“Oh, but what about you? Does it hurt?”

He shook his head.

“Good. Still, I would speak with you, as Weh-sheh. Could we not sit at the edge of the plateau over there?”

Dragon made a series of soft clicking sounds. As you wish.

He spread his wings with a familiar flutter and snap, and Yenni held tight in anticipation. Dragon made a soft, high screech. Ready?

“Let’s go!” said Yenni.

Dragon ran, splashing as he galloped across the water, then he spread his wings and took off.

Yenni whooped as they took to the air, but the flight was only a few seconds, and then they were on the rocky sand at the edge of the mountain peak. Dragon lay flat and Yenni slid free. She sat, pulling her knees to her chest as Weysh changed and sat beside her.

“You smell much better,” he said.

“Quiet,” said Yenni, and she pushed him lightly by the shoulder. He laughed.

Yenni took a deep breath of the mountain air, as if she could breathe in the beauty around her. “Thank you, Weh-sheh,” she said. “Truly. This helps.”

“Anytime, my heart.” He gazed out at the water with a satisfied smile. “I’ll admit this is one of my best finds, but I have a lot more to show you.”

More to show you. His words plucked a chord of guilt in her chest. She wanted him to show her more. She’d love to fly off with him to other enchanting places such as this, but she shouldn’t. Couldn’t.

“Why would you not let me down on the water?” asked Yenni, changing the subject. “Is it poisonous?”

“Lovely, why would I bring my Given somewhere poisonous?”

Yenni shrugged. “Who can say what goes on inside that strange mind of yours?”

Weysh grunted his annoyance. “It’s a salt flat,” he said. “The salt and minerals are what give the water that mirror sheen. I didn’t think you’d want to ruin your uniform boots.”

“Oh,” Yenni said, sheepish. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” sighed Weysh.

They fell into silence again until at last Weysh said, “You’re the only person I’ve shown this place to.”

“Oh?”

Weysh nodded. “I was very much into cartography in first and second years. Whenever I’d fight with my—uh, I mean, whenever I had free time I would fly around looking for interesting places to map. If I found somewhere nice I’d take people back there. Harth and Zui, or . . .”—he cleared his throat—“women I wanted to impress. But I never took anyone to the best spots. Those I saved for my Given.” He turned to her. “For you.”

Yenni had no good retort for that, so she simply turned back to the sparkling salt flat. After a moment she felt his big, warm hand close around her own, where she pressed it against the ground, leaning back to support herself.