Chapter Text
I watch, further removed from Violet than I would prefer, as the larger irid, Leothan, whips his head between Andarna and Violet.
I wonder if this is how everyone around us feels when Violet and speak, and often argue, with each other through our bond, frustratedly missing entire sections of the conversation.
Andarna roars, and I jump, not quite expecting it from the young dragon, before she launches herself into the air.
As soon as the small irid wings beat for the sky, Violet collapses to her knees, watching her dragon fly off with the elder irid who came back for her. I’m too far away to react as the bond that had been blocked by the elder irid locks back into place. The bond between us is usually sparking, full of energy and life, when Violet doesn’t have her shields up, but now it feels empty and dark. Worry and fear fill my soul as my body moves instinctively towards her.
“Violet” Rhiannon starts, getting to Violet’s side before I can even take a full step. Tairn moves towards his rider as Rhiannon crouches before her best friend, taking her face in her hands “Are you alright?”
“You will breathe!” I jump slightly as Tairns gravelly voice fills my head down the bond, not caring to speak directly to his rider, instead including myself and Sgaeyl in his demand.
I hit my knees as Violet gasps for air, “she left us. She left us. She left us.” Her shock palpable through the bond, and I feel the air leave my chest, hardly noticing when Rhiannon moves slightly to allow me into the space she has taken up in front of Violet, but won’t leave her best friend’s side, even for me.
“What happened?” I ask, not caring who will answer, just that I get answers. “Violet?” I can’t use her nickname, she’s struggling to breathe, but I can’t figure out why. I look her over quickly, trying to see where she’s hurt, why she collapsed, why she can’t breath and seeing no injury.
“I don’t know.” Rhiannon answers softly, not taking her eyes off the person who swapped boots with a stranger on the parapet, the best friend and squad member forged through the gauntlet and within the quadrant over the last year.
And then I hear Sgaeyl, my dragon who has all but blocked me out for months snap down the bond with a fury I’ve rarely heard, and never towards Violet “How could she do this?”
“She’s gone.” Violet collapses forward, and I pull her into my shoulder, tugging her close and catching her chin so I can look at her.
“Andarna’s gone.”
Her body goes limp in my arms and panic swirls through my whole being. “What do I do? How do I help her? What does she mean Andarna’s gone?” I feel her clutch me, as she stops breathing, and then struggles for air.
I feel the dragons speaking to each other as Ridoc lands next to me, Sawyer on the other side of Rhiannon, all three members of Violet’s squad desperate to help, but unable to figure out what is actually wrong.
I jerk my head up as Ridoc breaks the silence.
“Fuck, we’ve got to get her back to the house. Somewhere she feels safe.”
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The entirety of the Iron Squad escorts Violet back to our room, getting to the warded door I pause, Violet still silent in my arms. Looking down at her, and glancing at who followed me to our room, I make the decision that this group of people needs to be around her right now. I hand her off to Ridoc, push him through the door with her, and reach back to pull each member of the squad one by one past the wards.
Rhiannon immediately starts directing everyone, which I’m grateful for, as I can’t think over the pure despair flowing through the bond, and I don’t have the desire to put up my shields to block her out.
I hear water running in the ensuite bathroom and turn as Ridoc carries Violet over the threshold, Rhiannon turns to me “Riorson, get her something to sleep in. Comfortable and easy.” She looks me up and down, pauses slightly, eyes unfocused, “maybe something of yours, hopefully your scent can help to keep her grounded.”
I dig through the dresser as I hear the bathroom door shut behind me, Ridoc back in the small room. Pulling out a sparring shirt and pair of sleeping pants, along with a fresh pair of undergarments, I hear a frantic knock on the door.
Handing the bundle of cloth off to Sawyer I turn to the door, opening it to a terrified Brennan.
Gasping for air he looks at me “What happened?”
I pull the Mender in, letting the door shut behind him as the door to the ensuite opens and a dark hand reaches out to grab the clothes in Sawyer’s hands.
“Andarna broke their bond, she’s gone” That’s what Tairn told Sgaeyl and me on the journey back to the house.
“Shit,” Brennan looks around at who’s in the room, noting Ridoc and Sawyer, before his eyes glaze over momentarily speaking with his dragon. “No one’s survived a bond breaking before.” He whispers, his voice cutting through the room regardless of volume.
Both Ridoc and Sawyer look up, meeting Brennan’s gaze, heat and steal identical in both their eyes.
Sawyer is the one who speaks first “Good thing Violet does a lot of things no one has ever done before.”
Ridoc nods, “Tairn’s bond is still there” he takes a moment to glance to me, the anger and constant appraisal that has been thrown my way from him since he found out my secret gone “right?”
I go to the hilltop, grounding simply to check the bonds again, and nod “it’s still there.”
Ridoc nods, “Tairn will make sure she survives, and we’ll help him do it.” A growl sounds from outside the window every head swinging towards the noise. “See, he’s not going to leave her, and neither will we. We’re going to stay right here.”
I nod, feeling a blue calm settle over me. “Tairn will ensure his rider keeps breathing”
The ensuite door opens again, Rhiannon motioning for someone to step inside.
I move towards the door, but Ridoc and Sawyer both beat me to it, carefully assisting Violet in walking, both speaking so softly to her I can’t hear.
“Rhi, can you grab a brush?” Ridoc calls back, still maintaining a calming tone as Sawyer ducks out from Violet to pull out the chair at the desk, peaking out the window before placing the chair facing the dark night. Gold eyes peaking in as Ridoc gently nudges Violet into the seat. “Let’s get this hair out of your face, okay?”
Violet offers no response.
“Riorson, where’s her ribbons for her hair? No pins if she’s going to be laying down.”
I reach towards the desk, handing him a handful of ribbons, unsure exactly what he’s looking for as Rhiannon hands him the brush.
Ridoc begins brushing and detangling Violet’s hair, in any other situation, seeing another man touching her hair, especially with such tenderness, would illicit jealousy. But now all I feel is a sad joy, knowing Violet will always be taken care of by her friends, her family both chosen and by blood, even if I’m not around. When I’m not around.
Once he begins braiding, I hear Sawyer state “I didn’t know you could braid hair.”
Ridoc doesn’t look up when he responds, “I’m a man of many hidden talents.” He looks up at his squad, throwing them his trademarked wink, “and, of course, many not so hidden ones”
It’s so quick that I’m not sure it’s real, but a ghost of a smile appears on Violet’s face. And for that, I will forever be indebted to Ridoc Gamlyn.