I'm on a roll today. *waves fingers mystically* Here's the next chapter, and we're now one step closer to either finding Nick... or his dead body. Muhaha.

They flew for hours, and during that time no one said much to each other. It seemed like the weight of their infractions had just now fallen upon their shoulders and they were all made somber by it. Even Hadin, usuallly a fountain of words, was silent for most of the night. Peri knew vaguely where they were, having studied the route countless times, but it was Hadin who led the way. Around dawn they flew over Isenstar, their reflections just blurs of color on the lake's surface as they soared by. They alighted on the far bank to eat (Peri was very careful to check her food for poison) and to give the dragons a chance to rest, but they didn't linger long. Conversations were muted and before long they were back in the air, refreshed but somber. Peri's mood improved as the sun climbed higher, and it seemed the others were feeling lighter as well, because a race soon ensued, a race that Datia nearly won. Vagero won due to brute size, but Peri knew that size wouldn't keep the great dragon in the lead for much longer. They all agreed to land afterwards, since the race had taken a lot out of the dragons. Unstrapping her legs from the saddle, Peri slid down Datia's side and gave a groan as she hit the ground. After a furious bought of stretching, though, she felt better. Looking around, she found herself at the crest of a hill, and for miles around there wasn't a single tree in sight. From a distance the ground seemed to ripple, but she knew that was actually the grass bending in the wind. They were certainly out of the mountains. Wingbeats pounded on her eardrums as the dragons all flew away to hunt, and she turned to face her companions.

"How much farther do we have to fly?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Tired?" Lydia asked in a sickly sweet voice, but Peri ignored her.

"Well, we made good distance last night, great job on Datia's part, that must have been rough, so I'd say we're almost halfway there," Hadin reported in his usual rambling manner, proof enough that his good spirits had returned. Turning his infectious smile on Peri, he said, "How 'bout a run, eh?"

Peri groaned and flopped down on the grass, throwing one arm over her eyes to shield them from the sun. She was going to burn herself up to a crisp, but there was nothing she could hide under and she certainly wasn't putting on her cloak in this heat. Besides, who would see her? They were literally in the middle of nowhere. Her long, raven-black hair was spilled across the ground around her head like a dark halo, probably picking up a huge collection of grass, sticks, and twigs, but she couldn't work herself up to doing something about it. This was the longest she'd ever flown and she was feeling it everywhere, from her neck to her back to her very sore backside. Her saddle wasn't exactly a mattress, but she didn't mind. Discomfort was a given in her life.

Someone flopped down on the grass next to her, soon followed by a second person, then a third on her other side. She cracked her eyes open and caught a glimpse of Hadin's white tunic beside her, stained in places from dirt and sweat. Beyond him she spotted a flash of red hair before she closed her eyes again. Her mind kept trying to drift off to sleep, and for a little while Peri resisted. But eventually she figured it was safe to take a quick powernap and rolled onto her side.

"If anyone touches me, I'm personally strangling them when I wake up," she muttered into the grass before she let herself relax. Her thoughts became scattered, eratic, and then they weren't hers at all. As her body slept, her mind relaxed into that of her bondmate.

Datia was flying low above the trees, her slender form slicing through the air like a knife sliced through butter, and with her small size she could sometimes dart beneath the canopy in pursuit of a morsel. Overhead she could sense Vagero's vast presence, and Raj was somewhere south of her, but Dunre was just behind and above her, flying along in that mellow way of hers, like a cow plodded along after its master. Datia felt a slight pang of annoyance, but she was visibly trying to ignore the other dragon and hunt. Most of the smaller creatures had heard their wingbeats and taken cover, but creatures like deer and maybe a wild boar didn't have that luxury. They were much to big to fit into a secure burrow, and their scents were quite distinctive. Datia preferred deer herself, as opposed to Raj's favorite, goat. The air that she cut through was teeming with the scents of living animals, but Datia was interested in just one, that of an aging buck a few miles away. She was quickly homing in on its location, and as she coasted closer she could begin to hear its limping footsteps as it attempted to flee. Datia's mouth watered in anticipation, and within moments she was circling like a bird over the old stag as it struggled to free itself of a vine. For a moment she watched it fight madly in the undergrowth, pitying it. Its entire existence, in the end, was to feed another creature, and it would never know the strength and power that came with being a predator. Then she spotted an opening in the trees and dove through it, tucking her wings close to her body in order to fit. She nearly plowed facefirst into the dirt, but recovered in time and gave a prim 'hmph' for Peri's benefit. The poor buck was going mad with fear and it was lashing about like a fish out of water. Datia approached it with a quizzical frown, wondering why it continued to fight. It was clearly injured and past its prime, so why did it struggle so? If Datia had been old and useless like that, she would have wanted to give her strength to something more powerful than her, rather than labor on like a mule hitched to a cart. Her thoughts only lasted a heartbeat and in the next she lunged forward, her jaws closing around the buck's frail neck and snapping it with as much effort as blinking. She released the old creature and let it slump to the ground, watching the light fade from its clouded eyes. Be at peace, old one, she thought, folding her wings. Your strength will be a part of something great. Carefully, trying not to damage too much of the meat, Datia picked the deer up in her jaws and turned to bound through the trees. She'd seen a clearing just a little ways off when she'd still been flying, and it took her a few minutes to reach it. Once there, she settled down and tucked into the deer's side. A flash of rose overhead warned her of Dunre's approach, and for a moment she feared the older dragon would take her kill. Spreading one wing possessively over the deer's carcass, she gave a warning growl. When Dunre dropped out of the sky with a smaller deer clutched in her claws, Datia was pleasantly surprised. Dunre gave her a pleasant look and went to eat a few bounds away. Within thirty minutes they were joined by Raj, then Vagero, who arrived with a boar and his third deer held in his claws. The four dragons ate in silence, the occasional satisfied rumble the only communication that occurred between them. The pleasant silence and feeling of a full belly finally lulled Peri's mind and she slipped away, returning to her own body to rest.

(…)

Wakey, wakey," Esteba's fluid voice sang in her ear, bringing her jolting upright in a matter of seconds with her pearl-handled knife in one hand. A chorus of laughs from her travelling companions brought her out of her confusion and she glared grumpily at all of them.

"Shut up," she muttered, getting to her feet and brushing herself off. She sheathed her knife with a snap and found her pack where she must have thrown it in her sleep, a few paces down the hill. Just in case, she carefully checked for everything she'd packed, and she found everything except an old necklace she'd had since she was little. A pang of irrational fear speared through her, thinking that maybe she'd lost it, but she knew she'd seen it just yesterday when she'd packed. She swung her pack on and headed back up the hill, pretending she wasn't freaking out on the inside. Her gaze slid easily over her companions, and she instantly ruled out Hadin. He was an ass sometimes, but a sort of tacit pact existed between them. He wouldn't pry into her business and she wouldn't pry into his. The boy was locked up tighter than Hljödhr Andlát, and he seemed content on keeping it that way. Peri didn't mind his secrecy, because she knew better than most that secrets kept you safe and alive. She moved on to Lydia.

Lydia might have been the culprit, if she'd had that kind of guts. Like her dragon she was timid in an open confrontation, and she must have known that taking such a possession would lead to just that. She could poison all she liked, but there was nothing Peri could do about that. If Lydia actually took something that belonged to her, Peri would come after her with all the fury of thunderstorm, and she knew it. Which meant it had to be Esteba. But Peri ran over the facts anyway. Esteba wasn't above thievery, deceit, and a little foul play, and that was why Peri loved her, but it was about to get her into a little more trouble than she bargained for. And the innocent look on the elf's face looked a little too innocent. Peri curled one hand into a fist but other than that she betrayed no emotion. Just walked over to the elf with a pleasant smile on her face and a dagger in her hand. The moment Esteba saw the grin she backed a step away, looking wary. Peri stopped inches away and at that distance her eyes betrayed her smile with their cold stare.

"Give it back," she said conversationally, watching Esteba's jaw twitch just before she lied.

"What are you talking about?" the elf asked, and Peri almost believed her. But she'd spent a month studying her and she knew that whenever her jaw twitched a lie was soon to follow. So Peri reached out, picked up Esteba's right hand, and drove the point of her dagger into her palm. It wasn't a deep cut, only a little more than a prick, but Esteba yelped and leaped away, shaking her hand as a bead of blood welled up.

"Jesus, Peri, what the hell?!"

Peri ignored her and twirled her dagger with a slightly sadistic grin.

"That's poisoned, now give it back," she said, keeping her shoulders perfectly still.

Esteba shook her hand out again and drew out the necklace with an exasperated breath.

"Jeez, here, take it," she exclaimed, tossing it to Peri, who caught it effortlessly. "Sensitive."

Peri sheathed her dagger with a snap and stalked away, reaching up to drop the necklace over her head. Apparently she couldn't leave her things in her pack anymore, or they'd be stolen.

"Hey, get back here with the antidote," Esteba called after her.

"Heal it yourself," Peri snapped back, turning her face up towards the sky where her bondmate was approaching. A quick exchange of memories brought each other up to date on what was happening; Datia knew about the necklace and Peri knew that if she didn't move quickly Vagero was going to kill her. Turning back to Esteba, she drew her knife again and slid the tip under the skin of her wrist, holding it out. Esteba looked confused for a heartbeat, then let her expression drop into a deadpan glare.

"It wasn't poisoned."

"No."

And then Vagero dropped out of the sky with a thud, nearly giving Peri a heart attack. He snarled angrily at her, showing her teeth as tall as she was, and for a moment Peri thought she was well and truly done for. 'Sorry, Nick, I pissed off a dragon.' 'Great job, Kitty, A for effort.' But then the massive dragon turned and Esteba climbed onto his back, leaving Peri feeling very terrified and surreal.

Am I still alive?

Yes, but you might not last long if you keep it up, Datia scolded, but a quick touch of minds told Peri that Datia would have done something herself had she been there. Peri shook herself out and strode over to Datia, her necklace swinging away from her chest as she climbed aboard. It wasn't anything pretty or expensive, but it was one of the most precious things Peri owned. It was a simple leather cord, but its pendant wasn't any locket or gem. It was a coil of thin, gold wire, and nestled in its grasp was coin from the country of Surda. It was worn, faded, chipped, and probably worth next to nothing, but Peri counted it amongst her greatest treasures. Settling into the saddle, she tucked the coin into her shirt and set about strapping herself in. She rolled her shoulders and tried to stretch out as many cramps as she could while she waited for the rest of her companions to strap in as well, but the rest of the Riders had been at it for longer and could probably manipulate the mass of straps with their eyes closed. She only had a few seconds before Vagero had taken off and started winging his way towards the flat horizon. Datia bounded a few strides down the hill, wings half open, and leaped into the air, her wings easily catching a wind as it whistled across the open plain.

A little easier than taking off from a forest, Peri commented, feeling much less thrown about this time around.

You have no idea, came Datia's response. Peri laughed and tipped her head back, letting the wind rip her hair away from her face. Soon Dunre and Raj joined them and they were off again, feeling much more rested. They flew on through the day, watching the sun rise and sink towards the west, and still they continued to travel. Peri slipped into Datia's head to check on her, because she knew her bondmate wouldn't admit it if she was tired.

I'm alright, Datia murmured, but Peri could feel exhaustion beginning to creep across her bondmate's wings.

You're not. You should rest soon.

We need to cover more ground. Don't you want to get Nick out of that horrible place?

Peri gave a growl of frustration and slipped back into her own mind. Datia knew just where to aim in order to get her way. That was the one problem with sharing a mental link: there was no arguing with her, because Datia could see just what she needed to win. Towards the middle of the afternoon, Raj began to spiral downwards towards the ground, where a small grove of trees stood. Datia dove after him, with Vagero close on her tail. After they had alighted, Peri unbuckled herself and went over to where Hadin stood.

"Why did we stop?" she asked, secretly glad that they had. Datia needed the rest.

"We're almost to the desert, and we should refill our water supply while we can." Hadin gestured into the small grove, where a pool lay sparkling in the sunlight. Peri volunteered to refill their canteens while Hadin and Esteba raised water to the surface for the dragons to drink. It took an agonizingly long time for the dragons to drink their fill, but none of them complained. While the dragons drank, Hadin outlined their plan.

"We'll have to travel at night from now on, so no one at the prison or flying overhead sees us ("Prison!" Lydia nearly screamed), and we'll rest during the day. Once we get close enough to Hljödhr Andlát, we'll stop there, even if it's still dark, and wait until the next night to get the optimum amount of darkness to get in and out. Everyone understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Esteba said, saluting smartly. Hadin rolled his eyes good-naturedly and went to take the saddle off of Raj's back. The water the dragons had been drinking for thirty minutes now seeped back into the ground and Esteba went off to do the same. Lydia looked around at all of them, trying to understand what was going on. Apparently she hadn't asked what she was getting into before she'd secured herself like an urchin to Hadin's side. Peri didn't bother explaining and walked over to where Datia lounged in the shade.

Sit up so I can get that off, she instructed, and Datia complied. The straps were complex and confusing, but Peri was beginning to get it and the saddle was off within ten minutes. Peri draped the stiff leather over a low branch and pulled a piece of dried meat from her pack, ignoring the disapproving looks she got from the other three. Going to sit against Datia's side, she ripped at the tough jerky, its salty flavor singing across her tongue. Once she'd devoured the tough meat, she leaned back and closed her eyes, looking forward to a restful nap. Hadin, apparently, had other ideas.

She felt a sword tip at her throat and froze, but only for a moment. Her hands, which had been resting in her lap, flew up with a dagger in each one, throwing the blade to the side while her body went the other way. She whirled around to see Hadin standing with his sword raised, looking surprised and slightly impressed at the same time. Peri stared for a moment, trying to process things, then groaned and sheathed her daggers.

"But I don't want to," she whined, drawing her sword anyway. She cast her cloak aside and blunted the edge of her sword, then lowered into a defensive stance.

"No daggers," Hadin warned her. "Just swords."

Peri rolled her eyes, but that was all she had time for. A moment later she had to whip her sword up to prevent Hadin from bringing his crashing down on her skull. She was barely able to fend off his stroke, and a moment later he was coming at her again, this time from the right.

"Don't try and stop the attacks," Hadin offered, his blade thudding against her side despite her efforts to stop it. "Most of the people you fight are going to be stronger than you, so you're just going to waste your energy. Try deflecting them rather than stopping them."

He came at her again, swinging low at her knees. Peri jumped backwards, but her heel stuck in the sand and send her tumbling to the ground. Her instincts took over for a moment and she rolled to the side, hearing Hadin's blade hit the ground with a muffled thump where she'd been laying. She jumped back up, sand in her hair and down her shirt, and raised her sword.

"You do know," she panted, pausing to counter a stab at her ribs. "That I'm not into open combat."

"You're going to have to fight in an actual battle one day, and daggers just don't cut it," Hadin said, swinging at her head with a bright smile. Peri ducked under the whistling blade and stabbed at Hadin's stomach, but his blade came swinging down just in time. "Better," he grunted, then snaked his blade out to catch her knee.

"I've fought swords with dagger plenty of times," she hissed, trying not to scream as she hopped backwards on one foot. "They're so much more convenient, while swords are just… awkward. And they way more than a ton."

"When you're fighting on dragonback you won't be able to get close enough to use your daggers," Hadin said, coming after her and giving her no rest. "Swords have better reach."

"That's if they can catch us," Peri said, and Datia gave a rumble of agreement. She was still moving backwards, but she was limping now, staying just out of range.

Just let them try.

Hadin rolled his eyes, so he must have heard Datia too, then rushed at her suddenly with sword raised. Peri lifted her arm to block him, her knees throbbing. She hadn't counted on Hadin bowling her over though. Instead of stopping once their blades made contact, he kept coming, pushing her over and down onto the sand. One foot trapping her sword to the ground, he stood triumphantly over her, sword point hovering at her throat.

"Do you yield?" he asked with a smirk. Peri gritted her teeth and refused to speak. There was no way she was going to surrender, not in this lifetime. Her fingers grabbed a handful of sand and before she was fully aware of what she was doing, she flung the hot grains up at Hadin's eyes. He howled and reeled back, giving Peri the chance to scramble away, leaving her sword lying in the sand. Esteba gave a maniacal cackle and when Peri glanced over her friend was doubled over with silent laughter. Lydia looked like she was about to cry in pity for Hadin, who was pawing at his eyes with one hand, tears streaming down his face. Taking advantage of his distraction, she ran at him from behind, taking a flying leap onto his back. Hadin gave a startled yelp and they both went toppling over backwards into the sand. Peri quickly rolled them both over and within a heartbeat she had him pinned.

"Do you yield?" she said sweetly, Esteba's laughter still in the background.

"Yes, now let me up so I can go wash the sand out of my eyes, you devil," Hadin cried, spitting sand out as he spoke. Peri leapt to her feet with a joyful cackle, running over to where her sword still lay in the sand. Hadin got unsteadily to his feet, still blinking furiously, and headed for the pool. Lydia moved to help him but he waved her away with one hand. Lydia looked crushed for a moment, then turned to glare at Peri like it was her fault she was a stalker.

"For the record, that was cheating," Hadin called as he went, but that didn't steal Peri's good spirits. She went to sit by Esteba and proceeded to empty her boots of the sand they'd picked up during the duel. Esteba eventually stopped laughing and leaned back against a tree, but the occasional chuckle still bubbled up every once and a while.

She hadn't noticed it during the duel, but now that she was sitting in the shade she noticed her clothed were soaked with sweat, as was her hair. She probably smelled horrible too. Standing up, she dusted herself off and went to grab another set of clothes from her pack. Hadin returned with red eyes and a sheepish smile, shaking his head hopelessly.

"I'm going to get the sand out of my hair," she announced. The last thing Peri saw before she headed into the trees was Lydia's ecstatic look when she realized she would be alone with Hadin. Hadin looked less than pleased, but his pleasant nature prevented him from showing it for long. Esteba's voice piped up behind her.

"Yeah, I could use a bath. So you stay here, and no peeking."

A moment later the she-elf bounded up beside her and ran on ahead. Peri watched her go with an amused smile, too hot and tired to join in Esteba's merriment. By the time she reached the pool, Esteba's clothes were already strewn across the bank and she was soaking in the lukewarm water. Peri joined her a moment later, bringing her sandy clothes with her to wash. The water was refreshingly cool after the burning sun, but the same sun kept the pool warm enough that it was comfortable. It wasn't all that deep, but if you laid down with your head on the bank it covered your whole body with a couple inches to spare. Peri let out a blissful sigh as she stepped into the pool, then set to work on her clothes. A few minutes later they hung on a branch to dry, and Peri let herself enjoy the water.

"It's not fair," she murmured, her eyes closed and her head resting on the bank. "I just wanted to steal stuff."

"And that turned out to be your downfall. Or rise to glory, depending on how you look at it. I just wanted to fly around and see the world, but I'm stuck here because I'm expected to be a Rider."

"Couldn't you just fly away?"

"And bring an entire patrol down on my head? I have important parents, Peri, and they're not about to let their daughter go galavanting off through the skies."

"Doesn't life just kind of suck that way?"

"Absolutely."

Peri knew better than to pry. Secrets had kept her alive so far, and once you spent a long time keeping them it was near impossible to let them go. If Esteba wanted her to know, she would tell her.

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes again the darkness was gathering and Esteba was gone. Sitting up, her hair dripping, she went to grab her fresh clothes and pull them on. The clothes she'd left hanging from a branch were completely dry, if a little stiff, and she gathered them into a ball.

Why didn't you wake me? she asked as she made her way through the trees, back to where she'd left the others

You needed sleep. You've been awake for almost two days now.

Peri grumbled to herself, but she couldn't deny that the rest had felt lovely. She emerged from the grove and found Hadin already putting his saddle on Raj's back, Lydia nearby doing the same. Esteba was nowhere in sight, but that didn't mean she wasn't nearby. Even thought the sun was sinking lower by the second, it was still unbearably hot and Peri couldn't bring herself to put her cloak back on just yet. Instead she quickly transferred her daggers from one outfit to another and stuffed it all in one of her saddlebags. Datia lowered into a crouch so that Peri could get the saddle onto her neck, then straightened back up. As she set to work on the myriad of straps and buckles, her bondmate gazed off the way they'd come. Vagero rose from where he'd been napping and Esteba ducked out from under his wing, her sword in its scabbard in one hand. The desert continued to darken as they worked, making it even harder to see what she was doing.

"Istalri," she muttered, a small light appearing in one hand, but Datia gave a warning rumble.

Put it out.

Why? Peri asked, but she complied. Datia remained silent and staring, then turned towards the rest of them.

Do you hear that?

The other dragons stiffened and for a moment they were all frozen, trying to hear what Datia could. Then-

Riders, Vagero rumbled, and then everyone was moving.

"Get into the trees," Hadin called softly but urgently. Datia and Dunre squeezed themselves between the close trunks, but there wasn't any more room for Raj or Vagero. Vagero wouldn't have been able to fit anyway. Instead the two dragons bounded with surprising agility out into the open, then dove into the sand. Esteba ran to her dragon and slipped under his wing, whispering a word as she did. A wind whistled out of nowhere, picking up an unnatural amount of sand and dumping it on Vagero's form. Within a few seconds the dragon was covered and looked just like any other dune in the Hadarac Desert. Hadin did the same, taking shelter under Raj's bulky body as sand dumped ontop of them. Peri ran to join Lydia, Dunre, and Datia under the trees, but when she looked back there were no footprints where her feet had fallen. Lydia offered her a tense smile, something Peri was unfamiliar with, but she nodded her silent thanks anyway. Even if they despised each other, it wouldn't help any of them if they were caught now. For the moment they were all united under one cause: staying hidden. Peri curled up against Datia's warm side and waited. The minutes crawled by in silence, and Peri was beginning to wonder if maybe the patrol had turned back, when she heard it: the faint, dull thud of enormous wings pounding the air.

They're coming, she whispered to Hadin and Esteba, speaking softly like the Riders could hear her thoughts.

I know, Esteba murmured back. Apparently she felt the same. Vagero can hear them.

There was nothing more they could do. All they could do was wait and hope the Riders would pass them by. Peri stood with one hand resting on Datia's cheek, the only sound being the pounding of her heart in her chest. She hoped the Riders wouldn't hear it.

Aaaaaand cliffie. Sorry, not sorry.