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@rose-colored-fancy @inkhorn Thanks! I’m really nervous about writing her, b/c I’ve never done anything with her before (never seen her, never taken her out to coffee, or even lunch)…

Yeah, “poor girl” is write, Inkhorn! She has so many problems…This oughta be really fun!

Quin/Qatar/Fedor

The brothers started toward Niarok, who lay motionless on top of the body of his sister. The burnt smell grew stronger as they came closer, and Quin struggled to keep the flashbacks away. His wooden leg tapped against the floor in the silence. Qatar glanced at him. For the first time in months Quin could read the thoughts behind those eyes again.

Me too, Little Brother. Keep it up.

Qatar clenched his fist at his side. Quin smiled. I’ll try.

But I’m not as strong as you are, he added to himself. Another glance at Qatar told him Qatar had heard that last thought, and was disagreeing. He mouthed, “that’s what you think” Quin elbowed him in the ribs and Qatar only grinned.

A moment later both their smiles vanished. They were standing over Niarok and Yila. Locran stood nearby, and one glance at him told Quin he had been right: inside Locran was crumbling. On the outside his face was hard and pale.

Quin looked at his brother. Qatar shrugged as if to say, There’s nothing you can do. It hurts like blazes, and both of us know it.

Quin felt his shoulder wrenched back, found himself facing Fedor. “So you’ll just go away and leave me, then?” He spoke in Colondite, and Qatar elbowed him.

“What’s he saying?”

“He thinks we left him”, he whispered in Vegatian. He turned back to Fedor and switched to Colondite. “No. But you’re no different than the rest of us here. You’ll eat what we eat, sleep when we can, and fight when we have to fight.”

Fedor’s arm shot up, and Qatar stepped forward to catch it. Quin started to duck. None of their actions were ever finished. With a roar like thunder and the rising sea, another dragon, black this time, and breathing blue fire, rose from the depths of the cave.

“Wonderful!” Qatar bent and picked up Niarok’s bow and the arrow he’d let fall from the string.

“Does this one have captives, too?” Quin gripped a knife, and looked around for something more suitable.

Fedor swore, and ducked behind them.

“Welcome, visitors!” No one could tell if the snakelike his were from the dragon, the Castle, or their own fears.

As the black beast rose, he shot flame from his nostrils, kindling torches that lined the walls.Even as they were lit, his rising bulk blocked their pale light from the view of the little group of people that stared at the dragon in wonder, grief, terror, and awe.

Some people shuddered at the voice, as though it brought with it terrible memories.

Quin tightened his grip on the knife. It must have been the Castle. I don’t think…

There was no time to think. In the corner, just visible behind the brute, was chained a woman. No one could see her face, and they weren’t given time to look. The great tail wound about her body, trapping her in from them. If any of them killed the dragon, his death convulsions would almost certainly crush her.

Quin and Qatar looked at each other.

“We need to get her free while someone distracts it,” Quin said.

“Can you do it alone?” Qatar notched the arrow on the bow. From behind them someone motioned to them to go. whether it was Locran or Ruan, Kahlon, Liorah, neither of them paused to look. The person got ready to fight, sending them off together to free the captive.

They started at a run, along the lefthand side of the cave, into the shadows.

“There’s some rocky, cave-like stuff up there,” Quin panted.

“Good,” was his brother’s only answer.

Fedor was just behind them, determined that if they should escape, he would find the way out with them.

All at once the floor beneath them crumbled and there was light. They were blinded for a moment, then they began to see. First Alcor prison and Fedor’s house in Colondai, then their own home and Hakan’s camp.

“What–”

“Quin!”

“Where?”

Fedor shrieked. Then everything was silent.

The castle had disappeared, and they were lying together on the grass next to the little stream, watching the willow dangle his branches in the gurgling water.

Fedor was gone. “It’s good to be rid of that devil,” Qatar told no one in particular.

Quin rolled over. “Qatar.”

He grunted.

“What do you suppose will happen to that girl–the captive, I mean.”

“I suppose she’ll get rescued. Things always manage to turn out right, in the end, don’t they, Little Brother?”

Quin nodded. “Probably.”

“I will miss that other one, though. What’s her name? Ev…Ev…No, now it’s gone.”