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I slept soundly, just as I always did in Sahlyn’s presence. His bedroll was close enough to mine that I could lift my arm and touch him. We’d said nothing about what may have transpired as we’d stared at each other in the dark wood, and again tonight at the fire as he’d wrapped up my arm. It played through my mind, and I glanced at Sahlyn to find his eyes already on me. Argen’s obnoxious snores drifted over us as we fell into a deep sleep.
When I woke, both men were already up and making breakfast. My eyes swept over them, looking domestic with the dried meat and eggs in a pan.
“Where did you find eggs?” I asked as I sat up sleepily.
Sahlyn smiled at me and gestured to Argen. “Argen found a…”
Argen chuckled. “Troken. Big, orn’ry birds. Stole a couple of eggs.”
I listened, but my eyes drifted to our surroundings, and my heart skipped a beat. It was phenomenal.
I forgot about my arm and the men and walked to the edge. Mountains peaked dramatically and soared as far as the eye could see. Ranges intersecting other ranges, snow-capped and stunning.
I felt the dwarf’s presence and his scent of ember and stone. It was a welcoming aroma that tugged something in my soul I didn’t understand.
“Can you see Drommgar from here?”
“Nah,” Argen said from beside me. He shifted, and I could feel his eyes on my profile.
I glanced at him. In the morning light, his dark red hair had streaks of gold, and his bronze eyes were beautiful. He was bulky and well-muscled—a proud warrior. I estimated him to be only a few years older than me. I had read about the dwarves because they had always fascinated me. My father had books about them since we’d adopted much of their weapon-making techniques. They loved their weapons, and efficient designs were significant to the dwarves. Functionality was vital, but they also liked flair.Iadded flair to our family-made weapons, both with magic and imagery.
I wanted to speak about his pull on me, to ask if he felt it brushing against his soul too. It was embarrassing but not of passion or interest in a romantic sense. Instead, it was a whisper of familiarity and reassurance.
“Will the dwarves even let us in, Argen?”
“Aye. ‘Specially when I tell Rimroc what ye did fer me. There’s somethin’…” He glanced away.
My brow quirked. Argen hadn’t been uncomfortable saying anything yet, so to see it now was a surprise. It piqued my interest. “What?”
He pursed his lips and looked sheepish. “There’s somethin’ about ye, me lady.”
I lifted a brow, and he chuckled. “Somethin’ bright and extraordinary, from a time long past. I don’t understand, but it feels… significant.”
I swallowed hard, and my eyes swept back over the landscape. Something about Argen and these mountains called to a deep, dormant part of me. Like a locked section of my soul I didn’t know existed, but him showing up in my life had triggered the key. Each moment I spent with him, edging closer to these mountains, had twisted that key, unlocking a hidden box. Yet, I was unsure what I would find inside once it opened. The prospect was terrifying and electrifying at once.
“Nay what ye expected me to say, huh?”
“Not even a little.”
He laughed again. “Let’s eat an’ get the fuck off this cliff.”
I agreed.
Rimroc
We descended the cliff down a switchback trail. One we would have never found if not for Argen. It was well hidden, the perfect obscuration from the wayward traveler.
A millennia ago, dwarven ancestors had carved these perilous, narrow paths into the mountains to keep others at bay. It was a genius deterrent.
I stumbled a few times, and Autumn’s hands were always there to catch me. They did not make this path for humans. Pieces of the mountain jutted out at our face height, and Autumn and I had to duck beneath them. Below us was a massive gorge, a raging river curved and bent through it. Waterfalls cascaded from mountains, small lakes formed, and I noticed herds of wooly creatures and deer the size of small horses with antlers that spanned as wide as I am tall. Autumn was in silent awe. Her golden eyes took in everything, sweeping the grand, snowy landscape with wonder and delight. Her body was loose, and her features relaxed. I’d never seen her like that. She looked peaceful, making me yearn for her to remain that way. To not push her into picking up a destiny only hinted at by Bereille, one I had pushed her into by saving her months ago, that I still didn’t fully understand.
I had been her salvation, and now I was to be her downfall.
The city sprawledupthe mountain. That’s the best way to describe it. A switchback trail climbed up the side of the mountain walls, and dwellings perilously hung throughout, meandering and carving their path up.
It was stoic and impressive.
Night descended as we made our way through the hulking, massive city gates. Signal fires followed us up the city pathway, but we saw no activity on the streets. Many homes and buildings were boarded up and looked run down. Argen wasn’t lying when he said most of the population was gone. Amira and her prejudices had brought a once glorious, proud civilization to its knees.
