“It wasn’t, but if it had been, I would expect you to follow my command. What I was going to say is that you should approach the frost trolls under a veil and see if we’ve been captured. I don’t see that being a very likely outcome, however.”
Eliza nodded. Harper gestured to Lee and Willow, who looked surprised to be included.
“I thought I’d, er, wait here with Eliza,” said Willow.
“No. If there are any scavengers around the camp site, snow mice or foxes, I want you to use your nature magic to extend your senses through them.”
Willow nodded but didn’t look thrilled by the responsibility. Lee clapped her on the shoulder as they started walking.
“Relax,” he said. “It’ll be fine. Harper and I have dealt with this group of frost trolls before.”
“How did it go?”
“Well, uh…” He adjusted his hat. “A fight did break out, but it was all just a misunderstanding.”
“How reassuring,” said Willow.
The frost troll camp came into clear view as they drew closer. At its center was a massive bonfire in the latter stages of burning through its wood. Dozens of simple tents constructed from collections of animal furs stitched together in a quilt-like manner were set up nearby, each one large enough to host a small circus.
Piles of firewood, bones, and unidentifiable refuse littered the camp’s outskirts. Two frost trolls stood sentry just beyond that, and one of them let out a series of alerting grunts as Lee, Harper, and Willow came into its view.
“They can see us,” whispered Willow.
“That’s fine,” said Harper. “Our plan was never to sneak by them.”
Judging from the reactions of the first few trolls that came into view, they were expected. Lee recognized the clan’s chieftain, Kukachuk, more from his size than any other discernible detail. He emerged from the largest tent and pushed his way through the clump of trolls that had formed at the camp’s edge.
“Palms up, remember,” said Harper. “They know we’re mages and they know what casting stances are. It’s our way of showing we haven’t come intending violence.”
“And we haven’t come intending violence, right?” asked Willow.
“At this point, it’s up to them, not us,” said Lee.
Lee shared some of Willow’s uncertainty, especially as he stared up at the hulking frost troll chieftain. His head was monstrous, coated with pale-blue fur, two horns reminiscent of a goat’s protruding from his skull and curling upward. His expression was impossible to read, but it couldn’t be described as pleasant by any stretch.
“Sorceress,” boomed the chieftain. “Kukachuk would meet with you.”
“I am a mage, not a sorceress, but I accept your invitation, Kukachuk,” said Harper.
She nodded and took a step forward. Lee and Willow moved to walk closer together as the three of them followed the trolls into their camp. The smell was pungent and sour despite the cold temperature, a mixture of decaying meat and other refuse.
Kukachuk pushed his way inside his massive tent. Harper started to follow him, hesitating as one of the guard trolls moved to block the path of Lee and Willow.
“Just you, sorceress,” said Kukachuk.
Harper’s expression was intense, but she slowly nodded. “Wait out here, you two. If anything happens, shout for me.”
“Got it,” said Lee.
One of the frost trolls behind them let out a grunt. Willow stepped closer to him and grabbed his arm, squeezing her fingers into his shoulder as Harper disappeared through the tent’s flap.
CHAPTER 10
Lee gave the frost trolls the wary respect they deserved. Willow was openly nervous and uncomfortable, shivering in a manner he doubted was from the weather.
They stood near the bonfire while they waited for Harper. The frost trolls didn’t appear to be doing much in the camp. A few were eating animals, rabbits, a wolf in one case, all of it raw and not even properly butchered. The purpose of a bonfire was an open question in Lee’s mind, given how warm he suspected the monsters were kept by their fur.
Willow still hadn’t let go of his arm. She was pressed close against him, so close that he could feel each shaky, trembling breath she took. Her gaze jerked around at every movement in the camp, whether it was a troll pushing its way into a tent or, in one case, moving off to take a piss.
“Is this okay?” whispered Willow.
“Totally fine,” he said, setting his hand atop hers.
“No, I mean…” She pulled in close enough for her breath to tickle his ear. “Are they going to kill us?”
Lee snorted. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
She didn’t seem much comforted by that.
“Seriously though, we’re fine,” he added. “Trolls aren’t known for their subterfuge.”
“What?”
“They don’t do ambushes. It’s unlikely they invited us here under false pretenses.”
Almost as soon as he’d finished speaking, one of the nearer trolls dropped to all fours on the ground nearby. The movement and posture weren’t openly threatening, which left him at a loss for what to do as the troll began crawling forward, closer, and even closer, until…
“Ah!” cried Willow.
The troll began sniffing Willow’s backside in earnest, going as far as to poke its nose against one of her buttocks. Lee took a step away from it, pulling Willow with him.
“Look, I know she’s pretty, but that’s a poor way to make an introduction, at least where I’m from.”
The frost troll rose and snarled, reaching a hand out to grab her. Lee moved on reflex, pulling his dagger free of its sheath and jabbing the monster in the palm. It screeched and jumped backward, drawing the attention of at least a dozen others.
A low, threatening growl rumbled from nearby. Three trolls lumbered toward Lee and Willow, teeth bared and arms outstretched. Lee quickly put his dagger away and drew his pistol, aiming it in a circle as the monsters moved to surround him.
It didn’t do much to ward them off. He wasn’t even sure they understood what it was, let alone whether it would do much damage to them. He’d seen videos of grizzly bears and elephants shrugging off gunshots like pinpricks, and he felt a growing suspicion the frost trolls were in a similar category.
“What’s going on here?” boomed Harper.
At the sound of her voice, the trolls that had been approaching Lee and Willow instantly drew back like chastened dogs. He remembered Harper’s last encounter with the tribe and could understand where that respect came from. More respect than they’d give a firearm, for sure.
“It was my fault,” said Willow.
“It was nobody’s fault,” said Lee. “A frost troll stuck its nose into her butt and then tried to grab her.”
Harper scowled and folded her arms. She looked around slowly, as though debating whether further action needed to be taken against either the trolls or her charges.
“We got what we came for,” she said. “Come on.”
She led them out of the camp in a straight line toward the snowmobiles. The frost trolls parted for her, keeping the same wary distance Lee had first afforded them when he and Willow had been waiting around the fire.
He breathed a small sigh of relief when they were safely away.
“So, what’s up?” he asked Harper.
“I’ll explain once we…” She came to a stop, shaking her head slowly. “…reach the snowmobiles.”
They were still hidden by one of Eliza’s illusion veils, which had always been top-notch. Lee could see through most illusions with his mystic sight, but it had always been a coin flip with Eliza’s, one that usually came up tails. Following their tracks in the snow was also out of the question, already covered by the wind as they were.
“Eliza?” called Harper.
There was no response whatsoever.
“Eliza, come on,” called Lee. “You can let the illusion down now.”
“What if something happ
ened?” Willow’s nervousness began shifting toward full-blown hysteria. “Or what if she left without us?”
A small snort of laughter came from somewhere to Lee’s left. He rolled his eyes and started stomping forward.
“I was a Marco Polo champ when I was in grade school,” he said. “You might as well give up now.”
A small crunch of shifting snow came from just in front of him. Lee didn’t even hesitate. He jumped forward, not at full strength, but with the force of a modest tackle. Eliza gasped and he fell to the snow on top of her soft body. With her concentration broken, the illusion veil immediately dissipated.
“Show off,” said Lee.
She grinned up at him, auburn hair a mess across her face and shoulders. “I wanted a little revenge for being left behind.”
She glanced past him at Willow and then quickly leaned upward, pulling him into a kiss.
“Enough,” said Harper. “We don’t have any time to waste. Kukachuk, the frost troll chieftain, has asked us for a favor.”
Lee disentangled himself from Eliza, and the four of them gathered around the snowmobiles.
“According to Kukachuk,” continued Harper, “Kuh-Matton, the legendary burial site of the Unavowed Queen, an enemy spoken of in the frost trolls’ oral history, has recently reopened. He wants our help in exploring it and determining the situation.”
“The Unavowed Queen,” muttered Willow. “Was she also a troll, or monster, or…?”
“She was a powerful sorceress who enslaved the ancestral troll clans to do her bidding. She was originally slain by Shay Morrigan, the founder of Primhaven. That’s the true reason Kukachuk came to us for help. They still fear the Unavowed Queen, even dead, and would rather take the same approach their forefathers did in facing her the first time.”
“Are we heading into danger, then?” asked Lee. “You say she’s dead and this is her burial site. Is there any chance that…?”
He trailed off. There was no way he could ask if the trolls suspected the Unavowed Queen left behind a specter in the wake of her death. If she had, the situation would be more complicated, and he would need to be the one who ultimately handled it.
“This is an ancient burial tomb,” said Harper. “One from a time when the supernatural was much more open and common. I don’t think the danger is quite what Kukachuk fears, but we will most certainly need to be on guard.”
“We’re taking a risk for him, then,” said Lee. “What did Kukachuk offer in return? I don’t see why we’d bother with this out of the kindness of our hearts given our history with the frost trolls.”
Harper smiled. “He knows about our situation with the House of Shadows and the Melting Pack. They’ve already sent an emissary to the frost trolls if you can believe it. In return for our help, Kukachuk has agreed to stay out of any conflict that might arise between the Order and our enemies.”
“They’ll stay neutral? An alliance would be more helpful.”
“True, but it would have been asking too much, and I’m not sure I could have sold my superiors on it, regardless.” Harper rubbed her hands together. “Anyway, we’ll scout out the tomb with what’s left of the day and camp nearby.”
“We aren’t heading back to Primhaven tonight?” asked Eliza.
“I’ll excuse the three of you from your morning classes,” said Harper. “You won’t be penalized for your absence.”
Lee couldn’t keep his grin from spreading across his face. He just hoped Tess could handle her kitten on her own until he got back.
CHAPTER 11
It was another hour and a half before Lee and the others reached Kuh-Matton. He didn’t see it at first, and it wasn’t until Harper slowed her snowmobile and pointed into the distance that he made out the front of the centuries-old tomb.
It was set into the wall of a massive rock cliff that split the oncoming landscape into two separate vertical levels. From the outside, the door looked like a coin flipped on its side, a perfect copper circle with a demonic visage inset into the front.
Two things immediately stood out to Lee. The first was the size of the entrance, tall enough for a frost troll to walk through without having to duck its head. The second was that the door was already open. It had been slid a few feet to the side, just far enough for a person to make it through if they turned sideways and squeezed through.
Harper brought her snowmobile to a stop several hundred feet out from the tomb. She was frowning as she climbed off, and she raised a questioning eyebrow at Lee.
“What are your thoughts?”
Lee shrugged, examining the cliff face and tomb entrance more closely. “Judging from the ice still covering most of the rocks, I’m guessing the entrance was sealed over up until this recent bout of warm weather.”
“Anything else?”
“Well, it’s open, obviously.” Lee waved a hand. “I’m guessing that means someone either got in or got out before we arrived.”
“It’s been hundreds of years since that door was first set into place,” said Eliza. “It could have easily shifted from simple freezing and thawing, or an earthquake, or a rockslide.”
“She makes a good point,” said Harper. “We can’t assume anything just from the door being partially open.”
They continued for a short distance, searching out a suitable campsite for the night. Not far down from the tomb was a small cave Harper deemed suitably well-insulated from the elements for them to set up the tents inside.
“Eldon, help me with the fire,” said Harper. “Eliza, Willow, set up the tents.”
The supplies Harper had brought were more than adequate for a single night and included all of the dry wood they’d need to keep a fire going throughout the night. Lee made a simple pit from a few scattered rocks and began arranging the logs in the center.
He could hear the inevitable result of Harper’s work assignments almost straight away. Eliza and Willow began with subtle jabs at one another and progressed to full-blown bickering within the span of a few minutes. Lee heard one of them drop a bundle of tent stakes heavily on the cave floor and winced.
“Think we should separate them?” he muttered to Harper.
She shook her head. “It would only be counterproductive. We’ll all need to work together tomorrow. Better they come to an understanding of each other’s personalities now, rather than later.”
Lee heard Eliza let out an exasperated sigh and hiss something in a shrill voice.
“They’re like oil and water,” he whispered.
“It’s mostly Willow. She’s never been great at making friends. She has issues when it comes to control and defiance.”
“How do you expect me to put the stakes in through solid stone?” shouted Eliza from across the cave. “Really! Explain that to me, Willow!”
“If you would open your eyes for five seconds, you’d see there are cracks in the rocks over here where they would fit just fine,” said Willow.
“Over where the ground is completely uneven, you mean? You want us to sleep there?”
“Enough!” boomed Harper. “We won’t need the stakes tonight. They’re a countermeasure against the wind, which we won’t be exposed to. A single rock in each corner should be enough to hold each tent in place.”
Both Eliza and Willow glared at Harper as though she’d been the one responsible for their argument. She stared right back at them, authoritative, undaunted, and uninterested in putting up with their nonsense.
***
Lee stood back as Harper used a basic torch spell to set the firewood aflame. The warmth it brought to the cave was immediate, along with the calming ambiance of crackling wood and dancing shadows.
He found a cooking pot along with a simple metal tripod allowing it to be hung over the fire and set about preparing dinner for the group. He filled the pot with some of the bottled water they’d brought along with them and added a hefty packet of freeze-dried beef stew.
The result was a surprisingly appetizing mixture of meat, carrots, peas,
and potatoes, thick with gravy and spices. He stirred it with a ladle as it came to a light simmer. Harper was sitting across from him, and Willow and Eliza came to join them as soon as the tents were erected.
“That should just about do,” said Lee, carefully pulling the pot off the flame. “Do we have bowls?”
Harper shook her head.
“Spoons, then?”
“I don’t believe so.”
He scowled. “What do we have?”
Willow grinned at him and reached into her jacket. She pulled out a small metal flask and took a sip before offering it to him. “Vodka.”
“Gee, thanks.” He rolled his eyes, but his annoyance wavered, and he took a sip. It was cheap stuff, but no less intoxicating for its price.
“Why don’t you eat first, Lee, since you did the cooking?” said Eliza. “I don’t mind waiting my turn.”
“Neither do I,” said Willow. “We can listen to a fireside story in the meantime. Maybe, say, one from Harper about her time as an Arcane Striker?”
She grinned at her cousin. Harper was already shaking her head.
“Come on!” pleaded Willow. “You’ve told me stories before.”
“I’m not interested in reveling in the violence that working for the Order so often entails,” said Harper.
“Tell us a tale that doesn’t involve much fighting, then,” said Lee. He blew on a ladle full of stew and tasted it. It was still hot enough to burn his mouth, but he chewed on a rich bite of beef and carrots.
Harper sighed. “Fine. But this particular story does not leave the walls of this cave. Do you hear me?”
Willow grinned back at her. “Loud and clear.”
Harper laced her fingers together in her lap, taking a moment to compose her thoughts. Lee chowed down on the stew, slurping a bit as he took another delicious ladleful of gravy and potatoes.
“One of my early assignments as an Arcane Striker involved a mysterious sorcerer who’d used magic to take control of the wife of a certain international leader,” said Harper. “It would be inappropriate for me to name names, but I assure you it was a situation with serious, potentially worldwide consequences. I was sent to investigate along with my former master, Gen.”
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