Some time later, Sirocco comes to join me, landing next to me with a thump. I open my eyes to see her, then raise my hand to stroke her feathers.

“Thanks for your help,” I murmur to her. “I know you really focussed on giving me a good view of everything going on around.”

Of course, she answers with an almost insulted tone. How else would you gain a picture of the whole without my help?

I just grin at her and close my eyes again, rubbing her head and chest in the way I know she likes. She soon nestles into me, laying her head on my stomach and tucking her wings away.

Past her first Evolution, Sirocco at Tier two is not hugely different in appearance from her form at Tier one. She’s a little bigger, but her wingspan is only about ten centimetres larger – in her base form.

She took her time to get to her Evolution, but seems to have been rewarded for her patience by gaining two special abilities: Change Size and Fire Wing. They both do pretty much what it says on the tin. Change Size lets her get a little bigger or a little smaller. When she first got it, she could only change her body by about five centimetres each way, which didn’t make much difference. However, it seems that practice and increasing her familiarity with the ability allows her to make bigger and bigger changes. In her recent demonstration to me, she showed herself able to make adjustments of up to about ten centimetres each way.

I asked her whether she knew why she had got that ability since it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the Cores or Energy Hearts she had been consuming. She’d replied that she wanted the strength and endurance which bigger wings would give her, but at the same time still wanted to be able to access more confined spaces such as being able to fly in the forest without colliding with trees…and go into our den.

I hadn’t realised that she was so keen on the idea of joining us underground, but it seems that part of what had held her back was the fact that she didn’t feel confident in being able to fly around the area and easily leave by herself if she wanted to.

The first day she was able to access the den was a special one for her and it was immediately after that that she asked to become a Companion like Bastet, Fenrir, and River. I hadn’t realised that it was the fact she couldn’t always come with us that stopped her committing fully.

Since becoming a Companion, she has lost any of the inhibitions which prevented her from emotionally connecting with us. It’s a common sight now to see her nestling with one or more of my close Bound, and if she’s not flying or sleeping during the day, she often comes to sit on my shoulder.

And when she flies I’ve been using her eyes more and more to get a view of what’s happening. At first difficult and disorientating, not to mention a bit uncomfortable for us both, perseverance and effort on both our parts has meant that the change is almost seamless these days. And just as in the most recent battle, it’s a key advantage to be able to see from different vantage points without moving myself.

In the village, too, it’s been useful in many ways, enough that I’m still trying to work out how I could leave the samurans with something similar. So far I haven’t come up with anything, but perhaps Hunter’s recent discoveries might help with something similar.

Shrieks is the one to disturb us shortly after.

Honoured Tamer, I am ready to give my report. Do you wish to hear it?

A bit of time to drift has eased the tension I was feeling mentally and physically. I’m not fully rested, but I could go into another battle now with little difficulty. I do hope that large-scale earth movements become easier with practice as at the moment they are rather debilitating.

I have to wonder whether my Fire Affinity is part of the reason for my fatigue – although I’ve learned to shape the earth, and improve both skill and endurance with practice, I have to admit that it doesn’t come as easily as using fire does. I also wonder whether it’s possible to develop an Earth Affinity at the same time as a Fire one or whether they would just cancel out. Though, considering the circumstances of developing that Fire Affinity, I don’t know what I’d have to do to develop it. Be buried alive?

“Yes, please,” I answer Shrieks, belatedly realising that I hadn’t responded to his question.

The ranar are now all dead. There were a hundred and twenty-three beasts in the group.

“So many?” I exclaim in surprise. It had definitely felt like a horde, but I hadn’t expected the number to actually cross the century mark. “How come there were such numbers? Do you know?”

The young ranars always do this around the time of the Festival. They travel across the valley, seeking something. I know not what they seek, but we have observed that those who have hatched in the great cycle preceeding seem to combine together and travel, always in the same direction. After the longest night, when the temperatures begin to rise again, they return in small groups or individually. And far fewer of them than departed.

Some sort of seasonal migration, I have to conclude.

“And it’s only the young ones?” I ask curiously. Shrieks shrugs.

That is my guess. They are never Evolved, and always bear signs of having hatched a little before the longest day.

“Huh.”

It was unfortunate that we were surprised by them, Shrieks continues, and that they came at a time when the Great Predator is not here. I suspect her aura would have warned the ranars off before they attacked.

“How do you deal with them on your usual trip, then?” I ask. After all, they would have been making this journey even if I hadn’t been here.

Normally Wind-whisperer is able to give us more warning, and we hide from them to let them pass. It is unfortunate that they came from downwind and she didn’t notice until they were close. As you have seen, their numbers are formidable and we usually have less strength to stand against them.

I suppose that makes sense. In fact, if I hadn’t come along and helped a good number of samurans to Evolve, they would have only had six Pathwalkers – including the shaman – and thirteen Warriors in total. Shrieks has confessed to me that they would not have been able to leave the village completely bereft of defences, so they would have been forced to leave a really minimal skeleton guard of perhaps five of their Warriors. That would have meant a party of only six Pathwalkers and eight Warriors would have travelled to the meet-up – definitely not enough to face the journey.

The only other alternatives at that point would have been breaking tradition either by bringing some Unevolved with them to help defend the Pathwalkers, or by not going at all. But that latter wouldn’t have been much of a solution, especially with all the hatchlings of this year dead. The shaman’s short-sightedness still makes me shake my head sometimes in disgust.

As it is, thanks largely to my efforts in healing or helping several Unevolved samurans to heal their own Energy channels, the village now sports eleven Pathwalkers, and thirty-two Warriors. Although that still doesn’t bring them up to full strength – with the normal ratios, eleven Pathwalkers should mean over forty Warriors – it’s still a reasonable number of Warriors.

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Even better in Shrieks’ eyes is the fact that because I have been able to leave some of my Bound like Artemis and her pack, Komodo, the two kiinas, and Ptera, he hasn’t had to leave as many Warriors behind while still being confident in the village’s safety. As a result, we only left five of the youngest Warriors behind with one of the more experienced ones. That leaves us with twenty-six Warriors to accompany the group – and to take part in the festival.

Of course, that’s assuming that we didn’t lose anyone in this most recent fight. I quickly put that question to Shrieks.

We had some significant injuries, but no losses, the lead Warrior answers promptly. Herbalist and Reducer have been able to heal most of the injuries, but there are a few I think you should take a look at. He looks uncharacteristically disgruntled. Herbalist disagrees. Taciturn as usual but I sense a story behind that short sentence.

“Alright, I’ll come and have a look,” I say, carefully dislodging Sirocco. She chirps in wordless annoyance, but hops to sit on my shoulder when I sit up. Walking next to Shrieks, we head towards where I see Tarra and River have set up their healing station. “I take it we won’t have to worry about food for a while,” I say wryly to the big samuran.

No, though perhaps you could store a number of the carcasses for later. The Warriors are doing their best to dress and prepare the carcasses to last for longer, but they will still not survive indefinitely.

That, I learned, was another duty of the Water-Shaper when there was one – food storage. Working with another Shaper – in this case Sticks – to create containers, Dusty is able to create something like a tin which contains no air. It doesn’t last forever, and apparently some materials are better than others, but it’s better than nothing. I would guess that the spoiling within a certain amount of time is due to the porous nature of wood. Happy will probably be able to create excellent containers if she has enough of the right metal to work with.

I have to guess that Dusty instinctively knows how to adjust the water so it helps to slow the spread of bacteria. It’s a shame that most samurans don’t seem to like cooked meat as that would definitely improve how long they can store food. They’re not keen on dried meat either, though prefer that over cooked. Perhaps pickling? Though with Energy thrown into the mix, I don’t know whether that would be preferred over just going and hunting something even if they do like the taste.

Something to consider later.

Shrieks continues his report, finishing with a suggestion.

Almost everyone is tired and we have a lot of meat to process. Perhaps we should make camp for the night.

I eye the bloodied earth and sniff pointedly at the scent of a charnel house.

“Not here, presumably,” I respond dubiously.

If you are able to turn over the earth to bury the viscera and bloodied soil, Wind-whisperer should be able to blow away the scent of it. Water-shaper could help wash the area clean too, he suggests. It would allow some Warriors to start working on setting up the shelter while the others continue processing the carcasses.

He…has a point.

“Well, it depends on whether Tarra and River need my help with healing,” I respond more thoughtfully.

Of course. However, with your permission, I’ll start having some Warriors clear a patch for the shelter to be constructed.

“Sure,” I answer, then watch as he tips his chin up slightly before striding away.

I know that by the time I have finished whatever Flesh-Shaping I need to do, he’ll have an area cleared, several samurans already digging in the dirt, and more cutting and positioning the log sand branches for the roof of the temporary travel hut. Apparently on our way back we’ll do our best to come back this way so we can use them again. Still, they’re pretty efficient – the night’s shelter is fairly sturdy and only takes about an hour or two to construct with as many hands as are set to the task.

This one will probably take longer as not all of the Warriors will be helping with it, but I already see Joy and Sticks heading over to help. Hunter follows soon after – her runes have helped make the constructions even safer.

This is the seventh day of our journey and we’re apparently approaching halfway through. According to the conversations I’ve had with the Pathwalkers who have done this trip before, all the samurans from this side of the valley gather together at a relatively central point. They don’t know if there are samurans on the other side of the river that runs right at the bottom of the valley – it’s too dangerous to cross over to see.

As a result, we haven’t gone very deeply into the valley itself – most of the journey seems to be along the width of the valley. Only the last day or so will be spent going down the mountainside. That way we will avoid most of the more dangerous beasts. Though, as this encounter proves, that doesn’t mean that the trip is without danger at all.

Today has been particularly difficult, largely because without Kalanthia here, we’ve been able to see what the journey would have been like without her domain warning off local beasts. It wasn’t long after Kalanthia went off to pay her respects to the local Guardian beast that we were attacked for the first time. That one was by beasts who were fewer in number but far more powerful. They were Tier twos as well, so not only did we have to contend with higher health pools, but also mana abilities which caused the forest to practically come alive around us.

Though appearing nothing like the danaris, I’d say that their threat level had been not that far off and there had been five of them. Numbers were definitely still on our side and we were able to get through without losing anyone, but it came close a few times and forced us to pull out everything we could to defeat them.

And now this – Kalanthia still absent, we were forced to fight. It’s not a completely bad thing, though, since it has helped the newer Warriors and Pathwalkers learn to work together and to use their abilities in combat. As long as none of them die.

Tarra looks up at me as I step closer.

I thought I told Shrieks-loudly that we didn’t need help, she grumbles, clearly displeased. Why, I don’t know – she’s been a bit irritable about my healing today fight.

I share a glance with River.

Do you need me? I ask her privately.

Need, no, she answers, though I am not like Herbalist – I would welcome your help as it will mean I have to replenish fewer of my stocks afterwards.

“Well,” I answer Tarra casually, “I can just sit here and watch you pour away your concoctions without helping if you’d prefer.”

The older samuran makes another wordless grunting grumble.

Fine, you can help, she gives in with bad grace as if she’s granting me a great favour. Start with those over there, she orders, waving at several samurans who have been treated with poultices, but not much else.

What’s making her so grumpy? I ask River quietly as I move over to follow her instructions. River hesitates for a moment before answering.

I think she’s feeling a little unnecessary, my Companion answers on the private channel. Your healing is faster, uses fewer resources, and sometimes leaves the recipient in better condition than they were when you started. She’s always been the healer of our village, and now….

She feels outclassed, I conclude. Ah. That could be a problem. Tarra has always had the best interests of the village at heart. But if she starts feeling that she’s not valued….

I thank River and then put my head down, concentrating on the healing. After a while, I hit on an idea.

“You know, Tarra,” I start casually. “I’m amazed at how many new potions you’ve come up with recently, especially since learning about fire. The ones which we’ve been feeding to the animals and plants for increased growth and increased Energy absorption are particularly important for the village’s future. I doubt I or anyone else would be able to do the same. You’re very innovative,” I praise.

The samuran looks at me with a searching gaze, and then grunts and turns back to her task. Still, despite her seeming nonchalance, I see the flicker of pride going through her spikes and she appears just a little more relaxed than she was before. Perhaps my new Management Skill helped with my not-so-subtle approach.

Either way, Mission accomplished.