“Visk, why is there a pile of coins on the ground?” Edith said testily.

  “I wasn’t stealing!” Visk shot back as they squirmed. They were currently pinned to the stump in the middle of the gorge by my claws. I was only half awake, so they were lucky that I’d not put a claw through them.

  Cassia was laying across my back, looking equally bedrangled. I’d been roused by her shaking me awake. Neither of us were happy about that.

  “I didn’t say anything about stealing,” Edith hissed. “I asked why there’s coins piled up over there.” Edith pointed over to the small pile that was tucked away in a corner of the camp.

  “You- you told me to organize everything!” Visk whined. “Coins are a part of everything!”

  “And if I have Sanguine hold you upside down and shake you, some of those coins aren’t going to fall out of your pockets?” Cassia grumbled from on top of my back. She was the one who had spotted Visk acting suspiciously in the first place.

  “No!” Visk protested loudly. “Not a single copper piece!” Cassia narrowed her eyes.

  “Sanguine, do it.”

  Visk gave a cry of dismay as I pulled my claws out of the stump and wrapped my digits fully around their body. Their feet and hands kicked and clawed at my forelimb as I flipped them upside down and started shaking them over the top of the stump. A small rain of objects clattered to the ground.

  Amongst the items were a couple of knives, a waterskin, some dry rations, a tinderbox, and a small golden pendant. The necklace bounced off of the stump and rolled over to Edith’s feet. She stooped down to collect it with a small frown.

  “G- gi- give it- give it BACK!” Visk cried as I continued to shake them for several more moments. Cassia patted my back.

  “That’s enough, Sanguine.”

  I dropped Visk down onto the ground. They tried to stand up, but tripped. When they tried again they succeeded, but stood unsteady on their feet.

  “Give it back!” Visk said to Edith again, pointing at the golden pendant. They went to step forward, but stopped when I gave a deep growl right behind them. The elf gritted their teeth, their ears vibrating intensely. “It’s mine! I didn’t steal it! Please!”

  Edith looked into Visks’s eyes for a long moment before she sighed quietly and stepped forward. She pressed the pendant back into Visks’s waiting fingers, who promptly clutched it to their body.

  “I’m guessin’ it was a gift from someone?” Edith asked sternly, but not unkindly. Visk pressed their lips together, nodding as they looked at the ground. “Wouldn’t happen to be that ‘Captain Avery’ fella, would it?”

  Visk stared at the red soil beneath their feet, trembling soft. Edith ran her hand across her face, taking a moment to touch the broach in her hair.

  “Lay off of Visk for now Sanguine,” Edith said to me. I resisted the urge to grab the elf again, for now. My claws kneaded at the soil beneath me. “They’ve done all Cassia has asked to this point. A keepsake isn’t worth fussin’ over.”

  Edith looked at the other items on the stump. “The knives are a touch concerning. But the rest of this stuff is what someone would prepare to go on a journey. Were ye planning for when ye left us, Visk?”

  Visk nodded, still clutching at the pendant with both hands.

  “Figured,” Edith said with a huff. “Ye seem like ye have a good head on ye’r shoulders. Nothing here other than what ye’d need to survive a trip through the wilderness in spring time. But if ye’d asked, I’m fair certain our Cassia would’ve just given ye the lot without needing to skulk around.”

  Edith’s eyes glanced over towards the coins.

  “Why did ye pile up yon coinage like that though?”

  “C’s’th’drgn…,” Visk muttered, almost too soft to be heard.

  “What was that?” Cassia asked, all three of us staring at Visk. “I couldn’t hear you.”

  “Because-of-the-dragon!” Visk said in a rush. “The great harking dragon you’re… riding around like a pony!” I narrowed my eyes and growled at Visk, but Edith reached over and patted me on the snout.

  “Dragons like gold and jewels right?!” Visk continued. “They pile them up in caves and sleep on top of them in gleaming hoards!” The elf looked between Edith, Cassia, and me. Their eyes continued darting back and forth as confusion grew thick in the air. “... Right?”

  “Sanguine, do ye have a treasure hoard I don’t know about?” Edith asked me with a small smirk on her lips. I ruffled my wings, shifting my body so that I didn’t disturb Cassia on my back. To the best of my ability, I shrugged.

  “The only time Sanguine’s ever tried piling things up was when he dug in my- uhm… my private belongings,” Cassia said from on top of me. I could feel a faint twinge of embarrassment from her that I didn’t fully understand through our new connection. If I’d looked over my shoulder, she’d probably be blushing. “I scolded him quite badly for it and he’s not done it since.”

  “...” Visk had their mouth open slightly, staring at me and Cassia like she’d just declared herself the Queen. Edith stared for a moment as well, but had to turn away to cover her mouth. I could see her shoulders heaving as she tried to not burst into laughter.

  “W-what?!” Cassia protested. “He was so little! He didn’t know any better!”

  Visk looked over at Edith, aghast.

  “She’s- you- You’re all mad!” The elf whispered in horror. “Scolding a dragon?! Who ever heard of such a thing?” Edith was nearly bent over at the waist, tears streaming from her face. Finally she couldn’t take it any long. A great cackle burst out of her lips.

  “OHGODS-I-CAN’T!” Edith squealed merrily. “PLEASE Stop! It’s t-too much- BA-Ha-Ha-HA-Haaa!” My Cassia slid off of my back and walked over to Edith to pat her on the back. Visk looked absolutely stricken, utterly bamboozled.

  “You do this, for me?” I rumbled at Visk. “Try to… make me a hoard?” While I’d never had the time to pursue it, I did have a great desire to collect shiny objects. My gemstone embedded in Cassia’s chest had been my first treasure.

  Visk looked at me with worry in their expression. Slowly, they nodded.

  “I promise, to not shake you again,” I swore. “If you are telling the Truth. Need to find… a place to put treasures.” My eyes tracked around the gorge. “... In the cave.”

  Visk looked over at Edith, who was nowhere near recovered. “Right now?”

  “Yes,” I rumbled. “Gather all the treasures. Bring them.” I glanced down at their pendant. “You may keep your treasure.” Rather than wait for me to change my mind, Visk scampered off to do as I’d asked.

  “Are you sure about that?” Cassia asked as she looked over at me from Edith’s side. “They have done what I told them to do…”

  “You chose to trust, Cassia,” I replied. “They will honor that… or they will not.”

  Visk seemed more comfortable inside of the cave than they had been. I was the exact opposite, but I tried not to let it show. Visk walked in front of me with a rough sack pulled over their shoulder. It jingled softly with each step they took.

  As we walked into the main cavern, Visk looked over at the pomegranate tree in the center. They stopped for a moment, but had to move out of the way when I came in behind them. I took the opportunity to stretch my wings in the open space.

  I glanced over at the opening in the wall which led to a particular alcove. The scent of blood was still faint, but it looked like Edith had taken some time to clean it out. Visk looked at me uncertainly, shifting from one foot to the other.

  “Over… over there?” they asked me uncertainly. I gave a quick shake of my head.

  “No. Anywhere else,” I replied. “You have been in this cave?” I turned my head to look at them, which made Visk flinch slightly.

  “O-only a couple of times!” Visk said nervously. “I had a look around when we made camp here. I think Captain Avery made his bed…” They looked around before pointing to another entrance leading deeper into the cave.

  “You did not… sleep with him?” I asked as I let my clawed feet carry me in that direction. “You told Cassia… you were close companions.” Something about that question seemed to make Visk uncomfortable, even though they stepped quickly to catch up to me.

  “N-no, we weren’t close like… that,” Visk muttered half to themself. “The Captain had… other company, a lot of the time. I always liked sleeping outside as well, so… no.” There appeared to be a lot more behind that explanation, but it didn’t seem worth badgering Visk about it when we barely knew each other.

  The tunnel Visk had indicated was even more narrow than the main one leading to the outside. I had to crouch to not hit the ceiling. Fortunately it wasn’t very long. A rough fabric curtain was at the end of the passage, which I pushed out of the way with my snout.

  Beyond it, a comfortable space was packed with a small collection of personal belongings. There was enough room that I could fully lay out without my nose or tail touching the wall, though I might have trouble opening my full wingspan. It seemed in spite of his ‘crew’s’ wretched living conditions, Captain Avery had managed to make his own quarters more hospitable.

  It was almost pitch black when I came in, but I was able to pick out a small lantern that hung from the ceiling by an iron pin rammed into the stone. A small puff of flame from between my teeth lit it. I could sense Visk waiting behind me, so I pulled the remainder of my body into the room to let them pass.

  When Visk walked into the room carrying the sack, they looked around in confusion.

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  “What…?” they muttered out loud. “Usae ki’vah yaella…” I tilted my head to that last part. It didn’t like the speech humans used.

  “Visk?” I asked the elf as they approached a blanket that was bundled up with some straw covered cushions in one corner. The fabric was thickly woven out of sheep’s wool. An interwoven pattern of stripes and diamonds stretched across it. Visk picked up one corner of the blanket, rubbing their thumb into its texture.

  “He said he lost this,” Visk hissed. “That it was gone in the avalanche…” The elf’s expression was greatly troubled, verging on tears. “I bought this for… for another friend. One who didn’t make it.”

  I turned my head towards the blanket. It stank of Avery’s scent. Fabric only smelled like that if someone was using it for a long time. Visk dropped the blanket and looked around the room. Other items seemed to catch their attention. Each was more upsetting than the last. Slowly, the sack Visk had been carrying fell from their fingers. When it hit the ground, a few coins escaped and rolled out across the floor.

  “All of this… he said… he…,” Visk said numbly. Their legs wobbled once before their knees gave out from under them. The elf dropped to the floor, staring at the Captains collection. “He stole it. Everything, from those who died.”

  I sat down on my haunches as Visk started to shake. Their ears had wilted, dropping to near their shoulders.

  “They were our friends!” Visk gasped. “W-we drank and travelled together! For years!” Visk’s hands reached up and grabbed the pendant around their neck. “Then that stupid map- He- He-!”

  The shaking elf ripped the pendant off of their neck and hurled it at the wall of the room. There was a tinkle of shattering glass as it smashed against the stone and popped open. When it hit the floor, I could see that the pendant had a small door built into it.

  Visk was choking on their own words, overcome by grief. Their fingers clawed at their white hair, almost to the point of ripping it out.

  One of my claws extended outwards, which I used to delicately flip over the pendant. Inside of it, I could see a small painting. It reminded me of a picture from Cassia’s books.

  In the flickering lantern light, I could pick out a small group depicted standing together. There were five of them. Two of their number were Avery and Visk. The other three, I had never seen before. In spite of my fury a few nights earlier, I was certain I’d never met the individuals shown in the locket.

  My head turned towards Visk. They had curled up in a fetal position on the ground.

  I knew all too well what it was to be alone. I was fortunate, truly, that I had never experienced the pain of betrayal. While I might not have forgiven Visk for their role in helping the bandits, that did not mean they didn’t deserve my pity.

  Visk stirred as I shuffled my body over to their side. One of my wings extended carefully in the limited space and draped over the top of them. I heard a small whimper of fear mixed into their weeping.

  They didn’t move for a while. When it became evident that I wasn’t going to leave, or pin them down with my claws, I felt Visk roll over closer to me. As gently as I could, I tucked my wing against my flank.

  “Yaechi nahnai,” I heard from beneath my wing. “Why? Why are you here, and he is not?” Slender fingers pressed against my scales. Vesk’s hand was cool to the touch. “Maera dushmai…”

  “I don’t speak… Dok’aellen,” I said quietly. I guessed that the words I didn’t understand came from Visk’s own people.

  “It’s not,” Visk said bitterly. “It is bhash’aellen. The tongue of the ‘gullae’.”

  “I do not speak it,” I replied.

  “You’re not supposed to,” Visk sniffed. “I shouldn’t even be using it around you. One more mistake on top of my other failures.”

  “Is it a secret?” I asked.

  “An important one.” Visk traced a finger across my scales. “If another Dok’ heard me use it in front of you, they would cut off my ears and make me eat them.”

  I lifted my wing and tucked my head underneath it. Visk looked up at me fearfully, their long ears dipped so low that they were at their shoulders.

  “Then, I will not tell anyone,” I promised Visk as I laced a small tendril of Truth into the words. They seemed genuinely taken aback by the gesture.

  “You would use Sorcery so casually?” Visk asked in awe. “On my behalf? That was nearly an Oath!”

  “I do what I say. What I say, is Truth,” I rumbled firmly.

  “Why?” Visk stared at me with their wide eyes. Their pupils were the color of reflected moonlight.

  The question was simple. Answering it was not.

  “Did you lie, when you promised… to begin anew?” I asked Visk solemnly.

  “I-...,” Visk seemed to want to look away, but was transfixed by my gaze. “I was scared. I didn’t want to die…” They swallowed with a dry throat. “I… wanted to hope that maybe I could be. Be… something different.”

  I looked into their eyes for any trace of deceit. All I saw was deep uncertainty. Visk could have been acting. If so, it was a masterful performance. Even as physically close to each other as we were now, I still couldn’t detect their scent. All I could smell was the leather they were wearing.

  “Then until you… make it a lie, I will honor your promise,” I said solemnly.

  “E-even though I stabbed you?” Visk asked uncertainly.

  “If all actions are… a pile of snow,” I said, attempting to explain my thoughts. “And you spend all day… watching, it will not melt.”

  “That’s a terrible metaphor,” Visk replied, smiling just a little.

  “I’m a dragon, not a poet,” I grumbled. That got Visk to give a small laugh. It faded, but it remained behind their eyes.

  “If I… wanted to stay, could I?” the elf asked me softly. “I… don’t know where else I’d go.”

  “If Cassia and Edith say yes.” I shifted my claws on the cave floor. “You will… need to work hard.”

  “That’s… that’s fair,” Visk said with a nod. “Then… ah… can you let me up? Being tucked under your wing like a baby bird is embarrassing.”

  “Is it?” I asked as I folded my wing onto my back. “My Cassia and Edith sleep that way, often.”

  “W-wow,” Visk replied, blinking several times. “That… sure is something.” They stood to their feet and brushed themself down. “I think I know a better space than this. You’re going to get bigger, right?” I gave a nod. “Then follow me, it’s deeper inside the caves.”

  The tunnels inside of the hill turned out to be a labyrinth. Visk explained as we walked that they’d not explored it extensively due to its maze-like layout. Avery had kept them busy with other tasks after the initial survey.

  “You need to be careful poking around in caves,” Visks said as they padded silently in front of me. If I’d not been looking at them, their footsteps would have been too quiet to hear. “It’s easy to end up stuck somewhere you can’t back out of. Or you could fall into the Below.”

  “Below what?” I rumbled curiously.

  “Not- It’s a place, not a description,” Visk corrected me. They had livened up somewhat since leaving Avery’s room. “I think dwarves call it the Nedun’jord.”

  “A dwarf is… a short hairy man, with an axe?” I asked. In Cassia’s books they were only mentioned when a hero needed a magic sword, or when someone was being overly greedy.

  “That’s not ‘wrong’, per se," Visk commented. “But don’t let one catch you making fun of their height. Their favorite response is to make you shorter by cutting off your legs with those axes.”

  “So there is a place, under the ground… that has dwarves?” I asked, trying to get us back on track.

  “Kind of,” Visk said, spreading their free hand’s fingers level and wobbling them side to side. Their other hand was carrying the treasure sack. “It moves around.”

  “How does… a place ‘move’?” I asked, completely baffled.

  “Oh, good,” Visk said with a little chuckle. “You don’t mystically know everything just because you’re a dragon. That makes me feel a bit better.” They shifted the sack further up onto their shoulder as we walked. “But to be honest, I have no idea either. It’s magic, probably. One day, a cave will lead down into the Below. The next day, it’ll be just another cave.”

  I looked around us, eyeing the stone walls like they might suddenly close around us and eat us like a giant beast. Visk tutted at me.

  “Don’t worry big guy, it’s probably just folk tales,” Visk said in an attempt to soothe my nerves. “Well, not the Below. That’s a real place. Not very fun. But everyone I met down there said that if people are ‘keeping it occupied’, that means living in a place, the Below doesn’t latch onto it.”

  Around that time, we walked out into a medium sized cavern. It wasn’t as large as the one with the pomegranate tree, but it did look impressive all the same. I could immediately see why Visk recommended it.

  A small waterfall exited out of the cave wall across from the entrance. It looped around the cavern as a small clear stream that ended in a deep pool. Moss and plant life grew up around the water. Many small crystals were embedded in the walls which gave off a soft glow. Even this deep into the cave system, the room glowed with a gentle light, like the night sky just before dawn.

  Visk walked over a small stone bridge which crossed the stream. It led to a wide stone floor that was large enough for me to fully stretch out without touching anything. I followed after Visk as they set the sack down in the center of the floor.

  “What do you think, big guy?” Visk asked me, looking up at me with their moonlit eyes. I tilted my head to look around the room. My tail flicked across the floor.

  “I like it, thank you.”

  Visk seemed happy at my response, slowly tilting back and forth on their toes.

  “Was there… something you needed, Visk?” I asked as they watched me.

  “Oh, I guess not,” they said before settling back down on their heels. “If you need me to leave…” I sighed.

  “No Visk, you can stay,” I responded. “But I’m going to… explore this cave.” I wanted to poke around my new cavern from top to bottom. Visk blinked and nodded. They continued watching me as I stepped away.

  Examining the cave took some time. I wanted to know many things, such as how the crystals shined and how deep the pool of water went. Some things could be answered. Others were more elusive.

  For example, when I tried to pull one of the crystals out of the wall, it proved very difficult. I eventually succeeded in prying it out with my claw. After it was removed, the crystal immediately went dark. This was disappointing. A pile of glowing crystals appealed to me greatly. When I placed the crystal back into its small hole in the wall, it lit back up.

  ‘At least I didn’t damage it,’ I thought. ‘Perhaps it is not the crystals then, but something about this cave that causes the glow.’

  Investigating the pool of water proved to be a disappointment. It was deep enough that I could reasonably submerge my entire body in the water. A shallow shelf ran around the pool’s edge. The water seemed to be leaving the pool through a gap in the stone that was too small for anyone to fit through.

  By the time I pulled my head out of the water, Visk had occupied themself with something other than watching me. The sack was open in the middle of the floor. Visk sat next to it, counting out coins. The small disks of metal flicked through their fingers with ease. A rhythmic clink of metal on metal could be heard as each coin was added to evenly sized stacks.

  “Do you enjoy this, counting?” I asked as I approached, my head still dripping water.

  Visk startled, broken from their concentration by my words. A coin slipped from their fingers and rolled across the floor. One of my claws caught it beneath the sharpened tip. A quick inspection showed it to be silver, with a face I did not recognize carved into it.

  “Oh! Sorry! Yeah,” they responded. I pinched the coin between my claws and delicately passed it to the elf’s palm. They cleared their throat and glanced down at the small stacks.

  “I always had a good head for numbers. For a little while I was even a quartermaster,” they said proudly, but the pride slipped from their voice. A small frown replaced it. “That didn’t work out too well, but I always managed the books for… my crew.” They didn’t seem to want to say Avery’s name, if I understood properly.

  Slowly, I moved to settle down in a loose arc next to Visk. I laid my head down next to the pile of coins and other assorted valuables Visk had picked out. Something about seeing it collected there in front of me scratched an itch I didn’t know I had.

  Visk scooted where they sat on the floor as I laid down next to them. They looked like they wanted to flee for a moment, but ultimately chose to settle back down and resume counting.

  “I’m going to take a nap now,” I rumbled at Visk. “Wake me if you need something.”

  “O-okay,” Visk replied warily. “Uhm… sleep well, Sanguine.”

  Slowly, I drifted off to sleep to the sound of clinking coins.