Laurence stroked his muzzle. ‘I do not know what our course will be hereafter,’ he said. ‘I owe apologies, more than this, and must make them; and then I must write to Wellesley—I know not how, but I must tell him we will not continue in this manner. There will be no more of this massacre without quarter. We will manage our prisoners somehow; and we will seek out rather than flee from any force which has a gun, or a few dragons.’

Temeraire had not known how worried he had been, until the source of the distress had lifted. His spirits rose effervescently at Laurence's words. ‘How happy I am to hear it,’ he said, adding, ‘and I am sure we will take a great many prizes.’ However brave a face Laurence wished to put on it, Temeraire felt this could not be anything but reassuring.

‘More likely,’ Laurence said, ‘Wellesley will order me to come back and be hanged at once.’

‘If he does, you shall not go,’ Temeraire said indignantly, flaring his ruff.

‘No,’ Laurence said, after a moment. ‘I shall not.’

Sir,

I must beg your leave to acquaint you with an Alteration in the methods of our company, to which I hope you will not object, for humanity's sake, despite some increase in Inconvenience and in Danger, which all those officers in His Majesty's service presently reporting to me, and those dragons likewise, have gladly agreed to support, venturing rather their persons than their conscience.

The letter was written with difficulty, and was carried by Gherni.

They established their new camp between North Seaton and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, and began to put up a stockade manned with volunteers from the countryside. ‘We are making a nice honey-pot for them to rescue,’ Sutton commented, as the dragons cheerfully tore up trees: they had no guns to defend the walls.

‘Then at least they will have spent the time and effort to come for them, which they would otherwise use to bring fresh troops over from France,’ Laurence said. In any case, no-one objected; it shamed him again to see how greatly relieved the other officers and dragons both were by the alteration in their practice. He expected daily an answer from Wellesley, relieving him of the command, and wondered what he should say to the other captains when it came; or if Wellesley had found some other officer to carry on the work.

But no letter came. Three days later a great noise arose in the morning around their camp. Many ferals burst in upon them eager with news, and before their combined chatter could be worked out, the great dragons of the Corps were already landing everywhere, laden with men. One company after another were put off onto the ground, with supplies and artillery, then the dragons leapt away again with scarcely more than a call of greeting. Above them more dragons were flying past, the entire British army was on the move.