9. The Freeze Out

By the time I reach my car, the wolves who chased me away are the farthest thing from my mind.

My test has arrived. The Earth element delivered a test and changed everything. I collapse against my car, not bothering to leave. Nobody chases me anymore anyway.

“Do you have any other instructions for me?” I ask, crossing my fingers for more guidance.

Nope, that hope fades quickly as nothing speaks to me and I feel no magic in the air.

Now that I’ve been given a test, the next steps are pretty simple.

If you don’t take an element’s test, there’s no guarantee the element will issue it again or that another will either. It’s possible to fail and still be given another chance, but you can also fail so spectacularly you’re rejected. Rejection is an element’s final answer, and one rejection can deter other elements too.

Waiting for a short time is acceptable when torn between options. This lets another element offer its own test, but no element wants to feel like a placeholder.

An elemental test is an honor. If you’re foolish enough to not take that seriously, if you don’t show proper respect for the proceedings, well… Elements are destructive enough as part of the natural order of the world. Pissing them off is never a wise decision.

Whatever I do must be done carefully and seriously with the best of intentions and—oh dear.

I’ve just been issued one of the biggest, most important challenges a potential wizard ever faces, and I already made a mistake. I really should have gotten myself together quicker and left. It turns out I am being followed.

The steps of the person running towards me are closing in. I whirl around.

Ewan stops short like he hit an invisible brick wall. He was clearly expecting more distance to cover, more of a challenge than me standing here dumbly.

We both stare at each other. I find my voice first. “Don’t worry. That display was more than enough. I got the message. I’m going.”

“No, don’t go.” His arm lifts to reach out but he stops himself. “Let me explain.”

Nobody in wolf or human form lurks over his shoulder. Of course, anyone familiar with the land could cut through the trees on two or four legs and surprise me.

I have to ask, “Is anyone else coming?”

“No, I talked them down.”

“You did? Why? It seemed like you were listening to them for a moment there.”

He winces. “Yeah, for one very stupid second I started buying into their version and I immediately regretted it.” The sincerity and regret on his face takes me by surprise. “We were assholes, I’m sorry. Let me fill you in. You deserve that much, at least.”

This decision is much easier.

“Alright,” I say. “Explain.”

Ewan nods, opens his mouth, and then says nothing for several seconds. “Actually, follow me.”

Then he turns and starts walking. I hesitate by my black town car but can’t stay behind for long. The curiosity wins out.

We walk deeper into the forest before Ewan finds his voice and starts telling his story.

“Our land is suffering. The trees are sick, the plants are dying. The ground is hard and unyielding. Everything feels brittle and not right. It’s like our land is stuck in winter and everything is still frozen. There isn’t any snow on the ground and the temperature is warmer, but that’s what we kept coming back to.”

Huh. I see what he’s talking about. The forest appears normal enough as a whole from the outside. Going further in and focusing on the individual trees shows limp branches, few leaves, and thinning bark. Some areas of the forest are bare and damaged while others were untouched. An insect or disease doesn’t just attack some trees and jump over other trees of the same kind.

The forest should be alive and thriving, yet everything is still and sparse. A supernatural issue isn’t immediately apparent, but it’s clear something is off.

The anemic trees and inhospitable land are only detectable when walking deeper into the forest. The place still looks like a beautiful natural paradise from the outside. Like someone is worried about appearances and property values or doesn’t wish to deter wealthy travelers from renting high-end vacation homes.

“We’re in trouble,” he says. “The wildlife, the plants, and trees, none of it is meant to endure a frozen climate all year around. And all the damage is limited to our land and the land in the public areas that we help preserve.”

“You suspect foul play?”

“We know there’s foul play.Someone is trying to force us out. We’ve caught it a few times.” Ewan shakes his head, trying to describe it. “It’s this magical freeze. A thin layer of frost suddenly covers everything in one spot, and it’s gone a few minutes later, but damage is done.”

“The ice isn’t natural, it’s magical, so it does more damage than normal,” I realize. Elemental magic packs more punch than an element in its natural setting.

“And getting proof isn’t exactly simple. The evidence melts. It’s easy to point fingers about what’s going wrong but getting an unbiased third party here in time to witness the frost is tough enough, then linking it back to our neighbors…”

“Your neighbors?”

Ewan nods. “We’ve had bad blood with them for years. They don’t think we ‘belong’ here or that we meet their high standards. Being superior and judging people is all they do, but they have enough money and power that people fear challenging them.”

I’ve met enough people like that to know the type. Their idea of the ‘right’ sort of people usually comes down to the number of zeros attached to the end of one’s net worth.

“We’re in a forest, not a cul-de-sac, so avoiding our disapproving neighbors wasn’t terribly difficult before. Then a few months ago, they came to my uncles and offered to buy our land from us. They own the land as the alphas, but it’s for the whole pack, so of course they refused to sell.”

“Then the trouble started?”

Ewan nods. “Our pack’s relationship with this land extends long before people decided to build vacation homes here. Our pack came together to buy as much land as we could so our wolves would always have a place here. Some of us have done well enough that we can take opportunities to buy more of the land when it’s available. But even those who can’t contribute financially still find ways to care for the forest. And now…”

Now all their hard work was being undone by foul play.

“That’s why you don’t want to move,” I say.

“We can’t let them win,” Ewan growls. “They want us out and they’re playing dirty to get their way. We’ve worked hard to keep our pack here. That’s not fair.”

“No, it isn’t.”

All the confusion and hurt from his pack’s reaction is melting away and now I just hurt for him. I wish there were something I could do.

“They’re breathing down our necks,” Ewan continues. “Trying to force us out, saying we can’t be trusted to protect our property or the natural land nearby. The worse it gets, the more it seems like they’re right. That our land would be better off without us.”

“If it’s a magical problem, surely there’s a magical solution.”

“Maybe.” Ewan gives me a dry smile. “But wouldn’t you know it, none of our old caster contacts are taking our calls.”

Some casters specialize in detecting magical evidence and uncovering foul play. That doesn’t help the pack if casters refuse to work with them. Which must mean they fear the repercussions of assisting the wolves.

“The family in question is magical?” I put together.

“Yep. Powerful too. Nobody else wants to piss them off.”

“But they aren’t icebrands?” If the neighbors feuding with icebrands suddenly found their land damaged by frost all year round, that would look very suspicious.

“No, these are metalbrands,” Ewan answers. “Being active, respected casters puts them in touch with multiple casters with other brands, so them knowing icebrands isn’t proof of anything. That’s what we’re missing. We need a direct link. Something to prove they have an unexplained icebrand on their payroll, or a money trail, or catching the person in the act.”

“Oh.” And now I’m beginning to see how I fit into all this.

“Then you showed up smelling of ice,” Ewan says.

“Anytime you notice even a whiff of ice magic, someone investigates immediately?” I fill in.

“Yeah. Seeing as the property lines aren’t clearly marked in the wilderness and our land gives way to natural forest and trails open to anyone, we can’t just patrol and keep our senses peeled for intruders. People innocently wander onto our property all the time. We watch out for ice and ice magic instead. Occasionally we find the frost as it’s melting, but we haven’t been able to catch a person.”

“Sam and the others thought they finally had their lucky break and caught the person responsible.” Now how they greeted me makes sense.

“Look, they were out of line.” Ewan hangs his head. “And I’m sorry they scared the hell out of you. I just wanted you to know why.”

“You don’t think I’m responsible?” I wonder.

“To be honest, you aren’t the link anybody was expecting. I just needed to remind them of that. Your family already has power and money. Why would they risk their necks sabotaging us? Can’t imagine anything is in it for them to make it tempting enough.”

Sensible. Though Ewan’s face when he looked at my phone didn’t look sensible. His face had looked complicated, maybe even pained. “So you just thought it through?” I wonder.

“Sort of.” He shrugs and sticks his hands in his pockets. “I can’t really give you a concrete answer. That’s why I froze up when the pack confronted you.” Ewan makes a face when he realizes what he said, froze up might not have been the best choice of words in this instance given the circumstances. “I trust my pack, and I didn’t know how to convince them when their instincts are telling them one thing and mine are saying another.”

“What do your instincts say?” I whisper.

Ewan meets my eyes solemnly. “That I can trust you.”

I know what he means. Since we started getting to know each other, I have the same feeling about him. I wonder if it’s a magical instinct or just a human one, telling me this is a good guy, that I’m in good hands with him. Or maybe I’m just a romantic to think we were supposed to meet, so he could lead me down the right path and open my eyes.

…

Oh my. Is that what’s happening here? I really can’t think about that right now… but I wouldn’t describe that feeling as wrong.

“I understand if you can’t trust me too,” Ewan continues and pulls me from my internal crisis. “My pack made the worst impression ever and I was no help at all. I understand if you run away and never turn back.”

“I’m still here,” I say.

“I noticed.”

Just like that, the last of the tension and suspicion seems to fall away. Suddenly we’re just two people standing in a forest that’s seen better days, two people who are smiling at each other. Being around him now is like I remember. Nothing else seems important. Or at least nothing else seems as important as him.

But Ewan’s pack is in trouble. They were even thinking of surrendering the land and starting over elsewhere. If possible, I need to help them—help him.

When I look around again, the details begin making more sense. A magical person could get into the common grounds easily, and even ‘wander’ into the pack’s private land without much hassle, but it would get trickier to avoid detection once the wolves caught on. The clusters of damaged trees makes me think about how a spell could target one isolated spot that then spreads to the nearby land and trees. Starting small would give the caster enough time to flee before the wolves picked up on the ice and explains why some areas are damaged while the land immediately adjacent shows no traces of hardship; the spell only expands out a certain distance from the place it originated from.

One other detail sticks out too. The caster must be a novice. Maybe someone very newly branded, but a novice is most likely. A branded wizard could affect a much larger area instead of needing to cast multiple spells over an extended period of time.

If a screwed up icebrand wanted to harm the wolves’ land and drive them away, their powers would make the result more effective than this.

“Oh, before I forget.” Ewan pulls something from his back pocket and hands it to me. “Here’s your phone back. I didn’t look at it more.”

That reminds me. “What did they show you?” Whatever it was seemed to concern him.

“Yeah, that didn’t help.” He grimaces with a weak chuckle. “You placing so many calls to our neighbor’s son. But they have a main house and do business near where you live all the time, that’s where we were meeting them the day I met you. They probably know all the icebrand families in the area that run in the same circles as them, that doesn”t prove any of you are involved.”

“Wait, what, back up. I know the people involved?”

“Unless there’s a different Percy Brass with pretentious metalbrand parents. Is he even back in town or are you guys chatting long distance?”

My head spins as I put all the information he’s given me together. I keep reaching the same conclusion. I can’t help smiling. There’s hope.

“Ewan, you were right to keep holding on and waiting for the proof you need.”

“Yeah,” he huffs out a laugh. “I sure hope so.”

“This is it,” I say. “You just found the missing piece you need. I know what”s going on.”