He placed a hand on the ice pillar gently, and Ruethwyn saw the light around it begin to shimmer and swirl. It was likely to take a minute from the looks of things, so she went ahead and explained softly to the others.
“Portals in the same world are more difficult than planar rifts. In a lot of ways, a rift is… tearing open a hole between planes that already overlap metaphysically. It’s easier than trying to connect two distant places on the same plane, though they aren’t quite the same,” Ruethwyn explained, then hesitated and added somewhat wryly. “And with that, I’ve exhausted pretty much everything I know about portals. My teacher didn’t have a clue how they worked, either.”
“If they were easy, I imagine everyone would use them,” Korima agreed, shivering slightly as she added, “Brr… do you think it’s warmer in Valisair? I’m starting to think I’ll lose the tip of my nose.”
“I have no idea,” Ruethwyn replied, shrugging helplessly. “I’d help you with that, but it takes a fair amount of mana and I haven’t completely recovered from yesterday.”
“It’s alright, Rue. The thought’s appreciated,” Tadrick replied, smiling broadly at her.
Moments later, the pillar suddenly lit up from within, a brilliant multi-hued light surrounding the ice, and it seemed to fade out of existence slowly as a window in space opened, the air rippling around them as it did so. On the other side was a glittering wall made of ice, and Soresh quickly stepped through, then gestured at them to follow.
“Come through quickly. The portal will not be open for long,” the fair folk directed.
Ruethwyn quickly rushed after him, almost slipping on a slick patch of ground, but Sella steadied her and they followed Soresh through the portal. The air shifted as they did so, feeling lighter and warmer, and Ruethwyn took a deep breath as the others followed. The shimmering light playing over the wall of ice vanished a moment later.
Soresh turned, gesturing behind them as he smiled and spoke firmly. “Welcome to Valisair, mortals. We offer you our hospitality, should you wish to accept it.”
Ruethwyn turned and her breath caught in her throat. It took her a moment to swallow, then she spoke absently, awe coursing through her. “Thank you, Soresh. We accept your offer and are grateful that you extended it.”
Before her and her awe-struck friends was a city nestled in the hollow between mountains, icy walls rising high into the air to hold back deep snow. The light of the sun above them glittered as it played off of hundreds of beautiful buildings crafted of pure ice, most of them shaped in ways almost alien to Selwyn, with more curved lines than she was used to. Figures could be seen in the distance, but two buildings in particular drew Ruethwyn’s gaze.
One building was an oblong structure that looked almost like a miniature palace made of marble and ice. It was unusual in that it looked more like what Ruethwyn would expect back in Selwyn than here, its spires and walls far more angular than most, and she could see the open gates even from where she stood, though it wasn’t as impressive as the other building, which towered over everything else in the city.
Two towers rose from the center of the city and slowly arched toward one another, then began to wrap around each other in a slow spiral that rose into the sky. Ruethwyn couldn’t tell how tall the towers were, as her sense of scale was completely overwhelmed by the city, but it had to be at least a hundred feet tall, possibly more. The tower was brighter than almost any other structure, and at least part of that was the swirling light of the gate that shimmered between the two lowest parts of the tower, through which she could see snow swirling.
“It’s beautiful…” Sella breathed in awe.
“Agreed,” Tadrick said.
“Mm, that it is. I’m glad to see you made it, Ruethwyn. I was afraid I might have to wait a while,” another smooth voice spoke to the side, and Ruethwyn stiffened suddenly, turning to face the speaker with more than a hint of dread.
Standing there was Essryl, and the dark elf was grinning like a cat which had caught a bird as she held a delicate-looking glass of wine. She took a sip from the glass, her tail flicking back and forth like a metronome. The dark elf was wearing her black and purple armor, and she still had her knives at her sides.
For just an instant, Ruethwyn wondered if she should run.
Chapter 39
“Who the hell is she?” Tadrick demanded, one hand going to his sword hilt as his eyes narrowed. “Wait a second… a dark elf? Is she…”
“The term ‘dark elf’ is so… annoying. Accurate if you’re talking about my skin color, but that isn’t how most people use it,” Essryl replied calmly, swirling the liquid in her glass as she looked at Tadrick coolly, the flicking of her tail slowing down. “Also, I’ve received an offer of hospitality from the fair folk, as have you. Draw that sword, and I’ll be within my rights to defend myself fully… though I imagine I won’t have that chance. The fair folk do take their rules seriously.”
“Tadrick, back down,” Ruethwyn said simply, her impulse to run dying after a moment. It wouldn’t do any good anyway, and Essryl hadn’t acted against Ruethwyn before. “The four of us would have no chance against her, anyway. This is Essryl, one of Resvarygrath’s servants. She’s the one who healed me after Mellesyn, who interfered with my test, and who gave me back my eye.”
“What’s she doing here?” Sella asked nervously, taking a step to half-hide behind Ruethwyn.
“I have no idea. Well, not no idea, but it’s a question of her exact motive this time around,” Ruethwyn explained, watching as Essryl’s tail began to flick more calmly again as Tadrick moved his hand from the hilt reluctantly. “She’s come to see me enough times that I suspect she came here for me, but why is a completely different question.”
“I didn’t think it was that mysterious, but then you don’t know how closely I’ve been keeping an eye on you, Ruethwyn. When I learned that you were coming here to attempt to remove the curse embedded within your flesh, I chose to meet you,” Essryl said, smiling in amusement as she looked at the others idly. “I didn’t expect you to bring others, but I can’t say that I’m surprised. For the most part, your skills complement each other’s well, which is useful at your age. No one can be an expert in everything, especially with as young as you are.”
“I’ve caught your scent before,” Korima interrupted suddenly, sniffing the air carefully, then frowning. “I thought it was just a maid or the like, but I smelled you in the academy.”
Essryl just smiled and nodded, looking at Ruethwyn with a smirk. Ruethwyn decided to explain, her voice as calm as she could manage. “Yes, she visited a few times. She also terrifies me.”
“Ahem.” Soresh clearing his throat caused Ruethwyn to jump, and her attention turned to the fair folk guiltily as he spoke firmly. “While I’m certain that this is a fascinating subject, I have other things that I must do. Miss Demara, may I ask you to guide these newcomers to the guest quarters once your conversation is complete?”
“Of course. As long as they aren’t foolish enough to attack me, I’ll even guarantee that they’ll reach them unharmed,” Essryl replied, nodding her head to the fair folk. Despite her casual tone, Ruethwyn saw something in the dark elf’s eyes that she hadn’t expected to see. Respect.
“Excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to Valisair once again. Treat the city with respect, and you will be treated with respect in turn. Do not cause violence, unless you wish to receive it,” Soresh told them gravely.
Korima responded first, bowing deeply as she replied. “Thank you for your guidance, mister Soresh. It was incredibly helpful.”
Sella and Tadrick quickly added their own thanks, and Ruethwyn gave the best curtsey she could manage as she added her own. “Thank you again, Soresh. May your life be long, and may you experience many things.”
The goat-like fair folk smiled in return as he nodded. “And you as well. Good day.”
With that he walked off briskly, leaving them alone with Essryl. For a long moment, there was silen
ce, then Tadrick asked, “Why did he leave us with you? He had to know that the Golden Dominion and Selwyn are almost in a state of war.”
“You should have asked him if you wished to know his thoughts, Tadrick,” Essryl said, and laughed as the young man jumped at his name. “Oh, come now, you didn’t suspect I had been watching Ruethwyn for this long without learning who her classmates were, did you? I know about all of you, but particularly Korima, Sella, and you, Tadrick. I may not have been watching constantly, but who has the time for that? In any case, I suspect that Soresh chose to let me lead you to the guest quarters because he knew that I’d act appropriately. I respect the rules of my hosts.”
“I guess that makes sense…” Tadrick replied dubiously, but he did seem to relax.
“Besides, the Golden Dominion and Selwyn may be in a near state of war, but I’m not a member of either of them,” Essryl added, sipping her wine. “I’m a member of the Shadowfire clan, thank you.”
“Why did you attend the attack on Rue’s village, then?” Sella asked, slowly moving to stand next to Ruethwyn.
“Just because I’m not a member of the Golden Dominion doesn’t mean I’m not loyal to Lord Resvarygrath. He defeated me in single combat, and thus I’ll serve him until one of us dies, or until he angers me enough that I challenge him to another battle and win,” Essryl explained, looking at Sella steadily. “There’s no guarantee that I would, mind you, but I’m confident that I have a chance.”
Ruethwyn saw her friends stiffen at that, and Korima’s ears were perked up and focused on the Illisyr. Finally, Ruethwyn sighed and asked, “Why did you want to meet me here, Essryl?”
Essryl smiled broadly, glancing at the others for a moment, then shrugged casually and drained the remainder of her glass. When she spoke, she practically ignored the presence of others as she focused on Ruethwyn. “This allows us to talk normally for once, as it’s not in the heart of territory where people would make the foolish attempt to kill me, nor is it in the domain of My Lord. This is as close to neutral ground as we’re likely to encounter. Another aspect is that I wouldn’t be able to scry on you while you were here, so if I wanted to keep an eye on you I’d need to be present.
“Yet another reason that’s arisen is that it gives me a chance to look over your friends in person. Some are better than I thought, others worse. But even so, that’s not the real reason, I suppose.” Essryl’s smile faded slowly as she studied Ruethwyn carefully. There was something odd about her gaze, and Ruethwyn shifted in place nervously. Finally, the dark elf spoke again. “I want to watch you undergo the trials that the fair folk will put you through, Ruethwyn. Succeed or fail, I know that, after this, you’re planning to attempt to rescue Anara and the others. You’re going to attempt to breach the Obsidian Palace, and when you choose to do that, we’re going to be in opposition to one another. Thus, this is the last time I’m going to deliberately observe you, because if I see your preparations, I’m duty-bound to do something about them. You deserve a chance to succeed, however threadbare the chance may be… so I will not continue scrying on you. I’d like to have one last meeting when we aren’t enemies.”
Ruethwyn stared at Essryl in shock, trying to figure out how to react. She could see the part about wanting to talk on neutral ground, but the rest was a bit of a surprise. Essryl had talked about how she wanted to give Ruethwyn a chance and that she’d be her opponent in her rescue attempt, but a tiny part of Ruethwyn had begun to believe that the Illisyr might be exaggerating. This, though… Ruethwyn couldn’t help wondering if she’d been wrong about that.
“Why are you paying so much attention to Rue?” Korima asked suddenly, tilting her head to the side. “I can understand us finding her interesting, because she’s better than we’ve been in our class, and she survived Mellesyn, even if with help, but you seem confident you could challenge the dragon. Why’re you interested in her?”
“Why are you asking?” Essryl asked in return, raising an eyebrow curiously.
“I’m recording Rue’s story,” Korima said promptly. “It’s one that deserves to be told, especially if she succeeds in rescuing the others from her village in the end. I’m also trying to help her, but there’s only so much I can do on that. I can’t protect her, I can’t heal her… I just help where I can.”
“Mm, interesting. Come along, let’s get moving. The guest quarters are more comfortable,” Essryl said, waving at them to follow her.
Ruethwyn began following the dark elf down a path, one lined with stone steps to her surprise, and the others followed. Some of the wonder of the city had been leeched away by the surprise of Essryl’s presence, but Ruethwyn did bask in the presence of the strange, glittering city. It was a way to be closer to Sinera again, and while it hurt a little, it was also comforting in its own way.
“Rue, is this safe?” Sella asked after a few dozen steps, her voice soft. “She seems weird.”
“I don’t know. I don’t claim to understand her, Sella, but she could’ve killed me several times,” Ruethwyn replied with a helpless shrug. “I suspect that if she was going to kill me, she’d tell me that and just do it.”
“Precisely so, Ruethwyn,” Essryl replied, not bothering to turn to face them. “There was a brief moment a few months ago where My Lord nearly ordered me to kill you, but his pride didn’t allow it. Your life hung by a thread that day, but fortune was in your favor.”
The blood drained from Ruethwyn’s face at that, and she swallowed hard. Behind her, she heard Tadrick mutter a curse, one which she fully agreed with.
“Now, Korima, you asked me why I was interested in Ruethwyn. You’ve seen the damage she took from Lord Resvarygrath’s breath, yes?” Essryl asked, turning a corner and nodding politely to a tall, gangly creature that looked like he was made of wood, one that stood nearly nine feet tall. He nodded in return, making his way down the street.
“Um, yes? She got horribly burned along her right side from about the waist up,” Korima agreed, sounding a bit nervous.
“Exactly. I’ve seen many people die instantly from similar injuries. I’ve seen others rendered catatonic, and still others who ran about screaming before losing consciousness. Ruethwyn didn’t act like any of them,” Essryl explained, her pace slowing slightly as she glanced back at Ruethwyn. “Instead, when she realized that I was taking her fellow villagers away, along with her beloved… she forced herself to her knees and tried to fight back. Half her body was in ruins, and she tried to cast a spell. She failed, but she tried. I can’t tell you how few people I’ve met with the willpower to attempt such. Perhaps I’ve misjudged some, but Ruethwyn… the defiance in her eyes struck me as something worth considering. She didn’t give up, so I decided that I wouldn’t allow her body to die on her. She deserved a chance to put that defiance to use.”
Ruethwyn couldn’t help slowly blushing at the description of what had happened. She cleared her throat and spoke softly. “I don’t know that I’d put it that way… desperation, maybe, but not defiance.”
“I’ve seen desperation, Ruethwyn. Defiance, rage, fear… I’ve seen most of them over the years, and I call things what I see them as. I call your reaction defiance,” Essryl disagreed. “It was impressive.”
Taking a deep breath to protest, Ruethwyn thought better of it before she let her breath out again, muttering, “Well, I disagree.”
“That’s your prerogative. Now, we’re coming up on the guest quarters. There’s a cook, but they expect you to take care of your rooms,” Essryl told them briskly. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the four of you, but I’d assume that you’re going to have an audience with someone important this evening and prepare for it.”
“That seems reasonable,” Tadrick said, sounding a little confused.
“I should hope so,” Essryl said, then turned another corner. “And here we are.”
Ruethwyn followed her and blinked in surprise again. The city had been strange enough so far, but the guest quarters were stranger in their o
wn way. Two buildings had been constructed near one another, each of them crafted of wood, and they wouldn’t have been out of place in Tyrness, each looking like the wings of a manor or even as small apartment buildings, though the glass windows were a bit of a surprise. As if that was too normal, though, the two buildings were connected by an intervening space crafted of ice, the glittering panes looking more like glass than ice itself, and with intricate patterns of blue light running over their surface. It took a few moments for Ruethwyn to recognize the lines as those of an enchantment. She couldn’t see through the exterior ice clearly, but it looked like someone had furnished the middle area, and it even looked like there was a fire toward the middle as well.
“It’s half ice?” Tadrick asked, looking startled. “Isn’t that kind of fragile?”
“Ice fishers walk out on frozen lakes all the time, though usually it’s thicker than this is,” Sella said absently. “Are the walls enchanted? It looks like they are, but I’m not certain.”
Essryl didn’t respond, continuing toward the door at the same pace, so Ruethwyn nodded to her friend. “I think you’re right. I recognize a few of the runes in the walls, even if they’re more artistic than I’m used to.”
“That’s reassuring. A little,” Tadrick said, looking mollified as he slowed, letting the distance open between them and Essryl, who’d almost reached the doors to the building. His voice was quiet as he asked, “Is it safe to be around her? You look nervous, Rue.”
“Of course I’m nervous. Essryl is almost as powerful as Resvarygrath, and she made Master Mara worried, and he’s never really seen her fight,” Ruethwyn replied, keeping her eyes on the dark elf. From Essryl’s smile, Ruethwyn suspected she could hear them, which wasn’t surprising. Ruethwyn continued as calmly as she could. “I haven’t seen her fight, but she’s faster than you by far, Tad. Sir Alaran implied that he was taken down by her, too, so whatever you do, don’t get in a fight with her. I don’t think all of us could even make her breathe hard.”
Queen of Ice (Through the Fire Book 2) Page 33