Kellen and Vex sat on a flat rock on the windswept eastern slopes of the Wakar mountains. An autumn breeze stirred across the plateau, carrying a bite of winter with it. Kellen huddled deeper in his hoodie and poncho, every layer he owned wrapped around him. His eyes stared out across the plains beyond, then fell to the small camp below.

They were a ragged gathering by any imagination. In the days since Kellen, Shani and Obishi had left Gray Dawn, more escaped slaves had found the band. Now, with the group that emerged from caverns, they were over thirty, a stray assortment without considering the two men from earth and a walking, talking mummy.

Just as Kellen had hoped, Ira had returned and found Obishi. It turned out that Nokom, Tama and a couple other Gray Dawn warriors had gone after them, even before Ira returned to Nokom as a ward strength from his defeat. The coyote had kept his wings and his haggard, aged features, though now he resembled an ancient grouchy lap dog with wings instead of a coyote. Even with the damage to her beast heart, Nokom assured Kellen that Ira would be back to his normal size and companion strength in short order.

After they’d freed Obishi, Gray Dawn made camp above the cavern. The Earth Badger boy explained about the stone falling to block the passage, so they’d been without direction to continue the search for Kellen and Shani. In their small group, Tama was unwilling to continue on when Ira told them of the numbers of the cultists. They’d made the decision to wait down at the original camp for another two weeks and, if Kellen and Shani did not return, head home. It was only the day after the Gray Dawn warriors returned to the camp when Shani, Kellen, and the rest of their ragtag group came walking down the mountain trail.

While Nokom held some reservation about Shani’s new awakening as a beastcaller, Tama showed no apprehension at Inferni’s unsettling air. Since they’d reunited, Nokom had spent most of her time together with Kiypu and Shani, with Kellen only asked to join them on occasion. That was fine with him, as he had plenty of his own things to sort out.

Seeing Obishi and his mother together reopened the barely scabbed wound that he felt at sending Allison back to Earth while he remained in Oras. He held no regrets about the decision, but that did nothing to ease the pain. Vex nuzzled up against Kellen, sensing the turmoil that had frequently plagued his beastcaller over the past few days.

“For what it’s worth, I’m more grateful than you’ll ever know,” Vex said.

“I know,” Kellen said, running his hand over Vex’s head and forcing a smile. “And you know I’d do it again. That doesn’t make it hurt any less. I’ll miss home like crazy but you’ve got my back.”

“So what’s next?” Vex asked, looking up at Kellen from where he’d rested his head on Kellen’s thigh. It was strange to think Vex was no longer a fluffy ball of fur. It seemed he’d also lost his flying form in the growth to Companion.

There’d been a change in Kellen too, he knew. His beast heart felt stronger and larger than ever before and new, undiscovered powers and mana abilities itched at the edge of his understanding. He couldn’t wait to begin training and to understand the potential he and Vex had unlocked.

“I guess we’ll find out what winter inside a tipi is like,” Kellen said.

“And we’re going to get even more stronger and awesome!” Vex added. “I can’t wait to see what I can do. Have you looked at me? I’m totally jacked! And you don’t look so bad yourself.”

Vex wasn’t trying to flatter him. Once they’d return to the camp and Kellen had a chance to change his clothes, he’d found a lean, muscled body beneath. The transformation, which had taken place from the time they’d left the Gray Dawn camp until their return, could only be attributed to Vex reaching his companion form. Aside from looks, Kellen simply felt better. The fatigue and stress of the past weeks had melted away, and he pulsed with restless energy to run, jump, and test the limits of his reworked body. It was like some kind of steroid, with no crash or side effect.

“Maybe we’ll go exploring in the spring,” Kellen said as the thought sprang to mind. He understood enough about the beastcallers to know that, with the addition of Shani, Inferi, the girl Myri, and her pink rabbit, that Gray Dawn’s fortunes and trajectory had completely changed. They would surely want to keep Kellen around, but he no longer felt that it would be without his choice or consent. Although they lacked experience and years of practice, Nokom explained that, in terms of power, Kellen was her equal now. The old woman warned him that Tama would do anything to keep him around, but ultimately Kellen and Vex would be free to make their own path.

“My, my, is this the same bewildered boy that dropped from another world not so long ago?”

Kellen jumped at the voice. Looking to his right, he found Coyote Lady reclining against a rock. He flushed and attempted to mutter an answer, annoyed at his suddenly twisted tongue. The woman’s face split in a wide grin.

“Some things haven’t changed I see. You’ve come a ways, Kellen Lars. But this is only the first step of your path.”

“Do I know you?” Vex asked. “I mean, Kellen told me about his dream of you, but I swear I recognize you from somewhere.”

“All creatures, made of mana or flesh, recognize the Wild Mother,” Coyote Lady said. She laughed at Kellen’s stunned expression. “No, no, I am not her, but I am her grandchild. The most beloved of her grandchildren, in fact. There are many of us, and it is our job to keep this world in order. You don’t know it, but your sister gave me quite the favor back in the caves.”

Bewildered, Kellen started to ask for an explanation, but Coyote Lady cut him off.

“So that makes us even, Kellen Lars, but I’m not done with you. And I haven’t even started with your lady friend down there. I admit, the awakening of her beast heart was a pleasant, unexpected surprise, and I am not easily surprised. For now, I have provided Kiypu to teach you. He knows many ways of the beastcaller that have been lost, even if he can’t remember them yet. Grow stronger until we meet again. Someone is up to mischief. I make it a business to know mischief and there is more of it than met the eye back in those caves.”

“What does that have to do with us?” Vex asked.

The Coyote Lady smiled. “Nothing. And everything.”