Free Longfang by Mark Robson

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wouldn’t have come near us at all. I’m pathetic!’
    ‘Nonsense!’ Nolita said firmly, shocked to see Kira like this. ‘You’re one of the most capable people I know. It’s freezing and you’re from a tropical
climate. What do you expect? Now stop running yourself down and let’s get your leg sorted out. What were those things anyway? They looked disgusting.’
    ‘Fang called them ice worms, and “disgusting” doesn’t begin to describe them.’ Kira shuddered and her eyes went distant. ‘No eyes, a large mouth full of the
most horrible teeth you’ve ever seen . . . and tough! I never realised something that size could be so difficult to kill.’
    Firestorm was quick to breathe his healing fire over Kira. Nolita sat with her back to her dragon, but also in the flow of his amazing blue nimbus. A sense of warmth and well-being rushed
through her as she sat with her friend. Her fatigue melted away and sensation returned to her fingers, toes, cheeks, nose and ears. Next to her, Kira sighed with relief as the pain in her leg first
eased and then disappeared altogether. No sooner had her wound closed than she was on her feet and at her dragon’s side.
    Fang’s healing was next. It took several breaths of the blue flames to heal all of the dusk dragon’s injuries. There were dozens of nasty wounds in the underside of his body. Some of
the ice worms had eaten right through his scales and deep into his flesh.
    Nolita watched with mixed feelings as Firestorm moved away. She was delighted to see Kira free from pain, but even with her friend at her side, Nolita was unable to totally banish the
apprehension that she always felt in the presence of the dragons. When he walked away from her, she felt a sense of relief, but this time he did not go far. Fire took a few steps and grabbed a
fallen pine trunk between his teeth. Although not fully grown, the tree was heavy. With a series of jerking movements that reminded Nolita of a dog pulling at a rope, he dragged the tree trunk into
the centre of the area he had cleared of snow and then he snapped it neatly in two. Using his great talons with remarkable dexterity, he rolled the two halves together before setting fire to
them.
    As Firestorm moved away from the burning logs, Nolita and Kira moved closer to enjoy the generous heat they gave off. Nolita had felt so well after bathing in Firestorm’s restoring breath,
she was surprised at how tired she felt. It took a while for her to realise that this fatigue was not her own. It was coming through the bond. The healing fire of her dragon had revived her and her
friends, but his efforts had left him exhausted.
    ‘Thanks, Fire. You were amazing. Now rest,’
she told him gratefully.
‘You’ve earned it.’
    ‘Thank you, Nolita,’
he replied.
‘But we must not stop long. We have to find the others before dawn. Aurora’s gateway to the other world will be a welcome sight
at sunrise. Segun and his men cannot follow us there. It will be good to leave them as far behind as possible.’
    They rested for just over an hour. The two girls sat quietly soaking up the heat from the fire and taking the opportunity to eat and drink. Occasional movements in the snow at the edge of the
melted area niggled at the corners of their eyes to begin with, but it was not long before all fell still and silent aside from the gentle crackle of the fire.
    The girls talked in low voices, and first Kira and then Nolita told of what had happened after they had split. Nolita told Kira about the fear she had experienced when she had thought she was
going to spend the night alone with her dragon. Kira was a good listener and spending this time with her reminded Nolita how much she missed her older sister, Sable.
    It was Firestorm who insisted they move again. The snow was still falling, as was the temperature.
    ‘We cannot delay any longer,’
he told Nolita.
‘I sense night dragons approaching. They are still some distance away.