by Andy Holland
You're probably right, Barnabas replied. I'll fly ahead and keep just within sight of you.
Barnabas eased ahead until John could only just see him. The Browns, Wasps and Sandy Dragons had all settled into a series of 'v' formations below him, seemingly preferring a lower altitude to John and his fellow Golden Dragons.
John's caution turned out to be unnecessary and the morning flight was uneventful, with Barnabas not returning to the group until they were almost on top of the river where they had left the girls.
Nothing ahead, Barnabas informed him. Do you think I should stay up here to see if anyone comes while you are all collecting the girls?
Good idea, John replied, remembering that they had one more dragon than they needed, since Natan had taken one of the girls last night. Actually, you needn't land at all. Assuming everyone flew back, we should have one more than we need. Fly down to check once they all start taking off, but you shouldn't need to land.
Sounds good, John. See you soon.
John dived towards the river, alighting on the shore of the bank ahead of the masses behind him. Hundreds of eyes watched him cautiously as he landed.
"Just you?" a lady in a blue dress asked, one of the older ones in the group.
John shook his head. "I'm just the first. You're all going home now. Please help me get everyone into lines. They'll be coming in fast and they'll need to take off again almost straight away."
The girls began to form orderly lines and moments later the first of the troops landed just behind John, snatched the nearest girl and took off without ceremony, making space for the next one to land. John nodded approvingly; the pickup was proceeding according to plan. The girls were quiet and subdued, clearly anxious to be away from the forest.
"How was your night?" John asked the lady in the blue dress as she joined him near the river bank.
"Long, cold, but uneventful. We weren't sure if you would really come back. A lot of these girls wouldn't have slept a lot. They're terrified at what would have happened if we had been found."
John nodded, marvelling at how restrained the girls were, making hardly a sound as the Browns snatched them one by one from the bank. He doubted that they all managed to do this without hurting them at all, yet they remained silent. "With reason," he replied. "Leaving you overnight was not part of the plan. I would never have intentionally put you all in this much danger."
She shrugged. "I'm twenty-eight. Very few of us stay in the camp past thirty. If this rescue hadn't happened I'd have been killed soon anyway."
John looked at her. She had long brown hair, that was full of tangles and knots from sleeping in the forest and had a few grey hairs here and there. Her face had a weary look, with wrinkles starting to appear around the eyes and she looked a lot older than twenty-eight.
"Have you been in the prison a long time?" John asked.
She nodded. "Long enough. I've had four babies. Four little monsters. I loved the first one, but they didn't let me keep it long. They used to let us see them every now and then and they're still sweet little things for the first few years. But they learn to be vicious. You don't want to see them when they reach five or six. They don't even realise that we are their mothers and they'd happily slit our throats if they were asked. But in the last few camps we haven't been able to see them at all. We've moved so many times, so I guess they found it easier to keep us apart. They take them when they're anything from six to twelve months old. The younger girls find it very difficult, especially with their first, but us older ones find it easier. We know what they'll turn into, so it's easier to let them go."
John nodded. "Hopefully, it's time to put this behind you. I know that won't be easy for you, but at least you won't be in that place any more."
The lady turned to look at him, appraising him carefully. "So how old are you anyway? Everyone in here was talking about you. I don't mean to be rude, but you look like you're no more than sixteen or seventeen."
John nodded. "No offence taken; I'm not seventeen yet."
The lady whistled. "Rescued by children. We really didn't expect that. A few of you looked older, but most of you blondes look very young."
John shrugged. "I am the youngest, but a few of them are only just older than me. But we learn to fly when we're very young. Don't let it worry you; we're all experienced fliers."
The lady shrugged. "As I said, I didn't have long anyway and you've brought us this far. This is further than I ever expected we'd get."
John nodded, not sure how to respond. He noticed that the pace of the dragons landing had picked up and the lines were moving much faster. All along the river bank dragons were landing and taking off and he heard a girl squeal faintly as she was snatched away, presumably as she had been gripped too hard. The dragons themselves were silent other than the dull sound of their wings flapping.
"Can you help me make sure that everyone has gone?" John asked. "I don't want to leave anyone behind. No one will be able to come back for anyone that gets left."
The lady nodded and they started to look around the forest for any stragglers.
"Just you left," John remarked after they completed their search. "Ready to go?"
The lady shrugged and gave a weak smile. "As ready as I'll ever be." John transformed and lifted her carefully from the ground before taking off. He flew quickly to catch up with the group, joining Reuben and Barnabas at the back.
There you are, John, Barnabas said in greeting. That went smoothly.
It did. The Blues haven't had time to get this far from the camp yet. I think this first run should be straightforward. It's the next lot which may be tricky.
Agreed. I'm really hoping we run into the other half of the Brown Dragon army that Gul sent away, Reuben commented. We could get them all out of here in one go if that happened.
That would be fantastic, John agreed. We have to assume that that won't happen though. They might not have even reached home yet themselves. Barnabas, if you don't mind carrying my passenger, I think it makes sense for me to go ahead and check what's there. Our success really depends on getting back without meeting anyone.
No problem, Barnabas replied, calmly taking the lady from John's claws. John saw her terrified expression, but she didn't make a sound.
There will be nothing, Reuben said confidently. We're flying away from their populations. I'll stay at the back this time, just in case. I doubt they'll catch up with us, but if I see anything I'll come and let you know.
John moved along the line of dragons, which was spread out after picking up the passengers. Not carrying a passenger, he was able to pass them by and leave them behind easily. It was not yet mid-morning and they were already on their way back, so John felt particularly confident about this part of the day. He kept the group just in sight behind him, flying ahead with his eyes scanning the horizon. It was not till they had been flying for four hours that he saw anything, but it was not Blue Dragons he saw. Coming to meet them from the south were Brown Dragons—at least four or five hundred—flying straight towards them. John began to descend as they approached and the Brown Dragons did likewise, meeting him in a clearing in the forest where their leader transformed to talk to him. John landed and transformed in front of him.
"Greetings, young man," their leader said enthusiastically, extending his hand. "I am Sully, commander of this unit. I see you bring home our women. We are indebted to you and extend our thanks."
Sully looked to be at least fifty, his hair having already turned white. John bowed respectfully before answering. "You are most welcome," John replied. "I am John and am leading these dragons. We need to return to pick up another group. Will you be able to take all of these women back with you?"
Sully looked up at the sky where John's comrades were flying to meet them. "We are not as many as you. We will not be able to take all of them. Some of you will have to accompany us."
John shook his head impatiently. "No, that wouldn't work. We need every single dragon or we won't have enough
to carry all of the girls. You do not have so far to go; perhaps you could make two trips. Leave half here and then return for the other half."
Sully looked around them before turning back to John, frowning. "Sorry, John, but the forest is too thin here; we cannot leave anyone. They would be spotted easily if any Blues came past. We will take those we can, but just do one trip."
John fumed quietly, doing his best to hide his frustration. The forest was thinner and hiding would be difficult, but not impossible. It was about an hour's flight from here back to the safety of the border; if they agreed to take all the prisoners it would mean they could get all of the prisoners back well before nightfall.
"Will you not reconsider?" John asked. "We are not so far from the border here, so you will not be away for that long. If they spread out they will be able to hide in these trees."
Sully held John's gaze, his expression resolute. "Absolutely not, John. A patrol only has to see one of these girls to catch them all. Looking at the size of your group, I think you must have about a thousand girls. We would have to leave five hundred behind. I'm sorry, but that isn't acceptable to me."
It was nine hundred, but John didn't correct him. "Five hundred near the border; refusing means we would have to leave just as many, but much further away."
Sully was still not swayed. "After your men have returned with us, they can go out again. That must have been your plan anyway, was it not?"
Natan landed beside him, lowered his passenger to the ground and transformed. "What is happening, John? Are we going back for the others now?"
John turned to Natan, seething inside. This could have been so perfect if Sully was just a little more flexible. "We are. Some of us anyway. We'll have to go in two groups. Give your girl to these men and take off again. Tell everyone not to leave until they've handed over their passengers."
He turned back to Sully. "Fine, we will do it your way. Tell your men to fly as fast as they can. I want my men back as soon as possible so this handover needs to happen quickly."
He turned to Reuben and Barnabas, who had just arrived and told them the plan. "We can't waste time here. Get some of the captains to organise these men. They only have five hundred dragons, so about half of ours will go with them."
Barnabas nodded. "Not ideal, but better than nothing. I'll lead these ones back and then return for you. I'll go up and direct four hundred of them not to land."
Within a few minutes, Barnabas had a little over four hundred of their group following him on their journey home. John and Reuben organised the handover, which took a little longer, and in dribs and drabs the dragons took to the air, the old group heading north again and Sully and his dragons taking the girls back. John and Reuben were the last into the air.
Splitting the group yet again, Reuben commented. This really isn't a great idea.
None of this is, John replied. Carrying passengers is risky enough as it is; it just slows us down too much. If only Gul had brought all of his troops—we could have all been home by now.
Or been attacked on the way home by Blue Dragons coming from those towns. Gul was right; it was a big risk and he had to destroy those towns. The problem isn't the Browns, it's that we didn't bring enough Golden Dragons. There's no reason why we couldn't have brought a thousand of our own. The battle would have been short and far fewer would have died and it would have been a lot less tense between the other three groups.
John didn't reply, knowing that Reuben was right. He was thinking of how the girls would respond; they would be elated when they saw them coming back early, but that would soon turn to disappointment when they realised that half of them would be left behind yet again. Reuben and John slowly overtook the group to rejoin Natan and then explained what was happening.
So we have nine hundred girls up ahead, Natan told them, and only five hundred of us. We're going to have to leave four hundred here.
Yes, Reuben replied, but the rest of our dragons will fly back after they drop off the ones they have. They'll come back and pick them up.
But they won't get them home before nightfall, Natan replied. It'll take too long. We, however, will get back with plenty of time though. Rather than having half of the group back early and the others left overnight, why don't we take half of them and fly for about an hour and leave them nearer to home and then come back and get the rest and take them all of the way? We'll still have time to get home and it'll mean that when the others come back they'll have enough time to get the rest of the girls back before nightfall.
John thought on this. That's a really good plan. Nice work, Natan. Let's do it.
It is, Dave agreed. Although, it won't be easy for the others to find them, as there are no landmarks over this forest other than the occasional river. They could easily be lost.
Leave some of us with them, Natan suggested. We don't need everyone for the second half of the group; we have five hundred dragons and there's nine hundred girls left, right? So we can leave a hundred dragons with them when we go back for the second lot.
Or just one, John replied, and send the rest on their way home.
I don't know, John, Reuben replied. Split our number even more? What if we have to fight?
Then we lose less people. We can't fight while carrying prisoners anyway; we can hardly fly properly. If we actually meet a sizeable force out here then I don't think we will have that much of a chance however many we are.
Great, Natan replied flatly. What an inspiration you are. Planning on telling everyone this?
No, just you two, although I'm guessing most dragons will have realised this anyway. Natan, you take the ninety-nine home. Reuben, you'll go back to pick up the second lot of four hundred, and I'll stay with the first ones to guard them.
You don't want to discuss this a bit more first? Natan asked, clearly unhappy with this outcome.
No, John replied flatly, too tired to argue. But I do want to know what is ahead. Natan, you fly ahead to the left, Reuben, you fly ahead to the right. The Blues will be out by now and will be searching for us; I want to see them before they see us. Go!
Natan and Reuben ascended, moving ahead of the group and spreading out. John looked behind at the five hundred dragons following. They had slowed since yesterday; although very fast fliers, the Browns did not have great stamina and could only fly these distances by greatly reducing their speed. They had achieved a lot, but still had a lot more travelling to do. Natan and Reuben might not like it, but these dragons were in no shape to face Blue Dragons in battle.
However, yet again, they had luck on their side and they travelled back to the girls at the stream without seeing any Blues. Gul's dragons were presumably keeping them occupied. John was the first to land at the site and was greeted by some nervous faces, including a very relieved Daphne, who hugged him when she saw him.
"You're earlier than we expected. Did everything go alright?"
John nodded wearily. "We've had a good run of luck so far. What about you? Anything interesting happen?"
"We've had Blue Dragons pass over twice," she replied. "I don't think I've ever been so terrified in my life. I think you could have probably heard my heart beating. There weren't many, I don't think, although it was hard to tell from down here."
"How long ago was that?" John asked anxiously, wondering whether he should take off to alert the others.
Daphne shrugged. "The second time was about an hour ago. But we're going now, aren't we? If they come back, we won't be here."
John shook his head. "Some of you will be. Not all will be able to fly back yet. Look, I'll explain later. I will take you now."
Natan had landed nearby and was talking to one of the girls. "Hey, Natan, make sure you leave last. Before you go, explain to those left behind what's happening and that we will coming back for them very soon."
"Thanks, John," Natan replied sarcastically. "They'll love that message."
"You're welcome, deputy," John replied with a smile. "See you back at the camp."
"What's happening?" asked a tall, dark-haired girl suspiciously. "Why have we been left here again? I thought we were going straight back this time."
"I hope you realise we have no food," a Red Dragon girl said, glaring at John angrily. "You do realise many of us are pregnant?"
"We came back early because we met a group of dragons who took half of our passengers," John explained. "But only half, so half of our number had to fly on with them and the rest of us returned for you. That meant we didn't have enough to take you all in one go. The others have all gone back to get the rest. You'll all be picked up when the ones who are flying up from the border get here."
"If they get here," a Brown Dragon girl pointed out. "There will be lots of Blue Dragons in the air now. Suppose they get attacked on the way here. They might not make it."
John reflected that that was far more likely to happen while weighed down with these girls, but decided not to mention it. "You're right, there are lots of Blue Dragons in the air. That's why you all need to keep hidden until the others get here to rescue you."
"Some rescue," one girl complained. "We have no water here; if the Blue Dragons don't get us we'll probably all die of thirst."