Ghorrah yawned, shaking off her languor. It had taken nearly half a day's flight, but her destination had finally come into view.

Sheer cliffs surrounded all sides of the Plateau, each precipice towering over a hundred times her body length above the surrounding forests. Waterfalls poured from the apex of the vast summit, which itself was so great that every dragon alive could gather atop it with room to spare. Its appearance was oddly geometric in some places – almost unnaturally so. Some dragons believed that their ancestors had painstakingly carved the Plateau out over the course of decades or perhaps centuries, but the landmark was too rough and unpolished for Ghorrah to believe in that story.

The Plateau was one of five places where dragons gathered year after year to test their mettle against each other in a tradition that had survived for millenia…and yet the mere presence of a single crafter had utterly disrupted the time-honored practice. Already Ghorrah could see nearly a thousand dragons flying about – ones who had arrived days in advance in anticipation of what was to come, their presence proof of their curiosity and interest in these mysterious beings.

Ghorrah couldn't help but wonder just how much change she would be seeing in the next few years. She doubted their influence would be entirely positive even if they were all as soft as Pryce. Still, she had no choice but to support the humans as long as they were their best chance at fixing Jooral's wing.

Brushing aside her concerns, she landed near a group of dragons – young whelps free from obligations that otherwise would have kept them from indulging in their curiosity. They were likely to be eager to learn more about the humans, but it wasn't worth recruiting those she had never met before.

Hushed whispers ran through the group despite none of them having ever met her before. Ghorrah's golden ring was quite uniquely recognizeable, and their parents had surely warned them of her.

«Greetings elder. You must be Ghorrah-ǂ,» the closest dragon, a smallish yellow male said, bowing along with the other two dragons. «What can we do for you?»

«Is Kharno here?» Ghorrah asked, deciding not to bother with their names. Their compliance might have made things more convenient for her, but that didn't mean she found it worthy of respect.

A murmur ran through the group before they all tossed their heads in the negative. «We do not know, but Xhorhw might,» a green female said, pointing to the north. «He has been here for several days now, talking to everyone about the crafter – or, human, I suppose.»

«Good,» Ghorrah nodded. She turned to her new destination, chuffing in amusement as the younglings visibly relaxed at her departure. At least Hironh didn't cower before her, she had to give him credit for that.

Now back in the air, she followed the directions she had been given, and was soon able to locate her quarry.

Xhorhw looked up at the sound of her arrival and immediately fell into a low stance, the young green dragon clearly uneasy at the sudden arrival of an elder like her.

«Greetings Ghorrah-ǂ,» Xhorhw said, his voice only a little unsteady as he bowed his head in greeting.

«Xhorhw,» Ghorrah said flatly, faintly amused by his poorly masked alarm. «Tell me what you know about the human.»

«Ah, well, I do not know very much,» Xhorhw confessed, eyes darting around as if he were plotting possible escape routes. «I found the crafter with Qnaro by accident, and they promised that they would speak with everyone here at the Plateau during the solstice. The crafter herself was very strange, and wore these strange coverings over her hide.» He went on to describe various things about Callan, none of which were very useful.

More importantly, no one seemed to be talking about the discovery of the ship. It seemed that the Trespasser had kept quiet about his news, and it made her more confident in her hypothesis behind his motivations.

«How interesting,» Ghorrah deeply rumbled. «I do wonder how this crafter managed to cross the ocean…surely she must have arrived on a vessel, but then where could it be?»

«That is the question,» Xhorhw sighed. «Well, that and where Qnaro and his crafter might be. I would gladly tell you and everyone else if I knew the answer to either of those questions – if only to direct everyone away from me.»

«I see…» Ghorrah murmured. «Personally I think it's likely for there to be a ship hidden somewhere nearby. It'd almost be worth searching for it, if Qnaro and the crafter weren't coming to us in a few days.»

«Believe me, that's not stopping anyone,» Xhorhw said, tossing his head. «A few search groups have formed already. It all certainly feels like a waste of time to me, but what do I care?»

«I can't say I'm surprised,» Ghorrah snorted. «Well, thank you for answering my questions, but I think I'll take my leave. Have you seen Kharno anywhere, by chance?»

«Oh, she dropped by yesterday. I think she's resting somewhere riseward, about ten beats away,» Xhorhw said, gesturing with a wing.

«Appreciated,» Devotion rumbled, and leapt into the air towards her next destination.

It took a bit of searching, but soon she found a small alcove tucked away into a cliffside, where the dragon she was looking for rested.

«Ghorrah?!» the drowsy amber-yellow dragon exclaimed, her eyes blinking as she struggled to wake. «Is that you? What are you doing here?»

«Looking for you, Kharno,» Ghorrah said, tilting her head at her old friend. «Why are you still sleeping?»

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«I wasn't sleeping, just napping,» Kharno said, straightening herself in an obvious attempt to appear more awake than she was. Then she blinked as she belatedly processed what Ghorrah had said. «Wait, you're looking for me?»

«Indeed,» Ghorrah rumbled, lightly tossing her head at Kharno's antics. «Come with me. We are going to speak with Helsha, and I would rather not have to explain everything twice.»

«But what if Qnaro and the crafter – hey, Ghorrah!» Kharno cried, and leapt up after the older dragon. «Why are we going to see Helsha-ǂ? He hates visitors!»

«I'm sure he'll make an exception,» Ghorrah sighed, though Kharno didn't seem very reassured. Still, she nodded, and together they flew north, towards Helsha's isolated territory.

«...Are you sure you would not mind telling me what this is about before we find him?» Kharno asked, several minutes into their flight.

«It is a long story,» Ghorrah sighed. «I do not wish to explain myself twice.»

«...How about other things? How is Jooral doing? She must still be home, right? Did she send you out to learn more about the crafters? What do you think-»

Ghorrah sighed, and wondered if she should have gone to recruit Helsha first.

«...Is there something wrong?» Ghorrah asked. Kharno had fallen uncharacteristically silent as they approached Helsha's territory.

Kharno opened her mouth, but was cut off by a roar from the ground – Helsha was waving them down onto an empty field surrounded by the forests that he cultivated.

«Greetings, Ghorrah-ǂ,» Helsha said, tilting his head.

«Greetings, Helsha-ǂ» Ghorrah said, returning the gesture. The herbalist looked well, if a bit surly, and his patterns were a bit more vivid than she remembered – perhaps he had refined his formula in the years since they'd last met.

The verdant dragon flattened his spines as Kharno landed, looking quite displeased. «What is she doing here?» he demanded.

Ghorrah tilted her head. «Do you two have a problem with each other?»

«She killed one of my trees,» Helsha stated flatly as he glared at Kharno, who winced before ducking her head in shame.

«It was an accident! And it was a small one over two hundred years ago!» she weakly protested. «I was hoping he would have forgotten about that by now,» she muttered to Devotion.

«I never forget bumbling fools like you,» Helsha huffed. «But enough of that. Why are you here, Ghorrah-ǂ?» He pointedly cocked his head at the Ghorrah's empty talons. «It does not look like you are here to trade. Is this about the crafter?»

«Indeed,» Ghorrah nodded. «I have an offer to make to the two of you, but first I need a promise of confidentiality.»

«Of course, I promise,» Kharno nodded.

«Done,» Helsha stiffly replied.

«Good,» Ghorrah nodded. «I've allied myself with another crafter named 'Pryce'. He, Jane Callan, and other crafters crossed the ocean in the same vessel, but they were separated during a storm.»

«What?!» Kharno exclaimed, a look of utter betrayal on her face. «And you couldn't tell me this earlier?»

«I said I didn't want to repeat myself,» Ghorrah said, flicking her membranes dismissively before turning to glance at Helsha. «But perhaps I should have told you anyway, seeing as Helsha-ǂ here has already heard some of it before.»

«Tch,» Helsha clicked in annoyance. He hid his surprise well, but it was virtually impossible to mimic a genuine reaction to hearing such news. «So you've found the other crafters – or humans, as they call themselves.»

«Well, not quite,» Ghorrah sighed. «The other humans all died before arriving upon our land, leaving Pryce as the only survivor.»

«What?» Kharno gasped. «What happened? How did they all die?»

«Something about bad air being trapped inside of the ship,» Ghorrah frowned. «Pryce said it was complicated.»

«Well that's…unfortunate,» Helsha said, his spines flattened in dismay. «So that explains where they've been all this time – I assume this 'Pryce' spent all this time teaching you their speech?»

«He met Hironh first, actually,» Ghorrah corrected. «I only met him sixteen days ago, but I understand enough to converse with them without aid…most of the time.»

«Interesting…» Helsha rumbled. «Well, I suppose I should tell you my half of the story then. Qnaro found Jane ten days ago, and he dropped by two days ago to recruit me as an ally. I agreed, and recommended others for him to speak with.»

«I see…» Ghorrah rumbled. «And if I wanted to find Qnaro, who would I go see first?»

«It would be easier to just wait at their original destination. I assume that 'Pryce' knows of it, yes?»

«Of course,» Ghorrah nodded. «Hironh and Anvonh are currently searching the area for any messages left by Jane Callan.»

«They should find one soon, and it'll tell you what I just told you.»

«Good. Things are starting to come together,» Ghorrah nodded, finding the deep green dragon's plainspoken attitude refreshing after hours of flying with Kharno. «There is too much to discuss in a reasonable amount of time, but the important thing is that I have come to request that you be our ally, and that you meet Pryce.»

«...I see,» Helsha said. His eyes darted over to his surrounding forests, a conflicted look in his eyes.

«Just so you know, Pryce's speciality is medicine, like yours,» Ghorrah mentioned. «He also knows how to make medicine that can cure infections.»

«What?!» Helsha hissed, surprise breaking through his stoic expression. «How? From what?»

Ghorrah blinked in bemusement at this rapid switch in personality. Perhaps he wasn't as stoic as she thought, at least when it came to what interested him. «I do not understand it much myself, but it has something to do with extracting the natural medicine produced by mushrooms.»

«Mushrooms? But that…no…maybe?» Helsha's speech devolved into incoherent muttering for a moment, but he soon composed himself. «Very well. I will join you.»

«Really?» Kharno teased. «I thought you would want to stay with your plants.»

«I have my reasons,» Helsha replied shortly, and glanced up at the setting sun. «It will be dark soon, so feel free to stay the night. Just don't break anything,» he added, warning an indignant Kharno.

«Sounds like a plan,» Ghorrah nodded, pleased. It would have been awkward to ask for a place to rest, even in these extenuating circumstances. «We leave tomorrow morning, and we can talk as we fly.»

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