The dragonrider pointed to Thomas and said, “You are coming with us.”
Thomas looked at Kirsten and she replied to the rider, “This wasn’t the person I was asking about.”
“He has a sapphire. He is coming with us,” the rider said simply.
Thomas shook his pale face and said, “But, I...”
“You wanted to be at the front, didn’t you?” Kirsten said, shooing him toward the dragon. “Just listen to her and get on,” she said. Kirsten stopped and looked back, still hoping to see Bo running into view.
The dragonrider held her hand down for Kirsten and said, “Time to go.”
“But my friend isn’t back yet. I want him to come with us,” she said.
“You will see him again soon,” the rider said.
“I told him he could come with us,” Kirsten said.
“I will have one of my other dragonriders bring him then,” the woman said. A moment later a dragon landed near their campfire. She said to him, “Wait her for...” then the rider looked at Kirsten, waiting to hear her ‘friend’s’ name.
“Bo,” she said.
“For Bo and bring him with us,” the rider said. She looked at Kirsten and held out her hand again, motioning with her fingers for Kirsten to hurry.
Kirsten grabbed onto the offered hand and was hauled onto the dragon’s back, just behind Thomas. Before the dragon took flight, Kirsten shouted to the second dragonrider, “He’s tall with black hair! Tell him that we’ll see him soon!” As the threesome climbed into the sky, Kirsten hoped the other dragonrider had understood what she said. As they traveled farther from the camp, they were joined by the other riders Kirsten had seen in the shadows. She noticed Inama among the group accompanying these dragonriders, but not Evans.
Kirsten rode in silence as they were carried away into the night. She hoped Bo would catch up soon, but each time she looked back, she didn’t see anything in the air beyond their small group.
After several hours, Kirsten began to feel dread weighing heavily in her mind. She feared that Bo didn’t make it back to their campfire and that the dragon had left without him. She shifted uncomfortably.
Thomas asked, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you sit still?”
Thinking quickly, Kirsten said, “Excuse me, Miss Dragonrider; I have to pee.”
The dragonrider looked over her shoulder and responded, “My name is Hannah, not Miss Dragonrider.”
“Hannah, can we land soon?”
“Can you hold it?” she asked.
Kirsten shook her head, “I need to go now.”
The rider groaned, “I guess we can stop and wait for Varren and Turza to catch up.”
A moment later, the flight of dragons pitched toward the grassy plains below. Landing lightly in the grass, Kirsten waited for the dragon to stop before she climbed down.
“What are we doing?” one of the other riders asked Hannah.
“Someone needed to relieve herself,” she replied as Kirsten walked away from the riders. “The others aren’t far behind. We can wait for them.”
Kirsten walked out away from the riders, far enough into the darkness that she could still see them, but not clearly. She squatted and pretended to go. After a moment she returned. Within a few minutes, Hannah announced that the other dragons were approaching. They all took to the sky again. Kirsten was eager to see Bo. She watched intently as two additional dragonriders came into view. She saw two seated on one of the dragons, but only one on the other.
As the dragons fell in behind them, Kirsten strained to see if Bo was on the dragon. When she recognized who it was, her heart sank. It was Evans.
“My friend isn’t with us, we need to go back,” she said.
Hannah turned and said, “We can’t go back.”
“But my friend isn’t with the rider you told to wait for him.”
A long silence preceded Hannah’s response. “Varren said he waited for your tall friend with the black hair. He didn’t come back to the camp. Varren waited until Turza was ready to leave almost ten minutes later.”
“It didn’t take ten minutes to get back to our camp,” Thomas said confused.
“Something must have happened to him,” Kirsten said.
“Varren apologizes, but he couldn’t wait any longer,” Hannah said.
“I need to go back,” Kirsten said.
“We can’t go back. We are needed elsewhere now. When the army comes to the city, you will see your friend again,” Hannah said firmly.
“But…” Kirsten protested.
Thomas grabbed her hand and squeezed it, “Bo will be all right, Kirsten. He’s a smart guy. We’ll see him again, I promise.”
Kirsten didn’t reply. She looked over her shoulder into the darkness behind them and wished she could go back in time. Kirsten rode the rest of the way in silence. After a while the dragons tilted downward again. A group of riders waited for them below.
***
Anders looked down from his perch atop Zahara. On the plains below he saw dark shapes and felt the familiar absence of life. Dragons could use protective magic to hide themselves from other sorcerers, leaving gaps in the white noise of plant life on the plains.
Dragons, Anders said to Zahara and Maija.
Zahara and Raffa followed the lead dragon as they circled in over the dragons resting below. Anders saw a person walk out from beside a dragon and soon each of the dragon’s companions had gathered.
Anders slid off his saddle and waited for Maija to do the same. Staying close together Anders and Maija eyed the gathering warily and waited for an explanation from one of the dragonriders who’d led them there regarding what was to happen next.
The dragonrider who had addressed them outside Aquina approached. Without saying a word, he waved his arm for Maija and Anders to come with him. The man took several steps toward the other dragonriders and stopped. Anders and Maija hadn’t moved. They looked about them and huddled close to Zahara and Raffa.
“This way,” the man said, waving again.
Anders felt Maija squeeze his arm and he glanced at her. She widened her eyes and he nodded. “Where are you taking us?” he asked.
“Come with me, this way,” the man said again.
“No,” Anders replied. “You said you would take us to our army. They are nowhere near here.”
“First you must prove to them that we can trust you,” the rider said, motioning to the others gathered nearby.
