20074 telling the family.

Devlin looked at the walk and smiled, here but a week and there were already chalk marks on it. At least the young ones were making their selves at home. I hope it weren’t well in the market, and that Grace didn’t alarm them to badly there was just too much going on for me. She said it went fine, but I do wonder how Mother and Ellie felt. He walked on up and opened the door. “Hope you don’t mind that I invite myself over for supper, but I don’t feel like cooking tonight, and lunch was enough cafeteria food.” He could be that he sounded a bit tens he hadn’t slept well run over various ideas of what to say. It needed to be said now. Orientation was tomorrow and the next day was classes for campus I think most other schools as well. I need to tell them before they find out.

Erin said. “You know you are always welcome, get on in here. The food will be on the table in a bit. You sound tired.”

Devlin said. “I didn’t sleep well last night, and then there was a dozen things going on today that need to be done before orientation. As that will also see the start of the training I thought it best to see if Vale thought my shoes would hold up, that lead to a fitting for a uniform, as what I had just wouldn’t do. That of course leads me to worry more that I am just going to make a fool of myself. I have tried hard to keep in shape, but there is a difference to running a few miles and going full out on a course. It has been years since I was chasing after Gale in the trees, and I just know that is going be more like what I will be doing then the jogging around the track and weight lift that has been the train classes of the last few years.” He shook his head a bit, as he had tried to protest but Mike had said it was Caps orders and it was going to happen. He would be leaving here with a full set of their gear, never mind that he would be issued gear when he was put with a team at home. Apparently Gale didn’t think much of the way they outfitted medics at home. I wonder just when she was around a team long enough to study the gear on the support personal. “I still wonder just what I am in into, but it will serve me good. I am going to be better ready than most for what I will face after this.” He reached the table and sat down with the rest there.

Wallace smiled and Robin shook his head. “Those courses of Sis’s were far worse than anything the weapons master came up with. You might be a bit out of practice, but it will come back fast enough. I don’t think you will have much to worry about for all you have been leading an easy city life you were raised in rough country and it won’t take you long to recall how to move.” Devlin had to laugh, remembering Robin chases them for all he could barely scramble over the logs. Gale would see to it there were some extra ropes and steps for him, but he would more often than not refuse to use them. Insisting that he didn’t need them if they didn’t. Never mind that he is three years younger than Gale and had a lot of growing yet to do in those days. Robin smiled a bit as well. “I just hope that the high school is as good as it sounds. They will take us to the university that is where the tests for placement are done. The instructor said that if the arms master thinks we can keep up we will be allowed to do some training with the units. I wonder if they will let us watch some of the Air’s training. I am sure he just meant ground, like at home but I do want to know more of how they coordinate the two. I know I will get that once I am placed in a branch, but I wish I could know a bit more about it now.”

Willber said. “I would be so sure it is just the ground. The reason that was so at home was just that there were no air units around to be involved. They are trying to grow the force so that there are more bases and less mystery to it.”

Devlin said. “Even if it’s not the case Beth’s offer was real. She won’t mind a bit arranging something. That would be with the ground troops of an air unit. As to seeing Air training, I think that can be done. I will ask or do you want to wait and see what the school has in mind?”

Wallace said. “We know she said, but you think she would and could? I mean well just who is she, other than somehow attached to the Unit you are training with? You sound sure that you can get us into see some training. I wouldn’t be. The dragons might not like being asked to put on a show even if the riders don’t mind, which is hard to believe. What is that red in the salad?” He said that as he put it on his plate.

Devlin said. “It is cabbage, I was thrown by  the color as well, but like it. Beth is a rider and is the head of the Golden Dragons’ med team she wasn’t offering anything she can’t do. For all I didn’t know that at the time turns out she will be in charge of my training, under the captain’s supervision. I am not to clear yet on how the ranks work. The Air teams have two different ones, one in the unit they belong to and one for the force as a whole. It sounds confusing, and is made worse by the fact that not all of the units here are a part of this lands service. At least two of the Air units are from Idras, and I saw some Jackstone crests among the army units as well. Seems as if it is normal in the allied lands to exchange units like that that.”

“I bet Uncle Wane will want to know that. It will be another way to improve relations and see that troops are better at communicating. He was pleased that they would let you study with them and was going to see if some of the other students that were sent could work out something as well. You are sure of this?”

Devlin nodded. “The only units that I know for sure are Air. I don’t know if the other branches are just solders or units. However I know the badges were Jackstone on six of the men that were on the field yesterday. There are others that don’t match but I don’t know the lands. I will ask and find out. However there is another thing I need to confess. I didn’t mean to hide it, but I had to be sure. Shortly after I started walking the campus I saw this girl with bright red hair. I was certain it was just me wanting a touch of home. It was just glimpse out of the corner of my eye at first. Then it became more. Still it could be, no matter what I thought. It was just my mind playing. However, well Gale is here and a student. She brought me diner a few nights ago, or I am not too sure I would believe it yet. I should have said something then. Yet it is a lot to take in, for all I never could believe she was dead I never thought to see her here of all things. I had no idea how to tell you, what to say. It is just so unreal.”

There was silence for a bit as no one knew what to say. Willber said. “Did she say just how she came to be here of all places? So she is on campus then? Off all the. She must have been troubled I am surprised that she stayed. I take it she knows we are here.”

Robin said. “Why isn’t she with you? Wow! I don’t know that I could have believe it if she did turn up. Just how? Why?”

Devlin said. “She didn’t use the main gate as the rights were so close and she didn’t want to interfere any. So she went to the second one and opened it, not thinking about all the others using. She never meant for anyone to think she was lost to the forest, and was upset to learn that was the case. That said she is not going to push anything. It is up to you to make the next move. She understands how hard it. The campus is not so big that there won’t be encounters, but she is going to leave it up to you if anything is said. This was not her plan, that is she was making arrangements to enter a different school but she boned and that caused changes. Gale didn’t go into the details but she felt that it was best to change her plans instead of making them change theirs. Gale heard of the student exchange but didn’t really think about it. I guess most here have forgotten that her last name is Couldless, so there was little chance that any would know who she was. Then she heard you were coming here and was trying to work out what to do about it when I turned up. It took her time to work up to talking to me, expecting me to be upset with her. Not knowing how little I knew or how glad I was to see her. If you want to see her just ask for Gale at the dragon and someone will get her.”

Willber frowned a bit. “The dragon? So she is bonded to a rider. One of the gold dragons no doubt. That explains a lot. It is a wonder that she isn’t thinking to handle the train herself.” He shook his head. “She always was a bit to wild. This though. Still it does no harm. So she is well then, and found a place that fits. Strange that it would be here. She always said they were too undisciplined. Bet it was a bit hard of adjustment to be under another’s command.”

Devlin coughed. “Yes she is in charge of my training, but to be fair she did offer to move me to the silvers, so I wouldn’t be train directly with her unit. For all it did sound like they are connected. The gold dragons are hers, she is a rider.” They looked at him, but he could tell that it wasn’t enough. He needed to know that she was a commander now, so he could adjust to it. There were females in the sworn, but they were not officers, so it was going to be another slap. Bigger than her pledge to one of the old Powers, for that was accepted if not much done. This was not. This was leaving the way. “Not that she planned to start her own unit just yet, but that was just how it worked out.”