The dreamspace Thorn had shared with Mirren had been like her – bright, clean, calm. Garnandr's world was like him, too, only this Eldunari, mightiest after Mirren's, had created a space of dark rocks and jagged peaks, where Thorn never smelled any rain fall from the sky but had felt his scales grow slick with wet all the same. When Garnandr had pulled Thorn in – him and the other Eldunari and Faarheim and Firnen and Rarna – his gut reaction had been to hate it because no, it wasn't supposed to be like this. But he'd adjusted, and quickly, too. Which was good, because he had bigger things to worry about than scenery.

We can't take chances, growled Garnandr. He'd perched himself on the highest spur of rock he could find. Not with this big a threat.

Sunset-orange Rarna, curled up to Thorn's left, said serenely, There are better ways of dealing with things than killing a stripling Rider and his dragon –

We don't kill dragons! snarled Anitha – an Eldunari, faded lavender, and thin and wiry as a dried vine. Not now. Not ever.

But when it is predicted that a Rider, and possibly his dragon, could destroy all of us –

We don't – kill – DRAGONS! Anitha rounded on Garnandr, glaring at him out of her good eye. He stared haughtily back.

Foretelling isn't proof, said Thorn. We don't even have real evidence, this is all based off of diction. What happens if you kill Lane and Kadi, and the fire still comes? How will you defend yourselves then?

Bah. Hakuin, bitter charcoal gray, spoke for the first time. You are blinded by your Riders' affections.

This has nothing to do with Murtagh, growled Thorn. He could feel the urge to hurt, to rage, swelling, tingling in his paws. This is my decision. And I say no.

The lines were pretty clearly divided, when he looked at it. Most of the Eldunari – Garnandr, Hakuin, and Eveda, along with the dwarf-ridden Faarheim – thought the prudent option would be to kill Lane and Kadi. The rest of the bodied dragons – Thorn, Firnen, and urgal-ridden Rarna – had been joined by Anitha in protest of that plan.

We don't have to kill Kadi. The pleading in the brown dragon's voice was for Firnen, who refused to look at his sometimes-partner. Then we won't be killing a dragon.

Oh? And then what happens when Kadi loses his soulmate? Oh, we won't have anything to deal with then!

Faarheim flicked his tail against the acid in Anitha's voice. It was just a suggestion, he muttered, shuffling his feet.

A stupid one, she snapped.

Lay off him! Firnen jumped to his feet, snarling, jagged with anger, and Anitha whipped around to face him with a hiss.

Oh, sure, defend him, we all know you two f-k each other every chance you get –

Thorn sighed and closed his eyes, trying very hard to still the clamoring fire in his belly. Patience, all he needed was a little patience…

Another mind touched his, on a quieter level than Anitha and Firnen's snarling. Thorn recognized it as Rarna's. What is it?

They don't really have much say in the matter, she said. The Eldunari. They can't do much without bodies…

If they combined their mental efforts, they might be able to…take control, possibly… It's a long shot, but if they're desperate enough…

Anitha and Firnen were now on the rocky ground, circling each other with raised hackles and bared teeth.

Would they really do that?

If they were desperate enough, maybe…

With a hissing screech, Anitha launched herself at Firnen, tumbling the two of them into the cliff face with a resounding crack. Faarheim, the useless waste of a dragon, was crouched above them, tail swishing in consternation, and Garnandr was leaning down from his post to roar at the two combatants.

Thorn sighed and looked at Rarna. She had large, round eyes like deep copper lakes. How do you do it?

She turned her wedge-shaped head towards him in surprise. Do what?

Stay calm. You're always so tranquil.

Rarna chuckled, adjusting her wings. It's just who I am.

Garnandr waded into the fray, attempting to drag Anitha away by the scruff of her neck. She shrieked and raked talons down his neck with a sound like nails on glass.

ENOUGH! The bellow exploded out of Thorn, pushing him to his feet, reverberating in his lungs and on the rocky mountainsides. The three grappling dragons snapped their heads towards him. This ends right now! Lane and Kadi are under my protection, and anyone who harms them will answer to me! He swung his head around, glaring, making sure he looked each dragon in the eye. Is that clear?

Is that how you speak to us, hatchling? hissed Hakuin, snaking down to Thorn's level. We were ancient before you were born.

You're not the first dragon to tell me that, said Thorn. And now he doesn't have a body either.

Hakuin was taller than him. Thorn looked straight into his onyx eyes and didn't blink. Just remember, said Hakuin at last, when this trouble is on you…remember what you said today. And don't crawl to us for help.

It felt like something hot and bitter was rippling through his gut. But Thorn had decades of practice hiding his anger, and he remained as still as the rock he was standing on.

I don't crawl, he said.