Adwyn was still suspicious of me, I realized. He flew behind me, and when I looked, he was watching. I hadn’t even done anything wrong yet.


    with the humans somehow? Like Ushra said?”


    might be able to hold a human corpse. Some innocent regular dragons would fit that description, too, right? It might be why Adwyn had chosen this way of carrying the bodies???—??and might be why the thieves copied the idea.


    That remains to be seen???—??we hope you understand we cannot just make exceptions on whim. Orders,” the cliff-dweller guard said, sagely.


    She has an idea, I narrated to myself. She convinced her sibling to move in front of the placating mother. As they stood, the smaller hatchling climbed on the other. Facing Adwyn, she expanded her wings???—??her tiny little wings???—??to their full extent. Her fangs were unfolding, and the saliva dewing on them caught the light.


    dolts!” and reaching for the growling hatchling.


    spat, twin streams of venom flying from the apertures in her fangs.


    there, wearing a sad, relieved sort of almost-smile. The fledgling, on the other foot, was glowering, twice as intense as before. If one could brew and administer alchemical poisons with only looks, I imagined we would each drop dead before we could swallow.


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    The guard and Adwyn each returned to their searching. The guard was ripping through and examining the bags of what???—??to all appearances???—??really was just seeds and other farming supplies. At that, I followed their example and returned to my own job???—??minor though it was.


    Gliders. The glider, plus their wings, saw them rising, hurtling for the cliff walls.


    had to fly well in the sky. And it helped that flying was the best.


    important.


    flock of red and gold sashes trailing behind us with only the slightest idea what was going on.


    stabbed?


    there, almost there.


    * * *