Fyren knelt at my side, picking me off the ground and setting me gently on my feet. Even on one knee, he was tall enough to look me in the eye. I tottered a step and fell into him, hugging his arm for support.
"What happened?" I asked breathlessly.
He shook his head. "That's my question. What took you so long to come out?"
I bit my lip. "I'm sorry. There was a dragon."
He took a long breath, and his voice softened. "I'm aware. We killed the other one, if you'll recall."
I flinched, feeling somewhat chastened. His voice softened.
"I'm asking why it took you five whole minutes to take care of it. I've been looking everywhere, thinking you might have popped out and gotten lost. The city has changed a bit."
"Five minutes?"
Had it really been so long? I'd lost track of time watching the remnants fight, but it felt like the battle had taken just seconds.
