Triss woke up, excited for the day she and Tom had planned. Jonal had given her a day off, and Tom had enthusiastically filled it up. Sweetbreads for breakfast, a hike through the riverside forests, and a whole lot of lessons. She had gotten the fireworks spell down well enough that she could cast it in the space of two seconds. Tom was planning to start teaching her about how herbs and other compounds could affect the forms and allow the casting of different, more complex spells. Today though, they were going to a lookout spot where they could see the entire town, or at least that’s what Tom had promised.

She sat up quickly in bed, smashing her head off the upper bunk. Over a month and a half of sleeping in this cramped but comfortable bed wasn’t enough to overcome more than twenty years of sleeping without a roof two feet above your head, though she was hitting her head less often.

She hurriedly dressed in the usual yellow dress the rest of the women wore. Apparently there was a fish that frequented the river near the town, and it’s skin could be scraped to produce a yellow dye. Which of course meant that absolutely everyone in town wore the colour, whether it suited them or not. Triss was glad that yellow looked ok on her. She would have preferred blue jeans and a white tee, but that wasn’t an option here. Jonal had nearly choked on his breakfast when she had suggested wearing pants.

Once she was dressed she flew down the narrow staircase into the kitchen. Jonal’s wife, Tonia, was frying eggs along with some small flatbreads that reminded Triss of pitas, though much fluffier than any pita she had ever eaten. She grabbed one of the not-pitas and threw a few leaves of something that looked like spinach on the wrap and held it out to Tonia, who dropped a spoonful of hot creamy eggs in the middle. A little smoked fish was added, then Triss was out the door, mumbling a quick thank you around a mouthful of hot fresh food.

She went out into the street and pulled the door closed behind her. Like almost every other morning since she had started living here, it got stuck and refused to close fully. “Come on Jonal, you’ve got money. Spring for a handyman or something.” She complained. She yanked on the door harder, then tried holding her wrap in her mouth so she could pull on the door with both hands. Finally, the recalcitrant door snapped shut. Triss turned to go and collided directly with someone coming up to her. She fell backwards into the door, dropping her food on the ground.

“Sorry.” Said Tom sheepishly. “I saw you were struggling with the door, I thought I could help. Sorry about your food.:

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it.” Triss replied quickly, as she stared longingly at the disassembled breakfast strewn everywhere.

“Umm. Breakfast is on me this morning?”

“You know, Tom, you really have a knack for saying exactly the right thing sometimes.” Triss beamed. “Shall we?” She said, holding out her arm.

“Uh, yeah? I mean yes. Yes, lets go get breakfast.” Tom took her arm, and together they strode off towards Triss’s favourite restaurant.

A few hours later, Triss was seriously regretting breakfast. Or at least, eating as much as she had. “How in the world can you walk up here after a meal like that?” She complained bitterly.

Tom laughed. “I’d say its a combination of different factors. One is that I’m larger than you, so I can probably eat more food than you.”

“You haven’t seen a group of teen girls with pizza if you think that.” Triss muttered, but Tom didn’t notice.

“Secondly, I probably do a lot more walking due to the nature of my research. So it’s probably easier for me to climb up here.” He indicated the grassy hill they were walking up. “But the third reason is probably the root cause.” He looked at Triss with a mischievous grin.

“I can’t wait to hear it.” She said.

“The third reason.” He said, standing up straighter and putting a finger in the air as though he were lecturing a group of students. “Is that you stole at least half the food from my plate. And you ate all of yours.”

“Pfft. You tried to eat my food too. It was at least even.”

“It absolutely was not.” He said with a snort. “When I tried to take a piece of your food you stabbed me with a fork.” He turned and started walking again.

Triss shrugged. “That’s how its supposed to work. I eat my food, and anything that seems interesting on your plate too. You’ve been gone from earth way too long if you don’t know that.”

“I think that might be a universal female trait then. I’ve definitely had a few other women who stole off my plate.” Tom said with a hearty laugh. When Triss only smiled weakly at the statement, he stammered for a moment. “Of course, I don’t know if it’s cross species. I wonder if draconic women steal from draconic men? That would tell us if it was universal or not?”

Triss, who was feeling magnanimous despite the hill, let Tom off easily. “I have no idea if it’s cross species. I could ask Reginald next time I see him.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“That actually would be really interesting information. I’d love it if you could. Heads down in this part.” They had reached a section of trees near the top of the hill, and there were a number of low hanging branches. “Have you seen him lately?” He said as he pulled aside one branch for her to pass under.

“Tom.” Triss said, ignoring the question. She stood in front of him, underneath the branch he was holding back. He stopped looking down the hill and focused on her.

“Um, yes?”

“Let go of the branch.”

He did, and swung back into place, about six inches above her head. “Just keep walking. I can deal with the branches. And most of them are above my head.” She said with a grin.

“Oh, hush.” He replied, but he was grinning too.

They walked in relative silence for a little while, kept company by the sounds of birds, small wildlife, and curses from Triss every time she walked into a tree branch.

“Sure you don’t want me to take care of those for you?” Tom said after Triss managed to somehow slap herself in the back of the head with a branch.

“Nope. All good. I’m great. Absolutely fine.”

“Most fine people I know don’t curse quite this much.”

“Most people are missing out then. It’s a wonderful and inventive hobby.” She took a moment to catch her breath. “So, how much further to the top?”

“Only a few more minutes.”

“Good. Great. Did we bring water or are we burying me at the top?”

“We brought water.” Tom said, laughing. He had a pack on his back, and he unslung it and started rooting around inside. After a moment he brought out a leather water skin. Triss drank gratefully.

“Much better.” She sighed. “Onwards and upwards!” She passed the waterskin back to Tom, then marched past him up the hill.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Tom called as he stowed the waterskin.

“Upwards! Obviously!” Triss called back as she continued marching on.

Tom had caught up by the time they reached the top of the hill. The forest was thin here, and there was a sharp cliff right at the peak. Triss stood right on the edge, looking out over the town. The hill was disappointingly short in her opinion, for all the effort it had taken to get to top. But it afforded a nice view of the town. She could just make out the distinctive roof of the council chambers. She though she should be able to see the castle, but from here it looked like the land ended at the dark forest.

Tom stepped up beside her. “Nice view isn’t it?”

“It’s pretty good. How’d you find it?”

“Mystical magical powers. And a map. Mostly a map.”

“This spot was on a map?”

“Oh, absolutely. The locals even have a name for this spot. ‘Lovelorn’s leap’”

“That’s a strange name. What’s it mean?”

“Well, lovelorn is someone who is…unlucky in their love life.”

“Oh. OH!” Triss said. She reflexively took a step back from the edge. “That’s a pretty disturbing name.”

“Could be worse. They could have called it something like ‘sudden stop summit’.”

Triss laughed at that. “That’s terrible!” She said, hitting Tom playfully on the shoulder. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

He shrugged. “I won’t apologize for being fun…” he trailed off. He suddenly grabbed Triss in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. Her legs swung over the open air, and she screamed. There was a flash of blue light, and then she was rolling on the ground of the clearing, rolling away from the cliff edge.

“Ooooh, very nice.” a woman’s voice came through the air, low, throaty, and full of the threat of violence. “I thought I had her.”

Tom was standing over Triss, his wand in his hand. “Show yourself.” He said, calmly.

“What, and give away my position? That doesn’t sound like a wise idea.” The voice said, with a hint of laughter.

Tom flicked his wand and a small blue flash shot towards the trees. There was a muffled curse, then a small woman with long red hair stormed out of the brush. “Knowing your location wasn’t the point.” Tom said with a grin. “I’ve known where you were since you started following us in town. I wanted you out of the brush so that when I kill you it won’t take catch this nice forest on fire. It is a little on the dry side lately.”

“You are such an arrogant prick. It’s going to be an absolute pleasure to tear you to pieces.” She had a wand in her hand as well, and was beginning to make a form in the air. Tom’s wand was moving as well. At the same time they both released, and the spells met in the air with a thunderous explosion. A hurricane of dust, dirt, and small branches flew every direction. Triss didn’t have time to cover her face, and dust was quickly turning to mud in her teeth.

“Move!” Tom ordered. He stood with his back to the cliff, facing the direction of the woman, his wand held out and his free hand held up to block the debris. He pushed her with his foot. “That way. Stay low. Go!”

Triss started to crawl off to the side of the sudden battle. She tried to ignore the flashes of light and screams of power that flew over her head as she moved, inch by inch over the grassy earth. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt like she was going to throw up. Suddenly, there was a scream of pain behind her. A mans scream, she realized. She turned around and and sat up.

Tom was still standing near the cliff. His wand was on the ground, and he was clutching his arm to his chest. Blood was running down his shoulder and dripping steadily off his elbow. A dark chuckle filled the clearing.

“Disappointing. I had hoped for a bit more of an effort.” The woman said as she strode forward. She stopped about ten feet in front of Tom. “I was told you were so skilled, that you would be such a challenge.” She sighed.

Tom didn’t answer. His eyes were wide and wild, like a caged animal. He took a step backwards, then another. Then he was up against the edge of the cliff, unable to move any further.

I’ve got to do something! Where’s that damn voice when you need it! Triss thought.

“Don’t do that.” The woman said. “Stay away from the gods damned edge.” She put on a fake pouting expression. “You wouldn’t want me to have to climb all the way down to get your body, would you?”

“Go for a walk in the Hordelands.” He snarled.

“Ooh. Temper, temper.” She said with a laugh. She raised her wand. “Goodbye, Thomas Crest.”

“Hey bitch!” Triss yelled, her fingers moving frantically in front of her. The firework streaked towards the woman just as she turned around. She flicked her wand faster than Triss could have imagined, and the red spark went flying off harmlessly.

The woman rolled her eyes. “Foolish girl.” She turned back to Tom.

He was nowhere to be seen. The woman looked over the cliff edge and cursed. Then she stomped up and down the edge of the cliff for another minute, cursing. Triss was mildly impressed.

The woman stormed up the Triss and stuck her wand right under Triss’s nose. “You. You have just cost me my prey.” She grabbed the front of Triss’s dress and hauled her to her feet. “You had best have some way of finding him, or you’re going straight over the cliff too.”