Fourth Wing

The cadets survey the Gauntlet, a vertical obstacle course that they must ascend. The exercise weeds out the weaker candidates and determines the order in which the squads will be presented to the dragons for initial impressions. As the cadets study the course, one of their squad members mocks Violet, but Ridoc, the class clown, defends her. When someone implies that Violet is sleeping with Dain to gain preferential treatment, Rhiannon tells him the truth of their friendship. The cadet apologizes for his assumptions, and they begin their first of nine practice attempts to master the course. When it is her turn, Violet repeats information about dragons to herself to calm her nerves. Partway through the course, one of her peers falls to her death.

The next day, Violet volunteers to ceremonially burn her deceased squad mate’s belongings in keeping with the school tradition. Afterwards, she wanders the hallways of the school alone, thinking about Dain’s offer to join the scribes. She spots Xaden with two other cadets and hides, but Xaden’s shadow talent allows him to sense her presence. Xander sends the other cadets away and approaches Violet. They exchange barbs before she confesses her difficulties with the Gauntlet, some portions of which are too tall for her to master. Because she has survived for two months, she is hopeful that she can continue to succeed, but the death of her squad mate and her struggles with the course have given her cause to doubt. He instructs her to think more creatively about the challenges in front of her before leaving.

At their last practice session, Rhiannon and Violet struggle to plan a way to get Violet up the Gauntlet, but her size repeatedly impedes her progress. The next day, Dain escorts his squad to the course as Violet and Rhiannon joke to keep their spirits high. When they enter a tunnel, Dain tries one more time to get Violet to go to the scribes, but she rejects the offer, claiming that she has changed. When it is her turn for the Gauntlet, she takes an alternative route to conquering the last two portions of the course, severely injuring her hands in the process. One of the wingleaders accuses her of cheating, but Violet cites the rulebook and successfully argues that her decision was legal.

The surviving cadets are brought to a private training ground, where dragons await to judge them as they walk by. Dragons are expected to incinerate any cadets they disapprove of. The squad learns through gossip that one additional dragon has joined the presentation, an extremely rare feathertail; the feathertail breed is known to be nonviolent and never bonds with riders. A wingleader gives the cadets advice on how to behave in front of the dragons and then sends them into the training grounds. The dragons are massive and impressive, but Violet keeps up lighthearted chatter as instructed. They catch sight of the golden feathertail dragon at the end of the line; it is small in stature. The cadets debate whether it is healthy and normal, but Violet defends it. Some of her squad mates insult her and continue to speak disparagingly about the golden dragon. They start to make their way back to the school, but one of their squad mates is incinerated when he is found to be too indecisive.

The cadets maintain their calm, but Violet lashes out at one of her peers for making a rude comment about the dead cadet. She turns around and finds two green dragons investigating her, blowing air at her injured hands and chest. They smell the dragon scales of her armor, and she introduces herself as Mira’s sister. They return to their perches, and she re-joins her squad, continuing their walk. When another cadet speaks disparagingly about Violet, she is set on fire.

The first of October is the day of the Threshing, when the first-year cadets must enter a valley to try to bond with dragons. A professor instructs them to follow their instincts because if a dragon has preselected them, that dragon will lead them through the valley using their emotions. Rhiannon and Violet briefly discuss which dragons they would like to try bonding with. Violet spots Jack, who sends a threatening gesture her way. Violet believes that she will either leave with a dragon or die. She hugs Rhiannon goodbye, and the cadets scatter into the valley.

After several hours of hiking, Violet comes across several dragons but does not feel emotionally connected to any of them. She climbs a tree to spot where dragons are waiting and where her fellow candidates are, but when she gets back to the ground, she overhears Jack walking with two of his cohorts. When she realizes that they are hunting to kill the small golden dragon, she tries to rush ahead to warn it of their intentions but twists her ankle on the way. She reaches the dragon before they do, but her efforts to shoo it away are in vain as Jack arrives. They approach the golden dragon, and Violet intervenes, revealing herself as she steps between the cadets and the dragon. They approach with weapons drawn, but Xaden suddenly speaks, revealing himself and his navy dragon, Sgaeyl.

Jack cites the rules stating that the dragon riders cannot interfere with the Threshing, implying that Xaden cannot stop them from attacking. The men rush Violet. She throws a dagger into Jack’s shoulder, and he orders the other two cadets to kill her, and then flees. Violet and the golden dragon fight the remaining two cadets, with Xaden shouting warnings as Sgaeyl becomes increasingly enraged. Violet knocks out the cadet named Oren, but the other is about to kill her when they are both stopped by the arrival of the exceptionally rare black dragon. The black dragon telepathically commands Violet to step aside before incinerating the man who almost killed her.

The dragon instructs Violet to kill Oren, but she refuses because it is the wrong thing to do. He then instructs her to bandage her injuries before commanding her to get onto his back; she realizes that he has chosen to bond with her. He shocks her by bowing so that she can climb to his back more easily. He introduces himself as Tairneanach, or Tairn, before taking off into the sky. He moves too quickly, and she slips, dropping into freefall.

Tairn catches Violet before she hits the ground, then throws her into the air so she can re-mount his back. He flies more gently and instructs her on how to ride him, using magic to keep her in place. He performs a series of aerial acrobatics to impress the dragons and humans in attendance, then tells Violet that he chose to bond with her because she saved the golden dragon and showed her courage and fortitude. The other dragons show deference as they enter the training grounds, and the golden dragon catches up to them. Tairn helps Violet to dismount by extending his leg; she approaches the high-ranking officials to report her bond.

General Sorrengail does not look at Violet as she arrives. Violet gives the roll-keeper Tairn’s true name but is shocked when the golden dragon gives her the name Andarnaurram, or Andarna, as well. Tairn and Andarna urge her to give both names. When she does, the crowd erupts in confusion.

The generals argue over the correct protocol for a dually bonded rider. Meanwhile, Jack is receiving medical attention nearby and yells at the medics when they suggest surgery; he also shouts at Violet, but when he learns that Tairn bonded with her, he becomes frightened. When alone, Violet asks Professor Kaori if two dragons ever bonded to a rider at the same time before; he confirms that she is the first, but it will be up to the leaders of the dragons to decide whether the decision stands. Tairn instructs Violet to remain with Xaden as the dragons depart the valley to discuss the issue. Violet meets with Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Sawyer, all of whom have successfully bonded. Dain arrives and pulls Violet away, insisting that she choose Andarna when she is asked to choose. She refuses to choose. Dain reveals that Tairn and Sgaeyl are a mated pair and claims that if she chooses Tairn, Xaden will kill her. He forces Violet to relay the events that happened in the valley. Xaden steps out of the shadows when Dain begins to imply that he broke protocol by manipulating the Threshing. Xaden defends himself, claiming that although Sgaeyl called for Tairn, Tairn bonded with Violet of his own volition. Xaden asks Dain if he would have broken a rule to save Violet; Dain says no, deeply hurting Violet.

The dragons return, and Xaden orders Dain into formation, then warns Violet that she puts too much faith in Dain. He also warns Violet that because Tairn is powerful, his rider bonds run very deep; when his last rider perished, he almost died of grief. As the rider to his mate, Xaden therefore has a vested interest in keeping Violet alive. He warns Violet that unbonded riders will try to kill her and convince Tairn to bond with them instead. Violet rejoins Tairn and Andarna as they arrive. General Melgren, leader of the army, announces that the double bond will stand. The ceremony concludes with the dragons bestowing relic marks on their riders: tattoos that indicate their bond. Dain kisses Violet, but she is surprised that she does not feel any passion at the gesture.