Warrior

by Jana LaPelle

  “Everyone ready?” My mate calls out, “We trace to Rime territory in just a few moments. Dagda and Lugh will take Ashlinn and myself, and then the four of us will trace back and gather the rest of our team. So be on the ready.”

  One by one we trace to a frigid clearing that is snow covered and nestled into the foothills of a looming mountain range. Dagda mutters, “Now Ashlinn, we go back and gather the rest. Are you good?”

  I nod and trace back to the courtyard in the Keep. I gather Tolin and his mount and trace them to the snow-covered clearing. Tracing has become second nature in the last few months and as I continue to grow into my role, I’m becoming stronger. Before, I never would have thought that I could trace more than one other with me but today, I easily pull Tolin and his mount into my trace trail. It takes less than a couple of minutes for us all to appear in the snowy clearing. We agreed on a small group. We also agreed that we needed at least two Fomorians in our party to go up against Cú Chulainn and his company. When it’s all said and done, we are accompanied by Lugh, Dagda, Tolin, Lorcan, Fergus, Garrik, Camoryn, and Jasmine. After the last time, I learned my lesson when trying to exclude Jasmine from a mission. I smile over at my bestest sprite friend. From here on out, I will always give her the option to accompany me, always, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She is fierce in her devotion. Today, she is in her faerie form and has her wings retracted for now, and as always, she is a vision to behold.

  She smiles over at me and says sarcastically, “Thank the gods that I didn’t have to stow away in your stuffy, smelly bag this time. You nearly killed me the last time. Believe me, I haven’t forgotten that little mishap, and one of these days when you least expect it, I will get back at you for that.” I can’t help the grin that tugs on my lips as a vision of Jasmine flopping out of my bag in a crumpled heap in The Underworld pops into my mind. She was so pissed, and I had absolutely no idea that I had a stow away in my bag. I’ll not make that mistake again.

  Looking about the clearing, I watch the early morning sun rise over a cloudy mountain range that appears to go on for as far as the eye can see. Our breaths vaporize in the crisp frosty air and rise above us in smoky plumes. Storm is antsy as she acclimates to the cooler temperatures. She chuffs and prances in the deep snow as the sun gets lost in the clouds that shroud the peaks of the mountain range. The chill in the air can’t be ignored, and I’m thankful for the fur lined cloak that Alaric insisted that I wear. The wintery scene is a bit majical. The trees are covered in layers of pristine white snow and frost. There is a hush in the clearing around us. The only things that I hear are the chuffs of our mounts and their shuffling hooves in the crunching top layer of snow. The wintery precipitation is a tangible thing here and I feel a small smile tug at my lips.

  Alaric sidles up next to me, nudging my leg, “You like it here? Don’t you, mo grá?” He leans over and takes my hand in his own and I gently squeeze his fingers.

  Smiling back, I reply, “Do you even need to ask?” Shaking my head and looking around, I say in a hushed tone, “It’s cold, but the air is crisp and invigorating. It’s nice here. I know that I’ve said this before, but I love the hush of the snow… it’s somehow… soothing to me. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just so serene.”

  “Then, maybe we can help, Mother Keeper? The snow offers a certain feeling of… tranquility as it blankets the earth.” A melodic voice offers. From the somewhat darkened depths of the forest that surrounds the clearing we have traced into, the winter fae step forward. I am totally in awe and captivated by their frosty, alien beauty. I have never seen anyone like them before. Their skin looks as though it is the very fabric of frost itself and shimmers with a silvery radiance. Their skin tones are all cool lending to alabaster white, blues and violets. I have come to learn that many of the fae have crystalline blue eyes. The winter fae are no different, their eyes glow an unnatural crystalline blue, and in some cases, a vibrant violet. Their abundant hair is white and silver, and for the most part, totally straight, with a few exceptions. Frost and ice crystals tend to cling to them… on their hair, their eyelashes, and their clothing, as if they are the very same frigid temperatures as the crystals that cling to them. As they approach, they seem to glide effortlessly across the snow-covered ground. and their approach is quiet, not making any noise in their wake. The pair in the lead are beautiful and totally in sync with one another. I instantly recognize the two as a kindred pair, that and I believe the two to be ancients. I’m humbled by their presence before us, and in a moment of pure reverence I slip from my mount and bow before the most tranquil beings I have ever had the pleasure to encounter.

  “Oh… my dear, you do not kneel before us. It is those of us here that should kneel before you, Mother Keeper.” The female in the lead announces, her voice musical.

  “No. Never. It would not feel right. I’m so young and lacking in experience, I have so much to learn...” I hesitate, staring back at an ancient soul in reverence.

  Alaric is by my side in a moment’s notice. It’s then that I notice that I’m knee deep in snow and the winter fae seem to hover above the winter precipitation. Curious. How do they do that?

  Dagda is quick to speak up, “Our dear Ashlinn, is most humble. She is an old soul but has much yet to learn. We could not have been blessed with a better Keeper of Souls.” He beams down at Alaric and me, pride in his gaze, “Her kindred, Alaric and her, are perfectly matched. Please forgive us, but time is of the essence. As we discussed before, we are here on a most urgent matter. Is it within your power to help us?”

  The two winter fae that stand before their troupe walk a few more paces in our direction. They are accompanied by a snow leopard and a snowy owl. Now that I have taken note of the animals that accompany the two, I see that each of the winter fae standing before us all have an animal companion. They range from the white and adorable winter minks, to artic foxes, winter white rabbits, silvery wolves, and even polar bears. As the sun breaks through the clouds, I notice that they are also accompanied by winter sprites, or are they frost sprites? Their wings glitter under the attention of the sun as it briefly breaks through the clouds overhead. They race toward Jasmine. Recognizing her as one of their own and they break into an animated conversation as they hover about her head.

  My attention is brought back to the female in charge before us as she addresses us all, “Dagda, I do believe that we can help the Mother Keeper of Souls and the Father Guardian of Life. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, my dear. My name is Lady Elora and this is Lord Sylvar. We rule the Rime fae together, and we would like to welcome you all to our territory.” Her owl is perched in all his glory on her forearm, his golden eyed gaze watching our every move, assessing us all. He spreads his wings and Lady Elora nods her head as if the two are in silent conversation before he takes to the sky and I watch him rise steadily into the air heading for the mountains as he continues to climb higher and higher.

  Turning back to Lady Elora, I ask, “Where is he going?”

  Lord Sylvar smiles and answers, “Since our meeting with The Dagda and Lugh last night, we have been sending scouts out to watch for The Morrígan’s foot soldiers. As of last night, Cú Chulainn and the males that travel with him have yet to arrive. Elora’s spiorad ainmhí companion is going to scout the entrance to the dwarf’s domain. He will report back to us if there is any news. In the meantime, we will lead you and your companions toward the dwarf’s hidden entrance. We have remained their trusted guardians of this doorway. No one enters there without our express knowledge. They are aware that you and your companions will enter their domain. We have an alliance with the dwarfs, and they have agreed to give you a guide to traverse their shadowy domain.”

  Suddenly, I remember the cave leading downward toward King Arthur’s final resting place. I hope that I can hold up in the dark maze that we will encounter shortly. I certainly hope that I will not freak out again as I did before. Then I focus on the Rime’s animal companions and a
sk, “Lord Sylvar, what is a spiorad ainmhí companion?”

  He smiles down at me, “They are our bonded companions, young one. Centuries ago, we stumbled upon a primitive people in The Mortal Realm. They were much like us in the fact that they dwelled in an artic climate. One that is just as extreme as our own territory. Unlike us, they needed warmth to survive. Dwellings that would give them shelter from the frigid temperatures, I believe they called their dwellings igloos. That is not something that we require, unlike the humans, we cannot exist in warm temperatures. We are the winter fae. Frost, ice, snow… They are our companions. They cling to us, and we to them. During our time in The Mortal Realm we met a shaman and learned of their link to their spirit animals, their guides, their companions. We were so fascinated with the practice that we adopted it as one of our own practices.”

  Elora picks up where her kindred left off, “We learned the ritual, and we adapted it to suit our needs. As a child, at the tender age of two, we are exposed to a variety of young winter creatures. As the ritual progresses the child will feel a pull to one of the creatures in the circle. The two will become acquainted with one another, and as that happens, all others begin to fall away from their consciousness. The animals in the circle will one by one walk away until it is just the child and their spiorad ainmhí companion completing their link. The bond is an everlasting bond, and as long as the other lives so do they.” Her lilting voice trails away.

  Thinking of Lachlan and Lillie, I ask, somewhat alarmed, “What do you mean when you say that as long as the other lives so do they?”

  Elora cocks her head assessing me in curiosity before responding, “If my spiorad ainmhí companion were to be shot from the skies and fall to his death, then my heart would cease to beat. That is how powerful our bond is. Why do you ask? I assure you that our bond gives us both extended life, and great comfort. I have been bonded to Aires for too many years to count.”

  “Our children have somehow bonded to a pair of desert foxes,” Alaric confides, and I turn to him as he continues. “There was no ritual. They astral projected during sleep to look for Ashlinn and me while we were away on realm business. They somehow bonded to the two in the process. The fox pups are a constant companion to the two now.” Alaric looks over to me and takes my hand to offer me reassurance that our babes will be okay.

  Smiling back at him, I hear Elora say, “How very interesting, at some point I would like to meet your young and their companions. It sounds as if their bond is much like our own. Unfortunately, I know that time is not on your side. You must be on your way if you are to make it to dwarf territory before nightfall.” Lady Elora is the picture of elegance, her expression serene, the small crown upon her silver white hair appears to be made up of tiny interlocking snowflakes. Beside her Lord Sylvar’s crown looks more like ice crystals. They make an extraordinarily beautiful pair and ultimately, I’m very thankful for their help.

  Dagda is the first to recover and says, “Thank you Lady Elora and Lord Sylvar. We are indebted to your generosity. Now, everyone, let’s be on our way. We have quite a distance to travel today before we can rest.”

  Just like that, our little group begins to move out. Alaric helps me to mount Storm and we prepare to follow their lead. The winter fae have assigned two of their own to lead us toward the dwarf’s domain. The two are mounted on their polar bear spiorad ainmhí companions. They are a sight to behold as they urge their bears forward, heading for the mountains that are now being cast in shadows as the day looks to be ushering in a cold biting wind.

  Sighing, I look over to Jasmine and say, “Looks like the weather is about to turn.”

  “That would be our luck. Wouldn’t it?” She jokes, but then looks contrite, “Ash, I don’t think it a good idea to release my wings in this extreme cold weather, I’ve never been in temperatures that are so cold before, and my wings are resisting my urge to release them, so Camoryn is going to carry me. If we fall behind, don’t worry, we’ll eventually catch up.”

  “Jasmine,” I scold, “absolutely not. Camoryn, hoist your mate up behind me. Storm can more than handle the additional weight. You and Alaric can flank the two of us. That way no one falls behind. Besides, that way, we can share body heat. It’s turned down right freezing. Not to mention, it’s beginning to snow, heavily.” I say as I pull my fur lined hood up to cover my bare head.

  Jasmine smiles and turns to Camoryn, jumping into his arms, announcing, “Well, you heard her. Lift me up there, big guy.” She throws her arms around him and gives him a smacking kiss before pulling back. Camoryn chuckles and then gently settles Jasmine behind me, reluctant to let her go. Jasmine’s pale blue cloak a stark contrast to my own dark green one.

  “Alright you two, now we need to catch up to the rest of our group,” I say to Alaric and Camoryn before turning back to the Lord and Lady of the winter fae, I incline my head, “Thank you for your assistance. I will not forget what you have done for us and our cause. I very much look forward to seeing you again, under much less pressing circumstances.” Urging Storm forward, I wave, and we trot after the rest of our party. Turning one last time I see that they continue to watch our departure. Lady Elora gives me a brief smile before turning and heading back into the winter forest with the rest of her troupe.

  As the day wears on, I’ve come to realize that distance can sometimes be deceiving. The mountain range seemed so close this morning, but after four hours on horseback, I call for a break. My feet feel as if they are frozen blocks of ice and my stomach feels as if it is caving in on itself. I’m hungry and it’s time for lunch. Our winter fae guides are in agreement, and they lead us to a mountain stream that we are supposed to follow for the rest of our journey. Everyone dismounts to stretch their legs and we allow our mounts to roam free.

  I deftly pluck an apple out of one of my saddle bags as I hop to the ground. It’s a granny smith. I polish the lime green surface before biting into its tart and tangy goodness. It’s juicy, and I lick at the nectar from the corner of my mouth. Storm turns to look at me and snorts. That’s when I realize that there is not much vegetation here in this wintery land. Taking another bite, I offer the rest of my unfinished apple to Storm. She neigh’s her appreciation as her silkie soft muzzle brushes across my open palm, her teeth plucking the apple out of my outstretched hand as she crunches down on the proffered fruit. She and the rest of our mounts make their way to the mountain stream. Tempest, ever at her side. Obviously, they are thirsty after our travels this morning. Overhead it looks as if a winter storm is brewing. The clouds continue to darken, casting a gloomy look about the small clearing. If I’m gaging our time away, it should be about midday but looks as if it is closer to dusk. What were fitful bouts of flurries before looks to be increasing. I’m more than thankful for the fur lining in my boots.

  Turning, I see Alaric and Dagda talking to our guides. On the way here, we learned that the two are brothers and their names are Jandar and Jaonos. As I approach, I hear Dagda announce, “Lugh and I will trace back to the Keep to bring feed for the horses. I’m afraid that we will be on our own otherwise. The less we travel with, the better time we will make.” With that pronouncement both Dagda and Lugh wink out of sight.

  Sighing, I walk up to Alaric, I say, “I guess we’ll have our jerky rations, and what fruit and nuts we brought with us.”

  Alaric chuckles, “Our dried rations are not that bad, mo grá. Besides, we’ll be back before you know it. Jandar says we’re making good time and should be to the mountain entrance in another few hour’s or so.”

  “Then why are we stopping? We should have just pushed on.”

  “No, mo grá. The horses needed a rest and water, along with nourishment. Once we get to the entrance, we will have to trace our mounts back to the Keep. They are not used to this weather and there will be nowhere for us to stable them. Nowhere for them to stay dry and warm. Jandar and Jaonos will then head back to check in with their Lady and Lord. In the meantime, Ash, we should take advantage of this time o
f rest. We have no idea as to what awaits us.”

  Nodding, I agree. Taking his hand and walking him over to the small fire that Tolin and Garrik have made so that we can warm all our fingers and toes. I decide to make the most of this time as we all sit about the fire nibbling on our rations listening to Jasmine and Camoryn’s teasing banter, Garrik and Tolin’s brotherly comradery, Garrik won over TNT some time ago and the three are mostly thick as thieves now. Lorcan and Fergus talk quietly amongst themselves. Leaning into Alaric I smile. These are my people and I love them. Each and every one.

  Chapter 27

  (Alaric)

  I watch as our two winter fae guides leave. Both are astride the backs of their enormous bear companions. They lumber into the darkening night. Their gait quickens to a lope as they leave us behind and disappear into the driving snow as white out conditions of the winter storm takes hold. They go back to report to their Lord and Lady that they have delivered us safely to the hidden entrance of the mountain. Honestly, they were reluctant to leave us since we had not had word as to the progress of our foe, but they had completed their task, so now the rest is up to us from this point forward. No doubt, Lady Elora’s owl had to seek shelter from the storm, I can’t imagine that an owl flying in this extreme weather would have an easy go of it.