Moonfall, #2
The Ballad of Falling Dragons
by Sarah A. Parker
Contents
Chapter 31
Overview
Kaan watches Raeve prepare to climb Líri’s pillar to attempt a dangerous bond. He warns her of the mental risks of taming a mature dragon, then offers his late mother’s boots to help her ascend silently. Raeve extracts his promise not to intervene. Kaan agrees, swallowing his fear.
Summary
Kaan observes Raeve testing borrowed boots, her restlessness mirroring his dread as Líri’s towering perch looms outside. Seeking to prepare her, Kaan explains the perils of bonding a mature dragon: the mind-stretching link, buried traumas surfacing, and the danger of a rider being consumed by the beast.
Raeve remains focused on the climb, rejecting a visit to a cobbler for fear of missing Líri. Kaan leads her upstairs to a room prepared long ago for his sister and opens a chest of their mother’s belongings. He offers Raeve Mah’s well-worn, quiet boots, believing they will fit and help her ascend unseen.
Raeve hesitates but accepts the gift, sensing its weight and Kaan’s trust. She then asks Kaan to promise he will not intervene during the attempt, insisting the bonding must be hers alone. Kaan agrees, adding only that he will cook for her first, and restrains his urge to guide or protect.
Leaving Raeve to prepare, Kaan steps outside and, overcome by anxiety, vomits in the snow. He steels himself to honor her autonomy despite his fear of losing her.
Who Appears
- KaanNarrator; warns of mature-dragon bonding risks, gifts his mother’s boots, promises not to intervene, then quietly unravels.
- RaeveDetermined to climb Líri’s pillar to bond; focused on silent footwear; accepts Mah’s boots; demands Kaan not interfere.
- LíriMoonplume dragon atop a new pillar; offstage catalyst for Raeve’s perilous bonding attempt.
- MahKaan’s late mother; her cherished boots become Raeve’s essential gear for the silent climb.