Curled up in bed but unable to sleep, Addi waited impatiently for the caretaker to go home. She needed to get out, to watch the stars and stare at the moon. When all was finally silent, Addi tossed her blanket to the side and slipped into her boots. The night was freezing, colder for Addi, who was used to the Southern Isles. Even so, Addi tiptoed by the sleeping dragon and snuck outside to climb to the roof. She pulled her furs closer against the lazy wind that carried a threat of ice and snow, then grabbed the fourth rung of the ladder that led to the roof. She stopped, suddenly changing her mind, and turned away to tiptoe back down the hall to her room. She quietly packed her blanket away into her satchel and strapped her bow, quiver, and sword to herself before she scampered away into the night.

The dragon watched her girl leave, knowing she would want to be alone, and followed her at a safe distance to keep an eye on her. Her girl carefully and stealthily snuck out into the woods, but the dragon made sure she never caught sight of her. She may not blend in with the cold fir trees, but she knew how to hide regardless of where she was. Her first rider had taught her many things about survival, and she had promised to teach her next rider the very same techniques.

Addi made her way blindly through the woods, following the deer trails to nowhere in particular. She felt so strange, so alone, so distant from everything and everyone she had ever known. It was hard enough that she had to accept the loss of her crew, but as far as she was concerned, she also had to face the loss of her clan. She had been missing for weeks, and she was sure that her clan believed her dead. They had probably already mourned her...

She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't hold it in. She stopped suddenly and fell on the ground by an ancient tree and wept. She had lost everything. Her life had changed forever. She would never get it back.

She felt something at her shoulder and spun, drawing her sword in one swift movement, expecting to defend herself, but the dragon never flinched. She stared at her girl with sadness and understanding in her eyes for a few moments, then curled her body around Addi's to shield her from the cold. For the first time since her shipwreck, Addi let go of her stubborn inhibitions and let the dragon comfort her. Addi hugged the dragon around her chest and sobbed into her soft, leathery skin. The dragon curved her neck and closed her eyes, thinking vividly of her first rider, and gently touched Addi's forehead with the tip of her nose.

That's when it happened.

In a bright flash of dazzling light, the tree erupted into beautiful emerald hues of light, illuminating the night sky. Royal purples, magnificent blues, and soft white danced with the initial green light, and Addi watched the dragon beside her flying through the bright midday sky as if in a dream. On the dragon's back sat a lovely young woman with wild red hair and eyes like sparkling emeralds. She rode the dragon like she'd been riding dragons for a million lifetimes. Her laughter was like bells, and her voice was like music.

And just as quickly as the light began, it disappeared.

The stars returned, and Addi looked into the eyes of the dragon curled around her.

"Thremyr. That's your name, isn't it? I heard her say it."

The dragon nodded solemnly, never breaking eye contact. Addi raised a hand and gently laid it on the side of Thremyr's face.

"I never knew... Your... Your rider. She... She looks just like me. That must be why you saved me from the ocean, isn't it?"

Thremyr stared, unblinking, unresponsive.

"I'm so sorry... But I'm not her."

Thremyr huffed a soft whoosh of air through Addi's hair and made a tender sound. Addi sighed and looked away.

"I'm not her. I can never be her."

Again, the dragon huffed softly, and then she curled tighter around Addi and sighed contentedly, as if she had regained a missing piece of herself. Addi didn't have it in her to break the dragon's heart, so she curled into her warmth and watched the stars.

Not long after Addi had finally settled down, Thremyr heard something in the bushes and started.

"What, Thremyr? What's wrong?"

Thremyr lowered her head and growled protectively, staring directly at whatever was causing the noise. Addi deftly strung her bow and slid an arrow out of its quiver and, directly notching it, holding the arrow at the ready, prepared to pull it back and loose it. She stared hard at the bush, unblinking, trained on it with the discipline of a trained warrior.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" she called.