Yenni would never, ever get tired of flying. The sky was full of fat white clouds. After sending her letter Weysh and Yenni had left the academy and the city center behind, and now they flew over green fields dotted with grazing animals and divided by yellow roads. Here and there were Creshen houses of stone and brick. Yenni closed her eyes, listening to the steady song of the wind and the occasional leathery snap of Dragon’s wings. He was right; this was exactly what she needed.

Dragon seemed to be headed for a chain of mountains in the distance. As they flew Yenni marveled at the quaint Creshen scenery below, enjoying the way the shadows lengthened as the sun began its descent. The mountains loomed bigger and bigger, until at last Dragon shrugged his shoulders, tilted his head back, and let out a quick, clipped cry, signaling a sharp ascent. Yenni gripped tighter with her thighs and wrapped her arms around the ridge of his spine.

“Ready!” she shouted.

Up they went, Yenni grinning with excitement and surrounded by the whoosh of Dragon’s wings. The ascents and descents were the most fun parts of flying. She pressed her face against the hump in front of her to shield herself from the wind, until finally Dragon crested the mountain. As he leveled out he gave a high, urgent screech, as if to say, Look!

So Yenni looked.

And gasped.

Oh divine Mothers and Fathers!

The mountains gave way to a plateau pool that perfectly reflected the scenery around them. The amber sunset and glowing clouds were doubled, as were the mountains, so that it felt as if they were encircled by the sky. The sheer beauty of it struck Yenni so suddenly that it drew tears from her eyes. Dragon wiggled his shoulders and made a low, clicking noise, and it took Yenni’s awestruck mind a moment to register that he wanted to descend.

“Oh! Yes, I’m holding on,” she called. To Yenni’s shock he headed straight for the pool, but before she could protest, he landed so smoothly she barely felt it, and Yenni realized that while it looked like they were walking on water, it was as shallow as a puddle, and as reflective as a highly polished mirror. She looked down and caught Dragon’s eye in the reflection. He made a soft huffing noise that went up at the end, and she could practically hear Weysh’s voice: What do you think? It’s pretty, en?

“Gorgeous,” she whispered.