They got to the gates of Aldrion by midday the next day. The last stretch of the trip had been slow, filled with a lot of falling in the snow and picking each other up. When they arrived in Aldrion, they were stopped by the gates by guards. One guard pulled out a sheet of paper on a clipboard with a small pen. He looked the party over and then down at his sheet.
“We were supposed to arrive yesterday,” Grace said. “We got attacked by bandits when traveling through the narrow passage about midway.”
“How did you survive the night?” the guard asked without looking up from his paper.
“We found the bandits' hideout,” Grace said. “They had been sleeping in a cave nearby, to the northeast. They had a fire pit and some wood in the back.”
“That was awfully convenient,” the guard said, giving Grace a lift of his eyebrow.
The two guards behind him snickered, and Mel felt a hostility she hadn’t expected. These were supposed to be the good people who protected the valley, not bullies or nobles like the leaders of Stonehearth.
The three guards all had the blue uniform of Aldrion and a thick navy cloak hanging over their shoulders. They looked comfortable in the cold weather and the wind didn’t seem to bite at them like it did to Mel. Behind the guards, the two large wooden gates stood open. Around the city, a massive stone wall stretched. Even the side to the valley was heavily guarded, and this took Mel by surprise.
What did they think the people of the valley would do? Storm their castle?
“Look here,” Grace said, stepping closer to the guard. “I don’t know who you think you are. But it’s never been illegal to arrive a day too late. You should know the mountain pass is treacherous and if your soldiers patrolled the area once in a while, we wouldn’t have been attacked by those bandits and gotten here late. What do you think the governor will have to say about that?”
“Like the governor would believe you,” the guard said.
“I think he might,” Grace said. “Since I’m Grace Perrole, sister to Edward Perrole, Governor of Aldrion.”
Grace puffed up her chest and stared daggers at the guard. He picked up the clipboard and flipped the papers. A tense smile centered on his face and Mel saw he was impressed by Grace’s birth.
“You’ve traveled from Stonehearth,” the guard said. “With students who will start their semester at Falden in a few days.”
“Yes,” Grace said.
“My apologies,” the guard said. “Welcome to Aldrion, Miss Perrole.”
He stepped aside, and the two guards behind him joined. Grace walked past them and when she was outside of their view, Mel saw her deflating. Mel picked up her speed and joined Gabriella’s side.
“You never told us you were the sister of the governor,” Mel said.
“No,” Grace said. “I had hoped that wouldn't have to come out.”
“Why?” Mel asked.
“Because it’s not important,” she said. “It’s not who I am. It’s who my brother is.”
Mel opened her mouth to ask more, but Grace shot her a dirty look that made Mel reconsider. She knew Grace was a private person, and she didn’t like to have unnecessary conversations. Mel let the topic rest and soon she found herself at an inn close to the western gate.
It was a small stone structure with wooden details and over the door hung a sign in metal. Last stance, it read. Gregory joined Mel at her side, and Grace disappeared through the door.
“What does it mean?” Mel asked, pointing up at the sign.
“Oh, that’s what they used to call Aldrion when it was just an outpost after the dragons left us,” Gregory said. “This was the last stance for the people. Without the dragons, we wouldn’t stand a chance if they got into the valley once more. They’ve held this place for many centuries now, but one wonders how long it can survive.”
“I didn't know that,” Mel said.
Gregory shrugged and lifted his hand to his mouth. A yawn escaped his lips, and he walked past Mel into the small inn. Mel followed him inside and the rest of the party caught up with them. Inside, a familiar heat stroked Mel’s cheeks, and she suddenly felt very tired. She hadn’t noticed how tense she had been before she walked inside. She let the quiet murmur of people lull her into relaxation.
Most tables were filled with people, just like in Stonehearth. They were eating and drinking, some playing cards and others talking intensely. Mel saw Grace standing at the bar, talking to the bartender, and Marcus stood next to her. He held up their purse and took out a silver coin.
Mel swallowed hard. She knew they needed to rest, but how much money were they going to have left when all this was over?
Gabriella fell down into a chair close to Mel by a table with the other nobles. They groaned and Clara put her head onto the table like she would fall asleep right there. Her black silky hair spread out like fine thread over the wooden surface.
Mel sat down around the table and soon felt Marcus’ hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him.
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“I got us a room for the night,” he said. “We need to rest up before we can do anything else. Grace also got them to include a hot meal and breakfast in the morning for the same price as just the room. She’s a good haggler. But don’t tell the others, they didn’t get as good of a price as we did.”
Mel looked around her at the table, convinced the others must have heard. But everyone looked dazed, staring off into the distance or half asleep on their chairs. Mel smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
Marcus gave her a thin-lipped smile. “Don’t mention it. Seriously.”
Mel felt her exhaustion overwhelm her senses, and she didn’t have the energy to argue with Marcus now. She wanted to have a talk with him about him going back to Windbrook, but it could wait until tomorrow. Right now, she needed to focus on herself.
#
The next day, Mel awoke in a small bed on the top floor of the Last stance. She was sure there had been a big party downstairs the night before, with lots of drinking and music. But she had somehow slept through it all. Only bits and pieces of the voices emerging through the floorboards had stuck in her mind.
She must have slept for at least sixteen hours straight and when she sat up on her bed, Marcus rolled over in his and looked at her. A smile ran across his face and he sat up, turning to her.
“Morning,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah,” Mel said. “I think so. I feel like I was mostly knocked out during the night. But I also think it’s what my body needed after that horrible trip. I can’t even make up my mind about what happened during that mountain pass. I feel like it’s all a big haze of memories. Feeling cold and tired, the bandits, the avalanche. Like it’s just too much.”
Marcus rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. “You can say that again. I don’t even know how I could swing my sword, let alone kill a bandit. Like I must have been so pumped with adrenaline or something. Last time I checked, I barely knew how to unsheathe my sword.”
“Well, the bandits looked like they were starving and I sort of killed one as well,” Mel said, a shiver running through her body. “Or maybe it was the avalanche, but I did stab him in the side and he started burning.”
“What?” Marcus said.
“Yeah, it’s this dagger my father gave me,” Mel said.
She walked up from her bed and picked up the dagger from her backpack. She handed it to Marcus and he unsheathed the weapon in his hands.
“You know this is dangerous, right?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah,” Mel said. “I know and after that bandit, I feel like I never want to use it again. It was really scary. I kept thinking that maybe I would catch fire, too. But then the snow started falling and I kind of lost my thoughts for a moment.”
Marcus put the dagger back in its protective cover and looked at Mel with wide eyes. He handed the weapon back to her and Mel tucked it into her pack.
“You really shouldn't use it again,” he said. “And please don’t have it close to a fire around me. I’m still sort of scared of what happened on equinox day. I would love to give that Dorian a piece of my mind.”
“Why don’t you?” Mel asked. “When you get back to Windbrook?”
“Back to Windbrook?” Marcus said. “What do you mean? I’m not going back.”
“You can’t stay here,” Mel said. “I know you came with me to fulfill your destiny, by me fulfilling mine. But I already told you, I have no intention of serving the dragons. I want to attend Falden on my own, for myself. Learn to be a mage smith and help in protecting the valley. I’ve always wanted to see the dragon forge and Aldrion. This is where I belong. But not you. You should get back to Windbrook, where you belong.”
“No,” Marcus said. “I know you have your doubts about your destiny. But the part of finding the dragons isn't until later in life. I will be with you every step of the way and make sure nothing happens to you. You will change your mind, and when you do, we will bring back the dragons. I believe in you, Mel.”
Mel let out a deep sigh.
“You don’t get it,” she said. “I don’t want to change my mind. I’m not going to. You are going to wait around for me forever, hoping for something that will never happen. I don’t want that kind of pressure. You will be always watching, hoping that I will change my mind and want the things that you want. Just because everyone from where we grew up seems to want to fulfill their destinies, doesn’t mean I have to want that. Can you please just listen to me?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I don’t care,” he said. “Okay, maybe you won’t change your mind. Maybe you will be reluctant and rebellious to the end. I still trust in the dragons. I still trust in them to point you in the right direction. You will find the dragons, Mel. I know it.”
Mel opened the door out into the corridor and slammed it behind her. Marcus didn’t listen to what she was saying, and she couldn’t spend another minute around him. She wanted to be as far away as possible from him and anger just seemed to grow in her chest. Why could he never hear what she was saying? Why was he such a thick headed idiot sometimes?
Downstairs in the inn, Grace and the others from the travel agency sat eating breakfast at a table. It was quiet in the inn, not many people were up this early and Mel joined them.
“Morning,” Gregory said.
“Good morning,” Mel said.
“We’re leaving soon, but you’re welcome to join us.”
“Already?” Mel asked.
She grabbed a piece of bread from a tray and spread some marmalade on top. Mel took a bite from the bread and her mouth filled with flavors. Her stomach growled at her and she gave Grace a smile.
“Listen,” Grace said, leaning in toward Mel. “I saw the bandit you killed. He caught fire.”
Mel looked into Grace’s eyes and swallowed her bite.
“What about it?” Mel asked.
“Just a piece of advice,” Grace said. “I know things are a bit laxed in the valley with magical items. But up here, in the mountains. Things are different. If they catch you with that dagger, you will be expelled from Falden and maybe even thrown out of Aldrion. Keep it hidden and don’t tell anyone. Not even the nobles we traveled here with. With any luck, they won’t remember him catching fire before the avalanche and, hopefully, people won’t believe them. Okay?”
Mel nodded and put down her breakfast on the table before her. She felt like her appetite had vanished and her stomach grew into one big knot. She had just made it into Aldrion and she was going to attend Falden in a few days. Her dreams seemed closer than ever before and now Grace had told her someone could come and take it all away for a dagger.
“Why are things so strict here?” Mel asked.
Grace relaxed back into her chair and seemed done with the lecture. She shrugged.
“Who knows?” she said. “Maybe it’s the governor who’s paranoid about accidents. Or the school that wants to monopolize the use of magical items to their students or the army who hates magic and wants to keep it down to a minimum. Or maybe it’s a combination of all three and something else we don’t know about anymore. The why, in any case, seems to have been forgotten. Like most things, history has a way of only remembering the rules, not the reasons.”