in similar fashion, adding it to the broth with
some ground sweetroot. Each let out sighs of contentment as they took their first taste.
In the afternoon he rode off on Ra to collect wood for a more substantial fire to keep them warm through the night. In the meantime, Kira roamed the immediate area in search of edible
plants.
After her trip to scavenge for firewood with Elian, Ra went off hunting alone. Her trip was successful and she returned clutching a whole antelope in her talons. When she and Fang had eaten
their fill, they left a succulent rear leg for the two riders. It was huge, with so much meat on the bone that the meal was like a feast. Elian and Kira roasted strips over the open flames in the
early evening half-light.
Although Elian and Kira spent the evening sitting opposite one another at the fire, conversation was sparse. Elian tried a few times to spark her into talking, but she seemed to have a way of
killing any topic with her first response. The spells of silence felt awkward to Elian, but not hostile. In the end he gave up and leaned back against a rock, gazing up at the millions of stars
that lit up the cloudless night sky.
It was one of the clearest nights he had ever seen. The chirruping chorus of crickets blended with the nocturnal noises of amphibians, building in a slow crescendo until the occasional snap and
crackle of the fire was all but lost. The air felt swollen with sound. A combination of wafting wood-smoke and the aroma of leftover roasted meat mixed with the earthy, grassy smell of the
savannah. The scent filled Elian with a sense of warmth and adventure. Thoughts of danger and his trauma at the hands of the hunters faded. As his eyes relaxed their focus, the brightest stars
seemed to fly down and surround him. It was a magical feeling.
Elian was not aware of drifting off to sleep, but when he woke, he did so with a start. It was before dawn and still quite dark. The fire had burned out and he felt cold, stiff and slightly
damp.
‘Get up, Elian. The hunters are here. We must go
.’
‘You’re sure? How close are they?’ he whispered. ‘Will Fang be able to fly?’
‘
He will have to. They’re close. Gather your things. Get Kira. I will carry you both. Try not to make any noise.’
‘Where are you? I can’t see you.’ Elian rubbed his eyes and scanned the area around the water hole. The pre-dawn glow was just beginning to light the eastern sky.
‘I’m here.’
A large shadowy head suddenly appeared out of what looked like thin air. Elian blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him, but then realised what had happened. From where
he was, Ra was behind Fang, who had automatically camouflaged himself on sensing danger. The angle between Elian and Ra meant that most of the dawn dragon was shielded behind Fang’s invisible
body. The result looked bizarre.
‘I see you,’ Elian hissed.
He scrambled silently over to where Kira was sleeping and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her response was so fast that he did not see her move. Before Elian realised what had happened she
had her knife blade pressed against his throat. For an instant he froze, frightened that any move he made might cause her to use the knife.
‘Back off!’ she growled, her voice soft and dangerous.
‘Relax, Kira!’ he whispered anxiously. ‘It’s me. The hunters have found us again. We need to go. Aurora will carry us both.’
Kira did not need telling twice. She was up in an instant, the knife disappearing as fast as it had appeared. Sure-footed and silent, she did not take long to gather her belongings. Elian was
not so fast, but he managed to find his things without making much noise and together they moved around the invisible Longfang to where Ra was waiting.
‘Which way should we launch?’
Elian asked silently.
‘Take your pick,’
Ra offered.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean it will make no difference, Elian. We’re surrounded.’
‘I have
some ground sweetroot. Each let out sighs of contentment as they took their first taste.
In the afternoon he rode off on Ra to collect wood for a more substantial fire to keep them warm through the night. In the meantime, Kira roamed the immediate area in search of edible
plants.
After her trip to scavenge for firewood with Elian, Ra went off hunting alone. Her trip was successful and she returned clutching a whole antelope in her talons. When she and Fang had eaten
their fill, they left a succulent rear leg for the two riders. It was huge, with so much meat on the bone that the meal was like a feast. Elian and Kira roasted strips over the open flames in the
early evening half-light.
Although Elian and Kira spent the evening sitting opposite one another at the fire, conversation was sparse. Elian tried a few times to spark her into talking, but she seemed to have a way of
killing any topic with her first response. The spells of silence felt awkward to Elian, but not hostile. In the end he gave up and leaned back against a rock, gazing up at the millions of stars
that lit up the cloudless night sky.
It was one of the clearest nights he had ever seen. The chirruping chorus of crickets blended with the nocturnal noises of amphibians, building in a slow crescendo until the occasional snap and
crackle of the fire was all but lost. The air felt swollen with sound. A combination of wafting wood-smoke and the aroma of leftover roasted meat mixed with the earthy, grassy smell of the
savannah. The scent filled Elian with a sense of warmth and adventure. Thoughts of danger and his trauma at the hands of the hunters faded. As his eyes relaxed their focus, the brightest stars
seemed to fly down and surround him. It was a magical feeling.
Elian was not aware of drifting off to sleep, but when he woke, he did so with a start. It was before dawn and still quite dark. The fire had burned out and he felt cold, stiff and slightly
damp.
‘Get up, Elian. The hunters are here. We must go
.’
‘You’re sure? How close are they?’ he whispered. ‘Will Fang be able to fly?’
‘
He will have to. They’re close. Gather your things. Get Kira. I will carry you both. Try not to make any noise.’
‘Where are you? I can’t see you.’ Elian rubbed his eyes and scanned the area around the water hole. The pre-dawn glow was just beginning to light the eastern sky.
‘I’m here.’
A large shadowy head suddenly appeared out of what looked like thin air. Elian blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him, but then realised what had happened. From where
he was, Ra was behind Fang, who had automatically camouflaged himself on sensing danger. The angle between Elian and Ra meant that most of the dawn dragon was shielded behind Fang’s invisible
body. The result looked bizarre.
‘I see you,’ Elian hissed.
He scrambled silently over to where Kira was sleeping and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her response was so fast that he did not see her move. Before Elian realised what had happened she
had her knife blade pressed against his throat. For an instant he froze, frightened that any move he made might cause her to use the knife.
‘Back off!’ she growled, her voice soft and dangerous.
‘Relax, Kira!’ he whispered anxiously. ‘It’s me. The hunters have found us again. We need to go. Aurora will carry us both.’
Kira did not need telling twice. She was up in an instant, the knife disappearing as fast as it had appeared. Sure-footed and silent, she did not take long to gather her belongings. Elian was
not so fast, but he managed to find his things without making much noise and together they moved around the invisible Longfang to where Ra was waiting.
‘Which way should we launch?’
Elian asked silently.
‘Take your pick,’
Ra offered.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean it will make no difference, Elian. We’re surrounded.’
‘I have
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