Zaina’s eagle landed first. The force on Zaina and her ice-cold hands was so great that she lost her grip on the top of the saddle. She slid over the eagle’s wing onto the hard floor.
Ouch.
A young Knight came rushing forward. “Are you all right?”
Ow, ow. Her hands hurt from hitting the ground because they were so cold. Her legs were so numb that she couldn’t get up.
A lot of other people were rushing into the stable. The air was filled with voices.
“Look, that one is Jeito’s bird.”
“Where is Jeito?”
“Who is this woman?”
“Where is the expedition?”
“Where is Rider Tomason?”
They all crowded around.
A Senior Knight helped Zaina to her feet. “Who are you? You’re Aranian?”
“I was on the expedition. I’m a mechanic and I was with them to look after the engines. I managed to escape.”
