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Beth smiled. “Good, glad you have some sense. Some come here each year thinking they can just claim a dragon and join up.”

Deviln was clearly shocked. “How could they? Is it not taught in the schools here that the dragons do the choosing? We have a class on the branches of the service in high school, but then we all must serve for two years at least. I know that isn't the case here, but it is surprising that they wouldn't know how the bonding works.”

Vail said. “They are told, but some just refuse to believe the truth until it hits them over the head a few times and most here have only seen dragons from a distance. It would likely help if there was more contact, but for some reason it was found unsafe for the children to have close contact. Something about over exposure to magic making it wake to fast. Another of those things that I just don't understand. Do you want to find your classroom? There may be some using the rooms, but they will have marked the areas, so we should be safe.”

Deviln said. “I was just locating the buildings, I can wait to go in, I expect that they are doing a last cleaning before the students invade for the new school year. Thank you for the help.”

Vail said. “It was nothing, just follow the same route and forget the map. If you need to get to someplace else here ask one of us. It is far safer. Is there anything else I can help you find?”

Deviln shook his head. “No, this was the last on the list, thank you again.” He smiled and turned, looking again at the steps in front of the dragon and the people there. He started walking not seeing Vale look at him then at the stairs and shake his head, not that it would have meant anything to him if he had of. A splash of bright red made Deviln glance back, but it was gone just as fast, lost in the group if it had been there at all. Even if it had been there it meant little. That shade of hair might be common here and the given that there were some very odd colors they do seem to dye their hair. There is no way that I can be sure of what I saw. It is more likely just my mind wanting to see her, not wanting even yet to accept the truth.. It is still to hard to believe. It was bad enough that she found it necessary to leave, but to go that way. Why didn't she go with the traders, or at least take the road to a different town and get the pass? Why take to the woods? She knew that none made it that way. I saw to it that she knew they weren't safe. I can see why she couldn't ask father for passage, he would have given it to her but she wouldn't have believed it. Not when he was so insistent that she belonged there. That if anything she should go to the temple. Still many go to the next town, that wouldn't have gotten talk. There was no scandal it, and she knew it. It just made no since that she went to the forest, but there had been no girls show up asking for passage at the right time in any of the four closest towns. A few boys, but the reports said they had light hair. So that ruled out her being one of them. They checked the standing gate even, but it showed no record of being used and she never had managed to open it without it being recorded. No one had and all that could work it tried. It was a computation among them. Just as the children dared each other to try opening the gate. So it had to have been to the woods she went fir all the evidence said that meant a certain death. There might be a chance only a few bodies had ever been found, but none had been heard from so it wasn't likely they lived.

I should get a few shots of the folks house and then hit up the market for some fresh food. He shook his head again as he went past the grad dorm he would be moving into soon. It was old and a bit dark, he just had to trust it was better inside. If not he could always go to the folks more often. They wouldn't mind, he would just have to make sure they saw his place so they knew he wasn't making up excuse to stay close. Father was worried that I would use his being here as a way to hide from this experience, which would just undermine the reason for being here. Like I would try and hide from my duties. He should know better I am here and so I will be involved on campus as much a I would have been at Col. I am here to see what it is like and to let them see that we might live differently, but are not backwards because we let our faith direct us. Then to he is likely a bit worried about come as well. When he applied he didn't expect them to go for it this soon. Nor that I would be at the same school if they did. I think he fears that I let him make my choice, that I wish I had of followed Bill to Zandra. I don't, I just want to know how his life is out there, but it is not my path. This should put that to rest as well, fir all I still wish I hadn't been chosen. I never wanted to leave Lighton, it is my home and my place. However the Lord has his reasons, and I will do as he asks, even if reluctantly.

He looked at the street sings and then checked the adders on the large blue house, with the big porch and flower lined walk. The folks should like it all right but it was bright and a bit large, but no bigger than the others near it. Still I wonder just how large they thought our family was. Then there was six children. I almost forgot that Eldera was living with them, and is coming here. I hope the change will help her. It can't hurt to try. I thought she was going to be alright, she looked to be until last month. She just crashed. I do wonder why she tried to hide it. Everyone knows it is hard to deal with the losses of a mate in just a normal pair and the were bonded so it has torn her doubly. Guess she felt that she shouldn't hurt, that she should be able to do it all. Not that any expected her to but herself. I mean Mother and Father had been after her to move in, and let them help since the accident took Ron, but she wouldn't. Likely fearing they didn't want her as she is from outside, never mind that she became family when she married Ron. He made sure to get a few pictures of it, knowing that his Mother would want a lot. It is silly but she always seemed a bit frightened at the house. I wish I knew how to help more. We are all she has, yet I fear she still can't believe she is welcome and wanted. It is a mess. Still she was looking a bit better when I left, a bit more at home. It has to be a good sing that she admitted how hard she was finding it, that she said how it hurt not to have him there.

When he reached the market the first thing he noticed was the noise. It was a mix of the sellers hawking their goods and children running around, playing. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but it was good to see that somethings were the same. Wondering aimless he was taken by surprise at the sure number of stalls. There was a lot he didn't know what was and a few things that they had thought were just artiest fantasies when the saw the images. It was clear just how widely the traders traveled. He shook his head a bit as he went along, wondering what his Mother would think. She might find it a bit easier to stay to the shops at first, but that would be for her to determine. There is the food, now just to see if what I can find that doesn't need cooked. I don't need anymore burns from that camp stove. I don't see why it is so much harder to cook on, but it is. Though likely the fact I do cook is going to be a bit surprising to some. I am sure they expect that I would find it unfit, why else would they include a meal plan with an apartment, after all. Nice that stand even has some cooked foods, guess I will have some meat tonight after all. That should be enough for the next few days. I should likely head back and see about getting the messages sent before it gets to much later. Wait that board says choice schools, what? Not thinking about it he walked over close to the boards he had walked by before, think it was just community information, yard sells and such. Three were what he thought, but a forth was full of fliers for different schools in the area. Reading it he learn that there was a lot more than just the main public schools that the others could attend. A few were run by different churches, but were open to all and didn't appear to stress the religious teachings. One shunned a lot of since and math so might be just what the girls would need to feel comfortable, and there was another that focused on weapons, which Robin or Wallace, if not both, would like. I will take these three and make sure that Father knows where I found them in case he wants to look at the rest.

The walk back to the campground was as uneventful as the walk into town hand been. He nodded at the man in the tent next to his, the got his extra food stored and a plate fixed to eat before taking out his computer and leaving the tent. It was a nice evening and the tent is stuffy having been closed up, might as well do this out of it and let it cool a bit. Besides the table out there is a much better place to sit than on my trunk. He turned on the computer and took out his camera, getting it connected so he could include the pictures.

There was a cough and he turned to see one of the ranges that portled the ground stand there. “Well at least I don't have to worry you will set your shirt on fire trying to cook tonight. Good to see you found the market. Surely you could find something better to do then be on that devoce. It is dangerous to use the tech things so much. They are not good for your health. We find it best to limit such to work and schools.”