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As it passed the clearing, the dragon’s head turned For an instant, Kendra glion wheeled and broke hard, wings thrust out like parachutes Dipping below the treetops, the ih the tall pines, bulky body noisily felling trees as it smashed to a halt

"It saw us," Mara and Trask said with one voice

"Heads up," Dougan warned Many of the perytons in theback toward them

Most of the perytons landed between thirty and fifty yards fro hard in the attempt to clear at least the initial treetops

Kendra saw one peryton stu, it skis spread wide As it neared the trees, the peryton losta strip of brush

As the creature staggered to its feet, Mara darted fro the peryton by the base of the antlers The lean muscles in her arrasp, but soon the creature calmed, and she pressed her forehead to its ether, Kendra glanced down and noticed that the peryton cast an incongruently hued fro up like soes projected fro fear wash over her Wings still tucked, the i metallic blues and purples

Trask scooped Kendra into his arms and ran out into the meadow Mara now sat astride the elk-sized peryton, and Trask heaved Kendra in front of her Mara dug in her heels and the peryton lunged forward, running along the border of the ing dragon

The volcanic roar behind them made Kendra cla on The peryton jumped, and Kendra’s stos flapped, but they did not rise very high Over her shoulder, Kendra saw the dragon taking flight in pursuit Dougan and Trask waved their arnored them

Mendigo crashed out fro the knapsack by a leather strap The puppet flung the knapsack at Kendra, and Mara caught it as the peryton sprang again, clie shadow fell over Kendra, and Mara leaned toward the trees The peryton swerved, and suddenly they eaving through a slalo flashed and a trunk off to one side burst asunder Mara handed Kendra the knapsack The next ti to a stop

Without Mara’s weight, the peryton clihtened perytons racing through the woods Above the trees the dragon bellowed again

Kendra and her peryton burst fro Instead of helping her get away, fleeing astride the peryton see herself froid water before co to a stop in the shallows Her peryton splashed down in the shallows, then took flight again, vanishing into the trees

When Kendra stood, the water cahs Slowed by the water, she sloshed toward the shore, fu with the flap of the knapsack If she cliht hted in the grassy area beside the pond, filling the field This dragon was ten tied Lost Mesa Kendra found herself gazing up into eyes like burning sapphires

"You shine brightly, son said Each word sounded like three fe, Kendra could not lued shut Her lips twitched A response awaited in her ht as you," but her roaned feebly

"No last words?" the dragon said "How disappointing"

Seth dangled from the ladder near the top of the knapsack He looked down at Bubda "The dragon got her Kendra can’t speak"

"Nothing you can do," the troll advised "Live to fight another day"

With the flap closed, Seth had seen nothing, and the roo the pursuit, but he had been listening to the frantic chase He had no idea what perytons were, but he could tell there had beenthe to the farthest corner of the storage room, where he noered

"I’m a shadow charon"

"Better if we play a game of Yahtzee"

"Wish me luck" Seth pushed up the flap and climbed out of the knapsack He was in a field beside Kendra, near a rippling pond The dragon was bigger than he would have ier than swords, the body ascales coon exclais, I would suppose, but opposites, one dark, the other light Have you a sharper tongue than your sister?"

Seth was no longer aware of Kendra beside him He was unafraid, his muscles felt no paralysis, but he found himself utterly fascinated Those eyes--jewels enlivened by a radiant inner fire He lost all sense of urgency beneath the on lamented "I take it silence runs in the faht or darkness? Perhaps both together?"

The dragon shifted its gaze back to Kendra, and Seth glanced over at his sister Had the dragon said itHe didn’t want to die He didn’t want his sister to die Bracing hion teeth, he took her hand All of a sudden, cold clarity rushed through Seth’s ers "Shouldn’t we get acquainted first?"

"She speaks," the dragon exclaion in the eyes "We were overwhelon still looked ier bothered hion before," Kendra agreed

The dragon lowered her head near them They could feel the humid exhalations froons before?"

"Only a couple," Kendra said "None so ion snapped "I have not seen hu here"

"We don’t plan to stay long," Seth said

The dragonthat Seth took for a chuckle "You disrupted my plans Perchance I should return the favor"

"We don’t taste good," Seth warned "Kendra is bonier than she looks, and I don’t bathe on proposed "I shall round up the rest of your party There were six others, I believe I will devour the four dullest, and find a use for the others as servants in my lair"

"I think not!" called a stern voice Seth turned and saw Gavin striding froraph

The dragon looked up "A third speaker, nearly as youthful as the others Neither light nor dark I could sandwich you between the other two What sadistic huet in the knapsack," Gavin co the knapsack away "Unacceptable"

Opening his an to shriek and squeal in what sounded like on responded in louder tones, a cacophonous sy instruments They screeched back and forth several tiaze back to Kendra and Seth

"You have a unique protector," the dragon acknowledged "I had no idea that dragon brothers persisted in the world Out of respect for his singular status and surpassing eloquence, I will spare you and your friends Enjoy your reprieve Do not linger here"

The dragon sprang skyward, vast wings unfolding Seth raised an arm to shield his eyes froon passed swiftly out of view, heading back toward the larger ht?" he asked Kendra

"I’m fine This is my brother"

"I s-s-s-suspected," Gavin spluttered