“Where did you go?” Weysh retorted. “One moment we were walking together, the next you took off into the trees and I had to chase after you. Then you were just gone!”

“Erm,” said one of the students from behind.

Weysh’s face went dark. “Who are they?” he said, and took a step toward them. Yenni put a hand on his chest.

“They are helping me bring my attacker to justice.”

He looked to her in alarm. “You were attacked again? By who? Where are they?”

“Weh-sheh, please calm down and I will explain. We were deceived.” She laid out how Devon must have used the deception rune to separate them.

Weysh clenched his fists, breathed hard, and let out a menacing dragon’s growl. “This never would have happened if I could properly smell!” he shouted. “I’d have noticed if your scent was in one direction and your image in another. Where the hell is Devon?”

“We’re taking him to academy security. Actually, now that you are here we can fly him there much faster. Change, and we will put him on your back.”

“Not just yet, I want a word with him.”

“No, Weh-sheh, he is dangerous and we need to get him to the authorities before he wakes up.”

“Before he—you knocked him out?”

“Yes.”

“A professor? You incapacitated an accredited professor of magic? On your own?”

“Professor or not, he could never best me at runelore. Now hurry, he—Weh-sheh!”

Weysh had gathered her up in his arms again. “Watcher above, but I love you,” he murmured against the top of her head.

“I love you, too, but now is not the time for this! Change, quickly.”

He backed away, grinning strangely from ear to ear, and changed to dragon. Yenni could only shake her head. For all his virtues, her Weysh could be a real oddity.

Next, one of the students staunched the blood flow with a basic healing incantation while Yenni collected her spear. Then came the task of hauling him up onto Weysh’s back. It didn’t help that Weysh kept nuzzling and sniffling her as they worked, until at last Yenni had to tap him on the nose and hiss at him to stay still. Yenni climbed up behind Devon to hold him in place.

“You two bring the rune puppet there,” she said to the two Creshen students. They glanced fearfully at it.

“Don’t worry, it cannot move without someone controlling it. Think of it as a giant doll.” How Devon had even come by it was another baffling mystery.

She turned her attention back to keeping Devon in place. “Let’s go, Weh-sheh!” she called. He flapped his wings and they were off.