Gellid returned to his last minute preparations. His dragon; Denzel, a large sea-blue creature with horns arranged like a diadem, emerged from his shaded resting place. He sat near his owner and listened to the crowd of students. Denzel heavily relied on hearing; having lost his sight as a casualty of the last war. He was able to fly still but was not considered fit for battle. Loyal to his flying partner, Gellid retired as a rider and took over at the academy where his stern hand was needed.<br/><br/>Juniper overheard the snickering and took Geir's hand in her, squeezing it firmly. She gave him a reassuring smile and a threatening glare to the other boys while Geir was not looking. She would happily take them all in a fight. Her sword skill may not be impressive but she could wrestle anyone; she could lift Aynir over her head when she tried.<br/><br/>"Gather round class," Gellid called to assembly, clapping his hands for their attention. Juniper led Geir, still clasping on to his hand, to the half circle formation. "To start off with we're going to do laps, I want to see you run around this arena three times. Denzel will lead your dragons on their course." He tapped Denzel twice with two fingers, giving him the signal to take flight. The dragons of the other students fell into line and followed. Aynir nudged Razeth, prompting her to copy as he spread his wings.<br/><br/>Juniper released Geir and spoke quietly; "This is endurance, don't worry about your speed or keeping up, you just need to complete it." The arena was long and wide, it had to be to fit so many students and their dragon plus room for them to train. She worried how Geir might take the very first task of the day. She began jogging, keeping a steady pace.