Ever since Dreamfyre had absorbed some of the Heart of Winter's energy, her scales' defensive strength, the power of her dragonfire, and her flight speed and endurance had all improved tremendously.
Among the great dragons, Dreamfyre's fighting prowess had now reached a point where even Vhagar might not be able to defeat her outright. After all, once a great dragon grew beyond a certain size, its sheer bulk began to severely hamper its agility.
Dreamfyre, Vermithor, Cannibal, and Silverwing were all at the peak of their lives by every measure. As long as they did not engage Vhagar in direct physical combat, they might well be able to hold their own against her.
Danyla had departed Runestone that afternoon and reached the Cisland Peninsula early the following morning, spending the entire night on dragonback. It seemed that only this way could she escape the torment of her nightmares.
Even after flying continuously all night, Dreamfyre showed no signs of fatigue, making it clear just how much she had improved.
The Bay of Ice was much warmer now than when Danyla had last visited. The Cisland Peninsula in particular was already covered in green, while stretches of yellow-green tundra had emerged along the distant Frozen Shore.
In fact, it was not just the Bay of Ice. Temperatures throughout the North had risen considerably. Perhaps this was one benefit of the end of the Long Night and winter. There was just no telling how long this long summer would last!
Sensing Danyla's presence, Little Balerion and the others immediately took flight from beneath the cluster of towering weirwoods and flew excitedly toward Dreamfyre.
"Raaawr!"
Grey Ghost was the fastest and reached Dreamfyre first. They had been apart for only a little over a month, yet she had already grown noticeably larger. Little