Kyral grinned. "Forget medicine, I'll make a tracker out of you yet."
"I learned from the best," Jasper teased, clearly pleased with himself.
Together, they examined the rock more closely. Kyral ran his hand along its surface. "Good spotting. This rock was moved," he concluded. "A long time ago. Someone put it here the wrong way around."
Jasper's eyes lit up with excitement. "Do you think it's under here?"
Kyral nodded. "Only one way to find out."
They dug.
The soil was cold and hard, but they were determined. With each scoop of earth that they cast aside, the promise of their prize grew more and more tantalizing.
And then, at last, they found it.
Kyral dug up the metal tin. It was smaller than he'd expected. As he opened the lid, a brilliant flash of color filled his vision.
Gems. They really were Taothium gems, small but breathtakingly beautiful. They sparkled in the cold winter sunlight, throwing out a rainbow of colors that danced across the snow.
He'd never seen anything like it. In all of his hunts and travels, he'd never laid eyes on anything so wondrous.
Beside him, Jasper let out a breath of awe. "Look at the way they catch the light…"
Kyral tore his gaze away from the gems to look at Jasper. His heart purred with joy.
The man was beautiful, his wavy brown hair framing his face, his blue eyes wide with wonder. In that moment, all of his worries, all of his trauma, all of his repression — it vanished.
He was simply a young man, caught up in the sight of something beautiful.
Desire for the man burned through Kyral, hot and fierce. He wanted to give Jasper everything that he'd ever dreamed of. He wanted to see that look of awe on his face over and over again, for the rest of their lives.
Kyral held out the handful of gems to Jasper, their brilliant colors catching the sunlight and casting a kaleidoscope of hues onto Jasper's pale face. The gesture was simple but loaded with meaning.
These weren't just stones. They were their future.
"Take these," Kyral said, his voice low and steady. "Keep them safe."
Jasper's eyes widened as he took the gems, his fingers brushing against Kyral's palm. He cradled them with a grim expression, fully aware of the weight he now carried.
For a moment, Jasper looked at the gems, then back at Kyral. There was no need for words. The trust between them was palpable, a silent agreement forged in shared hardship and growing affection.
Jasper nodded, his blue eyes filled with determination. "I won't let anything happen to them."
Kyral felt a surge of emotion at Jasper’s resolve. This man, this human who had become so much more than just a companion on this quest, was now holding everything that mattered in his hands.
Now, they just had to get out…
The valley was still and quiet, but danger lurked in its shadows. Kyral’s instincts told him that Skarn and his crew wouldn’t have left. The other two Borraq warriors were still an unknown factor.
They couldn’t afford any missteps now.
Kyral and Jasper crept back towards the mouth of the valley, their movements slow and deliberate.
Every rock, every tree, every patch of snow — they scanned it all, ready for ambush. Despite the cold, sweat beaded on Kyral's forehead.
Finally, they got back to the mouth of the valley. It was clear.
Kyral's heart pounded. He exchanged a glance with Jasper, and he could see the same excitement mirrored in the human's eyes. They'd slipped by everyone else. The path was open. All they had to do was to run, and everything would be theirs.