The dry trail, if you could grant that title to the bramble-conquered wastes, was a small consolation for Laz. It certainly beat climbing up the mountain through sliding mud, but it exhausted nonetheless. His boots were all but fused to his aching feet. His white tunic was bronzing with every gust of wind that coated it in dirt. When Calder explained how they would scout the mountains for a good homesteading location, Laz imagined them exploring one mountain a day until they found a suitable place. Now, however, the sun edged closer to the horizon, and they were half-way up their third peak of the day, in search of a mine entrance they had no clue if they would find.

“It’ll be dark soon, Calder,” Laz said. He had to force himself to not whine too much, lest Calder offer to carry him again. “Walking back down while we can’t see is begging for an injury. We can explore more another day.”

Calder, a few steps ahead and using a knife to cut away at a dead shrub in his path, sighed. “We can reach the top and then call it quits. I don’t want this day to be for nothing.”

Laz would have made more attempts at convincing him, had he the energy. Not only were they hiking for the past several hours, but they had taken it upon themselves to babysit as well. He sat down on a flat-enough rock and watched Irida pounce into a pile of rotting leaves. She had thankfully been staying close to them, though every hour it felt like she increased her wandering radius by a couple of feet.

Since their visit to the capital, Irida had been harder to convince to stay home alone. She would try to leave with them out the door, or if they managed to squeeze out without her noticing, would use her growing claws to decimate the wooden walls of Laz’s home. His greatest fear was that she would begin taking it out on his clothes, which he had no way of hiding from her.

The compromise had become simple. Laz would check back in at home after doing two or three jobs around town, then head back out after making sure their needy dragon had gotten her fill of attention. That seemed to keep her from waging war against the structure of the shack.

But exploring a mountain range, even a smaller one that was near to them, wouldn’t allow for frequent check-ups. Their solution had been stuffing her into a pack that Calder carried until they were out of sight of the townsfolk and in the heart of the mountains. Laz was impressed at Calder’s ability to lift a beast equal in size and seemingly made of solid gemstone. He assumed there must be some biological mechanism at play that made her lighter than she should be. But even then, Calder struggled. It was an extremely temporary solution, perhaps another reason Calder wanted to finish their exploration as soon as possible.

I thought it’d be easier to find one of the mineshafts. I remember seeing one once when Master Edre would send me to collect wickthorn. Our town is called Evermine! You’d think our mountains would have at least a few more signs of what we used to stand for, abandoned or not.

Irida left her pile of decaying foliage to inspect what Calder was up to. She crept up behind him, her eyes locked on to the knife he was using to saw through the dried plants. The trail ahead was raised a few feet off the ground, and would require a clear area to climb up. Laz watched in amusement, wondering if Calder was oblivious to Irida’s inelegant steps, or if he was just fine to let her play. There was no payoff, however, as instead of pouncing at Calder, Irida’s attention was stolen by a wine-speckled plover scurrying out of the thicket ahead and down the steep mountain path. Despite the size discrepancy between them, the bird was much better on its feet, able to whizz straight past a startled Irida and into a different swath of bramble before she could take a single step toward it. Laz laughed as Irida sniffed at the thorny tangle for a moment before returning to them, dejected.

“Do you think she would have eaten it if she’d caught it?” Calder asked. He was tossing the cut shrubbery to the side and testing the ledge’s durability by tugging at the root stems that were left.

Laz shrugged. “I doubt it. She’s never shown any sign of wanting to eat our food. Though that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have killed the poor thing trying to play with it.”

Calder shook his head at Irida, before hopping up the ledge and resting his hands on his hips. Irida followed him, leaping from next to Laz, through the few feet of air up to Calder’s side. It was her third massive jump like that of the day. While he knew her legs had been growing stronger, and she enjoyed springing about the house, Laz was surprised at how much distance she could make.

She’s probably been itching for a chance to stretch out and do what dragons were made to do. Which I guess is jumping? Irida, I need to learn so much more about you.

“Hey!” Calder waved Laz toward him from his highground. “There’s a nice little plateau here! Come on, I can pull you up. Then you can rest here while I finish the rest of the hike.”

Laz blushed. “I didn’t say I was too tired to go on, just that I’m worried.” He walked over and offered his hand to Calder all the same.

“I know, I know.” Calder locked one hand around Laz’s, allowing the twig-armed wizard to walk up the ledge and join him. “But I’m feeling worn out myself, so I can’t imagine you’re faring much better.”

Before Laz could respond, Calder stammered out more words.

“And, you know, I have years of knight training!” He pulled on the front of his shirt, unsticking it from his sweat-drenched chest. “It’s… It makes sense that someone without that might… you know.”

Laz was unamused. “Please. You think I don’t understand that you’re stronger than me?” He did find Calder’s out-of-breath state, with rosy cheeks and hair sticking down to his head, to be distracting. “But I’m not going to wait here while you go on your own. There’s wild animals up here, and I don’t have any charms or perfumes to ward them off.”

“Irida will stay with you,” Calder said. He gestured to his side where he had last seen her, but Irida was gone from the spot. Instead, she was two dozen feet ahead, digging into the side of the mountain as dirt poured down on her. “You’ve seen how she shreds up your house, so I’m sure a hungry pantry bear won’t be an issue. Besides, if you want to live in these mountains, you can’t avoid what comes with them.”

Laz clicked his tongue and walked past Calder. “Fine, fine. I suppose you have a point.”

He looked around at the small clearing. It was very level, flatter than any of the other parts they had climbed up. From the cliffside going up to the edge going down, it was twice as wide as the plot of land he lived on in town. There were even some patches of green grass that hadn’t dried out or been washed away by rain.

Surely some animal has already made this place its home. Is it right to chase them away?

He turned to watch Irida continue her quest at annihilating the mountainside. Her long claws were remarkably efficient at scooping dirt out of the cliffside and into a messy pile behind her.

If it’s for her sake, then I have to. Dragons are literally extinct! Well, besides her. That has to be more important than a single wild creature, doesn’t it?

“Damn, look at that.” Calder had yet to move ahead, and instead walked over to the mountain’s edge.

He was gazing over the valleys and mountains that separated Kradall from Sil-Chir, that stretched further than their eyes could see. The trees between them were in sparse clusters, doing what they could to survive the constant switch between flooding and drought that they endured. As annoying as the swamp-like terrain was in Evermine, it was consistent enough to allow farming and prevent thirst.

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“It’s not a bad view, but I’m surprised you’re so moved by this after living in the capital.” Laz joined Calder and looked out with him.

The sun was dipping low, flirting with a particularly tall peak on the horizon. The mix of massive gray peaks jutting from the earth, with the clusters of green forest and one or two modest lakes between them was all becoming coated in a pinkish-orange hue.

“I disagree,” Calder said. He didn’t turn his head away from the sight.

Laz waited for a follow-up that never came. The longer he waited, the more he became entranced by the scene. The sun didn’t stop sinking, and the changing sky repainted the valleys over and over in a new set of colors every second. Even the sounds of Irida digging faded into the background after a while, replaced by the distant bird calls backed by the wind rustling through the countless leaves below.

“Hey, Laz?” Calder eventually said. “I want us to go on another date together. Soon.”

Another date? Oh, right, the capital. I guess that was a date. But it’s not as if we can just go back there, and Evermine has exactly one place to go at night, and it’s a smelly tavern. Is us sitting in my house, eating soup, and picking apart jewelry not a date? Ah, I guess that isn’t much better than–

“What do you think about that?” Calder asked.

It was then Laz realized he was still staring ahead at the valley. He blinked and turned to look Calder in the eye. “A date? I’m– There’s not– Yes.” Laz froze and tried to untangle his thoughts, as he could see Calder becoming confused. “Sorry. My answer is yes.”

He must have an idea in mind if he’s asking. I have to stop assuming Calder can’t surprise me, when that’s all he’s done since I’ve known him.

Calder grinned, but instead of seeing it as cocky, Laz found it cute.

“I know the ball must have set your expectations high, but I have some ideas.” Calder set his hands on Laz’s shoulders and drew him closer. “Rill told me Evermine has a festival when the snow begins. We could go to that! Or we could come up here during a sunset again. If we clear out more of the shrubs, it would be a nice place to dance before winter comes…”

“I’d like that,” Laz said. “I’ve never had a date to any real events in town. It might be a nice change–”

Laz stopped when Irida bumped into him. He was grateful to feel Calder’s arm reach out and grab him before he teetered too close to the edge of the cliff.

“Careful, girl.” Calder made sure Laz was steady on his feet before kneeling down to Irida. “What’s that you found?”

Laz, who was more worried about not plummeting to his death, finally looked down at the assailant. She was using her wide mouth to clutch a long, smooth, wooden pole. It was dusty and grayed, practically fossilized. And there she was, swinging her head back and forth, turning herself into a weapon with it.

“What? Where did you–” Laz looked to the spot she had been digging. In the cliff face, next to a messy pile of dirt, was a small hole. “What did you dig up?”

Laz dodged Irida’s vigorous flailing and crossed the short clearing. The hole in the cliff was pitch black, and particles of dust in the air were being gently ushered inside. It was just large enough for Irida’s head to fit in.

A cave? No, what am I saying? That wood she found must mean this is what we’re looking for! If it was sealed off by a landslide then the wood would have been protected by the rain and wind over the years.

At the dig site, Laz looked inside the hole, only to be met with complete darkness. The setting sun lent very little help to see what was on the other side.

If only I had that light spell they used at the capital…

Calder’s footsteps approached from behind. “What is it? An old wagon or something? Part of a house?”

Laz debated putting his arm through the hole, but declined. Instead, he turned to Calder. “I think it might be one of the mine entrances we’ve been hunting. But it’s hard to tell, we’d have to come back with tools to dig it out or something.”

Calder’s face lit up. “Really? That would be amazing! This little flat bit of cliff would fit your new house perfectly! Here, maybe we can figure something out.”

My new house?

Irida, who was galloping about the clearing with her wooden prize, stopped to stare at Calder who was approaching her. He put one hand on the dusty wooden beam.

“Mind if I borrow this? I’ll give it right back once I’m done, promise.”

Irida opened her jaw and let him take it.

How does he do that? If I ask her not to bore through my walls she doesn’t even– Oh! That could work!

While Calder did his best to bust the wall open, Laz set his sights on Irida. He reached into his satchel to pull out a handful of the emergency gems he had brought along for her and held them up for her to see. The already colorful sun rays caught in them, refracting an array of glaring beams all over the cliff side and plateau. Irida immediately locked on to her meal.

“Hey, hey girl, come on, I have a snack here for you.” Laz waited for Calder to notice what he was doing and step aside, which he did when a ruby shot a beam into his eye. “You’re gonna have to dig for them, but here you go!” He threw the entire pile through the hole, listening as they scattered into the cave.

The dragon wasted no time leaping back to the wall, sinking her claws into the dirt. In mere seconds she had almost doubled the size of the opening. With each chunk of dirt flung away, a little more light revealed what was inside.

“Wow, she’s good at that.” Calder dropped the wooden beam to the ground and watched Irida with admiration.

Laz nodded. “It makes sense, when you remember dragons are supposed to eat gems and minerals and all that. If humans weren’t around to dig them out, they’d have to do it themselves.”

The moment Irida could fit her shoulders into the opening, she wiggled her whole body through. While she pounced around and gulped down the gems strewn about, the two watched as the small fragments of light were enhanced by Irida’s glittering hide. The entrance was still crude and not ready for human use, but Laz’s hunch was confirmed. It was a mineshaft.

“This means we can build here!” Calder was nearly cheering, his hands clenched up by his chest in excitement. “And it’s not too far away, less than an hour’s walk from town. We can get all the materials we need up here and start building tomorrow if we want!”

“Can we even afford all the lumber we’ll need right now?” Laz kicked his boots on the ground to shake off loose dirt, though he knew it was futile. “Maybe it’s time to utilize all that spare gold and silver we have.”

“Ah, I don’t think we’d need much.” Calder leaned into the entrance and looked around. “If you use this, it can account for most of the space. We’ll have to make sure it’s sturdy, obviously. I wouldn’t trust these old beams to keep it held up.”

“Well, I appreciate your thriftiness, but I don’t want to be some cave dweller. Even if it’s pricier, I want some of the house outside. At least the lab and my bedroom.”

Calder pulled his head out of the tunnel. “Your room? I guess Irida is getting too big to share a bed with. Her own room might not be a bad idea.”

He thinks he’s so clever, Laz thought.

“I know we had our fun at the ball, and I just said I’d go on more dates with you, but don’t think we’re jumping straight to sharing a bed.” Laz waggled his finger at him in exaggeration. “But you make a good point about Irida. So we’ll need three bedrooms, plus the lab. And maybe a built-in privy if I can figure out what they did at the castle.”

“Wait, me?” Calder pointed to himself. “You want me to live here with you?”

Is he joking? Wasn’t that the whole point of all this? He asked me to run away with him! Now he’s getting cold feet about living a little outside of town?

“Will Faramond not allow it? I thought that was our plan.”

Calder’s expression soured faster than Laz had ever seen it. “Ah, no.” He took a deep breath and recovered. “It’s allowed, I just… Yeah, okay. Three bedrooms, got it.”

“Did you think I was going to live out here alone?” Laz saw a chance to turn the tables and make Calder the flustered one for a change. He stepped closer and set a finger on Calder’s chest. “Weren’t you bragging about how your knight training made you so much stronger than me? Are you afraid to put it to good use or something? Like I said before, there’s beasts up in these mountains, stuff that could kill me!” He looked Calder directly in the eyes and smiled. “So, own up to that wish you made and protect me. You can’t do that if you’re living down in the barracks.”

Calder, cheeks redder than they had been all day, nodded. “I can do that. I forgot, none of your spells are too great at defending yourself. My mistake.”

“I suppose I could use Climate Control to overheat a dire fox with its winter pelt, but yes.” Laz laughed and stepped back. “Maybe that will be the next spell I learn. Something to defend myself while you’re out working.”

Irida’s head suddenly appeared between them as she clamored her way back outside. She looked out over the valley and watched as the sun was split in half by the distant peak.

“We should head back,” Calder said. He pulled his shirt up over his face and wiped it dry. “You were right, walking down a mountain in the dark is an awful idea.”

“Right. We’ll come back tomorrow, though. With more materials. And maybe a shovel to finish clearing away the tunnel entrance.” Laz let a cool breeze blow through his hair before starting down the trail they had carved out, excited to return.