FireDrake by Bianca D'Arc Page B

though he knew knights often recognized their true mates within moments of meeting them. Still he refused to believe Krysta was meant for Mace. She was Drake’s, dammit. Couldn’t they see that?
    The trouble was, Drake didn’t know what to do about all these new feelings storming around inside him. He didn’t want to settle down with just one woman. Did he?
    He didn’t recognize the indecisiveness in himself. Drake of the Five Lands was known for his steadfast character and quick turn of phrase. Why then was he reduced to a babbling idiot on this topic?
    “I don’t honestly know what it is about her, but I can’t say I will withdraw from the field. It’ll have to be up to her, Mace.”
    The other man sighed heavily. “I was afraid of that.”
    They watched her move in silence for some time, each lost in his own thoughts.
    Drake wasn’t surprised Mace had realized his childhood ambition of becoming a dragon knight. He’d always lived up to the ideals of the Knights Creed—without even trying.
    Drake thought Mace had probably been born with the knightly traits of honor, bravery, strength, fairness and mercy. His skill with weapons and strategy seemed to come naturally, but he never lorded it over the other boys in the Lair. No, Mace didn’t seem to have any vices at all—something Drake had both hated and admired about his former classmate.
    Despite that, they’d been friends. They’d also been competitors in many ways, but always friendly about it. And now they seemed to be competing for the same woman.
    “She’s something, isn’t she?” Drake marveled as Krysta completed a complex block-sweep sequence he’d never quite mastered himself.
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    FireDrake
    “One of the best.”
    “You can say that again.”
    The men were left alone as she dismissed her class and disappeared into one of the rooms on the lower floor. Drake turned to study Mace. He hadn’t seen the man in fifteen years.
    “It’s good to see you, Mace. My mother mentioned you’d been chosen.
    Congratulations.” He held out the hand of friendship and Mace hesitated only slightly before returning the gesture.
    When they were younger, theirs had been a constructive rivalry, with no hard feelings on either side. Drake knew Mace couldn’t help the fact that Declan had often thrown Mace’s accomplishments in Drake’s face when he hadn’t lived up to expectations. That wasn’t Mace’s fault. He’d always been better, brighter, and more diligent than Drake. It was just the way he was built.
    Mace persevered. His character was such that if he didn’t get something the first time, or even the second, he stuck with it, trying until he mastered it. Such thoroughness had led him to a level of skill in a wide variety of endeavors that Drake didn’t have the patience or inclination to even try. Swordplay had been fun, so Drake excelled at that.
    Other weapons came to him easily as well, but the other things a knight was expected to know eluded him for the most part. Oh, he did well enough, but he didn’t excel. Not the way Mace did.
    Of course, Drake had an active social life, even back then. Mace had spent most of his evenings studying. Not for Drake was the life of a scholar. He far preferred common rooms filled with interesting characters with tall tales from far off lands. Much of Drake’s real education had been earned on the road, talking to people and learning from the stories they told.
    He’d turned his interest in people into songs and tales that paid his way from one inn or faire to the next until he’d joined up with the Jinn. They’d taken him in and nurtured his natural talents, taught him instruments and how to play in a group or solo. He’d loved www.samhainpublishing.com 77

    Bianca D’Arc
    every minute of it. Learning from the Jinn Brotherhood hadn’t felt like work. Finally, he’d found a way to excel.
    It had taken fifteen long years though, to learn wisdom.
    “Nellin is my dragon