Adamas immediately began asking questions. Each one was faster, harsher than the last. “Where did it happen? Was it after the trail starts descending? How do you know you’re the only survivor? Why did you go backwards instead of getting help at Davenport?”

“I-I didn’t know where to go.”

“What do you mean you didn’t know where to go? The trail is a single line!”

“Ad, calm down,” Vivian said. “Look at him.”

As Adamas had been asking questions, the stranger seemed to shrink inside himself a little, visibly shaking even though he wore a thick fur coat which concealed his entire body. He did not look like the confident man that had broken up a fight at The Cloak and Dagger.

“Why don’t we let him set by the fire to warm himself up,” she continued. “That will give him time to get his thoughts together.”

The elder Weaver looked like he wanted to argue, but a look at the blindfolded man and one from his sister made him acquiesce. “Fine.” He took several steps back to allow the stranger access to the fire.

As the stranger was settling in, Vivian returned to preparing the evening meal. “What’s your name?” She asked.

The man began to warm his hands by the flame. “Kade.”

“Are you hungry, Kade? I can make some soup.” She turned to her brother to shoot him another glare and cut off any protest, but he wasn’t paying attention. Adamas was pacing back and forth in thought.

“T-that would be nice,” Kade stuttered. He was still shaking even though he was close to the flame.

“Mono, can you keep him company while I work?” She began to set up a stand to hang a pot.

“Sure.” Mono moved to sit closer to fire. There was an awkward silence as he tried to come up with a conversation. What was there to talk about? His eyes wandered to Kade’s blindfold, and his thoughts went to talents. “How are you able to see?”

At his question, Kade flinched.

Realizing that his question was probably too personal, Mono tried to backpedal. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I—”

“I sense estel in the air,” Kade replied. His voice was surprisingly even, as if he was used to answering this question. “It’s not the same as true vision, but it’s better than nothing. It’s actually better than true vision, in my opinion.”

There was a brief pause.

“That is,” he continued, “until I started passing through these mountains. Everything is dark here; I can’t sense anything except other people. When the accident happened, everyone disappeared, and I didn’t have anyone to guide me. I felt so lost.”

Kade started shaking harder, and Mono tried to console him. “Well, you’re here now, with us. We’ll make sure to get you out of here.”

The shaking stopped and Kade smiled. “Thank you. I may not be able to see, but I have a great memory. I made my way back here in hopes of coming across you three. I’m thankful that you guys are kind people.” He glanced at Adamas. “Well, two of you, anyway.”

“Adamas is a great person, just a little rough on the edges,” Mono assured him.

“If you say so.” Kade idly touched his blindfold. “What can you do?”

“Me?” Mono asked.

“Yeah, what’s your talent?”

The word Kade spoke was the word for strength, rather than talent, but translated to talent for Mono anyways. “I can tell stories.”

Kade frowned. “That’s not a talent.”

“Of course it is,” Vivian said as she moved to the cart. She retrieved several bowls and utensils. “Listen to one of his stories and you’ll change your mind.”

“Not tonight,” Adamas called out, still pacing. “I want you two to also take turns keeping watch so I can get some sleep. We’re leaving the moment we can tomorrow morning.”

“Why?” Mono asked.

“There’s a chance that some people survived the fall. If that’s the case, then we need to get to them as soon as possible. No one can survive several nights in the Vatam weather, even if they were very talented.”

“The three of us can stay up while you sleep,” Vivian suggested.

“That’s not a good idea. If there are survivors, we need to be well rested to help. This glacial area freezes in two days and, even if the accident is below the area, the winds will still be dangerously strong.”

“Can’t we just—”

Mono had begun to speak but was stopped short by the hard look Adamas had turned to give him. It was an intense stare, almost furious.

“There could be lives at risk,” the elder Weaver said.

After that, dinner passed quietly, a somber affair. Adamas quickly finished his meal before grabbing several blankets. “Wake me up when it’s my turn,” was all he said before going to sleep.

Once her brother’s breathing became even, Vivian turned to Mono. “Do you want to take the first shift, or the second”

Mono wasn’t sure. “Does it matter?”

“The second one is usually harder. You have to interrupt your sleeping and then go back to it.”

“I’ll do it.” He wanted to be helpful in any capacity he could. Since he didn’t have any real talents and his weaving was still mediocre, he figured it would be best if Vivian was the more rested one between them.

“Wait, you’re going to just listen to him?” Kade asked. “No one needs to even keep watch since it’s so difficult to pass through the mountains right now anyways.”

“Ad has far more experience than either of us with this kind of thing. I trust his judgement. If he wants us to keep watch I’ll do it,” she replied.

Mono nodded his head in agreement.

“How about I take a shift too then,” Kade suggested.

Vivian shook her head. “It’s fine. You’ve been through a lot already. Just get some sleep.”

“But—”

“It’s fine,” she interrupted. “Just go to sleep when you’re done with your soup. You too, Mono.”

“Alright.”

When he had finished the soup, he handed the bowl and utensils to Vivian since she said that she would wash them. After that, he went to sleep. Even though he was tired, forcing sleep wasn’t something he could do. In fact, he found that it made falling asleep harder. What could he do to pass the time? Mono didn’t particularly feel like thinking about stories tonight... but it’s what he did best. Maybe he should think about… Weaving… instead…

Mono drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, they left as soon as the storm let up. Mono sat in the back of the cart while Kade was in the front with Vivian.

“Come on, move faster!” Adamas called. He was running alongside the cart in order to lighten the burden on the horses. Even after several hours in the thin air, he hardly seemed fatigued.

“This is the fastest the horses can safely go, Ad,” Vivian replied.

“Then I’ll run ahead to find the fallen wagons. Kade, how much farther is it from here?”

“Just go until you see that a part of the trail has collapsed. You can’t miss it.”

Without another word, Adamas dashed off. He quickly outpaced the horses and ran out of sight when he rounded a curve on the trail.

“How did you know that a part of the trail collapsed?” Vivian asked Kade. “You can’t see.”

“I could hear it. And the collapse was so strong that I could sense it with my talent too.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s not exactly something one could easily ignore or forget.”

Hearing those words, Mono thought about last night. During his shift, he had noticed that Kade frequently shifted in the night, often rolling half a foot one way or another in his sleep. His behavior made sense if the man had really been that badly affected by the event.

While the conversation between Vivian and Kade continued, Mono eventually tuned out of it. He was still incredibly sleepy, getting only a few hours of sleep before having to take his turn keeping watch. He had barely gone back to sleep when Adamas woke him so that they could get going.

Well, at least he could get a little bit of sleep now. Leaning back, he closed his eyes.

“Looks like we’re here,” Vivian said as the cart stopped.

Fantastic. Mono peeled open his eyes and exited the cart. The wind and biting cold snapped him awake as Adamas brushed past him to grab several things.

“I’m going to climb down and check the carts,” the elder Weaver said as he pulled out a mallet, a steel stake, and a large coil of rope. He looped his arm through the coil and slung it over his shoulder. “You guys stay up here and warn me if you notice anything that could be dangerous.”

“Like what?”

“A storm or if the wind picks up too much. It’ll be impossible for me to climb back up — even with a rope. If I can’t get back up before nighttime, I’ll definitely freeze to death out here without shelter.” Adamas kneeled down next to the trail’s ledge and began to prepare for his descent, pinning the stake into ground with the mallet with quick, steady swings.

“If even you can’t survive out here without shelter, what makes you think that anyone is alive down there?” Vivian asked as she and Kade joined them after also leaving the wagon.

“Nothing, but I have to do it. As long as there’s a chance, there’s no question about the right thing to do. At the very least, I can give these people a proper burial. Kai… Kai is very religious, and getting the correct send-off is very important to him.”

Is, Mono noted, not was. “Why do you care? Didn’t he betray you?”

Adamas stopped swinging. He looked up into Mono’s eyes. “He was still my best friend.”

Hearing those words and staring into those striking blue eyes, Mono caught a glimpse, a fleeting epiphany, of the inner character of the man named Adamas. He was as his parents had named him; someone with unshakable convictions and an unbreaking will to see them made manifest. He would never abandon anything meaningful to him, regardless of the cost or the emotional baggage.

Adamas quickly and deftly tied one end of the rope around the stake. Without hesitation, he began to descend, in search of the one he still called friend.

As the elder Weaver rappelled down, Mono watched with both awe and envy. He and Adamas were so different. Where he was weak and passive, Adamas was strong and confident. When he ran away from conflict to read stories, Adamas ran towards it to make them. What was it like, he wondered, to be defined by one’s strengths instead of their fears? To be the promise keeper, rather than the oath breaker?

Vivian’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Those carts are really far from her,” she said.

“So what?” Mono turned to look, and he saw the answer to his own question.

Nestled in a place between two of the nearby mountains, the four wagons which had fallen from the trail lay several hundred feet below. They were unusually far away from the ledge; the distance was probably further than the trail was elevated. Even with the excessively strong gales from the stormy nights and the half collapsed trail which would have made it easy to slide off at an angle, it didn’t seem possible for them to have gotten that far away from the base of the elevated trail.

“Kade, what do you think?” Mono asked. He had witnessed the accident, afterall.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about,” the blindfolded man replied.

Oh, right.

“Maybe the storm was just that bad,” Vivian guessed. “There’s a reason why we never travel at night and always stick closer to the safer side of the trail up here.”

Mono shrugged. He had never been here before. “If you say so.”

While they had been talking about the errant wagons, Adamas had finished climbing down and made his way towards them. When he entered one of the wagons, there was a shout. It was incomprehensible in the wind, but understandable in its tone; a cry of surprise and grief. After a moment, Adamas exited the wagon and came back into view, carrying something covered in a blanket or some kind of fabric in his arms.

“They didn’t make it,” Vivian said sadly.

The trio above watched wordlessly as Adamas made his way through each of the vehicles. Each had at least two, often three or four bodies carried out. Most of them came out concealed in something. Of the few which weren’t covered, Mono was glad that he was far enough away that the faces weren’t distinguishable.

Once he had apparently finished emptying the final wagon, Adamas returned to the third he had entered to grab something different. It was hard to make out but easily identifiable when he began to use the shovel.

“A proper burial,” Adamas had said.

Vivian tapped Mono’s shoulder to get his attention. “I’m going to move the cart past the accident site while he finishes.”

“Do you need help?” He asked.

“No, just stay here and keep an eye on Adamas. Kade, you can come with me if you feel uncomfortable being on the trail.”

“Thank you for the offer, I think I will.”

As the two departed, Mono began to look at the mountains themselves instead of what Adamas was doing. He couldn’t stand the sad sight anymore.

Unlike the valley he had seen yesterday, this area tapered into more of a crevice as it went further away from the trail. The gap between the two nearest mountains ran further until it stopped at another mountain. Maybe it was because of the accident, but the site was also more ominous than the last view. There was no colourful shine on the ice as the sun passed its zenith and began descending into the near-evening. Like the day before, the wind was also picking up. It was beginning to feel unsafe.

Vivian seemed to think so too. The moment she returned she said, “Kade is staying in the cart, and we should call Adamas back. The stormy night seems to be starting earlier today.”

“Yeah,” Mono agreed. “But how? It’s so windy now that our voices would get lost in the breeze.”

She took a minute to come up with an answer. “Emre lent you his bow, right? You could shoot a message to get Ad’s attention.”

“The wind is still an issue though, what happens if I—”

Before Mono could finish, a strong gale blew through the range. Calling it strong was an understatement as it nearly blew him off of his feet. As he tried to regain his balance, Vivian spoke in a controlled yet strained voice.

“Mono, get the bow.”

“But—”

“Get the bow!” She pointed.

On the far side of the crevice, the white parts of the mountain were spreading, like paint pouring down the sides of a tilted canvas. It took Mono a second to comprehend what he was staring at.

It was an avalanche.

Momentarily forgetting his question, he dashed to the cart as quickly as could, mindful of the huge slant created by the trail’s partial collapse. Grabbing the bow, he sprinted back.

“Get it ready,” Vivian commanded.

He was already doing so, his hands were slightly shaking as he unwrapped the stave and grabbed the string. Tilting the stave sideways, he moved a leg between it and the string before using his leg as leverage to bend the stave towards him and backwards like Emre had taught him. But, before he could attach the string to the other side, it slipped between his cold fingers. The still unstrung-bow clattered to the floor.

Vivian heard the noise but didn’t turn around. She seemed to be focusing on something. “Hurry!”

Mono grit his teeth and repeated the steps. The string cut into his frigid hands as he finally managed to string the bow. “Ready.” He reached down to… grab his arrows… “Vivian, I forgot the arrows.”

“That’s fine, use this.” She handed a glowing green arrow to him.

Why was it glowing? Where had she gotten it? It didn’t matter right now, Mono reminded himself. Nocking the arrow, he was about to pull back the string before he remembered his question. “It’s too windy right now, what happens if I hit Adam? And, even if I don’t hit him, how will this tiny thing get his attention?”

“I made that arrow with my Weaving, it can’t hurt my brother,” Vivian hurriedly replied. “And he’ll notice it. Shoot!”

Without further doubt, Mono began the mental preparation to fire. He wasn’t strong enough yet to pull back the bow and take aim during the extension without his arm shaking from the exertion, and so aimed before drawing by using the stave of the bow. After marking Adamas’ location, he pulled the string backwards and gently but quickly released the string, firing in one fluid motion like Emre had taught him.

While the shot was good, the wind was malicious, causing the arrow to sharply turn to the left in its glowing arc and strike the side of the left mountain. Where it collided, a small ball of green light exploded outwards.

“Vivian, I—”

“I know, I know!”

Mono turned to see that she was holding a red diem in her left palm. With an apparently great exertion, she began to write words above it with her other hand. Rather than the words flaring like before, they wrapped around the crimson crystal. The words eventually folded together until they took the shape of an arrow. She handed the arrow to Mono.

He had so many questions, but no time to voice them. Without any more direction from Vivian, Mono prepared the next shot. This time, he took a few seconds to wait for the wind to die down since it had sporadic bursts. That sliver of waiting seemed like an eternity as he saw the avalanche looming closer and closer to the still oblivious Adamas.

At last, the wind waned, and Mono took the shot without hesitation. This time, it flew true, and hit the fifth cart, the one closest to Adamas.

The moment the light began pouring out, Adamas stopped digging. He turned to the light, then towards Mono and Vivian, and finally to the encroaching tsunami of snow and ice. Without missing a beat, he went back to digging with an accelerated pace.

“What is he doing?” Vivian exclaimed.

Mono knew. “Finishing what’s important to him.”

Sure enough, Adamas was digging the final grave for the last person. Throwing aside the shovel, he gently lowered the body into the shallow hole. The moment he climbed out, Adamas threw several things into the pit before waving his hands in strange motions. Once he was done, he immediately began sprinting towards Mono and Vivian.

In the half a minute it took him to finish, the avalanche had gotten far closer. It began to gain on him even as he ran at full speed. Fortunately, it slowed down slightly as it started filling in the more expanded portion of the crevice.

When he reached the rope, Adamas immediately began climbing. The deluge of ice had finished filling the crevice and was now also ascending after him. This time, the elder Weaver was able to outpace the avalanche with pure strength, violently pulling himself up with each arm and dashing up the wall with his legs.

“He’s gonna make it,” Vivian said with relief.

Mono immediately turned to Vivian. “What did I say about death—”

As if ironically bidden by Vivian’s words, the wind returned. It was stronger than ever, and caused Adamas to swing in a quarter circle along the cliff. Adamas seemed to have prepared for it and took it in stride, keeping the rope taut and using the change to gain more height as he swung back with the rope.

“I told you Mono!” Vivian said triumphantly. “There’s no such thing as death flags. As long as you’re prepared, everything will be fine.”

Perhaps, Mono would later muse, the universe was sentient; it seemed to love many things, but especially tearing down the confident. Because, less than a few seconds later, the wind blew in from the exact opposite direction. Adamas, of course, took it in stride as he pulled the rope taut once more as he swung.

And then he fell.

The stake, which had been hammered in as best as possible, had been gradually teased out by the forces which caused it to bear a load in multiple directions. With the final tug, it had finally come loose enough to pop out.

While the stake was pulled out with only a quiet ping, Mono heard the noise over the wind, and it sounded like a metallic shriek. “Adam!” He called as he dived for the rope, but it was already over the edge.

As Adamas fell, he seemed to be Weaving something in the air. It was the first time Mono had seen him do that, and the light was red rather than the typical green. It also did nothing.

The elder Weaver fell into the white flood, and disappeared.