“I see more Urghat tracks leading up this ridge,” Bronwyn said, turning back toward Cal and shading her eyes from the sun hanging low on the western horizon.

“Too bad you can’t see their names,” Cal replied, looking up the steep ridgeline.

“I think it’s just one, but, yeah, it would be nice to know who. This little adventure would go a lot easier. You up for the hike?”

“Well, I ain’t got your endurance, but I think I got a little pep left in my step.” Cal, still wearing a large backpack, despite Bronwyn’s offer to put it into her storage necklace and wielding a gnarled walking stick he’d been whittling on during their camp time, started up the rocky trail.

“Good to know, Cal.” Bronwyn laughed and continued up, a few steps ahead of him. A short while into the hike, Cal started to hum one of his magical songs. This one had become quite familiar to Bronwyn—it energized her muscles, making walking or, in this case, hiking seem easier and faster. He called it his “travel song.” Bronwyn followed the Urghat tracks up the ridge, noting the long stride and figuring it was a pretty big one.

They were two days north of First Landing, a bit to the east of the plains, following a lead they’d gotten from a lone Urghat hunter who had claimed to have heard of a new Urghat clan being formed in these hills. So far, they hadn’t run into any other Urghat or had any luck tracking them down—-Bronwyn’s skill was helpful, but there were so many tracks on the northern plains from all the Urghat that had passed through in the last weeks that it was difficult to find any that panned out.

The ridge trail was steep, but Bronwyn found it easy to climb, especially with Cal’s song. Every so often, she’d stop and look out at the vista and wait for Cal. The view was something to see, really—people back home would’ve killed for such a vista. The plains stretched out as far as the eye could see to the west, and if she turned to the north, she could see verdant forests and tall, purple peaks that put the Rockies to shame. She knew that somewhere, deep in those mountain ranges, was the little mountain valley where she’d fought Thun. “I wonder how long it would take to hike that far. A couple of weeks?”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, the Fae Queen sent me into those mountains with a portal. I was wondering how long it would take to get there by foot.”

“It’s just a few days' hike to the mountains,” Cal replied while he leaned on his knees, catching his breath.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t mean the foothills. Those mountains go on and on, Cal. Even after the Queen sent me into the middle of them, I hiked north for over a week, and I didn’t say any sign I was through them.”

“Oh, gotcha. No, I’ve never been into them. The Ghelli wood is just a bit northeast of these plains.”

“And you got to level fourteen just hanging around their village?”

“Well, not just hanging around! I was singing for my supper for a long while at one of the inns, even after I married Lysee.”

“I bet they loved having magical songs to entertain them! I don’t suppose you sang your travel song, though, did you?”

“Nah, I learned a few others. I have a song that helps you relax and rest. I have a song that helps you dance and laugh—that was the most popular one—and I have a song that makes cleaning and working easier. I used to sing that one for the crew at the inn after hours.”

“Pretty cool, Cal. Are all your skills and spells songs?”

“Yeah. Elder Tryllie, back at the Ghelli wood, also had a spirit Core. She told me that having a spirit attunement made other spells harder to learn and that I ought to focus on what I was good at.”

“Spirit Core, huh? I haven’t heard of it.” Bronwyn shrugged, taking a deep drink from her canteen.

“Yeah, the Ghelli said it’s pretty uncommon among them, too. Tryllie had attunements for fear and resolution—you can imagine they had pretty different effects.”

“Wait, what? So what are your attunements?”

“I just have the one—harmony.”

“Those are pretty interesting sounding attunements, though. Every time I start to think I’m getting a grasp on things, I learn there’s a lot more to this world and System than I thought.”

“Definitely! When I saw you, I learned there’s a whole lot about humans I don’t know!” Cal laughed, touching his ear to indicate he was talking about Bronwyn’s elfin appearance.

“Right,” she laughed, then turned back to the ridge. “Well, this ridge isn’t going to climb itself!”

“That’s a fact!” Cal said, straightening up and nodding. “Ready when you are.”

They followed the ridge trail for another two hours, and as the sun was starting to sink in glorious red and orange display, they finally reached the top. The Urghat tracks led along the high, rocky ground toward a distant structure—a jagged-topped, broken stone tower. “Now, that’s what I call a place with a view!” Cal said, coming up behind Bronwyn to look at the distant structure.

“Yeah, I wonder who built it. Maybe Urghat?”

“Hard knowing—lots of people have come and gone from these lands, according to the Ghelli. There were even people living here before the worlds were joined.”

“Well, the tracks lead to the tower, so let’s go check it out. Stay behind me in case they have a bow or something.” Bronwyn touched her necklace, and suddenly she was holding her two green, half-moon hatchets.

“Those are pretty,” Cal said with a low whistle.

“Thanks,” Bronwyn winked at him and started along the trail toward the tower. When she got within fifteen meters or so, she saw that the tracks led through the broken doorway. She called out, “Hello? Whoever’s in the tower, I want to talk to you. We aren’t here to fight!” A few seconds passed, and then a darkly furred head poked out around the hanging timbers of the doorway.

“Underclaw?”

“Ironhide!” Bronwyn said with a relieved laugh. “Come here, you big oaf!” She strode forward, lowering her hatchets.

“I was wondering if I’d ever see you again, Underclaw,” Ironhide said as he squeezed through the broken, nearly petrified wood. “Who’s this little hairless one with you?”

“Ironhide, you know we’re called humans. Don’t be rude. This is Cal, and he’s been a friend to Urghat.”

“Sorry, Underclaw,” Ironhide said, chagrined. “Is there something different about you? You seem longer and more pointy.”

“Just some racial advancements. Where’s the rest of the band?”

“Off doing your bidding—delivering the underclaw rings, looking for family members, seeking a life after the fall of the Ur-clan.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Ironhide!” Cal said, finally finding a place to step into the conversation.

“Er, uh, nice to meet you,” he rumbled, smiling at Cal in a way that looked almost like a snarl.

“Ironhide, you can let the rest of the members of our little band know—First Landing isn’t on a war footing anymore. If you guys come with empty hands and indicate you aren’t there to fight, they’ll leave you in peace. We can build a longhouse, as you guys talked about. It doesn’t have to be in the town itself—there’s lots of room in the plains nearby or the woods.”

“I think it would just be me at this point, Underclaw. You were gone a long time, and there are some new underclaws now that you sent out those rings. I haven’t heard from Shadoweye or the twins. I think they joined the underclaw Shadoweye made with the ring she had.”

“Really? And Heartseeker? Fangripper?”

“The same—they went north, into the hills. I haven’t heard from them. It seems that the new underclaws are happy to take them in despite their oaths to an outsider. Probably helped that they had the underclaw bands to bargain with.”

“Well, that’s fine, so long as they followed my instructions to give the rings to good candidates—Urghat leaders who wouldn’t seek to make an Ur-clan and attack the humans.”

“Aye, I think they did a good job in that regard. The new underclaws have been at odds with each other, not seeking to unite anything.”

“Hey, um, sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you knew an Urghat named Whitestar?” Cal interjected, clearly anxious to hear about his missing friend.

“Whitestar? Yar, she’s the one that Shadoweye and the twins joined. She’s a new underclaw in the hills north of here.”

“Really? That’s kind of a big coincidence.” Bronwyn looked from Ironhide to Cal, raising an eyebrow.

“I ain’t surprised,” Cal said. “If you knew Whitestar, you wouldn’t be, either. She ain’t no follower if you know what I mean.”

“Does she have a clan home yet?” Bronwyn asked Ironhide.

“I heard she was trying to take the Hollows back from the trolls,” Ironhide spoke like his words would be universally understood, but Bronwyn and Cal both looked at him with quizzical expressions.

“Hollows?” Cal said.

“Trolls? Like forest trolls?” Bronwyn asked at the same time.

“Er, the Hollows used to be a clan home for Urghat, but some swamp trolls killed most of the Urghat there and chased the rest out. I heard this Whitestar whelp thought she had what it takes to root them out.” He shrugged and spat into the rocky dirt.

“You think she’s delusional?” Bronwyn asked.

“We need to help her!” Cal said, making a fist.

“Swamp trolls ain’t no pushover,” Ironhide growled.

“Relax, Cal. I told you I’d help you find your friend, and I intend to see it through. Come on, Ironhide. Time to quit hiding out in old ruins and earn your name,” Bronwyn said, thumping the burly Urghat on the shoulder.

“Gah! I weren’t hiding! I was just spending some peaceful time up here.”

“Right, right,” Bronwyn laughed. “I mean, at least you have a nice view, and the sunset can’t be beat!”

“Ain’t that the truth!” Cal said, turning to admire the last purple-red streaks along the western horizon.

“Well, we can’t get anywhere tonight. Let’s have a camp here, and we’ll get going in the morning, all right, Ironhide? You can guide us to these Hollows?”

“Aye, I can,” he grumbled. “Well, do you at least have something good to eat, Underclaw?”

“Of course I do!” Bronwyn laughed. “In fact, I have some rations that I guarantee you’re the first Urghat to taste, and you’re going to love them.”

“Why’s he keep calling you underclaw?” Cal asked, looking between Ironhide and Bronwyn. She pointed to the ring on her arm.

“I earned the title by dueling one of their underclaws. Ironhide was one of the first to follow me.”

“Har, only after you whooped me real good. You think Whitestar will be willing to deal with another underclaw? What if she wants to challenge you to start working toward an overclaw title?”

“Well, then I’ll have to straighten her out. I hope that’s not why I was sent here to help Cal, though. I hope Whitestar is as smart and good as Cal says.” Bronwyn reached out and put a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “I don’t have any intention to hurt your friend, Cal.”

“I can tell you ain’t lying, Bronwyn. Don’t worry—Whitestar’s as good an Urghat as there ever was.”

“Come in the tower if you want,” Ironhide said. “The chimney still works, and I have wood for a fire. I’m hungry!”

“Ha, always thinking with your stomach, Ironhide! I’m truly glad to see you, and I’m happy to hear we’ll be seeing more of Shadoweye and the twins!”

“If the swamp trolls didn’t eat them yet,” Ironhide said with a snort, turning to squeeze his thick, furry body back through the broken boards in the ancient tower. Bronwyn looked at Cal and shook her head.

“They aren’t dead; don’t worry, Cal.”

“Nah, I think I’d feel it or something. I think you’re right—it feels to me like we’ll get there just in time.” Cal smiled, his bright white teeth shining in the dim light, then stepped through into the tower. Bronwyn followed, looking in her necklace for the Fae rations.