It took three days to finish the preparations for the trip because mom kept insisting on checking and double-checking we had everything. However, by the time we were leaving, mom had calmed down enough to see us off with a smile, rather than being a nervous wreck. “Take care you two, and Moor, I am holding you responsible for their wellbeing, you hear me?” Poor uncle Moor had received similar comments for the past three days.

He looked over at mom, “Yunika, I will do my best to keep them safe. That should be obvious, however, Keari isn’t a child anymore. As for Amber, while she isn’t an adult by the standards of a Gnome, she is far more mature than you seem to give her credit for. They’ll be fine, trust in them, you have raised them both well.” Mom looked like she was about to explode on him, when dad patted her arm and gave uncle a nod.

He nodded back and motioned for us to follow along. With a final wave to mom, both of us hurried after uncle Moor. I got a last glimpse I got off them before we passed a bend in the road that would lead us to the lowlands. Mom was hugging Dad while he stroked her back the way he used to do to me when I was a kid and felt sad.

It felt weird to be descending this road. For years, I had wondered how it would be like to leave the mountain range, though I don’t think I could ever have imagined the circumstances of doing so. “Uncle, how far away are Labyrinthia’s domain from here?”

Uncle scratched his beard as he answered. “Oh, first we have to get out of the Salnak mountain range, then cross the Northern plains. Since the rain season has just passed on the plains, the river Vallag will be flooding now, rather than being a dry riverbed. Crossing that could be difficult, depending on how strong the current is.” He then shot the two of us a glance.

“Then there is another long march before we reach Ondul. A beautiful place that, full of huge oaken trees, colorful birds and vivid glades. The forests are home to the Forest Elves, cousins of the High elves of Slyvanport. They are long lived and a friendly bunch. Both your parents and I have fond memories of that place.” A distant smile spread across his face as he spoke, along with a strange glint in his eyes.

“On the other side of the forest runs the mighty Fandim River, which runs across the plains and through Caelyn. If we are lucky, we might catch a boat to take us there. I looked at him. “Mom never mentioned it ran through Caelyn.” Uncle shrugged.

“Not surprised, considering she has never been there. Your parents left Labyrinthia’s domain so close to the Second Void War that seeing fifty Duergar and a Fox spirit prancing around town would have caused panic. They got directions to head northeast to avoid most of the major settlements.” He went quiet, and I took the time to look around us instead.

The mountainous terrain had changed. We had crossed beneath the grass line at last. We had been on the edge while in the valley at the foot of Therinos, but that grass had been yellow, sickly, and short. This grass was a pale, yellowish-green. “Hey, uncle, is grass supposed to look like this?” Uncle Moor glanced down.

“Not really, it’s supposed to be green. However, we have to cross through a heath before we reach the lowlands and the plains themselves. I wouldn’t expect to see much green grass until then, especially this time of year.” I thanked uncle and turned to talk to Amber, who was being unusually quiet.

When I looked at her, I noticed why. She seemed extremely uncomfortable and was taking unusually deep breaths. No doubt she was struggling with memories of that disastrous journey through these very mountains long ago. I put a hand on her head. “Don’t worry, Amber, we’re here for you.” She looked up at me and then nodded as she grabbed my hand with both of hers and refused to let go. I didn’t mind. If she needed me for emotional support, I was more than happy to help.

It felt strange watching the terrain change from the usual rocky trails to a more verdant and earthen one. Now and then the wind would turn, bringing with it unfamiliar scents. Small decrepit shrubs and grasses were growing all around, and a layer of moss covered the rocks scattered across the area.

“This is the heath you talked about, isn’t it?” Uncle flinched for a second before he looked at me. “Wha? Oh, yes. Sorry kid, I was reminiscing about some things that happened long ago in this heath, so what were you saying?” I just shook my head. “Never mind, uncle, you already answered my question.” Uncle nodded and glanced down at Amber, who was still clutching my arm.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a distant rumble interrupted him and in the distance, clouds were approaching. “Ah, we’re getting close to the plains. Better grab our weather gear, unless you want to get soaked.” Amber reluctantly let go of my arm and began ruffling through her bag as I did likewise. Not a minute too soon, as the rain clouds were on us mere minutes later. The nice and warm summer day quickly became a cold and miserable experience in just a few minutes.

Uncle looked over at us. He had pulled out his own black cloak and water was pouring off of his beard like a small stream. “Welcome to the Rainy season of the northern plains, torrential rains for three straight months. Although, it’s at the end of the season now, so it should end before long, even if it’s only for a short while.” As if to mock him, the clouds above gave a thundering boom as lightning momentarily brightened the area.

“We should probably speed up, before even our rain gear gets overwhelmed.” Amber had finally spoken up. She looked up at the storm with a dark expression. “I, for one, dislike the idea of getting soaking wet while stuck out on the plains in a storm.” Uncle nodded.

“Let’s get moving. There won’t be much in the way of shelter up here, so we better get to the plains proper and find an overhang or maybe a nomad camp.” He stalked off ahead of us along the overgrown trail that the road down from the mountains had become, and Amber and I had to hurry after him.

The next few hours were miserable as we didn’t find an overhang. However, we found a nomad camp, or to be more exact, the shattered and destroyed remains of one. Whatever had been through here had been thorough in its destruction. Nothing of use remained, and, I noted, we couldn’t see any bodies. Uncle looked worried as he approached the destroyed camp. “What happened here?”

After scouring the remains for an answer to this mystery, we had no choice but to give up. The rain storms had long since washed away all traces that could have given us an idea of what transpired. The entire thing made me feel antsy, and uncle was now all business. “Stay alert, you two, we do not know if whatever did this is still around.”

Amber looked up from the broken heap that had once been a tent. “Could another nomad group have done this?” I turned my gaze to uncle, but he shook his head. “Why would they? War is the last thing on their minds during this season of plenty. Besides, with the Festival of Rain, where the tribes set aside their grievance with one another to celebrate the rain and the plenty it brings, war isn’t happening.” Uncle bent down at another destroyed pile of wood and leather.

“Besides, destroying useful materials like tents and tools in such a fashion? Unthinkable, life on the plains is harsh enough as it is. There is no way any tribe would waste perfectly good materials like that.” He rose and looked south towards far off the river. “If a creature capable of such total devastation is around, the tribes need to know. We will need to travel downriver for a bit. Hopefully, the Festival isn’t over yet and we can find the tribes all in one place. I only hope that whatever befell this tribe, didn’t descend on the festival as well.”

I looked at Amber, who nodded. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go already!” As always, Amber was quick to grasp the situation. Uncle nodded. “I will attempt to scry the direction we have to go when we camp tonight. We might be going on a detour, but we can’t ignore this, now can we?” Neither Amber nor I could let such a calamity descend on the tribes. There were several tribes that had a fruitful trading venture with us. In fact, the Moonclaw Tribe was the main supplier of meat for the Mountain Home.

That didn’t change the fact that the rain was soaking us to the bone. To make matters worse, the rain increased in strength and the lightning and thunder became more near constant. Amber was shivering next to me, and in the end I lifted her up and carried her and her pack along. “Uncle, Amber is shivering like a leaf here. We need to find shelter.”

Uncle looked back, his face a frustrated grimace. “There’s no helping it, I suppose, just a moment, kids.” Uncle dropped his bag and began rummaging through it until he pulled out a small figurine of a cabin. “Stand back!” he put the small figurine down. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, he spoke some strange words in a language I had never heard before.

The figurine trembled, then grew until it became a small stone cabin. “Well, don’t just stand there, get in!” He opened the door and marched inside ahead of us. Uncle didn’t need to tell me twice as I carried Amber inside. “Well, we’re stuck here for the night, can’t shrink it again until sunrise at the earliest.”

The inside of the cabin was actually rather cozy. The wooden walls stopped the wind from getting through the cracks in the outer layer of stone. A strange sphere attached to the roof created a happy, warm glow. While in the far corner of the room, was a small fireplace that was happily burning and creating a delightfully warm room.

Three doors were there too, one going off to the right and two on the left side. “Door on the right goes to the bathroom. Doors on the left are the bedrooms, one for you and one for me. I was hoping to go further before pulling out the Portable Cabin. But with the weather turning even fouler than usual for this time a year, there was no helping it.” put his pack down. Then he walked over to the fireplace and pulled out a cauldron and a cooking rack. “Now, why don’t the two of you use the left side bedroom to change your clothes while I make dinner?”

I nodded and carried Amber inside. Uncle would probably change once he finished prepping the food. The bedroom was small, and the huge bed took most of the space. A small closet beside it had a small note, which amber gave a curious look at. “Hang wet clothes here for drying.”

She read out loud before she looked in my direction. “Now, that’s convenient.” I shrugged. “Uncle knew we would be crossing the plains during the rainy season, so I’m not too surprised he thought ahead.” Amber nodded slowly.

————————————————————————————

The sensations of dry clothes and the warmth from the cabin were heavenly. So nice, that I couldn’t stay angry at Moor for waiting so long with pulling this magic cabin out. Ashes seemed unaffected by the weather. Then again, I couldn’t recall Ashes ever feeling cold, and heat… well, lava baths. “Hey Ashes, you think the Beast-Kin are ok? I mean, we found the smashed camp, but there were no corpses or blood anywhere.”

She looked at me with a thoughtful expression before she shook her head. “I honestly can’t say, Amber. The rain might have washed away the blood, especially if the destruction wasn’t as recent as it seemed. However, it could also mean whoever wrecked the camp purposefully erased their tracks.” I shuddered. That was not an idea I wanted to think about.

Ashes walked over to me and rubbed my head. “Anyway, Amber, there isn’t anything we can do about that here and now. So, I say let’s focus on something else instead, like what Uncle Moor is brewing in that cauldron. It smells terrific.” Now that she mentioned it, an absolutely delectable scent was wafting in from the main room.

But, we hadn’t even been away for ten minutes, so how did he-? Never mind, stupid question. Moor had used magic, even a fool could guess that much, or maybe it was the cabin itself. “Ashes, you think-?” There was a knock on the door. “Foods ready in two minutes, you might wanna finish getting dressed.”

Moor wouldn’t have wait for long. If that tasted half as good as it smelled, it was a meal fit for a king, or with Ashes, a princess. “Come on, Amber, let’s not keep uncle waiting.” I grinned as I followed Ashes into the main room for some nice, warm food.

———————————————————————————

Keari and Amber had finally gone to bed for the night. And with the two of them sleeping, I could finally go back to my studies. I went into my room and spent the next hour warding it. Anything less would put the kids in danger. With the spells done, I pulled out a large tome bound in black leather. It had no title, but on the front had an inscribed magic rune whose meaning defied me completely.

It was a tome containing Arcana, a gift from Labyrinthia as I left the Maze. Just where had she gotten her hands on this thing? Well, probably through some means I was better off not knowing, considering how dangerous this stuff was. “Rubolgs accursed axe, girl. Just what were you thinking, giving me this?” It wasn’t the first time I had pondered that mystery.

Her words had been equally cryptic. “The tome will show you the way.” Show me the way to what? Bah pondering it wouldn’t really help. I flipped through it and began reading again. The moment I did, the runes glowed ominously, and arcane energies shot from the tome and began sapping my life force. A normal man would have quickly perished from this. For me, it wasn’t even a nuisance, courtesy of my self-inflicted curse.

“You will come to regret your choice, I fear.” That was it. That’s what she said when I told her my choice. She didn’t even foresee it, she just knew. For a woman over a decade my junior and far less experienced, Labyrinthia had some rather keen insights before she even gained premonitions. She was right, of course.

Though it had taken me a better part of 70 years to realize it. When my friends died of old age, that’s when the truth dawned on me. I would outlive all but a handful of them. If I ever had children, I would outlive them as well. “Indella would laugh if she saw me now, so lost in my self-pity I abandoned everything, even my name. So much for being one of her role models when she joined the Guild.”

How long had it been since I began talking to myself? A year ago, a decade? It didn’t matter, nothing really mattered anymore. I didn’t need to eat or sleep, though I could if I felt like it. All the small things, all the small pleasures of life, had become so mundane to me.

I didn’t feel pain. Wounds healed immediately. “Is this how dragons feel before they hibernate? So tired of everything that just sleeping is preferable?” I shook the thought away. I could wallow in my misery later. For now, I should focus on the tasks at hand.

My priority was to keep the kids safe, using myself as a shield if need be. Then I had to get them to the Maze. The thought of returning sent a cold shiver down my spine. Dread? Was I really experiencing… fear at the thought of returning? I hadn’t felt fear in so long, I had almost forgotten the emotion entirely. “How, amusing, in fact, this is quite surprising indeed.”

Before I even realized it, I was laughing. I didn’t bother with keeping it quiet. I had made the room soundproof in case the runes exploded like they did a few weeks back. “Better safe than sorry.” As Irontooth used to say. Damn, I missed that old wolf. I shook my head. There were more important things to do than to reminisce about the good old days. With that thought, I buried my head in the tome once more.

———————————————————————————

“I am sorry, Chief, our scouts have searched for miles around, but there is no trace of Warin or his tribe.” I took a deep breath, to calm myself. “Thanks you, dismissed.” I didn’t even turn around to acknowledge Tarsja as she left. It would be unbecoming of the Chief to show emotion in front of his subordinates.

Dammit, Warin, where are you? The festival started over a week ago and even now several tribes were absent. The Nighthunters was just the latest in a string of missing tribes. It worried me that tribes that were missing were all from the northwestern part of the plains. Warin and his tribe were the seventh confirmed missing tribe. Sure, a few tribes might be late to the festival now and then because of unforeseen circumstances. But an entire week without even sending a messenger? Unheard of.

I didn’t like this at all. Someone or something was going on, but I just lacked too much information. The tent opened again. “Chief, the other chieftains wish to hold a meeting about the missing tribes.” The attendant left immediately after delivering the message.

Finally, should have held this discussion three days ago. I left the tent and headed for the bonfire hall set up for the festival, ready to give those old buzzards a piece of my mind. The sight that met me, as I arrived in the hall, was unexpected, however.

“What in the, Warin, is that you?” he was in a horrible shape, bleeding and battered, and obviously dying, despite the efforts of the healers. He gave me a weak smile, then grimaced in pain. “Who did this, Warin?” His smile darkened as he spoke with great difficulty. His tale was often interrupted as he was coughing or groaning in pain.

“My… my tribe… did this. Strangers came… spoke of… strange tales… strange words… bewitched my people. Turned them against one another… those who didn’t fall for their magic… was slaughtered by their own kin. Even my beloved Nari…” He let out a groan and slammed his fist into the ground. “Beware the… pale Lady… and… please... save… Nari…” He gave one final gasp, then went quiet, never to speak again.

I looked up at the other assembled chiefs, who seemed as appalled as I felt. However, now was not the time for this. “Assembled Chiefs. Warin was one of my oldest friends, and I will not let his warning pass unheeded. Given the extreme circumstances of his tribe’s annihilation, we can safely assume that the culprits caused the remaining disappearances as well.”

I could see the pained expressions of several of the assembled chiefs, as there were friends or even distant relations between some tribes. “I request we alert everyone, and prepare for this, pale Lady and her followers, bewitched or otherwise.” This got the expected rise out of the eldest Chiefs.

“We can’t commit acts of war during the festival, it’s blasphemy!” I marched over and grabbed the old fluff ball of a sheep-kin by the neck. My sheer size as a Bear-kin, amply serving as an intimidation factor now. “Listen up old man, my best friend was just murdered by his WIFE, if his tale is to be believed. I won’t sit around and let the monster who turned Nari against Warin have her way, so if you don’t want to defend your tribe, then that’s fine. You can pack up and leave!”

The old Chief’s eyes bulged from his skull, and he finally showed a bit of courage. “How dare you tell me and my tribe what to do?” I dropped him back in his seat and shot him a disgusted gaze as I turned around. “The rain festival is a celebration of plenty, meant to strengthen the bonds between the tribes and prevent all out war and conflict between us. I will not allow a Tribe that refuses to defend against an obvious threat to all tribes remain in our midst during such a crisis. Especially not during the Festival, as doing so would go against everything the festival stands for.” The old ram visibly paled as every other chief turned to look at him.

Then another of the chiefs rose, a goat Beat-kin so ancient it shocked me he was still alive. “I, Chief Valkar of the Stargazer tribe, agree with the Chief of the Moonclaw. To do nothing is to invite disaster to every tribe present. The Stargazers stand with the Moonclaw.”

An old Tiger Beast-kin stood from her seat next. “As do the Bloodstalker tribe, if nothing else, then out of respect for our fallen adversary, who gave his life to deliver this warning.” She looked at Warin’s body with a mix of pain and hate. The two tribes had been bitter enemies for years and only barely tolerated each other during the festival. Yet despite their mutual hatred, there had always been a begrudging respect for each other’s strength.

A respect so strong that Nari had left her mother’s tribe to be with Warin. I didn’t know the exact circumstance of their meeting, but the result was that Nari eloped. Now it would seem Nari’s mother wanted to at least honor the man her daughter had chosen over her. She might hate Warin, but she loved Nari. And knowing the emotional torment Nari would go through once her senses returned, her agreement was all but guaranteed.

One by one the other Chiefs joined in until only the old ram remained. He sighed. “I apologize for my earlier outburst. You are all correct. To do nothing is foolish, no, even more blasphemous than to war during the festival, given the circumstances. The Herbmaster tribe will join as well.” His expression was now one of quiet resolve, good.

I nodded slowly. “Then let us adjourn the meeting and carry the news to our tribes. Let us meet again at sunset to discuss joint tactics.” The other chiefs nodded and hurried out of the tent until only the old tigress and I remained. “Tell me, Chief Ursus, you who were a sworn brother of Warin, were my daughter happy with him?”

I closed my eyes as I remembered my last visit to them. “I dare say one could not find a more radiant smile in all the tribes as when she looked upon him. And he upon her. They loved each other more than life itself, so It’s no wonder Warin would die from his wounds, as he could not harm her, even to defend himself.”

She looked at Warin’s body, then knelt down beside it. “It is too late now, but I grant you my blessing for this union, Warin of the Nighthunter tribe.” When she stood back up, her gaze had an even more dangerous glint in it. “Ursus, I plan to kill the one who forced my daughter to kill her husband. Will you help me?” she looked at me with the same cold fury that burned within me.

I stretched out my own massive palm and pulled my dagger. “I, Ursus, Chief of the Moonclaw, swear I will not rest until I have vengeance for the death of my sworn brother and his tribe. Will you become my sworn Sister and aid me in this?” After I sliced my palm, I handed the dagger to her. “I, Narja of the Bloodstalker tribe, swear the oath of Sisterhood and join you in your vendetta, Brother.” Our palms met, mingling our blood, and the ancient ceremonial magic linked us together.

Never again would our tribes be at war. The oath would pass through the generations, from chief to chief. An unbreakable sacred vow. I looked up at her, my newest older sibling. “Then let us meet again in a few hours, Sister, so we might better plan how to best exact our vengeance.” She nodded, and we parted ways. On the way back to my tent, I was already imagining how I would rip this pale Lady asunder, starting with her wicked tongue.