Northern Coast, Galadhal

Claire unbuckled her harness straps, preparing to dismount the moment Koldis landed. The air was thick with particulate matter. It swirled up around her as other pairs touched down. She jumped down and dragged her pack with her, leaving it beside Koldis to race away before he had the chance to transform.

She followed after several others with the same idea in mind. Walking was difficult at first. Her stiff muscles took time to warm up, especially in the cold night air, but it felt good after so many hours in one position.

According to Koldis, they had gained more distance than expected, taking advantage of a much welcome wind current. He had been so determined to utilize the tailwind, that he insisted they postpone the evening meal and keep flying well into the night. It would have been silly to waste such an opportunity. She was of the same opinion. But they couldn't fly forever.

When she threatened to pee on him, Koldis had finally agreed it was time for a break. She smiled at the memory of his reaction. No faster way to get a Drengr to land than that! The others might not have voiced their opinions, but she knew she wasn't the only one happy to be on her own two feet again.

Darkness surrounded their party. The moon was still hidden below the horizon, giving rise to a brilliant star scape. Pinpricks of light splattered every inch of the inky sky. The stars were different than those she was familiar with—very different. She missed the big dipper, the north star, and many others like Sirius and Bellatrix. She missed a lot of things....

But it would not do her any good to dwell on it.

Despite the absence of civilization, the night air was rich with sounds. The incessant chirruping of bugs permeated everything, reminding her of summer evenings spent on the porch with her boombox blaring Tim McGraw, book in hand, pages lit by the orange porch lights. She sighed. Those were good times...simpler times. No missions. No adventures. No kingdoms in need of saving. Just cornfields as far as her eyes could see.

Now all she could see, squinting against the darkness, was vast openness in every direction. Along Galadhal's coast, a long swath of deserted beach lay less than a mile north-east of where they had landed. Beyond the coast line, The Scattered Islands were invisible in the darkness, and to the north, the southern coast of Celenore. Their destination.

Finishing their business, she and the others returned to the rest of the group. It was a flurry of activity and conversations. A makeshift camp had been erected, torches burning brightly, though they would not spend the night here. They would stay only long enough to rest and eat. Belwen, Celill, and Manir had already gone about constructing a massive bonfire, while Rhywyth, Til, and three other Drengr had taken flight to hunt in search of game for their dinner.

Her stomach grumbled on cue. She considered reaching into her pack for reserves. Instead, she went to the bonfire, eager to chase away the chill. She rubbed her hands together and squinted against the blinding orange light.

"I found us a comfortable place to sit, if you would like to join me?" She jumped and turned, realizing a moment later the words were not meant for her.

There'd been a lot of that since landing. The Drengr and their Riders were more talkative on the ground. And in such close proximity, it was nearly impossible to tune them out.

She crossed her arms, hugging herself. For someone with such an ability, being able to hear multiple voices in her head all at once, these were the times she felt most alone.

The best medicine was keeping busy. She glanced around. One of the Riders, Elaine, plopped a handful of wood beside the fire, meeting her eyes before glancing away. She took a step forward. "I—I can help with that, if you need?" she said.

"No need, my lady." Elaine offered her a warm smile. "I think we have enough for now."

She opened her mouth, but Elaine turned and busied herself with another task. She shut her mouth and turned away. Several smaller cooking fires had sprung up. She gravitated towards a group of Drengr. They whittled away wood, lashing it together, working on spits for the fires. "Can I help?"

Manir turned to her. "Thank you, my lady. But no need to trouble yourself." He walked off, positioning one of the stakes into place. The others gave her smiles and nods of confirmation before returning to their tasks.

She swallowed and moved away. Perhaps she wasn't needed anywhere. She sighed, returning to the fire, fixing her eyes on the blaze.

The day had passed in painstaking slowness, longer than any normal day ought to feel. Keeping busy in the sky had helped. Koldis and Jovari had spent time quizzing her on the names of their companions before moving on to words in the old language. Her existing vocabulary had impressed them, spurring small conversations between them—

"How do you fair, my lady?" A Drengr stepped up beside her.

She glanced at him and smiled. "Hello Faedrol. I'm doing well enough, thank you. My legs are a bit stiff, but not enough to complain about. And you?"

"Never better." His grin widened. "You know, you might not remember me but I am the Drengr who—"

"—heard my scream when I was kidnapped? Yes, I remember." She fidgeted with her fingers. "Talon—I mean, King Talon—had mentioned it to me. You know, I was never given the opportunity to thank you. If you hadn't heard me then I..." She cleared her throat. "Well, never mind about that. Thank you."

Faedrol bowed his head. "I am honored, my lady, but your thanks are unnecessary. King Talon and his Shields thanked me a hundred times over already. And besides, I was only doing my duty."

"Well, I'm grateful all the same." She studied him. Olive skin. Dark, curly hair that reminded her of Cyrus. His eyes were a warm shade of brown. They danced in the firelight. His face was rounded, but it gave him a dimpled smile, which she immediately liked.

They fell silent, turning back to the fire. Its warmth, the way it crackled and popped, made her feel safe. She and Faedrol weren't the only ones basking in its glow. Several pairs had found comfortable places beside it.

Faedrol's rider, Hannah, was busy with several others, chatting animatedly.

She smiled and said, "You know, I'm happy to have you here—all of you. Your protection means a great deal."

"It is our pleasure, Lady Claire. I am sure my kind would agree on that. Besides, adventures warm my blood. Leave my heart bursting with excitement. I live for this sort of thing, if you can understand."

"Then...this isn't the first adventure you've been on?" She failed to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

He laughed. "Hardly, my lady! Hardly. Perhaps if there is time, I will tell you about one or two of them—one involving Koldis in particular. They make good stories—adventures do."

"I'd like that."

Koldis and Jovari strolled up, cast in orange relief of the firelight. Her eyes narrowed. Koldis held two, well-formed staffs. Branches, really.

"Evening, Faedrol." Koldis turned to her. "We missed our practice this morning. Time to remedy that." He thrust one of the staffs into her hand.

She gawked at him. "Like...now? How can you expect me to fight when I'm so stiff?" Faedrol chuckled, but watched on in amusement. "Besides, I can hardly see a thing." That wasn't true. The torches planted about the camp cast plenty of light to see by.

"Lady Claire, our enemies will attack when they please, often when circumstances are not ideal. Stiff or not, dark or not, your lessons must continue." He wore an expression of stern resolve, his lips pursed.

She glanced down. Her makeshift weapon was well formed, dense. She slapped one end into the palm of her hand, testing out the feel of it. "Where'd you get this, anyway?"

"Found them on the beach a few minutes ago." Koldis shrugged. "Had to use a bit of magic to fix their shape and make them sturdy, but they should do fine." He motioned with his head before walking away from the glare of the fire. Jovari flashed her a toothy grin and followed.

"Well, I guess that's that," she said, smiling up at Faedrol.

"Good luck," he called in return, amusement coloring his voice.

It seemed Koldis and Jovari weren't the only ones with sparring in mind. In the glow of torchlight, six others had the same idea, forming pairs. Soon, the sound of clanging metal sang through the camp, Sverak clashing against Sverak. These Drengr held nothing back.

She faltered as she watched Belwin and Celill exchange a set of blows. Belwin brought down his Sverak in heavy bursts, forcing Celill backwards, step by step. In a rapid show of skill, Belwin spun on his heel and swept his blade around, ripping into the flesh at Celill's side, tearing through skin and tissue, leaving a bloodied mess in his wake.

She flinched, gritting her teeth, imagining the kind of pain that would bring. It was barbaric, yet even in the mere seconds that followed, Celill was already ready with a counter attack, his side fully healed. She shook her head, muttering about the unfairness of it all.

"Coming?" Koldis called. She turned away and trudged to where he now stood, allowing her eyes to adjust to the lower light levels. Jovari stood nearby, watching.

Koldis shook out his arms, rotating his neck, popping it. She did the same, stretching her stiff muscles.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Um. As I'll ever be I guess." She eyed him suspiciously. Koldis, ever a dragon at heart, began to circle.

"This ought to be good." A Drengr's voice cut through her mind like a hot knife. She faltered, glancing around to see who had made the comment. There was no way to know.

Koldis sensed her distraction. He lunged, a dark shadow against a flame-colored backdrop. It was all she could do to lift her staff in defense. He crashed against it, the sound resulting in a deep thud. Wood meeting wood. Her muscles were slow at first, but they sprang to alertness at the jarring contact.

Mustering her strength, she swung around, disengaging. Her feet moved, shuffling backward. He came quickly then, lunging again and again. A feigned upper sweep from his left. A blow from above. A jab at her side. Each movement came in rapid succession. She had hardly a moment to react. Her muscles shuddered against the repetitive motions, but she dared not let her weakness show.

"Look there! She's got solid reflexes—" Her feet faltered. She clamped her mind shut, trying not to think about the running commentary that came from those watching. She needed to get used to the sudden mental distractions if she was to hold her ground against Koldis.

They continued like this, Koldis attempting to get past her while she blocked and dodged. He left her no time for counter-attacks, so she focused on each reaction to his movements.

A rapid series of blows left her panting. She danced away from him. He pursued her, sweeping around with his staff, right behind her knees. "Argh!" She was too slow. Sharp pain erupted where his staff landed.

"Ahh. Too slow," someone said.

She spun around, trying not to be angered by the comment. Instead, she watched Koldis, keeping her focus entirely on him. It helped, and she was able to put up a good fight for several more minutes. As she tired, her movements grew sloppier. She found it more and more difficult to lift her feet, her arms.

Koldis sensed her fatigue and used it to his advantage. He dealt three rapid blows to her side, barely deflected. Then his shoulder swept up. He rammed into her, sending her stumbling.

"Arghhh!" The world flashed by in a darkened blur as the ground came up to meet her. Stars danced in her eyes. Time seemed to slow before speeding up again. And then her diaphragm opened and she dragged in as much air as possible, gasping. The one thing she didn't do was relinquish her staff.

Koldis threw himself at her, bringing his staff down hard. She rolled over in the grass, coughing, coming up to block, then rolling away again to regain her footing. He chased after her, trying to catch her by surprise as she danced away.

Another low sweep of his staff forced her to jump. He caught her as she landed, whacking her hard on her hip. She grunted, gritting her teeth. Now she was furious. A frustrated yell broke from her lips as she brought her staff around to meet his.

"Stop!" Jovari's voice broke the silence. "I think that's enough for one night."

She froze, chest heaving, holding her position as she gazed into Koldis's eyes. He was barely breathing at all. Hadn't even broken a sweat.

She gave her staff a none-to-gentle push against his and dropped it, sinking down onto her hands and knees, then rolled over onto her back, gazing up at the sky. Her muscles were jelly. Everything hurt.

"Well played, Lady Claire." Koldis plopped down beside her. The whites of his teeth showed in the darkness. A smile.

"I'll get you next time," she breathed. "You can be sure of that."

"I'm sure." He chuckled and stood, holding out a hand.

They returned to the fire, but she was no longer cold. A sheen of sweat coated her skin. A bath would have been a great thing about now.

The hunting party had already returned and prepared their dinner. The meat roasted over the cooking fires, giving off a glorious smell.

They joined the circle that had formed. Jovari passed her a wineskin and she gratefully accepted, taking several sips, letting the vintage roll over her tongue before passing it on. Her insides warmed as the liquid raced down her throat. An immediate calm settled over her, helping her relax. Her bruises hurt like hell. But she didn't need to look at them to know they'd already started healing. Tomorrow they would be gone.

She took a seat, legs crossed, Koldis and Jovari beside her. "We will reach the southern shore of Celenore tomorrow, mid-day," said Koldis. "From there, we will go inland and make camp. The attacks happen in the early hours of the morning, usually before dawn." The firelight danced on his skin, flickering in his eyes. Like all Drengr, Koldis was handsome, even more so than most, if that was possible. Narrow nose, fine and straight. Pointed chin. Nearly feline cheekbones. "Everyone will need—What?" His eyes narrowed.

"Oh. Nothing."

He watched her a moment longer before clearing his throat. "Everyone will need a few hours of rest before we carry out our plans. We should be in the sky well before dawn. The villagers must be informed and organized. Prepared. We want them at the ready. The constables will help with that."

"Constables?" Her brow furrowed. "The village heads?"

"Aye."

"But how will they know we're coming?"

"Messengers, disguised as travelers on foot," he said. "I suggest they depart as soon as possible."

She glanced around the camp before nodding.

"We ought to send four to each village. Two pairs," Kedan said. He'd taken a seat beside them to listen, like many others.

"Aye, a good number." Koldis nodded. Several others murmured in agreement.

"That would mean the loss of six pairs to our party," Verider pointed out. She didn't miss the hesitance. Verider was one of the older ones. "We must keep Lady Claire well protected."

"Fourteen pairs is still a strong number." Koldis looked at her. "What say you, Lady Claire?"

"Six pairs," she decided. "Our fastest. They should leave as soon as they've eaten."

Koldis stood, glancing about. "Odrick, Til, you and your Riders take Swinston. Gradyr, Jorsid, Lormont. Nokin, Hiondel, Osbourne." His orders were met with verbal confirmations as the selected pairs set about their final preparations for their departure.

Dinner was distributed among those who wished to eat—some of the Drengr had done hunting of their own and were no longer hungry. She ate hers with some of the bread Desaree had packed. It was a meager dinner, but when she finished it with a toffee, it didn't seem so bad.

The pairs made ready and set out afterward, bidding their group farewell. She went to each, making sure that they understood their instructions. "It is imperative that the villagers are ready," she said. They nodded.

"We will make the necessary preparations, my lady." Odrick bowed his head. "We will not let you down." The others echoed his words.

"Good. Fly quickly."

The others lounged around the fire, enjoying what was left of their repast. Several of the Riders had made themselves quite comfortable, stretching out on the ground to gaze at the stars. Her body ached for sleep. She thought of her feathered bed back in the capital and shook her head. This mission was far more important than—

"You should get a few minutes of sleep before we depart," Jovari said, sidling up to her. "You'll be flying with me when we go."

She nodded, wrapping her cloak around her body before curling up on her side. It was unlikely that she would sleep at all, knowing they would wake her the moment she nodded off. But she tried anyway. As she lay there, she tried not to think about what was at stake, what would happen if she failed, if Talon found out.

"Time to go!" A nudge on her shoulder told her she must have drifted off. Jovari's voice was low, urgent. "We've lingered long enough."

She furtively wiped a trail of drool from the corner of her mouth. Yep, she'd definitely slept some.

The camp was dark. Someone had put out the fire. Shadows moved about, voices low.

"How...how long was I asleep?" She sat up, her body aching worse than before. Soreness setting in.

"Not long. An hour, perhaps."

"Where's Koldis?" She glanced around. Everywhere she looked, the Drengr were already transforming, Riders mounting up. She stretched and stood, the exhilaration of adventure taking hold.

"He helped the others take watch. He'll be along shortly." Jovari stepped away, lifting his voice to the camp. "Mount up and move out!"

She shivered, wrapping her cloak more tightly about her.

The moon was late to rise, just visible now, peeping up above the horizon. Jovari transformed, his dark blue scales mirroring the sky above, glittering with the sparkle of thousands of stars. Grabbing her pack, she scrambled up his back, securing it to the harness.

In a matter of minutes, the evidence of their camp was all but gone. Formations took form around her. She spotted Koldis, taking his position.

It was time. Jovari roared, giving the signal. As one, sixteen dragons launched into the sky, swallowed up by the night.

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