62- The Final

The raid alarm goes off.

My eyes fly open to see Xaden jerking awake " What the hell-"

His door flies open to reveal Garrick " Xaden-"

Xaden quickly throws the blenkets over my exposed chest, Garrick pauses for just a second before his eyes go to Xadens. " Shit sorry-"

" What the hell is happening?!" Xaden yells.

" Obviously an attack! You and Sorrengail hurry the hell up!"

" Stop staring at her tits so she can get dressed!" Xaden snaps back, " Give us a second."

He nods quickly closing the door, Xaden pulls me up throwing me my dress quickly tying it back up almost as fast as he took it off... 4 hours ago...

" Here." He quickly hands me his jacket. " They'll-"

" I don't care." He says quickly. " You'll freeze."

He gets dressed just as quickly looking out his window. " Ok, come on.."

He grabs my hand, about to pull me when I stop. " You might need to leave." I say quickly.

He frowns " Yea... I might.."

I almost cry right then and there but I swallow the grief, Xaden sees it sighing " Come here.."

He quickly leans down kissing me. " Segyl will drag me back here in a few days, she'll miss Rhys just as much as I'd miss you. I'll be ok."

I nod. " Now, let's go." He says quickly pulling me along with him.

We quickly blend into the crowd of confused, groggy, messily clothed cadets. I didn't feel as bad with my dress choices seeing alot still being in their dress clothes with the messy hair and looks like they just started going to bed.

As we reach the courtyard I see Liam and Hetta together... Liam still in the process of buttoning up his shirt and Hetta...

Oh shit.... I thought they didn't...

I had to scoff at my assumption...not that I could blame Liam seeing I was just in Xaden's bed. " Go by them." Xaden says quietly looking sternly in Liam and Hetta direction. We give eachother a look of knowing, he squeezes my hand one more time as he heads briskly to the Leadership section.

" Fun night?" I ask as I approach.

Liam looks me over. " Yea, I'd say so. Nice Jacket."

I look down momentarily forgetting this is Xaden's I look back up at him and see a small smile... He's glad we're alright again.

" Morning." Dain says walking up to us, Liam leans on me slightly covering up the proof of who's jacket this was.

" Good Morning." Liam greets with his wide grin.

" Do you know what's going on?" I question.

Dain chuckles, " Not an attack that's for damn sure.."

I furrow my expression, just then Pancheck takes the podium silencing us all.

" I'm happy with the response we got from our riders, I appreciate the time is took for you all to form here. Congratulations, this was just a drill but... also a part of your final assignment here for the year..."

" Well that's a little extreme.." Hetta mutters crossing her arms.

Pancheck continues, " Your final assignment is as follows: Our wards have fallen completely for unknown reasons, the gryphon riders have used this to their full advantage sieging our villages. Your task is to be dispersed to protect those said villiages from anymore attacks and help reinforce and drive the riders out and keep our people safe until the wards could be raised once more. Commander Aetos.. Would you like to read where each squad is going?"

Dain's Father comes with a scroll in his hand startign from First Wing down. " And Fourth Wing Southeast. Athebyne. This excercise will last for a week, your Wingleaders have further directions.. now go!"

I looked at Xaden who's expression was...different.. In a way I couldn't even explain but we all go to him with Dain right on his tail. " Alright.. Fourth Wing... I'm giving you a half hour to get your things packed and on your dragons flying." Xaden says looking us all over.

" Grab every weapon you have."

I blink a few times as he talks, then mind links me. I give a slight nod already seeing he's looking directly at me.

" Now go.." Dain declares in an authoritative tone.

I turn on my heel already have a stand-offish inkling about this whole thing. Theres just something I don't like about it...

I go to my room packing clothes, I redress into my flight leathers and armor, I grab all my knives. though maybe a sword wouldn't be to bad.

" Any way you could get a a sword?" I ask.

" Already have one for you." Xaden replies almost instantly.

I couldn't help but smile a little to myself. I quickly brush through my hair from the...night.. and rebraid it into my usual over the shoulder simple braid, securing my boots I wore the first day here and heading out the door.

" On your way?" I ask Rhys.

" Already here." He confirms.

" Me too!" Andarna adds in making me smile.

" I'm glad my favorite is there."

" I'll drop you on the sharpest peak at let you suffer impaled..." Rhys grumbles.

" I appreciate you to." I chime in his direction.

I stuff Xaden's jacket in my pack seeing he probably wants it back. I take one more look around making sure everything was in place, I was in place and walk out in the hall where Hetta nd Liam were waiting both seeming a bit tense.

Both their eyes snap to me at the same time as I look at them. " Ready to win this damn thing?"

Hetta manages a breath with a small smile. " Ofcourse."

While Liam looks just...tense..

We walk together, there was a certain energy around everyone was we all disperse. Everyone packed and headed to the flight field. When we got there all the dragons were there was well, they had lights, people handing out rations, leaders walking about, demands being barked.

Just like we were really going to war.

Liam looks around, his jaw set... why does everyone seem so.. weird?

" Hey.." I nudge him gently, he looks at me " Yea?"

" You good?"

He nods, " Great."

I was just about to say something when Dain interrupts. " Ok squads, We'll be dispersing in different groups-"

" Freya, Liam, Hetta, and Imogen are with me." Xaden adds.

Dain looks over at him, " Not this time Riorson."

Xaden quirks a brow, " Are you the Wingleader."

" Freya was assigned to-"

" I don't give a damn where Freya was assigned. She's coming with me." Xaden states once more. " Our dragons are bonded so we need to be together."

" I'm sure they can last 5 days Riorson." Dain quips, " It's not the end of the world."

Xaden tilts his head, " Would you rather keep this up with me? Or should I get Rhys and segyl over here and you can discuss it with them Aetos?"

Dain instantly pales as he stares at Xaden with pure and utter malice. " Your going beyond the wards Riorson."

Xaden shrugs, " And what does that have to do with anything?"

" It's not safe for her." He counters.

" I don't see you making any complaints about Imogen, Hetta or Liam." Xaden adds cocking a brow.

" I didn't grow up with them."

" Doesn't matter."

" You've wanted to keep her safe this whole time yes? And I'm saying Xaden... She will be safe with me, actually in the wards... instead of out... What if you actually get attacked?!"

" I think we'll manage." Xaden says simply. " We're all..extremely powerful."

" She's just learnign her powers. Can she even control them what if-"

" Aetos. This is not up for debate. It's an order." Xaden warns, I see that predatory look in his eye. " Freya is coming with me. End of story."

Dain's jaw twitches a few times, I can see he's trying to think of something, anything to get me to stay. He finally looks at me.

" Freya..." He takes a step closer, " How.. How do you know this isn't a trap? He could've been plannign this all along, I mean cadets die during this.. How do you know he wasn't playing you the whole time? How do you know.. He maybe just wanted to earn your trust and take you out there where no one would help you and kill you?"

I look at him in disbelief. " You can't be serious Dain.."

" Tonight we celebrated his fathers death along with all the traitors.... And you'd be with all the marked... They're going to do whatever he tells them to do... they do everything for him without batting an eye-"

I see Xaden go for him. I put my hand on his chest giving him a look before looking back at Dain. " They're my friends Dain... They wouldn't. You know that."

" Freya please... I need you to listen.." He almost pleads. " Just come with me...please. I'm just lookign out for you. They're not your people."

" Say it again Aetos!" Liam adds coming closer. " We've been loyal to Navarre..."

"Because your loyal to Xaden and Xaden paid a price for it..."

I stare at him.... how does he know?

Dain looks back at me " Freya.. as your friend...as one of you.. us...please...As one of your people... a Commanders kid, your a Generals... Please..."

His look is so pleading like he knows something would happen... I shake my head. " They are my people Dain..."

His expression falls into something more sour, " Really think this through Freya I'm begging you, all I want is to be there for you and protect you-"

" They've protected me as well." I say back, my anger rising.

" Freya I told you when you arrived I'd protect you... Just liek when we were kids..please listen..just this once, would child you want to betray your best friend?"

I stare at him darkly. " We are no longer children."

From the expression of his face he knows there were a million words behind that sentence, more then one meaning. It told my decision.

" So your choosing..them?" His voice was so dangerously calm as he looks at me, not as Freya- the girl who he grew up with, not the girl he kissed, spent the night with- he's looking at me like he looks at them...the marked ones, the traitors.

Xaden must see it too, because he puts his arm around me, a physical give away of what we are.

" Yes. I'm choosing them. Because they're not their parents, and have been more loyal, more protective of me then anyone else I've known. They treat me as an equal."

Dain's face hardens as he eyes Xaden's hand then me. " You'd die for them...for him."

I swallow lifting my chin. " Without a second thought."

Dain's face fell once more into... nothing. No emotion on his face though his eyes were filled with...hate.

" So be it." He takes a breath, " I'll miss you Freya, but I won't mourn you."

" I wouldn't expect anything less from you Aetos." I answer just as neutrally.

He turns but stops. " I can only imagine what Brennan would've thought if he'd see you right now... Or Mira... or even your mother, I can see why she never liked you."

Then he walks, my past walking with him.

I feel Xaden go to move toward Dain but I grab his shirt. " No." I glance in his direction. " I've made my choice."

Xaden takes in a sharp breath sending daggers in Dain's direction as he saddles on Cath flying off. Then looking back to me, then Liam. " Protect her like she's our own."

Liam smirks, " She's always been our own."