Is a stupid risk worth a chance at a better future?
Every year, young dwarves trek to the sacred glen, searching for a mate. Some return with a fine and wealthy companion, some with a dull plowman.
Vala has never been like the other dwarves--a farmer instead of a miner--but if she doesn't return with a husband, she'll be a spinster outcast. The only way to stand out is a good first impression. That means arriving before anyone else does.
But leaving early means losing the help of her clan, taking unmapped roads, risking icy rivers, beasts of prey, and bandits. She and her few friends decide the risk is worth it. But they may have less to fear from the unbeaten path than the harsh truths about each other.
Eric J. Juneau has been writing fantasy and science fiction in his quest to be a capital "A" author for the last ten years.