Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hi! I’m Quinn Hollis. I’ve decided we should be friends,” I said to the pink-haired woman in front of me. We climbed the turret on a sunny mid-July day. I dreamed about becoming a dragon rider since I was a child, dreamed of helping people in need. I was so close to the riders quadrant, I could taste it.

“You do realize we’re about to cross the walkway of death,” the pink-haired woman said back to me, over her shoulder. There was that pesky little problem ahead of us.

“Well, then it might be a short friendship, but we’ll make it a good one.”

The upward trudge stalled and she rested her back on the turret wall. She looked me up and down, then sighed. “Do I get a say in this friendship?”

“Of course. Consent is important in all relationships.” That got a smirk out of her.

“I’m Imogen Cardulo, your newest friend.” She walked up the stairs as the line moved again.

“I’ll be your friend too,” said a voice from behind me. “Maybe more if you’re lucky.” Ew. Who did this creep think he was?

“No thanks. I’m good with what I have.”

Another voice chimed in, female this time. “You don’t want her anyway. She’s got bad judgment. Her new friend is a traitor. Just look at her arm.”

I whirled around, stopping the line. The man bumped into me, and the woman behind him barely caught herself from bumping into him.

“I have fabulous judgment. You are both gross. Go be friends with each other and leave us alone.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing. When you hear the name Ewan Faber announced for wingleader in a few years, you’re going to regret everything about this day.”

“Hi Ewan. We can be wingleaders together. I’m Aura Beinhaven. Nice to meet you.”

I turned around and marched up the stairs to Imogen. From the look in her eyes, she heard everything. “Whatever happened that got you that,” I gestured to her arm, “does not make you a traitor.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Nothing to it. That’s what friends do,” I said with a shrug. She gave me a big smile and the tension melted from her frame.

“You ready for the next one, Panya?” a rider at the top of the turret said. The walk up the stairs went quicker than I thought it would.

“Ready.” He looked at Imogen. “You ready, candidate?”

She nodded, then looked at me. “It’s a good start. Let’s keep it going over there.” She stepped onto the parapet.

“Deal.” And with that she started her walk across.

The pair behind me ignored my existence as I watched my new friend. I followed a minute later. Crossing was easier than I feared. Thank Amari for the calm weather.

I jumped off the end of the parapet to a beaming Imogen. “We did it.”

“We did.” I grinned back.

After checking in at the station, we were free to wander the courtyard. Imogen’s eyes immediately scanned the crowd.

“Looking for someone in particular?” I asked her.

“Two second years and someone our year. They all have relics like me.” She gestured at her arm.

We wandered aimlessly, chatting with cadets and riders, keeping a look out for her friends.

“There,” she said, dragging me by the hand across the courtyard. I was suddenly among giants. Two of the men looked like copies of each other, one harder lined and one softer, with wavy dark hair, bronzed skin, and dark eyes that were almost black. The third man had impossibly broad shoulders, light skin, curly brown hair, and sparkling hazel eyes.

“You’re alive. All of you are.” Imogen interrupted the men’s quiet conversation.

“Imogen! You made it too.” The softer of the identical men said, picking her up into a hug.

“Good to see you, Bodhi,” Imogen said as he placed her back on the ground. “Hi Xaden. Hi Garrick. They haven't killed you yet, I see.”

“Not that they haven’t tried,” the other twin said, with no trace of humor.

“Xaden is always so cynical. A couple attempts on his life per month. He dispatched those quickly. No big deal.” He shoulder bumped the brooding man, who glared at him.

“I see the quadrant hasn’t changed you too much,” Bodhi said.

“Never will. They can’t keep us down,” Garrick flashed a dazzling smile, a dimple popping up.

“Are you in the same squad?” Imogen asked.

“Nah, they try to keep us apart. We did manage to get into Fourth Wing together though. I'm the leader of Second Squad, Flame Section. Xaden here is the leader of Claw Section. Skipped right over squad leader.”

“Tell the roll keeper at the table near parapet to put you in Fourth Wing.” Xaden looked at Bodhi and Imogen both, then looked at me. “Who are you?”

“I’m Quinn. Imogen’s friend.” Xaden raised his scarred eyebrow at me then looked back at Imogen.

“We met on the stairs. You’ll love her.”

Xaden scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. “She can come too if you want.”

“How magnanimous of you.”

“We’re not supposed to be in groups bigger than three and I don’t want them to give you two shit on your first day. Go mingle with the rest of your year. Garrick and I have business to attend to anyway.”

Bodhi, Imogen, and I split off from the second years.

“How have the last four years been, Im?” Bodhi asked.

“I survived. I’m here. You?”

“Same. Let’s catch up when we’re not in the middle of hundreds of other people. Maybe we’ll end up in the same squad.” He gave a sweet smile.

The three of us wandered around the courtyard chatting about nothing in particular. Bodhi split off when he saw someone named Ciaran, who Imogen wrinkled her nose at. He rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded like “Still?”

The sun was getting high in the sky and the courtyard crowded, when a rider bumped into me, holding out an arm for balance. I grabbed their elbow to keep them upright when I noticed a hand tattoo.

“Excuse me, are you from Ruel?” I asked.

“You know it? No one ever recognizes it,” she said as she turned, her face lit up with a smile. She was stunning. She had close cropped medium brown hair, skin a touch lighter, and caramel eyes. After a few moments I found my voice again.

“We travel through there a few times a year. My family lives in Deaconshire near the Elsum border, but my grandparents on my mom's side are in Tyrrendor. We usually stay overnight in Ruel each way.”

“My best friend’s family runs an inn. You may have stayed with them.”

“We may have.” I grinned like a fool at her.

“I’m Jax.” She held her hand out for me to shake.

“Quinn.” Her warm hand in mine sent tingles up my arm.

“I’m Imogen.” My new friend’s voice broke my trance and I dropped Jax’s hand. “I’m from Tyrrendor but not near Ruel.”

Jax nodded at her and turned her body to include her. She turned her head to me. “What time of year do you normally come through?”

We talked about the city, favorite foods, and more. Imogen spoke more once we got into more general topics. Her gaze frequently drifted back to Xaden and Garrick, who had taken up a position at the edge of the courtyard where they could see everything.

The clock chimed for noon. “I have to run. You two should be in my squad. I’m the leader for First Squad, Claw Section, Second Wing. You can request it at the table near parapet.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Imogen smirked at me once she left. “It’s not a good idea to sleep with your squad leader.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw the way you looked at her.”

“We’re from the same province and she’s a nice person. That’s all.” Imogen didn’t look convinced by my explanation. “What about those Tyrrish second years you keep looking back at?”

“They’re my friends.”

“Just friends, huh? So you don’t want to jump Mr. Broody’s bones?”

“Xaden? Ew. He’s like a brother and not my type.”

“Garrick then. Is he like a brother to you also? Not your type?”

Imogen’s cheeks turned pink.

“We could request the same wing and section but a different squad. Just in case anything were to develop in those friendships. But, which wing, second or fourth? Or split up?”

Imogen’s gaze returned to Garrick just as a rider stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He put an arm around her and brought her body flush with his.

“Definitely second wing.”

Chapter Text

I saw her at formation this morning, dressed in a form-fitting black tunic, looking like she belonged. The first years always looked out of place on Conscription Day with their colorful clothing. She was in my section but not my squad. I wondered if she requested that or if senior leadership had a say.

It was good that she wasn’t in my squad. I would have some breathing room from her, from these thoughts that kept popping into my head. Her laugh. Her chin-length blond curls dancing around her face. Her mischievous green eyes. The way her cheeks got somehow rounder when she smiled.

“Second and third years, do you have any thoughts?” Prof Devera’s magic-amplified voice pulled me back to the present, to the first battle brief of the year.

“Perhaps you would like to tell your teacher about her ears. You seem quite fascinated by them. Surely that will help you in battle one day.”

I send my red clubtail Iarlaithe my middle finger over our bond. He chuckled at me. I got a good dragon, one with a sense of humor and a good head on his shoulders, not an old curmudgeon or a young know-nothing. He was spry for his 130 years.

“Battle Brief looks different from up here,” my best friend, Tyvon Varen, said as we packed up our things.

“Second year is going to be our year. I can feel it.”

We wound our way through the halls to the sparring mats. Our section was first up for Assessment Day. Tyvon was the executive officer for our section, showing me up as squad leader - a solid respectable position for a second year.

I watched the first few matches, noticing where our first-years needed work.

“Arvel Pepila and Quinn Hollis,” Emetterio announced. A gasp escaped from me. Tyvon smirked and shoulder bumped me. I feigned confusion, and he pursed his lips, nodded, and looked back at the mat.

Her hair was in a bun with her long bangs pulled back by pins. She had a few inches on Arvel, but he had a good 30 pounds of muscle on her.

They circled each other, each looking for an opening. Quinn pounced first, throwing a solid punch that he deflected. She pulled back before he could get a hit in. They volleyed for dominance, each kicking or punching well, but the other defending just as well. They went to ground, wrestling for dominance. Quinn subdued him with a forearm to the throat, straddling his hips. A smile lit up her face as he tapped out.

“That was hot,” Tyvon whispered in my ear. I rolled my eyes.

She stood on the sidelines drinking water, looking bruised but not injured. Her pink-haired friend chatted with her before being called to her match, with second-year Emery Barnes. She had him in a chokehold tapping out before I even took my eyes off Quinn.

“Wow. She’s fast. Imagine what she’ll do when she has lesser magic to speed her up,” Tyvon said. I hummed my agreement, since I hadn’t seen the match.

The rest of the day was a blur of new classes and squad leader meetings with the first-years. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

At breakfast the next morning, I found a curly-haired first year serving me eggs.

“Good match yesterday,” I said to her.

“Thanks,” she said as her cheeks turned pink. I hoped I wasn’t embarrassing her. I should let her squad leader deal with feedback, even good feedback.

“It may not be embarrassment that reddens the young one’s face,” Iar said.

“And what would you know about human emotions?” I threw back.

“More than you, it appears.” Haughty fucking dragon. I locked my shields in place.

The school year turned routine - classes, studying in the commons with my squad, flight lessons, challenges, teaching the first years. The delight of trips to Chantara almost balanced out the horror that was RSC.

I couldn’t get Quinn out of my head. Her squad studied on the other side of the room and I sat with my back to them so I could focus on my work. I could still pick out Quinn’s laughter over the din.

“Hey, Quinn, you have a moment?” I called to her after sparring one day.

“I’ve got somewhere to be. I’ll catch up with you later.” Imogen said, then disappeared through the door, leaving me alone with Quinn.

Those two were inseparable. Almost. Whenever I ran into the pair, Imogen left. Quinn assured me her friend had nothing against me. Still, I worried I had done something to upset her.

“I saw your challenges the past two weeks,” I said. Her face fell at the memory of the losses. “I can help,” I hastened to add.

“How?”

“If you adjust your stance, you’ll get more speed and power. Try this.” I demonstrated keeping more weight on my back leg and lowering my center of gravity. She copied me.

“Good, but move your hips back and open your right leg.”

“Like this?” She asked as she made adjustments.

“Closer.” I stared at her stance to figure out how to explain. “Can I put my hands on you? Can I physically move your body to the correct place?”

She nodded while pink climbed up her cheeks.

I stood behind her and placed my hands on her hips. I pulled her towards me, shifting her weight over her leg. She fell flush against me, and her breathing increased. Was it because she could feel my nipples hardening through my sparring shirt against her back?

“Are you ok?” I asked with my mouth just clearing her shoulder. She was normally a head taller, but the lower stance brought her close to me.

“Yeah. I’m great. Is this right?”

“Almost. You need to sit lower. If you move this knee out, you’ll have more space to drop down.” I placed my hand on the inside of her thigh, just above her knee and nudged her leg open. Her body shifted down, brushing across my front. Every place that rubbed against me felt like fire.

“How’s that?” She whispered. We were so close we didn’t need to raise our voices to hear each other.

“Amazing,” I whispered in her ear. “Does it feel good?” The metal hoops that lined the shell of her ear brushed against my cheek as she nodded. I stood there for a moment, breathing in sync with her, marveling at what a good student she was.

“Stay where you are.” I let my hand fall from her leg and walked to the front of her. “Perfect. You look perfect.”

She beamed her beautiful smile.

“Try kicking your front leg now, without moving your back one. You’ll see more speed and power.”

She did as she was told. “So much better.”

“You don’t have to shift your weight before you kick. You start ready. It also gives your opponent less info. Now go back to your stance.”

She shifted her weight back, but remained too high. I stepped into her space and pushed her knee with mine. She opened it wider and lowered her body. Her eyes stared straight into mine. She was so close.

“Want to try another move?” I asked, never dropping her stare.

“Sure.”

I led her through a series of attacks, returning to the stance each time. She needed less help to settle into it as the practice wore on.

“Thanks for helping me. I appreciate it. My squad leader teaches all of us the same things, but I don’t think it works for my height.”

“No problem. I’m happy to help a fellow Deaconshirite out.” I hip bumped her as we walked through the sparring room doors.

She won her next and final challenge soundly.

Chapter Text

The mid-October air was chilly when Imogen and I stepped into the courtyard for the evening’s party. We filled our pewter mugs with the punch concoction on offer and saw our squad mates through the crowd. Imogen resisted my tugs in that direction.

“Not them. Dain is way too rigid to party with, and Cianna just fades away into the background. Don’t even get me started on Arvel.”

“We should at least say hi.”

“Fine. But then we find more interesting people. Like Jax,” she said with a smirk.

“Or Garrick?” I asked with an innocent face. She glared at me, and I cackled.

Our squadmates were debating the merits of various signets when we arrived. I thought firewielder would be the most fun of the common signets, but Imogen thought ice.

“As if you would have a signet as mundane as fire.” Cruth scoffed in my head.

“It’s the fearsome fivesome!” A voice boomed from behind us.

“Hi Garrick,” I said, moving to let him join our circle next to Imogen.

“Nice Iron Squad you got here. Not gonna lie, I wish it were my own squad, but you lot are not so bad.”

“You lot? Not so bad? You certainly have a way with words,” Imogen snarked with an eye roll for emphasis.

“You all survived threshing. Now I can get to know your squad, Immy.”

The squad looked between the two of them. Arvel mouthed “Immy?” with wide eyes.

“Call me Immy again, and I will break out the daggers or your childhood nickname. Maybe both.”

“I would never dream of calling you anything but Imogen Cardulo, cadet and rider extraordinaire.”

“If only I could erase what you said from everyone’s minds so they wouldn’t dream of it either.”

“We’re good. No need to meddle with our minds,” Dain said.

“What are you doing here anyway? Aren’t you joined at the hip with Xaden?” Imogen asked.

“He and Cat are trying out a relationship, so he’s sulking alone in his room. Even Bodhi couldn’t coax him out.”

“Are you fucking shitting me? That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

“I wish I were shitting you. Now, tell me who your lovely squadmates are.”

She introduced him to the other three - he already knew me.

The conversation flowed freely. I kept my eye on the door and noticed Jax and Tyvon walk in a few minutes later.

“Let’s go,” Imogen whispered when she saw my gaze locked on them.

“I don’t want to be too forward. Give her a bit before I casually run into her.”

We turned our attention back to the group. Garrick and Cianna were flirting, some banter about him guessing her last name. Imogen elbowed me.

“You’re right. Time to go,” I said.

Our meandering path through the crowd led us to Jax in a few short minutes.

“Oh, hey Jax. Hey Tyvon. Nice to run into you,” I said, my eyes not straying from Jax. I tucked a lock of curls behind my ears.

“Just happen to run into her? As if you haven’t been stalking her like prey.” Cruth said.

“Stalking her like prey is a little extreme. So I kept an eye out for her? That’s what friends do.”

“Good to see you too, Quinn. Hi Imogen,” Jax said, her eyes on me.

“My drink is much too low. Help me carry drinks back,” Tyvon said to Imogen.

“Good plan,” she said. “I’m sure these two need to fill each other in on their lives since lunchtime.”

We chatted about everything and nothing. She always had a funny story that made me crack up, and tonight was no exception.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone stagger our way. “Ugh. Ewan is coming over here. He’s such a prick and he likes me or something. Imogen usually scares him off. He’s not dangerous, just annoying.”

“Just say the word and I’ll burn him to a crisp. His dragon will get over it. She goes through riders like you humans go through mates.”

“Maybe a different approach will work better,” Jax said with an air of mischief.

“Quinn! You’re looking good tonight.” Ewan’s eyes did something weird, maybe an attempted wink. He went in for a hug and stumbled when I stepped aside. Alcohol and churam wafted off him.

“Hey now, beautiful. Where’d you go? We should hang out.” He turned in a circle looking for me.

Jax put her arm around me and stared at Ewan who was now swaying side to side. “She already has plans tonight, and they’re not with you.”

My pulse raced. I put my arm around her waist and rested my cheek on her head. “Bye Ewan.”

“Is this finally a thing?” Tyvon’s voice rung out. Imogen followed behind him with more drinks. Ewan looked on with interest. Cruth chortled in my head.

“Of course,” Jax said. Her body tensed.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked, looking at Ewan to see if he was still buying this. So far so good.

“Jax doesn’t really date, despite my best efforts. Here’s to hoping this lasts longer than her last one.” He held up one of the mugs.

“Rude, Tyvon,” Jax said.

“Oh please. Your last girlfriend didn’t even last a month.” He took a long drink from his mug. “How about this? If you’re still together at Solstice, I’ll buy all your drinks for a night in Chantara.”

“Ty, you’re being ridiculous.”

“I’ll even sneak Quinn to Chantara.”

Jax turned her head so her cheek was flush against mine. My stomach was full of butterflies. She whispered in my ear, “You said you wanted to go. He figured out a way to sneak over there last year, but he still won’t disclose his secrets.”

“Two months is a long time,” I whispered.

“We’ve known each other for three months. It’s shorter than that.”

“I’m in if you are.”

Jax pulled her head back and I immediately regretted the loss of her touch. She looked at Tyvon and said, “You’re on.”