Kirsten lost sight of Tony as he stormed off, pushing his way through the mob. Rune grabbed her by the shoulder and said, “Go and tell them the crystal bearers will fly with them. Tell your cousin we will be outside the city by dusk.”
Kirsten nodded. Swiveling, she searched for Bo and found him pushing through the moving crowd to speak with her. When he reached her, she said, “Thanks for standing up to Tony. I don’t want to know what would’ve happened if we tried attacking them.”
“Them?” Bo asked.
“There are about ten more cloaked in the darkness,” she said.
Bo nodded wide-eyed, “Someone needs to tell Tony when he’s getting out of hand. He’s a little stubborn most of the time.”
“A little?’ More like always,” Kirsten said.
“Yeah,” Bo said. “So, you’re going with them?”
Kirsten nodded, “They need us.”
“I knew the battle was coming soon, but I wish we had more time,” Bo said.
“You could come with us. I’m sure they would take you, too,” Kirsten said.
“I don’t have a crystal,” Bo said.
“I’ll talk to them. Meet me back at our fire?” she asked.
Bo nodded, “I can get your armor ready.”
“Thanks, Bo,” she said and kissed him before he disappeared into the crowd.
Kirsten pushed back out of the crowd and jogged to the dragonrider. When Kirsten stopped in front of the female rider, she asked, “I gather they agreed?”
Kirsten nodded and started, “The others with the crystals in camp…”
“I’ve already located all of the others with crystals,” the woman said.
“That was fast. How did you do it?” Kirsten asked.
She pointed to her head and said matter-of-factly, “Magic.”
“Oh, yeah. Can I also bring someone who doesn’t have a crystal?” she asked.
“If there is time, but we must hurry.”
“Great,” she said. “I just need to get my things; it might take a minute.”
“I'll fly you,” the rider said, mounting her dragon and extending her arm for Kirsten.
“But,” she said looking back at the crowd.
“There isn’t time to waste. Your cousin is in danger,” the woman said.
Kirsten reluctantly took her hand and let the rider haul her onto the dragon. While standing on all fours, the purple dragon matched Zahara’s height of ten feet to the top of her shoulder, but when the rider’s male dragon spread its wings, the creature’s wingspan seemed a few feet shorter than Zahara’s. The newly arrived dragon lifted off the ground and glided over the people to Kirsten’s camp with Thomas and Bo. When they landed, Kirsten hopped off. She looked around hoping that Bo had made it back, but he hadn’t.
“Kirsten?” Thomas said, standing by the fire.
“Thomas, where’s Bo?” she asked.
“He’s not back yet, why? What’s going on?” he asked.
Kirsten walked to her bag and retrieved her crystals and armor, “These dragonriders are here to help. I’m going with them. They’re taking me to Anders.”
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.
