186 The Way Back

In the night after Crassus departed, both Arran and Snowcloud were kept awake by their worries about the journey ahead.

For several months, they had enjoyed something close to safety. While the mountains held their own dangers, none of those was the kind that would actively come searching for them, and within the vast mountain range, there had been little risk of their enemies finding them.

In many ways, their hunt for a dragon had ended up being the most peaceful part of their journey across the border. While they had faced a single terrifying foe, it had been a fight where they held the initiative, and where they knew their opponent.

But now, that brief period of relative safety was at an end. Their goal was to reach the Sixth Valley, and to get there, they would have to travel through a region that was filled with hidden dangers.