Rhiannon - Dragonrider

Chapter Seventeen - The Long Run

Zalibar was just stepping out of the Master's Lodge as we joined the others in the quad. He gave us a bit of a frown but didn't say anything.

He waited for a few moments, looking down on us all from the top of the staircase, and I had a quick look at the new dragon that was over by the mews. It was about the same size as Psion and it, too, looked as if it hadn't been treated particularly well recently, but that was all the two had in common. I mean... my silver-grey friend's eyes were bright and golden, always ready with a twinkle or a joke, but this dragon's eyes were dull and lifeless. It was a blotchy brown colour and looked as if it had lost about half its scales.

But the most striking thing about the beast were the waves of despondency coming off it.

"Right," Zalibar said and I hurriedly looked back at him. He was wearing knee high riding boots and carrying a long black whip. "I hope you're all feeling fit because today we've got a peak run."

This was met by groans from some of the students which he silenced with a glance. "Most of you know the drill, but for you..." he glanced down at me... "I don't think I need to tell you the route. As it's your first time, if you happen to find yourself out front, you have my permission to take it easy until someone catches up with you." This comment caused a bit of laughter. "Otherwise, my only rule is, 'No slacking'. Don't worry, I'll have my eye on you all."

"Hey, Geraint," he shouted to the tyro holding the dragon, "get Towan over here."

Geraint hurried the dragon to the bottom of the staircase and Zalibar stepped onto its shoulders. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen," he said as his dragon took off, "let's go!"

The group set off out of the gateway and, for a moment, Carodoc ran at my side. "I can't hang around back here with you lot," he told me, "but you've got to try to stay with the main group. If you get dropped, you're in for a whole lot of very unwelcome attention."

We turned right along the track, away from the village.

"That's Kiernonda," he added in a whisper, nodding across to a heavily built, dark-haired nonda. "stay with him and you should be okay. And whatever you do, DON'T COME LAST." With that, he stretched out his legs and pulled ahead towards the leaders.

The track dropped down into a narrow wooded valley and got really slippery with loose rocks and tree roots and things. I stumbled and, before I could sort myself out, a tall Nonda boy had shoved past me.

Flinging my arms out wide, I charged on down the slope after him. Ahead of me the runners were jumping a stream then turning right to follow a smaller path which headed up the valley.

As he reached the stream, the Nonda in front of me boosted his jump with his mind but he must have got the power wrong because he sailed over the far bank and stumbled to his knees. Grabbing my chance, I jumped into the turgid water but immediately wished I hadn't. The stuff burnt where it splashed up onto me. There must be some sort of horrible chemicals in there! As I stumbled forward, more in shock than pain, someone else shoved their way past.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed on up the path. At first it meandered gently along the river side then it turned left to climb steeply up the side of the valley.

Stumbling over roots, I followed the narrow path until it emerged above the trees and I could see it stretching out towards the peak. It looked as if it was miles away. By now, I was in a group of four runners at the back and, as I glanced around, another one of the Nonda jostled past and struggled on ahead of me.

Our little group slowed as the path got steeper but I was startled by a loud cracking noise behind me. I ignored it and carried on grinding my way up the slope but the two people behind me started making this really desperate effort and pushed past, leaving me all on my own at the back.