Tara had been sure she was not going to be able to sleep. Indeed, it was deep into the night before sleep finally came. And it was well into the morning that she awoke. When she noticed how high in the sky the sun had already climbed she panicked and sprang out of bed. This sudden action caused her newfound bruises and sore muscles to howl in protest, the price of learning to fly. She grabbed her pack and went running to Serryah, panicked that she had been left behind.

Tara felt a small wave of relief when she finally approached Serryah, but she could tell the dragon was uneasy. Serryah got into position and Tara climbed on, somehow sensing she was not supposed to say anything right now.

Tara had barely got herself settled when Serryah took to the sky. She flew with a ferocity Tara had not yet see. The late morning air had not lost its chill and it stung Tara’s face, causing tears to well in her eyes. After an hour all of her exposed skin was numb and her entire body was a giant cramp, but still she said nothing, and still Serryah beat her wings, relentlessly flying away from the sun.

They were approaching the south mountains, a range that was always on the horizon, yet only in here wildest flights of fancy did Tara ever think she would be this close. The mountains were dark and majestic, the biggest things she had ever seen and she was about to fly over them. Not even the elders knew of anyone who had seen the other side of these mountains. Occasionally a young villager would set out to cross the range, but those who left never returned.

It was crossing over the peaks that drove home to Tara how real the stakes were, the game had ended as she crossed into the unknown. Underneath her, Serryah could sense this shift. The dragon could feel the anxiety of her rider and so she broke the silence.

“There is nothing to fear, flightless one. You have been very brave, but this is not the part of our journey where we should be afraid.”

“Oh Serryah, we’re s far away, what if something goes wrong, who will come and help us.”

“There will be no one to come and help us on this task little one. If I am to succeed it will be through our efforts alone.”

“But what if I’m not good enough, what if I let you down.” Tara had put on a brave face for the duration of the journey but it was falling apart in an instance.

“I have not lived so long by making foolish decisions. You and you alone are the one capable of helping me.”

They were descending down the back side of the mountains, Serryah gently landed in an alpine meadow. Serryah let Tara scramble off her back then spoke to the flightless one with a heightened level of caring. “We shall rest here Tara, and I shall tell you why we must not fail.”