The air was cold as we crested the hill. It bit at us, digging through our coats to strike at our hearts as if to reprimand us for circumventing the guardians.

The two eyes stared at us in the distance, their snowy peaks seeming to pierce into heaven itself. And between them, where the earth rose only to dip down like a falling man.

The pass.

We are so close. Hold on boys, just a little longer.

~<>~<>~

Blair was not welcome in the forest. It made that very clear, from the roots that twisted up to trip her to the branches that swayed away from Alder but always seemed to go right for her head.

Even the smell of the rock and soil was somehow foreboding.

But most of all, its hostility was felt in the air. It was a dark, ominous feeling that pushed against the edge of her awareness. Old, dark, and familiar.

It resonated with a part of her, a part that was just as primal, just as old and savage as the forest itself. She had a gut feeling that if she let her control slip, let her instincts take over, then the forest would warm up to her in a hurry.

She wasn’t going to do that, of course. Not having to dodge the odd root wasn’t worth the potential fallout. But it was strange that it resonated at all. Were-Kin magic was ancient, and it wasn’t often that she came upon an area that resonated with the Bond that she didn’t already know about.

“Just a few more minutes until we enter a new section. This one’s fun, though. It’s both friendly and mercifully lacking in ravens.”

Blair glanced at the Grave Keeper. He was walking a few feet ahead of her, his posture slumped in what Blair would call weary determination.

He was odd. He’d stood his ground against the thing he called Grumpy, and he’d rushed into the mansion despite knowing how bad it was going to be. Blair would have thought he was fearless or insane, except she had smelled the fear rolling off him both times. Insane was still on the table, though. But crazy or not, she owed him a debt.

She frowned. A debt that’s growing.

But as much as she loathed being in others’ debt, and especially asking more from someone she already owed, gaining her pack vouchers was worth it.

A pang of worry shot through her as she thought of her pack.

Leaving them on their own in a new territory, especially one that had proven to be dangerous, ate at her. It was a constant discomfort as her mind and instincts both recoiled at the idea, but her discomfort was irrelevant. What the pack needed was what mattered. And right now, they needed the vouchers more than they needed her there.

They passed a crooked old tree. It’s gnarled branches reaching out into the surrounding forest like stretched fingers.

Alder glanced at it, then froze. A moment later, a boiling cloud of emotions rolled off him.

Fear so strong it made Blair wrinkle her nose hit first, followed by rage.

Then his emotion switched on a dime. Almost immediately, the rage was replaced with disgust and revulsion. Finally, the anger started to replace the disgust but was overwhelmed.

The scents switched so quickly that it gave Blair whiplash. People didn’t change between emotions that fast, not stable people, at least.

The scent of disgust and revulsion hung about Alder as he turned from the tree and continued down the trail, his posture straight and his movements stiff as he made a show of forced calm.

Blair looked back at the tree. There was nothing strange about it, no scent of magic hanging around its branches or in its roots. It was just a tree.

Blair followed the man before he could get too far ahead of her.

She considered staying silent, but something was clearly wrong. She couldn’t just ignore that.

“Are you alright?”

He stopped, then glanced back at her.

“Yeah?” He hesitated, then his eyes widened. “Oh, right. You can smell emotions, can’t you.”

She nodded but stayed quiet. She didn’t want to push too hard after he had a…whatever he just had.

“I… I’m fine. Thanks for asking, though.”

Blair decided not to call him on the lie.

~<>~<>~

After another mile of walking, the trees parted to reveal a rocky hill. It wasn’t particularly tall, maybe a hundred feet at most, but it was steep. Alder stopped at the base of the hill, then turned to Blair.

“All right, this area is rather simple. You don’t have to punch, kick or bite anything, and nothing will try and do any of those to us. However, there is a trail guardian here. I don’t know if that’s their official title or if it’s just in the nature of some of these creatures to guard paths.” He waved his hand as if dismissing the topic. “Either way, all we have to do to pass safely is beat a little guy in a race.”

Blair looked from the man to the hill then back to the man. “Beat who in a race? “

He smiled. “Elementals! Specifically, earth elementals.”

As if his words had summoned them, several rocks at the bottom of the hill broke off and rolled towards them. Alder had said they were safe, but Blair couldn’t help but stiffen as the pile of rocks rolled towards them.

She’d been on high alert ever since Grumpy, but she hadn’t sensed a single thing out of the ordinary. If those rocks had meant to harm them, she wouldn’t have known there was anything off until they started moving.

The pile of rocks rolled over towards them, stopping only a few feet away. Then they started to bounce. Softly at first, but they quickly sped up until they got several feet of air with every bounce. Then, after a final large hop, the rocks snapped together, forming a short humanoid figure.

They were like a mannequin made out of rock. The outline of a human, but without the fine detail. They had four limbs, a torso, and a head. But their rocky hands lacked digits, and the larger rock that served as their head was blank and featureless. Well, almost featureless. It had a faded line of blue down the middle of its head.

“Pebbles! You’ve grown.” Alder closed the few feet between them and extended his hand to the elemental.

It vibrated the rocks that made up its body, clacking them together to make a sound like rattling shingles.

It returned his fist bump then excitedly pointed towards Alder’s pack.

Elementals were ancient creatures, extremely difficult to kill, and as far as Blair knew, they lived forever. Even this small one that barely came up to Alder’s waist was likely several thousand years old.

Of course, they weren’t acting like it as they excitedly hopped up and down.

An elemental being here was shocking, the friendly way it acted towards Alder equally so. The things usually showed mortals neutral disinterested at best. And surly hostility at worst. That was all strange, but she couldn’t let the ‘Pebbles’ comment go.

“Pebbles? “Alder paused, his pack halfway off his shoulders. “Ah… Yeah, he used to be smaller and I was pretty young the first time I came here, so…”

“So you named him Pebbles,” Blair said, her voice flat.

Alder blushed. “I didn’t always have the most creative naming sense, OK! I’ve gotten better now.“

She looked towards the elemental and asked, “Does he actually like that name?“

Pebbles turned to her and nodded emphatically, then he started bouncing around Alder. The thunk he made each time he hit the ground reminded Blair that even an elemental this small was dangerous. Just the rock that made up his chest likely weighed over a hundred pounds.

Alder finished pulling his pack off and quickly rummaged through it. Pebbles leaned over his shoulder to watch him work. The little rock elemental didn’t have eyes, so she wasn’t sure why that would help him get a better look. But it was kind of cute…

Alder cried out, “found it! “As he pulled a can of blue spray paint from his pack. He held it aloft like some grand treasure.

Pebbles seemed to agree with him as he started to hop again.

“Same as last time, buddy? “Alder asked.

The Elemental nodded but didn’t stop jumping.

Alder sighed. “We both know that I can’t do this while you’re jumping.“ He said as he shook the can.

Pebbles stopped, but his body still vibrated with excitement. Alder uncapped the spray paint and carefully drew a line of blue down the Elemental's head. Blair held her breath, not wanting to breathe in the foul scent. Once Alder was done, the Elemental had a blue mohawk sprayed onto his head.

It wouldn’t be mistaken for professional work, but it wasn’t bad either.

“All right. You’re all set. “Pebbles exchange another fist bump with Alder before racing back over to the hill.

Blair stared after the little elemental, who was now running figure eights around a few of the other rock piles. “Well, he’s certainly enthusiastic.”

“Yeah, he’s a great little guy, “Alder said, staring fondly at the elemental. “Though I don’t know how long he’s going to stay little, he’s grown nearly six inches since the last time I saw him. I’m pretty sure that’s rapid growth for an elemental. “

Blair shrugged. She only knew the bare basics about elementals.

“Well, the next step is simple. We have to race him to the top. It’ll likely take a few tries before he lets us win, but once we beat him, we’re free to pass through. “

They had to race the elemental? Strange, but there were plenty of old races that enjoyed games. But something else was starting to bother her.

“How did you even figure this out your first time through? Not just this, but with how to get past The Wandering Tree as well. And I assume there’s plenty of other weird rules to the Pass. “

He shrugged. “With Pebbles? A game of charades mostly, once he’d run up the hill and gestured for me to follow enough times, I figured out the gist of what he wanted. Then once he let me beat him, the elementals let me pass through. And they do have to let you beat them, they’re earth elementals, and this is a hill. They could zip up to the top faster than a car if they wanted. As for the rest of the Pass… a mix. Some things change, but the most dangerous sections stay the same for the most part. “

“And how did you figure out how to get through them the first time? Did you have a guide?”

He stared at the hill, his eyes unfocused. “No. No guide. But a ghost who traveled the Pass in life told me about the worst areas. The rest I had to figure out on the fly.”

“How old were you?”

“…Twelve.”

Blair closed her eyes as she thought of Grumpy. Having to face something like that as a child…

She tried to think of something to say but came up blank, so instead turned her attention back to the problem at hand.

“Why do they want to race? “

“I don’t know. I think he’s just bored. He’s the youngest of the elementals here, and I think he’s less prone to thousand-year naps than the rest of them are. Maybe they appreciate someone playing with him, so they let us through?”

Alder stood and carried his pack over to the base of the hill. “Mind taking this to the top for me? I don’t really want to run with it on. “

Pebbles waved towards the pack, and the earth rippled. Rocks and grass moved in a wave, carrying the pack up the hill like nature’s own escalator.

Blair watched Alder as he joked with the elemental.

She wasn’t in a great position to judge what counted as a normal childhood. Her parents were ancient, and like every child in her pack, she’d been trained since she could walk to fight, hunt, and survive. But while she’d had less free time than most children, it hadn’t taken up the entirety of her life. She’d had friends, gone on trips with her parents, and gotten to have a childhood… for a while, at least.

She had a feeling the Grave Keeper hadn’t gotten that. Not if he’d been dealing with things like Grumpy since he was young enough to name it something as stupid as Grumpy.

“Time to race, “Alder called to her. He punctuated his words by turning and sprinting up the hill, evidently trying to catch Pebbles off guard.

He scrambled up the hill, using his hands as necessary as he raced towards the top. Pebbles did a double-take then bolted after him. The Elemental, despite his stumpy legs, quickly caught up. Every step the creature took propelled him upwards as the earth shifted to lift him.

In a heartbeat, he passed Alder and reached the top well ahead of the short human. As soon as Pebbles crossed to the top of the hill, the earth shifted, gathering around Alder and pulling him down. He started to tumble down the hill, and Blair tensed, ready to grab him before he bashed his head in or broke his neck, but she relaxed an instant later.

Despite how fast Alder was falling, he never struck his head or landed at an awkward angle. Rocks shifted away from his skull before they could strike him, and the hill moved around him to ensure he always tumbled at just the right angle to avoid injury. A few seconds later he rolled from the hill and came to a stop at her feet.

He looked up at her, his green eyes spinning.

“When did you multiply? I never heard of a werewolf that can clone themselves.“ Blair snorted, then pulled him to his feet.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you lost that race. Got any special strategies for your next attempt?“

He took a deep breath and rested his hands on his knees. She noticed that they were trembling slightly.

“Once things stop spinning so much, I’m gonna go up and try again. Then I’ll rinse and repeat that and pray that Pebbles is feeling merciful. “

“Hmm.”

“Hey, don’t sound too amused. You’re going to have to run up this thing too.”

Blair’s smile faltered.

~<>~<>~

Pebbles decided to take mercy on Alder’s fourth attempt up the hill. The Elemental ran slower, allowing Alder, gasping and wheezing, to crawl his way to the top. Once there, he stumbled over to his pack and collapsed against it with a gasp.

Pebbles strolled down the hill and stood in front of Blair. His body language eager and confident as he stared up at her. She pulled her pack off and set it down. “Could you take that up for me as well? “

It wouldn’t really slow her down, but she didn’t wanna risk breaking something. The elemental quickly complied, and her pack rolled up the hill to join Alder’s. The man glanced at her pack, which was bigger than his torso, and promptly used it as a cushion.

She turned her attention back to Pebbles. “Start on three. “She counted down, and on three, she blasted up the hill.

Her legs pumped, and she pushed herself hard, sailing upward faster than an Olympic sprinter could move on flat ground.

It still wasn’t fast enough.

Pebbles raced past her, reaching the top before she could. She felt a surge of annoyance at how easily the Elemental passed her. And an instant later, the hill drug her back down. She had to force herself to relax and not fight it.

The second time up, she pushed even harder, moving as fast as she could without shifting or reaching out to her Bond for more power. She still lost, and she felt her annoyance shift into frustration. It was even harder to stop herself from struggling as the earth pulled her back.

When she reached the base of the hill, she paused to take a deep breath.

Pebbles reached her and clattered eagerly. The dust they had kicked up stung her nose, adding to her irritation.

The third time up, the elemental took the lead immediately. Blair’s frustration surged, and she pulled on her Bond. Cold power flooded through her as she tried to close the distance.

The knowledge that the Elemental would have to let her win, this was just a game to get through, all of it faded from her mind.

This thing was outdoing her, stopping her from going where she needed, from getting the resources her pack needed.

It was challenging her.

She almost closed the gap, but the Elemental won. This time she did fight back as the earth grabbed her. She snarled, ripping her legs free as it tried to guide her back down.

She caught herself before she could start to tumble. She wouldn’t be thrown down, not if she didn’t want to be. For a brief moment, she considered throwing herself at the elemental, at the challenger.

She glanced up at Alder, she would need to make sure the battle would spill over to him.

He was staring at her, a slight frown on his face.

She clenched her fists until her nails pierced her palms.

CONTROL.

She gasped in a breath. This was a game. She needed to get a grip. The earth stopped trying to shift under Blair, changing instead to form a path back down.

That felt more like an invitation to walk back down instead of a command, and Blair felt herself calming. Her mind cleared as she stopped pulling power from her Bond.

In the next round, Pebbles let her win. She walked to the top of the hill and collapsed next to her pack, which Alder had moved away from.

She closed her eyes and breathed deep.

She’d started to lose herself over what was essentially a game with a child.

A note of shame joined the anger and frustration in the back of her mind as she gripped her backpack.

She had always been competitive, and she didn’t inherently dislike that fact. She liked to win, which was fine, but her competitiveness easily blended with her instincts, which could spiral out of control quickly.

And they were getting worse. They had been for years, and her control wasn’t keeping up with them.

She hated how she had almost lashed out, hated that she had wanted to at all. But just disliking a part of yourself didn’t mean you could change it on a dime. Especially not when you had magic and your own mind working against you.

But that knowledge just made her feel worse.

Alder shifted to stare at her, and after a moment of hesitation, asked, “You okay?“ There was genuine concern in his words.

She took one more deep breath, then nodded. “Fine, just needed to gather myself.”

Alder grunted. “Take your time. From now on is when things start to get really dangerous.”

She followed his gaze and finally took in the view from the hilltop. The other side of said hill immediately dropped back down, the ground growing so steep that they would almost be climbing more than hiking.

The trees were still massive, but she had enough of a vantage to see two mountains in the distance. They were close together, both rising into the sky-high enough that their peaks were dusted with snow.

One had a large hole cut out of its peak, and the other looked as if some giant had tilted it.

The ground closer to the mountains rose up before dipping sharply at the narrow gap between them.

The Grave Keeper spoke, his voice somber. “The Eyes and the Echo. And that little gap. That’s Old Tom’s Pass.”