the arrow fly," Jerald said shooting a nearly perfect bulls-eye.

Everyone nodded and loaded their bows.  Aura selected an arrow and carefully put it on the string.  Jerald came up behind her and she knew he was watching, waiting.  Pulling the string back she looked at the target and prepared to shoot.  Time slowed just like it had when she was running and she noticed everything, the breeze that swayed the target, every pebble and rock by her feet, and even the tenseness of the string.  Readjusting her arrow she took a look at the target and shot.

The arrow spiraled through the air and sailed toward the target perfectly aimed.  Then out of no where another arrow came and grazed along the tip of hers sending it off course.  The arrow hit the outside ring and splintered Jerald's down the middle.

"Try and wait until no one's shooting next time and attempt to aim for the center directly," Jerald said coldly before walking off.

Frustrated Aura took her bow up and tried again.  She shot the arrow perfectly and this time it hit the middle of the target perfectly.  Jerald who had come up behind her again just clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Beautiful shot but it took you forever, your target would have been long gone by now and your hand wobbled so much I'd have to say the shot was lucky, watch how the boys are keeping their hands steady and copy that."

Aura gritted her teeth and loaded another arrow, no matter how hard she tried they always found a reason why she wasn't good enough.

A/N:Another chapter!  I would really like to thank kb1381 because they are just such an amazing and dedicated reader.  Also they always make sure I update so thank you soooo much!  Anyway that's all and I hoped you enjoyed it.  Please, please, please, comment and tell me if it was any good, I love hearing what people have to say!

Bye for now, Kat