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Riptides And Memories- Chapter 36

Andrea was taken aback when Aaric stormed into their room. She had told him immediately that she was leaving again with Isrr and Teine. He didn't react when she told him. Just nodded and left like she had told him it was gonna rain tomorrow. From the way he stormed in, you would think she hadn't uttered a word of it.

"What's wrong?" she asked, watching him.

He shook his head and turned away from her. "You're leaving again," he stated.

She furrowed her brows. Why was he so upset? "I told you that. Why-"

"The last time you left, it was into a battlefield," he interrupted. "Before that, you came back and suddenly you're engaged to a king!"

Andrea was nearly getting whiplash from what he wanted to fight about. "The last time I didn't tell you because I knew you would be coming anyway," she reminded. "And that contract was not my fault, it wasn't my choice-"

"You still left!" he exclaimed. "You came here, knowing there would be a battle and you left me behind as if nothing was wrong. As if you weren't about to walk into a warzone! You knew that you could have died and you didn't tell me!"

Andrea stepped back. She took a breath. "Aaric, I can't control Isrr. I can't order him around. He's a fucking dragon! I didn't have a choice-"

"You always have a choice," he argued. "You're choosing to leave. Again."

"I'm choosing," she echoed as she stepped forward, "to not put my dragon through agony. I can't order him around and I'm not going to willingly put him through the pain of separation from his mate. I'm choosing to tell you when I leave because I respect you and don't want you to worry about me."

She watched him scoff and shake his head. "Sounds like you're choosing your dragon over us."

She sighed. "I'm not because it's not my decision to make. I know you don't like how I'm bonded with Mira. Or about the marriage contract because trust me, I'm not happy about it either. I know you think you're gonna lose me-"

"Know that from your precious books too?" he asked.

She swallowed. They had punched, kicked and slashed at each other before. But that one felt like a hot poker to her chest. She took a step back. "No. I know that because I know you. Through everything you've told me and the fact that I've spent time with you. I'm not attracted to Mira and even the age gap is too much. Aaric, I've told you before. You aren't gonna lose me-"

"How do you know that?" he demanded. "Violet-"

"I am not Violet," she interrupted. "We are not Violet and Xaden. We are us. And I need to know how big of a problem this is gonna be. If we can't work past my dragon being mated then I need to know. Because this is gonna be something we're gonna need to work around. I need to know if this relationship is gonna survive that."

He watched her, then his eyes caught on her bag. He stared at it for a while. "You're still leaving me," he whispered.

"I'm not leaving forever!" She was getting annoyed at this point. "It's only for a few days, Aaric-"

"And what if something happens?" he argued. "What if you get attacked? Or you fall off Isrr again? What if you get hurt and I'm not there to help? What happens then?"

She looked at him confused. It felt like her brain and heart were both malfunctioning. Her heart was in defense mode and her brain was trying to unscramble the reason behind his worrying. "Aaric, where is this coming from?"

He was panting and then started pacing. "You left to talk to Mira then you were gone. For two weeks, Andrea. Two weeks. Do you understand that? I nearly lost my mind. No one would tell me what happened. Violet wouldn't even look me in the eyes. I can't do that again. I can't lose you again."

She walked forward and caught his shoulders. "Aaric, sweetheart, you never lost me." His eyes were still looking everywhere but at her. "Hey, look at me." She caught his chin. His gorgeous eyes were closed. She couldn't see them. So she leaned up and kissed his jaw. "You didn't lose me then. I'm right here, sweetheart. I... I don't know what the future all holds. I know the general basis of what things are supposed to happen when. But I also don't know everything. I can't guarantee that I will always be safe because I'm not gonna be tied up in bubble wrap for the rest of my life." His eyes opened and he looked so confused. She smiled softly. "I can't guarantee that I won't have to leave some times for Isrr, or for another reason." She tightened her grasp on him so he could feel her trust through her grip. "Because that's just going to be my life. It's going to be our life. We're Riders, love. We're in danger all the time. It's what we signed up for. I can't always promise that I'll be by your side or that I will always be safe. But I can promise, by your gods and mine, that I will always fight to come back to you. You're everything I've ever wanted to come back to."

His eyes closed once more. His hands were shaking as he cupped her side and her shoulder. He breathed out heavily. "You'll come back?"

"Always," she whispered. She pulled back and looked in his eyes. "Aaric, I need to know if this is something that you can handle. I'll be leaving quite a bit for Isrr and Teine. I need to know if you can deal with that. Because I'm willing to make it work and to fight for us. I just need to know if you will be too."

He watched her. There were tears in his eyes. He took another breath. "Can I think about it?"

She felt her heart plummet, but she nodded. "Of course. I'll be back in six days. You... you can let me know then, okay?"

He nodded and stepped away from her. She let her hands fall away and cracked her fingers with her thumb. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She moved to the door.

"You'll be back?" he asked.

She looked over her shoulder. "As soon as I can be." She opened and closed the door quickly before she say anything more. Before her heart could break anymore. She walked quickly down the hall, trying to will her tears away.

"Andrea?" A voice called from the stairs. She looked over and there was Sloane, bags beneath her blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

Andrea played with the strap of her bag. "Just... had a fight with Aaric is all. Are you okay?"

Sloane rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I just haven't been able to sleep lately."

Andrea sighed and rubbed away the tears. "I'm sorry," she said. "For my part I had to play in that. I feel like I forced you-"

"You didn't force me," Sloane denied. "Andrea I don't blame you."

"We both blame ourselves," she countered. "I think that's more than enough."

Sloane let out the smallest quirk of her lips before it fell again. "Are you heading out?"

Andrea nodded. "Mira and Teine need to go to Aretia and Isrr is apparently going with them."

Sloane nodded. "Come on, I'll walk with you to the flight field."

Andrea gave her a grateful smile before she joined the blonde on the stairs. They walked in relative silence down the stairs, through the halls. It wasn't an awkward silence but a comforting one. It had been too long since she hung out with her friend.

They reached the outdoor gates and the cold wind infiltrated her senses. It had begun to snow shortly after the General died. Nearly a week and a half later, it was storming nonstop day and night. She had brought three new blankets onto the bed just to chase out the cold.

"Yeah, I'm not going out there," Sloane stated.

Andrea scoffed and pulled up her hood. She missed her toques. "I don't blame you. I'll be back in six days, alright?" Sloane opened her arms and Andrea gave her a hug. They separated and Andrea made sure to give her one more smile before venturing into the storm.

You better be on the flight field already, she warned Isrr.

"We have been waiting for you," he stated. She lowered her flight goggles to hopefully block the snow and wind from her eyes. This wasn't the first snowstorm she had to fight through. She was from Canada for Christ's sake.

She eventually made it up to the flight field, though the stairs could have used some salt on them. Teine and Isrr were blocking the wind with their wings, Mira standing under Teine's wingspan for protection. The dragons were both easy to see, standing out against the white of the world around them.

"Finally!" Mira shouted. "What took you so long?"

"Don't wanna talk about it!" she responded. "Let's just go." She went to Isrr and climbed up his snow laden scales. It was a bit slipperier than usual, but she got into his seat with little issues.

"The stony one wishes to know what the problem is," Isrr relayed.

Nothing, she told him. Or better yet, you tell her. I just... wanna get out of this storm.

Isrr said nothing. He just crouched and launched into the sky. Teine quickly caught up with them as they navigated their way through the whiteout. Andrea made sure her shields were up for the entire trip. She loved Isrr, she just didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Including her dragon.

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About three or four hours from Basgiath, the storm began to wane and by the time they reached the edge of the Tyrrish mountains, it was almost completely dissipated.

They arrived in the dead of night and neither of them wanted to do anything but sleep. As Andrea descended from Isrr, Mira gave her a look. "What happened?" she asked.

Andrea shook her head. "Nothing," she denied as she turned towards Riorson House.

"Bullshit," Mira stated. She tossed her bag over her shoulder and walked beside Andrea to the House. "Something happened. Even if I couldn't feel it, it's written all over your face."

"Good to know I need to work on controlling my facial expressions," she muttered.

Mira grabbed her arm. "I know you aren't used to sharing, but we're stuck together now and I need to know if you're going to be a liability. So tell me what the hell is going on, and get it out before something happens and you get distracted in a fight."

Andrea cracked her fingers again. "Aaric and I had a fight. About Isrr and... our new situation." She looked away from Mira. "We might be over."

Mira sighed and ran a hand down her face. "I'm too tired for relationship advice right now. I think we both need some rest."

Andrea nodded and followed her into the house.

She couldn't sleep that night. She had plenty of weight in blankets and was really warm. But the bed was too empty. She missed him.

At breakfast, Felix joined her in the Great Hall. She looked up from her bacon and eggs. She had seen him every now and then around the House but never had any one on one interaction with him. He gave her a slight smile. "Hi Andrea," he greeted. "How are you doing?"

She shrugged. "Tired."

"You two came in late last night," he acknowledged. "How was the flight?"

"Never had to fly in a whiteout before," she stated. She dropped her fork. "What can I help you with Felix?"

"I can't come see how you're doing?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows in a way that made her feel like Xaden.

Felix smiled. "I've come to see if you had developed a signet yet," he admitted.

She turned her eyes to her cup and raised it in the air. The flow of Isrr's power surged through her body enough to wake her up. Her hand followed it, going slowly. "Nothing yet," she admitted. "But I've been practicing lesser magics." She turned the cup upside down and spread her fingers out. None of the orange juice fell from the glass.

"Impressive," he admitted.

She turned the cup around again and set it down. "I get bored during classes," she admitted. She took a sip from her cup.

Felix smiled slightly.

Andrea looked up as Mira got closer. She sat next to Felix, across from Andrea. Mira looked at Felix both bored but also in contempt, like she had caught him taking her trick wallet. "You mind if I talk to my friend, Felix?" she asked. She had a funny way of making a question sound like a command.

Felix nodded and left.

Mira turned back to Andrea and pointed her fork at her. "Okay, Durran. Talk."

Andrea sighed. "Any chance I can bribe you with bacon?"

Mira gave her the same look Andrea gave Felix. Andrea told her what happened with Aaric. Mira was silent, though she did eat her breakfast. When she finished her story, Mira looked her in the eye. "You love him right?"

Andrea paused and swallowed. "I... I think so? I don't know. I know what it means to love someone, but I've never felt this way about anyone. I just... I want to be near him, and work with him, and fight for and beside him and... I don't know if it is love because everything I've ever read and heard is that it's supposed to be this great adventure and-" She cut herself off and groaned as she put her face in her hands. "It doesn't feel like a struggle. It feels like coming home. Like a warm fire and hugs that never end."

"I think you have your answer," Mira said simply.

Andrea looked out at her from between her fingers.

Mira rolled her eyes and took one of Andrea's bacon strips. "I think you're more dramatic than even Violet."

Andrea flushed but picked up her fork again. "Shut up."

Mira smirked and swallowed her bacon. "I'm gonna be spending some of the day in the wardstone chamber, but most of the afternoon and the next couple days I'll be out flying around the edges of the wards. Up to you what you wanna do for the next couple days."

Andrea shook her head. "I'll be staying around here. There's some research I need to do and I don't trust the Archives at Basgiath. Plus, there are a few flying techniques I wanna work on with Isrr. And honestly, I'd prefer to do that close to civilization in case something happens."

Mira huffed. "Fair enough. Be careful. Stay alive."

Andrea downed the last of her orange juice and cringed at the pulp. "You too."

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Andrea sighed and shoved back the books in front of her. She looked over at the page of notes she had scribbled together. All of them were references to couples who had been brought together by marriage contracts, how they worked, how to write one and how they were used in both noble and lower society.

But nothing about how to break one. Especially a royal one.

A day and a half of research. Nothing.

It seems Xaden was the first one to ever break one. And that hadn't even been written yet.

"Your brain feels like fungi remains on my claws," Isrr pointed out.

Agreed, Andrea conceded. How do I get out of this, Isrr?

"I could bite his head off," Isrr proposed. "Or burn him. That would end the engagement fairly quickly I presume."

In a way that doesn't incite an international incident, she clarified. I can't marry him, Isrr. It isn't right, it isn't fair Aaric, to you, to Mira and Teine. I can't.

"Go deeper," he urged.

She squeezed her eyes shut. I want to have the choice. Anika never got a choice in any aspect in life. I want to be happy, for both of us. It's the least I can do.

Isrr growled in the bond. "Then you shall be."

Andrea smiled as she sent happiness back to him. I'm already happier than I was before, she admitted. You helped give me that.

"You achieved it yourself. Now then, how does a flight sound?"

Andrea smiled and leaned back in her chair. Sounds like the thing I need right now.

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Okay Isrr, she thought. Give me your worst.

Her dragon spread his wings farther than he normally did for a flight and launched. She was glad Mira had left the previous day. She would definitely be scolding Andrea for being reckless. But she also needed a reckless, no limits flight. Seemed like Isrr did too because he shot into the sky with no more instruction needed.

Andrea laughed and cheered as he rose. He turned as he went higher, the air growing thinner despite the wind pushing at her hair. He kept going higher and higher. Andrea unhooked her legs from his neck and wrapped them around the spike behind her. She was now lying on her stomach as they gained altitude.

Isrr kept going until they rose into the clouds. "Now for my favourite part," he told her. He rose and curved his body like he was arching over a hill. Then he went straight down at steep dive.

Andrea locked her shoulders and kept a tight grip on the pommel. She would not fall off this time. She was once again glad for the flight goggles as she knew if she didn't have them, she would have to keep her eyes closed. And she didn't want to miss this. The feeling, the sight of it, she knew was nothing she would want to miss.

Isrr's wings were pinned in, his neck stretched parallel to his body. They were getting closer to the cliffs, closer to the House and closer to the ground. She felt fear rise but she dismissed it. She trusted her dragon.

Isrr suddenly turned towards the cliffs. He turned before he could hit the cliffs again and pushed off against the stone. He rose into the air and Andrea readjusted her legs to where they were before so she was sitting up again. Isrr rose into the air but didn't start climbing. Instead, he started turning and rolling through the air. Andrea laughed and held on. The adrenaline rush was like when she was on a rollercoaster. It was electric and filled her entire body. The thrill was amazing.

It felt like her first flight all over again.

Isrr curled in on himself and did a loop. Andrea laughed as he turned into a barrel roll before levelling out.

Andrea took a deep breath and looked up at the sky above her. It was the middle of the afternoon and there were plenty of clouds, by all accounts, it was a fairly ordinary sky. But she had also never been close enough to touch the clouds before.

She wished Aaric were here to see this too. Her heart tugged at the thought.

Isrr huffed beneath her. "Even during a fight you're still horrible about your mate."

Like you're no better when you're away from Teine, she teased as she stood. Isrr levelled out and balanced for her as she walked along his spine. It hadn't been her first time she had walked on him while he was in the air. She went all the way to where his tail started. He banked to the right. Andrea crouched and grabbed his spike. He levelled out again and dived. She turned faced his front as he dove down to fly over a creek before rising again.

Was that really necessary? she questioned.

"It was for me," he said smugly. Andrea rolled her eyes and made her way back over to the seat. She didn't sit down yet. She could feel the cold but she placed her hand on Isrr's neck and crouched on his shoulder.

She looked over the creek and felt a familiar loneliness creep in. There was no one else here but her and her dragon. She missed her friends. She missed having a relationship with Bodhi. She didn't want to end things with Aaric. It was just her, Isrr in the middle of nowhere. The solitude was nice, but it was...too familiar. Too dangerous. She stood up.

"Warrior?" Isrr asked.

I think I made a mistake coming here, she admitted.

Isrr banked slightly but it was enough she didn't have to crouch. "And why is that?"

The last time I did something like this, seperating myself from people, I ended up with a cut on my arm nearly bleeding out, she admitted. I can't-I won't let myself fall into that pattern again.

Isrr turned his head so his golden eye could look back at her. "And what do you plan to do?"

Andrea swallowed. I need to fix things with Aaric. I want to talk to Bodhi. I want to spend more time with Sloane. But more than anything else, I need to find a way to end this contract. For all of us.

Isrr turned forward once more. "Any first steps?"

Honestly? Right now it's just stay away from Deverelli. Andrea sighed and sank back into the seat again. We... we'll figure something out.

Isrr huffed. "Very well. One more round for flying?"

Obviously.

Isrr rose into the air in a spin once more. Andrea shrieked which turned into a laughter as her and her dragon launched into the air once more.