#Name Of The Wind | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writeforfandoms · 7 months

Text

The Name of the Wind 3

Find the series masterlist

I know this is a bit late BUT this is still for @glitterypirateduck challenge. This is not the last chapter of this story, but it is the last chapter that will be using prompts from the challenge. This chapter used "Do you trust me?"

Warnings: Swearing, wooing, someone is a little oblivious, flying, dragons. Oh, and two new/familiar characters show up.

Word count: 1.8k

Weeks passed. You learned your way around and met the other people who lived there. Not just the riders, but the kitchen staff too. You learned how everything worked, when to eat, where to wash up. Everything.

It was different from how your life had been before, but different didn't mean bad. Not in this case.

You never heard another word about your would-be husband. And you certainly didn't ask - that would be inviting trouble.

The hardest thing to adapt to was the most integral part of your role here.

The dragons.

Caba was very calm every time you interacted with him… which was quite a bit in the beginning, as Alejandro used him to demonstrate how the harnesses went on and where they wore the most. Caba didn't mind being used as a show model, remaining calm around you.

Unfortunately, that could not be said of every dragon.

The youngest dragon in the garrison, a blue female, actually knocked you off your feet when you met her. Her rider was apologetic, helping you back to your feet. The freshly-chastened dragon drooped like a misbehaving pup while Caba oversaw the fitting process for her harness.

You did not get knocked over a second time. But it did take multiple washes to get all the mud off you later.

After that little incident, Caba or Alejandro was around for every new dragon you met. You weren't sure if you were flattered, or disgruntled.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to you was how self-contained the garrison was. Supplies came from the capital regularly, but the garrison otherwise seemed to be run by Alejandro. He oversaw everything, from training to rotations to travel. He didn't seem to need to ask anyone above him for anything, which seemed both curious and, if you were being honest, appealing.

An honest man, with a sense of humor, who treated everyone well and didn't place himself above the others? And one who was also competent and ran his garrison well?

Honestly, you were surprised he didn't have a spouse already.

(He didn't. You knew because you'd caught some of the younger riders gossiping.)

You were, however, surprised when he approached you after breakfast one day. You didn't always sit at his table, only sometimes. Usually when he or Rodolfo flagged you down. This was the first time he had approached you, usually summoning you to his side instead.

“How much work do you have today?” He asked, walking next to you as you put your dirty dishes in the bins.

“Not a lot, nothing urgent,” you responded slowly. You had a custom order you were excited to work on, but that could wait another day. Especially if Alejandro needed you for something.

He flashed a grin at you, nearly making your knees wobble. “So you have time free.”

“I do,” you agreed, eyeing him. “Why?”

“Do you trust me?” He stopped in the hallway, turning fully to face you.

You nodded slowly, looking at him. “I do.”

“Meet me outside in twenty minutes. Wear something warmer.” He held your gaze, magnetic and unavoidable.

“Okay,” you agreed, soft and a little surprised. But you hadn't lied. You did trust him.

At least enough to trust that he wouldn't toss you out of the overlook, or anything like that.

It took very little time to grab a warm coat and gloves, since you weren't exactly sure what you were going to be doing. The walk outside was full of the typical bustle of the garrison - you passed riders going every which way, and as you passed near the kitchen, the chatter and chinking of washing reached your ears.

It was amazing to think about how quickly this had become home to you.

Alejandro stood outside next to Caba, waiting on you, dressed in his riding leathers. You allowed yourself only a moment or two to let your gaze wander over the well-fitted leathers before looking to the dragon instead.

To your surprise, he wore a modified version of his harness.

“We don't need the full harness,” Alejandro said, having correctly guessed your line of thinking from the surprise in your face and the line of your gaze. “Not for this.”

“And what is this?” You asked hesitantly, stopping in front of him.

Alejandro grinned, bright and pleased, with only a little humor. “You said you trust me.”

“I do,” you reiterated, only to squeak when Alejandro grabbed your hand and pulled you to Caba. “What–?”

But Alejandro offered no answer beyond stopping next to Caba, who had obligingly laid down to make his shoulder not entirely out of reach. Alejandro knelt and patted his thigh.

“You can reach the straps to help pull yourself up,” he offered, watching you. “It is easier if you have a boost to start.”

You stared at him for a moment before turning your gaze to the dragon. “What?” You squeaked.

Alejandro did his best not to laugh at you, lips clamped together even as his shoulders shook. “Up you go,” he encouraged, hints of laughter in his voice.

You thought about protesting, but, well. You did trust him. So you took a deep breath and used his proferred thigh as a step up. Your ascent up Caba's shoulder was not graceful, but you also didn't slide back down. You'd take that as a good thing. You felt very high up, sitting on his back as you were.

Alejandro climbed up after you, making it look easy. He sat behind you, his thighs bracketing yours. You swallowed, suddenly quite warm.

“Hold here,” Alejandro murmured, low and close to your ear, reaching past you to pull on a strap. You grabbed it tight, partially to hide the shaking in your fingers. “Don't worry. I won't let you fall.” One of his hands settled at your waist. You sucked in a sharp breath, partially disguised by the sudden movement under you as Caba got to his feet. You rocked with the movement, startled.

Caba didn't give you any time to adjust, though. He just started away from the garrison, using the open flat space to gain some speed. Massive leathery wings snapped out at his sides. You squeezed the strap tighter at the first sweep of those wings, feeling unsteady but for Alejandro's solid presence at your back.

One more downsweep and Caba launched into the air, the pressure pushing you back against Alejandro. He held firm, his grip on your waist reassuring.

Caba leveled out soon after, the pressure easing. Wind whipped in your face, cold but clear. You blinked rapidly as you adjusted, breathing in slowly.

Alejandro squeezed your waist gently, His head close to yours as he shouted to be heard over the wind. “Look now.”

You did, and gasped. From here you could just barely see the coast, blue stretching for miles and miles. The river valley below seemed very far away, though the river sparkled where it came down from the mountains and snaked across the land. You couldn't look down for long, though, before you started to feel dizzy.

But you didn't fear falling. Not with Alejandro pressed up close behind you as he was.

It didn't take long for your nose to go nearly numb, the cold wind seeping your warmth. No wonder the riders all wore leathers and fur up here. Your hands did go numb, fingers still clenched tight around the strap.

“See? Not so bad, hmm?” Alejandro sounded smug, his voice rumbling against your back and in your ear, even as his breath warmed your skin.

You just laughed, leaning back slightly, trusting him to keep you safe.

And he did.

You had no idea how long Caba flew the two of you. But he didn't go far into the valley before turning for the coast, making a big loop. From this height, you could see the town you'd left behind weeks ago, as well as a couple other garrisons, notable from the other dragons in the air. From this height, everything seemed small, even your lingering worries.

Eventually, he angled back towards the garrison, gliding down at a gentle angle. Alejandro's hand at your waist encouraged you to lean back further, your back pressed to his chest, until Caba landed. The big dragon chuffed and continued walking, wings setting against his back again.

You blinked, confused, but Alejandro just chuckled. “You're back early,” he called to someone up ahead, the hand on your waist tightening briefly.

“For once,” another man called back. You spotted a dark-haired man standing up ahead, another scruffier man by his side. Caba stopped a short distance from the two, and Alejandro swung one leg over to face them. He did not get down, however.

“Need a ride back to the capital, then?”

“S'pose so,” the scruffier man answered, gaze on you. “You offering?”

Alejandro chuckled. “I will arrange it,” he said, though you noted he didn't offer to do it himself. “Come inside, have something to eat.”

“Gonna introduce us?” The scruffier one asked, still peering up at you.

“If we see you at dinner.” Alejandro didn't offer anything else as Caba started walking again, leaving the two men behind to make his way back to the cavern entrance.

“Who were they?” You asked, undeniably curious now.

“Nobody of import.” Alejandro waited for Caba to lay down again before he slid down the dragon's side. “Here. I'll help.” He held his hands up to you, watching closely.

You eyed the distance down, biting your lip. He hadn't led you to harm yet. It did take a few moments to unclamp your hands, fingers aching from being locked in position for so long, but then you carefully swung a leg over and slid down. Alejandro caught you, making sure you didn't land too hard and holding you upright when your knees wobbled.

“Alright?” He asked quietly, giving you a quick once-over.

“Yeah.” You smiled up at him. “That was… incredible. Thank you.”

“I will take you as often as you wish.” His smile was smaller than usual but brighter, happier.

“You don't mind?” You couldn't help the note of hesitancy, of shyness.

“Not if it's you.” He leaned closer to you, until you were firmly bracketed between Caba at your back and Alejandro at your front.

Your breath caught in your throat. He was so close and so warm.

Caba rumbled, something you felt more than heard, vibrating against your back. You startled, turning your head to try to figure out what was going on.

Alejandro sighed and backed off. “Sit with me at dinner tonight,” he invited, gently taking hold of your hand, rubbing some of the ache from your fingers.

“Okay,” you agreed, a little dazed still.

He smiled again, that small but sincere smile you were quickly becoming attached to, and took a step back. Another, and he released your hand, and turned to go.

You stood there, needing Caba's silent support, for longer than you wanted to admit.

#amor a alejandro #alejandro vargas x reader #alejandro vargas x you #f!reader #name of the wind #dragon rider au

95 notes · View notes

gunkreads · 28 days

Text

Tagged by @highladyluck to give 3 book recommendations and tag a few people!

edit alright i didnt read the original. these were supposed to be one sentence each. fuckin whatever

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett:

The Divine Cities trilogy is one of my favorite series ever. Fortunately, this is actually the weakest of the three and it still rocks ass. This book takes place in the city of Bulikov, once the greatest city on the Continent that ran on the power of highly active gods and slaves from the island nation of Saypur, now a center for the Saypuri counter-colonization of the Continent after a Saypuri guy went on the most successful deicide spree since God of War III.

This is fundamentally a conspiracy story, with the core plot question being "whodunnit" (or, more accurately, who's gonna dunnit). The core theme, though, is "What makes YOU the good guys?" The thing I find so strong in all of Bennett's work is that he presents characters who have actively orchestrated systemic evils, makes them sympathetic and interesting, and absolutely refuses to allow you to forgive them.

Turyin Mulaghesh, the #1 Woman Ever, is in this one. The second book centers around her. I'd confidently say these books are an excellent prelude or follow-up to The Masquerade; they're attacking many of the same questions from a very, very different angle.

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames:

An all timer for a me for a reason. Pulp fantasy camp elevated to something greater. Eames understands that if you grab a concept and run with it, you can actually run far and fast enough that it's yours now. The cops won't get you.

This book is about a bunch of old retired guys who used to be The Rolling Stones Saga, the greatest rock mercenary band in the world. This world, Grandual, effectively asks the question, "what if being a hero was an actual job and a legitimate career path?" I'm not being cheeky with the strikethroughs. These guys are explicitly supposed to be 80s rock bands. It's an excellently woven bit of absurdity that feels completely diegetic somehow.

It takes place long after Saga's heyday, and Eames does an excellent job of having background characters trickle in half-true anecdotes supporting the protagonist, Clay Cooper, in his belief that Saga really DID go everywhere and do everything. They're going everywhere for the second time, but everything feels fresh because Clay's back fucking hurts.

The core plot is that the former lead singer swordsman of Saga had a daughter who took up the same trade, but got herself into an impossible siege, so Saga is getting back together to go bail her (and several dozen thousand other people) out.

Structurally, it's a fairly stereotypical fantasy adventure, crossing the country through all the standard Danger Zones and recovering your lost bandmates (one of whom is very explicitly just Mat Cauthon), but Eames squeezed absolutely everything he could out out of the rock band and old guy concepts. These guys are celebrities everywhere they go (Clay was the bassist so nobody recognizes him), and they have been EVERYWHERE. Eames layers on their experience with the world in a way that only deepens the worldbuilding, by omitting the initial description of places and phenomena in favor of Clay's second or tenth reaction to them.

Also, it's fucking fun as hell.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss:

What are we even doing here. Don't even fucking talk to me. It's as good as everyone says. No, that's not true. It's unbelievably better.

The Name of the Wind is a story about what a story is. It could be about anything or anyone, except that it couldn't, because it's about Kvothe and it's about being alive. I can't even put two sentences together recommending or describing this book. I would be nowhere without it. I have read it and its sequel around 10 times and I'm overdue for a reread. I genuinely could not name a single aspect of the story that I'd consider a flaw. Caveats for certain people, sure, because I'm a critic at heart, but not flaws.

Tagging @pillowfriendly @briannysey @terramythos

#the divine cities #city of stairs #the band series #kings of the wyld #kingkiller chronicle #name of the wind

29 notes · View notes