Through Smoke and Ashes

Twenty Two||Icy Depths of Nothing

Roland and Ton were next to seek out their dragons, as the Airis Mountains lay far closer to our current path than Ceosil Lake. That lake would be our final destination before the group turned toward home, and the realization settled uneasily in the back of my mind with every step we took. Soon, I would be leaving Aeberuthey behind.

The thought felt stranger than it should have. When I had first arrived on the island, survival had consumed every waking moment. Yet somewhere along the way, the wilderness had become familiar. The occupants had as well. Day after day, I had found myself gathering acquaintances with surprising ease once the dragons realized I posed no threat to them.

What I would miss most, however, was the life Naxan and I had carved out for ourselves. We had spent countless nights beneath open skies with nothing but the stars above and the wilderness stretching endlessly around us. Silence had never felt lonely with him beside me. We had fallen into a rhythm that required few words, becoming so accustomed to each other's presence that solitude no longer existed.

Now I was being pulled back into a world I no longer entirely remembered how to navigate. The habits I had developed over the past years clashed constantly with the customs of those around me. More than once, I had caught myself reaching for food with my hands before remembering that plates and utensils existed. Sleeping beside other people had become an exercise in patience as well. The snoring, shifting bodies, and whispered conversations were only part of it. What unsettled me most was the constant reminder that I was no longer alone. Naxan and I had answered to no one but ourselves. The forests, mountains, and open sky had become our home. Now, surrounded by people at every turn, I could feel that freedom slipping away. Each passing day carried me closer to Pontheugh and to a life filled with expectations and responsibilities I had managed to leave behind on Aeberuthey.

And looming over all of it was the truth I could not avoid forever.

Eventually, I would have to tell them who I really was.

Not merely some girl who had survived on an isolated island, but a dragon rider. When we reached civilization, I would not be returning to my parents' home as they undoubtedly assumed. My path led elsewhere. The revelation would raise questions I wasn't ready to answer, and perhaps questions I couldn't answer. I kept telling myself I would wait for the right moment, but the longer I delayed, the more I realized such a moment probably didn't exist.

A familiar grumble echoed through our bond, mercifully interrupting my thoughts. "Twolegs are slow creatures."

Naxan's irritation had been steadily building over the past several hours as he trailed behind the group. For a dragon accustomed to covering vast distances with a handful of wingbeats, our pace must have felt agonizing.

"We'll be done soon," I replied, unable to suppress a faint smile.

The response earned little more than a dissatisfied huff.

By midday, the towering slopes of the Airis Mountains rose before us, their jagged peaks cutting into the sky like enormous stone teeth. Patches of snow clung stubbornly to the higher elevations, gleaming white against dark rock. The mountain winds carried a sharp chill that swept down the slopes and through the valley, tugging at cloaks and stirring loose strands of hair.

At the base of the mountains, the group finally came to a halt. Supplies were set down, waterskins passed around, and conversations drifted quietly through the camp as everyone welcomed the chance to rest. Meanwhile, Hames and the two Airis riders wasted little time. After exchanging a few final words with the rest of us, they began the climb into the mountains, disappearing steadily among the rocky paths and scattered evergreens as they set out in search of their dragons.