The crisp rush of night air runs against my face and I exhale slowly, savoring the cool breeze. By now the five of us were out of the doors, but we still had another challenge to face before we can truly say that we're out of the school.

Members of the Night Guard, the elite team of students and army soldiers compiled to defend the Academy, swoop overhead on their dragons. Navi would have been a dead giveaway for us if Aiden hadn't used his shadow magic to disguise not only her bright silver scales, but the rest of us as well. Slowly we snaked along the concrete esplanade, nearing the stairs that would lead us out of the school. We had already managed to cross the walls around the school, so we didn't have to worry about that.

Navi gave a slight grunt as the Night Guard disappeared. Aiden let up his shadow magic and gave a heaving sigh of relief as the pressure of hiding us all was pretty difficult for him.

I hopped down the stairs, my backpack bouncing as I jumped, and landed in the cool grass below. Looking up, my gaze was met with a wall of imposing trees, hiding who knows what beyond their barricading branches and leaves.

Everyone stood in a line before the trees, looking out at them. I tossed a glance behind my shoulder and the silhouette of my beautiful school. I felt a pang of regret as I remembered the letter I had sent to my mom, and how she must be worried.

I won't recall it exactly, but I had mentioned I might not write her for a while, but that I was fine. What if I had been lying? What if I wouldn't be fine? What if... What if somehow I died and never saw my mom again?

The thought sent a nasty array of shivers across my body, and so I shook my head slightly and gave a wave, stepping forward. The small party followed me, and we crept into the woods like a pack of wolves returning to their territory.

I hissed out in a brief moment of pain as a jutting branch cut my leg. I was really regretting my dumb decision to wear leggings - they were getting torn left and right as we tripped and bumbled through the dark forest, unable to see the terrain around us very well.

I checked my watch. It was 4:00 in the morning. Me, Thalia, Amber, Aiden, and Navi had all agreed to get a safe distance from the school before setting up camp for the first time, in case someone came looking for us.

Another hour passed.

"Guys, hold up," Aiden panted eventually, hands on his knees. The rest of us, who were moving at a brisk pace, determined to get to our dragons, slowed and looked at the exhausted black-haired boy. He wiped sweat off his forehead, and I did the same.

"Look, if we want to make good progress we'll need rest. There's a cave over there," Aiden pointed to a dark cavern in the distance, "And I think we should sleep, eat, and hydrate before moving on."

There was a brief mumble of conversation between us three girls before we agreed. It hurt me to stay away from Avyn any longer than I had too, but I knew Aiden was right. What use would I be if I was exhausted, starving, dehydrated, and weak?

And so we travelled over to the cave, weary from walking for five hours, and were prepared to step right in when Navi emitted a low, guttural growl.

I looked at the dragoness with her glaring icy blue eyes. She stared into the dark cave in front of us and opened her mouth, baring her teeth in a dominant fashion. Aiden's eyes flashed and he warned the rest of us to get back.

A matching rumble came from the cave, and I groaned, figuring out what it was.

A massive grizzly bear emerged, his eyes dark and deadly, and snarled, saliva dripping, at Navi. Navi was twice as big as him, but the bear would definitely do some damage if he could land a strike.

Navi seemed to notice this as well, and so she wanted to scare him into submission before a real battle started. She spread her massive, leathery grey wings, and let out a roar so loud it shook the ground. The bear, in return, roared back. My heart thumped.

Navi, like a dagger, darted forward until she and the bear were nearly touching noses. He grunted, surprised, and took a step back. Navi roared again and the bear galloped away, his paws rising and falling, his short tail bobbing.

Navi looked relieved, and warned us to stay back as she investigated the cave and made sure it was all clear. Aiden reminded us that the cave wasn't the bears permanent home, only a den for the night, so we didn't have to worry about evicting it forever. It could come back as soon as we left, as well.

I snuggled deeper into the tiny sleeping bag I had managed to bring with me, annoyed at the gravelly stones and dirt poking at my back.

It was the morning of our third day travelling. Well, kind of the morning. It was 3:00 AM, which was technically the morning, but my aching, tired body argued anyways. I felt exhausted, and yet sleep didn't come to me.

Finally I opened my eyes and quietly got up from my sleeping bag. That night we had stayed in a little dig-out underneath some massive tree roots, which was definitely more comfortable than the cave, but not exactly a 5-star mattress, either.

I stretched as soon as I emerged from the concave burrow and felt around until I saw moonlight reflecting off the shimmering surface of the water. Quietly I creeped down until my feet felt the mixture of sand and dirt, and then I sat with my toes in the gentle waves of water.

It stayed like that for a long time - the sounds of a forest a night; crickets, owls, bushes rattling, and the lapping of water on the shore of the lake.

Eventually I couldn't help but cry a little. I still couldn't talk to Avyn, couldn't feel him. Nothing would comfort me more right now than a snarky comment from him, or the feeling of his muzzle resting on my shoulder. Was he okay? Was he thinking of me every second, like I was of him?

I don't know how I managed to live as well as I did before I got Avyn. How did I laugh? How did I enjoy life without his company, his presence by my side?

I eventually stifled my tears, willing myself to be strong. Be strong for Avyn, I told myself. I will see him soon.

After I had shed and then dried my tears, I stood again and returned to the temporary shelter. Everyone else was asleep. Quietly I burrowed back into the sleeping back, ignoring how it didn't quite fit me, and managed to doze off into a restless sleep.

The sun glared into my eyes and I let out another large yawn. Recently I hadn't been getting very good sleep, not at all. It was nearly noon, and the sun was hot and blinding.

"Guys," Aiden's voice interrupted.

I stopped walking and looked at him.

"Well?" Thalia questioned him.

Aiden's eyes were wide, and he looked tense. He paused, licking his lips and sighing, before uttering his following words.

"We're here. We're at the Fortress."

I turned, peering through the dwindling line of trees, to see that he was right.