The first thing to register in Evalon's mind was a drowning sense of confusion. Surely this place could not be Mydalr? Surely Elduin must have made some mistake? The land before her was a small little valley set between a circle of mountains taller than Evalon had ever seen, covered with faemoss and pine trees. Towards the valley, however, the landscape changed from mountain to something closer to swamp and bogland. Everything was one shade of brown or another, and a small creak wound its way through the marshy hills, with a few odd bog flowers sprouting here and there. There was a small village in the center of the valley. At least, Evalon assumed it was a village; she could make out the light of a few lit windows in the distance.

A cold wind blew across the valley and blasted Evalon full in the face, blowing her hair out behind her.

This was Mydalr? This little swamp valley covered in heather and bracken couldn't be the place Evalon had been dreaming about since before she could remember, could it? No, she thought. There must be some kind of mistake. This can't be it.

She searched the valley, looking for some sign that would prove that this was all just a big joke and that this little marshland was not the land of her dreams. It took her a few moments, but eventually she found it.

"Where's the school?" she asked. With the setting sun casting a shadow upon the small village it was hard to see anything, but Evalon was sure that there was no obvious school for taming dragons or otherwise.

"Oh, it's further up the mountain," Elduin said, pointing a finger at the mountain covered in shadows. "It's hidden pretty well. It is where Eslait's best dragons are trained, after all; we must protect it at all costs."

"Little has changed," Hyron noted. "Except for that watchtower; that wasn't there before."

Elduin nodded. "We've been having... troubles as of late, but, of course, you already know that, Mr. Rolla."

"So, this really is Mydalr?" Evalon tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice, but she could hear it ring in her own ears. She felt too morose to even pay an interest in what the two men had been saying.

"It may not look like much," Elduin admitted, "but this damp pile of mud packs quite a few surprises."

A loud, sudden roar with a familiar rooster-like trill filled the air. It seemed to be coming from the mountain directly ahead of them. But there was something strange about the cry. Evalon knew it was coming from a dragon, but there was something... different about it, something she couldn't quite place her finger on.

"What was that?" Aunt Mylane asked, her voice tinted with fear.

"That is our cue to get going," Hyron said quickly. "I should probably get to work straight away."

"But we just got here," Mylane said. "Can't it wait for the morning?"

Hyron stared at his wife and an understanding that Evalon didn't comprehend passed between them.

"I'll lead you to your house, if you'd like," Elduin offered. "You'll find it just as you left it."

"You've left the house alone?" Hyron asked in surprise. "Why?"

Elduin shrugged. "It was never needed." And with that he once again led the way to the village of Mydalr.

Evalon's head was spinning. This was it? This was the magical land that she had read, heard, and imagined about her whole life? This wet, boggy place in the middle of nowhere? She couldn't help but feel the sharp pangs of disappointment stab in her chest.

Maybe it will seem better in the morning, Evalon thought to herself, ever the optimist. I'm sure once the sun comes up and I can see properly it will be exactly as I imagined.

Feeling slightly reassured, Evalon patiently waited out the rest of the ride, swaying back and forth with the movements of the cart. The ride down the mountain had many turns and zigzags that left Evalon feeling disorientated, especially in the dark. She wasn't sure how Elduin could see where he was going, because she certainly couldn't.

When they finally found themselves at the base of the mountain, the small village which they had seen from the top was before them. The lights Evalon had seen before were brighter now, and she saw that they came from the tall watchtower Hyron had mentioned, along with a few candles in the windows of the houses that they passed.

"I assume you can find your way from here?" Elduin asked. "I've got some hatchlings to tend to."

"You work with the dragons, then?" Mylane asked.

Elduin beamed with obvious pride. "That I do, ma'am. It's nothing compared to what your husband does for the organization, but, as the old saying goes, there are no small roles." He gave them a wave before spurring his horse into a run and galloped into the darkness.

"What organization?" Evalon asked as soon as Elduin had left.

"Nothing," Hyron said sharply. "Let's just, uh, get you ladies home for some rest, alright?"

Evalon wasn't sure she was ready to drop her question, but her uncle's outburst had surprised her and she thought it wise not the press the matter- for the moment.

It was another two minutes before they reached what Evalon assumed was their new house. Uncle Hyron pulled on the reins and the horses brought that cart to a slow stop. "Welcome home," he said with what sounded like forced cheeriness.

"Hyron, why are there lights on in the house?" Mylane said suddenly, pointing. Sure enough, light came streaming through the window from the inside.

"Someone's in there," Evalon said, lowering her voice.

Suddenly, the the front door of the small house opened the the light from inside fell upon their faces, stunning them with the unexpected illumination. Evalon threw up her hand to block the light, and her guardians did the same. Voices came from the open door, and Evalon heard a woman's voice saying, "...no need to worry, dear. I'm sure Hyron will sort it all out."

Getting used to the light, Evalon stared at two figures silhouetted in the doorway. One was of a woman, short and plump, while the other was a young girl with wild hair.

"Hyron, Mylane, is that you?" the woman said, stopping in her tracks.

"Grayse?" Mylane replied, staring harder at the figure who had spoken.

"Oh, it is you!" the woman said excitedly. She rushed to the cart with a speed defying her size, leapt up onto the cart right next to Aunt Mylane, and practically drowned her in an enthusiastic hug. "You're here! I heard you were coming!" she said, her voice muffled in Mylane's shoulder.

The woman called Grayse pulled away and Mylane looked like she was able to breathe again. "I-I'm here," Aunt Mylane agreed.

Uncle Hyron smiled widely at the eccentric woman. "Well, I'll be darned. It's Grayse Clerke."

Grayse smiled back and replied in like manner, "Well, I'll be darned. It's the legendary Hyron Rolla."

Legendary? Evalon thought.

"What are you doing here at this hour, Grayse?" Mylane asked, scooting over to make room for Grayse in the cart even though there wasn't any.

Grayse smiled a smile so immense Evalon was afraid she might sprain her face. "Elen and I were just getting things put together for you for when you arrived." She gestured to the young girl Evalon had seen before, still standing in the doorway. Now that Evalon was used to the light, she got her first good look at the girl called Elen. She was tall and skinny as a beanpole, with skin so fair she seemed to glow in the darkness. Her hair was very red and very wild, and fell around her shoulders like she was wearing the old nest of an angry badger on her head.

"Is that little Elenydd?" Hyron asked, his voice brighter than the smile on his face.

"Not so little anymore," Grayse said. "The wee devil passed me up in height two years ago!"

Elen smiled brightly at Grayse and said, "Well, it wasn't that hard; not much of a challenge."

Hyron snorted and tried to hide his face. Mylane hid a smile behind her hand, and Evalon stared at the girl with wide eyes. Grayse stared at Elen, too, with her jaw slack. Evalon looked back and forth between mother and daughter, waiting for Grayse to explode.

And explode she did, though not in anger. Grayse let out a high, shrill laugh that hurt Evalon's ears and threw back her head. "Like I said, wee devil."

"I can't believe how much you've grown," Mylane said fondly. "When we saw you last you were a little mite of a thing! You probably don't even remember us."

"No," Elen agreed, smiling brightly. "I don't. But my mom dragged me along, so how could I refuse?"

Evalon let out a quiet chuckle that she thought no one could hear, but Grayse must have had good ears, because she turned right around and gasped at the sight of her sitting in the back of the cart.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" Grayse asked, leaning closer to get a better look at Evalon's face.

Evalon's face turned very red and she started to slouch, wishing she could blend into the trunks and chests that surrounded her.

"This is our niece," Hyron said. "Say hello, Evalon."

"Hi," Evalon said quietly.

"This is Grayse Clerke, Eva," Mylane said, reaching back for her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze; she knew how nervous Evalon got around new people. "She was our dearest and closest friend when we lived here before. And this is her daughter, Elenydd."

The red-haired girl smiled brightly. "Hi. Most people call me Elen, but you can call me whatever."

Evalon bit her lower lip and reached for the chain around her neck. The familiar touch helped calm her nerves enough to choke out a greeting.

Elen smiled. "Not a very social person, are you? That's okay. I like that. Most people around here are too social. They never seem to shut up. Except for when they eat, of course." She sighed. "Ah, the peace and quiet."

Evalon was a little taken aback by Elen's bluntness and rapid-fire way of speaking, like she had just injected herself with lots of sugar.

"That's not very nice, Elen," Grayse chastised, wagging her finger.

"Nice or no, it's the truth."

Grayse laughed and shook her head in a What-am-I-going-to-do-with-you? sort of way.

"How is your husband, Grayse?" Mylane asked.

"Oh, Dolen is just fine. He would have been here tonight, but he's been working long hours with the dragons, trying to figure out why they've been going-"

"And what about your brother?" Uncle Hyron said, cutting her off, casting a strange, worried glance in Evalon's direction.

"Yes," Mylane said quickly. "How is James?"

"Oh, he's fit as a dragon and stubborn as a mule," Grayse replied, not seeming to be bothered by the interruption.

"So nothing's changed there then?" Hyron teased.

Grayse smiled widely. "Whelp," she said suddenly, "we'd best leave you to get settled in." She strangled Mylane with another hug, clambered off the wagon much more slowly than she had gotten on, and gestured for Elen to follow her. They started to walk off in the dark, but she turned around and shouted, "I do hope you find everything satisfactory! Oh, and is was nice to meet you, Evalon, dear!" Then she continued on and disappeared with her daughter into the dark.

"Well," Evalon said quietly. "She's a little..."

"Eccentric?" Mylane suggested. "Erratic?"

"I was going to say idiosyncratic."

"That's a big word," Hyron said, looking impressed. "And, yes, she is. Very. But I'm sure you'll like her. She just takes a bit of getting used to. Now, let's go see what the damage is, shall we?

The damage, as it turned out, was a warm, blazing fire in the hearth, a large basket filled with strange fruits Evalon had never seen before, and a large, steaming loaf of hearty bread. Evalon's stomach roared lustfully when the wonderful scent of the still-warm bread hit her nose.

"Oh, that Grayse," Mylane said as she picked off a fruit from the basket and took a bite, yellow juice dripping down her chin. "She's a Godsend."

"Come on, Evalon," Hyron said. "I'll show you your room and you can get some sleep. I know how tired you must be if you fell asleep in the back of the cart."

Evalon wanted to ask more about the organization Elduin had mentioned and about the dragons and what was wrong with them and what was making them go wild again, but she knew she couldn't without risking her uncle's anger and admitting that she had overheard his conversation with Mylane. So she dutifully followed her uncle up the stairs to a small but tidy bedroom where she would be sleeping. There was a small bed in the corner with a large quilt already turned down and a bedside table which held the single candle that provided light for the whole room. There was a small wardrobe in the corner, and a small window by the bed, which Evalon was sure would give a great view of the night sky from the bed.

"Off to bed with you," Hyron said.

"What about the cart? Do you need help unloading it?"

"Your aunt will help me with that in the morning," he said, waving her concerns aside. "For now, I've got work to do, and you've got rest to get."

Hyron brought up the trunk that held all of Evalon's clothing and he left alone to change. When he came back, he entered with Mylane, and they tucked her into bed. Mylane kissed her cheek and Hyron pulled the blankets up under her chin.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Aunt Mylane said. "Get some rest."

"Tomorrow's a big day," Hyron said. "Your first full day in Mydalr." He turned to blow out the candle when Evalon stopped him with a question.

"What's wrong with the dragons?"

Both Hyron and Mylane froze, like children caught sneaking out at night. They looked at each other, panic obvious in both of their expressions.

"W-what do you mean, dear?" Hyron asked, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Everyone keeps hinting about something going wrong with the dragons," Evalon said, choosing her words carefully; she didn't want her eavesdropping to be revealed.

"Oh, that." Hyron chuckled nervously. "Something is just making the dragons a bit skittish. Nothing to worry about."

They were about to leave again, but Evalon couldn't stop one more question from escaping her lips before they went. "Why didn't you tell me you worked with dragons?"

Hyron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Can't we talk about this in the morning?" he asked. "It's late."

"Are you planning on actually answering me in the morning?" Evalon asked suspiciously. "Or is this just a plot to escape the question?"

Hyron sighed again. "Look, Eva, I used to work with the dragons, but that was a long time ago."

"Before you moved to Gisla?"

He nodded. "But then I was injured while on duty and decided I was more fit for the office work of the organization."

"What organization? Elduin mentioned it earlier."

"Come now, Evalon," Mylane said, speaking up. "I thought you knew all there was to know about dragons."

"You mean... you mean your work with the DCA?" Evalon asked, her voice hardly a whisper.

"The Dragon Control Association, yes."

Evalon took a moment to let that sink in. When she spoke again her voice was quiet and full of hurt. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Hyron and Mylane looked at one another and a silent conversation seemed to pass between them. She had addressed the question mostly to Hyron, but it was her aunt who answered.

"I asked him not to," she said. "I've never been much a fan of dragons, and I didn't want you to be exposed to them. But that didn't stop you from learning everything you could about the beasts." She tried for a smile, but it quickly fell. A thick feeling of awkwardness settled in the room, almost like a palpable thing trying to choke them.

Evalon was feeling too much at once. She was still awed that her uncle worked for the DCA, but more than that she was hurt that he wouldn't tell her.

"I-I should probably get some sleep," Evalon said, breaking the silence, careful to keep all the emotion from her voice. She turned in her bed so that her back was to Mylane and Hyron and closed her eyes. "Goodnight."

"Morning," Mylane said cheerfully from the kitchen when Evalon came down for breakfast the next morning.

Now that it was daylight, Evalon got a better look at the house. Hyron and Mylane must have been busy last night after Evalon went to bed, because all the chests and trunks had been brought in from the cart and were sitting by the door. The fireplace still smoked and smoldered from the long-gone fire from the night before. The sitting room held the sofa from their old house and the coffee table, and many of the knickknacks that Evalon had helped Mylane pack were set neatly on the floor, waiting to be put away in their new place. Mylane's antique waterclock was already hanging on the wall, the light streaming through the window causing the stained glass of the clock to give off a strange array of colors in the room. The kitchen was small but clean, with a sink that ran cold water from the stream and plenty of polished wooden cupboards for the dish ware. There were two doors on one wall, one of which Evalon assumed was the bathroom, and the other must have been Hyron and Mylane's bedroom. She hoped she didn't confuse which was which in the dark.

"How did you sleep?" Mylane asked as Evalon took a seat at the counter.

"Fine," she replied. She mind was still reeling from everything that happened the previous day. Honestly, between her disappointment of what Mydalr was actually like and her guardian's secrets from her, her mind had been far too busy to sleep. She spent most of the night looking back in her memories for times when she should have discovered for herself what had been revealed to her; times when she should have asked questions but had been too scared of the answer to act. There were too many for her liking.

"Where's Hyron?"

"Work." Mylane placed a bowl of something that looked like orange porridge in front of her and Evalon barely gave it a second thought before she took a bite. The orange porridge was hot, and it burned her tongue.

"Gah!" she shouted, recoiling at the sudden heat.

"Careful," Mylane warned. "It's hot."

"I hadn't noticed," she muttered quietly.

Mylane smiled sadly. "You're upset with me."

It wasn't a question, so Evalon didn't flatter the statement with a reply.

"You have to understand, honey, we didn't tell you because-"

"It's fine," Evalon interrupted. She reached up to gently stroke the chain around her neck. "You had your reasons."

"I'm beginning to wonder if our reasons were justifiable," Mylane admitted quietly.

Evalon kept her eyes down and blew on her breakfast before taking a bite. She hated making her aunt feel guilty, but then again, maybe a little guilt was good. Maybe a little guilt would make Mylane tell her about the dragons and give her some answers to the burning questions that had formed since she had overheard her aunt and uncle.

The orange porridge had a strange tang, like watered-down lemon juice, and it made a strange tingling sensation on her teeth.

"What is this stuff?" she asked as she blew on another bite.

"Blended sage oats and honey."

"Never heard of it."

"Sage seeds are native here. They grow all over. You'll have a lot of food made from them."

Evalon hoped not. The blended sage oats and honey were still making her teeth tingle, causing them to itch. She didn't want to go around scratching her teeth everywhere she went.

Three knocks at the front door made Evalon jump and spill her breakfast over the counter. She hissed in pain as the hot food splattered on her exposed skin. She quickly accepted the towel Mylane offered and wiped off the orange goop before it burned off too much skin.

"I'll get that." Mylane left Evalon alone in the kitchen to clean up her mess. Evalon heard the front door open and listened as Mylane said, "Elen. So good to see you again."

"Good morning, Mrs. Rolla," Elen's voice said brightly. "I was wondering if Evalon would like a tour of the village. I thought you could use some time alone to get settled in."

"That was thoughtful of you," Mylane said. "Evalon's just in the kitchen with breakfast. I'll go get her. You're welcome to come in and wait for her."

As soon as Mylane entered the kitchen Evalon looked at her with big, worried eyes and shook her head desperately. But Mylane wouldn't hear it. She placed her hands on her hips and gestured back and forth between Evalon and the sitting room where Elen was waiting with a hard look in her eyes. There would be no getting around it. Evalon was going, and that was that.