Was he thinking of his own impossible dream? The odds of an Elurian becoming a dragon rider were practically nonexistent.
"The dragon offered to teach the goat to fly," Morek said.
"That's not possible," one of the other pilgrims protested. "You can't teach a goat to fly because it doesn't have wings."
"Ah, but this is a story about the impossible becoming possible." Morek's eyes twinkled. "The dragon taught the goat to see the magnetic currents that flow through the skies, to feel the way they twist and turn through the mountains."
"Still doesn't give the goat wings," Shovia pointed out.
"No," Morek agreed. "But it taught him something more important—how to navigate his own path through the mountains. The goat learned to leap from peak to peak, using the currents to guide him. He never flew like a dragon, but he found his own way to soar."
A contemplative silence fell over our group, even though the story was too silly to serve as an allegory. The fire crackled, sending sparks spiraling up into the dark ceiling of the cave, one of many such fires that illuminated and warmed the enormous interior. Outside, though, the wind still howled, reminding us that we were trapped in here until the storm was over and that the wait for our first meal after the fast was getting longer.
"That's a pretty good story," Codric said. "But I have to admit that I was expecting a different ending. Getting eaten by the dragon was a more likely outcome for our motivated goat, but since speaking of goats getting eaten makes me hungry, let's talk about something else."
Laughter rippled through our group, and even Alar seemed amused.
"Not every story has to end in tragedy," Morek said. "It's good to have dreams, even if they are impossible."
"Very profound," Shovia teased. "Have you been talking philosophy with Kailin's grandmother?"
I snorted. "Gran is much too pragmatic to give such a story a good ending, but if she were telling a fairy tale, she would have given it a medicinal twist. Something about the goat finding a magical plant and growing wings."
As more laughter followed, Alar pulled out his canteen, the one with Lysara's medicine, and took a sip.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
He met my gaze across the flames, and this time his smile reached as far as those striking blue eyes. "Much better. The altitude doesn't feel as crushing anymore."
"That's good." I looked away quickly, unsettled by how that smile made me feel. "The air is probably denser in here than outside, but on the other hand, all the smoke is not good for us either."
"Or maybe I'm finally adapting." He set his flask aside. "Though I suspect that it helps being out of the storm, having a roof over my head and a fire to warm my bones."
"You looked pretty frozen coming back from that dip in the water," I said. "What were you thinking?"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time." He cast a baleful glance at Morek. "My competitive nature will one day be the death of me. Though watching Codric turn blue was almost worth it."
"I can hear you," Codric grumbled. "And I wasn't blue. If I looked anything like you, it was more of a purplish shade."
As the banter continued around the fire, I found it challenging to focus on the conversation. Every time Alar spokeor laughed, and I had an excuse to look at him, my heart beat faster in my chest. The firelight softened his aristocratic features, and when he smiled, which he was doing more often than I'd ever seen him do before, little crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.
If I didn't stop stealing glances at him, he would notice and think that I was smitten with him. Not that he would be wrong because I was, but he was leaving after the pilgrimage, and I needed to protect myself from heartache.
Suddenly, the cavern felt too warm, too crowded, and I needed air, space, and some distance from this growing unwelcome attraction.
"I'm going to get more water." I rose to my feet and grabbed my canteens. "Does anyone else need a refill?"
Several canteens were held out, and as I gathered them, Alar stood up. "You can't carry all of those by yourself. I'll help you."
"No!" The word came out too quickly, too forcefully. I modulated my tone. "No, thank you. Stay, enjoy the warmth. I can manage by myself."
I felt his eyes on me as I walked away, and it took all my willpower not to look back.
As I made my way toward the cave's water source, the shadows between the fires grew deeper, and my heart slowed down to a normal pace. Behind me, I could still hear Shovia's laughter, and I wondered whether they'd started another nonsense story.
33
ALAR
