170 The Dragon's Lair

As Arran and Crassus made their way through the mountains, the terrain grew increasingly inhospitable. Before, the rocky mountainsides had featured at least some trees and shrubs, but the farther and higher they traveled, the sparser the vegetation became, until eventually only grass and moss were left.

Yet to Arran's surprise, an ample amount of wildlife could still be seen in the mountains, with plenty of animals somehow managing to thrive despite the hostile surroundings. Most conspicuous among these were the mountain goats, which climbed even the steepest mountainsides with apparent ease, but there were sheep, hares, and various small rodents as well.

This answered one of the biggest questions Arran had about the dragons: just how they could find sufficient food for their vast bulk in so inhospitable an area. But it seemed that without human hunters around, there was no lack of wildlife for the dragons to feast on.