Cassius did indeed land gently, his wings flaring as he slowed the descent and settled on the grass like a great, scaly, over-sized feather. Augustine laughed again as the swirl of wild air around them settled, and he raked a hand through his hair as he slid down from the dragon's back.

Asbel moved more slowly, stiff with the cold from the higher altitude and half-hopeful that he might be able to cling to Frey again, as much a brat as the prince may have been. At least he was warm and steady and was back to being an understandable, prickly young man. And whatever else Frey was, at least he wasn't a dragon.

But the phoenix tucked his arms around his pack again as Augustine likewise began to move the luggage from the dragon's back to a heap alongside. "Let's get you turned back to a man, Cassius. You're enough of a lightning risk as a human being, but better that than a too-big reptile."

Cassius rumbled in veiled displeasure, but Augustine patted him gently on the neck and the dragon began the slow melting back into the dark-haired, sharp-featured man he'd been earlier in the day and took the spare clothes from the elder prince.

Asbel took that opportunity to further examine their landing place, and to glance at Frey to make sure he hadn't wandered too far. The younger prince, twenty feet away, could yet not be trusted to stay with the group (as far as Asbel was concerned), and the phoenix trotted over with the intent to herd him back toward the others. "Maybe the lightning frequently strikes the trees," he suggested by way of apologizing for his earlier standoffish. "How far do you think we have to walk?"