Veronica

Veronica is the main character of Veronica's Dragon. She is one of the sixteen humans in stasis found inside *The Tranquil Lady* during the events of Barbarian's Rescue.

She mated to Ashtar and the healer of the Icehome tribe. She is the mother of Katamneas and Varukhal.

The Sa-khui mangle Veronica's name as they pronounce it as "Vuh-ron-ca" or "Ron-Ka."

## Description

Veronica is "plain" looking with brown curly hair and glowing blue eyes.

## Personality

Veronica considers herself average and boring. However, she is very concerned about the wellbeing of others, something that appears when she develops a healing ability. She is always ready to help heal others even when she is tired and worn out. She is also very clumsy, which keeps Ashtar on his toes.

## History

Prior to her abduction in 2010 she worked in medical billing and her father had died two year before in 2008. Once she was abducted she eventually ended up on *The Tranquil Lady*, after it has been taked over by pirates. Her stasis pod, along 19 others were discovered by Summer in Barbarian's Rescue.

The events of the Corsairs Brother series suggests that she may have been initially kept in her pod on *The Buoyant Star*‏‎ as part of a large slaving ring, and was taken when the last group of guards fled. If those guards were the same as the pirates that took the over *The Tranquil Lady* or if she had been sold to them is unclear. However the similarities and seemly correct timing between these two events may be a coincidence.

In Lauren's Barbarian, she, along with the other people kept in the pods, were woken up and given khuis. She immediately resonates to Ashtar, a drakoni dragon shifter and gladiator. She found this embarrassing and was not sure what to do.

### Veronica's Dragon

Veronica's Dragon re-covers the first few days after being awoken and her resonating to Ashtar.

Not long after, Willa and Gren disappear, injuring Pashov in the process. At the same time Marisol and Lauren disappear when the ship is exploded early. The next day Veronica falls into the campfire burning herself, and discover her khui has given her the ability to heal. Wanting to test out her new powers she goes to help Pashov. She helps him successfully, only it leads her to fall into unconsciousness.

Furious that the others have allowed his mate to push herself this fair, Ashtar shifted into his dragon form and flew away with Veronica. The two spent days out in the wilderness, surviving poorly. Ashtar eventually realized that he cannot provide for Veronica the way the tribe could and that she misses the others. He also worried how she will feel when they finally fulfill resonance. When drakoni take their true mates, they must bite their mate during the act, sharing his "fires" with her. This allows then to communicate telepathically even in his dragon form.

During this time she also realized she can heal the cut in his wings given to him by his slavers, which limits his ability to fly in dragon form. "Clipped" as he is he can only glide. Zolaya visited bringing them supplies. He also told them Gren has become severely injured and was dying. They decide to head back so Veronica can help Gren. It severely weakened her and she fell unconscious for days. Now healed, Gren and Willa resonated.

During this time, while waiting for Veronica fully recover, Ashtar begins to befriend the members of the tribe at her insistence. Once she recovered they finally go to fulfill resonance. Ashtar told Veronica that their minds would be connected and she was okay with it. Once resonance is fulfilled, they returned to Icehome Village and setup a new home. Veronica fully healed Ashtar and he was able to fly again.

### Later History

In The Barbarian Before Christmas, she traveled to Croatoan to learn from the more experience healer Maylek. Once she returned to Icehome, she helped a number of women give birth over the coming months and regularly took trips back to Croatoan while riding Ashtar in his dragon form. Often they took people with them, coming or leaving from the other village. Eventually they move out of the tent into a hut with a front room used for healing.

Some specific events of note: In Gail's Family, she helped Gail lactate to allow her to nurse Z'hren. In Hannah's Hero, Hannah becomes her assistant keeping track of herbs and giving them out to people that don't directly need khui healing.

She gave birth to Katamneas between Raven's Return and Bridget's Bane. During the events of Steph's Outcast, Veronica and Ashtar elected to stay in Icehome Village instead of returning to Croatoan. In the time jump between Steph's Outcast and Sam's Secret, they resonated again and she gave birth to Varukhal.

She healed Daisy of her burns during Sam's Secret. At Daisy's insistence, she tried to help further improve the visual look of the scars through the beginning of Daisy's Decision.