was exactly what he intended to do. Given that Noah seemed to be the only person in their group skilled in administering first aid, this was by no means a trivial task.
‘Let’s go along the shore.’ The reluctant medic pointed to the reeds stretching along the edge of the lake. The tall cattails and calamus would hide them easily. ‘At least I’ll be able to make sure no one spots us.’
‘We’ll have to come out somewhere…’ Draco was more focused on the tower looming on the other side than on what they’d just left behind. The plume of smoke rising above the forest was growing thicker all the time, but for a good while now it hadn’t been spreading as quickly as it had at the start.
‘We’ll get halfway there and try to join up with our lot. Zane should spot us. He might not be quite as good as Adam, but he’s still pretty decent.’
‘Worst-case scenario, we’ll run into our ever-so-charming pyromaniacs.’ The dragon pointed behind him, wondering just how much destruction would be wrought during a single training session.
‘Pyromancers,’ Noah corrected him. Parthir placed his hands on the surface of the lake, and a narrow passage opened up in the reeds. ‘They’re sensitive about what they’re called.’
‘In the current situation, it amounts to the same thing.’ He shrugged, though he understood the difference between the two terms perfectly well. His race obliged him to distinguish such details.
‘You may well be right…’ Parthir stepped into the reeds and fell silent.
Draco followed in Noah’s footsteps, trying to keep up with him. He turned back a few more times to check that no one was following them, but the rushes completely obscured his view. Even the barrier raised high above them was barely visible amongst the reeds. The silence was broken only by their laborious footsteps in the water, which reached up to their waists.
‘Why did they attack us in such a… style?’ The dragon was getting a bit fed up with the silence. ‘First Aiden tried to be quiet, and when
