That night, Shon smiled more than he had since he and Tarun had left Life’s Edge. They had cleaned up the mess left by the other dragon hunters, and they had a roaring fire going by the time the stars came out. It was larger than the fires Krall had usually built each night on their way to Alderfold, and Shon enjoyed hearing the loud pops and crackles from the wood as it burned. It almost seemed to him like the fire was enjoying the night as much as he was.

For the first time since he had met the dragon hunters, Shon did not feel intimidated or uncomfortable around them. He did not feel as if he were being watched for weakness, nor was he being compared to Tarun’s stature. For the first time that Shon could remember, he felt not only respected, but needed.

Though Krall had been upset about the attack, he also thought they should celebrate their victory over the rival dragon hunters. Since Shon was the least conspicuous of the party, he was sent back into town to purchase some meat from the town butcher. The aroma of the mutton roasting over their campfire was magnificent, and Shon and the others sat in silence and enjoyment while they ate.

After finishing their meal, Krall wiped his mouth on his sleeve and turned to Solimar. “Well,” Krall said, “did those thugs manage to steal anything valuable?”

“I don’t think those idiots even knew what was valuable,” Solimar said, scoffing in derision. “But the dumb oafs did manage to shatter most of our supply of Dragon Stone.”

“What’s Dragon Stone?” asked Tarun.

“Well, I don’t know if that’s its real name,” Krall replied, “but since Piggy is the one who first showed it to us, he can’t really tell us what it is. It’s a very special kind of obsidian, and we call it Dragon Stone because it is one of the few materials hard enough and sharp enough to pierce dragon scales if you know how to work with it.”

“If the stone is so hard, why not make a whole suit of armor out if it?” Shon asked.

“I said it was hard, not durable,” Krall said. “Dragon Stone is also very brittle. I’m not surprised Jarkt and the others shattered most of our supply when they were rummaging through the wagon, but that does pose a problem for us. The blade of my dagger, the spikes on Piggy’s club, and several of Solimar’s arrowheads are all made from Dragon Stone. We rely on it a lot, but we also have to replace it frequently because of its brittleness. If most of that supply is gone, then we will have to get some more.”

“We don’t have time for that, Krall,” said Solimar. “If we’re going to find the center of that dragon’s feeding area by the time she lays her eggs, we have no time to waste at all. Considering the size of her hunting area, it may not even be possible.”

“I agree,” Krall said. “But even if we do locate her in time, we can’t very well expect to win a fight if we’re not properly armed, and Dragon Stone has always been our most reliable option. It’s not as if we’re going to resort to using shadow slip arrows.”

“What are shadow slip arrows?” asked Tarun. “I heard Jarkt’s archer mention them, and Solimar didn’t seem to think very highly of them.”

“They are considered very dark and foul magic,” Solimar said. “The front half of a shadow slip arrow works like a ghost. It is invisible and intangible in the light, and becomes solid only in the dark.”

“Why would that matter?” Shon asked.

“Because it allows the tip of the arrow to move past any hide or armor,” Krall said. “Only once the tip has reached the soft and dark inside of its target does it become solid. It is wicked and cruel because once a shadow slip weapon is in you, the only way to get it out is to pull it out in total darkness. For that reason, it was one of the types of magic banned in the truce between Dragon Country and our land.”

“Even if it weren’t illegal, it would still be incredibly hard to obtain,” Solimar said. “It requires a very powerful magic user to create shadow slip weapons; more powerful than that witch of theirs. On the black market just one shadow slip arrow could sell for more than we stand to make from slaying this dragon.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” said Krall. “So if they have some, why would they bother using them on this dragon for the money instead of just selling the arrows? There’s a lot of things about these other dragon hunters that don’t add up.”

“What do you mean?” asked Tarun. “What other things?”

“Well, for one thing they’re all idiots, but they’re still alive,” said Solimar.

Shon laughed at the comment, but Krall waved a hand at the comment. “No, Solimar is right,” said Krall. “Amateur dragon hunters never last very long, and these men obviously don’t know what they’re doing. It’s not uncommon to see a few ragtag groups when the prize becomes large enough to make people lose their senses, but the bounty on this dragon is neither large enough nor prestigious enough to make people crazy. We’re not accustomed to running into amateurs on this kind of job.”

“Something else that seems off is that witch,” Krall said.

“You mean besides the fact that she almost single-handedly got us killed?” asked Shon.

“That’s just it,” Krall continued. “Jarkt said that they caught her, and were forcing her to help them hunt the dragon. But if she were really their prisoner, why wouldn’t she just kill them and escape? She certainly has the power.”

“That’s true,” said Tarun. “And why would she have run off in the same direction as them after the fight? Why not just use that as her chance to escape?”

“Perhaps they have some kind of leverage on her that we don’t know about,” said Shon. “Do you think maybe they managed to get some sort of totem or other item of power of hers, and she needs to get it back from them?”

“Nice to see you’re starting to think like a wizard,” muttered Solimar. Shon blushed slightly at the comment.

“That’s a fair point, Shon,” said Krall. “But there’s something else about that witch that makes my hair stand on end. Like my brain wants to make some kind of connection, but I keep missing it. I can’t even manage to remember her name the moment after I hear it.”

“I understand what you mean,” said Shon.

“You’re experiencing the same sensation?” asked Krall.

“No,” replied Shon, “I mean I understand because I’m reading your thoughts as you’re talking about her. You’re right, it’s maddening. I keep sensing thoughts and memories trying to hook up in your mind, but they get turned aside at the last moment like one magnet coming at another from the wrong side.”

“What’s a magnet?” Tarun asked.

“Like those lode stones the merchant showed us back in Life’s Edge,” said Shon. “The ones he uses to make compasses, remember?”

“Yes, well I’m very glad you can describe how I’m feeling,” interjected Krall with a hint of impatience in his voice, “but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Or dangerous. I suspect she used a few more spells today than the one we knew about.”

“You think we might have been under some kind of enchantment?” Shon asked.

“We might still be, judging by Krall’s thoughts,” said Solimar. “Tell me, what do you remember of the way she looked?”

“Treshigan just looked like a young woman wearing the clothes and jewelry of a witch,” Shon replied.

“That is what I saw as well,” said Tarun.

“Use more detail,” said Solimar, leaning forward. “Tell me exactly what you saw.”

“Well, she was quite pretty despite the weird piercings on her face,” Shon said, hoping the others could not see his face blushing in the firelight. “She had brown hair and eyes, a pale complexion, and…”

“Hold on, that’s not right,” Tarun interrupted. “She certainly was pretty, but her skin was dark brown, like mine. And her eyes were blue, not brown.”

“Tarun,” said Solimar, “how many other people with dark skin and blue eyes besides yourself have you seen in this part of the land?”

“She’s the first,” replied Tarun.

“And you didn’t think that was strange enough to comment on?” Solimar asked.

“Not until just now,” Tarun said. “And now that you mention it, thinking about it kind of gives me a headache. I mean, I thought her skin was brown, but now I’m not so sure I’m remembering correctly.”

“To me she looked like a female orc, just a bit younger than I am,” said Krall. “But now that I think about it, that would have been ridiculous. Jarkt obviously hates orcs too much to let one travel with him, even as a slave.”

“I suspect that each of us perceived her in a form we would find easiest to trust,” said Solimar. “It’s impossible to know how long the effects of the spell will last, but I recommend we stop talking about her for the night. It will probably be more productive to have this conversation tomorrow after we’ve all had a good night’s sleep.”

“Then the conversation will have to wait a while,” said Krall. “Because first thing tomorrow we need to break camp and head to Lake Vedion.”

“Where’s Lake Vedion?” Tarun asked.

“It’s a couple of days north of here,” Krall said. “It’s the best place in the region to collect more Dragon Stone.”

“I already told you Krall,” said Solimar, “we don’t have time to go collecting more Dragon Stone. We’ve got to start tracking that dragon tomorrow, or we’ll lose our chance.”

“And I told you I agree with you, Solimar,” Krall replied. “That’s why we’re going to have to split up for a little while. Tarun, Piggy, and I will take the wagon to Lake Vedion to get the Dragon Stone. You and Shon are going to start tracking that dragon.”

“Is that wise?” asked Solimar. “You know I travel fastest alone. And I believe you remember what it was like traveling with me alone before Piggy joined us?”

“I’m aware of both of those things,” said Krall. “And I don’t expect this to be easy or pleasant for either of you, but we’ve got a job to do, and you’re going to need Shon to do it.” Krall waved a hand at Solimar’s expression. “Don’t make that face Solimar, you know it’s true. You could run into that witch again, or worse, be caught by surprise by the dragon. Shon is your best chance in either scenario.”

“What if you encounter Treshigan on your way to Lake Vedion?” Solimar asked. “Then you’d all be left defenseless instead.”

“I don’t think that’s likely,” said Krall. “Those dragon hunters obviously don’t know anything about Dragon Stone, so they would have no reason to go there.”

“How long?” Solimar said with a heavy sigh.

“Two weeks, then we’d all meet back here,” said Krall. “That should give us enough time to collect enough Dragon Stone, and give you and Shon enough time to start establishing the borders of her hunting area.”

“Fine,” Solimar said, “but I expect you to be waiting here when we arrive in two weeks. I’ll do my best to keep the boy alive in the meantime.”

“What do you say, Tarun?” Krall asked.

“I’d definitely like to learn more about collecting Dragon Stone,” Tarun said. “I’m alright with the plan if Shon agrees. What do you think, Shon?”

Everyone looked over to Shon and realized that the wizard was sitting with his hood over his head, and appeared to be deep in thought.

“Shon?” Tarun said, nudging his friend. “What do you think?”

“I’ve got it!” shouted Shon, pulling his hood back so fast that the others stared for a moment in surprise.

“Got what?” Krall asked.

“The Dragon Stone,” Shon said, as if it was obvious. “You said you get it from Lake Vedion, right? We should call it Vedionite! What do think?”

The others stared at Shon in the firelight. “Well,” grumbled Solimar, “at least he’s got his priorities in order.”