Frey's shouting startled Asbel, who leapt at once to his feet, ready to chase after the prince if this new bought of screeching had anything to do with another attack. Augustine reacted the same way: he rose at once and drew his sword, halfway to his brother's side before he realized there was no otherworldly danger threatening the young man.

"Leave them, Frey," he groused, sheathing the sword and shooting his brother an openly-irritated look (the first Asbel had seen since the trip began). "You need not harass the native wildlife."

Asbel, shaken from the shouting and the evident unimportance of the tree-high creatures, scattered part of his bread into the underbrush. Surely they ate harmless things, bugs and fruit, not people. An anxious shiver of fire fluttered across his skin, but surely there was nothing to worry about. Cassius, still seated, was watching the treetops carefully, and nothing so small -- however numerous -- would pick a fight with a vigilant dragon. Nevertheless, the sooner they got where they were going and the sooner they could go home, the better.