It was currently 2:19 PM. My second shift of the day.

All was quiet. I hummed as Avyn swooped close to the treetops, both of our eyes scanning for any signs of trouble. Next to us, Amber and Rainsong did the same.

A gentle breeze ran through my hair.

The trees murmured quietly as hair pushed at their leaves.

The sun shined down on us, illuminating Avyn's gemlike scales.

My heart was slow and steady, as my sea green eyes looked down.

All was peaceful.

All was safe.

And then Amber screamed.

Avyn had already whipped around, and we watched as Rainsong hurtled towards the ground, her mouth open in a roar of absolute pain. "Amber!" I screamed at my plummeting friend. She looked terrified, her wild eyes staring down at the forest below.

Instantly Avyn dived after them, and I gripped my weapons that I had chosen. I went with two small daggers, with silver hilts and smooth, sharp blades.

As Avyn dove into the trees and onto the rough terrain below, I jumped off him and summersaulted down, rolling as I hit the ground. I ran over to Amber, who was crouched protectively over Rainsong. Rainsong was collapsed on the ground, hissing with pain.

My first instinct was to check the sapphire blue dragon over for where her injuries were, but the I heard a hissing, quivering noise coming from the forest boundary. The bushes rustled. Avyn bounded over the my side, and then he too stood in front of Rainsong, his wings spread to protect her. I could feel the fear and anger radiating off him, and when he turned for a heartbeat to glance at us, his eyes were red.

By now the rest of my patrol had landed (three third years, three second years, and two first years, Amber and I) and they too got out their weapons and prepared to fight.

And then the forest came to life.

Erupting from the leaves like a tsunami of darkness came shapeless figures of shadow, weaving, darting, snaking around us, hissing in one unanimous sound. I stabbed at them but my daggers went right through. The students in the patrol screamed as the shadows became solid for a moment and stabbed at us, but when we went to attack them there was nothing there but the absence of light.

"How can we kill things like this?" I screamed out. Suddenly, Avyn got an idea. He sucked in his breath, still guarding Rainsong defensively, and then shot out a blast of electric blue fire. I gasped in awe as the flames blasted forewords, igniting the writhing shadows. The shadow creatures screamed out, as it appeared dragonfire hurt them.

"Dragons!" I shouted. "Go! Use your fire!"

There was a loud eruption of sound as the dragons roared out fire of varying shades, pushing the shadows farther and farther back. The hissing, screaming shadows persisted for a few minutes before retreating into the woods.

My breathing was heavy. I gingerly touched at my face, which was littered with scratches from the short battle. I quickly checked that Avyn was okay, before hurrying over to the collapsed Rainsong.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, fear flooding my voice. Amber was crying, as her dragon was limp with her eyes closed. "I don't know!" Amber was running her hands over Rainsong, checking for where the wound was.

"There!" I saw suddenly - a bloody gash underneath Rainsong's wing. The flesh was torn and dripping blood, and in the center, a black arrow had driven itself into the blue dragon's flesh.

"Oh, Rainsong," Amber murmured, then turned to the rest of us.

"Well?" Amber demanded, teary eyed. "Do something! We have to get her back to the school's medical wing!"

Avyn jerked his head up and growled at the watching dragons. Then, his red eyes flashing, he pointed with his nose at the wounded dragoness. The other dragons stepped forward.

"It's not the best way of transportation," I sighed, "But we need four dragons. Each dragon must hold onto one of Rainsong's legs. We need to get back to the medical wing immediately.

Heads nodded as the frightened students jumped onto their dragons. I beckoned for Amber to ride with me. She murmured something to her unconscious dragon and then hopped on Avyn, who was watching Rainsong with now maroon (scared) eyes.

The group of dragons and riders carefully made their way back to the school, Rainsong swinging between us, like dead weight, as much as I hated to say it, and shouts and screams filled the air as we returned. The Academy's nurse rushed out and barked orders around; soon enough Rainsong was in a warm, enclosed, clean environment, healing from the nurse's magical equipment.

I laid back on my bed, my eyes closed. Amber had been silent the whole day. Since the attack that afternoon, everything had been quiet. Ominously quiet. I hadn't seen Aiden, otherwise I would be at his throat. Nobody knew yet what would happen to Rainsong. Would she even be able to fly anymore? The nurse told Amber that the arrow was lodged deep into the dragon and had long barbed spikes on its tip. It had cut right through the dragoness' still young scales.

What had Starsky come to, if there was the constant threat of an attack?

Or worse.

Death?