Audria waved him off as he started jogging north. “She knows we’re bottom of the class in bonding.” She winced. “Sorry.”

“No. It’s true,” Kerrigan agreed.

“Maybe she put our dragons closest and Fordham’s farthest.”

“Maybe. Worth a try.”

Audria and Kerrigan headed east around Draco Mountain and down the Row. They jogged for about an hour before Audria gasped.

“I feel it!”

“Which direction?”

She pointed northeast. “I can’t believe I can feel it. I thought that for sure, I would never be able to pass this test.” She looked so relieved. “Good luck with yours, Kerrigan.”

Kerrigan watched her go with deep regret. What was she going to do now? East was the most likely direction, but she didn’t know if Roake’s dragon was actually north, which could mean that she spent all this time heading in the wrong direction, only to find Tieran had gone north.

Indecision bit at her, but logically, she decided east was the simplest answer. There was no bond to tug on, and she had to follow her gut. It had served her well in the past.

She jogged east for an hour until she felt like her lungs were going to explode. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere in the mountains outside of the city with only her magic. She’d passed a few traveling tourists, here to see the city as it bloomed in the fall. The trees all changed almost at once from vibrant green to a myriad of orange, yellow, and red. The leaves fell in a heap right before winter, leaving it all bare. But right now, it was stunning as the first wisps of cold came down off of the mountains.

Kerrigan was a summer child at heart, but she always enjoyed the cooler temperatures for a few days until the snow hit. Then, she’d rather huddle inside and never leave until spring revealed itself once more.

Right now, she couldn’t even be thankful for the cooler weather. She needed to find her dragon.

Three more hours passed in the blink of an eye. She’d missed the lunch deadline. She was lost. She had no dragon. She didn’t care who heard; she screamed at the top of her lungs. All of this, only to fail their first bonding test. How in the gods’ names was she supposed to survive this?

Just when she was ready to give up and turn back around, she heard a small voice in her head. Kerrigan?

“Oh, thank the gods!” she cried. “Tieran!”

A dragon flew into view, landing in a meadow near her. She dashed through the trees and straight to him.

I’ve been circling the area for hours, looking for you, Tieran said.

“Same,” she said. She actually hugged him as hard as she could. “I am so glad I found you. Where were you?”

A half hour on foot south of here.