Mara’s mind was swimming through memories. Wave after wave they crashed over the shores of her sleep. Crunching snow and cold winds. Her brother's voice when they were young. Kara’s voice when they couldn’t be any longer.

She saw those that aided them, those that held their fathers legacy high. Faces of laughter, faces of battle and of a love that was not meant to be. A knife that still sought purpose and a mountain who never stopped to sing. Who still casted its shadow over the most distant of valleys. Over boiling shores and cozy tents. Home.

Then a fever was born inside her. A heat that brought her dreams to flame. First her thoughts tried to flee to the boiling sea but the heat was different. It was fire. Her mind tried to force her back to the burning oak and dying little Kara. She shook and wailed in her sleep, first at the memory of her niece, the child that wasn’t hers, the daughter she was meant to protect, but then her mind awoke and she realized this wasn’t hers. Her body was still asleep yet crying and wailing as if in pain, while her mind felt the distant lands of her home. She felt the cold fading and saw a fire turning its gaze on the mountain. The world was shifting and what had been a constant north in Karn’Arak before now had taken flight and arrived at the mountain. She felt as if she burned and cried out in utter pain. Her body was twitching and kicking and turning while her mind still rested on her burning home. She saw a shadow that rivaled the mountain, yet the mountain stood strong. Fire crashed at its side like waves at a cliff. Yet unlike the tides it didn’t return to the sea. Not yet. She felt how it desperately clung to the mountain, as if it could fall any second and drown in the very fire that gave birth to it.

As her mind gazed deep into the flames that gave birth she saw the great windhall and the long dark below the mountain. And she was falling. First into the dark, then into the sky. She saw the sun and the moon and she tried to swim. The deep and the stars were approaching her yet she knew this was not her time for them yet. And finally, just before she reached the darkest shadow of the most distant deep, she woke.

Her breathing was heavy and she was sweating as if in fever. After she took some air, she blinked and finally realised Kazzok and Rika next to her. Both were holding one of her hands, Kazzok even prayed with whispers in the oldest tongue until Rika spoke “Kazzok! She is awake!”

His amber eyes shot open and he pierced at the shaman. He brought a hand to her forehead and felt it again. “I think you might have caught a fever shaman, it happens often to those that aren’t used to these lands.”

Weakly as if she was in battle before she shook her head. “No..” She slowly stated and looked at them both, glad that they were here. “Not a fever but a…vision..” She closed her eyes for a moment again and tried to think.

Kazzok raised a brow in deep concern and glanced over to Rika who shared a look with him before both of their eyes returned to their darkling friend. With care in his voice he asked. “Are you certain, Shaman? A fever can bring visions as well. I have seen sick warriors think they became druids because they were bitten by a scorpion! Ha!” He started to laugh but was cut off by Rika “Bitten by a scorpion?” she asked with a raised brow. His laugh faded and he only moved his mouth desperate for an explanation.

Mara smiled at them both. It was good to hear their voices but still she shook her head. “I am certain.” She stated and caught his amber eyes with the fire in hers once more.

Rika leaned closer and squeezed the hand she was still holding. “Then what did you see?”

Mara looked over and now saw the wolf eyes in both Rika and Branak who sat watching next to her. Her heart was filled with warmth despite the horror she saw in her dreams, for at least she was not alone. She couldn’t help but smile further which was echoed in Rika’s face. Then she thought for a second longer before she answered. “Fire.” she stated distantly. “The mountain, the valley, my home burning. Drowning in flames.” Her smile was lost more and more with every other word she spoke. “Karn’Arak…” she finally whispered. “I think the Khan is making his move. Either he started whatever ritual he is planning with the scroll or the Dragon was forced out of its hoard.”

Kazzok grunted at that and thought for a second. “We are not far from the grand mesa. There you will tell the chieftains.” He finally said quite seriously.

“It seems they want to hear more from me every day..” she said with a weak smile that was answered by a grin from Rika and big laughter from Kazzok.

“Hehahaha! No they won’t but we will make them!” He stated proudly and snorted.

After that they made ready for the day. As they started to fold down their tent, Mara was met with weary eyes from the rest of their party. Chieftain Scale-Eye’s one remaining was the most intense as he stared at her from a distance. She had felt their stares before, ever since they first saw her in the night of the burning oak. The night of Kara’s death.

Yet they had never been like this. “Did I make noise while dreaming?” She asked the other two while she folded the big leather tent together with Kazzok.

Rika glanced at him and he glanced over to the rest of their party. He nodded, yet Rika answered. “It sounded like pain.” She said bluntly while gathering the sticks that had held their tent. It was Mara and Kazzok who folded the tent itself. Rika couldn’t do it anymore. Not yet.

Even after they were done more preparations were made than usual and Mara noticed how much the hunters and even Kazzok and Rika made sure to be dressed in garbs of tradition. He painted himself with fresh red dots and stripes around his face and body. His big belly became the place of a big drawn boar, right below the stitched signs of wolf, boar and stag.

Rika cleaned Branak’s fur. She ruffled the sand out of it. Something she was still much able to do, and something her loyal companion clearly liked as the big wolf leaned into her touch and into her, almost pushing her down by his weight. She held onto him and smiled.

The rest did similar things. Fur was cleaned, paints refreshed and Scale-Eye oiled his wyverncowl.

Mara didn’t need to ask why. They would arrive at the grand mesa and meet the other tribes that day. The Frostsong never truly met with other clans of the north, but she imagined if they did, they would make sure to look their best as well. To represent the ancestors and the honour of their clan. Thus she made sure herself. She knew she would be met with anger and mistrust anyway, but she would do so while carrying the mountain's distant song within her. She cleaned her attire of the Savannah dust, used some of Kazzoks berry and blood made paint on herself, and carefully polished the shaman chains in her face and her hair. Once they all were done they started their last walk to the grand mesa and Mara felt her heart pounding in a distant drum. The ancestor’s eyes were upon her, and she knew Kara’s were among them.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

While they walked through the savannah the Mesa started to conquer the horizon, yet she noticed how Kazzok’s amber eyes wandered around them instead. Mara tried to realise anything, but only felt the warm breezes. “What is it?” she asked, walking next to him.

“Look at the beasts..” he said distantly and pointed at the river they were following. It took her a moment before she realised, they all had but one direction. Fishes that were hiding in the river all tried their best to swim upstream. Birds above followed the wind, and even some of the distant predators, a group of lions, only knew one way. To the east, all of them to the east. “Is it because of the season?” she asked him. He slowly shook his head. His weary eyes thinking and trying to catch at least some beast that seemed as clueless as them.

Mara looked over to Branak and Rika on him. “Did he notice anything?”

“Not yet.” The one armed warrior stated. “Maybe the season just comes early this year.” She said with but the slightest hint of worry as she glanced down to Kazzok. He just grunted.

A group of rhinos on the other side of the river seemed as clueless as them. Kazzok huffed again. “They come from the coast.” He said thinking, yet continued to walk.

“Are you certain?” Mara asked with a raised brow and pointed to the lions. They were ignoring the nervous rhinos and ran further to the east.

He looked at them. “They are the only ones I see that could be from everywhere, but the fishes and the birds. Are beasts of the sea.” He nodded distantly and looked over to Chieftain Scale-Eye. He was weary and surrounded by wolfriders like Rika. Finally he uttered some words from beneath his wyverncowl. “I doubt we are the only grim news.”

Kazzok nodded and looked ahead at the Mesa again. By now it became more and more clear. Despite its name it was more than one mesa, and seemed more like a cliff that suddenly went up in the wide open savannah. Between the many mesa’s ropes clung to the rock and held decorations of bone and coloured pelts. Some from beasts of these lands, lions, hyenas and cougars, others from distant plains. Boars, wolves and even some that seemed far stranger. Red pelts, blue pelts and different coloured leathers that must have belonged to different Wyverns. The biggest and clearest parts of the mesas were painted with red and blue colours. Many runes of the ancient tongue, many animals and many hands. Above the cliff between the two highest mesas a gigantic wyvern’s skull hung in many ropes. What must have been its wings were hung around it, almost like it was caught in a spider's web.

Mara saw other orcs lurking the cliffs and felt their angry eyes and pointing fingers once they came close. “Will they even allow me in?” She asked Kazzok yet Scale-Eye answered from the other side. “They won’t show you any more love than we do, Darkling.” He said and huffed, his own eye glaring at her. Kazzok huffed audibly and stared back at their Chieftain before the wyvernorc continued. “But you came to our hunting grounds. If I see it fit to do you harm, it will be done by us. Orcs of the pines, not them.” He stated and was done talking.

Mara remained weary and looked ahead at the entrance until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Rika was leaning down from Branak to hold it there. She needed to lean on her shoulder like that to not fall down and did so until their eyes locked. Once Mara caught her eyes she smiled and nodded. After they shared a warriors smile, Rika pressed herself up again to hold onto Branak once more. Mara was still hearing the pounding drums in her heart, but their rhythm had changed. She still felt the ancestors gaze, but felt pride at their challenge. Kara always came to her mind, and the image of her lifeless body always stung at her soul. But for the following days, she needed to be the proud shaman, not the grieving aunt.

Their party arrived at the edges of the cliffs and she could see the greenskins guarding it. Their attire was similar to those of the pines, only their totem animals were different. Instead of wolf cowls like Rika, they wore the pelts and cowls of the savannah. A big towering warrior, jumped down from a lower cliff where he had taken watch. He was followed by others and walked in front of the entrance and gazed over their party. It was hard to tell how old he was, yet he was the first orc big and muscled enough to remind Mara of her brother.

On his head the skull of a Rhino rested, its horn pointing at the sky, while its leather cloaked his back. As expected his eyes remained staring at Mara, so did the ones of his warriors behind him. Spears and axes where gribbed tight, she could see it and feel the breeze shift in their united anger.

“Why is your slave dressed as if she is allowed to speak?” His voice boomed over to them. It was deep and clear, and birthed deep and angry huffs from the warriors around.

Kazzok glanced over to Scale-Eye and the Chieftain back at him. His eyes telling how much he despised what they were doing yet he stepped forward. “She is no slave. But a guest of our Druid.” He stated.

Widening eyes, and growls of disbelief were the answer from the cliff. The rhino warrior huffed a few times. The bone ring in his nose shaking with the heavy air. “You can’t speak true!” He shouted before he somewhat composed himself and stepped closer to Scale-Eye. “Scale-Eye..my brother. Why are you making a fool of your tribe?”

Scale-Eye looked back at the Rhino with an eye that wished to not be there yet Kazzok stepped forth and spoke. “It was not his choice, Thick-Skin.” He stated loud enough for the mesa to hear. “It was mine.”

Thick-Skin turned to Kazzok and started smiling. “Ohhh, Gruntheart…I did not think you a fool, old friend.”

“Always have been..” He answered and grinned back before he spoke more serious once more “But this choice, foolish or not, I stand by.”

Thick-Skin shook his head and walked closer to Kazzok. “No no no, my friend. I would have not expected you to be one of those druids.” Once he was close he leaned down to gaze into Kazzoks eye. “Just getting your title and already trying to make a change, mhh? You are far from the first to make a fool of yourself like this. It is almost tradition now.” He laughed a low dirty laughter that was stopped once he glanced at Mara once more. His eyes wandered up and down her form with visible disgust.

The shaman just steeled herself. She knew it was not her time to speak yet.

“Tell me, Gruntheart..” He spoke far more low and even deeper now. “Is it truly wisdom you follow or was it just a woman's smile?”

Mare started to feel fury pound through her at every single word Thick-Skin spoke. Yet still she remained silent for now. It was the druids time to speak wisdom.

“Well eat dung, Shit-Skin!!” Kazzok shouted in anger, which was quickly echoed by more shouts from the warriors around. None of them, neither their party nor the mesa warriors, in their favour.

Thick-Skin just nodded with the most wicked grin “Oh that much? I thought you better, Gruntheart. I thought you so much better!” Their conversation turned into yells and was echoed with angry pointing and rude gestures.

A sharp whistle ended it. They looked up to Rika on growling Branak after she had done so. She didn’t say anything but nodded down at Mara, who then finally took steps forward to Thick-Skin.

She eyed him up and down the same way he did and ended with her glowing eyes locked with his of brown. “I am an exile of my own clan. I have been there when my master destroyed our holy mines. I have witnessed a girl that was like a daughter to me die for my treason.” She said, unable to contain the fury in her burning heart. “Let the Dragon be my witness, I shall say the words your Chieftains need to hear. I will tell them what the man who calls himself the Khan is planning and I will not stop only because you are afraid of my eyes.”

Silence was born after her words. Some of the mesa warriors looked as if a ghost had spoken to them. Even Thick-Skin finally struggled for words. Rika couldn’t help but grin while Kazzok slowly with a dark smile looked back up to Thick-Skin.

He huffed deeply and audibly, not unsimilar to rhino and turned. “Fools…” he uttered but waved his hand for their party to follow.

Kazzok shared a glance with Mara and nodded with respect before they all followed into the dark cliffs of the mesa.

Once inside the shadows, Mara’s eyes were the only ones that glowed in the dark. The dragon's fire might have wandered, but it still burned in her eyes.