They rode out of the burnt village like the hordes of hell were behind them, pushing hard for the market city. The forest moved past them in a blur, growing thick and darker. The trees crowded close as if they were huddling together for warmth and the evening breeze held a brittle bite. They had left the borderlands behind and rode into the lands of the Winter court. Callan pulled their carriage off the road and slowed the horses to a stop down a winding game trail. The animals were tired and Callan and Valerie worked quickly to unharness them and give them a chance to rest. Tallis did the same with Phaethon but the elemental showed no signs of exhaustion.

“You’d go forever, wouldn’t you boy?”

Phaethon threw his head and shook out his mane. The last of the golden leaves fell from him. Since they’d entered the winter lands the elemental had changed. The moss-fur on his back and flanks had faded from summer green to a brittle grey, the leaves had fallen from his mane, and his eyes had faded from a glowing green to an icy blue.

“How do you feel about the cold? Still doing okay?”

The horse pawed the earth and snorted, his breath coming out in a great fog that smelled of cold days, woodsmoke, and nutmeg.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Aragam stepped out of the cart that Phaethon had been pulling and laughed. “If that horse starts answering you, I’m out of here.”

Tallis shrugged. “That wouldn’t even make my top ten list of crazy things I’ve seen in the past few days.”

“It’s been tough. Are you holding up okay?”

Tallis shrugged. He wasn’t but there wasn’t anything they could do about it now. They had to beat Cold Iron to Tuath Den. There was still a lot of work to do.

“It’s okay to talk about it. Helpful even, yeah?”

“I know.” Tallis nodded.

“Okay, well, if there’s anyone here who knows what kind of stress a battle puts on a person, it’s me. It’s not something that goes away easy, or goes away on it’s own, alright?”

The rest of the crew were busy pitching tents and collecting firewood. Tallis looked to them over Aragam’s shoulder. “I should help set up. It looks like we’re stopping for the night. I don’t want to be too useless.”

Aragam turned with a shrug. “They’ve got it handled.” He collected his rifle from the cart. It was a long and thin piece with an octagonal barrel and some kind of crank handle near the stock. “Let’s worry about food.”

His stomach growled in agreement. Aragam called out their plan to the rest of the group and Valerie gave them a wave towards the forest. It was all the acknowledgement the Changeling needed, and he led Tallis into the woods with his usual springing steps. He seemed to be healed completely, despite looking much worse just this morning.

“Are you sure you’re well enough to travel?” Tallis asked. “You were in Death’s dooryard a few days ago.”

Aragam took a deep breath and smiled. “We’re in the winter lands at the change of the seasons, kid. There isn’t much that could keep a Fae, even a half Fae like me, down here and now, right? The magic in this place is older than time and it runs very deep. The power is incredible.”

Tallis shivered, the air was getting colder by the second and his shirt and vest was suddenly, not warm enough. “Well I’m glad it’s a comfortable spot for you. I’m freezing.”

“Hopefully we can scare up a meal quick then. Maybe skin you a new coat, yeah?”

Tallis pushed a low hanging branch out of the way and stepped over a frost rimmed puddle. “I wouldn’t say no to that.”

Aragam crouched, eyes scanning the underbrush. The forest here was thicker and wilder than in the borderlands. Bushes and ferns crowded the space between the trees, glowing softly with a cold violet light. The trees were shorter and heavier with pale cracked bark that dripped with red sap. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold wormed up Tallis’ spine.

Aragam took a bullet out of his jacket. It was massive. If he ever needed to hunt a bank vault, that was the round Tallis would use. The Changeling levered open the chamber of his rifle and slid the round inside.

“Hopefully,” said Aragam. “We’ll shoot a main course soon.”

Tallis reached under the robe and took Setia’s book of plants out of his vest pocket. “I’ll work on the side dishes then.”

“Keep an eye out for mushrooms while we’re out. There are some really amazing ones out here, yeah? Delicious.”

Tallis nodded and let his eyes fall to the ground, scanning the sharp scrub grass for anything edible. Foraging was a meditative process for him. It was easy to let his mind go blank and let the world narrow to a collage of leaves and stems, thorns and berries. All of the other problems drifted away. Stray thoughts rolled off his mind like oil skimming on water. It was peaceful here, and a heavy silence hung in the forest like the muted quiet that blanketed the world after a heavy snowstorm. The thought of snow seemed to bring it down. It started in flurries of a few flakes but grew into a squall backed by a wind with razor teeth. The silence of the forest hid a terrible violence and power. Shivering, Tallis dropped a handful of mushrooms. The sack wasn’t full but there was enough there for everyone to have something. He hoped it would be enough. With the weather getting worse, he didn’t have much hope of finding much more.

A shot roared above the screaming wind. “Aragam?” Tallis called out, heading towards the noise.

In answer, a rifle roared.

Tallis bit back a curse and drew his pistol, running towards the noise. The wind and snow cut him to the bone, sending sharp, tingling pain dancing over the ends of his ears and the tip of his nose. The sky darkened and the lights from the plants caught the blowing snow, casting the world into a dizzying mix of glare and gloom. He took another step forward, less sure that he was heading the right way.

Stumbling onward, he called out again. “Aragam? I can’t see you, buddy.”

Something larger and angrier than the Changeling answered him with a roar so loud he could feel it vibrating in his chest. A darker shape moved in the shadows. It was massive, thick and heavy and nearly as tall as the trees. With another growl that threatened to rattle his bones apart, the monster snapped a tree in half and stalked forward. Tallis shot it. It was so huge that even he couldn’t miss it but the thing was a wall of muscle. The bullet struck it in the arm and a thin trail of blood stained it’s grey fur but it didn’t do any real damage. It just pissed the thing off.

With a scream, the giant threw the tree at him. He ducked, and spun, taking off through the forest. He had no hope of fighting that thing. No hope at all. Bitter despair filled him and a flash of ice blue light fled outwards from him in a circle. Without meaning to, he left his human shape behind and took to the air. The wind buffeted his tiny body and tossed him aside like a sea in a storm. He circled towards the direction where he thought the Faerunners had made camp. An icy gale slammed him into the trunk of a tree and he tumbled to the snow collecting at the trunk. Another roar shook the world and was answered by a second, more distant, call. Gods there was more than one of them out here.

The wind redoubled it’s efforts to freeze over the entire earth. Instinct drove him up into sheltering arms of the trees, and he wiggled into a hole in the trunk. The small space was lined with sticks and bits of fur. Cracked fragments of eggshells dusted the floor. He hoped that the owner of this little home wouldn’t mind him staying over until the storm let up. The giants roared again and Tallis hunkered down amid the old branches, praying they wouldn’t find the camp. His prayers went unanswered and the staccato crack of repeating gunshots rang out louder than the howl of the wind. Cursing, he beat his wings and soared out into the storm. Navigating was easier now, all he had to do was follow the shots. The forest thinned and he spotted a flickering fire bordered on one side by three tents and by the carriage and the cart on the other. His friends crouched near the flames, hiding behind what little cover the wagons gave them and firing out into the storm at a pair of massive creatures harying the camp.

Tallis stopped flapping for a moment, spreading his wings out straight and drifting on the gale. What did he have on him? A bag of food and a pistol that was too small to do any damage. He had his magic but this tiny shape was worse than being human. There was nothing he could do. One of the giants stepped through the cloud of gunfire and wrapped one paw around the cart. Tallis clenched his jaw, determined, this thing wasn't going to hurt his people. Folding his wing tight against his body, he fell from the sky like an arrow and hit the creature beak first. He tasted copper. The giant didn’t seem to notice at all.

He planted his feet, tiny claws digging into the monster’s fur and looked for a more sensitive area to pick at. Hopping up its shoulder, he stretched his neck and bit down as hard as he could on the giant’s earlobe. It made an irritated grunt and swung a paw up to swat him away. The thing’s hand was big enough to turn him to paste. He scrambled away from the monster, taking to the air again and came down on its forehead, feet digging into its bushy eyebrows. He dipped forward and drove his beak into the giant’s eye.

That got the response he was looking for.

The monster stumbled back, holding both hands to its face, and Tallis flew clear as it thrashed. The fur under its arms was sparse, the skin more supple. Sliding to the ground, Tallis dropped the spell and rolled to his back. He let out a long breath, raised his gun and fired. The harsh pop was barely audible against the storm and the screaming and the gun kicked gently in his palm. He must have hit something important. Blood jetted out from beneath the giant’s arm, flowing in steaming streams with every beat of its heart. The giant took a stumbling step forward and brought one huge foot down to grind Tallis to dust.

Riding that current of fear, Tallis shuffled back, channeling the emotion into the bundle of feathers in his breast pocket. With a flash of icy light, he shifted again. Crying out a screech of triumph he took the air again, tiny wings struggling against the gale. He flew towards the second beast and it tossed a handful of stones in his direction. His concentration slipped and he lost the spell. Without wings he hurtled towards the giant and ran headlong into its chest. His gun tumbled from his fingers and he held on to the beast's fur with all his might. With his free hand he did a quick sweep of his pockets and came up with a long, curved pepper. He remembered he’d told himself he’d try it when he was feeling braver, and he was certainly feeling brave tonight.

The giant brushed him off. Tallis fell and the air left his lungs with a painful whoosh. A fist drove down towards him. He rolled. The giant beat a small crater where he’d been lying a fraction of second earlier. A fresh volley of gunfire whipped out from between the tents and the monster staggered back. Tallis scrambled to his feet and crushed the pepper in his hand, planting one boot on the giant's forearm he leapt for its face. The giant was all muscle and running into it was like throwing yourself at a brick wall. He hit with a grunt and ground the heel of his hand into the giant’s eyes. It roared and wrapped a meaty paw around him. The giant cocked its hand back and pitched Tallis up over the camp with all it’s might. His stomach did a sickening little flip but Tallis laughed.

He owned the skies.

Just before he slammed into the ground he left his human shape behind and spread his wings, soaring back to the trees and alighting on a narrow branch to catch his breath. The giant he’d shot was living on borrowed time and the debt came due. With a final shudder, it stumbled backwards and fell. It hit the ground with a bone jarring impact and sent eddies of snow and dust rising into the air when it landed. The beast died with a sad grin and a plaintive wail. Tallis felt a pang of sorrow twinge at his heart as the sparkle in the giant’s faded.

The second monster was too occupied with it’s burning eyes to fight and the rest of the Faerunner’s circled it. Aragam’s and Valerie’s rifles roared and brought the beast to its knees. Callan strode forward with a feral grin and raised his axe. He brought the blade down and it buried itself in the giant’s neck with a thudding finality. The beast succumbed to its wounds and died with a bubbling growl of rage on its lips.

Callan wrenched the axe free and held it above his head, shouting in triumph. Cheers went up from the rest of the group but they faded quickly as they looked around the camp. Tallis swooped down from the tree and landed on the peak of one of the tents.

“Where’s the kid?” asked Aragam.

“Wasn’t he with you?” said Setia.

“Yeah but we got separated, right? I ran back here. Thought he was right behind me.”

Valerie looked towards the fallen giant and her expression darkened. “I saw him fighting. He, uh, he didn’t get squished did he?”

Tallis hopped down from the tent and let go of the spell. “Quit your worrying.” He coughed, and clutched at a sharp pain digging through his ribs. “I’m fine. I think.”

Callan smiled at the group and flicked the blood off of his axe. “It has been a long, long, time since I had the honour of felling a giant. Welcome to the lands of the Winter Court, friends. Let’s hope the rest of the trip goes more smoothly.”

“Let’s hope the giants ate that Cold Iron agent, yeah?” Aragam walked to their cart and pulled out a bundle of butcher’s knives.

“I don’t think we’ll get that lucky.” said Tallis. He cocked an eyebrow at Aragam who was already elbows deep in the giant’s flesh, skinning the fur from it and cutting out steaks. “Can we eat a giant?”

“We can,” said valerie. “ It’s a lot like fighting Cold Iron. Just gotta take it one bite at a time.”

“We have to use what we can," said Callan. "Killing an animal, even a dangerous one like a Giant and not using it would be nearly criminal and the rest of the winter clans would not be happy.”

“You must be hungrier than I am,” said Tallis.

“We’ll use what we can,” said Callan. “And trade the rest. The cold will keep the meat fresh for a long time and surely someone will be interested in filling their larders for the winter.”

Tallis couldn’t argue with that, and with a shrug he walked over to the body Aragam was breaking down and got to work. It was slow going in the cold and they were all shivering by the time they finished. The entire crew helped where they could and they ended up with enough fur to make coats for them all and enough meat for a kingly feast. He carried a bundle of steaks to the fire and did his best to help cook but Aragam shooed him out of the kitchen. The changeling seemed shaky, upset, and told Tallis that he just needed some time alone to calm down.

The storm let up and an easy silence fell over the forest. The world was muted by a thick layer of snow and it left Tallis feeling smaller, more humble, like he could feel the vastness of that silence stretching out across the entire world before him. He felt like he was part of something much larger than himself. He found Callan meditating in the soft glow of a squat tree. The familiar smell of burning herbs surrounded him.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Tallis.

The Fae didn’t answer, but held out a hand and motioned to the space next to him.

Tallis sat and let his mind empty, savouring the silence. After the madness of the past few days the moment of peace was even more valuable. He knew he was supposed to let thoughts and feelings slide off of him as they sat there but he couldn’t help but question whether he was making the right choice. He’d proven to himself that he could do this, he could fight for sure, but his mind drifted home no matter how hard he tried to stop it. Would his parents be okay in San Tempes? Would they have enough money to get by? They’d run away with nothing. He hoped they would make it. The sage smoke pooled around him as they sat there.

“Tallis,” said Callan. “You are doing this backwards. Your energy shouldn't be sticky like this.”

“I know. I know. I’m worried about my family. We didn’t leave them in the best position.”

“I understand, but what can you do about that now? It’s a problem that’s out of your control. I have faith that they will be okay and if they aren’t, then I have faith that you’ll help them when you can, and maybe the best way to give them a hand is to make sure Cold Iron goes down in flames. You killed a giant today, Tallis. Not many men can make that claim. What chance do the agents have against giant slayers? It’s fate Tallis. This is why you’re here.”

“You know what I think about fate.”

Callan laughed. “I do, and that’s okay. You’re young. You’re allowed to be wrong.”

Aragam called out that the meat was ready and Tallis stood, walking over to the fire. Maybe there was something to Callan’s words. He could only focus on so many issues at once, and right now he had to get back to his world before he could help his family. And if he could stop Cold Iron here, then maybe he could make things that much better for everyone back home.

Aragam handed out plates made of stiff, dry bread and topped each one with strips of meat fired with the vegetables Tallis had foraged. The meal was rich, smoky and delicious and it melted all of the stresses of the past few days. The communal magic of a shared meal fell over the team and they laughed together as they ate, sharing jokes and stories of easier times. Someone found a bottle of wine and it made a few trips around the fire before it fell, empty at Tallis’ feet. At the end of the night, he stood and stumbled to the nearest tent, collapsing into the first bed he found.

Callan was right. He had killed a giant today, and if he could do that, then he could do anything. Cold Iron didn’t stand a chance.