edge of the crater as far as we can, and once we meet up, we’ll decide on our next move.’ He looked at the scout leader. ‘Try not to run into anyone.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Adam snorted, but he didn’t look as though he’d taken it personally. ‘We’ll see if we can tick off this route-mapping task whilst we’re at it.’ Without waiting for the conversation to continue, he turned and walked over to his team.
‘That’s everyone,’ announced the assistant instructor, who was handing out the necklaces. ‘Good luck.’ He smiled at them and, together with the other assistants, began to pack up.
A drawn-out horn blast rang out over the Crater, giving the impression that it was coming from right behind them. Draco felt a slight shiver. The other cadets seemed not to pay any attention to the sound, as if it were perfectly normal in this place.
The dragon glanced back just in time to see Adam’s team disappear among the trees. It looked as though they’d been given their task and had set about carrying it out.
‘We need to get a move on too.’ Cedric folded the map and pointed to one of the Crater walls. ‘Noah and Zane lead the way. The rest of you stay in your teams and keep within sight. Let’s go.’ He commanded, and everyone accepted the order without further discussion.
They made their way along the cliff at a brisk pace, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Fortunately, parthir, who was leading the way, used his magic to ensure the vegetation no longer blocked their path. Thanks to this, it felt more like a brisk walk than a struggle through thickets, which, judging by the number of thorny bushes swaying around them, would not have been particularly pleasant.
As Cedric had split everyone up so they wouldn’t walk in a large group, Draco found himself alone with Retfiled and Sheth. To say it was a bit awkward would be an understatement. Whilst the troll paid attention to the dragon when necessary, their leader seemed to treat the reptile
