The Broken Scale. Book 1 of The Dragon Riders of Arvain

Chapter nineteen

Hayden did not plan on competing in any of the events for the rest of the day. He had originally signed up to compete in all of them, but decided it would be best if he waited until the next day’s events, which just happened to be the archery and other long range weapons tests.

Hayden was sure he would be up to participating in those because they did not directly involve contact to his face. A runner kept coming into the medical tent to ask if he was going to compete for each event.

                For the most part he was alone in the small tent; the medical area was made up of one large tent where everyone that had been hurt was first brought in to make sure they were going to live, and it was surrounded by ten small tents where the patient would go once they were deemed not dead. This gave him time to connect with Draek.

                He was mad at himself because during the two rounds that he had fought he had all but pushed Draek from his mind. He tried to stay focused on the task at hand that he had forgotten about the ever constant presence of his dragon in his mind.

                I am sorry you know, he thought to Draek for what had to be the fifth time. Draek was probably getting tired of hearing it but it reassured him of just how bad Hayden felt. Draek might be a dragon, but to Hayden Draek was a part of him like nothing else could ever be.

                I know you are, you did fight very bravely and you have greatly improved since you first started. Draek’s thoughts always seemed to surround Hayden, taking over his whole mind. On more than one occasion he found himself ignoring a conversation he was having with someone to listen to Draek speak. Most people seemed to be ok with it, since he was a rider and all, but sometimes a person would get very frustrated with him.

                Thanks, but I still lost the event, and I was sure I was going to win. He knew that Draek was going to try to make him feel better, but deep down inside he did not want to feel better, he had lost.

                You did, but you lost to another great fighter, who won the event and happens to be a friend of yours. You heard what he said about your fight with him being the most challenging. Shane had come to see him after the medic said he was ok, and had in fact told him how good the fight was.

                It did kind of make him feel better that the person who beat him went on to beat everyone else; but he still did not like to be beaten.

                 So what do they have you doing now? Hayden asked.

                Well, since it will be our turn to compete soon they don’t want us doing much work so that we don’t hurt ourselves before we get a chance to show off our strength. They also want us to hunt as much as we can right now so that we won’t miss any of the events.

                Hayden and Draek continued to communicate for most of the morning, and around lunch time the games came to a stop for everyone to eat and rest and celebrate what all they had witnessed.