Silent Snow: Tales from Ancient Ieda 01

by Sarah Thomie

  He choked. “What?!” He looked to the Matriarch. “No offense given, but you are not my type.”

  She just laughed. “None taken. You are too tall at the minimum I do not know how your neck does not hurt when talking to these tall males.”

  “The women are almost just as tall, maybe only six feet instead of six and a half.”

  “Goddess Above.” She laughed, before waving to me. “Always a pleasure, Snow.”

  Lynx ran over to her, offering his arm to escort her. She accepted it, and they walked away, leaving First Son, Howling Wolf, and I next to Viper’s body.

  “You were saying about Sparrow?” First Son prompted.

  “She thought you were falling for the Matriarch, and she would not listen to me that you love only her. Then after you two left, Xerinae snarled at me, and that is how I learned about the straying males. I had Raven and Lynx explain the whole partnership thing to me, and when they were done, I was even more furious.” I thought about. “Speaking of Lynx, he must have left the village right after our talk. What were you three talking about when I got here?”

  “Lynx and Raven thought that there was something wrong between us because you never explained that there was something wrong from your ladies.” He looked to the body on the ground. “We cannot leave him here.”

  “No, but we could leave him near a bear den,” I offered. When they both arched an eyebrow at my suggestions, I said, “Fine. Maybe in the river, so he can sleep with the fishes.”

  “Your ideas are useless, Snow.” Howling Wolf touched my shoulders, and he jumped back, looking at the blood on them. “How much of that is yours?”

  “None? He did not land any hits on me, because he was swinging too wildly.”

  “Go to the bathhouse and get cleaned up,” he grumbled, pushing me away from the body.

  I walked to the bathhouse. The City Elves who helped to build up this settlement wanted something of comfort. I remembered bathhouses from the cities, but this one was simpler. The area they chose had a natural hot spring in it, so they built the wooden structure over it, adding in decking and partitioned rooms. The City Elf running it waved me through, as he grabbed me a scour pad and a drying cloth. I stripped out of the bloody clothes and went to where the buckets were. I used the dipper to pour the water over me, warmed by the hot spring’s heat. When I finished scrubbing the blood off me, threw my clothes into the bucket to soak.

  I climbed into the hot spring, letting its heat help my muscles. The Matriarch came in, carrying her own supplies. She cleaned herself, before sitting next to me. “What a day.”

  “Sorry for getting blood all over your village.” I laid my head back on the cool stone.

  “Do not worry about it. That bastard got what he deserved.” After a moment, she asked, “Snow? Are we really going to try to liberate the City Elves?”

  My brows furrowed. “I may live with Wood Elves, but I am a City Elf. I want our people free. I want them to experience what the Goddess Above has given us in the world. I want them to never have to live in fear again.”

  “I have an idea that can help with getting them wanting to escape again.”

  I turned to face her. “What are you thinking?”

  “We were always able to get stories passed along because of how often we were bought and sold. I want to use that to our advantage. I want to spread a rumor around that the Reckoning has returned, and she has silver hair. I know you do not believe that you are that special, but no one can handle the knives like you can. I could train for the rest of my life and never reach your level. Beyond that, even if it is just a hope, it is more than what we have ever had. Then, when you liberate them, they will be more likely to run when you tell them to.”

  “It will be extremely dangerous. I cannot ask my Clan to do this with me.”

  “What will be dangerous?” Howling wolf walked in with First Son and Lynx.

  The Matriarch looked at me, her face flushed with embarrassment. I waited until they were in the water before I said anything. “You know, as lovely as your physique is, Howling Wolf, I do believe our Matriarch is embarrassed since she got an eyeful.”

  “It is payback for you two scaring us earlier,” Lynx mumbled. He turned to the Matriarch. “You just watched someone eviscerate another Elf. How can someone so cute and little be so vicious?”

  “It is because they are closer to the Underworld at their height.” Howling Wolf sounded solemn. “As for the cute part, I am starting to believe that the Goddess Above had a sense of humor when She made City Elves.”

  I elbowed the Matriarch. “They think you are cute.” I got in close to her ear and whispered, “According to the ladies, Lynx is a catch. And he is more of your type.”

  She grabbed me and dunked me into the water and held me there for a couple seconds. “I am so sorry, Wolf. Your lady just mysteriously drowned. Just happened out of nowhere.”

  “Oh no, what ever will I do?” Howling Wolf asked sarcastically.

  I pushed her under the water. “Lynx, she thinks you are good looking, even if she will not admit it.” I pulled her back out of the water and hid behind Howling Wolf.

  “So, what is this dangerous thing that my Snow is trying to avoid talking about with her antics?” Howling Wolf asked again.

  The Matriarch answered, a glittering fire behind her eyes, “Liberating the City Elves.”

  Chapter 19

  “Let me get this straight, Silent Snow killed a new Clan member because you believed him to have harmed female Elves before, and he broke his vows to his partner. Then, you two decided that you two want to liberate the City Elves from their servitude without the help of your Clan or allies?” the Elder asked me.

  “Correct, Honorable Elder,” the Matriarch told him. “We are not asking for your Clan to put your warriors at risk for something like this, nor are we asking for this to happen immediately. This is too important to her and myself to push it to the wayside, so I am asking permission to use her when the time comes. We will take our time to plan, letting the rumor of the return of the Reckoning to spread throughout the kingdom. City Elves have already waited for so long, so taking the time to make sure that we keep our people safe while we save others is paramount.”

  The Elder and Grandfather looked between the Matriarch and me. “You asked to be a part of this Clan, and now you are willing to throw it all away for those who believe you to be a Kinkiller?”

  “Yes, Honorable Elder,” I replied to him. “I may live here, but I will always be something separate from them because of what I am. I love this Clan with everything I am and will die to protect it, but I wonder. What will happen when the humans run out of City Elves to buy and sell, then kill for their entertainment? Would they try to go after Wood Elves next? Liberating the City Elves has the advantage to make sure that the Wood Elves are never on the slave block.”

  He looked at me.

  Grandfather spoke. “Do you believe humans would be so foolish as to try to capture the Wood Elves for slavery?”

  “If there is anything that I learned in my three thousand years on this earth, it is that humans are foolish and haughty. I believe it is only a matter of time before they try. There are more humans than there are Elves, so if they decided that Wood Elves would make good slaves, they can overcome us with their sheer numbers. We need to make sure that the laws are changed so that slavery is abolished completely, but that will not happen without help from other Clans or even human allies.”

  The Elder scoffed. “Humans as allies?”

  I looked to the Matriarch, who nodded and spoke. “I know of a family who has purchased City Elves throughout their generations, but never treated them badly. Every time an Elf went to a slave auction, we hoped that they would be the ones to purchase us. At least, they would help give us the semblance of freedom, even if, by law, they were not able to release us. I believe this family will help us in liberating our people.”

  “I cannot force my Clan nor other Clans into assisting you, M
atriarch,” the Elder said. “But if Silent Snow volunteers to help, I know better than to try to stop her.”

  “Thank you, Honorable Elder.” She gave him a graceful bow, “May I inquire about those Clans who you consider allies, so I may ask their Elders directly?”

  “You want to speak to unknown Clan Elders about something they would never have considered doing?”

  “Yes,” she answered simply.

  He looked to Howling Wolf and First Son. “It seems City Elf females are bred to have gumption and grit.”

  “That sounds about right, Father,” First Son told him. “Maybe their fortitude can help us, where their wiles cannot. We all know how cunning Snow is, but I am starting to see a pattern with other City Elf females.”

  “I believe you have a map that she can use?” the Elder asked Grandfather.

  Grandfather pulled out the map of the allies, enemies, and neutrals against our Clan. “Please, take a look, Matriarch.”

  The Matriarch stepped forward and looked at the map. “Who would you suggest I speak with first? We already have the Star Clan’s pledge to assist, after they first saved my people.”

  “Might I suggest that you try the Earth Clan? They are neutral toward us, so they would not mind you having an escort with you.” Grandfather pointed.

  She studied the map, looking for routes in and out of the village in case she needed to escape quickly. “May I take Lynx with me? Since he is the fastest scout, if something goes wrong, he would be able to get help.”

  “I am surprised you did not want to take Silent Snow with you.” Grandfather chuckled.

  “If I was going to fight, I would. But since this is a peace mission, I would rather not come with an Enforcer. Sorry, Snow.”

  I laughed. “I completely understand your reasoning. I would not want me for something that delicate either. But if something does go wrong, do not think you can try to stop me from saving you.” I pointed to the Elder, then Grandfather, Howling Wolf, then First Son, “Only they would be able to, and I am sure Howling Wolf would be there leading the way.”

  “You may take Lynx with you. I suggest waiting until tomorrow morning before leaving, so you have enough supplies,” the Elder told her.

  “Thank you, Honorable Elder.” She gave him a bow of respect, before leaving.

  I tried to follow, but the Elder stopped me. “Tell me everything that happened yesterday.”

  I took a deep breath and started with Sparrow’s worry, the talking with my gossip girls, then the Test of Taking, followed by killing Viper.

  “When First Son told Viper’s partner about his death, she thanked him. When the gossip girls got her to talk, they learned that he had raped another Elf in their previous Clan and left her for dead. She was found alive, but Viper had already taken his partner here. He beat her whenever he had what he considered a bad day, which could range from stubbing his toe in the morning to her not giving him sex on demand.” I bristled with rage. “I wish she would have opened up sooner, so we could have helped her sooner.”

  “Knowing more about this helps me understand why you killed him.” Grandfather sounded empty since he and the Elder had given permission for Viper and his partner. “Would you mind finding out if his partner would prefer to return to her former Clan or stay here? She will not pay for the sins of her dead partner.”

  “The gossip girls already asked, and she would like to stay. He beat her so badly that she actually believed that she could have stopped him from hurting that other woman if she wasn’t such a terrible partner,” I told them. “I am asking permission to go to their former Clan to explain Viper’s death. It will not give them the revenge they want, nor will it take away the pain he caused the woman, but it will help her heal.”

  “I grant permission. Take Raven with you, since he is a better negotiator than you are. Howling Wolf, I want you to stay here with First Son, since I believe we will be having visitors coming after dealing with the Matriarch,” The Elder told the others. “You are all dismissed.”

  “Yes, Honorable Elder.” We all bowed before leaving the large building.

  “When did you decide to go to their former village?” Howling Wolf asked me.

  “After talking with the gossip girls. They pretty much demanded that someone go, because of what Viper’s partner told them. I decided I should because I know what the woman he raped is going through. I want to be the one to tell her that it gets better, and she will heal from this.”

  First Son stopped us. “I remember you telling us, and we saw about a few of them. And I know that is never a good thing to ask, but how often are City Elf women forced into a bed?”

  I looked at him, appraising if he would be able to handle the answer, before replying, “It depends, honestly. Me? At least three times a week, because of how rare I was to them. Too many kept trying to breed, so they would get a silver haired Half Elf. Whether it was luck or the Goddess Above, the pregnancy never caught. For other City Elves? Once a week, usually. You see, it was not just the masters who sexually abused the slaves, and the men were not exempt from it either. There are poisons that can make a male physically ready, but it still does not change the horror of what was done to them.”

  “Goddess Above.” First Son looked sick.

  “It is amazing that any of you let someone else touch you at all, much less have sex,” Howling Wolf mumbled.

  “You learn to disassociate when you are forced, just like we do when we get hurt. As for sex with other City Elves, we all know what triggers harmful memories, so we all know how to avoid them with each other. It is another reason we cannot love someone else because love requires giving yourself to that person in its entirety. We are unable to do that, which is another reason why I was so angry at the wandering males.” I clenched my fists. “Wood Elves have the ability to love and form lifelong partnerships, whereas we cannot.”

  First Son rubbed his chin. “I wonder if time heals soul wounds as it does other ones, because maybe after you liberate the City Elves, and they have the chance to heal, then they could have the ability to love.”

  “I never thought of that before. I have been here for over five years, but that is such a short time in an Elf’s life. Maybe you are right, and we could learn to feel what you do.” I caught Sparrow walking towards her home. “Speaking of love.” I ran to her and dragged her to where First Son and Howling Wolf were. “Tell her.”

  First Son cocked his head; Howling Wolf coughed, “Tell her how you feel.”

  There was finally the glimmer of understanding in his eyes. “Sparrow.” He grabbed her hands, and I dragged Howling Wolf away to give them privacy.

  “If City Elves cannot love, then what do you feel for me?” Howling Wolf asked.

  “What I feel for you is the closest thing to love I can experience, which is respect and admiration, which is why I told you that if you wanted another, I would step aside. But I do not feel the same way you do, and there is a chance I never will be able to.”

  He picked me up his hands under my hips, to lift me to his level. He pressed his forehead to mine. “What we have is enough for me, Snow. Even if you never love me the way I do you, the fact is that we chose each other. You could have very easily gone with any of the other warriors or even stayed an eligible, but when you learned how I felt, you chose to be with me. If that is not love, then I guess none of us know what love truly is.”

  I smiled at him then laughed. “I doubt any of the other warriors would appreciate my ability to throw them into the dirt like you do, so that counted almost all of them out anyways.”

  The Matriarch cleared her throat near us. “As adorable as you two are, I need to speak with Snow before she leaves.”

  Howling Wolf kissed me gently then set me back on the ground. “I will go get Raven and tell him about your mission.”

  The Matriarch whistled. “They may not be Gods of the Forest, but their muscles sure do help with the illusion that they are.”

  I gave her a friendly punch
in the arm. “Go find your own Forest God. I mean Lynx is not as muscular, but I doubt that bothers you as much.”

  She tinted pink as she linked her arm in mine. “Lynx is a Forest God, just a leaner one, instead of the thick muscles of your Wolf.”

  “Besides talking about their lovely physiques, what did you need to talk to me about?” I changed the subject.

  “I want you to see if you can convince the Clan you are going to visit to become a part of our cause. If I am the only one who is trying to get all the Clans to help, then it would take too long. So, I am hoping that you can help split the duties. It would be best if we could get the Clans we talk with to spread the word of our beg for assistance,” she explained while we wandered.

  “I will see what I can do. Maybe we could get these other Clans to spread our wishes to their allies. Especially if they know that Wood Elves have a chance to be a part of the menu, so to speak.” I thought about it. “I wonder if there have been any Clans who lost people already.”

  “Do you think we would have heard about it?”

  “I do not know, but we can also spread that if Wood Elves have been taken, to send word here and to your settlement. Maybe we could broker alliances if we are able to save them.”

  “Goddess Above, I hope we do not have to gain alliances that way. No matter how much easier it would be, I do not wish slavery on anyone.” She made a sign of protection to the Goddess over her heart.

  “Me either.” Then I added, “Except for people like Viper or the City Elf Seller who first enslaved me.”

  Out of nowhere, Raven came up to us. “Howling Wolf told me that you and I are going on a mission? Then First Son gave me an alliance document of the Water Clan decided to accept it.”

  “Yes.” I pulled my arm away from the Matriarch and gave her a devilish grin, pointing to a home near where we were standing. “I believe your lean Forest God has today as a rest day, if you want to spend time with him.” I winked, and she punched me in the arm. “Good luck, Matriarch.”

  “You as well, Reckoning.” She waved before walking away.