Page 153 of Flameborne: Chosen

I was so relieved he wasn’t talking about Donavyn that I just shrugged and agreed with him. “That’s nice of you to say. Thank you.”

“I’m not being nice. I’m being honest.”

“Well, thank you.”

Ronen sighed like he was frustrated, but he pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, staring at the fire, the warm light of the flames making a soft glow on his skin and uniform as the daylight around us died.

As darkness fell, the men settled and soon we all sat in a circle around the fire, talking as a group.

“Bren, you’re one of us now,” Ronen said. “It’s time for you to be full inducted into the squad.”

My eyes must have widened, because he smiled and lifted his hands, palms towards me. “No, no. I just meant, every time a new Flameborne is given First Rank, we come out here together and we tell our stories. This is all part of your story, and one day you’ll be out here with us, or in another squad somewhere else when a new Flameborne gets raised, and you’ll talk about this night. You achieved something today that very, very few men ever do. Andnowoman ever has before. Take it in. It’s special.”

My eyes stung a little, but I smiled and thanked him.

The men teased him for going soft, and I laughed, not because I thought he was, but because it was a relief. I didn’t know how the rest of this process of becoming a Furyknight would go, but I knew that I almost didn’t make it this far. So, I resolved to enjoy what I could for as long as I was here.

‘Well done, Little Flame,’Akhane interjected from where she bathed with the others in the lake.‘An excellent choice.’

I smiled down at my feet, then looked up when the sharp-eyed Voski snorted and nudged Harle’s shoulder.

“Tell her.”

Harle hunched, his expression dark. “Tell her what?”

“Tell her your name.”

I frowned. “His name is Harle. Isn’t it?”

“No, hisdragonname,” Voski said with smile. “Go on, Harle. Tell her.”

I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that all of them had dragon names, just like Akhane called me Little Flame, but now I found myself deeply curious.

I looked at Harle expectantly. “What is it?”

Harle hunched and scowled, and the others chuckled. But no one else spoke up, so he had to either answer, or be rude to me.

“The Otter,” he mumbled darkly, shooting a look of pure malice at Voski, who smirked.

“The… Otter?” I asked, confused.

Even Ronen grinned, though he tried to hide it by ducking his head and staring at the dirt.

“What does it mean?” I asked, looking at Harle, then at the others. They all seemed so amused.

Harle shrugged. “It’s no big deal. It’s just because when we met he said I was a hard worker with a playful heart.”

“Not just your heart,” Gil commented like he was just making conversation. His expression casual. But several of the others sniggered. And Ronen pressed his lips together like he fought not to laugh.

I looked at my Wing Captain. “What am I missing?”

Ronen glanced at Harle who muttered at Voski. But the others were all watching him, obviously enjoying the tease. Ronen grinned, then leaned closer to me, speaking below the level of the others’ banter.

“Have you ever seen an Otter in the fall, when they lay in the water with a stone on their bellies?” he asked quietly. I nodded. He glanced at Harle, then back to me. “The Otters in this region pick up the nuts that fall from the trees and drop them it the water because it softens their shells. Then they lay on the backs and break the nuts open on their bellies,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

I smiled just because they all smiled. “Okay, so—”

“We think Kyan named HarleOtterbecause he’s playful. And good atnutting,”Jhoare chortled from the other side of the fire.