them as she did when she was trying to call sylphs, but the “feeling” was different. As if she was speaking in a higher pitched tone, or singing soprano instead of contralto. And she saw the effect immediately: those nearest her suddenly stilled, and she felt their attention riveted on her.
I am a new Air Master, she said in her mind, trying to keep her thoughts humble. Would any of you care to meet with me?
They took their attention off her and transferred it to each other. A knot of them swirled lazily up there, apart from the rest. There was a silent colloquy going on above her, and finally, they seemed to come to some decision. Then several of them—it was hard to tell how many, because of the way they swirled and twisted around each other—plunged down out of the heights and headed directly for her. The wind picked up around the three humans as they arrived, sending their clothing flapping and billowing as the Elementals circled, examining her.
Finally, they stopped, all of them in a knot, facing her, and the winds died. She held her breath, waiting to see what they would do.
“Greetings.” It was a chorus of many voices, breathtakingly beautiful, and like nothing so much as the wind passing over the strings of a perfectly tuned harp.
She bowed. Greetings, she thought. Thank you for meeting with me.
The reply was a chorus of pleased laughter. “You are courteous, and careful; well done. You are an Air Master. We accept you as our friend. You may call us at need and we will answer.”
How? she asked, both elated and bewildered. How do I call you?
“Like this.” And her mind filled with . . . a sound. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. She could not have described it if her life had depended on it. And yet, she knew she would be able to reproduce it perfectly if she needed to.
She also knew that doing so would require a tremendous amount of magic from her—rather as if she were to try and blow an Alphorn. In fact, that sound was something like an Alphorn. Or maybe, like an entire chorus of Alphörner. Hundreds of them, sounding a single chord in a great and noble harmony.
Thank you, she replied, and bowed again, feeling as if she ought to. She sensed their approval, and when she rose, it was to see something even more astonishing.
There was a bird flying toward the mountain, except that it was like no bird she had ever seen before. Eagle-like, except that the neck was too long, the tail was too long and forked, and there was a crest of feathers on its head. And as it drew nearer, and its shadow fell over the side of the mountain next to the one she was standing on, she suddenly realized just how far away it still was, and yet she could see every detail of it perfectly—the dark golden feathers, the golden eye, the way energy crackled along the shaft of every feather.
The Air Elementals moved aside for it and it glided in, then hovered just above them, as if it was hovering on the breast of a tremendous updraft that only it could feel. The sense of immense power and control so absolute it made her shiver fell over her.
“My brother,” said Fox, putting his hand to his heart. “You do me great honor to have come so far.”
She felt, rather than heard, the bird’s answer, even though she knew the answer was not meant for her ears. She felt as if she could not breathe, and yet, did not need to. If this creature was not a god, then it was very near to being godlike, and if her knees had not been locked, she thought she might have fallen to the turf, overwhelmed by its presence. And then the bird tilted sideways, circled up, and vanished into the sun, followed by the native Elementals. Then they were all gone, leaving her feeling exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.
The walk down the mountain had taken place in silence, as if none of them wanted to spoil what they had experienced by talking about it. And in Giselle’s mind, it was a very good thing that they had plenty of time to get themselves collected before they encountered their first people again. The walk was lovely; she was still full of Air energy, and every step felt buoyed by