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I awoke groggy and weak to a dark place I hadn't seen yet. Looking around, I could see Jes curled up in the corner of what appeared to be a small hut. She looked fairly rough, like she hadn't slept in days. The hut was simple timbers covered in animal skins, to my right was a wolf clan female staring at me. I tried to sit up but found myself covered in layers of bandages making it difficult to move.

"Do not move, you were injured. Rest now, I'll let Granh know that you're awake. You know, she's never left your side. The rest of us had given up on you." With that she left peacefully, as the flap to the hut was moved I could see Iergon peeking it at me, nodding just once in my direction.

Granh came in shortly after, he glanced to Jeseia before turning to me and a smile crossed his features for a moment. "It takes a strong man to walk out of the fires we set beneath you. It takes a braver man to stand up to me with two of my men at my side. Well done, my mate has told me you're already trying to push your luck by moving about. For your sake, he nods slightly to Jes, and hers, remain there for a little while longer."

I nodded and laid back down, there next to my head I noticed my four tokens waiting for me. I tenderly cupped my hand over them and drew a little air and earth into myself. I felt my mind clear and some of the strength return to my body. "Granh, how long was I out?"

"You've been down for four days, the worst burns were treated but we could only help those of the flesh." He tapped his heart slightly, "The wounds here needed time, and I fear you are not the only one to have been injured as such. She hasn't been much better."

Granh left after that comment, leaving me to my own thoughts. I drew upon earth again and sat up, four days is too long to remain still. I reached out to all four elements, though only slightly to fire as I was still nervous about it. Something was wrong again.

I grumbled quietly, I really didn't want to, but I had to get up. I drew once more on the strength of the earth beneath me, I felt my feet grow solid and firm but the body just couldn't do it. I gradually felt into fire, there it was waiting for me, waiting to consume me once more. I drew some fight from the flames, doing my best to keep the emotions deep and buried. I finally was able to stand, bandages and all and step out into the open air.

Before me stood Granh's clan, all of them looking up to me as I stood before them. Not a one gave me a coarse look, not one seemed bothered by my presence amongst them. Granh again came up to me, laughing just a moment. "Stubborn man, You'll fit in here yet. My mate has made you something to wear as everything else you had was destroyed in the final test." He nodded over to the female that had been there when I awoke.

She brought me a patterned kilt, much like the ones the other males in the clan here wore. The pattern was different than the others. I took the garment gingerly and put it on, they must have made it for me as it fit my much smaller frame perfectly. "Thank you, I appreciate this, and you, thank you for saving my life."

"Granh and Jeseia saved your life, I merely watched over you when Jes couldn't. You do not know our customs, but this garb tells your story to the other wolf clans. Honored friend of the northern forest clan. Walker of fire. All of the wolf tribes will read this and know you for who you are and not where you come from." She bowed out softly, returning to her mates side.

I nodded softly before slowly taking a knee and bowing before Granh a moment, "I don't know your customs, but I'm honored." I again stood slowly with a few winces as wounds were stretched and moved beneath the bandages. I turned, walking carefully back to the hut to lay down, I moved to the mat where I woke then glanced over to Jes huddled in the corner. I gently slipped my arms around her and laid her out on the mat for some sleep. I took the corner for myself and let exhaustion claim me again for now.

I awoke hours later, dusk setting in heavily and the camp was winding down. Glancing around I found Jes had slept and was out and about now. I gathered up myself once more with again some help from my tokens and stepped out into the night. I found her there, idly playing with coals in the central file with a stick.

"You know, You'll catch your stick on fire if you keep playing with it like that." I teased quietly.

"I'd think you'd have had enough dealings with fire for a while." she chimed back before tossing her stick in amongst the coals and scampering excitedly over to me.

I threw my arms lightly around her, wincing just a bit as she squeezed me in turn. "Careful there, rumor has it I have a scratch somewhere under all this bandaging. I hate to be a bother, but could we maybe sit and eat something? Standing here is wearing me out."

Jeseia pouted at me playfully a moment before guiding me to a log to sit on and then scooting around for a few minutes, gathering some meat left over from the evenings meal. She handed me a piece at a time, waiting until I finished before handing me another. The entire time she was leaning affectionately against me and murring softly.

"I'm sorry I worried you, I want you to know that. I really didn't mean for things to happen like they did. It was a bit more than I had anticipated" I finally spoke, slipping one arm around her middle while working on my supper with the other.

She kissed my cheek softly and smiled, "I know, Granh had his reasons for making it as rough as he did. He's harsh I know, but rather wise in these matters. I'm just glad you survived."

I leaned in against her softly, finally relaxing in the night, belly full and body on the mend. We spent an hour or so there, just enjoying each others company. Our hands lightly held together, her head tucked cutely in against my neck while I looked at the coals, remembering what I could from the event just a few days ago.

I squeezed her hand softly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, something was wrong. She was fine, cuddled up and whisking her cute puff of a tail around. No, something else was wrong. I felt my hand around the waist of my kilt before feeling my tokens there. Air was agitated again, something was coming. I felt out to each element in turn, water was turbulent as well. Stoic earth was even calling out in its own way. And fire, fire was wild, like a mad man turned loose.

"Jes...something is coming. Something very bad is coming, very fast."

She chirped up at me, looking around and then closing her eyes for a few moments. "I feel something, but don't know what it is. What is it you feel?"

"It's coming from the south west, and it's coming quickly. Wake everyone up, You need to get Granh and the others out of these woods, now." I slowly stood, drawing upon earth for some strength as I started moving in the general direction of the maelstrom of the elemental forces gathering to the south and west.

"Hurry up, we can get everyone up and get out of here." She yelled to me even as she started to run to Granhs hut to wake him and let him know what was happening.

"You can, you all can travel much faster than I can. I'll buy you some time. Get them out of the forest, it's the most dangerous right now." I yelled back.

Granh howled out softly as he left the tent, he nodded in my direction before howling out again. His clan immediately was gathering weapons and gear, centering in the camp for his instructions. "We need to move to safer ground. Everyone, follow me. Jeseia, find us the path out of here."

"I'm not leaving him!" She growled back to Granh, "I'm not leaving you, not this time." She then said softer to me.

"Granh, It's too late to argue, I know you can feel it coming too. Take her, get out the woods as fast as you can and get across the river. I'll find you when I can" He nodded slightly and pointed to Iergon, "Run east, run hard. Lead them as best you can"

Iergon without question raised his spear and the whole wolf clan left with barely a noise, the entire pack moving and traveling as one. Granh grabbed the one protesting fur left and trudged after the rest of his pack. Jeseia crying out softly as she pounded on his back.

"Good luck fire walker." He called back to me before disappearing with the defeated Jes in tow into the woods.

I didn't need her to worry more about me than she already did. The water had already let me know what was happening. The random out-lashes of the elemental forces were not random. They were a backlash of something else. The backlashes were in turn being directed towards whatever was changing in the environment, whatever was doing this was striking back at the new variable in their plans. The flows of air and water, the steady stance of earth, and the wicked taunts of fire were all being directed where I've been and am.

I couldn't go with them, I'd just bring ruin right along with me. I also couldn't do much, trying to commune with all the elements at once just wasn't possible. They were all too loud and insistent, I couldn't hear myself think. But, if maybe I could slow it down, maybe I could save Jes and the clan that'd taken me in. Maybe they could continue and find another person to carry the torch so to speak.

I felt the ground begin to rumble, the air hot and muggy. Rain soon fell, hot burning rain and clouds boiled in from every direction. Before I only felt air and water being so disturbed. Now, though, now all four of the elements I knew were snapping back from whatever was happening.

Stone, I needed stone for a shelter to start with. I drew the dirt around me up and around, piling it thicker and thicker into a dome of sorts with an opening. The earth shook around me, a clap of thunder and a blast of heat pounded into the back of my make shift bunker.

"Mages pull. We guide"

That was the basic lesson Jes had taught me, and I was reminded of it now as again lighting stuck nearby. A tree instantly caught flame and fell into the center of Granhs camp. He was going to have words for me about that later I suspect.

I felt courage and strength boiling up from earth, it seemed the least affected by the storm. I knew why I couldn't stay here. My shelter wouldn't survive a night of fire and lightning. "We guide."

I stepped out of the earthen dome I'd made and relaxed the earth back where it belonged. I didn't need to pull the earth up around me. I needed to let it flow where it needed to flow.

"I can't hear you all at once, but you can hear me. We'll get through this."

Lightning, air and water. I guided the water out of the sky, let it fall harmlessly in the trees. Air, blow across the trees. Each element I took a turn with to guide the storm where it needed to be and not where it was forced. Burning rain, cool the anger of fire and use it to fuel my resolve. Earth, return to rest. Gather beneath me for strength. Lightning once more, I didn't have time to separate it, I guiding the water inside to a tree nearby to safely strike there instead of near me.

"Earth, I could use just a touch of your help right now." I guided the earth to tilt slightly away from the camp in all directions, tilting the trees away as well. The two currently aflame now fell away from me.

This was too much work, I dropped to a knee as I worked to commune with each element at a time, trying to guide everything back into balance. There was just too much for me to handle. The sky tore open, burning red as something punched through. No longer was air and water my only concern. Something of fire, and earth, now streamed at me. As I tried to calm the fire in the projectile plummeting to the ground I felt another force inside it, the earth breaking apart to settle once more where it belongs.

A familiar paw rested on my shoulder. "They're safe. Now lets go." Jeseia softly spoke, tugging on my shoulder slightly. Amongst the chaos I'd never even heard her arrive. "No, this will follow me. We need to handle this now!" I called back to her, doing my best to push down the anger and put out the numerous small files around us.

"There's too much here, it's lost Tan, come on while we can" She cried softly, again tugging back on my shoulder.

"I told Granh I'd hold. I'm staying. I told you to go as well, I'm glad you're here though. I don't think I can keep up the pace by myself" I managed a small smile back to her before a call through my air token brought me back to the matter at hand, I guided the air element of another bolt of the deadly lighting out over the trees, dispersing the bolt before it could strike ground.

Jeseia nodded slightly, watching as I diverted the worst of the storm around us. She seemed somewhat amazed and puzzled while I did what I could. "That's incredible, how are you....?"

"I'm not doing much, just trying to keep us alive. Mind giving me a hand though? I'm the hurt one here, remember?" I teased back at her slightly. I felt her warm paws resting on my bare shoulders and once more a tempering fell over me. I reached into all four of my elemental tokens at once and could hear the harmony of the four elements beneath the chaotic storm now surging around us.

"I'm ok Jes, I can do this now." I slowly stood, my strength renewed as I drew upon earth and fire simultaneously. With Jes' help I could feel each element tugging and pulling around us in a tangled frenzy all at once. I began to carefully untangle and guide the various slows back in to a balanced harmony of energy. Water and air hopeless tangled now free and dispersing amongst the clouds. The rain slowed to a contented drizzle. Earth and fire back to the ground to rest solid and content. Hails of stone and fire stopped immediately.

I turned a slow gradual circle, my arms extended in a graceful loop as I drew the fire away from the wood and back to the quiet coals where they belong to extinguish the small fires surrounding the wolf clan camp.

Releasing my connecting to the four elements I knew, I suddenly felt drained and once more fell to my knees. Jes was immediately there with me, holding me close. "Is it too much to ask for a single normal day?" I teased slightly then relaxed back into her arms.

"And ruin all this fun?" She smirked and pressed a loving kiss to my lips. "Come now, lets get you to bed and I'll let Granh know they can come back and start to rebuild."

Jeseia helped me back to the remains of the hut in which I'd spent the past week healing from the ordeals of the fire trials earlier. There, I slept deep and relaxed. I awoke only once, when a warm and pleasant vixen snuggled up with me, drawing idle patterns over my chest with her fingertips until she too fell asleep.