League of Improbable Riders

4

"Um, maybe we shouldn't've destroyed it that much," Shaska said a couple hours later as she looked down at the blackened earth that showed almost no sign of a village having been there.

"Yeah..." Rogue replied slowly. "Oh well, at least it was your idea!"

"What? No it wasn't!"

"Kidding," he grinned. "Sheesh, Shaska, calm down; it's like you think we'll get in trouble, or something."

She laughed nervously. "Maybe we should head back."

"Good plan."

Shadow and Taz both chuckled, then wheeled around and raced back toward their mountain refuge.

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"Let's go find Jareck, and tell him of our victory!" Shaska suggested as the four of them walked the hall that eventually led to her brother's meeting-room.

"Race you there!" Rogue leapt into a sprint and dashed forward.

Shaska chuckled—she always beat him, no matter what he tried—and sped after him.

"What do you think?" Taz asked, swinging his head to look at the other dragon.

"I could beat them without even trying," Shadow answered, tossing her head. "And you," she grinned a toothy grin, "you can eat my smoke." She flicked him with her tail and charged down the hall; Taz close behind.

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The meeting hall was chaotic. Shaska dashed inside without looking and nearly bowled someone over.

He cursed and glared at her as he used his dragon to steady himself.

Ignoring him, Shaska took a deep breath to calm herself and tried to make her way through the crush of humans and dragons; but to no avail, so tried struggling out, but found that to be just as hopeless, and began to panic: she was claustrophobic, and could only occasionally keep her fear under control. Now her mind began to fill with images of being crushed; but then something hooked under her coat and she was raised into the air, with her feet dangling into the mess of people.

"Thanks, Taz," she said in relief, and he grunted in response: his mouth was full of sheepskin jacket.

Twisting his neck back, the dragon gently placed the girl on his back before carefully wading through the moving maze of bodies.

Shaska sighed as she surveyed the room, being in a small space terrified her for some strange reason. Good thing Taz knew that.

She watched the heads struggling past her knees and squinted: nurses and doctors were rushing past carrying critically wounded riders in stretchers.

What happened? she thought. Were we attacked while I was gone?

They finally approached Jareck's desk—or the splintered, stepped-on wood that used to be the desk. Fury stood grimly by, Jareck seated on her back.

"What happened?" Shaska asked as they drew near. "What's going on?"

"The Commoners attacked," her brother replied, "and they brought fifty scorways."

Shaska gulped.

Scorways were enormous, fire-resistant, razor-clawed birds that could take on dragons. They lived in small groups, and even one was hard for a dragon to defeat. But since the birds were crafty—very crafty, in fact—they often ganged up on the dragons ten to one.