League of Improbable Riders

10

"You what?" Alfsten exclaimed, staring in disbelief. "You've done what?" He was standing before his dragon, facing Shaska and Taz just outside the ruined village.

As soon as she had caught Alfsten's and Teradun's attention, Shaska had directed them to the ground, not wanting any accidents to ensue after Rogue and Shadow's near fall.

"I've found the third person of the prophecy," Shaska repeated patiently. "And—he's a Commoner."

"What?!"

Shaska winced, she felt like Alfsten was blaming her; it wasn't her fault. "Yeah."

"Where is he?" the man demanded. "We must secure both the boy and his dragon as soon as possible."

"Erm, I... tied him to a tree. And... I haven't seen his dragon: he said he won't reveal its location," she shuffled guiltily.

Alfsten ground his teeth as Teradun lashed his tail. "We need the boy's dragon. Until we see it, we can't be sure that he is the one of the prophecy."

He stood for a minute or two, arms crossed and head bowed, thinking.

He finally seemed to decide on a course of action and leapt up onto his dragon's back. "Lead us to the boy," he commanded Shaska and Taz, "let's just hope the dragon hasn't released him."

Shaska grimaced, she hadn't thought of that; then thought hopefully of Rogue and Shadow: they had gone down to examine the strange Commoner, so hopefully he wouldn't've escaped.

The two dragons lifted into the air, where Alfsten let out a piercing whistle, calling all the riders to regroup, and all around them, from every direction, more dragons rose into the air and followed their leader out of the town and down to a small copse of trees.

The dragons landed heavily beside Shadow, shaking the ground, and inspected the boy curiously, snuffling around the tree one by one.

Alfsten stared as Teradun ringed the tree, a slight frown on his face. "What do you think?" he asked, and the brown dragon growled an answer.

Alfsten nodded and dismounted, peering at the boy suspiciously. "I don't—" he began, then abruptly stopped as Kanah groaned and opened his eyes, staring fearfully at his assembled enemies.

Alfsten's mouth dropped open in shock as he met the boy's green gaze, and he stumbled slightly. "A Commoner," Shaska heard him murmur, "how can this be? Our doom is nigh. What will Jareck say?" Teradun nosed his friend's shoulder mournfully and hummed.

The boy stared, confused, as he scanned the riders, then his gaze fell on Shaska and his expression changed. "You said—you said you wouldn't hurt me!" he exclaimed accusingly.

Shaska shifted uncomfortably, "I had to, and I didn't hurt your dragon; you said, 'don't hurt us,'" she muttered angrily, looking down as the other riders turned to look at her: riders kept their word. If they didn't have a valid reason for not doing so, they were rejected as oath breakers.

"She didn't, anyway," Rogue broke in, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth, "she hit you so hard that it didn't actually hurt, did it?"

The boy scowled.

"Enough," Alfsten commanded, rising, "Rougim, you need to watch your tongue; you speak without thinking far too often, and it's the perfect way to make enemies. But nevertheless, you are right, in a way—although stupid to point it out—and it was almost the only thing Shaska could do."

Shaska exhaled in relief, glad that she was justified in striking him.

"Release the boy," Alfsten commanded Rogue, who was the only one who had dismounted so far, apart from himself.