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He sounded pretty confident, at least. But to be honest, he had no idea how they were going to accomplish it.

Tahnee pulled back from him a little, her shoulders squaring in determination. “You’re right. I can’t fall apart right now.”

A sudden wave of sound rose and fell from the direction of the castle – screams and yells and gasps – and Robb realized that the dragon must have buzzed the crowd who were watching the battle.

Great. Now I have to work out how to deal with civilians seeing an actual dragon, he thought in annoyance.

Though it was a problem he would happily deal with if and when it came, since at least it would mean that he and the civilians had all survived the encounter with the dragon.

There wasn’t any more time to think about it, though, because the dragon was coming back their way – and then, with shocking speed, it was right there.

Robb couldn’t do anything except hold on tight to Tahnee, doing his best to protect her if the dragon came at them with claws or flames.

I love you, he thought, and felt her arms tighten around him in response.

A blast of wind buffeted them, sending them staggering, and Robb caught a glimpse of a set of shiny black talons that were almost as big as he was – and then he closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

… The inevitable nothing.

Confused, he forced his eyes open again.

He was still there and in one piece. Tahnee was still held tight against his chest.

So where the hell is the dragon?!

There was, he realized, one thing missing:

The statue.

He pulled himself away from Tahnee just enough to try and work out what was going on.

Craning his neck, he looked up – to see the dragon hovering overhead, its mighty wings beating to keep it in place, while it examined the newest addition to its hoard.

Apparently it liked what it saw, because it nodded, seemingly satisfied.

Robb tore his eyes away from it just long enough to exchange a glance with Tahnee, whose face was twisted in incredulity, her mouth hanging open.

“Are you seeing this?!” she hissed.

Unable to do anything but nod, Robb looked back up at the dragon.

It tilted its head in what could only be described as acknowledgement, and then, with a stronger beat of its wings, it rose upward, before sending a stream of fire up toward the heavens.

That’s… not good, Robb thought.

But maybe that was all part of its gratitude, because then it started moving forward at a leisurely pace, heading back the way it had originally come.

A minute later the ground shook again – Robb could only assume that the dragon was returning to its lair however it had managed to get out in the first place – and then, it was like it had never been there.

Robb looked at Tahnee.

Tahnee looked at Robb.

“… What the fuck was that?!” she exclaimed.

“Seemed like a dragon to me,” said Robb inanely, not even entirely intending to make a joke out of it, but Tahnee gave him a gentle thwack over the head anyway.

“We really need to get back to the others,” he said, limping back to the gap in the maze wall.