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Surprised, thehis terrible fangs His foul breath alons falter Lola turned her plane and landed neatly on the head of one of the stone dragons She had done her work for the ons circled above their ene as he followed them with his red eyes "So here are two of you"

His voice shook the stone colu down an iron pipe "And with your brownies on board, too Not bad! Brownies always ?" Sorrel leaned so far down froed her whiskers "You’re the one on the olden meatball!"

Nettlebrand didn’t so lance, licked his lips, and reared uparound ireed as his claws scraped fitfully over the stony ground "Co at the eether I want to see you scatter like a flock of frightened ducks when I bring one of you down"

Bellowing, he raised one claw and slass Splinters of stone shot around the cavern But the two dragons, flying as steadily as ever, kept on circling above his head

"There are no others!" called Firedrake, diving so low that his wings almost brushed Nettlebrand’s nose

Ben and Sorrel both felt their heartstheir straps, they cowered down behind Firedrake’s spines

"We’re the only dragons here," cried Maia, ski over Nettlebrand’s back, "but ill overcoon riders"

Furiously Nettlebrand whipped around

"Dragon riders -- huh!" He twisted histo scare me with those old stories, are you? Where -- are -- the -- others?"

Ben didn’t notice Twigleg slipping out of his strap Inconspicuous as a tiny mouse, the homunculus claleg!" cried Ben, horrified

But the ho his hands around his mouth, he shouted in a shrill voice, "Hey, yoohoo, look who’s here, master!"

Nettlebrand’s head shot up in surprise

"Here I aon rider’s shoulder There aren’t any other dragons Get it? I lied to the dwarf! I lied to you, too! You’re going to !" cried Ben "Get down"

He tried to pluck the ho to his hair, shaking his tiny fist

"This is e, rin "Well, look at that!" he growled "Our spidery friend riding the silver dragon My old armor-cleaner Look at the fool up there, Gravelbeard, and let what I’m about to do to hi yelled, al off Ben’s shoulder "Haven’t you noticed? Gravelbeard isn’t with you anymore He’s abandoned you, just like me You don’t have an ar one, either"

"Quiet, Twigleg!" Firedrake called back to hi His claw struck out with terrible force at the circling dragon Firedrake only just avoided it But Twigleg uttered a shrill screa on to -- and fell headfirst into the depths below