Lori had spent the next hour fuming as she thought of ways they could rescue Bing from his indulgent balloon excursion. Each idea was more ridiculous than the last. At one point she considered having Jangles blast the balloon with fire and swooping in to catch the basket. He probably could do it, but it just wouldn’t be worth the risk, although it would give Bing one hell of a scare, and she chuckled to herself at the thought of it.

  Her father, wise and experienced with so many things, had no advice for her. Flying was something he had no experience with at all. In fact, he had never flown before Jangles had come into their lives, and come to think of it, this may only be the second or third time he had flown on the dragon.

  It frustrated her that she was the only one besides Jangles who could tackle this problem. In every part of her life there was always someone, usually her dad, who knew more than she. But now she was the expert, or the best available, and it was up to her. She appreciated her dad showing faith in her, but she also realized that he had no choice, either. It was a strange, heavy feeling.

  An idea had begun to form when Ebeneezer surprised her and interjected into her thoughts by tugging on her coat sleeve.

  “I spotted the balloon!”

  He handed her the spyglass as he positioned himself to sit with his back against the console, facing her. Thankfully, he was much smaller than Selene. And she was going to have to get another telescope if she had any more trips like this.

  He pointed ahead and slightly to starboard. Lori gently pushed him to the side as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the pilot’s console to steady the telescope and searched the horizon. She spotted the thing almost immediately, a balloon in shades of purple decorated with large flowery patterns.

  No wonder Bing was air sick. The balloon rolled and spun in the wind and the basket twirled about like a pinwheel almost independently of the balloon. She wondered if Bing was still in there, or if he had been bounced out by now.

  “That’s it,” she said, sitting up straight and putting the spyglass back in its compartment on the console. “Now, Ebeneezer, here’s what I need you to do.” She told the kobold her plan, and his face fell, his long, wiry whiskers drooped.

  “Are you out of your bloody mind?”

  Lori shrugged. “He’s your friend, not mine. His life is in your hands.” She pointed her thumb behind her. “Shall I go back there and tell Selene you can’t be bothered to save her father’s life?”

  Ebeneezer's tiny black eyes widened just enough to reveal the white of his eyeballs, his whiskers quivered with agitation. His shoulders sagged, surrendering to the inevitable. "Fine..." he murmured in resignation.

  “Good. You go back and tell Devin and Selene. I’ve got my own chore to do.”

  Ebeneezer nodded and made his way back, gripping any available hand and foot hold. Lori braced herself for the task she had to do and unstrapped herself from the pilot’s seat.

  Gripping a belt strap she used as a lifeline when crawling around in mid-flight, she cinched it around her waist, and with care, she crawled over the pommel of the saddle.

  She cautiously climbed onto Jangles' neck and fastened the other end of the strap around it to create a safety line between them. The gold and yellow dorsal ridges on Jangles' neck jutted out like a saw-toothed blade, forcing her to move almost sideways along his neck. They were not sharp, and she used the fins as hand and foot grips, inching the strap over each fin as she progressed. When she finally reached Jangles' head, he scolded her, "What in the devil are you doing?"

  "We've got a problem," she said, explaining the situation and then outlining her plan.

  “Are you out of your human mind?” Jangles exclaimed.

  “Jangles, if you’ve got a better idea, now’s the time.”

  The dragon stared ahead at the oncoming balloon, now only a few miles away. “Alright. We have to try. But Lori,” Jangles large golden eye fixed on hers, “if it comes to it, I’ll let them fall to save you and dad.”

  Lori shrugged as best as she could for someone hanging from a dragon’s neck at fifty knots several thousand feet in the air. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  With the plan set, Lori began her slow, deliberate retreat, inching back along Jangles' neck using the fin ridges as she had before. The wind whipped against her face, biting with ferocity, but she kept her focus, ensuring her lifeline remained secure. The dragon's scales felt cool and slick beneath her fingers. When she finally reached the saddle, she strapped herself in, her heart pounding like a war drum, and tried to mentally prepare herself for the next part of their daring, and hopefully not stupid, mission.

  “Dad?” Lori shouted over her shoulder as she adjusted her hat and tightened the drawstring, her voice barely cutting through the howling wind, “Are you strapped in good and tight?”

  Ford rechecked his straps and patted them firmly. “I’m good, kid,” he replied, his tone steady but laced with underlying concern. He put his hand on her arm, his grip reassuring. “Do you really think you can pull this off?”

  Lori flashed a grin at her father, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “No, no I don’t,” she admitted.

  Ford nodded, serious as ever, his expression softening. “Listen, no matter what happens, Bing got himself into this. If you fail, it’s not your fault. If you succeed, he’ll owe you his life.”

  “That’s a debt I intend to collect,” Lori said, an ominous edge to her voice, determination gleaming in her eyes.

  She took a coil of rope from a compartment on the side of the saddle and tied a simple bowline knot. Then, with the wind whipping her clothing fiercely against her body, she got out of the saddle and maneuvered along the side back toward Devin. She handed the rope to him, who held it as she tied one end of it to one of the saddle’s rigging rings.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Selene sat behind Devin, her arms around his ample waist. Lori fixed her with a serious stare. “Bing’s got one chance at this, do you understand me? I will not risk Jangles life, or my father’s. If Bing doesn’t do what you say fast enough, this isn’t going to work, and we will have no choice but to abandon him.”

  Selene bit her lip as she nodded, her eyes flickering with worry. “What if he’s unconscious? He was awfully sick when I left.”

  Lori tightened the clove hitch knot, her fingers numb from the icy gusts. “That will make it easier. Just do what I told you and we’ll be able to save his life.” The words were strong, but a flicker of doubt crossed her face. She climbed sideways again, her movements slow and deliberate against the fierce wind, back to her seat. She met her father’s eyes as she passed, and shook her head at the situation.

  Once back in her seat, she made quick notes on their position, then put the folio away. She squinted at the sun, sitting low in the sky. It was past six o’clock. They had to do this fast.

  Lori's gaze was fixed on the balloon as they approached, her breath catching in her throat. The balloon looked alarmingly unstable, its basket swinging wildly back and forth like a pendulum. The ropes strained under the pressure, while the fabric of the balloon billowed and undulated with the gusts of wind. Lori could almost feel the tension in the air as the basket accelerated in its arc, each swing more precarious than the last.

  Lori whistled the signal for ‘ready?’. Jangles shook his head in exasperation. He took the initiative, and turned far to starboard. Lori tensed, wondering what he was doing. But she had to trust her dragon, and she watched as Jangles wings turned and twisted, gently, subtly, testing the air currents as he lined himself downwind of the twisting balloon.

  The purple balloon crept closer as Jangles tilted his wings to lift above it. Lori held fast to the pommel handles, her grip so tight her hands hurt. Slowly the balloon made its way underneath the dragon, beyond her view, then her stomach lurched as Jangles dipped low.

  Lori could not see, but she knew Jangles had gripped the balloon with his claws, piercing the fabric and releasing the hot air. Jangles rocked back and forth as he took on the churning of the balloon into his flight, and within moments he had adjusted to its rolling and stabilized it. Their rocking decreased, but at a cost: Jangles’ wings strained to keep them as still as he could manage, but it took a lot of effort. A quick glance at the altimeter told Lori they were sinking fast. They had very little time.

  Jangles gave a roar, the signal that he thought he was ready. Lori looked behind her and pointed at Selene, who nodded, gripped the rope with both hands and tipped herself over the side. She fell several feet before she transformed, and in her crow form she disappeared below with the rope in her claws, the loose end flapping as wildly as her wings as she fought the storm.

  Now they had to wait. Lori watched Jangles wings strain to keep them stable, strain against the wind to gain what little lift he could. Despite his efforts, the altimeter dial spun, and they had very little time before they would dip below the relative calm to the spinning storm below. Jangles might be able to lift back out of it, but Lori knew he had been pushed too far today.

  Lori gripped the pommel handles. The altimeter readings acted like a countdown. The wind beat against her coat, her hat, her hair, like the ticking of a clock. She would not let Jangles back into that storm. She would leave Bing to drop to his death before that.

  Ford tapped her shoulder, and her gaze followed where he pointed. Serene flew haphazardly in the wind to the starboard, coming toward them as best she could. She crashed landed against the side of the saddle, wings flapping furiously as she gripped at the saddle with her claws and beak. When she found a decent grip, she transformed back into Selene, her teeth clamped onto a rawhide tie. She found purchase with her hands and released the tie.

  “I got him. He’s really woozy, but the rope is on him just like you said!”

  “Get strapped in!” Lori ordered, and Selene made her way to her seat with Devin’s help. Lori blew the whistle loud and clear, and Jangles released the balloon with a jolt that every passenger could feel. Lori leaned over as far as she could and saw the great purple balloon dropping away like a stone. Lori’s eyes widened: the gashes Jangles had made with his grip were far larger than she had imagined they would be. No wonder they had been dropping so fast!

  Lori looked behind her, leaning over to see past her father, who was also watching for Bing, who was definitely below, that was for sure, judging by the strain and effort Devin showed as he pulled up the rope. Ebeneezer stood by, leaning away from the dragon with one hand holding onto the cargo net of the top pack, the other aiming his cane, waiting for Bing to swing into view. Selene watched, her dark eyes wide with fear.

  Devin continued to pull, foot by foot. Serene coiled the rope behind Devin, trying to keep him free to pull up her father without getting tangled. Devin’s face was red, blood vessels bulging on his forehead. His forearms strained as he tugged yard after yard, the rope straining against his leg and the saddle.

  Bing never swung back. Part of Lori’s plan had been for Ebeneezer to grab hold of Bing with that magical green tentacle he used so often. Lori bit her lip. The wind and their flight angle must be keeping him just out of sight. Lori signaled Jangles and he turned to port, then to starboard, back and forth.

  Finally Bing swung into view, hanging with the rope tied under his armpits looking like a sad dog being held by the scruff of his neck. Lori signaled Jangles to keep turning starboard, and Bing stayed in place long enough for Ebeneezer to extend his glowing green grip down and grab hold of the swaying sorcerer. Together, Ebeneezer and Devin hauled Bing up.

  Lori turned her attention back to the pilot’s console. She had Jangles turn back to port nearly ninety degrees to get them back on course. She checked the time and speed and made notes in the folio, then began calculating where they might be. Whether they got Bing aboard safely or not didn’t matter right then. She had to figure out exactly where they were.

  She heard exclamations from behind her, and turned to see Bing settling into place behind Selene. He looked grateful, but paler than usual with a hint of green to his skin. Devin’s face had turned purple as he panted hard and nursed his rope burned hands. Lori told her father to pass the word back that Bing had better be strapped in as securely as possible. As sick as he was, Lori didn’t want to chance him passing out and falling overboard. She handed Ford a canteen to pass back. Lori figured he would be needing water and food, but the latter would have to wait until they had landed.

  She patted Jangles neck hoping he would take that as a sign they had succeeded. Lori continued with her calculations and placed them at about two hours due east of Hakitaw. She grimaced at the sun ahead when she realized that, at best, they would be landing after twilight. She slammed her folio shut and put it away. She drummed her fingers on the pommel as she thought. Urgency be damned, she was not going to set Jangles down after dark. As she saw it, they had no choice but to land at sunset, wherever they may be.

  But there was a few things working in their favor: for one, she could see through the spyglass that the eye of the storm lay very close, and it served as a beacon for Hakitaw’s location. And secondly, she had been to Hakitaw before. The town wasn’t on any flat surface, it climbed up and over the eastern side of Wayahee Hill, and the mine itself lay on the western side. At the foot of the hill lay a very flat plain with few settlers and fewer structures for Jangles to avoid.

  They would land on the plain. Ebeneezer and Bing could complain all they wanted, but that was the safest place to land in these conditions.

  Lori smiled wickedly to herself. If they complained too much, she would make them walk. All the way up the hill.

  And she and her father would fly on Jangles and wave as they went by.

  No, that wouldn’t happen. Her father wouldn’t allow it.

  But it was fun to think about.