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“If she’ll have me,” Lidishta answered, still staring at Vaneshta.

“Of course I’ll have you,” Vaneshta whispered reverently.

Mhakiza smiled, the expression bittersweet. “Humans have made such appalling rules since I’ve been gone, I’ll have to fix that. But for now, of course, I would be happy to marry you. Perhaps you’ll set a better example.”

Lidishta grinned, Vaneshta smiling over at her.

“Remove your gloves and take each other’s hands,” Mhakiza ordered, and then placed her own hands over each of their joined ones. She closed her eyes.

Iryana couldn’t help her grin, looking over to find her sisters equally excited. When she glanced over at Pyetar, he was watching her with a teasing softness in his eyes. She blushed.

Mhakiza’s voice took on an ethereal quality. “I bind these two women so that they may live as one. I join them for life’s joys. I team them against life’s hardships. And I shield them from life’s cruelty.”

Lidishta and Vaneshta watched each other with clear love and devotion in their eyes. Across the heavy connection of their gaze were promises and oaths and tender agreements, all communicated without either of them uttering a word.

“Let no mortal or god seek to separate what I have bound together,” Mhakiza finished.

And then red lines twirled across Lidishta and Vaneshta’s hands, marks settling into place. It was a wedding tradition to paint such symbols on one’s hands, but they washed away soon afterward. These marks would never fade, could never be doubted. The two women looked down at the wedding markings with wide, excited eyes.

The moment Mhakiza stepped back, Vaneshta gathered Lidishta into her arms, laughing and kissing her as she spun them in a circle.

Iryana tilted her head back to look at Pyetar, and he seemed to know exactly what she wanted, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her mouth.

“My dragon can take you back to your people,” Mhakiza offered. “I am sure you are eager to get back.”

Iryana nodded. “Thank you. What comes next?”

“Istri needs to rebuild,” Limhiz said deeply.

“Yes, it will take us some time to decide our plans after that,” Voordiza added. “The world has changed much since we’ve been away.”

“We have rebuilding of our own to do,” Iryana added, thinking of the immense task ahead of them. But first, they needed to go home.

“But we’ll do it together. And thank you for this,” Pyetar said, handing Voordiza her spear back.

“I told you you’d need it.” Voordiza winked, and then let the magic of her spear return to her.

“Come on, you lovebirds,” Iryana called over to Vaneshta and Lidishta.

Then Iryana climbed onto the dragon with her best friends, her sisters, and Pyetar.

We did it, Grandmother. It’s over.

The dragon leaped into the sky. They were heading home.

When they arrived at the ice caves, their people were already waiting.

Iryana leaned over the side of the dragon’s platform, first picking out Mezhimar, Pepha, Vabihn, and Shahn standing on the ledge and waving at them. Then even more people started filtering out of the caves as people heard of their arrival.

The dragon landed at the top of the moraine field, a few rocks tumbling down as it settled its weight.

“Goodbye, my friend,” Vaneshta said to the dragon as they climbed off.

Iryana helped her sisters down, Pyetar, Vaneshta, and Lidishta following. And then the dragon jumped into the sky and flew toward the gods.

“Thank you!” Vaneshta shouted after it.

Iryana climbed across the rocks back up to the ledge, eager to be reunited with her clan. She had never felt so light at the prospect of facing them.