"Now you sound like Shovia. For some reason, I got the impression that you are a serious guy who doesn't partake in mischief."
He winced as if I had insulted him. "I'm here, aren't I? Most of my friends think that an Elurian joining the Elucian pilgrimage in the hopes of becoming a dragon rider is a daredevil or a fool."
"Good point." I huddled under his jacket. "The pilgrimage is meant to be an ordeal for Elucians, and it is so much more difficult for flatlanders like you who are not used to the thin air up there."
Mountain sickness was real, caused by the lower levels of oxygen in the air and, as a result, the blood. Flatlanders were more vulnerable to the effects of high altitude than Elucians, who had been born and raised in these mountains. Still, the whole point of trekking up to the summit while fasting was to induce hallucinations or, as the shaman called it, open the inner eye, so Alar and his cousin should welcome the effects.
"If I want to become a dragon rider, I need to get used to high altitudes. Perhaps one of the pilgrimage goals is to weed out those who can't handle it."
That hadn't occurred to me, but he was most likely right. Those with a fear of heights would also get weeded out.
Climbing to the summit of Mount Hope would be more difficult for me than most pilgrims, but I wasn't going to share that with him or comment that he had little agency overhis body's tolerance of altitude, and he couldn't just wish the sickness away. I had my own demons to contend with, and my fear of heights was probably a bigger obstacle than the one that he had to deal with.
As we reached my house, I stopped in front of the wooden gate set in a low wall of rough-hewn stone. Feeling a little self-conscious. I could only imagine how quaint it must seem to someone from Vedona.
"This is where I live." I reluctantly started to remove Alar's jacket.
He shook his head and sat on the low stone wall. "I don't want to call it a night just yet. Can you stay with me for a little longer?"
I should be in bed, but I was flattered that he wanted to spend more time with me, and the truth was that I still wasn't ready to say goodnight to him either.
I sat down beside him. "Skywatcher's Point must look so quaint to you."
"I love how peaceful it is here." Alar tucked his hands under his thighs, probably to keep them warm, and I felt bad for keeping his jacket. "I like the quiet, the clean air, the way you can see the auroras without all the light pollution of the city."
I laughed. "Peaceful is an illusion. Anywhere in Elucia, the Shedun could burst out of the ground at any moment, but this is probably the safest place because of the proximity to the Citadel and the aviary. The riders can be here in minutes."
His expression grew serious. "We are told so very little about these attacks in Eluria. Is there no warning? The worms must make noise when they're tunneling through rock."
"They do, but it's localized. That's why the Shedun usually tunnel up in unpopulated areas and then attack on foot." I gestured toward the nearest watchtower, its silhouette dark against the shifting lights above. "We have civilian patrols inevery town and village. We also have seismic sensors, but sometimes that's not enough. They know how to work around our defenses."
The memories of that night five years ago came rushing back. "In my old village, the Shedun sent a stealth assassin team to kill the watchers first. If not for my dog sounding the alarm, they would have slaughtered us in our beds like they had done to so many others." I glanced toward the house, suddenly realizing that Chicha wasn't barking despite a stranger intruding on what she considered her domain. "I'm surprised that my dog is so quiet with you being here. Normally, Chicha would be barking her little head off. She must be getting old."
"Your dog deserves a medal." Alar glanced at the living-room window where Chicha usually sat watching the street.
"She does." I sighed. "I hate that her time is running out. Chicha is my family, and I'll be inconsolable when she passes."
"Maybe if you become a dragon rider and Chicha comes with you, she could live forever," Alar said with a straight face. "You could make a special carrier for her and take her along."
The image that his words painted in my head was so absurd that I laughed. "You are funny."
"I'm serious. She could be the wing's mascot."
"I don't think it works that way. Chicha would also have to bond with my dragon, and I doubt she has the gift."
"That's a good point. But what do we know about the bond? Perhaps animals can bond with dragons as well."
"I doubt that, but you are right about how little we know."
I didn't want our conversation to end, but we couldn't just stay here all night. Through the window I could see a shadow move, and guessed that it was my father, keeping watch over me. He trusted me and was confident that I could handle myself, probably more than I was, but that didn't stop him from being a dad. It was hardwired into his psyche.
"I should go in," I said reluctantly, and handed Alar his jacket back. "I'll see you at the blessing ceremony in five days?"
"I look forward to it."
He gazed into my eyes as if he was expecting a kiss, and I was so drakking tempted to do it, but at the same time, I knew it was a bad idea.
I wasn't like Shovia, who could go through bed partners without giving them a second thought. If I kissed a man, it was because I felt a connection and hoped a loving relationship would grow between us.
