“Woah, careful boy.” ─I tighten my grip on Goddard’s leash, gently tugging him away from the edge─ “We’re almost there.” He limps over to me tucking himself underneath the hem of my cloak. Soft whines emerge from him as the cold chills his bones. “I know.” Reaching down I absentmindedly pat his head. It’s too early for us to be up in the mountains, but, I don’t know, something doesn’t feel right. I grasp my staff more firmly, as the frigid winds rage all around me. I’ve been making this trek into the N’Viora Ranges since I was a child but never in the winter. Trying to hike up the nigh impassible peaks in the snow is actually a death sentence among my people. Yet here I am. The iced over rocky paths, which are arduous enough while thawed, make the journey infinitely more difficult, and dangerous.

Father had shown me the hidden trails my people used on my seventh birthday, the day I received my Companion Goddard. Making this trek is a Rite of Passage for Children of the Gaze. We must all learn the ways of the N’Viora Ranges, the voice of the mountains, and the signs of nature should we make it through safely on our own. The first year, our seventh birthday, our Fathers accompany us and attempt to teach us. The next year we go it alone, with only our Companions to help us. More often than not we don’t return. Those of us who do, who continue to return, we become the Gaze. And each year, at Spring, we fulfill our duty to all of Humanity by disappearing into the N’Viora and watching the Barren, ensuring that they never return. Goddard whimpers once more. “Shh boy. We’re almost there.” I reassure him. The mangy mutt looks up at me with pleading eyes. “We can’t go back. It’s taken us twice as long to get here with all the ice anyway. Think of how long it’ll take to get all the back down to home. At this point we’re better off waiting out the last days of winter at the Peak.” Another whimper. His tail slumps between his legs as he waddles out from underneath my cloak. He casts one more defeated look at me, black eyes open wide. “Come on boy. Let’s find out if something’s wrong.” I pull my scarf back up around my face and start wading through the knee-high snow, with Goddard dutifully trotting behind me. I keep a careful watch on the slopes of the snow trying to spot where it drops away into the valley below. I make my steps mostly from memory, since I can’t see the trail underneath all this snow. Climbing a mountain thousands upon thousands of feet in the air while being unable to see where you are going is highly inadvisable. Just a few missteps and I’d be plunging off a cliff and freefalling to my death.

Unfortunately this is necessary. The Gaze had gone far north, traveling to Royal’s Landing to speak with the Queen about getting reinforcements on the Empire’s southern border. They left me here alone and charged me with maintaining the security of our Village, while they spoke with her Highness. Which I understood, as of now the Gaze is stretched pretty thinly. Those who hadn’t gone to parley were scattered all along N’Voira Range keeping an eye on the Barren. But we haven’t heard from anyone all winter. No reports have come to us for months. Essentially we are unaware as to what is happening beyond the mountains. I expressed this to Gavant, our Leader, but he affirmed that months of silence is not uncommon in long winters. That the Barren has been barren for decades upon decades now, and a return is unlikely. Still, he felt that something was amiss enough to go seek help from the Queen. So the second day they had gone I pulled aside the Captain of the Guard. “You don’t really need me.” He scratched his chin, “Maybe.” “You don’t. You and your men are more than capable of keeping the folk safe from Bandit attacks, wild animals, and any other threats.” “True. But what if someone comes to speak with the Gaze?” I shrugged, “Tell them they’ve left to parley with the Queen.” He met my eyes with a steely look, “It’s suicide, climbing those mountains in this weather. You know it. Your dog knows it!” He gestured at Goddard who’s hiding behind me. “Regardless of the danger I have to go check. When Gavant gets back he’s just going to send me anyways. This way he has the information immediately upon his return! Whatever it might be. And Goddard is just a coward.” Goddard lets out a low whine as if to prove my point. The Captain stroked his mustache impassively, “Very well. Godspeed Valentine.” “I’ll see you shortly Captain. No need to look so worried.”

That was twenty-eight days ago.

I toss my staff up onto the ledge above me. Squatting down I wrap my arms around Goddard, lifting him up to it as well. His paws scrabble on the ice before getting a grip. He twitches his back half letting me know. Carefully I maneuver my hands to underneath his back paws and slowly push as he pulls himself completely onto the ledge. My turn. I jump up and attempt to grab at the edge. My hands find only ice, panic strikes as my fingers desperately scrabble around looking for anything to hold on to. “Shit!” My hands slide off the edge and I come tumbling down onto the snow covered rocks beneath me. The sliding doesn’t stop there though, as I land the snow gives way into a slippery slope and gravity pulls at me. My vision turns into a tumble of whiteness, dirt, clouds, and my own flailing limbs as I continue slide down. Panic claws at my inside bursting out in a stream of shouts and curses. I could fall off at any second. Somehow I spot Goddard’s leash in the confusion I seize hold of it. I jerk to a stop. My breathe tumbles out of as huffs. I lay there a moment, waiting for my heart to calm itself. Raising my head I see Goddard standing atop the ledge gripping his leash in his jaws. Good thing I give him so much length. Through all my trembling I manage to stand up. “Thanks boy.” I call out. “Let’s try that again.” This time I successfully scale the ledge and rejoin my Companion. He rushes over to give me a good lick. Chuckling slightly I settle Goddard down, thanking him again. I reach into my cloak and pull out a small bag of dried food. Rifling though it I find a decent sized piece of meat. I toss it to my dog, who gratefully wolfs it down. My eyes flicker over to the fallen Titan who’s skeleton lays across the Gorge. I stumble to the Cliffside for a better view with Goddard following me. The fallen Titan. A giant skeleton, almost as large as these mountains themselves, laying across L’slielles western side. Its ribs splay out in a grotesque fashion as an enormous longsword protrudes from its chest. The skull’s mouth is permanently fixed open in the Titan’s last death scream. The bones are withered and bleached white from the constant exposure of the sun. Ice, frost, and snow have taken their toll on this massive skeleton. Pieces have vanished over the years as the elements constantly attempt to smite this creature from existence.