For Wade's sixteenth birthday, his father had gifted him a new pair of leather shoes. They were well built, and though over the last year they'd become scuffed and worn, Wade had never found himself in need of a replacement. Now, however, the soles were peeling away, the laces fraying. Wade couldn't stop looking at them as their group rested beside a small stream, refilling flasks of water and organizing supplies. They hadn't been like that when he left Aleran, he was sure of it. The realization sent a strange pang through his heart. Had he really gone that far from home?

And yet, even this could not truly dampen Wade's spirits. With a decent night of sleep behind him, his energies had finally been replenished. The air was fresh and cold, and he felt more awake than ever. Aurum had seemed to share his heightened mood as he guided their ragged group that day, even telling Wade and Asher a few stories about the mountains. The dragon's thoughts were laced with an eager nervousness that matched Wade's own, though for different reasons.

Wade sat down beside the stream, cupped some of the cold spring water, and drank, shivering as the liquid seemed to freeze him from the inside out. He splashed some of it on his face, combing his fingers through his hair. It was amazing how easily one could get dirty after one night in the woods, let alone weeks of hard travel. He wasn't the only one who could use a good wash.

Agreed, Aurum said. He'd been lurking in the back of Wade's consciousness, keeping himself connected to their group while he circled above them. I can smell all of you from here.

Oh, be quiet, Wade replied, glancing up at the dragon's distant form. His eyes strayed to the left, landing on the dark mountain that they'd skirted around that morning. A distinct air of danger still hung about it; he was glad they hadn't had to travel much closer. Aurum, do you know anything about that mountain?

Yes. Aurum answered slowly, carefully. Many years ago, there was a great battle between two humans on it's peak. I have heard that the magic they used corrupted the whole of the mountain, though none know exactly how.

Wade's eyes widened. We slept right at its base! Why didn't you tell us?

There was no need to. It only becomes dangerous when you near the top.

"Ash, did you notice anything strange last night, at the mountain?" Wade asked, glancing to his right.

Asher looked up from where he sat against a tree, picking at a small piece of bread Wade's father had given him. "No, why?"

"Aurum told me . . . well, nevermind. It's not that important." Wade sighed; speaking to Aurum and anyone else at the same time was far more trouble than it was worth.

"Right . . ." Asher's eyes rested on the distant mountain for a moment before he returned his attention to his food.

Aurum, Wade said after a moment.

Yes?

How do you know so much about the mountains? Aren't we still far away from your home?

We are, but I still know much about this place. My mother would tell me tales of the range; it has a long and complex history.

It must; the mountains are ancient. Wade paused and frowned, his hands still submerged in the stream. They certainly were old. So why didn't he know anything about them? Now that he thought about it, he'd never heard or read anything that had to do with the region past the northern forests.

"It's getting dark," Serafina observed, jolting Wade from his thoughts. She was gazing up at the reddening sky, her brown hair tinged a beautiful bronze shade in its light.

"Yes. The days are getting shorter . . ." Asher muttered to himself, barely loud enough for Wade to hear.

"Not to mention the mountains cut off a lot of our light," Wade added. "We still have a few hours to travel, though."

Actually, Aurum interrupted, still listening in, I need to go sleep before I can keep watch tonight. And I don't trust you to not get lost in the dark.

Fair enough, Wade said, thinking about how dark it could get in the mountains. Do you see any good places for us to sleep?

Hold on. High above them, Aurum stopped circling and tucked his wings to his sides, diving straight down for their group. He pulled up at the last moment and landed with a flurry of wind, making Ember stumble. The dragon continued, a strange ring in his voice that Wade had grown to learn meant he was talking to Asher as well. I saw a lake earlier; walk with me.

Asher patted Aurum's side and nodded. "Looks like we're stopping early today," he announced.

With a flick of his tail, Aurum turned and slipped through a gap between two trees. They all followed, tripping over roots and scattered stones. Wade's attention gradually drifted downward to the ground, which was slick with mud and dangerously steep.

"Excuse me?"

Wade jerked his head up and saw Kira gazing back at him, her small hand wrapped around the hem of his jacket. "Kira? Is everything alright?"

"May I ride the horse?" the girl asked hesitantly. "My feet hurt."

"Yes, of course," Wade replied, flashing her a smile. He gently untangled his shirt from her grip and called out to Ember, pressing a hand against her chest in a feeble attempt to stop her. Without the reins, it took her a few seconds to notice what Wade was trying to do and slow to a halt.

Wade turned to Kira and held out a hand. "Here, let me help you up."

Kira grasped his forearm and swung herself atop Ember with surprising grace. She perched herself behind the horse's neck, winding her fingers into Ember's thick mane and looking around with wide eyes. "I can see the mountains from up here!"

"Have you ridden a horse before?" Wade asked, studying the girl's posture. Even bareback, she seemed to have no trouble moving with the horse's rocky gait.

Kira beamed and nodded. "Mum made Sera and I go ride Remmy together every day."

Mum. Wade suddenly wondered if Serafina had told her sister what happened to their parents. "That must have been a lot of fun."

"It was," Kira said with a sigh. She stared at him for a moment, her head tilted to one side. "Why do you have a sword?"

Wade's hand drifted to the hilt of his weapon. "I, er, have it in case I need to fight something. It's dangerous out here."

"That's what Sera keeps telling me," Kira said, a hint of annoyance lingering in the words. "It's dangerous."

Wade glanced over his shoulder. Serafina was trailing behind them, still within earshot. She raised an eyebrow as their eyes met, a quiet challenge. Wade decided to change the topic before he said something he'd regret. "You know, Kira, I think Ember really likes you."

"Ember? That's such a pretty name!" Kira reached down and patted the horse's neck.

"Why, thank you," Wade said lightly, tipping an imaginary hat.

Kira giggled. "You picked it?"

"Yep."

"Did you also name Aurum?"

"Nah, that was Ash."

"You're both good at names," Kira observed. She shifted and swung both of her legs over Ember's side to face Wade. He instinctively moved forward to steady her, but her balance was impeccable. Kira leaned closer to him, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I like talking to you. I love Sera, but she's always so serious. You're much more happy."

"Uh . . . thanks," Wade replied, the end of his sentence lifting up into an unintentional question. "I try."

Kira nodded, an oddly contemplative expression crossing her face. She swung back around to face the rough trail they were picking their way across, her eyes landing on Aurum's dark figure pacing ahead of them.

Urged by something he couldn't quite identify, Wade turned to look at Serafina again. She was still there, a solitary figure a few yards apart from everyone else. Her gaze had drifted downwards, and she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. She looked lonely.

Seemingly of their own accord, Wade's feet slowed to a halt. He let Ember and Kira pass him by and fell into step beside the older girl. She gave him an odd look, confusion flashing through her eyes.

"Hey," Wade said.

"Hi."

"How did you sleep last night? You and Ash were up really early."

Serafina hesitated. "I didn't, really. I was still, well . . ."

"Suspicious," Wade finished.

"Yes," Serafina admitted. She kept talking, the words spilling out in a hurry. "I believe you're good people, I really do. I watched Kira sleeping next to Aurum and just knew that that was the safest place she could be right then. But I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes and rest. It didn't feel right."

"I know what you mean," Wade said. "You did just meet us, after all."

"Yes, but I . . ." Serafina bit her lip and touched her forehead. Wade thought he saw her cheeks redden for a moment. "Oh, nevermind. I don't even know why I told you that."

"Maybe I'm just an amazing listener," Wade said, grinning.

A soft chuckle escaped Serafina's mouth. "Thank you for letting Kira ride your horse."

"Ember's not mine, actually. I stole her."

"You?" Serafina asked, her eyes widening.

"Surprised?"

"A little. You don't seem like the thieving type."

"I'm not, really." Wade felt his smile lessen slightly. "Fear changes things."

"It does . . . anyways, my thanks still stands. Kira's tough, but we've been traveling for ages. I don't really know how she's made it this far on foot."

"You must be so tired," Wade muttered, taking a closer look at Serafina's face. "Do you want to ride Ember, too? She can carry both of you for a while."

"No, I'm fine. We'll be stopping soon anyway."

Indeed, the second Serafina finished speaking, Aurum halted in front of them and flicked his golden eyes toward Wade. The lake's just up ahead.

Good, Wade replied, still carefully watching Serafina. I think some of us could use some more rest.

Why is it, Aurum growled, that you keep saying you need to sleep, and yet never get any?

That made Wade think for a moment. Very, very bad luck and people who want to kill us.

Aurum huffed his annoyance and withdrew from Wade's mind. Wade snickered and kept walking, Serafina ohnly a few steps behind him. After a few minutes the trees began to thin.

"I see something!" Kira exclaimed, sitting up straight atop Ember's back as she gazed at something before them.

"What is it?" Serafina called back, speeding up. Wade trotted beside her, eager to see the lake that Aurum had mentioned.

They quickly caught up to the others and halted, staring. A large valley was carved out of the mountains below them, ringed by trees and tall grass. A sparkling lake sat in the center, dappled with spots of sunlight that escaped through the clouds above. The surface rippled with wind, sending light dancing across the trees around it.

Wade felt an amazed smile spread across his face. It wasn't nearly as big as the ocean, but the sheer size of the lake still astounded him. It must have been at least a mile long, if not more.

Wade's father took a few steps forward and pointed at an open area beside the shore closest to them, where a rocky beach was overshadowed by a cluster of towering trees. "That place has some good cover; we can camp there."

"Hah, Ember!" Kira cried. Everyone jerked back in surprise as the horse burst into a sprint, Kira whooping from her back.

"I can't believe her . . ." Serafina muttered. A soft curse sprang from her lips as she broke into a run, chasing after her sister. "Kira! Slow down, you'll hurt yourself!"

This looks great, Aurum, Wade said, laughing as he surveyed the land. It'll be a good place to hide.

Aurum gave Wade an exasperated look. I know. That's why I chose it.

Wade sighed. You are terrible at receiving compliments.

. . . Compliments?

It took Wade a slightly ridiculous amount of time to help Aurum understand the meaning of a compliment as they made their way down to the lake's shore and settled down for the night. Serafina and Wade's father left to find some firewood, leaving Kira with Aurum and the boys. Wade watched her leave, glad that she'd begun to trust them more.

But what is the point? Aurum asked, a slight snarl building in his throat as he bent down to drink from the still water. Kira had left his side for once to play at the lakes edge under Asher's careful eye.

Wade plopped down on the ground, flexing his sore feet. There is no point.

So you just praise others for the sole purpose of praising them? That seems useless.

Asher snorted as Wade pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly shook his head. It's . . . look, it's just a way to express your appreciation of someone.

But why be vague when you can simply tell him?

Because it lets that person know why you care for him.

. . . I don't even care anymore, Aurum huffed. He slid into the lake, hardly disturbing the water as he slid beneath the surface.

What are you doing? Wade asked. Don't tell me I'm that terrible at explaining things.

I need to eat something, and there are plenty of fish down here. Besides, my scales are getting dirty.

Wade stifled a laugh. You are a strange one, Aurum.

Shut up.

"Wow," Asher said, appearing at Wade's shoulder. "What did you say to him? You've already gotten Aurum to try and drown himself."

Some distance from the shore, the dragon surfaced with a shower of water and performed a sort of midair flip before diving back beneath the surface. Kira looked up and gasped with delight, her eyes shining with joy.

"Not yet, I haven't," Wade observed dryly.

"He really seems to like the water," Kira said, still watching the place where Aurum had disappeared with nothing short of awe.

"That he does," said Asher.

Wade shook his head. "You should have seen him when we were at the ocean. He was like a giant puppy."

Wade, I'm still listening, Aurum growled. Wade ignored him; Asher clapped a hand over his mouth as his shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"How is Aurum not cold?" Kira asked suddenly. She shivered as a gust of wind swept inland and hugged herself tightly. "The water's freezing!"

Wade took one look at the girl and shrugged off his jacket. "Here," he said, handing it over.

"I'm fine," Kira protested, though her voice wavered.

"You're shaking, Kira. Take it; I'll be fine."

Kira reluctantly accepted the gift with a word of thanks and pulled it around herself. Asher caught Wade's eye and pointed to his own jacket in a silent offer; Wade shook his head. He turned back to the lake before his friend could do anything else and leaned against the trunk of a tree, admiring the sunlight as it played off of the dancing waves.

<><><>

After night had fallen and everyone had gone to sleep, Wade still lay awake, staring at the moon. It hung in the sky, heavy and full, surrounded by swirling patterns of stars. It's sharp, even light picked out every little detail in the forest below; even the dead leaves on the ground beside Wade were lined with silver. Apart from the occasional rustle of the wind through the canopy, all was quiet.

Wade hated the quiet.

He sat up and looked around, not even the slightest bit tired. Aurum, who'd just woken up to stand guard, gave him a dismissive look before returning to his watch. He didn't seem that interested in talking. The others were all sound asleep, spread throughout the clearing.

Wade sighed and stood up. He slipped through the trees, wincing at how loud his footsteps sounded. The air was still and dry; he could almost hear his own breathing. In moments, he arrived at the lake's edge. The water stretched out before him, as still and smooth glass. It reflected the night sky, a perfect mirror image.

Wade bent forward and touched the still water. Ripples fanned outward from his fingers, lengthening until they faded into deeper waters. The sight calmed him a little, and Wade felt some of the tension ease from his shoulders. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths of the chill air and letting his mind settle.

"Oh. Hey, Wade."

Wade twisted around at the sound of Serafina's voice. She stood a few feet away, half hidden under the shadow of a gnarled oak tree.

"Hi," he said. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"No." Serafina hesitantly crept to his side and slumped to the ground besides Wade. Her bow was in her hand, oddly flat-looking while unstrung. She absently moved her hands across its polished surface as she gazed at the sky above, her eyes reflecting the moon.

Wade suddenly felt a bit awkward; he shifted his hands in his lap, clasping them together and then resting them on his knees. Neither position felt quite right.

"The stars look different," Serafina finally said, still playing with her bow.

"What do you mean?"

"They're not in the right positions anymore. You see?" Serafina reached up and traced a shape amongst the stars. "That's Reos, the falcon. He should be at the horizon, but now he's right besides the moon."

Wade followed her fingers and blinked. "You're right." He let his eyes wander through the stars, searching for patterns. He pointed at a cluster just visible over the peak of a nearby mountain and frowned, imagining the shape of the woman that stood there. Her bow was pointed downwards, as if she saw a giant monster lurking behind the mountain that he could not. He moved his finger westwards, tracing a path across the sky. "And Leira, she should be over there at this time of year."

Serafina sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's strange what distance does. For me, she'd be even farther west."

Wade caught the homesick look in her eyes and nudged her side. "At least we can still see them. They might be a little different, but they're still our stars."

Serafina gave him a small smile. "I might steal that phrase. You're just full of positivity, aren't you?"

Wade just shrugged and returned the grin. An easy silence stretched between them as they sat there together, shoulders only a few inches apart, wondering what the future held.