Queen of Ice (Through the Fire Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  “Tadrick, is it? Here, choose,” the redcap said, offering the swords to him.

  “Thank you,” Tadrick replied, bowing his head slightly as he approached, testing both swords, then shrugging and handing one back. “Both are excellent, thank you. What might I call you?”

  “Call me Mills,” the redcap replied with a grin, taking several steps back. “I used to train by carrying a millstone around.”

  “I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mills,” Tadrick said, taking a deep breath, then nodding. “I’ll do my best against you.”

  “Good,” Mills replied, glancing at Soresh. “Witness?”

  “I am ready. You may begin,” Soresh said, nodding solemnly.

  For an instant, neither of the two moved. Then, as Ruethwyn blinked, they shot toward each other and the match began.

  Ruethwyn wasn’t good in melee combat, but with her training, she was barely able to catch most of the battle. Tadrick wasn’t as strong as Mills, but he had a longer reach and was faster. By the same token, Mills was immensely tougher, as he took blows and laughed them off, driving past them to attack from close range and forcing Tadrick to dodge. They were fast and strong, and the only person Ruethwyn had seen fight who was faster was Sir Alaran.

  “He’s good,” the spearman commented. “Has decent odds, if he keeps dodging.”

  “I hope so,” Sella murmured, looking nervous, her hands clasped in front of her. “He shouldn’t lose his sword on my account. He takes such good care of it.”

  “He’s doing well, I think,” Korima said, her gaze intense. “I think—”

  Ruethwyn winced as Tadrick stumbled, a rock rolling beneath his foot. It slowed him down, and Mills hit him in the side with his sword in that moment, knocking Tadrick sideways.

  “Crap,” Ruethwyn breathed as Tadrick rolled away, trying to regain his feet.

  Mills didn’t give Tadrick time, though. The redcap gave chase, kicking a foot from under their friend as he tried to get up, then planting his sword into the dirt next to Tadrick’s neck hard, as if stabbing the ground. Tadrick froze, then sighed.

  “I give up. Crap,” Tadrick announced, resignation in his tone. Ruethwyn sighed in disappointment, wishing that her friend had won, but not too surprised.

  “Then the contest is decided,” Soresh said, opening his book and pulling out a quill and inkwell. He carefully held the book open with the inkwell in his palm before writing something in the book and stowing things again.

  As Soresh worked, Mills pulled his sword out of the dirt and straightened, offering a hand to Tadrick to help him up. “Not bad at all. If you hadn’t lost your footing, I might’ve lost.”

  “I don’t know about that. You took most of my hits like they were nothing,” Tadrick said, wincing as he stood up.

  “Hardly nothing. You’re pretty strong, and I’d forgotten what it was like getting hit and not healing from it seconds later,” Mills disagreed, shaking his head.

  “Well, thanks for the compliment. I hate to lose it, but a deal is a deal,” Tadrick said, sighing and unbuckling his sword. Ruethwyn could practically see the reluctance in his eyes, which caused her pity to grow.

  “Exactly,” Mills agreed, taking the sword and shaking Tadrick’s hand.

  “Even so, sending you out unarmed would be unfair as well,” Ironcrown spoke firmly, and Ruethwyn thought she saw him glance at her as he spoke. “Mills, as you have a new sword, you have no need for your old one. Why don’t you give it to your opponent?”

  “He does deserve to be able to defend himself. I’ll be back shortly,” Mills replied, a hint of surprise in his voice as he jogged toward the entrance he’d come through.

  “Ah, thank you, Lord Ironcrown. I appreciate it,” Tadrick said in obvious surprise, turning and bowing.

  “You deserve it. You taught Mills a valuable lesson and gave him an enchanted weapon. You also put up a good fight, showing that you’re not bad with a weapon yourself. Maybe in need of a few decades of training, but that’s most mortals.” Ironcrown grinned broadly, then glanced at Sella and nodded. “You and the others are free to go when you desire.”

  “Thank you,” Sella said, curtseying, and Ruethwyn and Korima followed suit.

  Mills returned, carrying a sword in a simple leather sheath that he offered to Tadrick. “Here you are. Take care of it, though. That sword served me well for years.”

  Tadrick took it, half-unsheathing the blade, and paused. Ruethwyn wondered why he looked surprised, but after a moment, he spoke, his voice oddly respectful. “I can tell that it did. I promise, I’ll take as good of care of it as I did of my old sword. I hope you’ll return the favor?”

  “Absolutely. If I don’t take care of my sword, I don’t deserve to live,” Mills replied, his tone almost flat, and chuckles of approval came from the redcaps around the room.

  “My pardon, ladies and gentlemen, but may I ask if you had a particular destination in mind when you entered the Frostglades?” Soresh asked, looking at them speculatively.

  “We were just following Rue when we fell down the trap,” Korima said helpfully, to Ruethwyn’s amusement.

  “As for me… I was intending to follow the ley lines to where I believed Valisair would be,” Ruethwyn said, shrugging. “I’m attempting to have the curse that keeps my injuries from being healed removed.”

  “I see. Well, should you wish to follow me, you may,” Soresh replied gravely. “I am returning to Valisair, but your ability to keep up will be your own responsibility.”

  “That would be wonderful! Thank you, Soresh!” Ruethwyn said, smiling and feeling relief wash through her.

  Sella nodded quickly, smiling as she added, “Thank you very much! I was worried we might not find it.”

  “Indeed, it might have been difficult. I bid you farewell, Lord Ironcrown,” Soresh said, turning and bowing to the redcap.

  “Thank you for coming, Witness,” Ironcrown replied, nodding in return.

  Ruethwyn considered just a moment, then gave a half-curtsey to Ironcrown, speaking calmly. “Thank you for your hospitality and fairness, sir.”

  The redcap laughed, smiling at her. “Not at all, girl. Good luck, you’ll need it.”

  “It is time for me to go. Come along if you’re going to,” Soresh said, then turned and started out of the room.

  Tadrick rushed to grab his pack, still holding the sword, and Ruethwyn’s eyes went wide as she hurried after the fair folk.

  She hadn’t expected him to walk quite so fast.

  Chapter 38

  Soresh slowed down slightly after leaving the tunnels, allowing Ruethwyn and the others to catch their breath. He looked back at them and nodded, speaking calmly. “My apologies for the pace, but I prefer the open ground to the confines of the redcap tunnels. It isn’t a place I go often.”

  The trip upward had been fairly arduous, as Ruethwyn hadn’t realized just how far she’d descended when going down the trap. Neither had the others, obviously, but at last they’d emerged into sunlight again, even if it was accompanied by a frozen breeze and a landscape covered by snow and ice. It took Ruethwyn’s eyes a little while to start adjusting, and she shook her head, smiling back at the fair folk.

  “It’s perfectly fine. I’m not sure how long it would’ve taken to get out of there if you hadn’t guided us, so it’s us who should be thanking you,” Ruethwyn told him, bowing her head slightly. “Beyond that, you’re also offering to guide us to Valisair, which likely saves me a great deal of time and exploration. I can’t say how helpful that is.”

  “This is true. Your chances of finding Valisair were not high to begin with. Few can locate it without aid,” Soresh agreed, giving his strange smile again. “That is why we’ll be taking a different path. You should not need snowshoes to follow the path I take.”

  “Snowshoes?” Ruethwyn asked, then glanced back and blinked, seeing Tadrick and Sella had pulled out a pair each, but both paused.

  “Really? I thought most areas in the Frostglades had
too deep of snow to walk across safely,” Sella replied, looking startled but in high spirits.

  “Yes, I’m certain. My hooves are much more likely to sink than your feet, so if you follow me you should be fine,” Soresh told her gravely.

  “Lead the way, then, Master Soresh. Thank you for your help,” Tadrick said, slinging his snowshoes again, and making Ruethwyn wonder how she’d missed them before.

  “Of course,” Soresh replied calmly and turned to start down the length of the ridge they’d emerged from, his pace brisk but easy to keep up with. They quickly began to follow, and Ruethwyn let out a breath, shaking her head as she gave the others a sidelong look.

  Before she could speak, Korima spoke up brightly. “Hey Tadrick, why did you seem so surprised by the sword that Mills gave you?”

  “Oh, that’s because it’s just an incredibly well-made sword. Superbly balanced, and I think that it’s an adamantine alloy, though I haven’t had a chance to look it over properly,” Tadrick explained, sounding more cheerful. “I’m more surprised they didn’t enchant it already since it’s better than mine was without enchantments.”

  “Huh, I have to wonder…” Korima murmured thoughtfully.

  “While excellent at forging weapons, redcaps rarely have the patience to dedicate to learning artificing, nor the contacts necessary for crafting enchantments,” Soresh interjected calmly. “In truth, giving you such a weapon was quite unexpected, and a gesture of respect.”

  “Respect for Tadrick, or respect for Ruethwyn?” Sella asked, trudging along in Ruethwyn’s wake. It was hard for Ruethwyn to keep track of everyone while walking, and finally, she gave up and just focused on following Soresh as Sella continued. “Their attitudes completely changed when you confirmed that she was Sinera’s student.”

  “Both. They would never give a weapon like that to someone they didn’t think would use it well. They have greater respect for weapons than most beings have for fellow sentients, and as such are very particular on who is allowed to wield a weapon,” the fair folk explained, then fell silent for a moment before continuing. “As for Sinera, she is very nearly a legend among the residents of Valisair. She is well-regarded, and when Zaria sent word that her student was attempting to reach the city, many of us were told to ensure that Ruethwyn made it safely. Perhaps not without challenges, but your actions below the surface showed enough respect that we have no need to test you further. For now.”

  “That’s good news to me. I wasn’t certain what sort of reception I’d receive,” Ruethwyn told him, a blush slowly rising in her cheeks. “Now, I just have to ask, what in all the hells did you three think you were doing, following me without permission? Your parents are going to freak out, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Sella’s decide to strangle me!”

  “They wouldn’t do that!” Sella protested, but she didn’t sound as certain as Ruethwyn would like. “They’re more likely to blame me for deciding to come into the Frostglades without permission.”

  “Oh? And exactly how much planning went into this? How long have the three of you been planning to follow me for?” Ruethwyn asked, glancing back at them, then focusing on her path again, watching as Soresh adroitly avoided a few rocks in his path. He really did move almost like a goat and was incredibly sure-footed.

  “Well…” Tadrick’s voice was hesitant.

  “I was planning to follow you from the moment I got permission to go to Waterstone,” Korima said promptly, her tone bright and happy. “I think the others decided on the trip to Waterstone, but I’m not sure.”

  Ruethwyn simply kept walking, letting them stew a bit. She didn’t have the heart to really chastise them but letting them feel guilty about it was more than enough to do the job, in her opinion. Not that it seemed to work on Korima, but it wasn’t as though Ruethwyn could do anything about that.

  “I… I decided after you were shot,” Sella admitted finally. “I discussed it with Tadrick a bit later, and he seemed to be of about the same opinion.”

  “It’s true. If we hadn’t been there, you might have died. Probably not, since we were in town, but possibly,” Tadrick confirmed quickly. “I guess I was thinking about what it meant to be a knight. You’re not good in close combat, and I was encouraged after the battle with the assassin. We took down an absolute monster, and I was able to help a lot. I didn’t think that we’d fall down a trap not even a day into the Frostglades.”

  “Well, you did. It may have turned out that you didn’t get hurt in the end, but it was a near thing, and I think that it’s likely that you and Korima would be dead if Zaria hadn’t warned me that she’d noticed you,” Ruethwyn replied tartly. “The redcaps might have rescued you, Tadrick, but likely as not it would’ve been too late for Korima.”

  At that, there was silence for a little while. Finally, Korima broke the silence, asking. “So what would you have had us do, Rue? You weren’t being cooperative!”

  Ruethwyn sighed and glanced back at them again, smiling slightly. “Honestly? If you’re going to come whether I like it or not, just tell me! At least then I can plan on it, even if there’s arguing and I grumble a lot. I’d rather that than you all following without asking and nearly getting me or yourselves killed.”

  “Well, I guess that makes sense,” Sella said dubiously. “I suppose that this time it would’ve been safer.”

  “Yeah, and I wouldn’t have gotten nearly drowned by a rusalka,” Korima said, and Ruethwyn could almost hear her shiver as she muttered. “Brr, that water was cold.”

  “A rusalka?” Tadrick asked curiously. “What’s that?”

  “A fey woman who likes drowning overly inquisitive men, from what I heard,” Sella shot back, and Ruethwyn barely heard a soft chuckle from Soresh ahead of them.

  “Pardon me, Soresh, but may I ask how far away Valisair is? I know you got to us in a single night, but I thought the city was located in the heart of the Frostglades,” Ruethwyn said, deciding that speaking up was better than hearing her friends banter. It would be nice to know how much traveling they would be doing, too.

  “You’re correct, Valisair is in the heart of the Frostglades. That’s why you’d have such a hard time reaching it,” Soresh replied calmly, his voice quieting her friends again. “As for how long it’ll take… not as long as you might think. We’ll be taking a gateway to reach it, as such will take days off our travel. You may have time to meander about the Frostglades, but I have my own duties and they cannot be set aside.”

  “I see. Well, thank you again,” Ruethwyn told him, her relief growing still more.

  “Not at all. Prepare yourself, young woman, for many people will watch you and judge you, as most remember your teacher’s visit. You will be compared to her,” Soresh warned her, still moving at that same steady pace.

  “I’ll do my best,” Ruethwyn assured him, though his words did make her worries drift to something else.

  The question was whether or not she could truly be helped in Valisair. Even if they could help her, the question was… would they? The odds seemed good, with how much they seemed to respect Sinera’s memory, but there was no way to know and anxiety was gnawing at her.

  A few moments later, Ruethwyn yelped as Korima suddenly embraced her from behind, almost knocking her over. She reeled in place, and Korima laughed.

  “Hey, stop worrying, Rue! We’re almost there, and we’re alive. So smile a little, would you?” The kitsune said, grinning as Ruethwyn looked at her.

  “Korima…” Ruethwyn began, then sighed and shook her head as she smiled helplessly. “Fine, I’ll try. Just let go of me, would you? It’s hard to walk.”

  “Okay, as long as you’re not moping around,” Korima agreed, letting go and almost bounding alongside Ruethwyn with an ease she envied.

  Still, it did improve her mood.

  As the sun was reaching its zenith a few hours later, Soresh led the four outsiders past a group of pines and into a clearing with a pillar of ice at its center. The pillar was a lot like an icicle to Rueth
wyn’s eyes, composed entirely of blue ice that extended seven feet into the air as it slowly tapered to a point.

  Korima sneezed, then sniffed and spoke. “The air here smells odd. High mana concentrations again? That usually seems to be the case when we have things like this.”

  “I think so,” Ruethwyn said, looking around. “Is this a node?”

  “It is,” Soresh agreed. “Mortals have their teleportation platforms in many larger cities on nodes, but we fair folk consider those… inelegant. Perhaps more suited to the population involved, but we prefer something smoother and less jarring both to the individual and the environment.”

  “Oh?” Sella asked curiously. “I didn’t know there was another type of approach to things like teleportation.”

  Understanding began to dawn on Ruethwyn, but it was Korima who suddenly spoke in excitement. “Oh! I’ve heard of something like that in stories! Are you talking about portals or gates, mister Soresh? You mentioned a gateway earlier, but I didn’t realize what you’d meant.”

  “That’s correct, miss Korima,” Soresh replied with a nod, smiling at her. “It takes a good deal more mana but is much like walking through a doorway from one place to another, save that the locations are distant from one another.”

  “Huh, come to think of it, I’ve heard of something similar,” Tadrick said, tapping his chin thoughtfully, though he looked a bit cold. “I don’t know much about them, only that they’re incredibly complex.”

  Ruethwyn nodded, smiling wryly as she spoke up. “I’m surprised none of you are thinking about the rift over midwinter. That was a type of gate, you know.”

  “Wait, that was to another plane, though!” Sella protested, even as Tadrick groaned.

  “That… what was I thinking? Of course we’ve seen one,” the young man groused. “I can’t believe I forgot about that.”

  “A planar rift is similar, yes. More complex in many ways, but similar,” Soresh confirmed. “Now I’ll open the portal and we can reach Valisair.”