Asher fell into a sort of daze as they flew, scanning the sky with open wonder. Such a height turned even the massive northern mountains into mere outcrops in the endless sea of trees. At some point, the sun emerged from the clouds, bright and warm. Only then did he finally dare to loosen his grip on Aurum's neck and lean back, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face. Cold and fierce as it was, it felt wonderfully refreshing, and with Aurum's enthusiasm to be flying again buzzing through his head, for the first time in years Asher truly felt . . . free. He could see why Aurum loved it so much.

Of course, the instant the stupid reptile tucked his wings to his sides and dived headfirst for the ground, the paralysing fear came rushing right back. Asher screamed and grabbed the dragon with all his strength, various curses streaming from his mouth.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, watching them plummet toward the ground through a haze of terror. He felt his body start lifting into the air and quickly redoubled his grip on Aurum, bile rising in his throat.

Just before they crashed into the rocky earth, Aurum spread his wings and sharply leveled off. Asher grunted as the sudden motion slammed him against the dragon's back. Aurum glided to the ground, landing with a soft thump on a tall hill. A stream tumbled down the stone slope next to them, sparkling merrily in the sunlight. The trees were thick and dark, their branches extended toward the azure sky. The air, thick with the scent of flowers, felt wonderfully warm.

Asher tumbled off Aurum's back and lay panting on the ground, glaring at the dragon. His hands were numb. His legs were numb. Everything felt numb.

Are you trying to kill me? he growled.

Aurum blinked. If the dragon could laugh, Asher bet he would've. You're still alive, aren't you?

Asher muttered a few choice curses under his breath and looked around. Why did you stop here?

You're larger and heavier than anything I've had to carry before, and I've been flying for a couple of hours. I'm tired.

Asher looked at Aurum. His wings dragged on the ground, and his breathing was loud and harsh. You could've at least warned me before dropping like a stone.

Aurum snorted. That's how I fly. Get used to it.

Asher threw his hands up into the air and walked to the stream, dropping to his knees before the clear water. He had been getting thirsty; the air was dry so high up.

Aurum crept to his side and drank as well, eagerly lapping up the water. When he was done, he stretched his wings out--they were so massive that they brushed against the canopy--and laid down under a tree. His sides rose and fell in a deep sigh, and his eyes slid shut.

How long are we going to be here? Asher asked. Aurum opened one eye and glared at him.

A half-hour? An hour? I don't know. It's late, and I haven't slept properly in days. Let me rest.

Sorry, sorry. Asher sighed. I'm going to go walk around.

Don't get lost.

Asher left the dragon to himself and headed into the forest. Aurum was far faster than Rivas, but he still felt a twinge of unease as he strode past the massive trees. Whatever. He'd had to deal with paranoia before.

He wandered around aimlessly for some time, stopping every now and then to examine a strange plant or watch a colorful bird flit through the treetops. It was nice to relax for a moment and simply explore the new environment.

Aurum's presence in his mind faded somewhat after a few minutes; if he focused, he could dimly sense the dragon's dreams. They were foreign, filled with thoughts and ideas that weren't quite . . . human.

Asher stopped in the middle of examining a beautiful red flower and chuckled. "Of course it's not human," he muttered. "He's a dragon."

The words carried through the empty air with a certain finality. For the first time, Asher was struck with awe. He was traveling with a dragon. A dragon. Nobody else in Eldernia could claim such a thing.

Asher shook his head and got to his feet. He continued walking, still struck by the simple, incredible thought. A few ferns brushed against his ankles, their soft fronds trailing across his skin. The sun burst out from behind a cloud, sending beams of dazzling light through the canopy.

Just as Asher was about to turn back around, something made him pause. There was a subtle unease in the magic, twisting through the air like a thread of smoke. He reached out to it, taking a hesitant step forward. He debated calling Aurum, but whatever the danger was, he could sense it had passed long ago. Be that as it may, a mark had been left on the forest's magic.

Asher followed the trail, glancing around warily. After a minute, he emerged into a clearing about five yards in diameter. The ground had been torn open, exposing the rich, black dirt. A few saplings had been uprooted, their branches and trunks crushed and splintered, while the larger trees were covered in a thin layer of soot. The air was perfectly still and oddly dark, as if this section of the woods was locked in a perpetual twilight.

Asher stood for a moment at the edge of the clearing. Now he was closer, he could feel the great dissonance in the magic; something had torn through it, something violent and uncontrolled. A distinct feeling of terror lingered in the air.

Aurum, he called after a moment, touching the dragon's mind. Aurum's dreams flickered and slid away. Another nudge, and his thoughts suddenly came back into sharp focus.

What?

Asher sent the dragon a mental image of what he saw. I found something.

Aurum was silent for a moment. Asher could sense him getting up, shaking out his wings. I'm coming.

Asher paced back and forth, unwilling to emerge from the safety of the trees. He had an idea of what this was, but he was afraid to think of what it would mean if he was right.

Not much later, Aurum burst into the clearing, his eyes sharp and alert. He sniffed the air and padded into the center of the space. A low growl erupted from his throat. I smell death.

Asher shivered. What?

Aurum's head jerked up, and he bounded to an especially dark area at the opposite edge of the clearing. He stared at something on the ground for a long moment. Here.

Asher swallowed and walked over to the dragon. Each step felt as if he were walking through thick mud. An indistinct shape came into view, crumpled at the base of a tree. It was a young man, hardly over twenty years of age. A bloody arrow was buried in his throat. He was wearing a simple vest and trousers, and a knife lay on the ground next to him. His brown eyes were glazed and empty, and his hands still clutched at his ruined neck. Dried blood pooled on the ground beneath him. Even more was splattered on the tree the man lay against, level with Asher's own neck.

Asher's heart jumped. He knelt next to the body and turned to Aurum. What is this?

You tell me.

Something on the man's forearm caught Asher's eye. A black crescent. He swore and jumped back, automatically reaching for the magic. Aurum whirled around, snarling.

What is it? I don't see anything.

This man is a Valkir.

Aurum huffed in annoyance. I thought we were being attacked.

Sorry. Asher hadn't moved, his gaze locked on the dead man.

What is he doing here? Aurum asked, moving closer.

Asher looked at the ruined clearing, then the arrow. This looks like what happens when someone loses control of their magic. My best guess is that this man was hunting another magi, and, well . . .

He failed.

Yes.

Aurum raised his head. It's very faint, but I can smell another human. I believe it's a female.

Asher crossed his arms, once again sensing the pulsing fear that lay hidden beneath the magic. Whoever she is, she was scared.

Aurum growled softly. We should leave this place.

Asher tore his eyes away from the dead Valkir. What if the magi is still here? If she can kill a Valkir, maybe she can help us. Even as he had the thought, he hesitated: he didn't have any desire to meet the owner of that arrow.

No. This man has been dead for some time, and after that storm I won't be able to track her. Besides, what if she also tried to kill you? We know nothing of this human.

Asher hesitated, then nodded.

I can fly a little further. Come on, let's go.

Asher climbed atop Aurum and hugged the dragon's neck, scrunching his eyes shut. His stomach lurched when Aurum took off, and he refused to open his eyes until they were above the clouds.

Aurum angled northward--they were already much closer to the mountains. Asher stared at them, his thoughts lingering in the clearing below. A magi. There was another magi. He had thought he was the only one left. Should he have gone after her?

No, he thought sharply. She has her own problems to deal with, and I'd only lead Rivas straight to her. And Aurum was right--he didn't know who she was, and if she was a good person. Just because she was a magi did not mean she was innocent.

Asher once again thought of the Valkir in the clearing. The horrible emptiness that had lain in the man's eyes made Asher shudder. He had not seen death since he was a child, and now he found himself face-to-face with it once again. And the last time . . .

Who was she?

Asher stiffened. He hurriedly shoved the memory of her face away, but Aurum had already seen it. Nothing concerning you, he snapped. Leave me alone.

Aurum fell silent, and he wasn't quick enough to hide the hurt he felt at Asher's words. It had been an innocent question.

Asher sighed and closed his eyes. I'm sorry, Aurum. I just don't--

My parents are dead.

What?

My parents are dead. You asked why I was alone--here is your answer. A flurry of images ran past Asher's eyes: densely forested mountains that towered higher than anything he'd seen before; a sunset viewed from above the clouds, filling the sky with fire; Aurum, much younger than he was now, tussling in the mud with three other dragonlings. A large dragon with deep blue scales sat nearby--his mother, Asher realized, watching over her offspring. I lied when I said I had never met a human before. A few men--I do not know who they were--found our group in the mountains while we slept. They murdered my parents and many others before we were able to kill them all. They were like you . . . magi, you call them? Perhaps they were Valkir. I have no way to know.

The best thing about sharing a mental bond was that Asher didn't have to say anything. He reached out to Aurum with his sympathy, his own shared sorrow. This was a pain words could never contain.

I could not stay there any longer, Aurum continued. I left my siblings--they refused to come--and everyone else to explore. I had always wanted to discover new things: we were not allowed to stray very far from our home. Nobody bothered to try and stop me . . .That was a year ago. They probably think I am dead. Aurum's even tone wavered, and his grief poured through the bond, sudden and crushing. Sorry. This connection is harder to control than with other dragons.

Asher tightened his arms around Aurum, still lost for words.

. . . What are you doing?

In spite of what he'd just learned, laughter rose up in Asher's throat. It's called hugging.

. . . This is weird. You humans are strange creatures.

You said that already.

You're so strange it warrants stating it twice.

Asher snickered and let Aurum go. Whatever he said, the dragon's sadness had lessened somewhat. There was a long, comfortable silence. Asher returned his gaze to the mountains, and despite his best efforts the young woman's face flashed through his mind again.

You don't have to tell me, Aurum said softly.

Asher stayed quiet. Aurum wordlessly shifted his attention back to flying, leaving Asher to his own thoughts.

. . . Hannah. Her name was Hannah.

She had kind eyes. Asher's sister appeared in Aurum's own mind, a perfect copy of what he remembered. Beautiful black hair, gray eyes that matched his own, and a wide, joyous smile. She had been so full of life.

Asher sighed, his eyes blindly fixed on the mountains ahead. Yeah. She did. She really did.