The mass of the elf army swept in from the northern reaches of the valley forcing the orc and kurr forces to retreat.

I came with the elves from Cedarbridge, Zahara told him. When Nadir sent for the elf army, I knew I must to come to your side.

Why did it take you all so long to get here? Nadir said the elves would meet us before we marched.

Merglan headed us off before we reached the mountains. He somehow knew we were coming and attacked us on his dragon, she said.

How did you escape him?

Two other dragons and their riders accompanied us. They knew I needed to reach you, so they distracted him while I escaped.

I can see the elves made it past him, but I don’t see the dragons, Anders said.

They might have led him away from here in their attempts to distract him.

Why would Merglan let himself be led away so easily?

I’m not sure. All I know for sure is that the riders were with us when I escaped and now the elves have made it past him. I would bet they somehow convinced Merglan to follow them.

Anders noticed Zahara had begun to fly south, away from the battle and toward Merglan’s fortress. Shouldn’t we go back and help them win the battle? Ivan, Red, Max and Britt might need our help.

Now that the elves have arrived, we’ll have no trouble winning the battle. There is something else we need to do, that I must do for you, she said while flying toward the fortress.

Anders tightened the grip of his legs around her as she surged faster. All he could do was trust that Zahara knew what she was doing.

Approaching the fortress, Anders could begin to see over the massive walls that loomed over the dark fortress. Somehow the tall towers climbing toward the sky seemed hollow and empty. He sensed an absence from the stone buildings and at the same time a familiar warmth that he hadn’t experienced since he left Grandwood.

Zahara flew over the walls of the fortress and they could see groups of people huddled together.

The prisoners taken from Grandwood, Anders thought.

Your family is here, Zahara said. Through the heightened connection of their bond, she felt his hopes of finding his cousins alive. I must repay you the favor you did for me, but first we need to rid this place of the evil people who’ve kept these innocent people enslaved here.

Anders understood her exactly. They dove down together at the few armed guards who’d stayed behind to keep the prisoners in line. Zahara streamed into the fortress coming down on the prison guards with hell’s fury on her wingtips. She loosed a deafening roar as she chased the fleeing guards. Protracting her large talons she skewered Merglan’s men as she turned back toward the sky.

Anders hesitated for a moment, just trying to hold onto Zahara as she darted through the fortress. Realizing he too could be useful from her back, Anders called on the new magic running within him. Focusing on one guard at a time, Anders targeted them, snapping their necks and bringing them to a swift death. It didn’t take long before the prisoners within the fortress joined in the fighting. The prisoners now outnumbered the guards. Seeing that they had help, the prisoners began a full-scale uprising within a matter of minutes.

Anders watched as unarmed men and women rushed armor-plated guards with swords in their hands. Their bravery was devoid of reason as they bombarded the armed men. Several men and women sacrificed themselves so others could overtake the guards.

Zahara landed lightly in the middle of the courtyard. Climbing off, Anders began searching through those who rushed past him. He shouted his cousins’ names but was met with the blank stares of people he didn’t recognize. Panic began to set in. Had Kirsten and Thomas been killed on the journey to the fortress? At least a month had passed since he’d seen them and he had no way of knowing if they’d made it there alive.

Finally, he saw a familiar face, Bo. Max’s younger brother waved him down. Anders forced his way past a host of prisoners rushing past him toward the fortress gates.

“Bo! You’re okay!” Anders exclaimed. “Where are my cousins, Thomas and Kirsten?”

“As of yesterday they’d were assigned to mining duty,” Bo pointed a grimy finger toward the pit that lay just beyond the courtyard.

“Are they there now?” he asked.

Bo shrugged, “Could be anywhere. Once everyone realized you weren’t Merglan returning, all hell’s broken loose. Anders, where’s Max? Did he make it home to Brookside?”

Anders realized Bo had no knowledge of what had happened to his brother since the attack on Grandwood. “Yeah. He’s with the Rollo warriors now. We marched on the fortress and, with the help of the elves, pushed Merglan’s forces back.”

Bo smiled from ear to ear, “I knew Max would come for me.”

“Yes, he has. And now I must find my family.” Anders nodded his thanks to Bo and called for Zahara.

He climbed onto Zahara’s back once more and they swooped over to the far side of the pit. Anders strained his eyes as he scanned the terraced slopes. Each terrace had dark shafts that tunneled down, deep into the slope. Anders heart leapt when he spotted them.

Kirsten cracked a bullwhip as she chased down a guard. Anders grinned at the tenacity of his younger cousin. Thomas and Maija had just finished running off another guard, kicking him in the rear as he stumbled away. Anders steered Zahara and they flew in low over their heads. Kirsten cracked one more whip of the bullwhip on the guard’s behind before seeing Anders on the back of a dragon. She halted her pursuit and dropped the whip.

Zahara banked around, coming to land lightly along the terraced slope. Anders could see the bulging eyes and dropped jaws of Maija and his cousins as he dismounted Zahara. He realized she would be a shock to them, but he was beginning to think they might be dreadfully intimidated by her presence. He held the wide grin on his face and after several moments, Anders saw the joy of their long-awaited reunion grow on their faces.

Kirsten shrieked with glee and led the charge as Thomas and Maija followed her in a run to greet him. Anders met them with open arms, beaming as he held them tightly in a group hug. Tears of joy streaming down all of their faces, even Zahara became emotional and Anders could sense her happiness toward them.

Wiping away the tears with the back of her grimy hand, Kirsten sniffled, “I knew you’d come for us, I knew it.”

“We’ve missed you terribly,” Maija’s glossy brown eyes fluttered at seeing Anders again.

“I have so many questions, too many to comprehend right now,” Thomas added with a nervous laugh, one of relief after so many tribulations.

Anders sniffled and gave them a broad smile. “I’ll explain it all later.” He wiped his nose with the sleeve of his leather cuff and attempted to straighten his face into a more serious expression, “Well, lets get you out of this place.”

“Anders, wait. There’s powerful magic imbued into the walls of this fortress. Even the gates are enchanted,” Kirsten warned him.

Anders grinned, “Don’t worry; Zahara and I can get you out of here.”

“You’d better hurry. Merglan left a while ago and could return any minute,” Kirsten said.

Nodding, Anders returned to Zahara’s side and climbed onto her back. She leapt off the flat step and opened her wings to their full expanse. She soared effortlessly out over the people gathering in the courtyard, gliding toward the fortress’ main gate.

Kirsten, Thomas and Maija stood still, jaws hanging open while gazing at the sight of someone they knew sitting atop a real dragon. After a moment of bewilderment, they began to make their way to the courtyard.

Once at the main gate, Anders and Zahara worked to break the spell that held Anders’ cousins within the fortress walls. They drew on the force of energy that flowed within them and tried to focus it on breaking down the tall iron gates. Anders couldn’t quite hold his grip on the amount of energy they were producing. Each time he attempted to channel it on the gate’s hinges or lock, he’d become overwhelmed by the power surging through them. When he tried to lessen the force of magic he drew on, the spell Merglan placed on the gates remained too strong for them to break.

The magic on these gates is too strong for us to break alone, Anders said. We need help if we’re going to bring them down.

We’d better hurry in case Merglan returns, Zahara agreed.

Before leaving again, Anders found Kirsten, Thomas and Maija amidst the crowd gathering near the gate.

“This magic is too powerful for us to undo alone. Zahara and I are going to get help from Ivan, he’s an old rider who might be able to help us.” Anders looked sorrowfully at them and continued, “I’m sorry. I wish we were stronger, but our powers are new and I’m not trained in how to use them properly. We’ll be right back, okay?”

Thomas, Kirsten and Maija nodded understandingly.

“Hurry back,” Kirsten called to him as he bid them farewell and saddled Zahara’s neck.

“I will, I promise,” he called back as Zahara took flight once more exiting over the fortress walls.