Rainbow Magic (Dragon Rider #1) {EDITING}

Chapter Thirteen: The Many Hazards of Forests and Suspicious Barriers

Branches cracked underfoot, seven pairs of mud-caked boots trampling through the forest, two heads of ash blonde hair peering closely at the map they'd been given. They were already well into their allotted time given, but their destination still hadn't come into sight – a fact which both confused, and worried Sora. It was getting dark already, so they should've come across this so-called 'test site' a long time ago. The days were still rather long, which meant they'd been walking for hours already. The slight strain in her legs proved that much.

And that could only mean one thing.

They were lost.

Sora sighed. With her luck, she should've guessed something like that would happen. "I think we're lost."

Silver snorted. "You don't say, imbecile?" she muttered derisively, staring off into the distance.

"What's your problem?" Beatrice stared at their silver-haired teammate, folding her arms across her chest as she finally spoke up. "You keep insulting everyone... even when we've done nothing.. and sooner or later you're gonna start on my Callum, and then we'll have a serious problem."

"Not my fault if you're idiots," she muttered. "Someone should've noticed ages ago that those two chatterboxes were leading us incorrectly."

"So... um... forgive me for saying this," Callum spoke hesitantly, playing with the sleeves of his black coat. "But doesn't that include you?"

Silver huffed. "I'm above you plebeians."

"Plebeians?" Raelynn echoed, her nose crinkling as she stared at the silverette in confusion.

"It's an ancient term meaning commoners," Beatrice said, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shifted herself to cover Callum from the scathing grey eyes glaring at him. "Haven't you read the dictionary before?"

"Nope."

"Um... Bea... I don't think many people do that..."

"Oh." Her shoulders sunk.

Silver snorted derisively. "Moron."

"You go and lead the group if you're so good at it," Beatrice grumbled, yanking Callum into her side. "I'll wait here with my man, and we can laugh together when you fail."

"He's hardly a man, more like a little boy," she said, striding over to the twins, yanking the map out of their hands. "Let me see where you idiots are going wrong."

"Let's try not to argue too much," Sora said, raising both hands as she came between the pair before either could get another word out. She was the interim team leader, which meant she had to keep them together. Oz was counting on her to pull them through... and she had the vague impression letting their beloved instructor down wasn't something they wanted to do. "We can sort out our disagreements once we're out of this damned forest."

"Sor's right!" Raelynn declared, slinging her arm around Sora's shoulders before she could covertly slide away. "We're a team, and teams are supposed to stick together no matter what!"

"Must you be so loud?" Silver asked, glaring scathingly at the obnoxious blonde. "I'm trying to work out where we are, and I don't need you spouting drivel everywhere about teamwork, sunshine and rainbows."

Beatrice sighed at Raelynn's confused expression. "She's basically telling you that she thinks talking about teamwork is a waste of time."

"But teamwork is important!"

"I know, but it's Granny over there that you need to tell that to," she grumbled, squishing Callum into her side and Sora had the distinct feeling he was being used as a stress ball. "She's the one insulting us all."