Nicola sat quietly in a corner of the kitchen. It was late and she was trying to avoid the attention of her father, since the visit by the dragon two months ago now he had been on edge and she had no idea why. She didn’t think she had done anything wrong, but she had found him looking at her several times with a worried expression and his temper was definitely on a short fuse.

She finished her drink and was heading towards the door and her bed when his voice called her.

“Nicola.”

She turned to look at her father who was standing in the door to the bar. He looked at her for a moment before gesturing to the kitchen table at which she had just been sat.

“Sit down, we need to talk.”

Without a word she did so, smoothed her simple dress and looked up at her father. He moved slowly out of the doorway and sat down next to her.

“Nicola, how much do you know about the people who serve the dragons?” he asked her.

“Well, lots of people do,” she answered. “The Valaeran navy, the warriors, the people who heal the world, even some machines serve them.”

“Yes, all kinds of people,” said her father. “Nicola, do you want to?” he asked.

Nicola didn’t know for a moment if he had asked what she thought he had, then her mind went over the last few seconds again and she decided that he had.

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“You mean, go and live with the dragons?” she asked, her mouth wide.

“Yes,” he seemed to want to say more but couldn’t get the words out of his mouth.

“Yes! YesYesYes!” screamed Nicola a moment later, hugging his neck fiercely. “Oh Dad yes! Can I?”

“Yes Nicola, you can, but…” his words trailed off, he seemed worried and strangely unhappy. “I can’t come with you Nicky.”

Nicola was only young but somehow she knew that those were the hardest words her father had ever had to say, they were also the hardest words she had ever had to hear.

“Why?” she asked quietly, her elation suddenly all but gone.

“I can’t leave here Nicky, this town needs me, this is my life. If you stay this’ll be your life too, if you go then your life will be serving the dragons. You don’t have to, but you’ve been given the chance to go and serve them and learn from them. Nicky if you go all of your dreams could come true, that won’t happen here.” He looked at her for a long time, eventually she broke the silence.

“I thought it would be such a long time before I left the village, years and years, does it have to be now?” she asked. Her father nodded to her.

“I want to do it dad, I really do, but… will I ever see you again?”

“Oh yes! I’ll come and visit and you can always visit me!” said her father with a reassuring smile. Nicola threw her arms around his neck again and hugged him for a long time.

“When do I leave?” she asked quietly.

“Oh we’ve got a few weeks before someone will come to get you,” her father said.

“I’m glad,” Nicola said into his shoulder.

Nothing more was said.