“You’re out here alone when you aren’t cleared for solo flight, and worse, you tied yourself down? What thefuckwere you thinking?” he snapped.
“I was… I need practice,” I said breathlessly, then licked my lips. “I’ve been slow at everything and my brothers have to train me in their off-hours. I wanted to improve quickly. I tied down so she couldn’t throw me off. I’mpracticing.”Thenmyanger flared. “You told me to be determined to meet challenges. And Iam,”I said stubbornly.
His eyes widened and his cheek twitched.
“I saidmeetchallenges. Notcreate them.Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
“Not as dangerous as falling and dangling on a safety strap—”
“Farmore dangerous!”He took that final step, right to my toes, looming over me and roaring in my face. “That dragon is a beast—a creature the size of a house. One wrong step, one wrong turn, and if she is flipped, you haveno chance.You would be crushed!”
“I’d be crushed if she rolled over me on the strap—”
“There is at least a chance of swinging wide and you have slack within which to move if you’re holding onto anything—are you so arrogant that you believe you can ignore the experience ofcenturiesof Furyknights who have gone before you?!”
“No! But you said I’m different, so be different! You said—”
“Were you, or were you not ordered never to tie down? And never to fly alone until your Wing Captain cleared you?”
I didn’t answer, because we both knew the answer to that. I swallowed hard. “I was just—”
“Answer the fucking question, Kearney!”
I blew out my breath. “Yes,” I said sullenly. “I was told.”
“Then you are in direct breach of orders from your Commanding Officer. And as such you will be disciplined. I will bring you before a hearing of your peers who will decide if you’ll stripped of your rank—”
“What?!No!Sir, you can’t—”
“I am yourGeneraland you are in breach of orders that would putyour lifein danger.What did we say about orders and chaos, Bren? What did I tell you?!”
I sucked in a breath, my head tumbling back to that moment when he’d found me in the stable, so upset and… and I’d been rude and defiant and…
‘Yes, Bren. This is the time for humility. Own your decisions. Do not add disrespect to your offences.’
I swallowed and dropped my eyes from his blazing gaze. “I’m sorry,” I breathed.
The General huffed. “This isn’t aboutremorse—”
“I truly… truly was trying to… be less of a burden. I was—”
He groaned and clawed both hands into his hair. “Bren, losing you to astupidaccident would be far more of a burden than working to help you grow. Haven’t you figured this out yet? Haven’t you seen uswalk this out?We are servants. To each other. To our dragons. To the crown. While men may hold us in esteem, that status is balanced by the humility of the role. Our job here is toserve.We do that for every Flameborne who’s Chosen, whether they make it into the ranks or not.”
“But I’m not like every Flameborne—it took me two weeks to be strong enough to fly! Two weeks! Some of my brothers were flying within two days!”
“Some of your brothers were grown men before they were Chosen—”
“But that doesn’t matter! You said to be determined, and I am! I can’t do this like a man! All they see is my weakness and my… my failure. I want to dosomethingwell.I want to get it right—”
“Disobeying orders is not how you get it right!”
I flinched, but didn’t step back as he visibly battled to gather himself.
We were both panting. Waves of caution and nerves washed through me from Akhane. I knew she was right. Knew I needed to show respect. But these men didn’t understand. They didn’t know how it felt to be weak, to be overpowered. They didn’t know how it felt to be helpless!
I never wanted to be helpless and surrounded by sneering Furyknights again.
I don’t know what he heard, but he huffed and turned away from me, storming away, then turning on his heel a moment later and storming back. He stopped within arm’s reach, then shook his head and turned away again.
