16- Presentation Day 2

My foot rolls off the log, everything was moving so fast....

Dain is watching, Hetta, even Xaden, this is what he wanted... My mom is going to see thr death roll and see I wasn't worthy, Mira is going to get notified that her sister has fallen....

I feel the absolute terror as I scream trying to grip the rope a I fall, just falling short it brushes my hand.. until it's basically thrown at me. I must've lurched forward or something in the panic because I grabbed it holding tight.

" Climb Freya!" I hear Hetta scream.

" Shit..shit.." I tremble, but I manage to climb back up again swinging to the last platform where the 90 degree platform was with the timer there staring down at me, when I touch the ground I almost fall from shaking so bad.

I need to get up... I need to finish this damn thing..

I now heave as I look at it for just a second.. I take a couple steps back eyeing it. " I can do this.. I can do this.." I repeat.

With one more breath again I lurch forward with my jelly feeling legs, runnign harder, running faster hoping they don't go out on me as I run up the ramp, I hump one final time gripping the side.

YES!!

I pull myself up rolling on the floor... I made it... I grin laughing just a bit. " Name?" One of the scribes say. " Fr.. Freya.. Sorren..gail.." I heave.

" Your time is 8 minutes. with the penalty included." He states. " Good job."

I manage to get up, my legs giving out another time as I try to stand once more. After I couple attempts I do, but then I throw up... I'm so lucky Xaden isn't up here. I sit by a stone trying to relax myself until I see Hetta.

She moves through the whole course gracefully, not missing a single step. I was afraid Xaden would try something on the logs like I think he tried with me but she crosses them, not even looking tried as she runs up the ramp and on the top.

She smiles broadly as she declares her name, her time being 7:45 which was awesome. She spots me and quickly wraps me in a hug. " Your ok... I thought you were going to die.. I thought you were going to fall.. We were so scared."

" Yea, me too... But I'm here."

She hugs me for a good 10 seconds after before pulling away, " I'm glad we'll never have to do that again."

I smile, " Your telling me."

" Impressive timing first year." Garrick, a third year and alos one what was at the meeting in the woods says. " Would've been the fastest yet if you didn't use the rope. But it's better then being dead." He offers.

This was the first time he spoke to me... I give a smile. " Thank you Garrick."

He looks surprised I know his name but he nods as he keeps walking. I thought it still a little strange he's talk to me but I don't question. We watch as our other squad mates go, Ridoc, Liam and Tynan. Who all pass, Tynan shaking almost as bad as I did.

Liam set a new record of 6:55. I'm wondering when Xaden is going to put me with him and say no one leaves the mat until the other is dead. I think at this point he might be one of few that could actually kill me. Right below Xaden.

" We're tied."

I whip around to see Xaden standing beside me, He looks at me boredly " This is the second time I could've just snuck up on you and.." He made a fake dying noise before he does that annoyingly perfect smile.

I glare at him , " What? You thought I was going to beat you so you decided to try to pull me down to my death?"

He pauses, " That's what you thought happened?"

" I saw the shadows move."

He hums looking annoyed. " That would've been quite entertaining to watch, seeing you tumble down screaming your head off.. Then I could've saw Aetos lose it as well... He almost pissed himself when you slipped.. Then.. it was like someone pushed you the rope..."

My face falls as I stare at him, he only stares back with held annoyance. " You owe me." He says simply before walking away.

" Did he-" Hetta almosts gasps.

" He did."

Xaden's shadows saved me.

What. THE. Hell.

" Freya!" Before I could even turn Dain had me in his arms as he wrapped me in a tight hug. "Shit Freya... Don't ever scare us like that again." He murmurs in my shoulder.

" I'll try." I say.. shakily. Dain pulls back looking at me, " You look shaken up, you need to cut that out before we go see the dragons." He says quickly shaking me a bit.

It wasn't the fall I'm so.. shocked about. It's what he did. Xaden Riorson saved me... Why? What kind of game is he playing?

" Freya.." Dain shakes me again, " You ok?"

" Yea.. yea.."

" You need to shake this off... The dragons will see if your weak and..."

" I know." I say shaking myself. " I'm good.."

" Fourth Wing! Let's move!" I hear Xaden shout.

Dain glares at Xaden, " That bastard was smiling when you almost fell.."

I look at Xaden who was looking us all over, our eyes lock for a second before he looks away glaring now at the others.

But he saved me....

" I'm not walking the trail with you guys, but I'm sure I'll see you after. Good luck." He says quickly.

" Why not?" I ask a little nervous.

" Riorson said only him and Garrick are leading. I'm not sure."

Probably just to spite Dain or even myself, but I nod " Yea, I'll see you back in the dorms."

He gives my shoulder a small squeeze before walking back down the Gauntlet.

It's like a canyon where we need to walk, it's a straight path and if we don't get scorched and end up a pile of ash we'll know we're at the end once we reach a meadow.

Dragons lined both sides keeping seemingly equal parts away from one another like they're in their own formation.. Garrick decides to speak up, " Walk straight and keep at least 10 feet apart from one another, unless you want to get burned in twos. Talk, the dragons want to get a sense of each one of you, it'll help to decide whether they decide if you live or not. And you can look, just no eye contact. Are we all clear on that?"

We nod.

" Good. Now go. We'll see you all at the end." Garrick instructs.

Tynan was infront of me, and Hetta in the back. So I'll be graced with all his comments, I was sure to leave a few extra feet in case more then one dragon wants to scorch his face off.

I refuse to talk to Tynan knowing it could lead into an argument, I have a feeling dragons won't like that so I'll just talk to Hetta or whoever we can hear.

There were a couple reds and greens as we first walk, I see Tynan craning his neck to I assume look at their tails, I make sure to not lock eyes with them as I slow trying to take in every feature, to show them I'm interested. These ones didn't seems as big, or maybe they're younger..

Next we approach a couple oranges, I couldn't quite tell if it was a sword or dagger tail so I crane my head to see if I could get a better look, I hear it chuff and my eyes look up at it... I looked right back down hoping it didn't catch the second of eye contact.

I hear it chuff again.

" So Hetta.." I say quickly, " Do you have any siblings? I don't think I ever asked." I hope this could somehow throw it off that I was trying to not piss myself seeing I messed up one of the rules not even 10 minutes in.

" I do.." She says softly, " younger brother and sister."

" How old?" I question further.

" Bryn is 15 and Orion is 10. I'm the oldest. You have 2 other siblings don't you?"

" Half siblings." Tynan adds.

I hold my eyeroll, " Yea.. half. Brennan and Mira. Brennan would've been 28 and Mira is 24 and I'm obviously the youngest."

" I can't tell you how many times I'd tap your sister.. repsectfully..and disrespectfully." Tynan adds again turning for just a second to smirk at me. " Shame you don't look like her halfblood."

Is he trying to get a rise out of me? If he is.. it's working... I'm ready to unsheathe one of my hidden daggers and plunge it in his throat.

" Seeing you think she's hot I'm glad I don't."

I hear Hetta and I think Ridoc behind her chuckle. Tynan sends me another look but keeps walking. " It'll be funny when we become related Halfblood. Once this year is over and we get writing privledges, I'll send her a letter she can't refuse."

I laugh, " I really hope you do. See how fast Mira comes here and beats your ass."

" Or she'll race over here t get in my bed."

I roll my eyes, " She eats boys like you for snacks."

We pass more and more, and I still take every single one into consideration, showing them I want this, showing them I want to bond. Showing them I.. don't want to be like the scorch marks I keep skipping over knowing that was a person.

Trying to show I'm not secretly wondering which dragons were responsible for those marks.

" The hell is that thing?!" Tynan says loudly.

We all look more towards the end of the path where a small..gold dragon was. I remember talking briefly about them..feather tails. But this one was.. tiny maybe 7 feet tall compared to the other dragons that needed to be a good 30.. at minimum.

" Why is it that color?" I hear Luca more in the front say, " And tiny?!"

" Maybe it's a baby?" I say aloud.

" Babies don't bond dumbass!" Tynan sneers, " And it's gold. Why is it gold?"

" Maybe its just the lighting.. Maybe it's an orange." Hetta says.

" No, that thing is golden." Ridoc examined.

" To bad it's not bigger... Who knows what a gold could do.. Better then all the ones we've seen so far... where are the Blues or even Blacks?!" Luca says aloud making me almost gasp.

She said that.. infront of the dragons..

" I bet the damn midget would get killed just by getting stepped on, it doesn't belong here.." Tynan sneers once again " Go back!"

" Guys, leave it alone.. I bet it was just curious and wanted to watch... No need to be dicks about it. I bet if it wanted to it could kill us with just a snap of it's jaw."

" What would it do.. Bite our hand off at most?!" Luca laughs, her tone piercing my ears " It doesn't belong.. Looks like a sore thumb... I suppose like you halfblood."

" I bet this ' sore thumb' and that golden dragon could kill your yappidy ass in a heartbeat Luca." I challenge. " In fact, I'll request you just so we could find out."

She scoffs, " I'd beat you."

" I'm undefeated, not only winning against first years, but second and almost Xaden Riorson himself. You sure you could beat me?"

Just then a robust green dragon steps out of the line spewing fire at someone in a group infront of us. From back here I can feel the heat and I swallow, deep steady breaths, your ok... Don't pass out.. or I don't think you'll be waking back up..

We keep walking, our group approaching the one that just killed whatever cadet that was. I make myself busy looking on the other side, then looking straight until I see it step out of line again.

Right as I'm across from it.

It walks quickly right infront of me and I can see from just underneath it my group stopped, I can hear Hetta's gasps from behind me as it's cold eyes look down at me. Did I really revolt it that much it needs to be inches away from me just to burn me to ash?

When you see a green, your supposed to look down showing your not a threat... And that's what I do looking down and staying as still as I can manage trying not to piss myself. It lowers it's head pushing it's head on my chest inhaling deeply a few times.

It's like it was trying to get my scent, maybe to remember me? But it kept on, then it nudges and smells me again.. Wait...

Mira's dragon is a green, maybe they're hatch mates? Once a dragon smells you they can remember your scent as long as one can live... I raise my arms slowly, pulling up my shirt to reveal the dragon scale vest she made me.

" I'm Mira's sister..half sister Freya.. She gave me this as a gift from her Dragon Tiny... Do- DO you know her?" I say quickly trying my best not to falter.

It snorts, but smells my vest again. " She's... She's beautiful.. I like her forest green scales but... yours I think are prettier they're like a dark emerald I never saw your hue of green before.."

It blinks a couple times before backing away going back in the line..