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The first thing Dusk did was find Selussa. With her help, he was pointed to one of the hot springs at the base of the mountain. As Lyra had instructed and much to his enjoyment, he was finally able to wash the grime of the road off himself. He handed his clothing to Selussa as she laid out a few spare things.
“That should get you back up to your room,” she said kindly. Lifting his heap of rags he’d stripped out of, she wrinkled her nose. “What do you want me to do with these?”
“Lyra said you could mend them,” he replied sheepishly, looking at the threadbare fabric.
“I don’t think that’s going to be possible for most of this,” she chuckled, looking it over. “But I’m sure we can have something similar made up for you.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be too much trouble...”
“Don’t forget Lyra gave me and the others some magic of our own.” She winked at him and scooped up the rest of the clothing. “I’ll have something whipped up in no time.”
“Thank you Selussa.”
“Now you scrub up and get some rest, I’m sure you have a lot of training ahead of you. I left a razor, soap, and a mirror for you as well over there.” She pointed to the other side of the hot spring where a small leather satchel was sitting. “Lyra mentioned you might need them.”
Dusk nodded, knowing full well he had no idea how to use a razor. Back at the mines a small caravan had come through every three months. The slaves were herded like sheep being shorn, each of them shaved clean on their faces and their heads. Dusk still had a few scars from them hidden under his scruff. But Selussa just smiled and turned away, leaving him to himself.
The hot water felt good as it slowly worked its way through layers of sweat and dust from the long journey. He found spare cloths and brushes near the water’s edge and used them to scrub himself pink. When he finally decided he could scrub no further without risking damage to his own person, he put them away and sank into the pool once more to soak. His thoughts immediately started pressing in on him without anything else to occupy his mind. When he realized they would be impossible to ignore he pushed himself up from the pool and slipped on the robe Selussa had left him. It was soft and thin, but oddly freeing to wear. After so many months of being constantly in ratty clothing, mish-mash armor, and carrying a pack everywhere, he was happy to wear something that almost made him feel naked. He understood why the other caretakers never wore anything else. He snatched up the small bag holding the shaving equipment before he started back into the mountain.
Part of him wondered what it would be like to join them in taking care of Lyra and the mountain. After all, everything he’d ever dreamed about was there. He would be far removed and safe from the people who would come after him and nobody would ever treat him like an ex-slave. His days would be spent caring for animals, crops, and hopefully fishing as often as he could. There’d be no reason to worry about money. And, to top it all off, he’d get to keep some small part of his magic thanks to Lyra’s gifts. It sounded like a heavenly place to live. But he also knew that Lex and Tara most likely wouldn’t stay for long. Lex was looking for his own life and Tara was searching for a place where she and Nedarya could get away so that they could be together without worry. For some reason he couldn’t imagine any of them being happy with a life on Anthurium Mountain. All of them craved something more than the mountain couldn’t give them and Tara didn’t seem like the peaceful farmer type. Dusk wondered if maybe he wanted something more too. After so much adventure, maybe his previous dreams of easy days would lose their luster after a while. But then again, he’d never been at peace long enough to find out.
Dusk found himself back at the door to his room sooner than he expected. His feet had carried him there while his thoughts kept him occupied. He looked around at the other doors around the end of the stone hallway and wondered if the other three were there. It was still midday and Tara would most likely be sparring with Lex if she could help it. Nedarya was never far behind either. Lex and Nedarya were a fair match for one another when Tara needed a break. Both of them were quick as lighting, but Lex usually ended up on the ground before long.
He shook his head and reached for the door handle, but stopped when he heard a voice come from one of the other doors. Maybe one of them had stayed behind after all. Checking each of the doors he found one that was open a fraction of an inch. Inside he could hear the soft tones of Nedarya, but the words were a bit muffled. Curiosity got the better of him as he leaned his ear towards the gap in the door, wondering what she and Tara could be talking about.
“Yes, there’s another dragon here,” she said, her voice hardly above a whisper. “That’s definitely not what I expected, but it doesn’t change anything.” She paused for a long moment. “It’s possible I could learn from her... but I don’t know if she’d teach me. She already doesn’t trust me.”
Dusk leaned closer, listening for a reply, but he couldn’t make out a single word. If it was Tara he would have heard her easily, even at a whisper.
“Everything is going as it should, no reason to change the plans,” she continued. “Dusk has already met with her, so time is of the essence. I’ll need to act fast if I want t—”
The door hinges squealed as Dusk put too much weight against it. He nearly fell forward onto the ground, but managed to catch himself on the door handle. Glancing up he saw a startled Nedarya staring at him, the gold mirror in her hand. She turned it away and sat it face down on the table as she faced him.
“Dusk! What are you doing?” she asked, staring him dead in the eyes, her tone soft and pleasant.
“I... I heard voices and I... wanted to see who was here,” he stammered, his cheeks flushing from embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to barge in on you.”
“It’s alright,” she smiled. “Tara and Lex are out training. I stayed behind to think for a while.”
Dusk nodded, but then paused. “Who... who were you talking to then?”
Nedarya’s cheeks turned pink as she raised her hands to cover them. “I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but... I talk to myself when I’m nervous.” She glanced down at the mirror, then back to Dusk. “I’ve been thinking about my plans with Tara and our future together. I’ve also been contemplating asking Lyra to help me with my magic... I know she probably doesn’t want me to have these shards, but if she’d teach me to use them better, I might be able to help you defeat Tiernan.” She looked into Dusk’s eyes earnestly. “I really want to make him pay for what he’s done to you, me, and everyone else. I... I want to help!”
“Maybe you should go to her then,” he replied, his hand still on the door handle. He stopped for a moment, wondering if Nedarya would be the right person to ask the choice Lyra had given him. “Lyra might be more open to it than you think.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She... she gave me a choice today. One I didn’t expect,” Dusk murmured. “She said I could stay and train to defeat Tiernan or that I could walk away and leave the crystal behind for good.”
Nedarya silently gazed at him, her hands coming away from her cheeks. “And what did you say?”
“I didn’t answer. She gave me some time to think it over. She said I had already paid my fair share of suffering and that I had the choice to say no if I wanted to.”
“She's absolutely right.”
Dusk looked up, surprised by what he was hearing. Nedarya had always seemed like the type to stand and fight. It wasn’t the response he’d expected.
“Do you think so?” he asked.
“I’ve spent my whole life living in castles and noble houses, I know how those slaves are treated and it’s something I would never wish on another person. But you... you were in an even worse situation and I can’t begin to imagine what that must have been like. I’ve seen your scars and the way you carry yourself, they almost destroyed you at that mine.” She paused, gazing at him with her honey colored eyes. “You don’t owe the world anything after living through that. In fact, I’d say the world owes you.”
“I’m so confused about all of this.”
“That crystal is a burden you didn’t ask for. What you’ve done with it already to bring it to Lyra is a generous gift that you deserve to be repaid for.”
“She said she’d protect it until another came along who could wield it.”
There was glimmer in Nedarya’s eye as she replied, “Maybe she won’t have to wait long.”
Dusk nodded, knowing full well what she meant. He’d overheard her talking to herself. She probably thought it was her turn to take it. And maybe it was. Who was he to judge this destiny that was apparently running the world now? It knew better than he did.
“Maybe you’re right,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Anyway, I’ll leave you be. I want to get some rest anyway. I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“No problem. Get some sleep and trust your gut on this one. I can speak for the others by saying that you have our support in whatever you decide.”
“Thanks.”
With that he pulled the door closed and walked back to his room. He kicked off his black leather boots and sat on the edge of the bed. There was more to think about than he really wanted to deal with. Wanting to escape for just a bit longer, he went to the table and pulled his book out of the satchel. He hissed as the back of his hand caught the edge of the crown tucked inside the bag. A few drops of blood began to form and he lifted his hand to his mouth instinctually to stop the bleeding. Glaring at the crown that he knew he should have gotten rid of, he snatched it up and tossed it to the other end of the table. Tomorrow he’d take it down to the lava and throw it in. Mirinda had told him to get rid of it and he wanted to stay good to his word. Besides, if he took Nedarya’s advice, he’d have no further use for money, so it wouldn’t be a great loss. Plus melting it into molten lava would, in some small way, make him feel like he was punishing Lobelia for what she’d done. If she was still alive. Either way, it would make him feel better at the very least.
Dusk picked the book back up and went to the bed once more. He propped himself against the wall and opened it in his lap. Staring down at the pages, he allowed himself to be swept up in the adventure he already knew so well.