Minx blanched. “W-Well, yes... my father asked me to hunt a dragon and bring one home. Valry, leader of the Wuffs, asked for one as well. But I... I wasn't able to claim one. The dragon, you see...” Her cheeks flushed as she admitted to her failures. “I'm sorry, but... it just isn't possible. I can't bring you what you ask for.”
The priest met her with a knowing smile. “It is difficult to defeat a dragon, yes. All the more so when you have forged bonds of friendship with one.” He rapped a few fingers against the table as he continued. “But the trouble is this, Minx. Whatever your feelings, we still require a hide. The shielding spell around this very Lake is weakening—rapidly. Our existence is contingent on your success. And I see that you've brought many dragons with you this day. Why not part one of them from their hide and save your people?”
She shuddered at the thought. “N-No, I can't. They've pledged their lives. They're here to help, to drive back the forces of darkness. They're friends.”
“Oh?” uttered the priest, brows arched. “You feel this strongly about them? Care for them more than you do your own people?”
“I never said that!”
“Perhaps,” continued the priest, “but we're in dire straits, Minx. You were sent on this quest for a dragon's hide, and do not think that you were sent on it lightly. Everyone is relying on you. There's no other way for us to prop up the wards. If we don't have a dragon's hide, immediately...” He trailed off, but the warning was plain. Without a hide, the territory was sure to fall to the enemy.
“But there is another way!” she pleaded. “We're prepared to fight as long and as hard as necessary to defend the Lake and the city! That's why the dragons have come! They're here to help, of their own accord.”
“You have unfortunately underestimated the threat we face, Minx,” explained the priest. “The Dark Mage, Torrent, has come for the light of the Lake—and he will take it. He is a force to be reckoned with, a spell-caster of unparalleled power. I applaud the courage of your friends, but they will not stand in Torrent's way. Though, if one would be willing to lay down his life, the magic of the elders could turn his hide into a worthy defense...”
She was sickened to hear him suggest such a thing, though it had crossed her own mind countless times in recent days. This was what her quest had been about the entire time. A dragon's hide. “But why? Why can't we fight him? He's strong, I know, but... surely together we can—”
For the first time, the priest took on a stern demeanor. “The choice is simple, Minx. Will you sacrifice one of those dragons and bring us his hide, or will you allow Torrent to capture the Lake and bring an end to all magic as we know it? Will you sacrifice one for the good of many, or will you hand him what he seeks on a silver platter?”
The choice was an impossible one. She couldn't bring herself to hurt Kaleb or the others, and she couldn't bear the thought of letting her people down, either. “I... I can't do it.”
“You have a choice to make, Minx.” The priest stood, walked to the door, and opened it. “I hope you'll do so quickly. The army, last I heard, is drawing close to the borders of Pandling Grounds. They will arrive by morning, I expect.”
Minx rose and shuffled out of the compound. She couldn't meet the priest's gaze, but asked, “So... this is what the Silence wants me to do? To hunt one of my allies?”
Before re-entering the building and shutting the door softly, the priest replied, “The Silence protects, Minx... no matter the cost. You see? Sometimes, the cost is great. It weighs heavily. But it must be paid.”
Chapter 22
At Minx's urging, the dragons departed from Heilo Lake and started into Pan, the tree city of the Fae where Minx herself lived. She needed some distance from the elders who were committed to pressuring her into a betrayal of her allies. I won't do it, she told Mau as they crossed the shaded paths and struck out toward her home. They still want me to hunt a dragon, Mau. But I can't do it—I can't betray these dragons who are risking everything to help us.
Mau had spoken her mind on the matter many times, but knew she could not sway her partner from this course. It would be underhanded to turn on them. But then... what other option is there? One dragon, or countless Fae? That's the choice here.
She felt the need to speak to Kaleb, to voice her concerns, and so tasked Mau with leading the other dragons up to their home. “Mau here will take you to my place where you can relax. It's not far from here. Kaleb and I need to talk, though. We'll join you shortly.” Breaking away from the group, she led Kaleb deeper into the woods. “We're going to meet someone,” she announced.
“Who?” chanced the dragon shifter.
Minx wove between the ancient trees, singling out the largest and oldest among them stationed in the distance. “I'm going to introduce you to old Winterlimb,” she said. “He's the oldest, wisest tree of all. Maybe he'll have some answers for us.” She sighed. “I hope so, anyway, because I'm losing steam, Kaleb. The elders are still pressing me for a dragon's hide. I don't know what else I can do.”
The dragon shifter nodded. “Of course they are. They're terrified and can't see any other way out of this. I understand
