Dancing was marvelous. Enfri never would have imagined that she could move like this. Her feet tapped in time with Goodman Smith's old, worn lute and Goodwife Cooper's reed pipes.

The trading post was the single largest structure in Sandharbor. It wasn't made of wood or stone, but sheets of cotton or linen cloth strung between tall poles set into the foundation. It was an open-air market at the center of the village. The more well-off of the itinerate merchants liked to display their means by draping silk or satin near their own sections. Every sheet a different color, a riotous display that every villager had long grown accustomed to.

The merchant stalls and goods were gone. They were replaced by performance platforms, dozens of kegs of Goodman Brewer's latest vintage, and the smiling and laughing faces of the people of Sandharbor. Festivals brought out the best in the local folk, and there was never a shortage of goodwill during these times.

Throughout the day, there were music competitions, archery contests, races, wrestling, and sporting events. But the dancing was what Enfri enjoyed most.

She spun from Illmar Tanner to his older brother Thadwyn. Thad took Enfri by the waist, his steps perfectly in sync with hers. His blocky face was split by his grin, and his cheeks were flushed when he saw who he now had in his arms.

His hand was slow in releasing Enfri as the music called for partners to switch, but she was eagerly snatched up by Nchika, the forester's apprentice. Now Enfri was the one blushing. Winds, but no man had a right to be so lovely.

After handing her off, Nchika stole glances at Enfri over the shoulder of Kiffa Smith, much to the younger girl's chagrin. Enfri's new partner, Goodman Wainwright, winked at her when she missed a step; the spry, old coot knew precisely where her mind was at.

Her next partner was Haythe, and Enfri chided him for stepping on her feet before the music signaled for her to hand him back to his wife. Then was Goodman Butcher, Alstai Thatcher, Goodman Cobbler, and finally Dilly Tanner, the youngest of the three Tanner brothers.

The lute and pipes slowed, and the women and men lined up opposite each other. Enfri found herself linking arms with Kiffa Smith and Goodwife Cobbler. The lines approached the center of the floor, the men sliding underneath the womens' arms and taking them by the waist.

Enfri's partner was a dark-skinned man with blond hair and green eyes. He was beaming as he lifted Enfri into the air and set her behind him. Father enjoyed these festival dances even more than Enfri did. There was no better dancing partner in all the Five Kingdoms.

The music faded, and Father patted Enfri on her back, straight and tall. The other dancers were falling over one another in merriment as they returned to the circles of friends and neighbors around the kegs of ale.

Father took Enfri by the hand and led her towards a corner of the trading post, one by a large curtain of silver silk. Enfri's two grandmothers sat on stools there, chatting like young girls. Father let go of Enfri's hand and went to Mother.

Mierwyn was beautiful tonight, even more than she usually was. She grew more lovely every year, forever the jewel of Sandharbor. Mother looked at Enfri and smiled.

Enfri felt tears well up in her eyes, but she couldn't imagine why. Her family stood before her as they always had. As they always would.

"I would not have imagined," someone said at Enfri's back. It was a soft voice, deliberate in tempo and also dark. The feminine voice was close to Enfri's ear and swallowed all other sound in the festival. "This is what you dream of?"

Enfri blinked. Only three people were in front of her now. Janwyn sat alone and spoke to no one.

"What I dream of?" Enfri whispered.

Father looked at her. His features became hazy and indistinct. Or had they always been like that? Enfri wouldn't know. She had never met him.

She blinked again, and Yora was no more.

"A dream..."

Mother watched Enfri, her posture one of judgement. Her eyes narrowed into cruel daggers, and her lips twisted into a frown like they did when she was about to hurl a rebuke. There was no love in that expression, only resentment. She looked on her daughter and saw a poor trade. Then, she was gone as well.

"This was not what I expected to find," the voice said. "I am looking for your present. Not your past."

Enfri watched as Grandmother, alone and forgotten, faded away as well. She looked at Enfri one last time, her lips moving to form words, but no sound came from them.

Gone. Enfri didn't have a family.

"This isn't my past," Enfri said. She looked around the trading post. No one looked back at her. No one knew her, the hunchbacked girl who was nothing but a stranger. The people of Sandharbor filed away from the trading post as if called by some unheard song, their joyful voices fading into the night.

Enfri felt tears on her cheeks. "It's nothing at all. Only a dream."

"Nothing is only a dream," the voice said. "Not even dreams."

Enfri turned to face her. Jin stood where Father had been. Her face was devoid of expression. She was much as Enfri remembered her. Strong, imposing, and fiercely beautiful.

There was one stark difference between Enfri's memory and this vision. Jin wore something other than dark studded leather. She wore a forest green gown, corseted and embroidered with gold thread. It was a dress like no other Enfri had ever seen. It wasn't cotton or linen, but silk. Only noble ladies from Deebee's stories wore silk. Jin's black hair flowed over her bare shoulders. Her beast-like eyes, however, were just as cold and calculating as before.

Jin didn't seem at all out of place in that dress, despite the fact Enfri had never considered that she might wear one. It neither hid or camouflaged her developed muscles, didn't strive to alter what she was into some idealized version of femininity that she didn't embody. If anything, the dress challenged Enfri to reconsider what an ideal woman was.

It was curious that Enfri didn't feel any sort of anger when she looked at the assassin. Not hate, or even fear. She was only tired.

"Tell me where you are," Jin said. "Please. This need not go on."

"Why would I tell you?" Enfri demanded. "Just... go away. You're not even real."

Jin walked towards her. "I thought you would realize. You confound me, Sky Woman. At every turn, I have underestimated you, and yet it seems I overestimate you now. Who are you?"

Enfri tried to step back, but there was now a wall of rock behind her, cutting off her retreat. She didn't recognize where she was anymore. They were alone in a chamber of hewn stone, and the sound of running water was nearby.

"Where are we?" Enfri asked.

Jin cocked her head to the side. "You do not know?"

"Stop it," Enfri shouted. "Why'd you bring me here?"

"Enfri," Jin whispered. She stood in front of her now, not even a full pace away. "This place does not come from me. We are in your dream."

Enfri covered her face with her hands. She didn't want to look anymore at this nightmare. Jin wasn't real. She couldn't be real. It was just a dream.

"You are... a mystery," Jin said as she gently took Enfri's wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. She made Enfri look her in the eye while she held her pinned against the wall. "A mystery I would see solved. I ask again. Who are you?"

Was this a dream? Enfri could feel Jin's hands gripping her wrists, the warmth of her standing so close. The slit pupils of her eyes contracted as she searched Enfri's face for an answer to her question.

"Who am I?" Enfri whispered. She felt another tear fall. "I don't know."

Jin blinked, and her lips parted as if to ask another question. Instead, she let go of Enfri and stepped away. "Lies do not dwell in dreams, Sky Woman. Dreams are where we learn the truth behind the lies we tell ourselves. You refuse to answer what I need to learn, and you cannot answer what I want to learn. Once again, you have bested me."

Enfri sank to her knees. Her back ached, and she was so tired. "I don't understand. I don't understand anything! Why are you doing this? What has my family ever done to your king? My father fought for Althandor, but you still murdered him anyway."

Jin took a slow breath. She crouched in front of Enfri and took hold of a lock of her golden hair between her fingers. "This will come as no comfort to you, but for what it is worth, I am sorry."

"Then leave me alone," Enfri pleaded.

Jin's eyes hardened. "I will never stop, Enfri. Your fate has been decided. Neither of us know who you are, but I believe I know what you are not."

Enfri shivered, and a wry laugh left her mouth. "And what aren't I?" she snarled.

"Easy prey."

***

"What's that supposed..."

Enfri's garbled words faded, and she opened her eyes. Deebee lay curled on the sand a pace away and stared at her with confusion.

"Winds, girl," she said. "I haven't heard you talk in your sleep in years. You gave me a tiny fright."

A blast of hot air whipped through their campsite. They were huddled beneath a rocky overhang in the lee of a particularly large sand dune. As a shelter, it left much to be desired; if Enfri stood up, her head would brush the rock above her. Regardless, it provided shade and some relief from the blistering summer heat of the desert. By the look of the overhang's shadow, it was still early in the afternoon.

Enfri sat up and rubbed the grit out of her eyes. "I don't talk in my sleep."

"Except, you just did," Deebee chuckled. "You used to natter on all night. It drove Janwyn crazy. 'Where'd the ducks go?' you'd ask. 'Follow the bear so I can eat his pie.' And there's my personal favorite, 'That tiny man hasn't any coin. Break his antlers.'"

Enfri wrinkled her nose. "You're making that up."

Deebee crossed her heart with a claw. "May the winds forsake me if I lie. So, what was it this time? I've always wondered what mortal dreams are like. So full of nonsense and memories twined together."

"Jin was in it," Enfri muttered. She uncorked one of her water skins and took a brief drink. "Kept asking me where I was and spouted all sorts of blustering things."

"I suppose it's only natural you would dream of her," Deebee said cautiously. "Tell me, did she look different?"

"And if she did?" Enfri asked.

An irritated sound came out of the dragon. Deebee rose to her hind legs and started working her claws through the complex gestures of her spellcasting. "Unexpected and unlikely, but I ought put a ward on you to be safe."

At the mention of wards, Enfri felt a surge of panic. "Wait, what do you mean? Why a ward?"

"Oneiromancy," Deebee replied. She saw Enfri's distress and stopped casting her spell. "One of the assassins might be a dreamer. Using magic, they place themselves or another into a deep sleep. Then, they can seek out shared imprints to... Sorry, I'll keep it simple. Oneiromancy can put two people who've met each other into the same dream."

Enfri felt her pulse quicken. Her dream might have been real. Winds, Jin might have actually been in her head!

"Can you stop them from doing that again?"

Deebee nodded. "Certainly. I've recovered more than enough ether for a simple ward like that, but even if I lock it, it won't be forever. Only a few hours. There's just not enough ether in these minor spells to last on their own, but I can recast it each time you rest."

Enfri gave her permission to continue. It was a painless process. She wasn't even sure if she felt any different once it was done.

"That should settle it," Deebee declared. "If that was oneiromancy you dreamt of, it won't happen again."

"Thank you," Enfri murmured. She looked out towards the desert and scanned the horizon. "How could you tell it might have been onama... dream magic."

"Oneiromancy," Deebee corrected. "Under normal circumstances, I'd dismiss it as another dream. As you know, humans dream of what was. If Jin appeared different than you remember, there was a small chance you were seeing her dream self and not something conjured by your own mind."

"Dream self?"

"How Jin sees herself. The version of her she holds, what she thinks she truly is."

If that were the case, Enfri doubted that the dream was at all real. It was true that she didn't know Jin well, nor did she want to, but she seriously doubted that the assassin thought of herself as a noble lady in a lovely gown.

Then again, why would Enfri's mind put Jin in a resplendent dress like that? Perhaps for the same reason she supposedly once dreamt of impoverished, little men with antlers. Utter nonsense.

"I'd like you to get some more sleep if you can," Deebee said. "The sun will be up for another three hours. After last night, you could use all the rest you can get."

Enfri nodded. "I'd like to, but do you think we can afford to? Jin must be tracking us."

"The desert will keep that from happening," Deebee said. "Your footprints are gone within an hour. Less, if the winds are blowing. The only hope the assassins have of finding you is to see you with their own eyes."

Enfri felt the ghost of a smile tug at her lips. "They didn't get a chance to see the direction we were heading either."

"Quite so," Deebee agreed happily, "but that's no reason to get cocky. They've proven they're not fools, and we've made them angry. There's also no telling what magics they have at their disposal."

"I will never stop, Enfri."

Enfri shivered despite the burning heat. Oneiromancy or not, the Jin that she saw in her dream was correct. She hadn't escaped yet.

"There's another thing I wanted to discuss with you," Deebee said. "I didn't want to make a decision about this without your approval."

Enfri winced as she slid herself closer to where Deebee lay. Her back still burned from where the brace rubbed her flesh raw.

"Sounds important," Enfri observed.

"Perhaps. We know now that for some reason the assassins haven't been affected by my ward. That defeats the purpose of ever having it. I could finally take it off you."

Enfri felt her breath catch in her throat. "Then, Haythe and Kiffa and everyone else would remember me?"

"Maybe," Deebee replied. "I can't be sure. I doubt they'd remember everything about you all at once, but there'd no longer be anything stopping memories of you from resurfacing naturally."

The chance to be free of the ward, to be remembered, meant a lot to Enfri. How many times had she wished to go into Sandharbor and be recognized at first sight? For how long had she wanted to have a relationship with another human that lasted longer than their meeting?

Even if Enfri never saw Haythe, his family, or anyone else she cared for again, she could take comfort that they may think of her from time to time. What was more, the ward wouldn't affect anyone she met among the Espallans. She could have a fresh start on life.

"I think you should take it off me," Enfri agreed. "Like you said, there's no reason to keep it."

"That's not... completely true," Deebee said. She scratched at her chin in consideration. "How do I explain this? That much ether vanishing from the Weave would cause what's called an apotheosis, a residue of sorts left over from a powerful spell that lingers on the one that cast it. Nearby arcanists— anyone attuned to the Ethereum, for that matter— would not only sense that it had happened, but be able to point a finger right in my direction. An apotheosis can last for hours."

"And the assassins are sorcerers," Enfri sighed. She hugged her knees close and shut her eyes. "You said the ward is centered on me, so if you unlocked it, I would have to be close. We might as well light a beacon."

Deebee didn't respond for another ten seconds.

"Flames!" Deebee shouted. "Blazing flames, girl! You're brilliant!"

Enfri nearly tipped over at the sudden outburst. "Why? I only said it wouldn't work."

"No, love. It would! I don't need to be anywhere near you. That's why you're so brilliant. I didn't even consider that. Winds and flames, what an..." Deebee cut short what she had been about to say and cleared her throat. "That is to say, I can be leagues away when I break the ward. I'll free you from this burden and lead the assassins in the wrong direction at the same time."

Enfri listened as Deebee lay out her plan. The dragon would leave at once and fly due south. Once she reached a distance that Enfri could have conceivably reached in that time, she would unlock and dispel the ward. That would hopefully draw the assassins away from Enfri's trail. Then, Deebee would head to the spire and make certain that there was water to be found there. After all this was done, she would reunite with Enfri, and they could travel without fear of blue-eyed killers.

"What if there isn't water at the spire?" Enfri asked.

"In that case, you should still have enough water to leave the desert. Just long enough to refill your skins before we try reaching the Espallans again."

Enfri smiled. It was good to hear Deebee speak with such confidence once more. "When will you go?" she asked.

"Immediately, I think," Deebee said. "The question is, what should you do?"

"You're asking me?"

"It's your idea that started this, isn't it? Besides, if something goes wrong, I don't want it being entirely on my head."

Enfri snorted as she picked up a handful of sand and tossed it halfheartedly at the blustering lizard. "Hilarious, you little villain."

Deebee shook her wings to get the sand off. "So, what will you do? Stay here?"

"I don't like the idea of waiting," Enfri said. "I'd just be wasting water I could be using to reach where I need to be."

"Good point. You must leave by full dark at the latest if you want to have a chance of reaching the spire. You barely have enough water as it is."

"Unless I head east, back towards home." Enfri suggested. "Except, Jin's anticipated us doubling back before. She could plan on us trying it again."

Deebee made a soft, hissing sound. "I think you're right. At the very least, she'll have put the Merovech to patrolling the desert's border. To tell the truth, going back would be the best for us, but only if you could make it without risking being caught."

"That leaves one option," Enfri concluded. It put a tightness into her stomach. "While you follow through with your plan, I'll continue towards the spire. If you learn that the wellspring is gone, we'll have no choice but to turn back."

It struck Enfri what this plan would require, and the realization left her trembling. Deebee would have to leave for a time. Enfri would have to continue on alone.

"I'll be swift," Deebee promised. "Head directly for the spire. From the air, I'll be able to find you."

Enfri nodded. She didn't want to be afraid. It paralyzed her and stole away her wits. Enfri cursed herself for being such a coward.

"I..." she began. Her voice shook and sounded small and weak in her ears. "I'll need to brave," she said more to herself than to Deebee. "The opposite of fear is courage."

Deebee looked concerned. "One last thing, Enfri. I'm recovered enough for it."

Enfri looked at her. "Enough for what?"

"Draw from our bond. Heal the wounds the brace gave you. You'll have to wear it again to move as fast as you'll need to."

"I don't think I can use the bond that well."

"You can," Deebee assured her. "You're more capable than you think. Last night, you gave your ether to me when we were being chased. That wasn't my doing, but yours alone."

Enfri hesitated. She didn't know how to begin doing what Deebee asked of her. Before, she had been desperate. Anything she might have done was nothing more than an accident.

"Can't you..."

Deebee shook her head. "I can't. If I was the one hurt, then I could. If the bond has a weakness, it's that one of us can't consciously choose to heal the other. We can gift and draw ether freely, physical strength can only be given, and healing is taken."

Enfri swallowed. "Bonds like this must require a lot of trust."

Deebee raised an eyebrow. "Enfri?"

"If you're a hundred miles away and you feel me drawing from you to heal, you'd have to trust that I wasn't doing it just to stop a headache."

The dragon's expression fell, and she turned away. "You're right. Complete trust."

The sudden change in demeanor confused Enfri. Then, the explanation for it came to her. She's remembering Father, Enfri thought. Winds, I'm a fool.

Enfri never considered it before, what Deebee's final memory of Yora had been. She would have felt him take healing because of a gash above his eye. Then...

"Deebee, I'm sorry," Enfri whispered. "I trust you. Completely. I didn't stop to think about how hard this must be for you."

"Don't spare a single thought for me," Deebee said firmly. "Your safety is my only concern."

"I know, but I'm still sending you away. Father did the same thing when he went to Teularon."

Deebee's wings wilted, and she closed her eyes. "Don't speak of that place," she said quietly.

Enfri felt Deebee's sadness as if it were a physical thing. It was more profound and consuming than anything Enfri could remember feeling. Perhaps it was because of the bond that she could sense Deebee's grief, raw and aching, so clearly.

A bond she once had with someone else.

Shaking away memories of an indistinct face she only knew from a dream, Enfri prepared herself. "Well then, I'll give it a go. If a mere dragon can do it, surely a sky woman can."

Deebee bristled and gave her a wry look. "You wicked, little thing. It helps if you picture the injury in your mind, then imagine yourself when you didn't have it. Concentrate on making the two images..."

Enfri felt warmth fill her, and Deebee gasped in surprise.

"Winds," Deebee murmured. "Like a fish to water. I shouldn't have expected anything less from... Yora's daughter."

The warmth receded, and Enfri touched at her back. The soreness from the abrasions was gone. However, Enfri worried that Deebee looked out of breath. She hoped that she hadn't taken too much. "Did I really do it on my first try?"

"You're the blood of Shan Alee, girl," Deebee said. "This is like a young bird taking flight. It's what you are."

"How about you?" Enfri asked with concern. "You don't get the injuries I heal, do you?"

Deebee chuckled. "No, but it did take quite a lot out of me. Not to the point of ethershock, but it did use up most of the ether I've recovered today."

"Well, then I should repay you." Enfri imagined herself getting weaker and Deebee getting stronger. "This is given, right?"

The change in Deebee's bearing was sudden and drastic. She looked as if she had just awoken from a night's sleep. "Girl, no. You need all the strength you can get."

Enfri shook her head. "I'm not the one that needs to fly halfway across the desert, then break an eighteen-year-old ward. I'll rest a little longer before I leave, so stop being a worrywart and take what I gave you."

It took a bit more cajoling, and the threat of getting dosed with nettle broth, but Deebee eventually gave in. After listening to more last-minute warnings and lectures than she could stand, Enfri then watched Deebee fly into the distance.

Alone again, Enfri thought. It feels worse this time.

She told Deebee she would get more sleep, then resume her journey towards the spire when nightfall approached. Enfri looked at her water skins, one already half-empty. She decided that she couldn't bear the idea of sitting still, even for just a couple hours.

The first thing she did was strip down to her shift so she could put her brace back on. She prepared herself for little stabs of pain, but every trace of her injuries were erased. If anything, it was almost a relief to have the brace back on. It helped her feel stronger, more balanced. She felt less like a cripple and more whole.

Enfri shook the sand out of her dress before pulling it back on. After this journey, she'd either need to buy a new one or spend a few days mending all the little rips and tears it had accumulated. As she stepped out of her shelter with her meager supplies, Enfri wondered what manner of clothing the Espallans wore. She hoped their women wore something comfortable, because this heat was like stepping into Goodman Potter's kiln.

If Jin doesn't find me before I can reach them, a stray thought whispered.

Enfri took a last look south and prayed to the winds that they would speed Deebee on her way. Then, after taking a long breath to steel herself, she set out.

She kept the distant spire in her sight. It would be her landmark and destination. Enfri walked at a quick pace, and she often found herself looking over her shoulder.