We hiked up the mountain for about an hour before the path widened into an area suitable for resting. There were several large stones placed in a semicircle, making the area perfect for sitting. The men all started clearing the snow off the stones and the area in the center, which revealed a charred, makeshift fire pit.
Father started putting kindling in the center of the blackened spot, and soon they had a fire going.
I put my hands up to the fire, letting the warmth fight against the chill that I didn’t think was from the cold.
The others looked at me, and I knew it was time to go. I took a deep breath, and put my hand on Aesa, the cold steel of the axe head giving a measure of comfort.
"You can do this, lad,” one of the men said.
I closed my eyes for a second, gathering composure. When I opened my eyes, I made sure my face didn't show a single sign of fear. One of the men handed me a torch, lit from the campfire. I took it, and with one final nod, I turned toward the path.
"You will do fine, Eindride,” Father said, putting his hand on my shoulder and giving one last reassuring squeeze. "Just grab some'en shiny and bring it back, and we will hold a feast in your name."
His hand dropped, and he stepped back to join the others. And then, I left. This was the last time any of them would see me as a boy.
It took another half hour of hiking to reach the mouth of the cave. The path had grown treacherous, and several areas had been scorched by a fire so hot that part of the ground was turned into glass.
As I stood at the mouth of the cave, I felt a hot, humid, wind blow past me, melting the surrounding snow.
I hesitated. This was not going to be fun.
With the heat, I knew I would not need my heavy wool cloak, so I took it off. While the cloak left my right arm, my weapon arm, free to move, for this cave, I wanted both hands to be unencumbered by the clothing.
I neatly laid it on a rock near the entrance of the cave, and stole a glance back down the mountain. Only Father was watching me. The others were engaged in a lively conversation. Then, taking the torch with my left hand, and Aesa, in my right hand, I entered the cave.
Entering a dark cave after standing in the snow-reflected sunlight quickly made me feel blind, even with the torch, but after a couple of minutes my eyes adjusted to the dim torch light. The cave was large enough for a massive creature to go through without any trouble, and I took a few winding turns. The light from the mouth of the cave grew dimmer with each step, until all I could see was what the torch light illuminated near me.
I stepped quietly through the cave, inching closer to my target. The dragon's treasure was a valuable resource to the clan, which lived modestly in most regards. We didn't really feast, but we didn’t starve, either. Fishing and lumber made for good trading with the other clans, but almost anybody could get those, which made trading unreliable.
Gold, on the other hand, was always in high demand.
During those months where someone brought gold back from a trial, we could trade a lot, and the entire village feasted, purchased weapons and tools, and was able to get fine clothing, like the cloak I had left at the mouth of the cave.
We had to be careful, though, and watch how much gold we took from Asmund, the guardian of the treasure. He made a show of trying to stop us, but would tolerate an occasional attempt at getting gold. But if we came too often, then he would grow angry. It had been almost eighty years since we last truly angered Asmund. He had almost wiped out our entire village, seeking his gold and those who had robbed him.
The clan decided then that each male would get one attempt to steal from the dragon's treasure, as his rite of passage, and no more than one attempt per season.
Not everyone made it back with treasure, and not everyone made it back at all. But steel doesn't come cheap, and without steel, we can't make arrows for hunting, or weapons for defending against other clans that attack.
It had been three seasons since someone returned with a piece of treasure. If I failed, then several ailing clan members would probably not survive the winter.
I turned another corner and found a side passage. After a moment's hesitation, I started down the new passage. Another fifty paces in, and I came to a halt.
The structures within the cave seemed completely different now. They were mostly stalagmites, but they were curved and smooth, and at least twenty feet tall, some much larger.
I followed the formations as I studied them closely. They seemed to be leading to a common point, and what I saw made my blood turn cold.
This, I realized, was the skeleton of a dragon. The mouth was large enough to swallow me whole, if it wanted to. The blank eye sockets seemed to stare at me, daring me to continue my quest.
A growl echoed through the cavernous room, and I swear the massive dragon skeleton next to me started to move. So I did what any person would do in that situation. I ran like a rabbit running from a wolf.
I might have screamed a little as I dropped the torch. I only hope that none of the clansmen outside heard the scream, or they might have thought a damsel was in need of saving.
I got back to the main passage way and put my back to the wall, panting hard, clutching Aesa to my chest. I tried to listen, but all I heard was the pounding of my heart.
Most boys who dared enter the cave did return. In the past ten years, three boys had died, their bodies recovered by the men waiting below, and only one, Svein, was never seen again. Most people just returned cut up and bleeding, covered in soot, or sometimes badly burned.
I wanted to continue on, but being this far in the cave, it was so dark that I couldn't see anything, so I had to go back for the torch.
I thought of young Yrian, whose father was sick with fever after a bad fall that had nearly claimed his leg. If he did not get medicine, he would be dead within a month. We really needed that gold.
I found the dying torch, and its light flickered back to life when I picked it up. I continued on, resolve pushing back the fear. At least, that is what I tried to tell myself.
Nobody knew where Asmund got his treasure, but as long as our village stayed safe, we didn't really care. Usually, the only treasure brought out of the cave was a handful of gold coins.
Those who saw the treasure said there were piles of gold coins, chests full of gems, and gold and platinum artifacts scattered everywhere. As young boys, all we cared about was seeing what amazing treasures were brought back. I could not disappoint the kids waiting for me back at the village.
I continued walking and then sensed, more than saw, the massive cavern that opened in front of me. I took a few more steps in when my torch light started to reflect dully off a mountain in front of me.
A mountain of gold.