The heaviness in her head became too much for her to bear. She turned away from the fire to keep from falling into it and propped herself up on one arm, stretching out across the warm grass. It felt good to extend her tired limbs, to let the warmth wash over her entire body. Don't get too comfortable, she warned herself, her head lolling as though mounted on a hinge. She caught herself drooping and snapped her eyes open, inhaling sharply. Relax, but not too... too... much...
Before she knew it, the colossal dragon faded from sight completely and she was plunged into peaceful slumber. Sleep had seized her despite her efforts, and as her mind powered down, something aside from mere darkness came to fill it.
The eye of Minx's mind was filled with a faint, bluish light. It was less harsh than the light of the fire, and more like the glow of the insects hovering between the trees. This blue luminescence slowly gave rise to a shape she could recognize—a placid and verdant shore.
It was the shore of Heilo Lake.
Minx dreamt of the crystal clear waters, of the smooth, flat stones along the shore, of the charming green plants that sprouted from the mineral-rich flow, and of the soft cooing of its resident birds. The moon was perfectly reflected across the water, and its light was slowly diffused throughout the whole of the scene, bringing the beautiful lake into ghostly relief.
But no sooner had she grown comfortable with this dream of the treasured lake did something else intrude upon her sleeping mind.
It was a voice.
The voice, very smooth and low, seemed to come from a great distance. It washed over her ears in soft waves like the warmth of the campfire, and seemed to rise up from the still waters stretching out before her. The Silence needs you, came the voice—though her sleeping mind didn't know what to do with the words.
Minx sank deeper into sleep, and as she did so the voice sounded more clearly. The Silence needs you. A foul darkness draws near and threatens to snuff out the light. As if to mirror this predicted dimming, the faint blue light began to retreat, leaving her once again in almost total darkness. The Silence needs you, insisted the voice once more.
And then, all was still.
Suddenly, Minx startled awake. She rolled over, finding herself still on the cool ground. There was no sign of Heilo Lake to be found in her surroundings, but the fire before her had nearly died out and the red dragon continued its peaceful sleep across the way, apparently unbothered by the night's chill.
Minx rose, unnerved by the dream imagery. It was almost as if the lake had reached out to her—had sent her a message. “The Silence...” she whispered. “What does that mean?” Her father had alluded to something called The Silence earlier that day, but she had not understood his meaning. It's just a weird dream. You're stressed out, and you were thinking about what your father said. Don't pay it any mind.
Where usually Minx had no trouble disregarding dreams as little more than fantasies, she had a hard time shaking this one. It had felt like a warning. Something might be coming to blot out the light of the lake, she thought to herself. But what? Is this supposed to be a message about what'll happen if I fail to find a dragon hide? Or is this something else...? I've never received a message in this way before. Is it even possible for the lake to contact me through dreams? She massaged her temples, trying to make sense of the incident. That's impossible, right? That stuff doesn't happen in real life—and certainly not to people like me.
She spent the remainder of the night sitting up by the fire. She added more wood to it and succeeded in keeping it burning till morning, when Kaleb finally rose. He shifted back into his human form, running his hands through his hair and appearing quite rested. “Good morning,” he said as the sun began to peek out from between the trees. “How'd you sleep?”
She met him with heavy eyes and a miserable frown. “Never mind that. Are you ready to get moving?”
“Of course,” replied Kaleb, warming himself briefly by the fire. “How'd that night-watch go? Run into any villains while I was asleep?” he asked with a grin.
She didn't answer him. Instead, taking on her bow and quiver, she nodded eastward. “Well, let's get a move on. Every minute I waste here with you is another minute we could spend looking for Mau.”
Kaleb took the lead, marching through the dense woods and seeking out a reasonable trail into the eastern territories. After walking more than an hour and failing to find one, he took on his dragon form and spent some time soaring above the trees, searching out a path from above. Finally, he discovered a slender road some miles from where Minx was waiting, and he returned to her, leading the way. “Found something—a road. It might take us to where we want to go.” He eyed Minx with an uneasy smile, gaze lingering on her shuffling step and her pained expression. “You all right? You're not looking too good. Want to stop and rest?”
She waved him off, sucking in a deep breath and pushing herself harder than her quivering legs wanted to go. “Enough talk. Let's just move it, OK? I'm fine.”
Kaleb didn't seem to believe her, but said nothing
