It all happened at once, and within the span of ten seconds, leaving Peri feeling gutted and stunned in the shelter of the trees. There was a massive explosion of sand, and only Datia's wing kept her safe from the blast.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

By the time Peri had ducked out from under her bondmate's wing, the scene before her had already unfolded and all she was left with was a huge pit in the sand where her friend had once laid hidden. There was a loud roar from above, which was echoed by countless others, as a huge burgundy shape flashed by overhead and shot out across the desert, steadily gaining altitude with each massive beat of its wings.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

It took Peri three seconds before she realized she was watching Esteba and Vagero flying for their lives as the patrol of Riders took the bait and raced after the pair. Her jaw was hanging open and as she watched Vagero banked off to the right and raced back in their direction, looking magnificent and unstoppable compared to the smaller dragons that tried desperately to keep up.

Eight.

Nine.

The enormous dragon flashed by overhead, impossibly high, and was gone, followed by the Rider patrol. Peri was left staring at the empty sky, leaning heavily on Datia's side to prevent her knees from buckling.

Ten.

(…)

It took everything in her not to run out into the desert, throw herself into the pit where Vagero had been, and scream. That was one sure-fire way to draw at least half of the patrol down on their heads, and she wasn't about to spoil everything Esteba had just done for them. She held herself in place, waiting for Hadin to emerge and announce that it was safe to move. It was an hour later when the vast expanse of desert shifted and the sands parted to reveal Raj's stunning hide. The smaller dragon's wing lifted, sending a cascade of sand raining down, and Hadin stepped out from behind it with a heavy expression. Peri took a step towards him, but he gestured for her to stay where she was and walked over. Raj followed, flicking his tail, wings, and head to get the sand out of each. Hadin reached the shade of the trees, his face streaked with sand and sweat, and stopped, sighing. None of them spoke, and none of them could meet each others eyes. Both Hadin and Lydia seemed as confused and stunned as Peri felt.

"I think," Hadin said, shaking sand from his hair, "I'm going to go take a bath."

With that he headed off into the grove, head down like something heavy was attached to it. Peri bit her lip, but couldn't find anything encouraging to say. She knew Esteba was one of the most powerful Riders in camp, and Vagero was never went down without a fight, but Peri couldn't help but fear for her friends' lives. If not that, then their freedom. She shook her head and went to curl up against Datia's side, each one taking comfort in the other's touch. The desert began to darken as the sun sank lower in the sky, its bottom edge hidden by the dunes in the distance. Hadin came back just before the sun set completely, looking slightly refreshed and sparkling in his white shirt. His blond hair was poking out in every direction, but he didn't seem to care. In fact, it was almost always like that. They waited in silence for the desert to turn completely dark, and in that silence they all waited hopefully for the sound of wingbeats. There was a chance Esteba had escaped and was returning to them this very second, and they were all praying for that to happen, even Lydia. But eventually Hadin rose to his feet and went to saddle up Raj.

"We've got to get moving," he said reluctantly, not even looking at what he was doing as his hands flew across the straps with practiced skill. Peri heaved herself to her feet and went to grab Datia's saddle from the branch where she'd hung it on a branch. She didn't dare light another fire, in case it drew something to them, and in the dark she struggled even more with the complex straps. A few mistakes later, she had the saddle safely secured and, after running to fetch her pack, she climbed on. By the time she had strapped herself in, both Lydia and Hadin were waiting with impatient looks on their faces.

"Ready," she announced, and without a word they all took to the air.

(…)

It was (roughly) a one day flight to Hljödhr Andlát, but travelling only at night extended that time to two nights. Over that time they didn't speak much and brooded over Esteba's disappearance. Where had the elf gone? Was she still free and running? Or had she been caught and taken in? Peri found it hard to believe that Vagero had been captured, but she knew if someone were to threaten Esteba's safety the enormous dragon would cooperate. She also found it hard to believe that anyone could have gotten near enough to Vagero to get Esteba away from him, but stranger things had happened. An orphan-turned-thief-turned-Rider was currently making her way across the desert with a girl who wanted her dead and a boy whose past was more mysterious than her own to rescue an orphan-turned-assassin who was imprisoned in the tightest prison in Algaësia under suspicions of treason and fighting for the Old Folk, and it was likely he would never see the sun again whether he was innocent or not. If that wasn't strange Peri didn't know what was.

During the day they slept, but secrecy forced them underground. It was unbearably hot at first, but Hadin quickly taught her how to change the temperature to her liking and that made it slightly more comfortable for both her and Datia. They all took turns keeping watch during the day and each one passed without incident. Peri found this suspicious and it put her on edge, but Hadin claimed it was a good thing. Peri was skeptical. She was, after all, more experienced in breaking the rules and getting away with it. But she couldn't figure out a way to put this feeling into words. Any time she tried it ended up getting garbled up and she eventually gave up. The feeling refused to go away and it ensured she got little to no sleep. Even when they flew she couldn't relax. Something was watching them, but she couldn't figure out what. Her mind went around in circles, trying to find connections. The Riders had caught up to them very quickly. Almost too quickly. Had someone seen them go? But then, how had they made it out of the camp at all, if someone had seen them? Soon her suspicions fell on her travelling companions. It pained her to consider it, given how much she'd come to trust him, but could Hadin be the one who'd led the Riders to them? Her mind rejected the statement immediately, but she forced herself to examine the facts.

Hadin knew everything about their plan, down to the tiniest detail. He had been the one to assign them all their duties in the upcoming jailbreak, and if he had wanted to it would have been too easy to let it spill to someone like Dareth. And then, when Peri and Esteba were deep inside Hljödhr Andlát, he could call the Riders down on them and Dareth would ensure Peri was locked up right alongside Nick. It was an effective way of exacting his revenge and shutting her up in the same movement. Hadin was, after all, the only one who wasn't going to be on the inside. It was entirely possible that he was their traitor, and the thought made Peri's head spin. She couldn't bear to think about it anymore, so she moved on to Esteba. If anything that hurt more. She couldn't even begin to work through the facts, so she moved on to Lydia.

Lydia certainly had the motives. She wanted Peri out of the way and Esteba had never been her favorite elf. This would be the perfect way to lock them both away and have a clear shot at Hadin. Not that Peri was even in the way. It was Hadin who turned Lydia away time and time again. If the two had wanted to elope the moment they'd met, Peri couldn't have cared less. Hadin was a very close friend, despite the short amount of time they'd known each other, but he was a big boy and he could make his own choices. Lydia hadn't exactly been subtle with her opinion of Peri, and ratting them out wouldn't be below her. Her shock and dismay had seemed genuine when Esteba had given herself up, but perhaps that was because the elf had just thrown her plans into the wind. Peri wanted to blame Lydia with all her heart, but she couldn't bring herself to make the decision. If it ended up (Gods forbid) being Hadin or Esteba… Peri just didn't know. Should she share her suspicions with Hadin, or would she be running straight to the rat in their nest? The indecision and suspicion was driving her crazy.

Got any ideas? she asked Datia on the morning of their first day, after an agonizing flight full of conspiracy theories and guilt. Would any of the dragons do something like this?

Not unless their Riders asked them to. We don't often get mixed up in the affairs of the Riders. Just our one Rider.

I have to do something about this, Peri murmured, twisting her hands together in the dark space between Datia and her wing. If something goes wrong and Nick doesn't get out…

I know, iet ilian, I know.

There was a long, loaded silence as they both worked up to what they knew had to happen. Finally, Datia broke the silence between them.

I will fly you there myself, should you wish it. I know the way.

Peri sighed wearily, but nothing mattered as much as Nick's life, not anymore.

Yes. One hour, to make sure Hadin and Lydia are asleep. Then we move.

Datia gave a barely audible hum of acknowledgment and they both settled down to wait. Guilt flooded into the tiny space where she lay, but she refused to let it change her mind. She was rescuing Nick, and she wasn't going to let a traitor stand in her way. With Esteba missing, she would every second and the element of surprise would be crucial now. It was down to her, and that thought left her feeling strangely at peace. Just like in the old days, it was her saving Nick's ass after he'd bitten off more than he could chew. He should have laughed in her face and kicked her out of his house the moment he saw the egg, and look where his lack of judgement had gotten him. Now it was Peri's turn to come through for him. The hour passed quickly and soon it was time to move. Datia shifted and slowly rose to her feet, her body shielding Peri from the torrent of sand she displaced. As quickly and quietly as she could, Peri saddled her bondmate and climbed on, making sure she had everything before it was too late. Adrenaline lent speed and accuracy to her fingers and within minutes she was strapped in.

Ready.

Are you sure?

Peri knew she wasn't talking about the saddle.

Yes. Now let's go.

Datia nodded and slipped away across the sands, careful to avoid the two lumps that were Dunre and Raj. For an enormous winged lizard, the dragon could move with barely a sound across the desert floor. Once they were a safe distance away, a few bounds saw them safely into the air again and, once Datia gained enough height, they shot off in the direction of Hljödhr Andlát. Now that they were free of Raj (he tried, but the heavy dragon was easily the slowest of the group) Datia could really open up her speed and Peri was confident they could reach Hljödhr Andlát before night fell. She remembered looking at the prison's location on a map with Hadin towards the later stages of their plan. The prison was built into the side of a mountain, most of it underground. The desert that surrounded it for miles ensured that any escaped prisoners had nowhere to go, and its hidden location ensured that no one without inside knowledge would be able to find it. There was a reason Hljödhr Andlát was one of the hardest prisons to escape, and its location was just the beginning. There had been rumors of vicious torture and abuse, but there were so many different stories that at first Peri hadn't known what to believe. Hadin, naturally, had known everything there was to know about the prison. It was guarded by the fiercest of dragons and the strongest of Riders, in case of an assault, but its inside security was severely lacking. All of their prisoners were subdued through magic and Hadin had told her of horrible beasts that could suck a person's life away with one touch. The prisoners at Hljödhr Andlát were exposed to these monsters every day, bringing them so close to death that at a glance they appeared that way. Only the faintest heartbeat proved otherwise. Some were tortured for information, but most were just left to waste away in their cells until the monotony broke their minds. Most prisoners went insane in under a month. Some barely lasted the day. Nick was the strongest, stubbornest person Peri knew, but she was truly afraid that when she got to the prison there wouldn't be anything left of him.

These thoughts were just making Peri more anxious and depressed, so she fled into her bondmates mind and stayed there for the duration of the flight, losing herself in Datia's love of flying. She'd grown considerably stronger over the past month, and this trip would only make her stronger. Her body lying limp on Datia's back, Peri watched the desert slide by as the sun climbed and sank, her eyes, or Datia's, peeled for the mountains that would signal the end of their journey. She was beginning to think that maybe they'd missed it, or flown off course, when a sudden spire appeared on the horizon, stabbing up into the air like a claw. Datia immediately dove down out of the sky, barely catching herself before she plowed into the desert sand. Her claws were mere feet above the ground as she skimmed across the sand, trying her best to keep out of sight. Peri pulled out of her bondmate's mind to let her concentrate, busying herself with her leg of the plan. There was so much that she would now have to do by herself, since Esteba was missing in action, and she was soon up to her chin in problems. Why had she run off again? What had she been thinking? That she could take on the most infamous prison in Algaësia and walk away not only unharmed, but with a probably unconcious, most likely insane prisoner over her shoulder? She was so distracted by her own self-doubt that when Datia settled down on the sand she didn't notice. Not until a prim voice broke through her thoughts.

"I believe the custom is to say hello, am I wrong?"

Peri would have fallen out of her saddle if she hadn't been strapped to it, and she looked around wildly for the source of the voice. For a moment she thought maybe she had gone insane, because she couldn't see anything but sand dunes, but then the largest one shifted and an enormous burgundy dragon emerged, a slender she-elf standing under his outstretched wing. Peri stared, disbelieving, then burst out laughing as Esteba bounded across the sand and leaped up onto Datia's back, her tiny body colliding with Peri's. Somehow they managed to get their arms around each other before Esteba slid backwards down Datia's side, and for a moment all they could do was laugh. Eventually they relaxed their death grips on each other and Esteba dropped back down on the sand, still grinning.

"What the hell is going on?" Peri burst out, throwing her arms in the air. "I thought you were dead, or captured, or lying somewhere hiding while Dareth tore the desert apart to find you!"

"You doubt our prowess," Esteba said with a haughty gasp. "We were only toying with those Riders. Once we'd led them on a merry chase, we gave them the slip and headed back this way to head you all off. Speaking of which, where'd Hadin and Lydia get to?"

In the heartbeat it took Peri to take a breath, playful horror blossomed on the elf's face.

"Tell me they're not-"

"No! No, gods no!" Peri made a gagging noise and shook her head. "I, um, I sort of left them."

Rather than explain the whole thing, Peri selected her the memories that would do the explaining for her and presented them to the elf. There was a moment during which Esteba examined the memories, and then she nodded.

"Mistrustful, much?" she teased, but there was a note of concern in her voice. "I didn't even think of that."

"Comes from being a thief and a smuggler," Peri said casually, turning her gaze to Hljödhr Andlát in the distance. This was going to be her biggest heist yet, and the prize was much more valuable than any diamonds or gold. When she turned back to Esteba, her friend was already strapping herself onto Vagero's back.

"I figured," she said, tugging the last strap into place. "For the record, I don't think it was Hadin. Wasn't me either, but I guess if it was me I wouldn't come out and say it. Am I still in?"

Peri hesitated just a moment before nodding. She couldn't help but wonder if she was making a mistake, but there was no way she could go it alone and survive. She needed Esteba, and she thought she trusted her, but she had to be ready for anything. That's how she'd survived so long in Dragon's Landing. She had to be ready for any and every betrayal, and she had been. Even now, she was prepared for it.

"We'd better keep low, since we're so close to the mountain," she suggested, but Esteba just waved her away.

"No need for that," she said lightly, muttering a quick phrase under her breath. A moment later, what looked like rain came pattering down out of nowhere, except where it fell Peri's skin vanished and she could see Datia's scales through the tiny circle. The downpour increased, seemingly coming from nowhere, and soon Peri was soaked through and, as a result, invisible. She looked around for Esteba and Vagero, but only saw a few random patches of red floating in the simmering air. Esteba had vanished completely. It didn't take long for the rest of Vagero to disappear, the only sign that he was there being the deep claw marks he left in the sand.

How are we? Esteba asked in her head.

Can't see a thing. How about us?

Same. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Peri could perfectly picture Esteba's mischievous grin in her head, since there was no real Esteba around to provide.

Ready to go? she asked.

Born ready.

Moments later sand went flying into the air as Vagero apparently took off, but a fierce wind whipped along and erased any traces he'd left. Datia surged underneath Peri, but, despite the fact that her bondmate was completely invisible, Peri was ready for the movement. The desert dropped away from beneath her and the sensation was incredibly strange. She couldn't help but picture herself as a pair of eyes flying through the air. A quick reassurance from Datia told her that her eyes were gone too. Peri gave a sheepish laugh and tried to ignore the fact that she was riding on nothing, fixing her eyes on the distance peak of Hljödhr Andlát as it steadily grew larger. The efforts of an entire month were finally coming into fruition, and she didn't know how she felt about it. She was desperately eager to free Nick, but she wasn't sure what she would do after that. She couldn't go back to Dragon's Landing, that was for sure. She definitely couldn't go back to the Ekar Skolir camp. Dareth would have the word sent out to every branch about her betrayal. Perhaps she could continue east, past Algaësia and into the unknown?

It didn't matter. If she didn't focus and rescue Nick, she wouldn't be going anywhere until she did.

EEEEE! Next chapter comes the part we've all been waiting for! The assault on Hljödhr Andlát! I'm irrationally excited about this.