Celyn tried to ride close to the penis temples so that he could get a closer look without going inside, but Elina held him back. She’d felt right away that standing out, being noticed, would do nothing for them. In fact, before they hit the first town, Elina had changed back into her rugged Outerplains wear and told Celyn to make sure his fur cloak covered everything on him, including his face.

To her surprise, he hadn’t debated her demand, simply done as she’d bid. She could only assume that he’d sensed it too. Whatever “it” might be.

They could have gone farther into Annaig Valley and still cut through to Outerplains, but Elina didn’t want to do that. She had enough to worry about, knowing she’d be facing Glebovicha soon. She wasn’t ready to deal with whatever was going on in this seemingly benign valley with its beautiful rolling hills and explosion of flowers. Flowers that managed to bloom even as winter began to crash down on all of them.

Without any fuss, Celyn followed Elina in a shorter arc through Annaig Valley, and by late evening they’d crossed into Outerplains territory. They kept going until Elina could no longer see the valley they’d left behind. And that was when she suggested setting up camp for the evening.

“You all right?” Celyn asked her before they dismounted from their horses.

“I am better now.”

“You felt unsafe in Annaig Valley, didn’t you?”

“You did not?”

“I am a dragon, Elina.”

“So?”

“So . . . I can’t just admit that I feel unsafe. Even when I do.”

“Then you blame on me?”

“Aye. That’s exactly what I do.”

Rolling her eyes, Elina dismounted. “Such a proud race you come from, Dolt.”

The dragon grinned. “We like it.”

He dismounted and looked around. “So where do we go from here?”

“Now? We sleep.”

“Out here? There are barely any trees. It’s just empty space and grass.”

“It is the Steppes. There is little else.”

“There’s no town nearby where we can get a hot meal . . . and a warm bed?”

“We have warm bed.” She lifted up her bedroll. “See?”

“And the horses?”

“There is creek over there. Can you not hear it? And it is the Steppes. There is more than enough grass for them. Snow has barely touched most of it.”

“And if we decide to have sex again?”

Elina shrugged. “We fuck right here.”

“In front of everybody?”

“We will be like animals.”

“Except that we’re not animals.” He thought on that a moment. “Well . . . I’m not. I’m a dragon. I like shelter.”

“What is different from here than where we fuck before?”

“Trees. Dense, shielding trees.”

“You are spoiled.”

“Elina—”

“If you want shelter”—she pointed at the mountains far off in the distance—“you can go there and get shelter. Fight for space among the dragons of the Outerplains. I am sure they like company.”

“We both know that Outerplains dragons do not like company. They’re antisocial miscreants.”

“I do not know what that means, but you are probably right.”

Elina got a small campfire started first. Once that was done, she set out her bedroll and retrieved fresh water from the creek. Her horse, now back on its own territory, drank from the creek and began to indulge in the grass without any prompting from Elina.

Retrieving dried pork and bread from her saddlebag, she sat down on her bedroll and began to eat. That was when she noticed that Celyn was still on his horse.

Both horse and rider looked so out of place, she couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Trying to come up with other options.”

“There are other options but none that make sense.” She shrugged. “You might as well get used to this, Dolt. This will be our life until we reach tribes. A life without big, shielding trees.”

“Aren’t you worried, though?”

“Worried? About what?”

“An attack.”

“Is that what has you looking so fussy?”

“I’m not a human baby.”

“Look around you, Celyn.”

“I have been. There’s no protection for us if we’re set upon.”

“And we cannot be set upon without seeing them first. And hearing them.” She pressed her hand against the ground. “Even their footsteps will come through the ground of the Steppes, and we will feel their approach.” She took a bite of her pork. “By the time any warriors get near us, we can be ready to fight or, if necessary, you can fly us away or burn them to embers with your flame.”

She again patted the ground beside her. “Now come. Sit beside me. I will play with your cock while we eat.”

Elina hadn’t even finished chewing the second bite of her food before the dragon suddenly dove into place next to her. A smile on his handsome face, his eyebrows wiggling in anticipation.

He was adorably pathetic.

“Take care of your horse first, Dolt.”

“Take care of him?”

“He cannot spend all night wearing saddle and equipment.”

“Aye, but—”

“I am not going anywhere. My hands will still be here to play with cock when you get back.”