The mountain remained silent after Roberto vanished. The particles of light that had carried his body away faded slowly into the wind, leaving nothing behind except the empty cliff and the faint echo of his last words. Noel didn't move for several seconds, his eyes fixed on the place where Roberto had stood, his mind replaying the encounter in careful detail. He had not expected to see him today.
The tension in the air gradually dissolved, the pressure that had settled over the ridge easing as the mountains returned to their usual stillness. Wind slid between the cliffs again, carrying dust and the distant cries of creatures that lived deeper in the range. Behind him, Noir's massive form shifted, the towering shadow wolf shrinking rapidly as darkness folded back into itself. Within seconds the enormous body collapsed into the much smaller shape of a wolf pup. She stretched briefly before slipping back toward Noel, her small form merging easily with the shadow at his feet.
