The Dragon's Vow or the Stubborn Bride

– Mirre Blackrock! Meet girls, this is Mirre Blackrock from Teresa the Magnanimous boarding house. You will study at the academy together. Mirre, this is Lisel Konradine and Hvoyana Holtz,” he introduced them to me. – And Yumi Lo is hiding inside.

– Nice to meet you! – Lisel answered politely.

The Conradine family was rightfully one of the ten most influential in Onyx Rocks. Duke Conradine was the ruler's adviser, and in front of me stood his youngest daughter, about whom they gossiped even in our boarding house.

Slender, tall. With a shock of light brown hair, braided in a loose braid. Her travel outfit fit perfectly and looked as if it had just come from the tailor shop. Lisel was a strong elemental who, according to rumors, had already mastered the control of lightning, and also the most enviable bride of Onyx Rocks. She was predicted to marry one of the dragons of the ruling family.

– Hello! – Khvoyana waved to us.

Judging by the unusual bright blue color of her eyes and the blue tint of her hair, which only remained ash-blond near her face, the girl preferred water to other elements. And her name was unusual – Khvoyana. It would be more suitable for a sorceress from the Old Forest. However, the girl looked so that I would not doubt that she was a native of those places.

Khvoyana wore her long hair in two braids, and another one adorned her head like a wreath. She dressed in the traditional clothes of the peoples from the banks of the Struna. I must say, quite exotic to my eyes. Even more exotic than the northern woman was dressed.

While I was looking at my future classmates, Uncle Alan looked at some list.

– So. All we have to do is wait for Adalbj?rg Hedvin, and…

– Adalbjorg is already here, and… She needs the help of a healer! – I realized.

– What's happened? – Lisel immediately looked into the gig.

I quickly introduced Ada to everyone and retold a brief version of the attack, keeping silent only about the artifact that Grymza gave me. Ada did not say a word about him.

– It’s incomprehensible! Where are the parents of these little kids looking? – Uncle Alan lamented. “Sit here, I’ll bring the healer.”

Lanky and awkward, he rushed towards the building with a characteristic bowl and a “healing hand” stretched over it, emitting light.

– Mirre, do you remember any of the attackers? Are you familiar with them? – asked Lisel.

– No, but their leader was called Mikael. And another one, small and fussy, was teased with Splinter.

I described the attackers as best I could, and Ada filled in the details I had missed, telling me what magic they used and what techniques they preferred in battle.

“I will make sure that those responsible are punished,” Lisel promised us with the most serious look.

For some reason I had no doubt that this would be the case.

– Thank you. – Ada smiled wryly, trying not to show too much that she was suffering.

– Girls, what happened to you? “A very young girl’s face suddenly looked out of the stagecoach window.

A frightened look of wide eyes, a slightly open mouth, an unexpectedly short haircut framing the face. Only the eyes shone with a deep blue, and the hair had already turned completely sea green.

Wow! A very strong sorceress comes from the mouth of the Struna! It directly feels close to the sea elements.

– Stop hiding, Yumi! Go out and meet your classmates. This is Mirre and Adalbjorg.

“I’m afraid…” the girl whispered and hid again.

We looked at each other, and then I left the girls and climbed into the stagecoach.

– Hello, Yumi! I'm Mirre.

– I know. “I can clearly hear what’s happening outside,” Yumi answered, for some reason again in a whisper.

– You said you were afraid. And what exactly?

In general, after the attack on Ada, I will not deny that the streets of the capital are not so safe at night, but still the station is guarded, and it is quite light here…

“I’m afraid that I won’t be able to control my magic from excitement.” “I have a lot of dope, but my control is poor,” she shared in her own way, clearly repeating someone else’s words.

I giggled.

– Didn’t they teach you to “pacify the gift” at your boarding school?

– We taught. It just didn't work out very well for me. That's what I'm worried about. When I get excited, I can’t control myself at all.

The girl sighed heavily.

– Don’t worry! “Smiling, I put my hand on her shoulder.

– Do you think it’s not worth it? – She stared at me with hope.

– I think it's useless. Worry or not, it will be difficult for all of us.

Having voiced my secret thoughts, I suddenly realized that I was right.

Until that moment, I carefully hid them even from myself. I was happy to leave the boarding school, looking forward to a new free life, but I was latently afraid that everything would not be as rosy as I had imagined. And what just happened is a clear example of this. After all, these were also those whom we would have to face at the academy. What if all the guys there are just like them?

The thought did not make me happy at all. I could only hope that there were people like my sister’s husband there. Rengold Hallward was for me the ideal man and husband, and I secretly dreamed that someday I too would find such a faithful and reliable life partner.

Uncle Alan returned with an elderly, strong woman in a healing robe. She brought with her a suitcase with drugs and rubbing substances, but did not even open it. She just stated in a hoarse bass voice, briefly examining Ada:

– Yes, two ribs are cracked! Numerous bruises, and that’s just a rough guess! And on the aura there are traces of a blow from elemental magic. No, she definitely needs to stop by the healing room for at least half an hour. We’ll fix everything, she’ll recover in three days, strictly following the recommendations, of course.

– Will you join your friend? – Uncle Alan asked hopefully.

– Certainly! Bathmore, can you take us to the healing room? – I asked, climbing back into the gig.

Uncle Alan breathed a sigh of relief and clarified the essence of his request:

“I don’t want to go away, it’s already night.” We need to keep an eye on you, you never know…

– Don’t worry, Asher Nett. We can handle it. – I winked at him in my own way.

Bathmore stopped the gig right at the healer's porch, and we helped Ada get out.

Having said goodbye to the driver, we hobbled into the healing room. Ada's damage turned out to be much more serious than we thought. As soon as she got out of the gig, she almost lost consciousness from pain and magical exhaustion. I would hardly have been able to hold her alone, but the healer helped. We set off not after the promised half hour, but only after two and a half. When the treatment was completed, I asked how much we owed. “Batmore, tell the director my sincere gratitude for the gift,” I asked. – And tell us in detail about the attackers. Maybe she can call them to order?