THE FIRST REALM: RED — Every action is alive

After that conversation, she felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She continued exploring the village, but stopped asking herself at every turn whether she was making good use of her time. When something interested her, she went closer and asked to learn.

She visited the kitchen and the mines. She learned to work in the fields, practiced weaving, helped build instruments, and took part in making toys for the little ones. Some tasks she enjoyed very much; others called for a patience she was still learning to muster.

She had things to share, too. She taught them how to make some dragon potions, exchanged games with the children, and told stories of heroes and heroines from long ago. The dwarves listened in wonder. Talking about her homeland could awaken curiosity and delight; she surprised herself with how much she had to tell.

The dwarves worked hard, made mistakes, and tried again. Loving a task did not spare them the effort needed to finish it, but they worked with an enthusiasm Skyblue was beginning to share.

“We do what we can,” Yaseee explained. “Then we entrust our work to something greater than ourselves. We can’t control every detail.”

Skyblue liked watching Yaseee work. He did not give up at the first difficulty, but if something was not working, he stopped, studied it, and adjusted his movements. She would have kept pushing harder.

“Every action is alive, has its own rhythm, and receives a response from the universe,” he told her. “If you listen, you can recognize when to move forward and when to wait. There’s no need to push the river. It helps to see which way the current is flowing. Seek actions that do good for you and for those around you. Those are the actions the universe supports. And learn to accept help. Another time, you’ll be the one offering it.”

Skyblue found that last part especially difficult.

Dragons prided themselves on achieving everything by their own efforts. Asking for help meant admitting a weakness. Afraid that someone might take advantage of her, her parents had often told her:

“If you need something, come to us. Sooner or later, everyone else will make you pay for what they’ve done for you.”

She remembered how hard it had been to go to Evarista, even knowing what the healer had done for Yaseee.

She began to practice. When a task became complicated, she asked. Sometimes she caught herself offering too many explanations, as though she needed to prove she was not incapable. The dwarves listened, showed her what each of them knew how to do, and went on working beside her.

They did not seem to be keeping a tally.