“What now, Steward?” Teya watched as Garran cleaned his head wound and surrounding fur vigorously with melted snow before leaving the cave. He had also scrubbed the collar of his jerkin with a mixture of plant extract and fibers that he always kept on hand. It worked well for cleaning the leather and quickly removed the offending red stain from the white half of his leather. His head still thrummed with a dull pound, but the nausea had stopped at least.

Before seeing to his head, Garran and Teya had carried all four of the gnolls’ bodies--including the one that had plummeted to the crevice below--up to the gravesite that had been intended for the she-wolf. They had buried each of them and said a short prayer for their spirits.

Upon further inspection, Garran had discovered that the gnoll with the arrow in its chest was none other than the smaller male that had attacked him three years ago. It, along with ‘Big Ugly’ as Teya had called the leader, were two of the three original offenders that had ambushed Garran in the forest on his way back to Darkfrost Village.

This led Garran to wonder about the condition of the third original attacker; the female. Last he had seen of her, she had been rendered unconscious; compliments of an upward blow to the jaw with Garran’s mace. But the smaller male that now lay dead in a shallow grave had carried her off that day, with ‘Big Ugly’ retreating right behind them.

Slipping his armor over his muscular, furry chest, he fastened each clasp with care, “We go north,” he said simply.

“But why? What has changed, Garran?” Teya questioned.

This gave him pause. The she-wolf typically called him ‘Steward’, which he was still not fully comfortable with, but he was getting used to at least. She knows that I know something. I swear she can read my mind, he thought.

Garran had not felt forthcoming in regards to his dream. Teya obviously knew he had experienced some sort of nightmare, but the last portion had seemed too real. The voice… Those yellow orb-like eyes...

He shook his head to clear it. “It’s just a hunch,” he dissimulated. “If they tracked us here, they were likely coming from the south, which means they were headed north. There have also been previous orc attacks on our village that our scouts tracked all the way to the Summit. They camped up in the snow caps. Our best guess as to why they would camp in such a hazardous place was because they believed no one would be brave enough--or stupid enough--to attack them up there in that trecherous terrain.”

He hoped this answer was good enough. Garran hated not telling the she-wolf the full truth; the disembodied voice, and its bargain to trade her for Sius. What would I even tell her? That we are following instructions from a voice I heard in a dream because I honestly have no idea where to go from here? Perhaps that would be a good time to explain that this dream voice wants to trade her for obviously nefarious purposes, and was threatening Sius’ life in order to achieve that goal. Yea, that conversation would go over about as well as thumping a hibernating bear on the nose, Garran thought, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

Glancing up, he realized Teya’s two-tone eyes were studying him, piercing through him and leaving him exposed as they always did. She said nothing, but eyed him quizzically.

Studiously trying to ignore her gaze, Garran shouldered his pack and slid the heavy orcish battleaxe on his back into a make-shift holster he’d fashioned. It was bulky, and quite heavy. Truthfully, he had no idea what he would use the weapon for, but he didn’t want to leave it.

“Shall we get moving?” he asked awkwardly.

Teya remained silent, but inclined her head cordially towards the path back down into the snow-covered ravine indicating for Garran to lead the way.

They walked in silence for about an hour, Garran’s thoughts scattered and in disarray. “Bring me the Bastion--the she-wolf--to The Summit and I will exchange her for your worthless friend. Your friend’s fate depends on you,” the chilling voice from his dream plagued his mind and repeated its ultimatum in broken snippets. He shook his head to clear it and continued the trek north.

The terrain began to slope drastically upward and there were far fewer trees, though pine and spruce still peppered the hillside. Accompanying their travel was the crunching of the cold earth beneath their padded feet as they walked. Along with the percussion of their footfalls was the whistling sound of the gelid winds blowing down from the mountain peak that seemed to bite through fur and leather armor alike.

Garran was beginning to feel the effects of the conditions in the higher altitude the further north they traveled. His muscular legs quivered with fatigue from traversing the steep incline through muck and snow. His lungs burned as he inhaled the frigid, oxygen-deprived air, and he found that he was having to stop frequently to catch his breath.

One such stop followed after the wolfkin’s stomach growled like an angry mountain lion. Sharing the last bit of salted jerky he had brought, Garran and Teya sat beneath a rocky outcrop overlooking the path they had been traveling.

“There will not be much game up this way. We may be lucky to find a hare or a fox, but catching them will not be easy,” he said thoughtfully.

“Aegis will provide, Steward. Have faith,” the she-wolf replied as she stared out over the landscape. “It is quite peaceful up here. The quiet reminds me of the Celestial Plane,” she added dolefully.

“So,” Garran said, trying to shift the subject, “Can we talk about the cave?” subconsciously, he reached up and rubbed the back of his head where he had smacked the rock wall.

“You mean the energy rebounding from the sigil?” she asked.

“No. I was referring to your snoring in your sleep,” he quipped. “Yes. The explosion from the amulet. I was expecting something less… finale, and more preamble when I tried to use the symbol.”

The she-wolf laughed lightly, “More sarcasm, I see. The rebound happened because you tried to harness a power you were not yet ready for.”

“But, I didn’t try to do anything. I just thought it, and it sort of just… happened,” Garran shrugged while chewing his last bite of jerky.

Snow had begun to float down from the grey, cloud-filled skies, the brittle flakes alighting on the edges of Teya’s thick fur.

“Aye,” she said, shaking her head to dislodge the frozen precipitation, “proof that Aegis has chosen his Steward well. Your power is innate, as is all of your Darkfrost brethrens’. However, that symbol you carry, is no mere heirloom. It is a vessel, a sort of conduit that allows you to focus or harness that inherent ability you have been gifted. I transferred what limited magic I had left into it before I… died in hopes that it could help aid you in some way. It was good that I did, else that power could have been lost forever.”

“So, how do I ‘harness’ this power then, if it is innate? I have felt something from the amulet, but not really sure how to explain it,” he said. “It’s almost as if it was trying to tell me to use it, but I know how absurd that sounds...” he added quickly.

She looked at him thoughtfully, “It’s not absurd. The symbol is connected to your power now and knows your thoughts and intentions. It makes sense that it would work through you in that manner.”

“Great something else to read my mind…” he said under his breath.

“What?” she asked, cocking her head to the side inquisitively.

Avoiding her question, he asked another, “Ok… So how do I keep it from exploding every time I try and focus through it? As much fun as learning to fly backwards into a rock wall was…”

“Hmm…” the she-wolf’s ears twitched as she thought, “It is different for Bastions. We are created with this divine ability and understand it implicitly. What were you thinking about when you tried to harness it in the cave?”

Garran let out a sarcastic laugh, “Well, ‘not dying’ did come to mind. Trying not to get sliced in half by an axe was also in there somewhere. And saving you,” he turned and looked at the wolf with the black swirl of fur surrounding her left mahogany-colored eye. “I was trying to figure out a way to protect us both, but didn’t really know what I was doing, so I yelled for Aegis to protect us instead, hoping he’d step in and do something.”

Teya nodded her head in understanding and met his gaze, “Then, that’s the problem. You need to let go of that apprehension. Don’t think; just do. Aegis granted those powers to you for a reason. And that reason was not for you to wait for him to do things for you.”

The wolfkin chuckled once to himself, “Duly scolded, madam. I’ll try to remember that, going forward.” He stood and stretched his arms and legs, “Shall we go? We’ve rested quite some time.”

The snow had become thicker in the last few minutes and the temperature had dropped several degrees even though, judging by the light, Garran could tell it was somewhere around midday. Up in the mountains among the clouds, the sun was rarely fully visible, but the brightest point was nearly directly overhead and the cries and calls of the morning fauna had subsided at least an hour ago.

They continued on, traversing the steep sloping terrain; panting heavily from exertion. The howling wind was furiously whipping their fur. Garran had to cling to his collar to keep the freezing snow from getting beneath his armor.

The path they had been traveling had grown more narrow, and was surrounded by thick, rocky cliffs. Up ahead in the distance, Garran’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of light through the torrent of sleet and snow. It was at least fifty yards to their north, and seemed to be near a small section of rock, stark against the white snow.

“Head towards that light!” Garran had to shout to be heard over the moaning of the storm winds.

Without warning, a sharp crack rang out as a tree branch buckled under the weight of the heavy snow. The crack echoed in a hundred resounding pops throughout the hillsides. Both Garran and Teya froze in midstep, and for a moment nothing seemed to change.

Then, beneath his feet, the wolfkin began to feel a soft rumbling that rapidly grew in intensity. Looking towards the fallen limb, to his horror, Garran could now see the ground start to move. It began like the rumble; slight at first, then growing in magnitude.

It looked as though the entire hillside swallowed up the limb and was now cascading towards them. He swore softly, or loudly. In the onslaught of the cacophony of noises, he could not be sure of which.

“We need to move! Now!” he shouted at Teya, pointing towards the glowing yellow light in the distance. He, along with the she-wolf, pushed against the forceful winds trying to get to safety. I hope that rocky section is a hollow, or we will be buried alive, he thought to himself.

The rumbling had grown so strong, it hurt Garran’s feet and the ground was shaking so much, it was hard to keep his footing. The wolf seemed to be having a similarly difficult time; her stance splayed and unsteady as well.

The river of snow and debris flowed unrelentingly towards them from the north, as they pushed westward to get out of its path. The snow was sliding beneath their feet, and the air around them was filled with sounds of thunder.

He could make out a small crevice in the rocks from where the light was originating. There was a slight overhang of stone that would protect them from above somewhat, but it would not protect them from the sides. They had closed about half of the distance to the rocky segment now, but the avalanche was in full flow and would be upon them within seconds. Garran knew that if they kept at this pace, they would not make it to safety before the wall of snow hit them.

“Go!” he shouted. “Get to that rock!”

Teya bolted in an all-out sprint to the rocky overhang. Garran had no time to see if she made it; the snowslide now upon him. Without a second thought, Garran grabbed his amulet in his right hand and closed his eyes. “Don’t think; just do,” Teya’s previous words rang in his mind. He silently prayed in earnest for strength and courage. Then--still clutching the sigil--moved his left hand in an arching motion around himself and muttered, “Bastya Proteka”.

A warm silver flickering light shot out from the amulet and spread from a single point outward until it encased him like a silvery, protective bubble. No sooner had this shield closed around him when the river of cascading snow and detritus enveloped him in darkness.

“Garran!” He thought he heard Teya shout, but he could not respond for fear of losing concentration on the protective barrier. He doubted she would hear him anyway. Beyond the silver glow of this barrier, was nothing but blackness. He could still hear the avalanche moving and pushing around him, but he remained stationary; glued to the spot where he stood.

His muscles ached from tension and he was panting hard. If wolfkin could sweat, my leather armor would be soaked, he thought as he continued to strain and focus through the amulet to hold the bubble.

The rumbling finally eased, and it was deathly quiet now in the darkness beyond the silver flame-like bubble. He was unsure how long it had been since he was covered by the snow, but it felt like an eternity.

Did Teya make it to safety? I should have stayed with her so I could protect her. How am I going to get out of this? Once I drop this shield, I will be buried alive. He could feel panic begin to creep up inside him and he noticed the bubble begin to flicker and fade slightly.

He could hear a strange scratching sound above his head. Perhaps it’s the snow and debris settling around me, he thought as he watched the silver light continue to sputter. Screwing his face up in concentration, he put all his energy and remaining strength into focusing on the barrier. The light grew brighter and the scratching noise grew more prominent.

Looking up towards the sound, a beam of light seemed to pierce the darkness above and he could see two massive paws working furiously to shovel the snow on top of him out of the way.

“Garran!” Teya shouted.

“Teya!” he growled through gritted teeth, his sharp canines showing from beneath his lips. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold this spell.”

“Just keep concentrating! I’m almost there! Don’t think! Just do!” she shouted, her words coming in tandem with the cadence of her digging.

He could feel his eyes and head growing heavy and the shield flickered. The wolfkin was pretty sure Teya could sense his fatigue because she began to dig faster. Finally, his strength waned and the amulet trembled in his hand then the silvery light winked out.

No longer being held back by some magical force, the snow immediately swallowed up the void, closing Garran in complete darkness. Now fully panicking, he gasped as he tried to shout Teya’s name, but swallowed a mouthful of snow instead.

Well, this is unfortunate, he thought to himself.

He felt something clamp down on the back of the high collar of his jerkin and tug hard. Teya was pulling him free! He kicked hard with his feet and dug upward with his hands while trying to hold his breath beneath the freezing snow.

With one final tug, the former Bastion wrenched Garran free of the icy prison. He sprawled on the ground and drew in a gasping breath that burned his lungs from sheer cold. He spat snow, dirt and pine needles from his mouth, but he did not care. He was alive.

The area was quite silent now; the avalanche having completed its downward journey. Even the blizzard had lessened to a soft, dusting snow.

Exhausted, he panted hard as he spoke “So... if I’d have died just then... would that have been the shortest-lived Steward... in all of Aegis history?”

“Absolutely,” Teya retorted, laughing.

“Well, then I guess I owe you two thanks... One for saving my life… and the other for saving my dignity,” he joked. The two of them chuckled slightly then, broke out into a raucous laughter, releasing all the tension that had built up.

Their laughter was interrupted when a croaky, feeble voice from behind them spit in a curmudgeonly tone, “I say, keep up all that racket and you’ll cause another landslide. That’ll teach you now, won’t it? What are you two whippersnappers doing on my property?”

Garran and Teya glanced up quickly and blanched at what they saw standing before them.