The drumbeats had stopped sometime in the night, leaving only the whisper of wind against stone. Hine woke before the sun had fully risen, the faint gray light seeping through the narrow window of her room. Her dreams had been restless, filled with flickers of firelight and the shadowed outline of a woman she could not quite see.
The mat beneath her was cool. She sat up slowly, feeling the stiffness in her legs from the long climb the previous day. Her satchel was still by her side, the shard resting within. Even without touching it, she could feel its faint warmth, as though it had been quietly awake while she slept.
A knock came at the door.
"Enter," Hine called.
The door opened to reveal the boy she had first met at the village entrance. His expression was unreadable, though his eyes flicked toward her satchel before returning to her face.
"Kaien requests your presence at the fire," he said.
Hine rose and followed him through the quiet corridors of the cliffside dwellings. The air outside was crisp, carrying the faint scent of burning pine. As they stepped into the open, she saw the village gathered once more around the great fire at the upper terrace. The flames burned bright despite the pale dawn, casting long shadows across the stone platform.
Kaien stood near the fire, his arms folded, while Lurya knelt beside a low table covered in objects Hine did not recognize. There were bowls of ash, polished stones, small wooden carvings, and what looked like the hollowed skull of a mountain goat.
"Sit," Kaien said, motioning to the empty space across from him.
Hine obeyed, lowering herself onto the cool stone. The villagers watched from the edges of the platform, their faces solemn.
"You carry a shard of the First Flame," Kaien began. "Such a thing is not brought into these mountains without consequence. We must know if you are worthy to carry it further."
Hine met his gaze. "And if I am not?"
Lurya answered without looking up from her arrangement of objects. "Then we will take it from you and send you back the way you came."
The words sat heavy in the air. Hine's hand brushed her satchel. "What must I do?"
Kaien gestured toward the table. "There is a trial we give to those who claim the right to walk paths of fire. It is not a test of strength alone, but of will and spirit. Pass it, and we will allow you to travel north. Fail, and your journey ends here."
Lurya rose and came around the table, carrying a small clay bowl filled with glowing embers. She held it out to Hine. "The ember walk begins at the edge of the plateau. You will carry this across the northern pass without letting it die. If the ember fades before you reach the final marker, you have failed. If you drop it, you have failed. If you turn back, you have failed."
Hine took the bowl carefully. The heat radiated through the clay, warm but not unbearable. "How far is the pass?"
"Far enough," Kaien said.
Lurya's eyes softened slightly. "There will be wind. There will be ice. The ember must live through both."
Hine rose to her feet, the weight of the trial settling into her shoulders. She thought of Mavuika stepping into the Sacred Flame and of her own promise. "Then I will not let it die."
Kaien gave a single nod. "We will watch from the ridge."
They led her to the northern edge of the village, where the path narrowed into a winding trail carved along the side of the mountain. Below, the valley stretched into a sea of mist. The sun was climbing higher now, sending pale light spilling over the peaks, but the air here was sharp and cold.
Hine stepped onto the trail, cradling the bowl in both hands. The ember glowed steadily, a small heart of fire against the morning chill. She walked carefully, each step placed with purpose, mindful of the uneven ground beneath her boots.
The wind picked up as she rounded the first bend, tugging at her cloak and threatening to snuff the ember's light. She shielded the bowl with her body, crouching slightly until the gust passed. Her breath came out in white puffs.
Far ahead, she could see the first marker ; a tall pole wrapped in red cloth, standing in a narrow gap between two jagged rocks. She focused on it, willing her legs to keep moving despite the cold that was already seeping through her clothing.
When she reached the marker, she paused only long enough to glance back. The ridge above the village was dotted with figures watching her progress. Somewhere among them would be Kaien and Lurya, measuring her every step.
The next stretch of trail climbed sharply, the rocks slick with frost. Her boots slipped once, and she tightened her grip on the bowl, heart pounding as she steadied herself. The ember's glow flickered but held.
Halfway up the incline, a shadow moved in the corner of her vision. She froze, scanning the rocky slope. At first, she thought it was nothing but a trick of the light, but then she saw it ; a figure standing on a ledge above her, partially obscured by the curve of the mountain.
It was too far to make out any details, but the way it stood, motionless, sent a ripple of unease through her.
Hine forced herself to keep moving. Whoever it was, they made no move to approach, and soon the curve of the trail hid the ledge from view.
The second marker stood in a wind-swept hollow, the red cloth snapping violently in the gusts. Here, the cold bit even deeper, and the ember's glow dimmed. She knelt, cupping her hands around the bowl, whispering to it as if it could hear.
"Not yet," she murmured. "We are not done."
The ember flared slightly, enough to hold against the wind. She rose again and pressed onward.
The final stretch to the third marker was the hardest. The trail narrowed to a knife's edge, with sheer drops on either side. The wind roared, tearing at her cloak, and more than once she had to stop and brace herself against the rock. The bowl felt heavier now, as if the ember had drawn strength from her arms.
When the third marker finally came into view : a tall stone carved with swirling patterns ; her chest ached with relief. She stepped up to it and held the ember aloft.
From the ridge above, a horn sounded, its deep note rolling across the valley. She had passed.
Hine turned and began the slow walk back. The wind eased as she descended, though her muscles trembled from the effort. When she reached the village, Kaien was waiting at the gate.
"You kept it alive," he said, glancing at the ember.
"I told you I would," she replied.
Lurya stepped forward, her eyes on the bowl. "Then you may carry it further. And perhaps it will carry you."
Hine handed the bowl to her, feeling the weight leave her arms. The warmth lingered, though, sinking into her bones.
"Rest today," Kaien said. "Tomorrow, you begin the path to the high passes. It will not be guarded by us. Whatever watches from the shadows there will be your burden alone."
Hine nodded, though her thoughts drifted back to the figure she had seen on the ledge. If it had been a person, they had been watching her trial. The question was whether they had been rooting for her success or waiting for her to fail.
As she returned to her room, the shard in her satchel seemed warmer than before. Almost as if it, too, had been holding its breath.