"I'm sure that they can manage without me. Besides, the Five have promised to turn up in my place."

Which meant, of course, that - as if to make up for his absence - all disappointed parties were going to find five smaller but no less interesting dragons flopping around the area in Aidan's place. He liked to think that it was a good trade-off.

Aidan's gaze swept over the entire room, taking everything in just once before he sat across of his old friend.

"As I've told you already," he quietly said, "things have been interesting lately."