Once back in the carriages, Laz finally allowed himself to relax. After hours of drifting through crowds of strangers, dancing with Calder, trying to ignore the growing tensions in the castle, all the while hopelessly searching for a wizard he could talk to without his date noticing. He failed his mission, and knew no more about Edre’s whereabouts than when he arrived.

It really is all up to me, isn’t it? If he was going to offer help, it would have arrived by now. Maybe he never went to Devrune and left Kradall altogether. Master could be secretly living in Pamantia by now, he’s resourceful enough to have made it through the desert on his own.

He squinted in pain at the thought of his mentor, who raised him and taught him all he knew, having such an unceremonious demise. Though he didn’t like the thought that he was lied to, either. Edre was the person he trusted, respected, and cared about most in the world. To be disregarded and ignored would mean he was alone.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Calder asked. He was settling into his seat after helping a drunk Mohs up into the carriage. His voice was flat and deflated, the most tired Laz had ever heard him sound, though he still managed to smile and keep his head up.

He must be exhausted. While we were dancing I could see him losing his sheen, maybe he didn’t eat quite enough.

“More than I thought I would, yes.” Laz allowed himself to sit closer to Calder, their kiss from earlier refusing to leave his mind. “Though, I feel guilty for the night of luxury when I think of how everyone back home is barely able to feed themselves.”

Calder nodded solemnly, and rubbed his eyes. Before he could speak, not that Laz was sure he would respond, Mohs pulled Strawberry up and into the carriage. She had a slight wobble, but in one fluid motion she lifted her from off of the stone bridge and inside, eliciting a small squeak from her poor date. She giggled and rushed to push the skirt of her puffy dress down again.

“Be careful!” Strawb said with a playful grin.

The two had been like that the entire walk back from the castle, reeking of ale and wine. Laz was happy for Strawb finally getting what she wanted, and even saw the two dancing at one point near the end of the ball. His only wish was that the ride home wouldn’t be too vexing.

With all four seated, the door to the carriage was closed tight and their departure toward home began. Laz had planned to get a better look at the capital on their trip home, but the sun had yet to rise, while his sore muscles and greedy heart yearned for him to lean against Calder to rest again. As one of the furthest towns in Kradall, those from Evermine were not only the last to arrive, but the first to leave. Other cities at least had the benefit of being trade posts with foreign powers, or natural resources they provided the kingdom. Evermine hadn’t provided gems or minerals for Kradall in centuries. Laz had his doubts on if it would last another hundred years at all.

He began to feel the heat again.

“What an amazing place,” Strawb said, clinging to Mohs’ arm. “Nobody back home is going to believe it!”

Calder gave a faint smile. “It might be best to not talk about it too much. A common piece of advice for new knights is to not mention the capital when it isn’t necessary, in order to prevent a rift from growing between us and regular citizens. It can come across as… boastful.”

“Ah, let her have a little fun,” Mohs said with slurred words. Her arm was around Strawb’s waist, keeping her close. “Evermine could use some excitement, I’m sure people would love to hear about the glowy fish and all the delicious food.”

“Right.” Laz scoffed, fighting off the urge to roll his eyes. “Mention how much you think they spent on us to have a fun night, and how they could have used that to send food to us, or help fix our farmland. Talk about how the capital wizards could probably stop the flooding in a week, but they can’t be bothered, because instead they have to make fancy lights for the ballroom. Everyone will love that.”

Mohs frowned, and glared at Calder. “Can you tell your gloomy boyfriend to stop being so depressing? I’m having a nice night.”

“Oh, come now,” Strawb said. Despite defending Laz, she wouldn’t stop looking at Mohs with her grin. “They’re right, it might be taken the wrong way.”

Laz held his tongue, slightly disappointed that Calder didn’t correct Mohs on their relationship, but also that he didn’t defend him. Instead, he was slouched and barely seemed to be paying attention.

Is he okay? I know he’s tired but he looks plain miserable. Should I ask if something’s wrong? Or wait until we’re alone?

“But hey,” Strawb started. “Maybe this ‘unity’ plan will turn things around for Evermine. There should at least be more attention on our issues now that the responsibilities are split up, right?”

A trumpet sounded, and the hengers let out low whinnies before the entire carriage lurched forward. Their time at the capital was officially over.

“Yeah, but Velter is the worst noble that–” Calder stopped mid-sentence before adjusting his tone. “We’ll see, you’re right. It could be what we need.”

“Is that who’s in charge of Evermine now?” Laz asked. Calder was avoiding eye-contact. “I’ll admit he seemed to be the most annoying of the bunch.” He didn’t mention that they had run into each other while he was looking for a wizard to interrogate. “But I don’t see how they could be all that different. They’re all royals at the end of the day, and they’ll rule the same.”

Mohs groaned. “Seriously, Calder. Make him stop.”

 

***

 

The sun was already in the second half of the sky when they arrived back in Evermine. Laz got his wish and was able to drift in and out of sleep while resting against Calder. The space between Strawb and Mohs slowly grew the closer they got to home, until they weren’t even looking at each other when the carriages stopped by the barracks.

As for the roads, the day and a half without rain meant Laz was safe to walk home without assistance from Calder. He didn’t need him getting too comfortable touching him. There were still issues to resolve, and the romantic aura of the castle’s atmosphere was dissipating.

Still, the knight followed him home so they could check on Irida together. Laz felt guilty that he hadn’t achieved his goal of gathering information on Edre while away. The fact that there were no armed guards waiting to arrest him upon his return helped calm his nerves that nobody had discovered her while they were away. Though that didn’t mean she couldn’t have broken out of the home and disappeared into the woods, or somehow starved to death despite the surplus of food he had prepared for her. Dragons had very little written about their actual biology, especially if it wasn’t something that could help a warrior kill one a thousand years ago.

She’s fine. I’m sure she’s fine. It wasn’t even two full days! I’m sure she’s scratched the hell out of the walls, and maybe thrown up in my bed, but she’s fine.

From the bottom of the walkway, Laz looked up at his rustic shack with a new appreciation. He had never been away from it for so long, nor had he ever missed his cheap bed. The carriage seats weren’t uncomfortable, but they were no match for being able to stretch your legs. They also had the unfortunate reality of being a few feet away from the constant clopping of hooves and spinning of wheels. Laz quickened his pace, with Calder dragging his feet behind him.

I bet she’s in better shape than him, at least. He said he was just tired. That all was fine. Should I take him at his word? We did just have a talk about me trusting him, so maybe it’s best if I let it be. If he’s still gloomy tomorrow then I’ll pick at him more.

“What’s that?” Calder asked.

Laz turned to see him pointing at the front window of his home. Sitting on the windowsill, to the right of the door, shreds of what looked like vegetables were scattered about, with a wicker basket sitting on the ground in front of it. As they approached, a pair of forest mice scurried away from the scene.

“Bek must have delivered this,” Laz said, kneeling down to inspect the basket. He looked to the front door, which had no signs of being tampered with. He checked the food and saw wrinkled tomatoes with many tiny bite marks taken out of them. “Looks like they’ve been baking in the sun for at least a day. He must have dropped it off yesterday after we left. What a waste, I should have told him I would be gone. The damn mice didn’t leave anything untouched.”

“I don’t think the mice did that,” Calder said, gesturing to the window littered in scraps.

“Well, food will attract all sorts of wild animals.” Laz picked up a stick to brush off the bits of chewed celery and tomato onto the grass. “Humans aren’t the only ones struggling to feed themselves these days. Hey, do me a favor and don’t mention this to anyone.”

Calder tilted his head. “Fine, but may I ask why?”

“I don’t want Bek or his family to find out I didn’t eat any of this. I plan on telling him it was delicious and don’t want to see him disappointed.” Laz tossed the stick to the ground and wiped his hands against each other. “And they would insist on giving me more food to replace it, and then who knows what trouble they’d be in once they’ve surrendered that many crops for my sake.”

“I understand.” Calder smiled and lifted the basket. “We can clean this up and give it back to him tomorrow. Hopefully nobody else had come by and spotted the mess.”

Suddenly from inside, they heard a familiar thumping. The thumping of a dragon who was still getting used to her limbs, running around the shack. Her gemmed feet and claws against the floorboards were impossible to mistake for anything else.

“I think someone heard us,” Calder said as he neared the entrance. He pulled out the key Laz had entrusted to him and unlocked the door. “Let’s get in quickly so she doesn’t rush outside.”

As soon as the door opened, Laz and Calder darted through and shut it tight behind them. Meanwhile, a flash of glittering white and indigo nearly toppled them over, though granted Laz was the only one in true danger of falling.

There was Irida, jumping up at Calder while Laz regained his balance. She was as happy and shiny as when they had left. While she chirped away as Calder petted her head, Laz took stock. The back door had about the same amount of scratches on it as he remembered. The pile of gems he had left her was almost depleted, and he would have to make more either before bed or as soon as he awoke. He was pleasantly surprised that they weren’t strewn all over the lab, and were still in the same corner as before, if a little sloppy. His equipment he had tried to secure or put away, so he didn’t have to worry about that. The only shock was seeing some of his clothes piled up by the door to Edre’s old room.

I’m impressed! Who knew dragons could be so well-mannered when they needed to be?

“Could you keep an eye on her for a moment?” Calder asked, setting the basket down on the desk. Irida left his side and leapt over to Laz’s legs, wrapping herself around his feet. “I’ve got to get out of this armor. Wearing it for eight hours is bad enough, but this was torture.”

“I can prepare the tub too, if you’d like.” Laz held the palm of his hand down for Irida to rub her head against.

“Ah, don’t worry. The barracks’ baths will be there in the morning.”

Right, my tub is probably too small for him to fully unwind.

Laz nodded and watched as Calder closed the curtain of the bedroom. Metal clunks could be heard plainly, and Laz forced his mind to stop wandering.

That damn kiss is getting too far into my head. Why did he– Oh, right, I was the one who kissed him. Still! I have to be able to balance these things. There is work to be done! All those fantastic spells I saw at the castle, I should study them! Some of them seemed familiar, maybe Master’s book has some notes on a few of them? Permanent light, moving a voice. The water control in the privies! I know he’s got a spell for changing the flow of a river, I’m sure it’s a similar concept.

With his ambitions refocused, Laz stepped forward to get his mentor’s notebook, only to trip on the dragon he had forgotten around his ankles. He landed on his hands, while Irida uncoiled herself and ran over to look him in the eyes, cheerful as ever.

“Everything alright?” Calder yelled out.

“It’s fine, yes.” He knew he was blushing and didn’t need Calder to walk out, half-clothed, and see him in such a state.

I can’t believe I was worried for her, Laz thought as he stared into Irida’s glowing amber eyes. The knobby bits on the top of her head were still elongating, and now that Laz had seen the depictions at the capital, he knew they wouldn’t stop until they were sharp, wicked horns. He felt uneasy now that he could picture Irida’s adult form. She wouldn’t just be too big to hide, she would be too big to even live in his little shack once she was finished growing.

She’s at least quadrupled in size since we found her a few months ago, and that was even while we couldn’t feed her. Now, though, she’ll be fully grown before the end of spring…

Calder walked out of the bedroom, back in his usual cotton shirt and brown pants. Part of Laz was annoyed that he didn’t get to see him bathing, while most of him was grateful he didn’t have to be put through such a test.

“What are you doing?” Calder asked.

It was then Laz realized he was still on the floor, face to face with Irida. He quickly hopped to his feet and straightened his gown. “I think she’s grown again.”

“Well, yes. She’s young, and that’s what young things do. You know how big dragons are supposed to be, don’t you?” Calder was smirking once more, his dour expression no longer visible.

“But noticeable growth in what was essentially a day? Even most plants can’t grow like that.” Laz watched as Irida walked back to the gem pile and ate another ruby. “Maybe we’re overfeeding her. She hardly grew at all when we gave her iron and the like. Maybe dragons aren’t supposed to eat this many gems!”

“She seems healthy, though.” Calder meandered to a different pile on the floor, this one of the gold and silver chains they had picked out of Irida’s food. “If you overfeed a horse or a cat, or even a person, you start to run into problems. Sluggishness, namely. But look at her, she’s more active than ever.”

Laz was annoyed at Calder’s sudden display of knowledge and reason.

I thought I was the smart one here.

“Right, but horses, and cats, and even people, aren’t made of rocks. We’re flesh and blood.” He hooked his finger on his cheek and stretched it to emphasize his point. “Who knows what the signs are for a creature like her!”

Calder released an audible “Huh,” as he picked through the necklaces and rings. “I’d imagine all living things follow similar enough rules. Just like plants can drown, or–”

“Alright, I get it.” Laz knew Calder was right from the start. All he wanted was a way they might be able to let Irida stay smaller longer while they figured out what to do. A way to stop worrying.

“Sorry,” Calder said. He left the pile of accessories to stand beside Laz. It was clear from his leaned-forward posture and twitching hands that he wanted to wrap his arms around Laz, but he abstained. “Thank you again for joining me in the capital. I had a much better time with you there.”

Despite the sound of Irida slurping down her dinner doing all it could to sour the mood, Laz could only focus on Calder. An invisible link between them was pulling them closer, almost as if a spell was at work. The room around him no longer existed. It was just like when they kissed.

We aren’t even touching, let alone kissing…

“I’m glad I was there too,” Laz said softly. “You’ve made me hopeful about things for the first time in… I feel so much less pressure when I’m with you. Like I might have an actual chance to succeed.”

“Really?” Calder’s face was glowing, even brighter than after anything that happened at the castle. “Are you sure? Because you sounded pretty stressed a moment ago.”

“Well that’s because–!” Laz raised his voice, and the connection he felt with Calder shook. He stopped and remembered what he wanted, and needed, to say. “I am still worried. I’ve always been worried. And even with you around making me feel better, those worries don’t stop existing. They just seem… Manageable.”

He pointed to Irida gorging herself on precious stones that could instead be used to buy hundreds of meals if traded or sold. “I said it at the castle, but she’s getting too big. What will we do in a few months when she can knock down a wall while playing? What about when she can fly! It’s not enough to say it’ll work out. The time for observing is over, we need a plan, something real that will keep her safe!

“What happens when these noble heads come in and start changing everything? I know you’re a knight and can maybe get us through a few problems, but it won’t fix everything. I want to actually fix things, I want to stop worrying and start planning and achieving, and I want to do it with you.” Laz realized both Calder and Irida were staring at him with blank faces, and felt embarrassed for talking so long. “It’s time for us to take this seriously.”

Calder’s face began to look strange. Hesitation in his twisted mouth, concern in his quivering eyes, bravery in his steady breath. “Let’s run away.”

“What?” Laz grew worried.

“We could leave, and travel the world with Irida, together.” His eyes were growing more strained with each word. “If we reach Pamantia then we could get on an explorer’s ship! I’m sure they’d love to have a wizard and a dragon with them. We’ll sail to the Aterras, and then who knows what we…” His excited words trailed off, and his face returned to normal. “Sorry, you want real ideas. I’ll stop being an idiot.”

Laz shook his head, trying to be understanding, but grateful Calder’s manic rant was over. “If I thought it was possible to make it that far, maybe I’d consider it. But even then, I don’t want to abandon Evermine. I was put in charge of these people. It’s up to me to look after them using everything Master Edre taught me.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Calder had the rare look of bashful red cheeks. “That was a selfish idea.”

“But,” Laz started. “It might be the right way of thinking. We can’t leave the kingdom, but we could at least leave this house.”

“Okay, right.” Calder nodded along. “We could use this gold and silver to buy a bigger home in Evermine. Though, there’s not a great range of options for sale .”

“Or we build a house! And not in Evermine exactly, but the mountains!” Laz felt himself getting excited as the idea took form. “Every few years people try to suggest going up where the old mines were built and living there, it’s perfect! The mayor might even be happy to approve it if you could convince him and your captain that my spells are too ‘experimental,’ right?”

Calder was beginning to look excited as well. “Oh, wow. And we can sell Irida’s food scraps to buy any materials we need. It would be a private place, but still close enough to come into town when you need to work. You could still help people every day.”

“Do you really think we can do it?” Laz asked, hanging on to every word of Calder’s. Now that someone else was on board, he felt the idea now had real legs.

“I think we could get the approval,” Calder said. He was staring at a stray topaz that Irida had rolled toward them while he tapped his elbow with his thumb. “And we could build the house with a little help. It might take a few weeks, but since the mine shafts are already built we could merge with those to be done in time for the snow.”

“So… Yes?”

Calder closed his eyes. “I think we have one less problem to deal with.”