New Submission
Chapter 4
The shuttle bucked hard enough to make Clawrence grip the armrests.
"Well, this was a terrible idea."
Across from him, Vae didn't even look up from the tablet in her lap.
"You say that every mission."
"Because every mission is a terrible idea."
The fox glanced toward the forward viewport and immediately regretted it.
Outside, the world had disappeared into white.
Snow slammed against the glass in thick sheets. The mountains below appeared only in brief glimpses between gusts, jagged black shapes clawing through the storm before vanishing again.
Clawrence pointed toward the viewport.
"See? Terrible idea."
Rain chuckled from the seat beside him.
"I thought you liked adventure."
"I like surviving adventure."
The shuttle lurched again.
Charlie, seated near the cockpit, glanced back over his shoulder.
"Signal's still there."
"Wonderful," Clawrence muttered. "The magical doom rock is still there."
Niena stood behind the pilot station with her arms folded, studying the storm ahead.
The blue glow of the displays reflected faintly off her russet fur.
"How much farther?" she asked.
The pilot checked the instruments.
"Three minutes."
Nobody looked particularly excited by that answer.
The shard signal had appeared less than a day ago.
Normally that wouldn't be unusual.
The problem was where it had appeared.
A frozen world cataloged simply as KX-771.
The locals had another name for it.
Murder Mountain.
According to the survey data, the mountain's official designation was Peak 14.
Nobody called it that.
Peak 14 didn't sound particularly threatening.
Murder Mountain sounded exactly as dangerous as it actually was.
Charlie looked down at his scanner again.
The signal pulsed steadily from somewhere near the summit.
A shard.
Another one.
Ever since the battle with Cronin, reports had been appearing across the rim.
Some were harmless.
Some were deadly.
Nobody had yet figured out which category a newly discovered shard belonged to until they arrived.
Which meant every mission began the same way.
With uncertainty.
And usually bad weather.
Clawrence leaned back in his seat.
"I miss the Citadel."
Rain smiled.
"We left yesterday."
"Still."
The shuttle dropped lower through the storm.
The mountains finally emerged beneath them.
Clawrence stopped joking.
Even he had to admit the place looked intimidating.
Towering walls of black stone rose from endless fields of snow and ice. Wind howled through narrow canyons, kicking up plumes of powder that twisted like ghosts across the landscape.
The mountain itself dominated everything.
Its summit vanished into thick storm clouds.
Charlie looked at his scanner.
"The signal's definitely coming from up there."
Vae followed his gaze.
"Of course it is."
"Could've been worse."
Everyone looked at Charlie.
The raccoon shrugged.
"It could've landed underwater."
Nobody argued with that.
A moment later the shuttle touched down on a narrow shelf of rock carved into the mountainside.
The landing gear settled with a heavy thump.
For several seconds nobody moved.
Then Gale's voice crackled through the cabin speakers.
"Good luck."
A brief pause.
"Try not to die."
"Encouraging as always," Vae said.
"I aim to inspire."
The rear ramp began lowering.
The instant it opened, freezing wind blasted into the cabin.
Snow swirled through the interior.
Clawrence stared at the opening.
"Nope."
Rain laughed.
"You were the one complaining about sitting down for two hours."
"I've changed my mind."
Niena was already moving.
"Let's go."
With the enthusiasm of someone walking toward a firing squad, Clawrence unbuckled his harness and followed the others down the ramp.
The cold hit immediately.
Even through insulated gear, it felt like being punched in the face.
The wind never seemed to come from one direction.
It attacked from all of them at once.
Rain pulled her hood tighter.
"Oh wow."
"Yeah," Charlie said.
"Wow."
The shuttle engines powered down behind them.
The sudden silence somehow made the storm seem louder.
Snow hissed across the rocks.
Wind screamed through distant ridges.
Somewhere far away, something cracked.
A deep, thunderous sound.
Everyone turned toward it instinctively.
A section of glacier broke free from a nearby cliff face and vanished into a valley below.
The impact echoed several seconds later.
Clawrence watched it disappear.
"Yep."
Nobody asked what he meant.
They all knew.
Yep.
Niena activated her wrist display.
A small holographic map appeared above her forearm.
"The signal is roughly three kilometers above our current position."
Clawrence blinked.
"Above?"
"Above."
The fox looked up.
The summit remained hidden inside swirling clouds.
"You know, when Charlie said the signal was near the top, I assumed he meant emotionally."
Charlie snorted.
"Emotionally?"
"Like the mountain felt it was near the top."
"Mountains don't have emotions."
"How do you know?"
Before Charlie could answer, Vae started walking.
"Move."
The others quickly followed.
The climb began almost immediately.
There wasn't really a trail.
Only a route.
A winding path through rocks, ice shelves, and snow-covered ledges.
Niena led the way.
Vae followed close behind.
Charlie frequently checked his scanner.
Rain remained near the center of the group.
Clawrence took up the rear.
Not because he wanted to.
Mostly because everyone else walked faster.
For the first half hour, conversation gradually faded.
The mountain demanded attention.
Every step had to be placed carefully.
Every patch of ice had to be tested.
The wind constantly tried to shove them sideways.
It wasn't exciting.
It was exhausting.
Which, Clawrence suspected, was somehow worse.
After another steep climb, the fox stopped and leaned against a boulder.
"I vote we move the shard down here."
Vae kept walking.
"Denied."
"Nobody ever listens to my ideas."
"Because your ideas are terrible."
Clawrence pointed dramatically.
"History will vindicate me."
Rain smiled.
"History probably won't remember this conversation."
The fox stared thoughtfully into the distance.
"That's fair."
Above them, thunder rumbled through the clouds.
Except it wasn't thunder.
The sound came from the mountain itself.
A low groan echoed through the ice.
Everyone paused.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The mountain creaked again.
Then the sound faded.
Charlie glanced around uneasily.
"I don't like that."
"Me neither," Rain admitted.
Niena adjusted the straps of her pack.
"Stay alert."
The group resumed climbing.
Far above them, hidden somewhere beyond the storm, a faint blue light pulsed beneath layers of ice and snow.
Waiting.
The wind had somehow gotten worse.
Clawrence wasn't entirely sure how that was possible.
Every time he thought the mountain had reached its maximum level of hostility, it found new ways to prove him wrong.
Snow hissed across the rocks around them as the group rounded another bend.
Then Niena stopped.
The others nearly walked into her.
"What is it?" Rain asked.
Niena pointed ahead.
Nobody looked particularly happy with what they saw.
The path simply...
ended.
A deep crevasse split the mountainside in two.
Darkness vanished into the storm below.
Snow swirled through the gap, making it impossible to judge its true depth.
Charlie pulled a small light from his belt and tossed it over the edge.
The group watched.
And watched.
And watched.
No impact ever came.
Clawrence folded his arms.
"Well that's horrifying."
The only way across was a natural bridge of ice.
It stretched between both sides of the crevasse like a frozen spine.
Wind and time had carved grooves into its surface.
Several visible cracks ran through portions of it.
None of those cracks inspired confidence.
Vae stared at it.
"I hate this."
Clawrence pointed immediately.
"See? See? Even Vae hates it."
"Everyone hates it."
"Good. Just making sure we're all having the same experience."
Niena stepped forward carefully.
The dragonfox crouched near the edge and examined the formation.
The ice groaned softly beneath the wind.
After several seconds she stood.
"It should hold."
"Should?"
Niena looked back.
"It should."
Clawrence closed his eyes.
"Those are not comforting words."
The Guardian captain ignored him.
"We cross one at a time."
Nobody argued.
Nobody volunteered either.
Naturally, Niena went first.
A safety line was secured around her waist.
The rest of the team anchored themselves on solid ground.
Then she stepped onto the bridge.
The wind immediately tugged at her cloak.
The ice creaked.
Clawrence decided he hated listening to ice.
Every sound felt personal.
Niena moved carefully, testing each step.
The bridge held.
A minute later she reached the far side.
She gave a thumbs up.
"See?" Charlie said.
"It worked."
"Wonderful," Clawrence replied.
"Now only four more opportunities for disaster."
Vae crossed next.
Then Charlie.
Then Rain.
Each crossing seemed to take forever.
Each creak made Clawrence's stomach tighten.
Finally Rain stepped onto solid ground beside the others.
She turned back toward him.
"You're up."
The fox looked at the bridge.
Then at Rain.
Then at the bridge again.
"I think I've made a terrible mistake somewhere in life."
Rain laughed.
"You'll be fine."
"People always say that right before something terrible happens."
"Claws."
"Fine."
With all the enthusiasm of a condemned prisoner approaching the gallows, Clawrence stepped onto the ice.
The bridge groaned.
"See?"
He pointed accusingly at it.
"It doesn't like me."
Nobody answered.
Mostly because everyone was watching him.
The fox continued forward.
One careful step.
Then another.
The wind shoved at him.
He leaned against it.
Halfway.
Three quarters.
Almost there.
The far side was only a few steps away now.
Solid rock.
Safety.
A hot meal back on the shuttle.
Maybe a nap.
Definitely a nap.
Rain smiled from the opposite side.
"Almost there."
Clawrence took another step.
Then another.
His boot touched stone.
Finally.
Solid ground.
He let out a relieved breath.
"Ha!"
The fox grinned.
"See? Nothing to—"
CRACK.
The sound exploded through the storm.
Everyone froze.
Clawrence's smile vanished.
The ice bridge shattered behind him.
Not beneath his feet.
Behind them.
At the point where the bridge connected to the mountain.
The entire formation broke loose at once.
For one impossible second the bridge simply... dropped.
Clawrence stared.
The section beneath him tilted violently.
His footing disappeared.
"Oh shi—"
The mountain took him.
One moment he was standing.
The next he was gone.
Vanishing into blowing snow.
"CLAWS!"
Rain's voice echoed through the storm.
The fox tumbled downward, arms flailing helplessly as the broken bridge collapsed around him.
Niena lunged for the edge.
Too far.
Nowhere near close enough.
Clawrence disappeared below the lip of the crevasse.
Gone.
For a heartbeat, nobody moved.
Shock.
Disbelief.
The sudden realization of what had just happened.
Then Rain ran.
Fast.
"RAIN!"
Niena's warning came too late.
The doctor was already moving.
Boots pounding across the snow.
Straight toward the edge.
"RAIN!"
Niena's shout vanished beneath the howl of the storm.
The doctor never slowed.
For one terrifying instant Charlie thought she was trying to stop at the edge.
Then he realized she wasn't stopping at all.
Rain jumped.
The world seemed to freeze.
Snow swirled around her.
Wind tore at her cloak.
Then she vanished over the side.
"Oh no," Charlie breathed.
Niena reached the edge a second later and dropped to one knee.
Far below, two figures were falling through the blizzard.
Clawrence spun helplessly through open air.
Chunks of shattered ice tumbled around him.
The fox slammed against the cliff face, bounced away, and continued dropping.
Rain was above him.
Falling fast.
Too fast.
The mountain wall rushed past.
Rock.
Ice.
Darkness.
Nothing but hundreds of meters of empty air below.
"Come on..." Niena whispered.
Rain stretched downward.
Her fingertips brushed Clawrence's jacket.
Missed.
The fox continued falling.
Rain reached again.
Closer.
Just a little farther.
Wind suddenly caught both of them.
The gap widened.
"No!" Charlie shouted.
Rain twisted in midair.
Fought the wind.
Reached one last time.
Her hand closed around Clawrence's harness.
Got him.
The sudden impact nearly ripped her arm from its socket.
Clawrence jerked violently.
For a moment she thought she was going to lose her grip.
She didn't.
"RAIN!"
The fox looked up at her.
His eyes were huge.
Absolute panic.
"YOU JUMPED?!"
Rain was breathing hard.
"OF COURSE I DID!"
"THAT WAS A TERRIBLE PLAN!"
"I KNOW!"
The admission would have been funny under almost any other circumstances.
This was not one of them.
Because they were still falling.
Fast.
Very fast.
The cliff wall blurred past beside them.
Rain's stomach lurched.
The ground was nowhere in sight.
Only endless white.
Only the storm.
Only the realization that catching Clawrence had solved exactly one problem.
Now there were two people falling instead of one.
The grapple launcher.
Her hand shot toward her belt.
The device snagged briefly on a strap.
For one horrible second it refused to come free.
"COME ON!"
Above them, the cliff edge was rapidly disappearing.
Rain yanked harder.
The launcher came loose.
She brought it up.
Aimed.
The wind immediately shoved her sideways.
The sight picture vanished.
Rain cursed.
She adjusted.
Tried again.
Everything was moving.
Her.
Clawrence.
The cliff.
The storm.
Nothing held still long enough to aim.
"Rain—"
Clawrence's voice sounded different now.
Smaller.
Not scared for himself.
Scared for her.
Rain ignored it.
She squeezed the trigger.
The launcher fired.
The hook vanished upward trailing cable.
Everyone on the ridge watched.
Nobody breathed.
The hook struck the cliff.
Sparks flashed.
Then it ricocheted away.
Missed.
Rain felt her heart stop.
"No no no no—"
The cable reeled uselessly back into the launcher.
They were running out of time.
The cliff edge was far above now.
The storm swallowed everything.
Rain's hands shook as she reset the launcher.
One shot left.
Maybe.
If she missed again...
She didn't let herself finish the thought.
Clawrence looked at her.
The fox wasn't yelling anymore.
Wasn't joking.
Wasn't complaining.
For perhaps the first time since any of them had met him...
he looked genuinely afraid.
Rain tightened her grip on his harness.
"I'm not letting go."
The words came out between ragged breaths.
Clawrence stared at her.
Then slowly nodded.
Rain raised the launcher again.
The wind screamed around them.
The mountain rushed past.
She picked a narrow outcropping above.
Steadier this time.
Calmer.
Focus.
Ignore the fear.
Ignore the fall.
Ignore everything except the target.
She fired.
The hook shot upward.
It struck rock.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
CLANG.
The hook caught.
For half a second nothing happened.
Then the cable snapped tight.
The force hit both of them like a hammer.
Clawrence yelled.
Rain nearly lost consciousness.
Every muscle in her body screamed.
The cable groaned.
The hook held.
Their fall became a swing.
Both of them arced violently across the cliff face.
Snow exploded around them.
Clawrence slammed into the rock.
Rain barely missed it.
Then they swung back again.
And finally—
Stopped.
The two of them dangled beneath the cliff.
Hundreds of meters above the abyss.
The cable creaked softly overhead.
The storm howled.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Neither seemed quite capable of processing the fact that they were still alive.
Above them, Charlie finally exhaled.
"Oh thank God."
Niena lowered her head for just a moment.
Relief.
Pure relief.
Then the captain's expression hardened.
"Get the rescue lines."
Vae was already moving.
Far below, Clawrence looked up at Rain.
Snowflakes drifted between them.
For several seconds he just stared.
Then he shook his head.
"You know..."
Rain looked at him.
"What?"
The fox managed a weak grin.
"When I bought breakfast this morning..."
he swallowed,
"...this wasn't how I thought my day was going to go."
Despite everything—
the terror,
the exhaustion,
the adrenaline—
Rain laughed.
The sound echoed across Murder Mountain.
And for the first time since the bridge broke,
Clawrence laughed too.
The laughter faded.
Not because anything had changed.
They were still dangling over a bottomless abyss.
The cable was still the only thing keeping them alive.
The mountain was still trying very hard to kill them.
But for a few seconds, the panic loosened its grip.
Above them, distant voices echoed through the storm.
Vae.
Charlie.
Niena.
Preparing rescue lines.
Making plans.
Doing what Guardians did.
Rain let out a slow breath.
Only then did she realize how hard her heart was pounding.
Every beat felt like a hammer in her chest.
The adrenaline that had carried her over the edge was beginning to fade.
And without it, reality started catching up.
Her arm hurt.
Her shoulder hurt.
Actually...
everything hurt.
She became aware of how tightly she was gripping Clawrence's harness.
The fox looked up at her.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Snow drifted between them.
The wind howled around the cliff face.
Then Clawrence shook his head.
"You jumped after me."
Rain blinked.
"What?"
"You jumped."
The fox stared at her like he still couldn't quite believe it.
Rain frowned.
"Well..."
She looked away for a moment.
"...yeah."
"Why?"
The question caught her off guard.
Rain opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Why?
Because Clawrence had fallen.
Because somebody had to help.
Because—
The answer seemed so obvious she almost laughed.
"You were falling."
Clawrence continued staring.
Rain shrugged as much as her harness allowed.
"So I jumped."
The fox blinked.
"Rain, that's not an explanation."
"It is from where I'm standing."
"Hanging."
"What?"
"We're hanging."
Rain rolled her eyes.
"Fine. From where I'm hanging."
Despite everything, Clawrence managed a weak chuckle.
Then his expression softened.
The joking faded.
"Rain..."
For once, there wasn't a punchline waiting.
No sarcasm.
No complaint.
Just genuine confusion.
"You could've died."
The words hung in the air.
Rain didn't answer immediately.
Because now that the adrenaline was wearing off...
she knew he was right.
The memory flashed through her mind.
The jump.
The fall.
The first missed grapple shot.
The empty space beneath them.
The terrifying realization that she might have just gotten herself killed too.
Her stomach tightened.
A shiver ran through her.
Not from the cold.
From understanding how close it had been.
Rain swallowed.
"...yeah."
Clawrence stared at her.
"You didn't even hesitate."
She thought about that.
About the moment she'd seen him disappear.
About the split second after the bridge collapsed.
The truth was...
she hadn't thought at all.
There hadn't been time.
There hadn't been a decision.
No weighing options.
No consideration of risk.
No heroic speech.
Just—
Clawrence falling.
Rain looked down at him.
A small smile touched her face.
"You're family, Claws."
The fox froze.
Rain shrugged again.
As though the answer should have been obvious from the beginning.
"You were in trouble."
The smile widened slightly.
"So I jumped."
For several seconds, Clawrence couldn't think of anything to say.
The storm continued to rage around them.
The cable creaked overhead.
Above, faint lights appeared as the others lowered rescue lines.
But Clawrence barely noticed.
His throat felt strangely tight.
He'd spent years joking.
Years pretending nothing bothered him.
Years acting like everything rolled off his back.
But hanging over a frozen abyss had a way of stripping things down to what mattered.
When the bridge broke...
everyone had been shocked.
Everyone had been reacting.
Except Rain.
She had moved.
Immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without thinking about herself.
The fox lowered his eyes for a moment.
Then looked back up.
"Thank you."
Rain smiled.
A warm, tired smile.
The kind that came from someone who genuinely didn't think she'd done anything extraordinary.
"You're welcome."
Above them, Niena's voice boomed through the storm.
"IF YOU TWO ARE DONE HAVING AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT—"
Clawrence groaned.
Rain laughed.
"THAT'S MY CAPTAIN."
"WE CAN HEAR YOU."
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE YELLING."
"WE'RE IN A BLIZZARD!"
A pause.
Then Charlie's voice drifted down.
"Honestly, that's a fair point."
For the first time since the bridge collapsed, Clawrence felt the knot in his chest begin to loosen.
They were still in danger.
Still stranded.
Still hanging over a very long drop.
But his family was here.
And somehow...
that made the mountain feel a little less frightening.
The rescue took nearly twenty minutes.
Twenty very long minutes.
By the time Rain and Clawrence were hauled back onto solid ground, everyone was exhausted.
The mountain wasn't finished with them, either.
Wind continued to howl across the ridge.
Snow blasted sideways.
The crevasse seemed almost offended that its victims had escaped.
The moment Clawrence's boots touched rock, his legs gave out.
He sat down hard.
Nobody blamed him.
Rain wasn't in much better shape.
Her shoulder screamed every time she moved it.
The strain from catching Clawrence and holding him during the fall had taken its toll.
She tried to hide the discomfort.
Niena noticed immediately.
"Med kit."
Rain sighed.
"I'm fine."
"Med kit."
"I'm literally the doctor."
"Then you should know better."
Charlie snorted.
Vae nodded.
"She's got you there."
Rain shot both of them a look.
A few minutes later she found herself sitting on a pack while Charlie held a scanner over her shoulder.
The raccoon examined the results.
"No tears."
Rain smiled.
"See?"
"Just strained."
Her smile widened.
"See?"
Charlie pointed at the screen.
"And you're still injured."
Rain's smile vanished.
"Damn it."
Clawrence laughed.
Then immediately regretted it when several bruised ribs protested.
"Ow."
Rain looked over.
"You okay?"
The fox gave her a look.
"Seriously?"
"Fair."
For a few moments the team simply rested.
Nobody spoke much.
The adrenaline was gone now.
Only exhaustion remained.
Eventually Niena stood.
The dragonfox glanced toward the summit.
The shard signal still pulsed steadily on Charlie's scanner.
Waiting.
"We're close."
Nobody looked excited by that news.
But nobody complained either.
Not even Clawrence.
The mountain had already reminded them how quickly things could go wrong.
The group resumed climbing.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The final ascent proved less treacherous than the bridge crossing.
Still dangerous.
Still exhausting.
But manageable.
An hour later the terrain began to level out.
The summit finally emerged from the storm.
A broad shelf of black stone surrounded by wind-carved ice.
And there—
Charlie stopped.
The scanner chirped loudly.
Everyone followed his gaze.
At first Clawrence didn't understand what he was looking at.
After everything they'd been through...
it seemed almost ridiculous.
The shard sat partially embedded in the snow.
No larger than his hand.
A faint blue glow pulsed from within its crystalline depths.
Quiet.
Still.
Beautiful.
For several moments nobody moved.
The wind swept across the summit.
The crystal continued glowing.
That's it?
Clawrence blinked.
"That's what almost killed us?"
Charlie approached carefully.
"Looks that way."
The fox stared.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
The crystal looked harmless.
Like something somebody might put on a shelf as decoration.
Rain found herself staring at it too.
The same thought crossed her mind.
One little crystal.
One climb.
One broken bridge.
One near-fatal fall.
One insane rescue.
All for this.
Niena stepped forward.
The dragonfox knelt beside the shard.
Its blue light reflected in her eyes.
For a moment she simply studied it.
Then she carefully removed a containment case from her pack.
Clawrence folded his arms.
"We almost died for that."
Niena glanced up.
The wind tugged at her cloak.
Snow drifted across the summit.
"No."
The answer was calm.
Certain.
She gently secured the shard inside the case.
The crystal's glow vanished behind reinforced shielding.
"We almost died for the people it might hurt."
Silence followed.
Nobody argued.
Because they all understood.
Every shard was a question.
Sometimes the answer was harmless.
Sometimes entire worlds paid the price.
The case sealed with a soft click.
Mission complete.
Charlie let out a breath.
"Can we go home now?"
For perhaps the first time all day, Niena smiled.
"Yes."
Clawrence pointed toward the sky.
"I have never wanted to leave a planet more."
Rain laughed.
Vae nodded.
"Agreed."
Together, the crew turned away from the summit.
Behind them, Murder Mountain vanished once more into the storm.
As though nothing had happened at all.
Kheln
The settlement was settling down for the evening.
Lights glowed warmly behind frosted windows.
Wood smoke drifted from chimneys.
The sounds of conversation carried faintly through the cold air.
For most people, it was just another night.
For Sithra, it was another reminder that she didn't belong.
The silver-scaled Lizdrar walked slowly down the main street.
Heads turned.
Conversations faltered.
Several townsfolk quickly looked away when they noticed her watching.
Others didn't bother hiding their stares.
Sithra kept her eyes forward.
She was used to it.
At least, she told herself she was.
The staff clicked softly against the frozen ground as she walked.
The crystal mounted near its head glowed faintly.
Purple light pulsed within its depths.
Warm.
Comforting.
Safe.
Sithra wrapped both hands around the staff.
The warmth spread through her fingers immediately.
A small smile touched her muzzle.
Ever since attaching the crystal, she hadn't felt quite so alone.
The thought came unbidden.
Not alone.
The whisper brushed gently through her mind.
Soft.
Familiar.
Friendly.
Sithra's smile widened slightly.
No.
Not alone.
Ahead, a pair of children spotted her approaching.
Their conversation stopped immediately.
One grabbed the other's arm.
Both hurried away.
The smile vanished.
The whisper returned.
They fear what they do not understand.
Sithra lowered her gaze.
Maybe.
They mocked you first.
The staff pulsed gently.
Warmth flowed through her hands again.
You did nothing wrong.
A knot formed briefly in her stomach.
Then loosened.
The crystal seemed to hum softly beneath her touch.
Sithra continued walking.
As she entered the town square, she noticed a small crowd gathered near the well.
People stood quietly.
Watching.
Whispering.
Some looked angry.
Others looked frightened.
Several looked heartbroken.
Sithra followed their gaze.
And saw the horse.
A brown gelding stood tethered near the center of the square.
Its coat was brushed.
Its hooves had been cleaned.
Someone had even draped a blanket across its back.
The animal shifted nervously.
A sad, confused sound escaped it.
Several people flinched.
One woman wiped tears from her eyes.
Brenner's wife.
Sithra's steps slowed.
The knot returned.
Stronger this time.
The horse looked at her.
Their eyes met.
For just a moment, something twisted painfully inside her chest.
The whisper arrived immediately.
He deserved it.
Sithra looked away.
He hurt you.
The knot loosened.
He mocked you.
The purple crystal brightened.
Nobody helped you.
The warmth returned.
Comforting.
Protective.
Sithra tightened her grip on the staff.
Around the square, several townsfolk were staring at her now.
Not suspicious.
Not cautious.
Afraid.
The realization should have bothered her.
Instead...
another whisper drifted through her thoughts.
Perhaps now they will learn.
Sithra turned away from the square.
Behind her, the horse whinnied.
For a brief instant, she thought she heard something hidden inside the sound.
A voice.
A plea.
A man's terror.
Then the wind carried it away.
Sithra kept walking.
The purple crystal pulsed softly atop her staff.
And this time...
she never looked back.
Sithra's cottage sat at the edge of the settlement.
Far enough away that most people didn't have to look at it.
Far enough away that most people preferred not to.
The silver-scaled Lizdrar pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The familiar scent of old wood and dried herbs greeted her.
For the first time all day, she relaxed.
The whispers faded to a distant murmur.
The silence felt comforting.
Safe.
She closed the door behind her and set her pack beside the wall.
The staff remained in her hand.
Purple light danced across the room.
The crystal mounted near its head pulsed softly.
Sithra found herself staring at it again.
Beautiful.
The word appeared in her thoughts before she could stop it.
Beautiful.
The crystal glowed.
As though pleased.
A strange chill ran through her.
For a brief moment she considered placing the staff across the room.
Just for a little while.
Just to prove she didn't need it.
The thought lingered.
Then she crossed the cottage and leaned the staff against the far wall.
Immediately something felt wrong.
The warmth vanished.
The room seemed darker.
Colder.
Lonelier.
Sithra frowned.
That was ridiculous.
It was a stick with a crystal attached to it.
Nothing more.
Yet her eyes kept drifting toward it.
The whisper returned.
Soft.
Gentle.
You are alone.
Sithra's ears lowered slightly.
The words struck harder than they should have.
You always have been.
Her throat tightened.
Images surfaced uninvited.
Children laughing when she passed.
Merchants cutting conversations short.
Doors closing.
People pretending not to see her.
Years of it.
Years.
Then another memory.
Niena.
Rain.
Charlie.
Clawrence.
The Guardians.
The only people who had spoken to her like a person.
The only people who had looked at her without fear.
For a moment the pressure eased.
The whisper hesitated.
Then changed tactics.
And they will leave.
Sithra's expression faltered.
The warmth from that memory dimmed.
The whisper wrapped around the thought.
The Guardians always leave.
Everyone leaves.
The crystal pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
But I am still here.
Sithra stared across the room.
The purple light reflected faintly off the cottage walls.
Waiting.
Patient.
Her gaze lingered on it.
Then she stood.
Crossed the room.
And picked up the staff again.
Warmth immediately spread through her hands.
The knot in her chest loosened.
Comfort returned.
The whisper fell silent.
Satisfied.
Outside, the wind brushed softly against the cottage walls.
Somewhere in the settlement, a horse cried into the night.
The sound carried clearly through the darkness.
Brenner.
Sithra recognized it immediately.
The cry came again.
Fear.
Confusion.
Desperation.
A week ago it would have haunted her.
She would have spent hours staring at the ceiling.
Wondering if she could undo what had happened.
Wondering if she should.
The sound came a third time.
Sithra listened.
Waited.
Felt...
nothing.
No guilt.
No pity.
No sorrow.
Only annoyance that the noise had interrupted her thoughts.
The realization should have frightened her.
Instead she simply tightened her grip on the staff.
The crystal glowed brighter.
Outside, Brenner cried out once more.
Inside the cottage, Sithra turned away from the window.
And for the first time...
she didn't care.