The early mornings were getting easier to wake up for. By the time Gunnar knocked on his door, Enzo was already awake. It helped that building the second furnace at the workshop hadn’t taken all night and Tobias had let Enzo leave as soon as they’d finished.

In turn, Enzo was in a better mood when Gunnar sent him off into the early morning darkness. The lack of grumbling managed to keep the sharp captain happy for once.

Amazing how a decent night’s rest makes the next morning much more bearable. I actually got off without any extra laps today.

As he rounded the village, Enzo thought about all sorts of things. Some mornings, he let his mind wander off into the random corners of the world. Others, he considered the strange dreams he sometimes had that seemed to come from another person entirely. This morning, Talwen was the main focal point of his attention.

The great red dragon hadn’t been seen since that night. Traces of the flames that filled their cave flickered at the corners of his vision. He shook his head to clear the memories. All things considered, it was good for the village that she’d left. The townspeople had moved on pretty quickly and no one was hurt in her flight from the cave. No one important, anyway.

Enzo wondered about her though.

I never did get a good chance to talk to her. Tobias made things seem like this was inevitable, that she was just using me, but for a little while, I felt like we were forging a bond.

His breath clouded up in the cold morning air as he jogged around the village. The trees were still, and the world silent. The first birds hadn’t woken from their slumber yet. He thought about the mornings he’d spent tending the egg while she hunted.

We were becoming a team, or so I thought. I guess as soon as she didn’t need me anymore, she moved on. I just wish we had a chance to talk.

The sun lazily crested the horizon as Enzo finished his last lap and returned through the village gate. Gunnar was normally in the sparring ring, talking with other guards or preparing for the day’s training. This morning, he was nowhere to be found.

Enzo made his way into the barracks and glanced around for Gunnar. No sign of the captain, wonder what horrors he has cooked up for us today.

With a shrug, he entered the communal kitchen and set to putting together his usual breakfast. Creamy oats topped with a bit of cheese and some steaming tea. Not as good as Olena’s, but you just can’t beat free.

He ate breakfast slowly, enjoying the rare opportunity to move through the morning at his own pace. Once he finished, he stretched and cleaned his dishes before returning to the courtyard. The sun shone over the wall and illuminated the village, taking away some of the chill of the morning. Two figures stood in the middle of the training area. Enzo raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare.

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Looks like I found Gunnar, but who’s that with him?

“‘Bout time boy, we thought you might have gone back to bed!” called out Gunnar, as he waved Enzo to join them.

He jogged over and was about to respond when he caught sight of the person standing with Gunnar.

Rena stood next to him, but the shy, bookish girl from the other night had vanished. In her place, stood a startling vision of beauty. She wore a dark green woolen dress that hugged her figure and accentuated her hazel eyes. Her straight hair was braided into a loose band that fell across her shoulder. She smiled and waved as he approached.

“Hey Enzo,” Rena said brightly when he’d finally picked his jaw up off the floor. “Just wanted to see if you were free this morning.” She glanced at him coyly. “You did say you wanted to spend some more time together.”

Enzo glanced at Gunnar. His heart pounded in his chest. A slow, knowing smile spread across Gunnar’s face.

“You’re in luck, boy,” Gunnar said. “I had planned a hike for some survival training today, but it looks like you’ll get to spend the morning with this lovely young woman instead.” The captain stepped closer and whispered in his ear. “Don’t you waste this opportunity, kid.”

He patted Enzo on the back. “I’m sure you’ll take good care of her! Don’t worry about training today, you’ll have double duty tomorrow. Have fun you two!”

With that, Gunnar vanished back into the barracks, leaving Enzo alone in the courtyard with Rena.

Did he say double duty tomorrow? What am I supposed to say to her anyway!? I didn’t prepare for this! What are we going to do?

Rena stepped forward and grabbed his arm, clutching it tight to her chest.

“It’s chilly this morning, I hope you don’t mind lending me some warmth,” she said as she gazed up at him with mock tenderness.

The move caught Enzo completely by surprise. The panic moments before was nothing compared to the combination of sheer terror and excitment he felt now. Before he could recover, Rena began to pull him back through the village.

Gradually, Enzo’s heartbeat returned to a dull roar pulsing in his ears. For a woman as small as she was, Rena was surprisingly strong. Not that I’m really resisting a beautiful woman pulling me

through town.

“So, uh, what did you have in mind today?” Enzo asked tentatively as they strolled through the village. Rena snuggled closer to him as they passed by the inn. The villagers they passed smiled and cooed. Enzo could just make out the gossip spreading like wildfire behind them as they made their way to the town hall.

“Well, you said you were going to take me to the Winter Festival in Baybreach this year,” Rena replied smugly as she led him into the main room of the town hall.

The long table was nowhere to be seen and the chairs were arrayed all around the room, leaving a suspiciously wide open area. Enzo glanced around, but they seemed to be alone. Rena grabbed his hand and pulled him into the center of the room.

“I had to find out if you could dance before you embarrass us in front of all those people,” she continued, grinning.